I Became the Academy’s Heroine Stalker – Chapter 14

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“That’s surprising. You’ve recovered so quickly. You’re free to go.”

Although the doctor had initially said he needed to be monitored for three more days, he was discharged after just one day. His recovery was faster than expected.

During his day in the hospital, someone from the Monster Management Bureau had visited, but since he was unconscious at the time, he couldn’t provide them with any useful information. The CCTV footage was distorted with static wherever the intruder went, making it impossible to identify the suspect.

“A large man in a black suit?”

Bersha remembered the suspect clearly.

“But you didn’t tell them you saw him?”

“No. I hate troublesome things. And helping them track the suspect didn’t seem particularly safe.”

It was a typical Bersha thought process, but the fact that someone had approached him with malicious intent while he was unconscious was definitely unsettling. He considered requesting protection from the Monster Management Bureau, but his request was immediately denied.

-Only victims who have suffered damages can request protection… I apologize.

It was a reasonable refusal.

He hadn’t suffered any damage.

He was in a bit of a predicament.

“I’ll protect you.”

Bersha stepped up to the plate.

“…No, it’s okay.”

“Since the rumor about me being your housekeeper is already spreading at the academy, wouldn’t it be alright?”

“That’s true, but…”

He felt uneasy for some reason.

It was like trying to cover up one anxiety with another.

He didn’t know what kind of trouble their eccentric R-rank summon might cause.

But having a loyal summon as a bodyguard seemed more reliable than relying on complete strangers.

‘If it weren’t for Bersha, who knows what might have happened to me this time.’

Moreover, this was the third time he had fainted since his reincarnation.

Even though his Frail level had decreased significantly, a similar situation might occur again.

Therefore, he needed close protection.

‘Hmm… who could it have been?’

Bersha said she hadn’t sensed any malice from the man, but she judged him to be dangerous because of his strong magic power.

Was he a villain from Illusion?

Or a hidden ally?

Or perhaps an assassin hired by someone?

But based on the information he had up to the middle of the story, his deductions were weak.

One thing was certain: he needed to be more cautious about his safety.

Bersha seemed like the right person for the job, so he decided to accept her offer.

He wasn’t in a position to be picky.

Of course…

“Don’t do anything unnecessary and stay quiet. You understand?”

“Of course, Young Master!”

He didn’t forget to emphasize this point.

…He hoped he was mistaken about the excited glint in her eyes at the prospect of going out.

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Back at school after three days.

He didn’t even know how the day had passed, bombarded with attention.

It was the busiest day since his reincarnation.

He had to keep an eye on the attention ‘Housekeeper Renia’ was attracting while simultaneously trying to identify the disguised person who had leaked his hospitalization information to Bersha.

“Did you come to my house three days ago?”

“No.”

“Did you come to my house the night before last?”

“Where’s your house?”

It was definitely a woman, and she seemed tall. He asked every female cadet who fit that description, but he couldn’t identify the suspect.

Although it was highly unlikely, he even asked Han-Na, Su-ah, and Mi-jin.

But Su-ah said, “I was praying with the other cadets in the dormitory at that time…”, and Mi-jin said, “The night before last? I was working at the cafe then.”

And as for Han-Na…

“Me? Why would I go to your house? I don’t even know where it is.”

She curtly dismissed his question.

He chuckled awkwardly and backed off.

“…Right? I was just asking, just in case.”

The fact that they were disguised meant they knew him, and Han Tae-jin, whose daily routine consisted of home, stalking, and the academy, didn’t know anyone outside of his classmates.

‘In other words, someone is hiding something.’

That was the only conclusion.

Anyway, thanks to the disguised person informing Bersha about his hospitalization, he had avoided a disaster, so he didn’t intend to hold it against them.

‘But I have no clue who it could be.’

It was definitely one of his classmates, but they all denied it, which was frustrating.

And why would they hide their identity?

Was someone investigating him?

‘Well… with this much attention, there are bound to be people trying to dig up information about me.’

Honestly, he had anticipated this.

He wouldn’t be an idiot if he hadn’t.

It was only natural that people would be curious about a sickly loser who suddenly started transforming overnight after more than two years.

Of course, he hadn’t expected the attention to escalate into a hot topic due to his unexpectedly rapid growth from acquiring traits and summoning Bersha.

And now, with the addition of a stunningly SSS-rank beauty as a housekeeper, it was only natural that the entire academy was buzzing.

Of course, she was publicly known as his ‘bodyguard.’

“Young Master, the cadet diagonally to your right has looked at you 73 times up to the sixth period.”

“Young Master, the cadet behind you on the left has glanced at you 43 times during practical skills class.”

“Young Master, the male cadet diagonally to your right, third seat, has looked at you 22 times.”

…It was good that she was thorough, but wasn’t this excessive? He had to calm Bersha down before she started suspecting every passing ant.

“That’s enough, that’s enough.”

“But the suspicious cadets are also on the suspect list…”

“…You’re the most suspicious one.”

Stung by his remark, Bersha sulked and returned to her place.

Still, Bersha’s radar had yielded some useful information.

Choi Do-han had looked at him the most among the male cadets. That meant he was interested in him.

He didn’t know yet whether it was wariness, curiosity, or suspicion.

‘Tsk… I didn’t want things to turn out like this.’

It was an expected outcome.

And it was a challenge he had to overcome as part of his growth.

He had no intention of antagonizing the protagonist.

He had absolutely no intention of stealing his harem.

But he felt that the time for a decision was approaching.

A text message he received just before the end of classes.

It was from Han-Na, who had been constantly giving him the cold shoulder.

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“Master, I mean… Young Master, should I come with you?”

“It’s okay. I’ll call you if there’s any danger. Just keep an eye out for anyone coming up here.”

“Okay.”

All classes were over, and Han-Na, after shooting him an annoyed glance, went up to the rooftop first.

Han-Na, whose stares had become increasingly blatant, had apparently looked at him a whopping 120 times today, according to Bersha’s radar.

Twice as many times as Yoo Su-ah, who ranked second.

And now she had even requested a secret meeting.

This was clearly a deviation from the original storyline.

‘Damn it, I hate harem shifts.’

—*Creak… Thud!*

He opened the rooftop door and stepped out. Han-Na was standing there, arms crossed, her skirt fluttering in the wind, like a final boss.

He stopped about ten steps away and asked curtly,

“What did you want to talk about?”

“Hey, what are you?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Are you really Han Tae-jin?”

“What?”

His heart skipped a beat.

Or rather, it felt like it was plummeting into the abyss. Has she noticed something?

“Are you the Han Tae-jin I know?”

“What Han Tae-jin do you know?”

He countered, trying to hide his inner thoughts.

Han-Na pondered for a moment, then began counting on her fingers.

“…Sickly… pathetic… loser… pervert… failure… hikikomori… outcast…”

Hold on.

Wasn’t that a bit too harsh?

He wanted to retort to that brutal assessment, which felt like a verbal assassination…

But her next words made his head spin.

“A-and… a stalker…!”

“…!? Wh-what?”

He felt like the world was tilting.

He couldn’t believe his ears. He had to deny reality.

He… misheard, right?

But Han-Na took a step closer, a mischievous smile on her face.

“I knew everything. That you were secretly following me because you liked me.”

“What?”

“I knew. But why did you suddenly stop? Tell me the reason.”

“W-what nonsense. Stop what?”

“Huh? You’re saying you didn’t stop?”

“No, stop what? I’ve never done anything like stalking.”

His heart, which had plummeted into the abyss, clawed its way back up, pounding in his chest.

She… actually knew?

So, his ominous premonition was true?

There was no mention of this in the original story.

“I know everything, so you don’t have to lie. I’m not going to report you. I’ll forgive you with my magnanimous heart.”

“I never did that. What the hell are you talking about? Don’t be ridiculous.”

He collected his scattered thoughts and calmly denied it. He felt wronged, being accused of stalking, something he hadn’t done.

But Han-Na didn’t seem willing to back down.

Perhaps thinking her kindness had been rejected, her eyes sharpened.

“Don’t be absurd. Did you really think I wouldn’t know?”

“No, what the hell are you talking about? This is annoying. Are you crazy?”

“S-see! You’ve really changed…! Who did this to you? That housekeeper? Just tell me why you suddenly stopped stalking me…!”

“What?”

He couldn’t see his own expression, but…

It must have been as crumpled as a piece of paper folded and unfolded eighteen times.

He tried to calm his racing heart and figure out Han-Na’s intentions.

He had already sensed a premonition. All the heroines except Mi-jin had been acting strangely.

But this was too sudden.

It was like slamming the accelerator to the floor and then ripping it out.

He didn’t know what had made her so desperate, but figuring out her motive for bringing up the stalking was his top priority.

Was she expecting something in return?

Or was she trying to take advantage of him?

Or… he didn’t know.

What could a haughty, attention-seeking queen bee like Han-Na possibly want from a stalker like Han Tae-jin?

‘Nothing.’

No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t think of anything she might want.

She was on the path to success, cozying up with the amazing protagonist. Why would she waste her time after school on the rooftop with him?

But contrary to his expectations, Han-Na’s eyes held a strange mix of envy and jealousy.

“Is it the housekeeper?! Did that housekeeper change you? She’s really pretty, I admit…! But still! How could you follow me for two years and then suddenly…!”

“Cut the crap. What do you want? Get to the point.”

She spoke in a strange way, seemingly both acknowledging and denying the stalking accusations, while urging him to answer.

But he was once again shocked.

“The group project…! Be in my group!”

What?

Suddenly?

“You… want me to be in your group?”

“Yes!”

Professor Ella, their homeroom teacher, had announced it this morning.

To prepare for the group project starting in seven days.

The mission was to ‘reload’ a low-level dungeon that had already been cleared. Reloading meant that after the vanguard cleared the dungeon, the rearguard would thoroughly explore every corner to hunt remaining monsters and collect leftover items.

In other words, this group project was a practical training exercise.

And Han-Na was asking him to be her partner, using the ‘stalking’ as leverage.

But that leverage was too weak.

A firm refusal escaped his lips.

“No.”

Moreover, he had finally figured out the discrepancy between the original story and the current situation.

Han-Na had known about the stalking all along, and the reason there was no mention of it until the middle of the story was because she, being an attention seeker, had enjoyed it.

Stalking was clearly wrong, but if the victim enjoyed it, it was a different story.

And if *he* had been the one stalking her, it would have been right to accept Han-Na’s request as an act of repentance.

But he hadn’t stalked or blackmailed her.

Therefore, he had no reason to accept her request.

More than anything, he simply didn’t want to be in the same group as her.

She was the main heroine of the original story, a member of the protagonist’s harem.

“N-no? But why?!”

“I just don’t want to. Why me, when you can be in Choi Do-han’s group?”

“No! Why, why?! Why do you hate me now…!”

“…What are you talking about? I never liked you. Stop dreaming.”

“What?”

It was the truth, but it was a shocking answer for Han-Na. Her large, blue eyes trembled, and her body stiffened as if electrocuted.

She looked like she was having a nightmare.

“B-but then why the stalking…!”

“I didn’t do it.”

“What…?”

“And try to be a little less arrogant. Your nose is going to turn into a Moai statue’s.”

This, too, was the truth, but it was probably enough to make Han-Na faint.

However, he couldn’t explain the whole situation, so he turned and left the rooftop.

‘Good grief, trying to shift the harem.’

Well, he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that it had already started shifting.

“Young Master? Did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened.”

He prayed that Mi-jin, Su-ah, and Ella were still sane. He started down the stairs, escaping the harem.

And in three days, the [Monster Outbreak Incident] would begin.

A terrorist attack on the academy, orchestrated by a seventh-year alchemy graduate student driven mad by his research, using dark magic.

And he needed to focus on acquiring the new hidden piece that would appear during that incident.

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