I Became the Academy’s Heroine Stalker – Chapter 21

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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I turned around again.

And glared at him.

“…Did you just threaten me?”

I was beyond annoyed; I was downright furious. Frankly, there was nothing to be gained from antagonizing me. Did he really think I was *that* easy to push around?

‘Well, the old Han Tae-jin would have cowered immediately.’

But that was the *old* Han Tae-jin.

The weak, level 10 pushover who was constantly plagued by dizziness.

But a threat?

Wasn’t that something superiors used to intimidate their inferiors?

I hadn’t expected a friendly chat, given his morally gray protagonist status, but this felt less like a flower garden and more like I’d be lucky if it didn’t turn into a brawl.

Well, this *was* the original protagonist, after all.

In response to his threat, I answered with a growl. Choi Do-han’s expression flickered with surprise before he quickly composed himself.

“…I was speaking nicely. Those two are very important to me.”

Right. Important, of course.

He must be panicking now that cracks were appearing in the original storyline.

But had he completely missed the wise saying, “A soft answer turns away wrath,” during his middle school education?

“Is a threat speaking nicely? Impressive. I’ve never seen anyone make a request like that before.”

I leaned against the wall, replying sarcastically. Choi Do-han’s brow twitched.
His voice laced with anger, he asked, “…So, can I take that as a refusal?”

“If you ask politely, it might not be a refusal.”

If he just asked politely, I wouldn’t continue with the sarcasm.

After all, from his perspective, a higher-dimensional transmigrator had suddenly appeared and was shaking up the original plot.

I hadn’t intended to, but I *had* disrupted his story, and I didn’t want to make an enemy of him. He must be incredibly anxious.

As a fellow transmigrator, I could empathize, and if he asked politely, I was willing to reconsider.

Unfortunately…

“Ask politely? Are you deaf? I’m giving you a clear warning. Don’t try anything funny with Soo-ah and Mi-jin.”

A cold, sharp threat was all I received.

He was more unhinged than I thought.

Was his character collapsing along with the storyline?

Throwing a threat at me during our first meeting after my transmigration… or had the story changes caused the morally gray protagonist to take a villainous turn?

It was plausible, even likely.

But it was too early to jump to conclusions, annoying as he was.

“…*You’re* the one who seems to be under a huge misconception. I have no intention of trying anything ‘funny.’ Get a grip.”

“Your attitude is arrogant. I don’t recall you being this way before.”

“People change.”

I shrugged playfully.

A threat, followed by a condescending remark about my attitude… Was this really the protagonist I knew? Even I, who had read the novel over twenty times and devoured the character profiles, found his reaction unfamiliar.

…Don’t tell me, he was actually going down the villain route?

He took a step closer, his threat intensifying.

Fortunately, I didn’t embarrassingly step back.

“I’d prefer it if you’d stop playing games. My patience has its limits.”

“*You’re* the one who needs to stop. Delusion is fine, but too much freedom becomes a nuisance.”

“A nuisance… Do you even realize what a huge nuisance *you’re* being right now?”

…Uh, well.

I *did* know, but I couldn’t exactly explain it to him.

Besides…

I’d been actively avoiding the main heroines to prevent this exact situation! What was I supposed to do when *they* kept clinging to *me*? Was he suggesting I should go back to stalking them?

‘Absolutely not. Not my style.’

Instead, as a 3D transmigrator to his 2D world, I gave him a 3D response.

“Life doesn’t always go as planned, does it?”

But the 2D transmigrator seemed unwilling to back down.

“…Sometimes, it *needs* to go as planned. So, listen carefully.”

“I understand, but enough is enough. Do you think I’m your puppet?”

“It would be in your best interest to listen to me.”

“Should I use mana, then?”

“For the sake of the future.”

…This guy was seriously losing it.

Was he actually going to try and kill me to put the heroines back in their places?

Well, it *was* a protagonist-like thought process, but I wasn’t a villain…

Just then, the hem of his blue uniform began to flutter.

He was slowly channeling the mana stored in his core into his bloodstream.

“Let me ask you one thing. What’s your reason for resisting? You have nothing to gain.”

“A reason? Well, I want to live?”

That was the honest answer.

To elaborate further: I was hoarding Hidden Pieces because I wanted to live ‘stylishly,’ and I wanted to avoid entanglement with the main characters for the same reason. I’d been hoping he’d take care of saving the world without any issues, but how could I have known the wind I’d caused would turn into a headwind?

Even if I *had* known, my choices wouldn’t have changed.

I’d rather live this way than die as a sickly, creepy stalker.

Choi Do-han’s eyes began to glow with blue mana.

If this were the original *[Hidden Piece Academy]* story, I’d probably be facing national outrage right now, labeled as a “filthy NTR bastard trying to steal the main heroines.”

Well, it was likely.

Perspectives shaped perceptions.

“You want to live… You seem to be hastening your demise.”

Despite his threatening words, he wouldn’t attack me so easily. He was just trying to scare me. One of the strictest rules of the Academy was the prohibition of unauthorized mana usage. Using mana for any unapproved activity, inside or outside the Academy, resulted in immediate disciplinary action. Repeated offenses could even lead to expulsion.

That was part of the reason I was being so defiant.

Of course, my biggest assurance was Bersha.

“Cut it out. As a promising student, should you really be acting like this towards a lower-ranked cadet?”

“Just say you understand. It’s simple.”

“This is frustrating. How many times do I have to tell you? I have no intention of messing with them.”

“Judging by your attitude, I’m not sure I believe you.”

What?

Seriously, this guy…

Why even bother threatening me if he didn’t believe me?

His ridiculous logic filled my core with rage instead of mana, and curses erupted from my mouth without even passing through my higher brain functions.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You call me over here and then spout this bullshit?”

“…What?”

He looked taken aback.

It was probably the first time he’d heard such language since his transmigration, excluding the villains, of course.

“You know unauthorized mana usage is grounds for disciplinary action, right? Are you trying to throw your life away?”

I was genuinely concerned. I didn’t want to see the protagonist’s life ruined because of me. Even if the original plot had changed, this was still *his* world.

“Haa…”

The pulsating blue mana gradually subsided. It seemed he’d momentarily lost his composure due to the extreme stress of the plot deviations.

“Good, calm down.”

The blue light in his eyes flickered like a heat haze and then dispersed.

“Ha… I went too far. I think I lost my composure for a moment. I’m sor… *Khack!*”

– *Kwaang!*

– *Thwack!*

– *Crash!*

However,

The situation took a dramatic turn.

“You crazy bastard!! What do you think you’re doing to my Master?!”

A furious Succubus Queen—no, Security Butler Reina—burst through the metal door and delivered a swift kick to Choi Do-han’s abdomen.

A massive purple wave of magic erupted from his stomach as he crashed through the emergency exit window and flew out. He was sent flying with such force that in the blink of an eye, he was rolling across the training grounds.

“How dare you radiate killing intent! Do you want to die?!”

Bersha continued to rage, her anger still far from subsided.

“Master, let me go! I didn’t like him from the start! He deserves two soccer kicks! I still have one left!”

…Huh.

Bersha, but I hadn’t even activated [Go! Succubus!] yet…

Had she been eavesdropping behind the metal door?

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-For utilizing mana within the sacred Academy grounds for unauthorized purposes, you have violated Article 3, Clause 1 of the school regulations. You are hereby sentenced to 30 penalty points and 40 hours of community service within the Academy.

The emergency exit window of the auditorium was shattered, and a student—no, the promising Choi Do-han—was sent rolling across the training grounds. The incident had attracted the attention of everyone in the Academy.

Naturally, we were immediately summoned to the disciplinary committee.

Choi Do-han received 30 penalty points and 40 hours of community service. High penalty points made it difficult to join prestigious guilds, making them practically taboo among students. Unauthorized mana usage was a serious offense for cadet trainees.

This was also the first time Choi Do-han had received penalty points since entering the Academy.

…I had a strong feeling that Choi Do-han was heading down a villainous path, but I could only hope that wouldn’t be the case.

‘Ha, in the end, my changes were bound to create new incidents. I thought being a minor villain wouldn’t cause major shifts…’

If the main heroines hadn’t clung to me, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point. Choi Do-han wouldn’t have confronted me, and he wouldn’t have received penalty points.

I felt a twinge of regret, wondering if I could have achieved a better outcome had I been more cautious and thoughtful in my choices, but that was as far as it went. It didn’t escalate into full-blown regret. It was bound to happen eventually. If my changes created a turning point in the story, then this was simply the life I now had to navigate.

In fact, thinking positively, this rapid change in the plot might even lead to better results.

‘Right, fuck it. Let’s see how things go until the group project is over, and then I’ll adjust my Hidden Piece strategy.’

It would be difficult to snatch Choi Do-han’s Hidden Piece during the group project anyway, and the risk-reward ratio wasn’t great, so I could afford to let it slide.

However, if he provoked me again after the project, I’d include *his* Hidden Pieces in my hoarding plans. I was particularly interested in the Hidden Piece that appeared during the Illusion attack incident.

If he continued to be a pain in the ass, I’d go all-in. And if today marked the beginning of his descent into villainy, I’d have to readjust my own path accordingly.

“Ha, it’s hot.”

Of course, before that, I had to deal with my own community service.

Fortunately, due to extenuating circumstances, my sentence was reduced to three hours.

Unfortunately, Bersha was included as well.

“No! Why me?! I’m not even an Academy student! Why do I have to do this?!”

“…Because you assaulted a student.”

“But it was self-defense…!”

“That’s why it’s only three hours.”

As a side note, right before our community service ended, Bersha was caught imbuing her broom with magic while sweeping leaves, resulting in an additional 30 minutes.

“This Academy truly is a heartless place, isn’t it?”

“…Indeed.”

I had a headache today.

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