I Became the Academy’s Heroine Stalker – Chapter 4

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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‘What is going on?’

On a certain day in June, when the cool breeze subsided and a lukewarm wind blew, Han-Na was lost in deep thought.
[T/N: I decided to use Han-Na instead of Hanna from now on]

It was because Han Tae-jin hadn’t been seen around me all weekend, and this mystery only deepened on her way to school.

Tae-jin avoided her gaze even though he saw her on the bus.

Usually, he would have smiled awkwardly and waved his hand, as if boasting that he was the only one on the bus who shared the position of ‘classmate’ with her.

But not today.

Especially since she hadn’t seen him all weekend.

‘What the… he cut his hair?’

Moreover, he had groomed himself.

He’d neatly trimmed the messy hair he usually kept long. His haggard face didn’t particularly look handsome, rather, he looked pitiful, but it was clear that something had gotten into him over the weekend.

‘What is it? What’s going on?’

For nearly two years, Tae-jin had been following her.

The reason she hadn’t taken action was because he knew his boundaries.

And that neutral attention was quite sweet to her, an attention seeker.

If it had been excessive, she would have dealt with him immediately.

But Tae-jin, sticking to her like a paparazzi but never crossing the line, had been a good source for her to feel ‘superior’.

‘Did he change his mind? Or did he switch to someone else?’

If she, who was practically the queen bee of the academy, was craving the attention of a sickly, scruffy cadet, it would be a blow to her pride.

But strangely, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

‘Ugh, this is annoying. Why should I care about a loser like him?’

If he had stopped stalking her, she could have magnanimously overlooked it.

However, if he had switched to someone else in the academy, that was something she could never tolerate.

That’s why Han-Na grabbed Tae-jin by the collar and dragged him off the bus, and why she asked about his weekend whereabouts.

But…

“What? What did *I* do?”

A curt response came back.

Tae-jin, who usually trembled and smiled nervously at her words, had suddenly grown a backbone after two years.

“No… Ha! Forget it!”

In the end, her complicated feelings erupted into anger. Sensing that further questioning would lead to something strange, she walked ahead of him.

‘Hmph!’

Her life was full of men far superior to Tae-jin.

It would be ridiculous to get upset over losing a mere stalker.

Yet, strangely, she felt a sense of emptiness.

‘Whatever. Something must have happened.’

Perhaps he had an unavoidable reason for not stalking her over the weekend.

Yes, that must be it.

He hadn’t missed a single day for two years.

‘Okay, let’s observe a little longer.’

Han-Na, who arrived earlier than Tae-jin, glanced at him irritably as he entered through the front door, unlike usual.

The sunlight streaming through the window was unusually bright today.

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Thrilling.

New.

The best.

The theory classes at the academy felt like reading a fantasy novel, a stark contrast to the boring subjects I used to study.

Monster ranks, skill classifications, growth, the value of a hunter, and so on.

Of course, the general education classes would be tedious, but the morning flew by, filled with fascinating lectures I didn’t want to miss.

*Growl.*

Perhaps because I had used my brain for the first time in a while, my stomach grumbled early.

“Well then, see you all next time~”

“”Yes~!””

The third period, Monster Studies, ended, and as soon as the lunch bell rang, the students rushed out like a swarm of bees.

‘Heh, this is no different from a regular school.’

Perhaps all human societies were the same.

Quietly following the wave of cadets to the cafeteria, I received my meal as if it were routine and sat down alone.

I was alone in my past life anyway.

Life was essentially a solo game.

‘Mmm, this is delicious.’

I started with the soup to soothe my stomach.

I didn’t want to vomit in front of the other cadets because of that stupid Frail trait penalty.

Next, I carefully took a bite of the ingredients in the soup.

‘Phew, is this okay?’

Fortunately, the Frail trait didn’t activate, and I continued my precarious meal. I chewed each bite 30 times, feeling like I would soon develop a square jaw.

As I was continuing my cautious meal, three girls and one boy sat down at the table across from me.

‘Choi Do-han, Baek Ji-min, Yoo Su-ah, and Han-Na.’

Choi Do-han was the protagonist of Hidden Piece Academy and, like me, a transmigrator. Of course, he believed he was the only one in this world.

Well, technically, it was different.

Do-han was a character in the novel, even if he was transmigrated, while I was a human from reality.

‘I’d like to talk to him if I get the chance.’

I was curious if we could connect over our past lives.

I stared at him for a moment, then quickly lowered my head before our eyes could meet.

I had a bad feeling that he might somehow sense that I was also a transmigrator.

Moreover, in the original story, I was brutally beaten by him and expelled from the academy.

That wouldn’t happen now, but it was still best to avoid him as much as possible.

And above all, he was the protagonist of this world.

Getting involved with him would naturally lead to being caught up in major events, and there was nothing to be gained from that.

‘Let’s see, this is right after the midterms…’

According to the original storyline, a large-scale attack on the academy would occur soon.

A terrorist-level attack orchestrated by the villainous alliance ‘Illusion,’ targeting the protagonist. It was a major incident that would be widely reported in the media, with the deaths of several cadets.

Therefore, if I got involved with the protagonist, I might end up on that list of casualties.

‘So, let’s lay low.’

I would lay low until my body was as plump as a udon noodle.

My body was still too weak to even protect myself.

One might argue that I should report the attack to the higher-ups and prepare countermeasures, but that would be a foolish choice.

Acting rashly would likely invite unnecessary suspicion from both the academy and the villainous alliance.

That would be equivalent to ending my new life before it even began.

And above all, I wasn’t the type to be fueled by a sense of justice.

I was someone who valued self-love more than philanthropy, someone more exclusive than altruistic.

‘Is that why I couldn’t be reincarnated as the protagonist?’

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips at the thought.

But what could I do? It was how I was inherently wired.

Anyway, for those reasons, I planned to simply scavenge for hidden pieces and grow stronger like a hyena until the impending attack.

Besides, someone who couldn’t even protect themselves acting all high and mighty for the greater good was nothing more than a foolish show.

I would refuse such a role even in death.

‘Huh, I’m full.’

My tray was now empty.

Since I chewed each bite 30 times before swallowing, it was less of a burden on my stomach, allowing me to finish my meal in about 20 minutes.

‘Shall I get up?’

Leaving Han-Na, who occasionally glanced at me, behind, I stood up with my tray and headed for the dish return.

There were 25 minutes left of lunchtime.

There was something I had to do before the afternoon practical class.

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‘Hmm, it should be around here.’

The academy consisted of six buildings.

The main building, annex, gymnasium, dormitory, library, and laboratory.

I had arrived at the laboratory building.

It was where in-depth research on monsters and hunters was conducted, and where cadets’ practical training and raid simulations were analyzed.

I was currently visiting the ‘Waste Storage’ on the second floor.

It was where waste materials from each department’s research were stored. Since it was cleared out only once a year, a large amount of waste and various byproducts accumulated there.

“Please fill out the register.”

“Yes.”

As instructed by the guard at the entrance, I manually wrote my name, status, date, and purpose of visit in the register on the desk.

The purpose of my visit was ‘Collecting practice materials for practical skills test.’

Of course, it was a lie.

“Here’s your ID card.”

“Thank you.”

After I filled out the register, the guard handed me an ID card, which I used to unlock the door and enter the storage area.

‘The smell is disgusting.’

As expected of a waste storage area, the stench penetrated deep into my lungs.

I instinctively covered my nose with my sleeve as I walked.

My final destination was corner ‘B32.’

‘Here it is.’

Under the high ceiling, which seemed at least 20 meters high, waste and byproducts were piled up in three tiers.

Fortunately, it was organized by section, purpose, and date, so it wasn’t difficult to find what I was looking for.

‘Hmm, among the waste disposed of on June 12th… waste from Professor Park Hak-sik’s research team.’

I found it.

Among the waste discarded on June 12th by the Alchemy Department’s Professor Park Hak-sik’s research team, there was an ore buried under the pile.

It was an ore mined from a dungeon in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, a ‘Purple Mineral’ with a faint violet glow.

Professor Park Hak-sik’s team had accidentally discarded it.

‘Yes!’

I cheered inwardly and immediately activated the hidden piece.

The method was simple.

Chanting a spell, a method known only to the protagonist and me.

The activation method involved touching the hidden piece and chanting a short spell. This method appeared in the original novel within the novel that Do-han, the protagonist of Hidden Piece Academy, had read.

—*Whoosh!*

The Purple Mineral began to emit a soft light, and a translucent hologram appeared before my eyes.

It was a quest notification window for acquiring the hidden piece.

The reason the original novel was titled ‘Hidden Piece Academy’ was because finding hidden pieces scattered throughout the academy and completing quests to acquire them formed the basis of the story.

The main storyline followed the protagonist as he worked hard to clear hidden piece quests, growing stronger to confront the villainous alliance, Illusion, which was the ultimate goal of the story.

Well, for me, who had memorized the limited edition setting book, hidden piece quests were easier than eating cold porridge.

The setting book contained information on various hidden pieces not mentioned in the original novel, as well as strategies for acquiring them.

‘Let’s go.’

Humming a tune, I headed to ‘Professor Perna Ella’s office’ with the Purple Mineral in hand.

I wanted to avoid meeting the main heroines as much as possible, but unfortunately, there were only two strength-enhancing hidden pieces that I could remember, so this was an unavoidable choice.

‘Well, I’ll just deliver it and be on my way.’

And there was no time to waste for the sake of growth.

The final graduation exam was only five months away.

In other words, the globally televised ‘Survival Deathmatch’ was coming up, and to rank high in that event, I needed the flexibility to slither past trivial obstacles like this.

‘Let’s do this.’

The Frail trait was fundamentally caused by weak hardware.

If I improved my extremely low strength and endurance stats, I could gradually lower its level.

*Knock knock.*

[Come in.]

I arrived at the professor’s office and entered.

I faced Perna Ella, who was diligently typing away even during lunchtime.

She was the Magic Department professor, the last of the main heroines to join the protagonist, and the homeroom teacher for the graduating class.

‘’Oh, Tae-jin? What brings you here?’’

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