I Became the Academy’s Heroine Stalker – Chapter 60

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Well, Su-ah missed curfew at the dorm, so I brought her here. I’m just letting her stay for tonight… Is that okay?”

Normally, he would have asked, “Would it be alright?” prioritizing Renia’s opinion, but officially, they were employer and employee.

Well, it was a strange relationship to begin with, living together like this, but anyway, his opinion should take precedence.

He asked and entered the house.

Renia glared at him.

…For some reason, he felt like a husband getting scolded for not answering calls during a company dinner…though it was probably just his imagination.

“Well… it’s fine.”

Perhaps it was because of her glare,

Her voice sounded somewhat displeased, but he couldn’t kick out a noble person who had regressed 52 times for the sake of the planet’s salvation, so he went into the living room.

Su-ah stood awkwardly by the entrance and asked Renia politely,

“Um… if it’s not too much trouble, may I come in?”

“Yes, well… Come in.”

“Thank you.”

Su-ah bowed and entered the living room.

Then, she looked around and exclaimed in admiration,

“Wow… This house is really spacious and nice.”

Unable to explain how he came to live in such a grand house, he just looked at Renia.

His head was still throbbing.

It felt like it was about to explode, like an overloaded CPU.

And perhaps because of that, he craved Renia’s special milk tea.

He felt like just one cup could cool down his overheating brain, and that it was all he needed for a good night’s sleep.

Whenever he drank her milk tea, he felt a sense of comfort and energy, and his mind cleared.

“Reina, could you make me a cup of milk tea?”

“…Now?”

Renia frowned and grumbled.

She seemed upset about his unexpectedly late return.

But he felt wronged.

He had specifically told her, “If it seems dangerous, I’ll summon you right away, so don’t worry!” before he left.

Of course, he was much later than usual, but he had returned safely, hadn’t he?

Or was she upset that he brought Su-ah home unannounced?

Well, anyone would be upset if someone brought a guest home late at night without warning.

From Renia’s perspective, it was probably like a husband bringing a female colleague home after a late-night work gathering.

Wait a minute.

He wasn’t Renia’s husband…?

And Renia wasn’t his wife.

Then was there any reason for her to be upset…?

He didn’t know.

When in doubt, apologize first. That was the national rule.

“Sorry that I’m really late. I used a lot of brainpower today, and now I’m craving your sweet milk tea…”

Renia inhaled, about to retort,

When Su-ah clapped her hands and interjected.

*Clap!*

“Ah, that milk tea! It was so delicious…! Now that I think about it, I didn’t properly thank you. Sister Reina, thank you so much for the milk tea. It really helped me.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, yes…”

Renia’s reply was weak and deflated. She had unexpectedly received a thank you, which, strangely enough, seemed to motivate her to make the milk tea..

She glanced at Tae-jin and said,

“If Master wants it, I’ll make it for you. Please have a seat on the sofa. I’ll make ‘two cups,’ including one for Su-ah.”

“Ah, okay.”

…Did she emphasize “two cups”…?

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“Hmm, this is the best.”

Enjoying sweet, warm milk tea at 11:30 pm was truly fantastic.

The day’s fatigue melted away, and his muddled brain felt cleansed.

He gave Renia a thumbs-up, and Su-ah also held her mug with both hands, seemingly reluctant to let go.

“This blessed milk tea makes me want to come back again.”

Fortunately, Renia responded with a smile.

“Hoho, you flatter me. You’re welcome anytime. I’ll make it for you.”

Su-ah was a valuable guest.

So, he also wanted to express his hospitality, but,

“Yes, anytime… Ouch.”

He couldn’t finish his sentence as Renia pinched his side, out of Su-ah’s sight.

‘…Why was she so close?’

Su-ah asked with a puzzled look,

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, nothing. The tea is so good I bit my tongue.”

He said and looked at Renia, who was sitting right next to him, as if pleading with his eyes: ‘It hurts, R-rank summon! Your grip is too strong!’

Renia chuckled at him.

“Is it that delicious? Enough to bite your tongue? Hohoho.”

Her smile seemed strangely mischievous.

But then he chuckled.

This morning, there was a 1-meter no-entry zone between them.

Now, it was as if a 1-centimeter mandatory proximity order had been issued.

Su-ah’s visit had broken down the awkwardness between them.

That’s why he chuckled.

He found it funny how their relationship had flipped like a coin, distant in the morning, close at night.

And Su-ah, watching them with a warm smile, said,

“You two seem very close. If you don’t mind me asking, how did Sister Reina become Brother Tae-jin’s bodyguard? I’m just curious because you seem so close. Hoho.”

“Ah…”

Renia realized how close they were and cleared her throat awkwardly then slightly moved away.

‘You seem close, so I’m curious.’

He knew instantly that her question wasn’t just simple curiosity.

In the 51 past timelines Su-ah had described, the words ‘Succubus,’ ‘bodyguard,’ and ‘Reina’ had never come up.

In other words, she was considering the possibility that Han Tae-jin’s voluntary change in this timeline was related to Reina’s appearance.

The question of how she, who hadn’t been present in the previous 51 attempts, became involved with Han Tae-jin had become a key point for Su-ah.

‘She would never suspect that I’m a possessed individual.’

Even Choi Do-han didn’t know Tae-jin was possessed, so for Su-ah, ‘Reina’ was the muse of the 52nd attempt’s variables.

That’s why Su-ah subtly brought it up, and they proceeded with the fabricated story they had prepared beforehand.

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‘I’m envious.’

That was the best way to describe Su-ah’s current feelings.

It wasn’t envy born from romantic jealousy.

It was envy of the warm intimacy shared between ‘people.’

For 51 repetitions, no, 52 repetitions, Su-ah had fought a lonely battle.

For the sake of fulfilling her mission.

She deliberately avoided unnecessary interactions and distanced herself from those who approached her.

She confined herself to her dorm room, dedicating each day to prayer and deep contemplation of her mission.

She believed it was necessary, and the outcomes were generally better when she did so.

She lived a life solely dedicated to her mission, her thoughts consumed by supporting and nurturing Choi Do-han.

Being a Supernova didn’t mean she was devoid of emotions.

Melancholy, joy, sorrow, ecstasy, fear, despair, and so on.

She could feel and experience the same emotions as humans.

That was why she was sent here as Earth’s savior.

Her days were lonely, arduous, and desperate.

She prayed for hours each day to reach Retourne, the leader of Eternity, the ancient god who governed the peace of the universe.

Even when her legs went numb from lack of blood circulation, her knees ached, and her whole body throbbed with pain, she continued to pray.

Sometimes, even to the point of exhaustion.

For her mission, for Choi Do-han, the agent of her mission.

51 repetitions of this cycle.

Even if she trained her mental fortitude, she wasn’t a god without emotions; it was a difficult battle to endure.

She needed somewhere to lean on, somewhere to rest.

And with each failure, her expectations for Choi Do-han, the agent of her mission, dwindled, and her heart grew weary.

But she didn’t give up.

To save the countless lives extinguished by Illusion’s tyranny, to save Earth from its path of destruction,

She didn’t give up on the arduous battle, and finally reached her 52nd attempt.

And for the first time, Han Tae-jin caught her eye.

She developed an ‘interest’ in him, someone she had considered a villain who needed to be eliminated.

Humans rarely changed.

She knew that humans didn’t always act as expected and were imperfect beings.

But Han Tae-jin was striving for a complete transformation.

That was a rare case, and that’s why Su-ah chose him as her new agent.

She revealed everything to him without hesitation, and somehow, ended up spending the night at his house.

And she felt warmth.

For the first time, after what felt like an eternity and 51 repetitions, confined to a cold, solitary room….even though it was summer, she felt warmth.

It was the warmth of ‘home.’

And the warmth she felt watching Tae-jin and Reina.

She was envious.

For some reason, she felt envious watching the two of them smiling at each other affectionately, their bodies touching.

In her countless lonely years, the comfort of home, the feeling of sitting with loved ones, enjoying warm milk tea, melted the ice that had frozen her heart.

And she realized,

That even a special being like herself, born with a grand mission, was ultimately an imperfect being, no different from humans.

And she thought,

Perhaps, this terrible loneliness could finally come to an end.

After hearing their story… a tale of affectionate smiles, shared memories, and nostalgic reminiscence… Su-ah expressed her feelings succinctly.

“Hoho, that’s a lovely story.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say “I’m envious.”

And she didn’t know.

That their heartwarming and touching story was a lie.

Even a 52-time regressor couldn’t discern their skillful deception.

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