I Became the Terminally Ill Character in My Friend’s Academy Novel – Chapter 17

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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There was one thing I had overlooked.

“You pig…!”

This boar, being an academy cadet, was faster than me.

He closed the distance I had created with my starting dash in a mere five minutes, and my pathetic body was already out of breath after sprinting for that long.

I thought that this boar would stop chasing me if I ran to a crowded area, but he seemed to have lost his mind and kept chasing me.

Damn it, I needed to think positively. If I kept running like this, I wouldn’t have to use the treadmill for cardio today.

If I just yelled for help, wouldn’t someone help me? Though it would be embarrassing for me…

Oops.

Lost in my foolish thoughts, I neglected to watch where I was going, and my foot got caught on a protruding paving stone, just like in a cartoon.

The feeling of weightlessness was enough for me to predict my impending fall, and that monstrous boar would then reach me while I was down.

Yes, I was screwed again. Screwed for the nth time.

“Ouch!”

My scream came a beat late.

Were the streets paved with cushions these days?

What enveloped me wasn’t the mercilessly hard surface of the ground, but a strangely warm and soft sensation.

I screamed because I was shocked, not because I was hurt.

Moreover, this premium cushion-like feeling seemed familiar.

“Professor Cathy…?”

“What’s going on here?”

The boar flinched at her voice that was laced with anger.

Even if he was out of his mind, he couldn’t answer, “I’m trying to beat the shit out of that bastard,” in front of an active A-rank hero.

My fear-frozen heart melted at the sight of my secret friend appearing with perfect timing.

Yes, it wasn’t me who was screwed now, but the boar.

“I’m asking you what’s going on, Cadet.”

“Well, that is… it was a joke.”

“A joke? Then Cadet Kang So-hyun will give the same answer, right?”

Oh, the boar’s face turned pale.

Haha, you little punk. You didn’t see this coming, did you? My secret friend was incredibly strong! You were in big trouble now.

Just kidding.

I couldn’t ask her, an academy professor, to beat up a student.

“Yes, it was a joke. We were just messing around, and I fell.”

Huh? The boar looked surprised, and Professor Cathy’s expression also contorted.

What was wrong with her?

And then, she lifted me up in her arms.

Without any exaggeration, she lifted me in the so-called “princess carry,” ranked number one in Forbes’ list of most embarrassing positions for a man to be in.

Running to a crowded area was a mistake.

This was so embarrassing.

“Let’s go.”

“What? What!? Like this!? You have to put me down!”

“You fell. We’re going to the infirmary, so bear with it, Cadet.”

Bear with what!? What about all the stares!?

“But I’m not hurt at all thanks to you catching me!?”

“Cadet Kang So-hyun.”

Oh, shit. For some reason, my secret friend seemed to be very angry.

Her eyes conveyed that I should shut up.

“As an instructor specializing in close-quarters combat, I’m more knowledgeable about the human body than you cadets. You might not feel any pain now due to the sudden impact, but it’s still pretty dangerous, so you should consult a specialist.”

I was really fine because of that amazing cushion catch.

But I didn’t have the courage to refute her.

Kind people were truly scary when they got angry.

My embarrassment was insignificant in the face of Professor Cathy’s anger, and so I was dragged to the infirmary.

In a princess carry, of course.

Damn it, I was scared of the rumors that might spread by tomorrow.

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After dragging me to the infirmary, she started interrogating me with a worried look.

“So-hyun, tell me honestly. You weren’t just playing around, were you?”

“Well, Professor, jokes between guys can seem a bit rough from a woman’s perspective…”

“I know you’re kind. But wrong is wrong.”

Wow, I never dreamed I’d hear those words from Professor Cathy.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that those were the words I least wanted to hear from her and Lilac.

She seemed more emotional than usual, even dropping the formal language and calling me “So-hyun” despite being inside the academy.

“Hmm.”

It seemed pointless to try and deny it, didn’t it?

“Actually, you’re right. There was a bit of an incident on the first day, and some kids were picking on me.”

“If that happened in my class, you should have told me!”

Wow, she was really angry. Did she even realize that this was only my second day at the academy…?

I was grateful for and reassured by her worried gaze, but perhaps because she was too kind, her reaction seemed a bit excessive.

“Isn’t this the time when kids are a bit hot-blooded? It’s normal for them to fight. It wouldn’t have been a big deal even if I had actually gotten hit.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a freshman too, and it’s too late once things escalate, So-hyun. And you said you were hit in the back of the head. How can you now say you weren’t hit?”

Oh, shit, that’s right. I had already been hit.

I shouldn’t have gone easy on that boar.

He was dead next time.

I would get my petty revenge.

Once I reached the average physical strength of a cadet.

A gentleman’s revenge was never too late, even if it took ten years.

“You’re too kind for your own good.”

Seriously, the professor and Lilac had no right to say that.

Hmm? Kind?

Ah, right.

“Professor, please take this.”

I had been wondering what excuse I would have to use to visit her, but since we’ve already met like this, it seemed like the best time to give it to her.

“I actually received a reward from the Goblin dungeon last time. I was going to give you this ring, but I kept forgetting.”

Clearing a dungeon without registering for it was illegal after it was reported, but unregistered dungeons like this one could be cleared without penalty if it was for escape.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been a problem for Professor Cathy, since she was an A-rank hero.

“So there was a reward, huh? Hmm, a ring?”

“Yes, it seemed to have an effect just by carrying it.”

“Really? What kind of effect? Depending on the effect, I might have to file a report.”

“It seems to be different for everyone, but for me, it increased my natural healing ability.”

The moment I said that, Professor Cathy stopped fiddling with the ring and gave it back to me.

“With my discretion as a field supervisor, I’ll consider this ring as acquired and owned by Cadet Kang So-hyun.”

“What? I was trying to give it to you…”

“I won’t accept any objections.”

“But it would be more useful for you than for me…”

“You need this item more than I do.”

No, a kind person should have it! Lilac would get plenty of better items later on, but the professor really needed this.

“I thought you seemed healthier than when I first saw you, so there was a reason.”

No, damn it, it wasn’t because of this!

But explaining it would require explaining the Saint’s Tears, and even if the professor was an angel, she might become suspicious if I told her everything.

“Th-then I’ll use it…?”

“Yes, I think it’s best suited for a cadet.”

I felt guilty at her smile.

Since I couldn’t refuse it now. I’d have to use it for a while.

I’d probably get in trouble if I gave it to Lilac and got caught afterward.

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Cathy, who had been quite upset when she entered the infirmary, was now in a surprisingly good mood.

Good things happened to good people.

She hadn’t really believed in that saying, but seeing the dying boy finding a way to survive, it didn’t seem entirely wrong.

“He’s too kind for his own good. Really.”

Yes.

He could have been greedy and kept it to himself, but seeing him obediently offer her the ring, she once again felt his kindness.

He probably didn’t even realize that the ring was what was sustaining his weak body.

Her feeling that he seemed healthier lately wasn’t a mistake.

Although it was disheartening to hear that he got teased on his first day, wasn’t it common for kids at this age to target and bully those who seemed weaker than them?

“Since I’m his homeroom teacher, I should keep an eye on him.”

More importantly, keeping the ring a secret was paramount.

If people found out that it had the potential to restore innate Qi, they would definitely try to take it by force.

Considering both the bullying and the ring, it seemed best for her to spend more time watching over him when she wasn’t working.

As she was unknowingly building a closer bond with Kang So-hyun based on her completely inaccurate assumptions…

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“Hey So-hyun, I heard Professor Cathy carried you to the infirmary?”

“Who told you that?”

My cross-dressing roommate started teasing me again.

She seemed to have a strange fondness for teasing me despite her usually subtle expressions.

“Who told me? It’s already a rumor. Those kids who don’t like you are also spreading the rumor that you bribed your way into the academy.”

Aha, these persistent bastards. They were incredibly skilled at twisting things to fit their narrative.

“Professor Cathy really hates that kind of thing.”

“Huh? You know her well?”

“A little, due to certain circumstances.”

“What, a secret between us? How mean.”

What kind of relationship did we even have? Roommates?

But thinking about it, it wasn’t something I needed to hide.

“It’s not really a secret. She saved me when I suddenly got stranded in a dungeon.”

“Ah.”

She apologized with a slightly apologetic look.

“Sorry, it’s a more serious story than I thought.”

“No, it’s not that serious…”

No, was it a serious story? It was for me, since I was a transmigrator, but it could be serious for Professor Cathy too.

“No, it’s fine. She’s a hero, so it makes sense.”

Um, if it was “fine,” could you please stop letting your imagination run wild?

Even in the original story, her fantasies were usually far from the truth.

“Don’t spread rumors.”

But I was too lazy to correct her, so I just let her think whatever she wanted.

She wouldn’t think anything strange, would she?

“I’m not the type to gossip about my friend’s business.”

“Well, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’m feeling generous, so let’s order delivery tonight. How about chicken?”

“Oh, are you treating?”

“Just give me 6,000 won.”

“That’s practically treating.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Chicken was always the right answer.

Suppressing the urge to hum “Chicken Symphony No. 3,” I opened the delivery app with an excited heart.

Ding.

-7 days until the main quest begins.-

Along with the unpleasant notification sound, a message hinting at another incident appeared.

“Why? Did the chicken place close?”

“No, I was just thinking about what to order.”

It was a bit earlier than in the original story, but considering that the semester itself started a month earlier, it was about time.

It was originally an episode that started a little over a week after the academy semester started.

Now, what should I do?

The image of the butt, no, of Kim Ga-eul, the first victim of this incident and a female student who was quite hostile towards me, came to mind.

What should I do?

“Hey, why are you choosing chicken with such a serious face?”

“No, I’m just deciding on something.”

Yes, half-and-half with extra pickled radish was the way to go.

You had to be flexible in everything.

I could already picture what would happen at the academy tomorrow, but it wasn’t that important right now.

First, I had to receive the chicken with a reverent heart.

Since I had already decided on what to do, I could figure out the details later after enjoying the chicken.

Perhaps her fate had changed a little since a change in even the smallest of details could change one’s destiny.

“Probably not, though.”

“What?”

“I was wondering if the chicken would arrive soggy.”

“Chicken is a serious matter.”

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T/N – I guess I was wrong. The MC should call Cathy “Daddy” instead of “Mommy”. Also, it seems like the MC plans to deal with this butt girl and the main quest at the same time. Makes sense. After all, the main quest this time seems to have butt girl as the main star.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.