I Became the Terminally Ill Character in My Friend’s Academy Novel – Chapter 98

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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The Sky Island.

As the name suggested, it was an island floating in the sky. Created by the Omnipotent Alchemist, Callea, it served as Arcadia’s mobile fortress and headquarters.

And on that Sky Island, there was a woman who was currently having a headache.

Callea.

The current leader of Arcadia, the owner of the Sky Island, an S-rank villain, and the Omnipotent Alchemist.

“…So you’re saying that you just came back like that?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

She held her throbbing head as she listened to her subordinate’s nonchalant account of his failure.

‘…Do I have any painkillers left? Ah, a tranquilizer might be better.’

She shook her head after spacing out for a moment.

There was no problem since the villains at the scene were all wiped out.

Her colleague, who had been crying about being overworked, would have to manipulate the information again, but thankfully, since the other side betrayed them first, it wouldn’t take long.

It would take a bit of work since they had struck first, but they had the excuse of being insulted. Since the dead couldn’t argue back, they could manipulate the information as they saw fit.

“Ah, right. That guy was there. The son of the Yoo-sung Group.”

“Yes? Ah, Mr. Kang So-hyun.”

They had, of course, already investigated most of the prominent families, so they knew his name.

“Was that his name? Anyway, he wasn’t bad.”

“…Yes?”

Tae-ho wasn’t the type to give empty compliments, whether positive or negative.

When he said someone was “not bad,” it meant that he acknowledged them. She had only seen the boy once that day, but he was definitely not Tae-ho’s type.

Of course, the masked figure they saw was a bit different, but for personal reasons, she didn’t reveal his identity to her colleagues.

“That kid, if only he were a bit more sturdy, it would be worth fighting him again. I should bring him some health supplements next time.”

How much had he changed in such a short time for Tae-ho to show him such favor?

How would Tae-ho react if he knew the masked figure’s identity?

“A guy who pushes his limits and awakens for his comrade isn’t bad. If it weren’t for the last interference, we would have settled things. Ah, I didn’t like that he tattled in the middle of the fight though.”

“…You said ‘settled things,’ not ‘tested’?”

“I’m not reckless enough to test someone capable of taking my life. It would be nice if he’s stronger next time we meet.”

This was an even bigger shock than when he said that he came back without investigating the dungeon.

So far, the opponents Seo Tae-ho, the Fighting Demon, had acknowledged as equals were all prominent figures of A-rank or higher, regardless of whether they were heroes or villains.

“Ah, how can I enroll in the academy? I could fight those guys every day.”

“Well, I don’t know. Cho-hong or Abel might be able to, but Tae-ho, you’re too big…”

“Ah, I know. I was just complaining. I wish there was a request to infiltrate the academy.”

“Haha, there won’t be any requests until the rumors of this failure die down. What nonsense.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

“Come to think of it, you couldn’t have bought the ice cream, then?”

“Who do you think I am? I bought it, so don’t worry.”

“Yes? You bought it even though it must have been difficult for you?”

Rum raisin wasn’t easy to find.

Worry, rather than admiration, filled her, and as expected, she was right.

“She said that I bought it while running away, so she looked touched.”

“[…Hey!!!!!!!!]”

How touched was she to yell so loudly that the island shook?

“…What flavors did you buy?”

“Chocolate and vanilla.”

…I should take a painkiller.

“What about the rum raisin?! You bastard…!!!!”

Cho-hong’s roar as she kicked the door open shook the building.

“It didn’t taste good.”

“I like it! No one asked you…!!!!!”

Another peaceful day passed on Sky Island.

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After the incident was resolved, we stopped by the orphanage with the professor.

Ah, thanks to the expensive soundproofing equipment, the kids didn’t know what happened today.

They probably thought that it was just a boring day when the director told them not to go outside.

This kind of thing could easily become a trauma for young children.

We had to ask the director to keep the kids inside, so I told him things would get chaotic, but even this was hundreds of times better than the original story.

At least our little witch and the kids wouldn’t be traumatized.

That’s right. I was a considerate man.

“…Thank you. Ah, this is a bit awkward. I’m being sincere, but I don’t know how to express it.”

I was so considerate that even the professor, who usually teased me every day, gave me a sincere thank you!

Seeing the kids giggling without knowing what had happened made me think that I made the right decision to keep it from them.

Kids should grow up happily.

Anyway, since the operation ended successfully, it was time to receive my sweet reward.

“Then we’ll be going now.”

“Huh? So-hyun, are you leaving already?”

“Already? The kids like you, so why don’t you stay a little longer?”

No, I had to go now. I might miss out on the good stuff if investigators showed up.

“Ah, I’m actually very tired~ I’ll come back soon with Han-hee. He must be tired too.”

Ha-ni seemed to be thinking about something as she just nodded in agreement.

“Haha, that would be great. Anyway, thank you so much. I’ll help you as much as I can, so don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”

“Yes, I definitely will.”

That would depend on the professor’s attitude on the promised night.

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Kang Ha-ni.

She was currently deeply troubled.

It wasn’t a physical problem.

She had no injuries other than the ones she received fighting that monster, and even those were completely healed thanks to Kang So-hyun’s first aid.

What was bothering her was a completely different, psychological issue.

Well, it could be a physical problem, but it hasn’t been confirmed yet.

“Haah…”

“Huh? Why are you sighing?”

“It’s nothing.”

He was back to normal now, but the image of him that was so different from usual kept flashing through her mind.

Him who pushed his limits and rushed towards the monster to protect her, and him who carefully caressed her cheek as if he were touching a fragile object that might break.

Just recalling the touch made her heart race and her face flush.

The feelings she tried to suppress were ignited, and she fell for him more than she imagined.

Well, actually, it wasn’t so bad.

He seemed to have overcome the weakness of being severely exhausted when using his talent, and judging by his performance in battle, he wasn’t completely talentless in swordsmanship.

Then what was the problem?

…Whether he knew she was a girl, or if he thought she was a boy.

Of course, she could be mistaken, but what man would look at his male friend with such deep affection, caress his cheek, and say such things?

-Stay by my side.

It was driving her crazy.

Either way, it was a problem.

If he knew she was a girl, when and how did he find out? He didn’t tell anyone else, did he?

Once she started doubting, his excessive cautiousness from their first meeting came to her mind, making her even more suspicious.

No, it would be better if he knew she was a girl. The situation would be different then.

She could explain herself, confess, and if he accepted, they could go greet her father together.

Of course, there was a possibility of rejection, but that wasn’t a fundamental problem. She could try other things.

But what if her premise was completely wrong?

What if, and she hated to even think about it, he saw her not just as a friend, but as a special… male friend…?

She imagined it for a moment.

The moment she revealed she was a girl and confessed, his eyes turned cold and was filled with disgust.

‘I like men. You were a girl?’

“…Crazy.”

“…What is?”

It wasn’t about being rejected or not.

It would hurt her pride. Seriously, she might go crazy.

Her first love. Being rejected by her first love because he was gay…?

If she told her friends that, even Cheon Yoo-hak, who always acted cool, would roll on the floor laughing.

“…You’ve been acting strange. Are you even listening to me?”

“Ah, yeah. Of course.”

She knew he had been saying something, but honestly, she hadn’t heard a word.

No, she knew this was all conjecture.

It was a crazy thing to do in hindsight, but hadn’t he called her attractive when she showed him her body on the last night of the trip?

So, he was probably straight.

But what if, just what if, she had led him down that path?

That was no joke.

The guilt of twisting someone’s preferences and the future of being rejected because of it…

She would rather…

“Hey.”

“…Huh!?”

“Be honest, you weren’t listening to a word I said, were you?”

“Uh, no. It’s…”

“…Sigh, never mind. You must be tired, it’s understandable. But then, you shouldn’t have followed me. What if I took you somewhere strange?”

…Why would two guys go somewhere strange?

Her suspicion deepened.

“Ah, don’t be so serious. Anyway, we’re almost there.”

“…Huh? Where?”

“Don’t you remember? I said there was something better than honey here.”

“…You weren’t joking?”

“Of course not. I came to this mountain alone once while training. That’s when I found it. The villains probably didn’t know about this.”

His playful smile suited him well.

‘…I was so worried about you, and here you are, so carefree while not knowing how I feel.’

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A strange scent tickled her nose as they went deeper into the narrow cave.

At first, she thought it was perfume, but it wasn’t as strong or overpowering.

Rather, it was a calming and reassuring scent that gradually filled the cave.

His scent itself was like a faint, floral fragrance.

She felt uneasy because she couldn’t see his face.

What if I smelled bad…? I haven’t even washed up yet, so how does he smell so good?

“Hmm.”

“I didn’t smell anything!”

“Huh? What?”

There was a reason for the saying “A guilty conscience needs no accuser.” Still, wasn’t it unfair for a boy to smell this good? The disciples at her home smelled horribly of sweat just by looking at them.

“Ah, n-nothing. It’s nothing. Yeah.”

“How strange… Ah, anyway, I think we’re almost there. I arrived after walking this much last time.”

She didn’t know what he was going to show her, but judging by his excited voice, he seemed quite confident.

I was already satisfied.

Just walking with him like this, in a place no one knew about, was enough.

So even if he showed her something not so surprising, she would have to pretend to be amazed.

She truly thought so.

Until he showed her what he had found.

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“…Hey, what is this?”

“What do you think? Are you surprised?”

Ha-ni was so surprised that she couldn’t even close her slightly parted lips.

At the deepest part of the cave we arrived at, there was a small, pool-like basin.

But the liquid filling it wasn’t water.

It was liquefied excess magical power discharged by the dragon vein.

Would it be easier to understand if I called it concentrated magical power?

Well, its quality was probably lower, but it was a similar to concentrated ether or Sky Blue Stone Oil from other novels.

“Is this… all magical power…? Really…?”

“Yeah.”

Lilac didn’t need it, and it wouldn’t be efficient for Cheon Yoo-hak.

Then who should consume it?

Wasn’t there a cadet here whose physical skills were perfected, but whose inherent magical power wasn’t that vast?

“See? Much better than honey, right?”

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too, so get ready.”

Finally, it was opportunity time.

An opportunity originally meant for a villain.

Guilt? What guilt?! In this world, it was finders keepers.

I had to go in and increase my magical power and take some of the rest for recovery.

But a certain fact came to my mind after coming all the way here.

Hmm, should I call it a mana spring for now?

The most effective way to use this mana spring was, of course, to enter it and circulate one’s energy within it, but was this okay?

Well, we weren’t going to go in naked, so it was fine, but…

Would Ha-ni be okay with it?

As I was having such foolish thoughts, I looked back to see Ha-ni already jumping into the mana spring.

She sank with a splash, then resurfaced like a swimmer.

She didn’t seem to mind. Good.

“Hey! What are you doing! It’s a bit different from water, but it feels really good!”

Ha-ni splashed mana at me like she was playing in the water and smiled brightly.

…She really was pretty.

How could anyone see her as a man? They must all have something wrong with their eyes.

She was playing in the water without a care in the world, not knowing how worried I was for her.

So carefree.

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T/N – Lol. I already anticipated the gay joke coming, but to see Ha-ni’s thoughts running wild like that…

Also, I’m glad there’s an actual individual-specific opportunity in the dragon vein. That way, not only does his family benefit, but the MC also benefits. Ha-ni also getting a share is a nice plus.

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