Became a Villain Heroine in a Harem Story

How many papers does he have stored?

The difference in experience was more overwhelming than I thought. I had thought I could just fight normally like in the game… but reality and games were quite different.

[Paper] was certainly a tricky ability to deal with.

As the status window said, it wasn’t an ability that could be described as a counter to my ability, but certainly, I cannot completely suppress that ability now.

The method of stacking paper thickly in layers for defense boasted enough strength to block even ordinary pistol bullets… and he launched specially coated paper at a speed almost invisible to the eye.

What on earth did he do to that paper?

The one fortunate thing amid the misfortune was that he didn’t yet show any movement trying to kill me in earnest.

‘Because I’m a student… obviously not. Is his goal to capture me and get information?’

It seems that teacher is quite convinced I have a backer.

Of course. Where would you find a psychopath willing to turn the academy and the country into enemies all alone?

But… is the status window also a backer? I came to kill him after receiving a quest from the status window. So there is someone with command authority, isn’t there?

“Fighting against me… and you’re not even concentrating?”

“I don’t feel the need to concentrate. Not yet.”

“Stop the bravado? Your body is already tattered.”

His words were true. To some extent, at least.

In such a battle, information is the next most important thing after the first strike. Because there were some abilities that could be described as ‘if you don’t know, you die.’

Then, in this situation, what information do I know that the opponent doesn’t?

It’s the fact that I don’t just have [Shadow].

If I wanted to, I could instantly heal these minor wounds with [Regeneration]. But if he noticed I had regeneration ability and increased the intensity of his attacks?

‘I might… lose.’

For now, there’s the special paper that can lightly cut human skin, and the regular paper used for defense. A total of two types. Like a unity of offense and defense.

Like a moving fortress.

Even a seemingly trivial ability can become this powerful depending on the user’s application, imagination, effort, and talent.

More than that, I’m annoyed.

The clothes that mister gave me are getting cut.

It’s hard to find a tailor shop nearby that can repair them.

To begin with, I don’t want to leave them for repair or cleaning. I prefer to do it myself.

Ah, I hate this.

After appropriately surveying the surroundings, I landed on a reasonably wide open ground. It’s a bit too much to keep flying around by continuously consuming shadow.

“How is it going?”

“What?”

“I can make a deal now if you want. I can talk nicely.”

“What do you mean?”

“That is, a plea bargain is possible. You’re still short on experience handling abilities, you seem to have mental issues, and your attack on me ended in failure.”

“…”

“If you confess your backer now, you can return to the academy. As if nothing happened. Just an overnight incident.”

“And after that… what happens?”

“You can receive protection from the academy, or act as a double agent going in and out of the organization behind you? Do as you like.”

“…I’ll, talk.”

He was approaching me with expectant eyes.

I responded by slowly calming the shadows around me, pretending to release my ability.

I seemed to have been wrong.

He was still seeing me as a student. There was still a way to save me, and I was just a lost lamb who had briefly made a mistake and entered the wrong path.

That is… certainly right.

A young woman who just turned 20, an age when she should be enjoying college life.

A fresh adult who can’t discern right from wrong, an ambiguous existence who just legally became an adult. That kind of 20-year-old.

It was the right thing, and it was the duty of a proper teacher who knows morality.

Because the role of a teacher is to reach out to those who have lost their way, forgive them, and give them a chance to rise again.

Such characteristics of a teacher still remained even in a place like the academy… which had a stronger character of a military facility than an educational institution.

Slowly.

Light footsteps filled with caution and expectation were approaching me.

And he got close enough to reach out and touch.

The status window was quiet.

It would normally make a fuss telling me to complete the quest in such a situation.

…No, perhaps the status window believes more firmly than anyone that I will complete the quest.

Because this is the only path left for me.

Because I can’t go back to the past now.

Because a future where I can live happily alone, treating everything as if it never happened, doesn’t exist.

My lungs hurt.

Cough.

I coughed.

He lowered his guard and approached me closely.

The place emptied of caution is filled with worry, pity, and sympathy. The moment when humans are weakest is approaching.

Humans are strongest when they are selfish.

And weakest when they are altruistic.

The reason he lost to me is because he misjudged me.

I wasn’t a lost lamb. I was just a wolf in sheep’s clothing who chose my own path.

Once I’ve defined myself as a wolf, I can’t change it.

Even if I scrape together wool and stick it all over my body like rags, wear sheepskin, and imitate the crying sound, a wolf cannot become a sheep.

“Are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

Perhaps he mistakenly thought I had completely changed my mind. He entered within striking distance with a somewhat kinder voice.

I immediately raised my shadow again.

It was clearly a mistake to let down his guard and defense without any countermeasures, and to come this close.

My foot stepped on his elongated shadow.

A shadow awl pierced his head from behind.

Cough.

It rained.

My body is gradually getting cold.

It seemed that physical strength was needed to use abilities.

Since shadow was both liquid and solid, for me to hide in the shadow for a long time, lung capacity would also…

No, there’s still work to be done. Hiding the evidence.

[Quest Completed]

[Reward: Proficiency]

‘…How is it?’

: I believed in you.

‘The corpse?’

: It’s better to leave it as it is. We should let them know.

With those brief words, the status window disappeared from my sight again.

I slowly walked toward the corpse.

The person who was conversing with me until just now is dead with a hole in his body.

I lifted my foot and stepped on the corpse with my sneaker.

Squish, squish.

It was the head part.

Through the hole blown through, I could see the dirt floor on the other side.

“You ruined my clothes.”

I lifted the corpse with my shadow and hung it on a nearby streetlight.

Glitter, glitter.

It looked like a slightly late Christmas tree decoration.

If I put the streetlight inside his head, would light come out from his mouth and eyes?

Like a skull from a classic movie.

♦♦♦

For now… is it the second day?

1 AM, the time when the night grows darker.

That time when ghosts preserved in caffeine, unable to sleep, are gradually being consumed by fatigue.

Even at such times, 24-hour convenience stores were desperate to increase sales by putting the strength of convenience store workers on the scale.

Ding.

The bell attached to the convenience store door announced the entry of a customer with a refreshing sound, and I naturally looked behind the convenience store worker first to see the cigarettes.

Then, I shifted my gaze to check the worker’s face.

“Ah?”

“Oh.”

I froze like a statue. There was certainly no absurd content in the “official story” where the protagonist works part-time at a convenience store in the early morning.

To begin with, he could just farm in the back alleys or extort money from the heroines.

So, why is this guy… here?

“Um… from the entrance ceremony, right?”

“Yeah. But, first, hand that over.”

“That?”

“Cigarettes.”

He was momentarily confused and looked into my eyes.

His empty white eyes seemed to pierce through me, and a strange discomfort wrapped around my body.

Finally, the protagonist turned around.

Only then did I breathe.

More than that, have we ever met before? Why the informal speech suddenly when we just met?

“What kind?”

“Dunhill.”

“This one… right?”

“No.”

“This one?”

“…6mg.”

He confidently placed one pack on the counter and scanned the barcode with a beep.

I didn’t like the design, but I decided to take it anyway.

I stared at his actions for a while with a dumbfounded face. Like looking at a strange animal in a zoo cage.

“…”

“Payment?”

“Did I say I’m buying just one?”

“How many?”

“For today, 6 packs.”

“It might be better to cut down a bit since it’s bad for your health.”

“I’m sorry, but have we met before? When did we meet that you’re speaking informally? Why are you interfering? Does interfering in someone else’s life change your life even a little bit? Huh? Can’t you at least live with some manners?”

…I did it.

Actually, I know.

That guy lived a life far from convenience store part-time jobs, and he has a diligent and good character.

The reason he spoke informally to me was probably just because he hadn’t adapted to the job yet, felt glad to see a student from the same school, and wanted to be friends since he met someone whose face he recognized in an unfamiliar place… such light reasons.

I know enough that he’s not the type of person who would speak informally from the first meeting just because we’re the same age.

I also know that if the other person speaks informally first, responding this sensitively only hurts me.

Even his words about cutting down on cigarettes were probably not said to interfere or nag, but genuinely out of concern for my health.

Because you’re that kind of person.

You.

“…I’m sorry. No, I apologize.”

“…”

He slightly raised his head and observed my reaction.

My head hurt.

My chest felt tight.

I felt like dry heaving. My stomach was upset. Dry heaving at the goodwill of others that filled this space to the point of disgust…

Cough.

I coughed. It was a cough with a slightly mixed feeling of nausea, with a foul smell.

And yet, that white-glowing protagonist asks me without any hesitation.

“Are you okay?!”

No, actually I’m not okay. Not at all.

And I don’t like you either.

Don’t approach me.