I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Honestly, it was a bit surprising.

Whenever I saw the darker sides of the world, I always worried that Yumir would find out about it.

Would she get so angry at the world’s filth that she felt like throwing a meteorite?

Thankfully, this time didn’t seem to be one of those cases.

[To threaten someone with feelings of love? That person’s humanity is rotten to the core.]

Thank goodness.

Yumir wasn’t angry at the world but rather at an individual.

[They say “confessing to scold someone” isn’t just a saying, you know? Have you heard of it?]

[Why would confessing be scolding someone?]

[If someone I don’t like confesses to me, it’s mentally stressful.]

If someone handsome or pretty, who you thought, “I guess they’re good enough to date,” confessed, that was one thing.

It depended on how you saw it.

But if someone utterly unappealing, without abilities, who didn’t even take care of themselves or make any effort to be attractive, confessed to you, it was bound to be an unpleasant experience.

[There’s a reason why students born with awakened abilities and mana are specially summoned to Sejong Island for education.]

[And non-ability students try to cling to them somehow, right?]

[Exactly. Whether it’s through dating, marriage, or even gaslighting from a young age—just dating or marrying an E-ranked ability user is advantageous. For an A-ranked one… even more so.]

I was reviewing live-updated data on Hero Wiki about the demonization perpetrator, Ahn Kyung-hwan.

[Ahn Kyung-hwan, the ability user, is from Jeju Island, as is Geya. They studied together at the academy until middle school. Geya saw no further potential for growth and returned to Jeju at age 17. Ahn Kyung-hwan visited Jeju during vacations.]

[A hometown friend and childhood companion, and things got complicated between them. Then Ahn Kyung-hwan, who became an A-rank, tried to abandon Geya? Since he could climb higher?]

[Exactly. It’s a common story, except for the same-gender part.]

From an objective standpoint, Ahn Kyung-hwan clearly had a better chance of advancing socially.

Naturally, Geya would have tried not to let go of Ahn Kyung-hwan, and Ahn Kyung-hwan would have tried to discard Geya.

[It was mutual. Both sought to partner with someone of a higher ability level to climb the social ladder.]

[For Geya, Ahn Kyung-hwan was the target. For Ahn Kyung-hwan, the target was…]

Grind.

[Iseon, isn’t it?]

[Exactly.]

Yumir gritted her teeth hard enough for it to be audible through her mask.

[I didn’t know because Iseon didn’t say anything…]

[Iseon didn’t consult you, not because it wasn’t worth discussing, but because it wasn’t even worth mentioning.]

[That’s… probably true.]

[Of course. If an S-ranked ability user had confessed, Iseon might’ve sought your advice. But the other person is just an A-rank.]

[But they said they worked together closely as the vice student council president for a long time.]

[Even so, they were just colleagues working together for a while. And if Ahn Kyung-hwan had genuinely liked Iseon romantically, Iseon would’ve opened up to you about it, but…]

Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

It was such a blatant matter that it wasn’t worth wasting breath over, so there was no need to say more.

[Looks like the decision has been made.]

While I was talking with Yumir, Ahn Kyung-hwan’s interrogation had wrapped up and reached a conclusion.

“Ahn Kyung-hwan. You turned Geya, whose real name is Sung Jun-seok, into a demon.”

The interrogator, who had been speaking formally, was now concluding the matter with authority.

“You are clearly responsible for your actions, and we will place you under arrest.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! What responsibility? I didn’t do anything wrong! I just rejected a man’s confession that I didn’t like! How is that my responsibility?”

“Still denying it to the end. You can discuss the details with your lawyer. If you use your ability in the meantime, you will immediately be classified as an A-ranked villain.”

“Ridiculous! You’re cornering me into resisting with my ability so you can label me a villain! What’s left for me, rotting in prison or being branded a villain?!”

“This is about reflecting on your crimes in prison. Now, Ji Chun-hyang.”

“It’s my turn.”

Ji Chun-hyang, who had been silently standing nearby, extended her hand, and something came flying in through the door.

“Ugh, aaaaaaah!!”

Ahn Kyung-hwan recoiled at the sight of the orange object swarming in like a hive of bees.

“I can’t be caught! I’m getting out of here!”

Ahn Kyung-hwan threw himself toward the window.

The glass shattered into pieces, and Ahn Kyung-hwan wrapped himself in mana as he escaped outside.

“Not so fast.”

Or at least, he tried.

If it weren’t for the object grabbing his ankle from behind.

[Is that… tangerine peels?]

[It’s no different from your rope. Don’t think too much about it.]

Whether it was binding someone with ropes made of mana…

Using ice crystals as restraints.

Or infusing dried tangerine peels with mana and using them as restraints.

Ultimately, the effectiveness depends on the ability user’s imagination and mana.

“Aaaaaaaah!!”

Whoosh.

The tangerine peels restraining Ahn Kyung-hwan quickly wrapped around his entire body.

[So that’s it. A tangerine snake made from peeled tangerines strung together.]

[……You know, Jeju Island really is a strange place.]

[It’s not just me, right? You feel the same, don’t you? They’re doing too many weird things with tangerines here, aren’t they?]

[Let’s just say it shows the endless possibilities of tangerines—or Ji Chun-hyang’s boundless imagination. Who knows? She might’ve had to use dried tangerine peels to protect herself as a child to survive.]

[If you’re going to use Tangertulla like that.]

[How do you even know about Tallula?]

[I watched that movie you recommended last time, Teacher. It was really interesting.]

[It’s an inspiring movie about how even those born with nothing can succeed.]

Anyway.

The countless tangerines lying around became Ji Chun-hyang’s weapon, completely subduing Ahn Kyung-hwan.

The long, continuous strip of tangerine peel instantly turned Ahn Kyung-hwan into a mummy. His mouth was gagged with tangerine peel, and he dangled from the building’s outer wall.

[Well, with this, one summer semester trainee is immediately retired.]

He didn’t become a demon, but he did turn someone else into one.

He tried to raise his status by meeting someone on Jeju Island, but ultimately failed.

Thus, Vice Student Council President Ahn Kyung-hwan was arrested.

While other students enjoy their youth, study, and enhance their abilities, Ahn Kyung-hwan will now await judgment from the association’s dispatched officer and a judge sent to Jeju.

[Now that one person has become a Tangerine Mummy as a lesson, the students should act more cautiously. Whether it’s studying or something else, at least they’ll try not to turn anyone into a demon.]

[Why do I feel like they might not do it to other ability users, but they might to regular people? For example, to someone like Do Ji-hwan.]

[Did Seol-hee tell you?]

[Is it true? Did someone already start flirting with you, oppa?]

[Yeah.]

I briefly recounted Na Ji-young’s incident, and Yumir sighed in relief.

[Seol-hee unnie really knows how to handle things when she needs to. But Teacher, isn’t someone A-rank kind of decent and acceptable?]

[What are you saying? That I should fall for their seduction?]

[You’d be played around with for a while, but since it’s you, Teacher, you’d probably turn the tables and reverse the relationship with your Goblin Bat.]

[True enough.]

I’ve done it before.

[I’ve already tried it once, so it’s not impossible if I want to.]

[…What?]

[Back in my early days, I once staged a rebellion against a superior. Using the Goblin Bat. On a bed.]

[…Wow.]

Yumir clicked her tongue in astonishment.

[Who was it? Hye-ra unnie? Se-rin unnie? Or your wife?]

[None of them. It was someone else. You haven’t met her yet since you’re staying at the pension.]

[Who? I haven’t seen anyone but Se-rin unnie yet.]

[…She must be leisurely sightseeing on Jeju Island.]

Well, I got it.

She was also from Jeju Island, after all.

[When you meet her later, just tell her you’re another girl who fell to the Goblin Bat. That’ll help you bond and get closer.]

[That’s your idea of bonding?]

[It works for her. Who knows? Maybe it’ll even spark some camaraderie. Anyway, Platinum Sun, we’ve been chatting too long.]

[…You didn’t set this up on purpose, did you?]

Through the glass window.

As the association agents took the Tangerine Mummy Ahn Kyung-hwan away, a woman gazed up at us.

She had been staring at us for a while, and as soon as I used my Taeguk Watch to emit a signal, she recognized it and waited calmly.

[The Thunder Empress is looking at you, oppa. Do you have something to discuss with her?]

[Curiosity always gets the better of me. There’s something I haven’t asked her yet. Let’s go, Platinum Sun.]

I leapt from the rooftop to another building’s rooftop, and Yumir followed me.

And then.

Bzzzzzt!!

A blue current of electricity crackled through the wires, and a woman appeared on the rooftop we had just left.

“It’s been a while, Goblin.”

[As expected. She doesn’t hesitate to provide an answer.]

Thunder Empress Kim Yun-ji stood before us.

[So, she’s awakened the ability to move through electrical cables?]

“Yes.”

The Thunder Empress placed her hand on the cable connected to the rooftop.

“I can travel through electrical wires, though only short distances.”

I see.

This is the kind of power that fits the world of ability users.

“Mmph! Mmmph!!”

Compared to the distant Tangerine Mummy being carried off, I must admit, the Thunder Empress feels more like someone from the world of extraordinary abilities.

Yes.

Far more so than a police car transporting the Tangerine Mummy with tangerine peels stuck to its hood.