I Became the Traitor in an Academy Story

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What could be the reason behind revealing something that didn’t really need to be said? Ageha couldn’t even begin to guess.

It was simply unimaginable that Blanca was hiding such a secret.

From Ageha’s perspective, it might even feel a bit unfair.

After all, Blanca had lived her life concealing her wickedness almost perfectly.

Among the living, only Minho knew about her dark side now. Many had known among the dead, but the dead don’t speak.

To her, the dead were no longer human, and those close enough to recognize her twisted nature wouldn’t expose her secrets, so even if the dead were to rise, it wouldn’t come to light.

Thus, Ageha was suddenly faced with two deep dilemmas: what could the reason possibly be, and whether it was alright to tell her friends.

However, she decided not to share anything until she understood the intentions behind it, so she was just piecing together Blanca’s true intentions with the limited information she had.

Why, just why me…?

As soon as Ageha thought that, it swiftly transformed into a new question: had Blanca really only shared that side of herself with her?

Perhaps other kids had also heard this confession from her?

And maybe they were just keeping quiet instead of judging like Ageha did?

Considering that possibility made Ageha think she might understand why Blanca confided in her, and she promptly called her friends to confirm.

But she wasn’t about to forget to be indirect in case it turned out that she was the only one who heard it.

She cautiously asked if Blanca had ever mentioned her ‘hobbies’ or anything about her ‘true nature.’

Since she hadn’t told anyone, naturally, no one understood her hints.

At most, Minho seemed to have some inkling and was just momentarily taken aback, but even he expertly feigned ignorance, which finally convinced Ageha that it really was just her.

With this realization, her doubts got stuck back at square one.

Why, of all people, me?

Ageha felt a tangle of confusion. After all, she knew she wasn’t even the closest friend to Blanca.

If she thought about who she first befriended, it would be Lapiz or Yeonhwa, and if she counted who had been the most giving, it would still be Lapiz.

Yet there was Minho, who had crossed lifelines together with her, making it seem more like a deep bond than friendship.

She was well aware that her position was pretty awkward for hearing such stories.

So, it was all the more confusing.

Why, me?

Ageha was scratching her head, trying to figure out what Blanca was really thinking, but it felt like all her efforts were in vain.

The reason Blanca spoke to her at all was merely to confirm if a line from an old comic she saw was truly valid before wrapping everything up.

Thanks to that, Ageha realized this feeling was the furthest from admiration, thus Blanca’s purpose was practically achieved.

There wasn’t really any big intention behind her words.

If Ageha had known that, she would have been livid, questioning if Blanca had lost her mind.

Because being someone who has nothing left to lose also meant she had lost her sanity.

Thus, Ageha’s brooding was essentially pointless, since she was never going to reach the true intentions of Blanca.

Even now, after hearing that shocking revelation, Ageha was still infatuated, making it all the more bizarre to be reaching for the truth.

“Ugh, what is this! Of all people, why me…?”

If she needed to resolve the first question, she would need to move on to the next, but since she couldn’t solve it, eventually, Ageha decided to skip onto the second question.

She figured she could just ask the person involved for the reason, so now she was going to ponder whether to share the secret with others.

“Sigh, of all the things to share, this is the hardest…”

Ageha thought her friends wouldn’t simply give up on Blanca, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

Lapiz and Minho would likely be supportive, but what about the others?

She herself was hesitating, unable to decide what to do with Blanca, so how would others perceive her?

Even ordinary people would rally up a rallying cry for her downfall, wouldn’t they? With that thought, Ageha finally realized Blanca’s intention—at least that’s how she saw it.

Blanca was trying to cut ties with everyone.

This was completely off-base, but in Ageha’s mind, it seemed like Blanca was intentionally trying to sever connections so no one would mourn her end.

If that was truly the case, she should have invited someone else first, but Ageha thought that Blanca had just made this decision.

Having thought all that, Ageha was now even more lost in whether to speak up or not.

Should she speak up about it anyway? Or was this really just meant for her and shouldn’t be spoken about recklessly? Did she say it hoping it would get around?

Before that, was it okay to just leave her to die? Ultimately, that was the only thing that mattered to Ageha.

No matter how wicked she was, she had never seen it firsthand, and Blanca held a significant place in her life.

Ageha was still indecisive about whether telling would actually help Blanca.

Would someone intent on dying really heed her words? Or was it even necessary to hold onto someone who was so eager to go?

It felt like clinging to someone already resigned to death might just be a selfish act, creating a murky dilemma.

But Ageha was, indeed, selfish. She tended to do things for her own comfort and, in a way, her motives were almost entirely self-centered.

Thus, her conclusion was that she would come up with some reason for the dear Blanca—who was hell-bent on dying—to live.

Who cares if it’s selfish? After all, Ageha had no obligation to be considerate towards Blanca.

She was a betrayer, and she had once tried to get her addicted. Plus, after becoming friends, she had only taken, so isn’t it time to act a bit freely?

So, even if she hadn’t asked for help, Ageha was resolute that she would do something regardless.

She couldn’t quite recall if it was something Blanca had said or something she’d heard in class with Justitia, but she remembered that the essence of a hero was meddling.

In that case, she thought she had plenty to prepare for, so with a flair, Ageha put on a show of confidence and strutted home as if she had solved the riddle.

– – – –

“Ugh, I just messed it up. Not that it matters now. Minho knew to some extent anyway.”

It was the first time she had directly said it herself, so oddly enough, it felt liberating.

It felt like she had finally set down some heavy burden she had been carrying.

In this case, the heavy burden was her lifeline or dignity as a human being, or something like that…

But who cares? She had nothing more to protect.

While sprawled out, she thought about what Ageha might be doing right now.

Was she still in shock, denying it? Or was she chatting with others saying, “Did you know this?”

Or was she keeping her lips sealed and convincing herself she never heard about it?

While it was amusing for a moment, the longer she thought, the more her mood sank.

How disappointed would Lapiz be if she found out? Would she abandon her?

To be honest, she was kind of hoping for that. Since it seemed more like she might just be a bother to her. Or maybe not? Was that too irresponsible?

There was no real big reason why she chose Ageha. She was merely checking out the idea that admiration was indeed the furthest notion from understanding.

Looking at Ageha’s expression made it seem genuine; was it worth confirming just to verify?

She might have just had a good romp with catnip in front of her, and it might have left her disappointed on its own.

But, you know, she didn’t want to show that side for a totally different reason. What to call it? Right. That.

Dark past.

It was a dark past, indeed. It was nothing substantial, just awkward memories that didn’t need to be revealed. It’s not like people were curious about the messy nightlife or disgusting secrets of a genius, right? It’s that feeling.

She didn’t want those bits out in the open, and she’d just let it all burst out from bottling it for so long.

Yet, it didn’t feel as liberating as she had hoped.

It felt somewhat clearing, but not as relieving as she expected. It left her feeling unsure about whether it was worth bothering with such actions for a moment of pleasure.

Hmm, but, well, it probably doesn’t matter anymore, right?

After all, the showdown with the Evil Society was right around the corner… and everything was drawing to a close.

She had been trying to stay composed until now, but perhaps in these last moments, loosening up a bit wouldn’t hurt.

So, let’s indulge in a bit of catnip.

Let all the worries and burdens melt away!

 

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