The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character

[What is this I'm hearing, Rin?]

"Sis, at least give me a chance to explain—"

[No. I don't want to hear it. You're just going to make up another excuse.]

"I don't always make excuses! Just… sometimes."

Yeah, okay, maybe this needs some context.

You're probably wondering what's going on here, right?

Well, it all started with that bastard—Leo Taylor.

After a long, very long day inside the dungeon, I finally got back to my dorm. I was dead tired, barely keeping my eyes open, just trying to enjoy the loot I managed to bring back. I mean, sure, most of it was wrecked during Leo's flashy final attack, but there were still a few decent scraps worth admiring.

That's when my sister—Rin Evans's older sister, and now technically my sister—called me out of the blue.

And she already knew.

She knew what happened in the dungeon. She knew I'd overused my Qi again. She knew I'd almost collapsed.

How? One guess.

Leo. You damn traitor.

I trusted you. I even gave you Drakevolt Spear, and this is how you repay me?

[I heard everything from Leo. You nearly collapsed again after using your talent. Why didn't you tell me? Do you even understand how worried I was? I mean—it's not like I was worried about you, per se, but do you know what it would look like for our family if you keeled over in public? Can you even imagine the rumors?]

"…Yes, Sister. I'll try not to disgrace the family next time."

Unbelievable.

Leo, are you a dungeon party leader or a class monitor? Why are you reporting everything to our families like some kind of PTA parent?

He was always meticulous in the original story, but this… this is next-level micromanagement.

He really wrote a full debrief and sent it out like a newsletter.

[…You just don't understand anything.]

And you just said you weren't worried about me five seconds ago.

Make up your mind.

I tried to tune her out and let it slide, but I could still hear her muttering on the other end of the call. Grumbling about me. About responsibility. About disgrace.

If you're going to complain, at least lower your volume! Anyone with working ears can hear you across the continent!

[I can't wait any longer.]

Wait—what?

[I'm coming to see you.]

"…What?"

Rachel Evans. My older sister.

Also known as: a character who, in the original story, was destined to spiral into villainy and eventually battle the protagonist.

Also also known as: Leo Taylor's first love. The same Rachel who rejected him so coldly it left him emotionally scarred.

In short: she's a walking trauma generator.

"I'd like to very politely refuse that offer."

[You do whatever you want anyway, so why should I listen to you? I'll be there soon. And if you even think about running away—your allowance is gone.]

"…Sis?"

She's threatening my allowance now.

This woman isn't playing around.

I sat on my bed, sighing deeply as I looked up at the ceiling.

Leo, you really screwed me over.

You sent me into the dungeon, made me push past my limits, then snitched on me like we're in kindergarten.

And now you've summoned the wrath of Rachel Evans. In person.

I hope you're proud.

But for now I have to handle this situation.

"No, no, wait—hold on. Sister, can we… not escalate this?"

[I've already packed. I'm calling the transport right now.]

She said it so casually. Like this wasn't the beginning of a possible international incident.

I froze, then practically jumped off my bed.

"Sister! I mean—do you really have to come here? In person? Isn't a call like this enough? We can resolve everything peacefully. With words. And good intentions."

[Words and good intentions won't fix your bad habits.]

"You make it sound like I'm smuggling illegal potions or something!"

[Are you?]

"No! I'm not! Of course not!"

Silence.

I could hear her pretending to rummage around—probably just shaking some keys next to the mic for effect.

[Where did I put my coat?]

"Sister… be reasonable."

[I am being reasonable. You clearly can't be trusted to take care of yourself, so I'll do it for you. If I leave now, I should be there in six hours—depending on traffic.]

Six hours?! Wait. No. No, she's bluffing. She has to be bluffing. Right?

But what if she isn't?

"Sis, I swear I'm fine. I've been taking care of myself! I even drank two full bottles of stamina potion after the raid. I rested. I'm eating well! I even folded my clothes yesterday!"

[You folded your clothes? Should I be proud of you for accomplishing the bare minimum?]

"…It's a start."

[You almost collapsed, Rin. Again. Do you think I don't hear about this every time? You push past your limit, use your Talent recklessly, and then pretend like it's nothing. And then you lie about it—or worse, you don't lie and just brush it off like some brave little martyr.]

She wasn't yelling, but her voice hit harder than any scream.

I swallowed.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't think it'd be that bad."

[But it was that bad.]

"…It was not."

[ Don't lie. Why didn't you call me? Even once?]

I hesitated.

"…Because I didn't want you to worry."

[Too late.]

That one landed.

There was another silence. This one longer. Heavier.

"…I'm sorry."

[Good. You should be sorry.]

"Just… can you not come? Please? I'm not saying this to avoid you. I just—I don't want to make a scene at the academy. I'll be careful from now on. I swear."

[Hmph. We'll see.]

"Sis…"

[Fine. Maybe I'll delay the visit. Maybe. But if I hear one more word about you collapsing, Rin Evans, I will teleport there myself and drag you back home by your ear. Understood?]

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, the line cut off.

I let out a long sigh.

At least... I managed to stop the disaster from coming right now.

Or maybe not?

She said she'd "delay." Which just meant the execution had been rescheduled, not canceled.

She was definitely still coming.

I collapsed back onto my bed, rubbing my face with both hands.

Just as I was trying to catch my breath, I heard a voice from the kitchen.

"Was that your sister?" Leona asked as she walked in, holding a steaming mug.

I peeked over the edge of my blanket burrito. "Yeah… she said she's coming. Not immediately, but definitely sometime soon. Within the week, probably. Who knows? Maybe she'll burst through the front door tomorrow with a suitcase and a glare."

Leona raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but… so what? It's just a visit, right? Not a big deal."

I stared at her like she'd grown a second head.

"You really don't know who my sister is, do you?"

She shrugged. "No? Why would I? It's not like you talk about your family."

Fair point.

Leo's background was practically public knowledge. The guy never hid the fact that he was from a wealthy and influential family.

Me, though? I kept a low profile. No reason to drag attention toward my personal life.

Without saying a word, I pulled out my phone and typed quickly. Then I turned the screen toward her.

Leona leaned in, squinted, and read aloud.

"'Rachel Evans: Rising Hero of the Year, Ranked #4 in National Debut Rankings…' Wait. What?"

I nodded grimly. "She's my sister."

Leona blinked. "What?!"

"She's twenty-two. Graduated last year. Five years older than me, and practically a walking legend among rookie heroes. The kind of person who makes headlines just by sneezing in the wrong direction."

She stared at me like I'd just confessed to being a prince in hiding. I couldn't blame her.

I'd probably have the same reaction if someone casually revealed their sibling was, say, the emperor.