Chapter 21: 21

The door rattled as if it were about to open at any moment.

“Emily, can you get to the flagpole and go down quickly?”

“I can even jump out of here.”

“Then you run away first!”

“What about you?”

“I’ll try hiding somewhere else.”

“I’ll just take you down with me.”

“Even if it seems possible, do you really think we can do that?”

“We have to try it!”

It’d rather not risk both of us being injured. No matter how athletic Emily is, there’s no guarantee that she wouldn’t fall while taking me down in a hurry. Even if it’s for my sake, I can’t let Emily get hurt.

“…Alright then, let’s go to where the flagpole is.”

We quickly went towards the flagpole. Emily showed her back, gesturing to carry me, but I instead pushed her down.

“I’m sorry, Emily!”

“…Hey!”

Emily, who had excellent instincts, was skillful enough to hold onto the flagpole and go down safely, even though I suddenly pushed her.

After she reached the ground, she then opened her arms as if she was telling me to jump, but I beckoned to go quickly.

In the end, Emily turned her back to me and ran away first.

“If I catch you two today, you’ll be dead!”

Bang! Bang!

At this rate, the door will soon open.

“Where to hide…?!”

No matter how many times I looked around, there wasn’t a good hiding place that I could think of… or there is?

It was a bit uncomfortable, but there was no other option now. I endured the putrid smell and hid inside of it.

BANG!

As soon as I hid, the door opened. What great timing.

“Where did those brats go?”

Oh, the smell…

On the rooftop, where the professors would sometimes gather and spent time together, there was a trash can along with the chairs and tables.

And there was enough space for me to fit inside of it.

In the end, I had no choice but to hide in it despite the trash.

It’s better to be dirty than be hit by that crazy bastard.

Breathing itself was hard because of the smell, but if I exhale even just a little, the piled up garbage would move which was also another problem.

“Where did they hide? Hmm?”

I’m already anxious enough to think this might end up like those movies I watch back in my world.

I’m sure Professor Bentley would have noticed. That the only place one can hide on this rooftop is in a trash can.

Slowly, I could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer.

I thought I was quite brave, but at this moment, I was so scared that tears were about to come out of my eyes.

It seems that people have heightened senses when they are too scared. That’s why I could feel the touch of one of the soda bottles around my head even though it didn’t touch me.

Not long after, I could hear another person walking.

Tap, tap, tap… 

“…What the hell are you doing?”

Unlike when he was chasing me and Emily, Professor Bentley now had a more rational voice.

“It must have been you. What were those girls? Were they the watchmen you sent for me?”

“……”

“Answer me! I already did you a favor! You said I could just put you in the mentoring class!”

Mentoring? Who is Professor Bentley talking to?

Let me think. The people chosen to be mentored by Professor Bentley right now are Lariensa, me, and… Sibel.

“You should have just done what you usually do.”

…That voice, so it’s really Sibel.

“…Tell me straight. What do you really want from me?”

“You pretend to be smart but you don’t even have a clue.”

“What?”

“Do something called imagination, professor.”

It wasn’t surprising that Sibel actually threatened Bentley to join the mentoring program. I could already tell that he joined in through unjustifiable means.

What surprised me is, why is he here?

“Let’s say you went to a jewelry store and found the most beautiful diamond in the world.”

“……”

“Of course, you’d want to have it at any price.”

“……”

“But if someone keeps scratching such a precious thing, will he or she be angry or not?”

…Is that diamond, me?

Ah, I think someone is whispering nonsense in my ear.

Yes! It’s you! It’s you! You’re that diamond!

Somebody, please tell me I’m not!

I was twisting the original plot in order to protect Lara, but I didn’t mean to sacrifice myself and take Sibel’s route!

“So, get your head straight.”

Ohhh, he’s talking down to the professor.

It’s the usual hateful Sibel, but I like what he’s doing now. Yeah! Let’s go! Scratch that professor’s pride as much as you can!

“You… You’ll regret this.”

“That’s just what the weak say.”

“……”

“For example, someone like you?”

After a while, I heard the sound of empty footsteps.

And I couldn’t now hear Sibel’s and Bentley’s voices.

That pervert, is he gone now?

Just when I was about to go crazy over thinking what was about to happen, I heard someone scrambling through a pile of trash above me and pulled me out.

I know that it was not Professor Bentley because if that were the case, he would have grabbed my hair right away and pulled it hard.

As I poked my head through the garbage, I realized that it was Sibel who let me out.

But… Why is he laughing at me like that?

That smile is bad for my heart!

“I like it.”

Huh? What?

“You look like an abandoned puppy right now.”

“……”

“If it’s abandoned, then I can just pick it up.”

I was covered with trash and other fluids from the bottles in the garbage can.

Tsk, these professors can’t even differentiate recyclable materials and food waste!

Anyways, Sibel gently wiped my dirty face with his bare hands. Then, with his killer smile, he spoke as if he was really talking to an abandoned dog.

“Want to come with me?”

No, the trash can is more comfortable and nice. So don’t lead me to your route and just go…

“Woof, why don’t you try barking?”

Surprised at Sibel’s sudden remark, I came to my senses and crawled out of the trash can. He even stretched out his hand to help me, but I just ignored it.

“That’s very unkind for a person who just helped you. It’s quite upsetting.”

I guess he really did come all the way here to help me…

Ah, I really can’t understand him.

My friend is Lariensa! Lariensa Jellinus! The prettiest, most studious, and has the greatest personality in the academy. But why do you like me?

Of course, it’s fortunate that he doesn’t like Lara.

But why am I the one taking his route?!

“Thank you for helping me out. I’ll definitely pay you back someday.”

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“Everyone just says that and never actually does something.”

“…Then, do you have something you want?”

“If I tell you, will you hear me out?”

“Yes.”

“But it seems like you don’t want to.”

Then why did you put the premise of ’listening’ on it? It’s because you’re the receiving party that’s why I’m reluctant to hear it!

“If it’s not anything weird, then I’ll listen to it.”

“I want to get closer to Lariensa Jellinus.”

“No.”

“See.”

“You said you weren’t interested in Lara?”

“Not even now.”

So you’re finally giving up now?

“Sigh, I really don’t know why you’re helping her to this extent.”

“It’s not unusual to help a friend.”

“Friend, family, or lover. They aren’t worth as much as you think. Just like now. Your friend left you after all.”

I guess you’re not that interested in me yet, considering that you include friends, family, and even lovers. That’s a good thing.

“Value is a matter of personal judgment.”

I didn’t want to take this seriously, but my friends are still precious to me.

This might not be my body, and I have to hide this inevitable secret from them.

However, I still like them.

Especially when I first entered Marilyn’s body and I still couldn’t adapt to my surroundings, my life would have really been more difficult without Lariensa’s consistent care.

“And, besides…”

“……”

“I’ve never been abandoned.”

Looking under the roof, I saw five people rushing in. Four of them were familiar, but the other one… was someone unexpected.

“Marin! Are you alright?”

I gave Lara an okay sign.

I wasn’t even going to war, but friends had all these kinds of tools in their hands.

I’m a little embarrassed, but I felt proud.

“See?”

I proudly pointed to my friends for Sibel to see. But when I turned around, he was suddenly gone.

As if he wasn’t even there to begin with.

＊ ＊ ＊

As soon as I came down from the rooftop, my friends flocked towards me.

“Guys, relax! Relax!”

Emily especially hugged me so tight that I had a hard time breathing.

“I thought you were in big trouble… but what is this smell?”

“I was hiding in a trash can.”

“You should have said that first!”

Emily, Natalie, and Violet took three steps away from me as if we just didn’t have a touching reunion.

Those traitors… Hmph! Atleast, my Lara still hugs me like this!

“I still like Marin even though she smells bad.”

Ouch, the truth hurts, but…

“How come Lycan is also here with you?”

“That’s…”

This was how Lycan came with all of them.

Emily, who was running to her friends to ask for help, ran into Lycan first by chance.

Lycan, recognizing his sister’s friend, spoke to Emily. Then, Emily explained the whole story to Lycan as fast as possible, and the rest of them who he met along the way also joined and ran to this place.

“Then did you tell him about Professor Bentley’s diaries?”

“I heard.”

Instead of Emily, Lycan replied. I then looked at him with an ominous expression.

“You know you can’t just run to the faculty room or the professors’ dorm to make a fuss for your sister, right? If things go wrong, you and Lariensa will lose.”

“I know.”

“However, are you just going to let him go?”

“……”

“No good will come out from being silent!”

As I continued to urge him, Lycan sighed and finally gave an answer.

“No matter how angry I am, I still can’t make a mess in the faculty room or the professors’ dorm where everyone is watching because if I do that, my scholarship will be cut off.”

I thought he would just go there immediately without looking back, but he’s surprisingly realistic.

Well, I should’ve thought more about my scholarship too, since I don’t want to go home either.

Even so, I know that this move wouldn’t sit well with that idiot of a brother.

“Don’t worry about it and just go back to your dorm for now.”

Well, that certainly sounded reassuring.

So we trusted Lycan and went back to our dormitory.

There, the five of us huddled together and read all of Bentley’s diaries.

The oldest diary was filled with content about his first love, which could already be interpreted as him stalking her one-sidedly.

And now he already has his third victim, and that victim is my friend! So I can’t just leave this bastard as it is.

“What are we going to do about these diaries?”

“Why don’t we show it to the other professors?”

“No. What if the academy tries to bury this case?”

I came across several articles about school violence, sexual violence in school, and attempts to bury such issues. It’s not that I’m doubting everything now, but I have no choice but to be cautious as the situation is dire.

“Marilyn, what do you think we should do?”

“Let’s hand it over to the newspaper.”

“To the newspaper?”

“How about The Clean News?”

Lariensa agreed that it was good all the way, but she wasn’t the main character of these other two diaries. However, there was no way or time for us to find out now where these two people were and persuade them to agree.

I’m sure Bentley will frantically open his eyes to retrieve these diaries now.

But The Clean News can be trusted.

Although The Clean News was not mentioned much in the original story, it was mentioned as if it was the favorite newspaper company of the vice president of the Cloud Academy.

In fact, instead of acting blind to a certain issue, The Clean News has been trying to publicize unfair things that others do not care about.

And I believe that The Clean News wouldn’t publish provocative articles without the consent of the victims first.

“Will it be okay for you, Lariensa? They might have to interview you about it.”

Natalie was worried about Lariensa.

“Yeah. Since I’ve already been rumored in the Academy to be favored by Professor Bentley. I’d rather let them know about my resentment than staying silent!”

Way to go, Lariensa!

Lariensa lifted her chin, feeling proud.

“We’ll be able to go out of the academy the day after tomorrow, right? Let’s visit the newspaper by then.”

We had to endure until we could go out of the academy, but at least we are now in a more advantageous position than before.

“Lara, just hang in there for a day. Okay?”

“I can even stand a day or so!”

After a long time, Lara smiled brightly.

However, nothing happened the next day as we attended the class because…

“Professor Bentley was seriously injured as he sprained his foot on his way to the main building. For the time being, today’s history class will be replaced by physics, so just follow the adjusted timetable.”

My friends and I exchanged glances without a word.

Bentley’s sick? What kind of luck is this?

Oh yes!

Before we knew it, our shoulders were jumping from joy.

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