To provide the answer to the last sentence of the previous chapter, Reysir seemed to not understand my actions at all.
No, he probably understood, but he seemed to be pretending otherwise on purpose.
He kept talking to me throughout lunch.
And now, he was sticking by my side as I walked along the path, rattling off a long string of impressions about the book I had recommended to him last Sunday.
‘I’m leaving it alone for now because it’s interesting to listen to, but…’
Back in the early part of chapter 246…
I had sat on a bench in a secluded spot, petting Yor while planning the plot for Regression of the Villainous Academy.
It had been a great way to refresh my mood.
I felt like the ideas were flowing well, too.
‘So I was planning to make it my lunchtime routine…’
If the protagonist of someone else’s novel followed me around like this every lunch break, a completely different routine from what I had planned would likely take root.
Thus, just as I was starting to feel a bit troubled…
Instead of just a feeling, an actual problem occurred.
“—The part where he does that was especially interesting. What part did you… Huh? That’s Hailga over there.”
Reysir stopped mid-sentence while asking for my thoughts on the novel.
He looked toward a certain direction and mentioned his childhood friend’s name.
From one perspective, this was good for me, as it provided an excuse to avoid answering him.
However, there was a reason I described it as a “problem” earlier.
“She was with some guy just now…”
I didn’t see him.
By the time I followed Reysir’s gaze after hearing his words, I couldn’t see any shadows—only the corner of a building was in view.
Still, the original protagonist wasn’t the type to misidentify someone.
Hailga was likely just around that corner.
‘Along with some unknown male student!’
I smelled an incident.
And this incident was undoubtedly a Heroine Event for Hailga prepared by the author, Senna.
‘Should I stay out of it? No, but if Hailga’s position suddenly rises to main heroine, her chances of dying will increase accordingly…’
Suddenly, the comments that used to flood the original novel came to mind: [N-th round of praying for Hailga’s Hijonjuk].
Unlike the pre-remake version where she died leaving an impression of being incompetent, the current Hailga had shown that she possessed great potential.
She had even decided to drop her “graceful lady” act, which had previously hindered her from showing a level of intimacy befitting the “protagonist’s childhood friend” position.
‘However, the problem is that Hailga still doesn’t fit the heroine archetype preferred by modern readers!’
Usually, they wanted a heroine who could support the protagonist without lack through overwhelming power or wealth.
Or someone with irreplaceable rare skills or munchkin abilities on par with the protagonist.
Or perhaps someone who firmly supported and embraced the protagonist mentally, making readers think, ‘Things would be a mess without her.’
If that wasn’t the case…
Readers would often react with disgust, saying she would clearly be a nuisance who offered no help.
They would leave comments telling the author to stop wasting page count on useless romance and just move the story along.
Of course, not all readers of every novel were like that.
Unfortunately, the readers of Nas-e showed that tendency very strongly.
Even Imperial Princess Fjodra, who was capable of supporting the protagonist with power and wealth, could not escape the “Hijonjuk prayers.”
Being a member of the Imperial Family and having a frustrating personality were cited as issues.
Even when Vanahilda viewed Reysir as nothing more than a child…
When a few readers suggested she should be the heroine, others pointed out her middle-aged status and marital history, shouting “Hijonjuk.”
By that point, it felt as though it had become a culture of its own to find any excuse to flood the comments with “Hijonjuk” the moment a female supporting character appeared.
‘Unless Author Senna moved to a different platform, the current readers’ tendencies are likely similar to back then… Most of the readers who read the pre-remake version probably followed her, too.’
While I was lost in thought and agonizing over the situation, I felt a hand suddenly grab my wrist.
Naturally, the owner of that hand was the original protagonist.
Reflexively, I was about to shout and shake him off, asking what he was doing.
“Shh—. Let’s follow quietly. It seems you didn’t see it, but the atmosphere looked suspicious.”
The protagonist of someone else’s novel put his index finger to his lips and whispered.
While I was indecisive about whether to step in or stay out, gradually building up reasons why I should intervene, Reysir had apparently been debating whether to mind his own business before deciding to observe the situation first.
‘I don’t know why he’s taking me along instead of going alone, but…’
I nodded to show I understood.
I didn’t know if this was before or after Hailga had proven her worth to Senna’s readers.
No, even if she had, I had reached the conclusion that I had to block the progress of this Heroine Event.
‘At least until the original author stops treating the lives of the characters, including the heroine candidates, so recklessly…’
I didn’t know when that would be, and I doubted such a day would ever come.
Still, since Author Senna will no longer be involved in this world once Nas-e is completed, I held onto the hope that everyone would one day gain their freedom and enjoy peace.
“I’m sorry. As you know, I am currently in the Awakened Special Class… I have to focus on my training, so I don’t have time to meet anyone.”
As I was dragged by Reysir to the corner of the building, these words reached my ears.
The voice, which carried a hint of frailty within its cautious and polite tone, was familiar.
It was definitely the tone and timbre Hailga used when she was putting on her act.
I hadn’t heard the previous conversation, but it wasn’t hard to deduce the situation.
There was only one reason a male and female student would be facing each other alone for her to be refusing a meeting.
“It’s okay, I can understand all of that. We can just see each other briefly during lunch like this, or meet and talk before or after dinner. We can go on dates outside during the weekends occasionally, too.”
This time, an unfamiliar male voice spoke.
As expected, it seemed this guy had confessed, and Hailga had spoken words of rejection.
‘By the way… he doesn’t seem to understand in the slightest, does he?’
Saying she didn’t have time to meet someone literally meant she couldn’t carve out time to see anyone.
Yet, this unknown male spoke as if Hailga had twice as much time as everyone else.
It was impossible not to realize that Hailga had been caught by a very strange person.
“Um… I’m sorry, but I have to train during those times… I have to build my basic physical strength, learn Martial Arts and Weapon Arts, and practice to master my Aether Attribute… I really have to use every single second I have.”
“Still, it isn’t hard to make a little time for someone you like, is it?”
“W…?”
Unlike Reysir, who was peeking his face slightly around the corner…
I was leaning against the wall, just listening.
Even though I couldn’t see Hailga’s expression, I could tell how dumbfounded she was.
I could feel it clearly just by her voice.
“It seems there is some misunderstanding, but I don’t have feelings for you.”
“You knew I called you out here to confess, didn’t you? Yet you followed me to a secluded place like this, and now you say you don’t have feelings for me?”
I wondered what kind of nonsense this was.
One couldn’t exactly reject someone out of the blue and humiliate them in a crowded place before even hearing the confession.
‘Isn’t it natural to listen to the confession properly in a place where people aren’t watching and then reject them, if only for the other person’s dignity?’
I was certain that even if this was a world inside a fantasy novel, such common sense would be no different from reality.
Furthermore, while the area behind this corner was a spot that didn’t get much attention, the path right in front of it was frequently traveled.
Since it was right next to a building, anyone would come running if Hailga screamed.
“What do you mean by…”
“Besides, you usually smiled and greeted me when our eyes met, and you handled my minor favors well.”
“That much is just what I’d do for anyone…”
“So you were wagging your tail like that to everyone, not just me?”
“Excuse me?? Why would that mean…?”
Resentment and annoyance bled into Hailga’s voice as she questioned him.
However, instead of getting angry and arguing with the man, she suppressed her temper and expressed her rejection politely once more.
“If there was room for misunderstanding in my actions, I am truly sorry. But I really do not like you.”
Because Hailga was in a position where she couldn’t easily push away even unpleasant people, she maintained a proper distance from everyone.
Seeing as she had even kept her distance from Reysir, who was like family, I believed she would never have done anything to leave room for misunderstanding.
‘So she shouldn’t even have to say she’s sorry… especially since she decided to quit her act.’
If she was still maintaining an excessively polite attitude, there was only one reason.
It was likely because the other person’s family was quite influential.
“Sigh… This is seriously annoying…”
Blatant displeasure could be felt in the man’s voice as he muttered with a sigh.
I was sure he did that to intimidate Hailga.
Sure enough, the man began to force the issue as if he were doing her a favor.
“I’ll forgive you, so try to make an effort to like me from now on.”
“What? How could that even be possible?”
“No, it will be. I’m a pretty great guy. I’m quite popular, too.”
This situation alone proved he was anything but a great guy, but he was the only one who didn’t know that.
Seeing as he thought Hailga liked him, his supposed popularity was likely his own delusion as well.
“Once we go on a few dates and you get to know me, you’ll definitely fall for my charms.”
I became curious about the source of that confidence.
Since it certainly wasn’t his character, I wondered if it was his face and stole a peek around the corner…
‘He’s just… ugly in a very average way…’
If he were definitively ugly, he might have known his place.
It seemed he had stopped just short of being hideous, which prevented him from gauging his own level.
Still, Hailga was a considerable beauty as a heroine candidate of the original novel.
If he had a conscience, he wouldn’t have even dreamed of confessing to her.
I didn’t know how he had managed to lose his conscience.
“Um, I’m sorry, but as I said earlier, I don’t have the time…”
“I guess that damn time of yours exists only when you want it to?”
“What? What do you…”
“Last Thursday at lunch, you enjoyed tea time in the cafeteria with the people from the special class, and on Saturday, you went out of the Academy to play with your friends. And now you’re talking to me like this. Your excuses should at least make sense.”
Setting aside the fact that he wasn’t someone who could be reasoned with, I felt goosebumps from his stalker-like tendencies.
Internally, I had hoped it was just a minor incident caused by an extra’s impulsive behavior.
Unfortunately, that man was definitely a villain prepared by Author Senna to trigger the “Hailga Heroine Event.”
Therefore, it would be absolutely impossible for Hailga to get rid of him with just words.
“Stop playing hard to get with that act of yours. Just because I said I like you, do you think you’ve become something special?”
“No, I…!”
“You’re just someone from a Baron’s family. Not even one with anything to show for it—just a small fief that barely matters.”
“That may be true, but…”
“And since someone like me is asking you out because I like you, just accept it gratefully.”
“I-I can’t do that. Unless it’s someone I like…”
“That’s why I said I’d give you time to get to know me while we date!”
The villain, who had been cowing Hailga with a bullying tone, finally raised his voice and began to threaten her.
Since things had come to this, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
Reysir must have reached the same conclusion, as he dashed around the corner and intervened between the two.