I Became the Traitor in an Academy Story

---

“Blanca. If, and I mean if, you had grown up in a normal home and met us normally, what do you think would have happened?”

“Miss, you’re asking a rather useless question. Would any such thing even be possible? Growing up in the outskirts and then forcibly injected with abilities in a lab? Yeah, I’d say it’d be awfully hard to grow up normally.”

“I’m just… saying hypothetically. If, and I really do mean if that were the case, what do you think would have happened?”

“If you’re tired, I can whip up an energy drink for you. But honestly, the best thing would be to get some sleep, right? You’ve been doing relief work for two days and you haven’t slept properly.”

“I’m not your mom…”

Even as I said that, I couldn’t help but be curious. If, in a world that really did exist, how would we be living right now?

– – – – –

I still couldn’t quite grasp that I had actually entered the Hero Course at Heros Academy.

…I had put in a ton of effort to get here, worked out on the side after classes to build my stamina, and even begged my parents to let me take that weird serum released by Heros Company.

So, I got this strange ability that I never had before! But still, it just didn’t feel real.

To be honest, my ability didn’t seem particularly useful for fighting, and I was weaker than the other kids…

The biggest reason I was able to get in was that Heros Company recommended me directly.

Why they picked me specifically, I have no idea.

I knew from the original story that they were a greedy bunch, but no matter how I looked at it, I didn’t have anything of great value to offer.

At most, the only reason they might find me interesting is that I developed my ability after taking that suspect serum they had newly released.

But considering how many others had taken it too, it didn’t seem like a good explanation.

I still wasn’t sure why Heros Company was backing me. If my parents had done something, it wouldn’t have been to that extent; neither Mom nor Dad had that much pull.

Besides, I was genuinely frightened, since Heros Company seemed to have a shady past; they weren’t the type of organization to engage in charitable work for sure.

So, I felt anxious. I couldn’t tell what dark schemes they might be cooking behind the scenes.

“Hmmm… Ah.”

Stretching out, I flopped my head down on the desk. When my mind got too chaotic, I had to just hang my head and cool it off a bit.

Overthinking pointless stuff wouldn’t change anything right now.

What I wished for was simple: gulp down the benefits from Heros Company while trying to maintain a peaceful distance from them.

While I knew I was uneasy about Heros Company, the perks they offered were too sweet to resist.

After all, how else could I have ended up in the same class as the protagonists if I’d lived a normal life?

“Ah, hey. Blanca, oh, you’re out early again today…”

“Yep, good morning, Lapiz!”

As I greeted her warmly, Lapiz shyly bowed her head and sat down next to me.

Yeah, this is the reaction I wanted. That embarrassed look on her face, it’s the best.

Just like that, the unease I felt towards Heros Company faded away, replaced by an overwhelming gratitude for them.

Dark schemes? They could pull those off, but companies are all about making money, after all. Heros Company was just a tad more committed to their goals.

Sure, they definitely crossed a line a bit, but…

…That didn’t mean it threatened my way of life.

That’s all that truly mattered, right? I brushed aside the guilt that crept in.

Individuals can only do so much, right?

Individuals should just stick to what they can do. Like… oozing a scent that Lapiz would like.

That was my ability. Emitting a pleasing scent from my body.

While Heros Company or the ability research club I’d joined labeled my ability as material synthesis, I wasn’t capable of doing that. I couldn’t create poison or acid, no way.

I could manage creams and such, somewhat.

Given that was my ability, most of what I could do revolved around support or healing. Mental care counted as support, so I had to do that.

Even though she hadn’t asked me to, I naturally let out the scent of strawberries that she liked.

Lapiz took a moment to sniff the air, then subtly slid closer to me.

“…Sniff, haah… heh…”

The tense expression she’d had from earlier melted away, and I thought I might just have to buy her a parfait full of strawberries later on.

If she was this happy just from smelling strawberries, she’d probably go wild over a parfait.

Or maybe I could subtly hint to Minho about it. I just wanted to observe the protagonists from a distance, not get too tangled up with them.

I know it might sound a bit pathetic, but… I just didn’t want to get hurt.

“Blanca, the more I see you, the more amazing you are. How do you create all these different scents at will…? I can only flip the earth…”

“W-well, isn’t that even cooler, Lapiz?”

“Is it…?”

Still as indecisive as ever, huh? It’s been about two months, I thought she’d have shown some improvement. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little inside as I welcomed the other kids who came in line.

If I, who was pretty unremarkable, wanted to get along with everyone, I had to build these relationships well.

Fortunately, the other kids viewed me quite favorably. Given my abilities leaned toward support and healing, and I also had a good personality.

Minho had been a bit wary of me at the start of the semester, but he later came to accept me as a good kid in class, and I got along just fine with everyone else without any trouble.

Though it was a bit annoying that the game’s protagonist had some presence… I was trying my best to ignore that.

I felt like the more I paid attention to him, the more annoyed I’d get. I aimed to treat him like he didn’t exist.

Even when we did need to interact, he was just mechanically polite, never really going above and beyond.

Of course, I got along well with the heroines. I even got along well with the teachers, even though we didn’t need to!

Eventually, the homeroom teacher might try to betray me, but I was sure Minho would handle that. If it looked like he didn’t get it, I’d drop a hint or two.

After all, I was hoping for everything to end up nicely.

– – – –

As I approached the kids who were deeply engrossed in something, I let out a nice scent, which caused them to frown for a moment before their expressions relaxed.

“Is that a vanilla scent… Blanca? You’re still here?”

It made sense that Minho and Ageha were there, but I didn’t expect Seolhwa to be with them. Well, I guess it did make sense? Those three often stuck together.

“Yep, I was just curious what you all were so deep in thought about. Is it something you can’t let others find out?”

As I teased them with a chuckle, Ageha and Minho flailed their hands saying it wasn’t anything like that.

“Nope.”

Only Seolhwa seemed determined, as if she had made some kind of resolution.

“What do you mean by that, Seolhwa?! It’s not like that! Just… um, can I say this…? I should be able to, right?”

Minho asked for permission from the two before saying that they were trying to figure out how to advance to the tournament without falling apart.

“What? Trying to not let others know… that sounds like match-fixing.”

“Yeah. I never lied.”

“…I can’t really see you going around spreading that, but please keep it a secret, okay?”

Even while agreeing, I couldn’t help but feel curiosity rising.

“But hey, don’t you think you’re more than fine? Isn’t it me who should be worrying about making it through without getting knocked out?”

Those three were all pretty strong to the point it could be frustrating. Honestly, I was the one who’d end up begging them to let me stay safe.

My ability wasn’t really suited for combat.

Sure, I could enhance my body using various materials, but that was hardly enough.

The other kids were unleashing telekinesis that could literally bend space, while I was barely managing a little body enhancement.

And the enhancement only happened through the means of drugs.

“…But then, what if we end up facing each other?”

Ah, so that’s what they were worried about.

“Then can’t you just go all out?”

“Huh?”

“Well, if we all give it our all, then no one can complain, right? You don’t have to feel pressured to come in first or anything.”

So, is there a reason to feel that way?

I asked, but they just replied that wasn’t the case.

Feeling confident, I placed my hands on my hips and said that, and the kids were left a bit confused but ultimately accepted. “Is that how it works, then?”

“And that’s how it is, and if the strong kids keep yammering on, what’s a weak kid like me supposed to do?”

Adding a friendly piece of advice at the end, I felt a sense of pride, thinking I had resolved something today.

If only this kind of situation could go on forever.

 

---