READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 5
The status window was declaring her a Heroine. However, my rationality was on high alert regarding her.
Everything about her was strange from the very start. Even if her identity was odd, her behavior was just as bizarre.
She introduced herself right away and then asked for my name.
After I told her my name, she suddenly shared her phone number and demanded mine in return—it was odd behavior.
But most bizarre of all was her attitude.
She seemed to be struggling, like this was all new to her and unfamiliar.
She wanted to show interest but was clearly floundering, unsure how to go about it.
“Uh, we’re headed the same way, I guess?”
“Right? Are you also in the Hero Department?”
“Yep.”
One thing I could infer from that was that this girl, Blanca, wasn’t exactly the sociable type.
Although she seemed aware that staring at me was awkward, she kept trying to talk, but we barely exchanged a word or two.
That made it even stranger.
With her poor social skills, out of nowhere she decided to approach just me. It didn’t make sense.
It’s not like I had saved a tribe of Ein at some point.
And when I thought maybe she was just infatuated, that couldn’t possibly be the case.
Even if I judged myself a handsome fellow while washing my face in the morning, I wasn’t exactly the type to make someone fall at first sight.
Besides, if she was really infatuated, she’d have walked past me a hundred times without a glance, but she hadn’t done that at all.
She only seemed interested in me.
Take that rich kid, Im Changwon, for instance.
Even if she knew nothing about his background or abilities, she’d clearly see he was way more handsome than I was.
Yet, there she was, giving him but a fleeting glance and returning her gaze to me.
Clearly, she had some sort of agenda for approaching me, but I had no clue what it could possibly be.
Since the original story didn’t mention anything about it, there was no way for me to find out.
Even when I opened the character list to check her entry, all I found was her name, picture, and physical stats—nothing more.
The physical information itself wouldn’t help me figure out her identity.
Still, wow, how was she even a first-year?
Even if Heroine’s figures were typically stunning, I could still believe she was a student—a third-year academy student, no less, didn’t seem too far-fetched either.
“Umm, staring that hard feels a bit weird…”
Ah, I lowered my head to apologize.
Then, Blanca flustered, insisted that wasn’t necessary and sighed, as if to say she was getting used to it.
Must be some complex. I should be careful.
When I entered Class A, she naturally followed in.
Looks like she really is in Class A.
By the time we reached the class, there weren’t many empty seats left, except for the back row.
So, as the Heroine took a seat somewhere in the middle towards the back, Blanca, as if it was obvious, plopped down right beside the window… not beside me. I was startled.
—
While I had no intention of stealing the main character’s seat, I still wanted to tease her once.
I casually strolled by, but saw his face instantly sour, and it made me realize my blunder.
It wasn’t intended, but I ended up robbing him of what rewards he should have received.
Yet, I couldn’t take the chance away from sitting next to the Heroine.
Feeling guilty, I took a seat by the window instead. I wanted to keep an eye on things from a distance.
But it wasn’t just because of the window seat.
“Oh, Blanca? You’re also in Class A?! Wow, neat! I thought you went ahead without saying anything and might be in another class or something…!”
Right in front of the spot I sat was the game characters.
They needed to keep close anyway for the plot to work out.
Feigning joy, I blurted out stuff like, ‘Oh, you’re in the same class!’ and ‘This must be fate!’ while switching phone numbers and setting up a group chat.
I was so familiar with acting against my true feelings that it came as naturally as swallowing.
Just as we were chitchatting, the front door creaked open, and our homeroom teacher stepped in.
The moment the students recognized her, murmurs began to ripple through the classroom.
“Good day, future heroes! I am Justitia, your homeroom teacher starting today. You might be more familiar with the name Gazer?”
With black hair and black sunglasses, her outfit seemed a bit too flashy for a teacher, but rather too plain for a hero’s costume.
“Ranked 14th, Gazer is our homeroom teacher…? I knew Heros Academy was something special, but… Wow. I never thought an active top-ranker would become our homeroom teacher…”
One student mumbled in disbelief, as if witnessing the impossible.
Being a top-20 ranker, not even Heros Academy could demand someone to take a position like this outright.
It was odd that Gazer accepted without hesitation.
As she surveyed the class, her eyes landed on me in the corner, and she flashed a subtle smile.
Though I was also smiling out of joy at seeing a familiar face, I could only smile with my eyes, mouthing ‘later’ since quite a few were watching.
“Ugh. Jinhyeon, you can’t possibly be oblivious to this, right? You know who Number One is, right…?”
The game characters in front of me were reciting the lines I had seen before.
Hearing it now felt like I was watching a story dubbing that had never existed before, which felt a bit strange.
“That would be Invictus.”
“Okay… So you know that much… He may not be top-ten, but even S-rank Hunters respect him. You need to pay more attention to the world…!”
What kind of hero aspirant doesn’t even know the names of ranked heroes?
Yeonhwa scolded Jinhyeon, but as always, she ended with a sigh, mumbling to herself about how he would manage without her.
“You all look so lively, it’s really nice to see. Youth! However, mere vitality won’t make you a hero. To become a hero, to save others, you must first understand yourself.”
Justitia was slowly laying the groundwork.
Yeah, she’s definitely going through the motions. I was secretly anxious, wondering if this part would also get canceled all because of me.
“So for today, let’s start lightly by assessing your limits. Change into your costumes and gather at Stadium Alpha.”
It was a limit test.
If you’re asking what a limit test is—nothing grand really, just a way to squeeze the students until they hit their max.
It was all about getting kids who had never pushed themselves to 100% to give it their all.
Of course, it tested various abilities required of heroes, but the primary aim was for them to learn their own limits.
The next goal was to allow the teachers to fully grasp each student’s abilities.
This way, they could identify which students needed focused care and which ones could be left to figure things out on their own.
“A test on the very first day…”
“It’s just a test in name; I told you it’s not a grading exam, right? Jinhyeon, let’s give it our best!”
“But we still need to use our abilities, right? I’m a bit uneasy about that.”
“That’s true, but it’s not like you’re using it against people! Besides, this will shape your first impression—are you seriously planning to just slack off like usual?!”
Yeonhwa was nagging Jinhyeon like a mother.
Seeing a grown man being so lethargic was quite embarrassing.
“To draw everyone’s attention… Is there no other way?”
Meanwhile, Minho didn’t show an ounce of lethargy.
If anything, he seemed determined to navigate the twisted plot somehow.
Maybe he was trying to fix whatever went awry at the entrance ceremony quest.
I had no clue what would happen since the original never had a plot twist that changed quests, but he’d ultimately find a way out, right?
“What a pointless endeavor.”
“Huh? If I’d known this was happening, I would’ve at least brought a gold necklace! Dang it.”
“Let’s give it our all so as not to tarnish my grandmother’s name.”
“I have a bad feeling about this…”
All the other students were showing a variety of reactions too.
Just as the chaotic atmosphere was about to spiral out of control, Justitia clapped her hands, and once everyone silenced, she began to speak.
“It sounds grand, but in reality, this is a physical test utilizing your abilities. There won’t be any ranking. However, don’t take it lightly. If your overall score falls below the standard… you might be switched to a lower class.”
“W-What?!”
Yeonhwa visibly panicked and was about to say something to Justitia, but she cut her off and continued speaking.
“Now that you’re in Class A, you shouldn’t have to worry anymore. But if that’s the mindset you brought here, you ought to reconsider. Class A is meant for the best of the best. It’s not for those who are complacent, but for those who are constantly aspiring for the top.”
Yeah, this was one of those events.
A nice little white lie, nothing more.
By enlightening us that they’d kick us down to a lower class if we didn’t meet the standards, they revealed just how tough the academy is.
“If you came here hoping for an enjoyable academy life, it seems you’ve miscalculated. Heros Academy will constantly question if you’re worth sitting in that seat.”
While saying that, Justitia took off her sunglasses.
“At the end of all that proof, I’ll be watching to see who among you remains…”
As her concealed purple eyes shone, the students literally froze in place.
In a split second, most students appeared panicked, glancing around in distress while a few, including Jinhyeon and Yeonhwa, were trying to break free from her grasp.
Only Minho and I stood still without resisting. Her ability couldn’t be undone by simply resisting.
“So this is part of the curriculum, huh? I’m not one to be too mischievous about this. I may not be the academy, but I will support you. Now, let the first student from the front left step forward.”