The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 68: Soap Opera [1]

Everything in this world operated on a simple principle: cause and effect.

You pick a fight in the cafeteria? You better be prepared to deal with the aftermath. Especially if the one on the receiving end has a fragile ego and an even shorter temper.

Ryen had left for his next class, and Leona’s lecture was still ongoing. I figured I’d kill some time, maybe find a quiet spot to wait for them.

Unfortunately, peace was too much to ask for.

"Hey! You bastard!" a voice barked behind me.

I turned slightly—and, of course, it was him again. The guy who’d tried to cheap-shot me earlier. His face was twisted in anger, and for some reason, he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Leo Taylor cast me aside because of you! What the hell are you gonna do about it?!"

’Cast you aside?’ I stared at him blankly.

’What are you, his jilted lover?’

The image was so ridiculous that I had to take a step back, partly out of caution, partly because I was afraid that whatever delusion he was suffering from might be contagious.

Seeing me step away seemed to spark something in him. His jaw clenched. He stormed forward before I could even think of walking off.

"Where the hell do you think you’re going?"

I let out a tired sigh and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Okay, let’s set the record straight. Did I snitch on you to Leo? No. Did I put on a show to make you look bad? Again, no. You’re the one who acted like a clown in the cafeteria. Leo just happened to be watching."

His fists trembled with frustration.

"Leo hates delinquents," I added with a shrug. "You brought this on yourself."

"Bullshit!" he snapped. "How am I a delinquent?! All I did was mess with you a little! You could’ve just laughed it off!"

I stared at him, deadpan.

"Right... because smacking someone in the back of the head while they’re eating is comedy gold. What’s next? Stabbing someone and calling it a prank?"

His face flushed with rage. "What the hell makes you so cocky?!"

Ah, there it was.

"When Kiera—yeah, that’s right, Kiera—told everyone you’re just a loser, I believed her. Don’t act all high and mighty just ’cause Ryen and Leo bailed you out!"

Ah, Buttcheeks again. Always adding fuel to the fire.

He stepped in closer, eyes wild.

"You’re going to go to Leo, and tell him we’re tight. That it was all a joke."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what if I don’t?"

His knuckles cracked.

"Then I’ll make you."

Of course he said that.

Because of course, logic dies the moment muscles start twitching.

I looked at his clenched fists and couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me.

"You?" I said, tilting my head just slightly, my voice laced with disbelief. "You’re going to make me?"

That must’ve hit a nerve. His lip curled in frustration, and without a word of warning, he lunged forward and swung.

To his credit, the guy was fast.

But he wasn’t me.

I shifted effortlessly to the side, letting his fist cut through nothing but air. The momentum dragged his upper body forward, his balance thrown off.

"You missed," I said coolly, stepping in close before he could recover.

And then—flick—I tapped him on the forehead with two fingers.

It wasn’t much, just a light touch.

But it echoed.

Loud enough for the few students passing by to glance over, pretending not to watch while definitely watching.

His face turned bright red, part rage, part humiliation.

"You think this is funny?!" he growled, eyes wide with fury, nostrils flaring.

To be honest, I was ready to throw down if it came to that. I could handle a fight. But deep down, I knew something he probably didn’t.

If this dragged out longer than a few minutes, I’d lose.

Yeah, I was confident in my reflexes. But he had more strength. More stamina. Probably more raw magical power, too. I didn’t even know what his damn talent was yet. I couldn’t afford to fight recklessly.

So instead, I took a step back and raised my hands slightly in mock surrender.

"Listen," I said, exasperated, "I’m not Leo, alright? He’s pissed because you’re a delinquent and he hates delinquents. I literally already told you this."

"I don’t care! Do something about it!"

I groaned loudly. Was this guy serious?

It felt like I was being dragged into a weird relationship drama. His energy was like that of someone asking their best friend to fix things with their ex-boyfriend. All this, just because Leo didn’t like him?

Wasn’t he supposed to be a guy? Why the hell was he acting like some moody girl from a soap opera?

And then the thought hit me.

Wait... don’t tell me... is he actually... gay?!

My eyes widened slightly.

Ohhhh. Now that explains his obsession with Leo.

Suddenly, it all made a bit more sense. The glares. The outbursts. The weird, borderline stalker vibes.

Still, whether he was or wasn’t, that wasn’t my business.

But one thing was certain: I wasn’t going to play matchmaker.

I wasn’t that charitable. Especially not for guys trying to punch me five seconds ago.

I was about to tell him off again when something caught my eye.

A little ways off, walking through the corridor, was Nora Hayes.

The infamous pink-haired beauty. And Ryen’s Number One Fan™.

She wasn’t even really looking at us at first, but then her eyes briefly flicked over, registering what was going on.

For about three seconds, she just... stood there.

Like she was thinking about whether to get involved.

And then?

She turned away and walked off without a second glance.

Classic Nora.

If it wasn’t about Ryen, it wasn’t her problem.

Unless you were directly related to him by blood—or maybe soul—you were on your own.

With that hopeful support option gone, I turned back around and looked at the guy still waiting for a fight.

And then I made my decision.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I ran.

"Wait—HUH?!"

"Why the hell would I fight you, idiot?!"

Yes. I, a rational human being with a strong sense of survival, had chosen the smarter path.

Because being a gentleman didn’t mean charging into pointless fights.

It meant knowing when to nope the hell out.

And so I did.