The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 93: The Monday Drama [1]

Mondays always come faster than you want them to.

When I was a kid, I used to whisper the same wish every Sunday night—"Please, God, just this once... don’t let Monday come."

It never worked.

No matter how hard I wished, I still woke up Monday morning, backpack slung over my shoulder, heading to school like clockwork.

Last night, I caught myself making the same stupid wish.

And just like always, God ignored me.

Honestly... I don’t think He exists.

If you want something in life, don’t leave it up to some higher power. Just take it yourself.

Click—

Sliding open the classroom door, I came face-to-face with the last person I wanted to see first thing in the morning.

Miss Buttcheeks.

She was sitting on my chair. Again. Like she owned it. Like it was her throne and she was doing me a favor by blessing it with her presence.

People whispered around her, some snickering, some eyeing her like she’d grown two heads. But as always, she didn’t give a single damn.

She never learns, I sighed internally.

Well, it’s not like I could kick her off the seat.

"Oh? Look who finally showed up. Morning, loser."

Right on cue, she flashed that annoyingly bright smile, patting the seat next to her as if I was supposed to be happy she saved me a spot on my own desk.

"You miss me over the weekend?" she asked. "Be honest. I missed you."

...What the hell did she eat for breakfast?

"I was waiting, you know. You’re not mad that I sat on your desk again, right?"

"No," I replied flatly.

"Oh? Why so polite all of a sudden? We’re the same age, you know. No need to act like a teacher’s pet."

Around us, whispers started to pick up. Some students were clearly entertained, while others looked confused. But the ones who looked the most pissed? Her old friends.

One of them finally stomped over.

"You’ve got no shame, Kiera. Seriously, how can you act so fake after everything you pulled?"

Kiera tilted her head like a clueless puppy. "What do you mean? I’m just talking with my dear classmate."

Then she turned to me, smiling sweetly. "Hey, by the way... ever heard of Dreswyn?"

"...Dreswyn?" I blinked. "Nope. What’s that, a brand of toothpaste?"

"Wow. You really live under a rock, huh?" she said, teasing.

Bitch.

Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. I’m an adult—mentally, anyway—and adults don’t swear at kids. Not out loud.

Meanwhile, her old friend was getting visibly annoyed, crossing her arms and glaring.

"Hey, loser," Kiera said, suddenly shifting her tone. "I’ve been thinking. I figured out what went wrong between us. It wasn’t really a big deal before... you know... that happened."

By that, she obviously meant the rumors. The bullying. The weird vendetta she started for no reason.

Her ex-friend scoffed. "Cat got your tongue now? Why aren’t you answering me, huh?! You ignoring me like we’re not even here?"

Kiera didn’t even glance her way. Just sat there, swinging her legs and playing innocent.

"...Do you smell something bad?" she asked suddenly, wrinkling her nose. "It’s like someone left a sewer lid open."

Ahh. So that’s what she’s doing.

Since I hadn’t outright rejected her, she was trying to cozy up to me again, pretending we were on good terms. That way, if her old friends called her out, she could spin the narrative: "See? We’re fine now. You’re the ones making drama."

It was smart. Petty, but smart. The kind of move you’d expect from the self-proclaimed Queen of Instigation—whose magical affinity might’ve been low, but whose talent for stirring chaos was practically legendary.

"I don’t smell anything," I replied dryly. "But I do see someone acting shameless again."

She giggled. "You must have a dull nose then. I feel like throwing up just sitting next to certain people."

Her old friend clenched her fists. "Listen to this bitch—!"

"Oh? I’m sorry," Kiera said sweetly, her tone soaked in fake innocence. "Was that meant for me, or were you just describing yourself?"

That did it.

Her ex-friend lunged at her, face twisted with rage, but someone from behind grabbed her by the arm and held her back before things could explode.

Meanwhile, Kiera just smiled at me like we were at some cozy afternoon tea.

She wasn’t the violent type. Not unhinged, not loud. But she knew how to stir chaos. Get under people’s skin. Twist words until they snapped. And then she’d sit back, watching it all burn like it was entertainment.

And now, apparently, she was back to using me as her favorite target.

Lucky me.

Not that she could actually do anything to me.

Honestly, the way she hovered around lately, I was starting to think it wasn’t about power or revenge.

Maybe she was just... lonely.

Which, frankly, was kind of pathetic.

But I didn’t say anything. There was still some use in keeping her around. Even a snake can serve a purpose if you know how to handle it.

Kiera’s ex-friend finally calmed down enough to speak, though the annoyance in her voice was still sharp.

"Hey, idiot—I mean, Rin," she said, shooting me a look. "Don’t fall for her sweet act. You do know what she’s really like, right? Shallow. That’s who she is. A shallow, manipulative mess."

I blinked.

Did she just call me an idiot?

Wow.

Now she was on my list too.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"I swear," I muttered, "it’s barely 8 a.m. and I’ve already met the two most shameless people on campus."

"Aww, don’t say that," Kiera cooed, completely unbothered. "Wouldn’t you at least pick me? I’m just shameless—she comes with bad breath too."

So you admit you’re shameless, huh?

Good to have some self-awareness, I guess.

Also, no. I’m not picking sides.

I hate you both.

"You bitch!"

"Oh, hush. There’s this annoying mutt yapping near my desk. Someone should really deal with it before it makes the place smell like desperation."

If I had the power, I would’ve thrown both of them out the window by now.

And why, of all places, did this have to happen right next to my desk?

Where the hell is Ryen? Isn’t he supposed to be the protagonist? Shouldn’t he be handling this mess?

As if on cue, Ryen’s voice finally cut through the tension, sharp and frustrated. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"Enough. Both of you," he snapped, stepping forward. "What the hell are you doing? First thing in the morning, seriously? If you’ve got an issue, settle it somewhere else. Privately."

His eyes swept across the classroom.

"You’re disturbing everyone—and let’s be real, the one you’re bothering most is Rin himself. And I’m pretty sure he didn’t wake up today hoping for front-row seats to your drama."

Finally, someone said it.

The class went quiet. Kiera gave a smug shrug, her ex-friend muttered something under her breath, and I just sat there, ice cold inside, wondering why I ever left my bed.

Next time, I’m faking a fever.

But I know that if I do the next thing I know would Professor Lena checking up on me.

And that would exposed my lie.

Agh!!!

God, I really hate mondays in the world.