The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 95: Public Opinion [2]

I leaned back in my chair, staring at Kiera from the corner of my eye.

She was here again, not sure why she isn’t attending her class but at the moment she was talking with Ryen.

She was smiling. Laughing, even. Not the cold, plastic smile she wore when she wanted to provoke someone. No, this was lighter. More casual. Almost cheerful.

And that’s what unsettled me the most.

Because in the original story—back when I was just a reader—things didn’t go this way.

After Leo publicly cut ties with her, Kiera was done. Humiliated, disgraced, cast out. Her so-called friends abandoned her overnight. She didn’t talk to anyone. Just floated through school like a ghost, only occasionally appearing in scenes where she was being harassed until Ryen finally stepped up to stop it.

That was the canon.

But this?

This was different.

Sure, she was still isolated. Her old allies hadn’t returned. But she didn’t look broken. Not like she was supposed to. If anything, she looked like she was finding her footing again. Slowly. Carefully. Like she wanted to bounce back.

And that... wasn’t supposed to happen yet.

Was it because of Ryen? Because he stepped in earlier than he originally did? Maybe. Or maybe it was because she had a connection to me now. However small.

Either way, Kiera wasn’t falling apart like the story predicted. She was adapting.

And that was dangerous.

Still, the real problem wasn’t her.

Not yet.

If Ryen’s group and Leo’s loyalists kept bumping heads, it would only be a matter of time before things escalated. And when they did, it wouldn’t be some verbal spat or passive-aggressive standoff.

No—it would boil down to a clash between two specific girls.

One of them: the ever-unstable pink-haired timebomb. Our resident yandere, practically in charge of all the chaos among the female cast. Sweet on the outside, deranged underneath. The type who’d smile while stabbing you in the back—and then apologize while doing it again.

The other: the sharp-tongued, always-composed purple-lacquered ice queen. She was Leo’s pride and enforcer. Cold, proud, and ruthless with her words. She had once publicly humiliated Kiera and showed no signs of softening.

In the original story, these two never ended things peacefully.

They were like oil and fire—if you so much as tossed a spark between them, the whole classroom would go up in flames.

For now, everything was quiet. Too quiet. Because nothing had triggered them yet.

But if things kept heading in this direction... that trigger was inevitable.

And when it happened, the fallout wouldn’t just affect Kiera.

It would land on me, too.

Because I was now caught between characters who were supposed to hate each other—except now, they didn’t quite follow the script.

And that was the scariest part of all.

-+-++-+

I must be a great saint. No—the Great Saint. If someone ever wrote a novel about me, I already have the perfect title in mind:

"Reborn as a Saint in This Era."

Why am I calling myself that?

Well, aren’t saints supposed to remain calm no matter what? Grace under pressure, patience like a mountain, never snapping even when things go sideways?

Then I think I qualify.

I mean, come on—when I suddenly transmigrated as Rin Evans, there was a terrorist attack on Velcrest Academy. That alone should’ve shattered my sanity. But no, I stayed calm.

Later, in an unexplored dungeon, I picked up the [Oath of the Saint] ring. Fitting, right?

Since then, the number of chaotic situations I’ve been thrown into just keeps growing. And yet, the one constant is me keeping my cool.

That’s what saints do, right?

...Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Until now.

"Are you done talking now?" one of the girls asked, her voice cold. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"No. Were you planning to wait if I hadn’t?" the other shot back without missing a beat.

And that’s when I realized—maybe I’m not a saint after all.

Because watching a pink-haired yandere and a purple-lacquered ice queen actually go at it in front of me?

Yeah, I was struggling.

Let me back up a bit.

After my last class of the day, I headed to the gym to clear my head. It’s sort of become my personal haven these past few weeks. Nobody really uses it this late, so I’ve had the place mostly to myself.

But today? Nope. Packed.

Treadmills? All taken.

Weights? Crowded.

I stared at the line forming near the dumbbells like I was witnessing the fall of civilization.

I stood there, grumbling to myself. Do I even need cardio today? Maybe I’ll just run around the outdoor track and come back later...

That’s when it happened.

I walked right into them.

Nora Hayes—our lovely, obsessed-with-Ryen yandere—and the ever-elegant purple-haired Leo loyalist were locked in a heated argument. Both of them turned their eyes to me the second I stepped in.

Their auras clashed like lightning and thunder.

And then, almost simultaneously:

"What do you think?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Of course, it’s—"

Ah, crap.

I knew they were going to fight eventually. That’s just how the story goes. But today?! This soon?! I wasn’t ready for this!

And to top it off, it was happening in the gym—my only place of peace.

"You’ve got some nerve," Nora snapped, eyes burning. "She’s finally making friends again, trying to live normally. Why are you so determined to ruin her life?"

"I’m not trying to ruin anything," the purple-lacquered girl said icily. "But are we just going to pretend she didn’t lie, manipulate, and act like a victim until Ryen gave her a lifeline? She’s not remorseful. She’s shameless."

Nora looked like she was about to explode. "The actual victim is sitting right here, and he said he’s fine with it! He forgave her! So why are you making this a bigger mess than it needs to be?!"

Now both girls were looking at me again like I was supposed to drop some divine judgment.

Thanks for putting me in the crossfire, girls.

So, in case you’re lost, here’s a quick summary:

Kiera—the girl who used to be at the center of every scandal—is slowly finding her way back to normal thanks to Ryen stepping in and playing peacemaker. She’s not exactly popular again, but people aren’t throwing shade at her every second anymore.

But not everyone is happy about it.

Nora, who’s emotionally attached to Ryen like a superglue-stalker hybrid, is defending Kiera in his name.

Meanwhile, the purple ice queen—fiercely loyal to Leo—is not having any of it.

And me? I’m stuck right in the middle, pretending to be calm while my inner monologue screams like a boiling kettle.

So yeah.

Maybe I’m not a saint after all.