The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 54

In one corner of the dorm room, I opened my eyes, got dressed in a hurry, and stepped outside for my morning run.

The once-crisp air had grown gentler. A faint warmth now blended with the cool breeze.

It was true spring.

I slowly warmed up my body as I headed toward the trail. In the distance, Yu Hana was running toward me.

Good thing I started walking while stretching. I began to jog just as she was about to reach me.

A few minutes later—

“Haah...”

We stopped, panting for breath.

“That’s your best time yet.”

Yu Hana leaned in close and held out her watch.

The soft scent of her body, damp with sweat, brushed past me. A dense, oddly lingering fragrance radiated from her overheated skin.

Instinctively, my breath caught for a moment. My gaze, fixed on the watch, wavered.

Unaware, she smiled brightly and pointed to the screen.

“Look! Definitely faster, right?”

I exhaled shortly and turned my gaze away.

“Yeah.”

This was why I liked morning workouts. If you kept at it, you always improved.

After catching our breath briefly, we started walking slowly.

At the fork in the path, we naturally came to a stop.

“See you later.”

“Yeah.”

Yu Hana gave a little wave and headed off in the opposite direction.

I watched her retreating figure for a moment, then turned back toward the dorm.

Back in my room, I showered. The [N O V E L I G H T] hot stream of water running down my skin helped clear my mind—if only briefly.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I roughly dried my hair with a towel and changed clothes.

As usual, I adjusted my outfit in front of the mirror, then checked my watch.

A familiar routine. A familiar morning.

A perfectly ordinary start to the day. So much so that it was hard to believe what had happened just yesterday.

But in the mirror, my fingertips were trembling slightly.

I reflexively clenched my fist, then relaxed it again.

I focused on the sensation at the ends of my fingers and let out a soft breath.

“...Phew.”

Only then did the trembling stop.

Acting as if nothing was wrong, I opened the door and stepped outside the dorm.

On the way to class.

I’d missed several lectures recently, but I had valid reasons for all of them. Nothing that would mark me absent.

I opened the back door of the classroom and carefully headed to my usual seat in the back corner.

My personal seat.

As I sat down and waited for the class to begin, the front door opened and someone entered. Johan.

I hadn’t seen him since I beat the hell out of him during the spar. Been a while.

‘Looks fine.’

At least on the surface.

Back then, even I didn’t really know what came over me. Something just snapped...

His gaze lingered on me for a brief second.

Then he quickly turned away and walked toward his usual group.

I looked away as well and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Three weeks until the demon raid.

A little over a month until the exchange battle. In the end, I’d have to prepare for both incidents simultaneously.

Of course, the former took much higher priority.

Inside the school, I’d support Yoon Chaeha’s growth and prepare for the exchange match. Outside, I’d ready myself for the demon assault.

If I gave my best on both fronts, I might be able to handle it.

Just as that thought ended, Instructor Do Hanseong walked in through the front door.

“Ah...”

The moment he entered, groans spread across the classroom.

‘What now?’

Did he assign homework last time or something? I tilted my head in confusion and looked up front.

Do Hanseong stood there, wearing that annoyingly smug smile, and glanced toward the digital clock hanging on the left wall.

The time read exactly 9:00 a.m.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

After checking, he spoke with a relaxed expression.

“Everyone, please check Gaon’s database.”

The groans around the room deepened.

“As I announced last class, today we’re releasing the written midterm scores.”

Ah, so that’s what this is about.

Practical exams were included in the final evaluation, but written scores were separate.

I pulled up my watch and checked my results.

Gaon, brutally enough, displayed rankings in plain order.

And those rankings were visible to everyone.

No need to scroll far.

My name was easy to spot near the top.

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[1st] Kang Arin

[2nd] Jeong Haein

⋯

[6th] Johan

⋯

[10th] Ha Sion

⋯

[18th] Yu Hana

⋯

[27th] Cheon Yeoul

As students fumbled to check their watches, the instructor spoke casually.

“My students sure do study well. Three of you made it into the top ten.”

All eyes in the room turned to the three of us.

But I was already distracted by something else.

“...What?”

It wasn’t anything else that surprised me.

Kang Arin, me, Ha Sion, and Yu Hana—our ranks all made sense.

But Cheon Yeoul.

‘Twenty-seventh?’

Her being in the upper ranks... honestly, was hard to believe.

Instinctively, I turned my head to find her.

Far off in the room, Cheon Yeoul made a peace sign at me.

She wiggled her fingers with an expression that seemed to say, “I did good, right?”

I let out a soft laugh and gave her a small nod.

We’d had some private tutoring sessions, but I hadn’t expected her to do that well.

If a few lessons were all it took, she wouldn’t have struggled with it to begin with.

I opened up the detailed score report. Overall, the numbers were higher than I’d predicted—but not quite what you’d call top-tier.

Cheon Yeoul scored especially high in spell theory—in other words, the subject involving sacred arts and formulas.

That single high score made up for the rest.

And that was the very subject I’d personally taught her.

‘She’s got some spirit.’

I glanced at her again. She noticed my gaze from afar and gave me a teasing smile with her eyes.

Lately, she’d been doing nothing but commendable things.

Like jumping at the chance to accept the Paladin request. And apparently, after a few lessons, she’d put in a crazy amount of self-study on her own.

A 27th-place finish wasn’t something you achieved without trying. Her effort showed.

The classroom was full of students groaning over their ranks.

“Don’t be too discouraged, everyone.”

Instructor Do Hanseong continued nonchalantly.

That signature dry expression on his face.

“You’ll have at least ten more tests to go. You can make up for it next time.”

“......”

He probably meant that as encouragement, but...

Telling students they had to go through this ten more times was not exactly comforting.

I checked the clock.

9:05 a.m.

With the written test results over, it was time to move on to the main lecture.

—Thud.

The instructor knocked on the desk.

“Now, let’s begin today’s lesson.”

The groans didn’t stop.

***

Lunch was over. Unusually peaceful day so far.

Though, in my head, it was war.

I stood in the hallway, staring at a wall of club recruitment posters.

This week was probably the final deadline. Technically it had already ended, but they extended it to accommodate the Kalos students who transferred over.

I’d been telling myself I’ll join, I will, soon—but kept putting it off.

‘Where should I go...’

The posters were filled with all kinds of clubs.

Some familiar names popped out.

Frontier.

Already rejected them once. Not happening. Johan’s probably in that one, anyway.

This time, I needed a club I could join with Yoon Chaeha.

I paused to consider my options.

First option: Magic Research Society.

“Yeah, no...”

Takes two hands to clap. It’s not that I dislike magic.

In fact, I do like it—technically.

But researching magic? Definitely not my thing.

Yoon Chaeha would be the same. She’s more of a “feel it and go” type than a theory-crazy academic.

We wouldn’t last a week.

Out.

Second option: Archery Club.

Not bad.

It would definitely help with focus, which is fundamental for any mage.

And I know how to use a bow, so that works too... but...

Sion would chew me out endlessly.

If you’re going to join Archery Club, why didn’t you tell me? Why go alone? From start to finish, I could already hear the barrage of nagging.

And I doubt Yoon Chaeha would be that into it, either.

So—on hold.

Final option: Board Game Club.

[Lexium]

Board games in this world aren’t quite the same as ours. Sure, there are classics like chess and Monopoly...

But there are also games where opening a gadget creates an instant dungeon you have to conquer. A kind of “instant dungeon” format.

Too expensive for casual play, but this was Gaon. Club funding easily covered that.

Yoon Chaeha would probably find it interesting. And with field chess and instant dungeons, she could sharpen her spatial awareness—another core mage skill.

If I triggered her competitive side with this...

It might turn out to be a solid growth opportunity.

“This is the one.”

I checked the contact info listed on the poster and sent a message.

[Jeong Haein]: Hello, this is first-year student Jeong Haein. I’m messaging regarding club registration. Would you happen to have space for two members?

One spot for me, one for Yoon Chaeha.

The option that she might not come with me didn’t even exist.

She’d crossed over to this academy out of pure curiosity. No way she’d pass up a club.

That’s how it went in the original story, too.

I turned off my watch.

With that, I’d finally wrapped up this delayed task.

There were so many things coming up that I was exhausted in every direction. But once I made it past this stretch, it’d be smooth sailing until finals.

At least, on the surface.

So getting through this rough patch was the most important thing.

I looked up at the ceiling and let out a short breath.

I would get through it.

Even if I tried to forget, the memories of the trial still clung to me, carved deep into my mind like a brand.

Aldebaran’s trial was over—but I was still going through one.

Then—

[『Clear Mirror, Still Water』 awakens your mind! ]

The ripples in my thoughts quieted.

The haze in my vision cleared.

I took a deep breath and realigned myself.

“...Phew.”

I can get through it.

No—I have to.