Chapter 16 : Education shapes a person (3)

A vicious gaze staring at me with contempt.

At the same time, a deeply furrowed brow.

Even though she had just slapped the person who returned her wallet, there wasn’t a hint of guilt on her face.

And only after seeing that expression on her face—

11

“…Carmilla?”

I was finally able to remember.

Back when I was actively playing Monster Frontline.

An S-rank hero who drained my wallet as much as Hoshino did.

At the same time, a noble lady with a ‘man-hating’ concept that I would never have pulled if not for her performance.

Carmilla Edelstein.

“Wait, why is her affection gauge completely locked…?”

Was it during the Kaiju Frontline third anniversary event?

Limited characters who were released with much stronger specs than regular gacha characters every anniversary.

Of course, I tried to pull for those so-called ‘meta-defining’ characters during the third anniversary.

Back then, I was so blinded by performance that I fully maxed out Carmilla solely for her stats.

As expected of a limited character from the third anniversary, Carmilla’s performance placed her in Tier 0, even surpassing Tier 1 Hoshino.

Yeah…

Her stats were absolutely top-tier.

You know that saying—

‘Performance equals love.’

Even if a character had an insignificant role in the story, was ugly, or had an annoying personality—

If they were strong, subculture game players would naturally be drawn to them.

But she was a character whose affection gauge wasn’t even open.

All her bond quests were about her past, and in the game’s storyline, Carmilla was already dead.

No matter how much I valued performance, there was no way I could bring myself to like a so-called ‘trash-tier’ character like her.

“…Wait, she’s already dead?”

I had no idea what kind of concept this was.

Despite being a noble lady who hated men, her character description read as follows:

Carmilla Edelstein.

Once the most promising super rookie in the hero world.

But in her arrogance, she chased after greater dreams, only to be brutally dismembered and killed.

Her current form is said to be the ideal self she aspired to be before her tragic death.

A limited character released for the game’s third anniversary…

Yet she was already a dead soul with no interactions, just a vicious woman.

At least she seemed to have the same chest-touch system as other characters, but—

Smack.

Even that reaction was lackluster compared to other gacha characters.

Without a single line of dialogue, she suddenly slapped my cheek.

Then somehow, she even force-closed my game.

She was, quite literally, insane.

And now, to think I would meet Carmilla’s living form when, in the game, she was already dead.

“My name is not something a mere man like you can call so lightly.”

Back to the present—

Was it because of Carmilla suddenly slapping me on the first day of school?

Our classroom, which had been filled with excitement and anticipation, had turned deathly silent.

But that didn’t seem to matter to her.

11

“Apologize.”

“…What?”

“I said, apologize.”

She wanted… me to apologize?

Not accept an apology, but actually give one?

Carmilla, demanding an apology from me—the one who returned her wallet.

Even in my 37 years of life, counting my past one, this was a first.

Wait, shouldn’t I be the one receiving an apology?

‘This is insane…’

To make matters worse, my baby tooth on the right side of my cheek was slightly loose from her slap earlier.

It felt like I was about to reenact a movie scene where someone gets punched and loses a tooth.

But well…

She was just a kid, after all.

And besides, I had gotten into this place through connections.

More importantly, as someone who had reincarnated into a game, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself.

So even if this situation made no sense, I figured I should just smile and—

Smack.

“?!”

You know that saying, ‘You don’t fear poop; you just avoid it because it’s dirty’?

Smack.

“Hurry up and answer.”

Smack.

I was ready to just apologize and move on, but—

“How much more of a young lady’s time do you plan on wasting, you mere man?”

11

Smack.

“CHEF.”

Smack.

“…Hey, answer me.”

Slap!

“Answer me!”

At this point, she had crossed the line completely.

It wasn’t just one slap—she had already hit me three or four times.

…Plop.

“Kyaaa!!”

“Oh my god! His tooth!”

“Did… did he just lose a tooth from getting hit?!”

The baby tooth on the right side of my cheek, which had been barely hanging on, finally popped out.

At the same time, I caught the faint scent of iron from my nose.

Looked like I was also getting a nosebleed.

Meanwhile, despite all the chaos in the classroom, there were only two people whose expressions remained unchanged.

Me and Carmilla.

…No, actually.

Unlike my still-calm expression, her face was growing more and more twisted with frustration.

Grit…

Carmilla’s expression was becoming increasingly vicious as time passed.

Heh.

“What? Are you mad because the person you’re trying to break won’t react the way you want?”

“Sh-shut up!”

Smack!

Carmilla responded to my mocking question with a slap instead of an answer.

Maybe because she was struck by the truth.

Unable to say anything, she likely reacted emotionally, but such behavior was merely a foolish display of her own weakness.

‘A noble lady and the youngest hero…’

Although I don’t know why she hates men, I guess it’s because of her upbringing.

She must have lived a life where she was treated like a princess.

So, just like she treated others, she must have seen me as just another man she could easily intimidate.

“…I don’t know how you got into this school as a man, but now that you’re on my radar, your school days are over.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll make your school years nothing but regret from here on out.”

Had she just realized that slapping me wasn’t enough to make me submit?

Carmilla looked at the frightened children around her and whispered in my ear as if the day wasn’t over yet, but she still had more to say.

However…

Heh.

Does she think I look like someone who can be intimidated?

I’ve been through enough hell in small companies with foreign workers to deal with a little girl like her.

This kind of threat was nothing compared to the time I went to a boss’s office over unpaid wages and nearly got stabbed.

With that in mind, I leaned in close to her ear and scratched at the ego of a child who thought too highly of herself.

“Don’t be a coward and hide behind your subordinates just because you were embarrassed by a man’s words.”

“Y-You…!”

“A so-called hero trying to gang up on me with numbers? And if you hate men, does that mean you hate your father too?”

Wham!

“Gyaaah?!”

“Carmilla-sama just punched him!”

“Hwaa! Teacher!”

Another typical morning.

Another typical study time.

Another typical training session.

Because my territory had been ruined, I had to do all my work at the Hero Association branch in District D.

Yet, despite that, was it because I was from the Okami family’s bloodline?

Hoshino, despite being in an unfamiliar environment, continued to follow her usual schedule perfectly, astonishing even the heroes and caretakers who were watching her.

“You’re amazing, Princess!”

“You truly are a princess!”

“Miss, would you like me to bring you some tea?”

“…Yes, please, caretaker.”

Everyone praised her, except for one person.

Finally, the break came.

Usually, when this time arrived, my heart would swell with excitement, and all the fatigue would disappear.

But—

The Hoshino-exclusive playroom in District D, decorated to resemble the Okami family’s playroom, was still there, with the same toys and familiar surroundings.

Yet, Hoshino no longer found it as enjoyable.

The reason?

The one person she always played with was no longer there.

“I didn’t care much before, but… I really want to see Jang Hoon.”

My playmate.

The boy who should always be by my side!

I missed Kang Jang Hoon.

Once Mom wakes up, I want to ask her to have him expelled from school again.

I really wished he’d always be by my side.

But I still remembered Jang Hoon’s bright smile when he got the news that he could attend elementary school.

“Ugh… But if I did that, Jang Hoon would be so sad, wouldn’t he?”

He looked so happy, but forcing him to come back to me wouldn’t make him as happy as before.

Instead, it would probably make both of us sad.

“Ugh.”

So, would I have to continue like this from now on?

As I sat alone in the playroom, feeling despondent, I sighed deeply.

“Welcome back, Miss.”

“Huh?! Jang Hoon…!”

I heard a voice from behind that made my fox ears twitch and my heart race.

Kang Jang Hoon!

Damn, I really like you!

Is it true that the joy of meeting after waiting is multiplied?

With more excitement than usual, I quickly turned around, and…

“…Huh?”

Jang Hoon?

My only boyfriend, whose face was wrapped in bandages and a gauze on his nose, stood before me.

As soon as I saw him, injured from somewhere…

“Who did this to you?”

I glared at him, looking as if I might rip out someone’s liver like a gumiho.