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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Stalking
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Stalking
[...You're really going to do it, right?]
"I told you I would."
The next morning.
The author seemed anxious and tried to get confirmation from me again.
Even though I said I'd do it, they're still like this.
Well, I did refuse at first.
While comforting them, I got so scared and said no, but they started crying even more, so I had no choice but to agree.
...Honestly, it's true that I'm still reluctant.
But I have no choice. I have to keep my promise to appease the author.
[Hehehe... If I watch the protagonist all day, I'm sure I'll get tons of material!]
"..."
Right.
What's there to hide?
Because I ruined Yoo Siwoo's exploits, what the author demanded as compensation was something I already used to do.
Monitoring the protagonist.
But why did I refuse at first?
Because it's 24-hour monitoring.
It's completely different from subtly observing from the sidelines.
Literally 24-hour monitoring. From this morning until tomorrow morning.
I thought incidents within the academy would be enough, but the author had a different idea.
They said Yoo Siwoo's daily life could also be material, or something like that.
Even when I tried to persuade them that a male character's daily life wasn't necessary in an academy novel, they wouldn't budge.
Even when I said it would be much more beneficial to monitor their sweet dates with the heroines later, they still wouldn't budge.
In fact, they even suggested that if I monitored him once normally and then again during a date, I'd get even more material.
I have my own private life, and Yoo Siwoo has one too, but...
This time, there's no choice.
I silently apologized to Yoo Siwoo, who was about to be monitored by me all day.
Because I can't just openly tell him I'm going to monitor him.
It would be better to monitor him without him noticing at all.
Hmm, can I do a good job monitoring? I'm a little worried.
[Hoo, I'm excited. What kind of day will he have...! Won't there be, like, an outpouring of incidents and accidents?!]
"Even if he's the protagonist, I think his daily life will be pretty much the same..."
No matter how much I think about it, I don't think the author will get the scenes they want.
Even if he's the protagonist, there's no way novel-like incidents would happen every single day.
[No! There's no way! Because he's the protagonist!]
What is this baseless confidence?
I let out a small sigh.
"There's no helping it, is there? Just this once, okay?"
[Ehehe...! This will be fun...!]
Fun, my foot.
I just hope they don't get disappointed.
***
"From now on, you will learn ethics."
A muscular male teacher entered the classroom and spoke.
The students, who had naturally expected to train their abilities or learn how to become stronger, strongly protested.
"Isn't this a practical lesson?"
"We came to the academy to become heroes."
Siwoo could empathize with his classmates' complaints.
After all, he had trained diligently since childhood to become a hero, and had passed through the narrow gates of the academy to gain admission.
He had naturally expected to train himself and learn skills, but suddenly it was ethics.
The teacher, hearing the students' protests, grinned.
"Yes, I knew you'd dislike it. Your seniors always did."
"Then...!"
"But despite numerous protests, this class has always been maintained. The reason is simple. Because you must become heroes."
Because they must become heroes?
The students began to focus on the teacher's words.
Because it seemed like he was about to say something important.
"Math, science, Korean, English... You've probably only learned those at a basic knowledge level."
"Of course. We barely have enough time to train as it is."
"Yes. That's right. You don't need to learn such things. A hero doesn't need to be good at math or perfectly understand science."
The teacher stopped a female student who was about to say something, and spoke.
"It's true that you came here to become heroes, and it's also true that you have a stronger sense of justice than your peers. I know that well."
"Then why do we need to learn ethics?! We have no reason to waste our time...!"
"That's precisely why you're learning the most essential ethics. Tell me, what do you do when you become heroes?"
The female student was suddenly asked a question in return by the teacher.
What was her name? ...Was it Amelia?
Surprised at being questioned, she hesitated before answering.
"It's about defeating monsters and capturing villains."
"Yes, that's right. More precisely, it's about protecting citizens from threats."
"What does that have to do with ethics...!"
The teacher asked her, who was protesting, in return.
"Do you have absolute proof that you won't become villains?"
"What?!"
"What I mean is, do you have a guarantee that you won't become villains?"
"Of course we do! We came here to become heroes...!"
"You probably haven't heard that there are cases where academy graduates become villains."
"?!"
Not only Amelia, but many students were shocked by that statement.
Academy graduates becoming villains?
"Th-that can't be...!"
"Unfortunately, it's true. Getting drunk on power, being scouted by criminal organizations... There are various ways to become a villain."
An academy student becoming a villain.
Siwoo glanced at Arte, then quickly shifted his gaze forward.
Because he had made eye contact with Arte, who was smiling at him.
"That said, it's impossible to nip any potential villains among you in the bud."
Pace, pace.
The teacher walked around the students in circles. Was it to set the mood?
The teacher looked at the students, who had unconsciously begun to focus on his words, with sharp eyes.
"That's why we have no choice but to rely on your conscience, and that's why we teach ethics. It's a minimum safety measure."
"Can something like that really prevent someone from becoming a villain?"
"I don't know. But isn't it better than doing nothing?"
"..."
"If you understand, take your seats. We need to start the lesson."
Watching the students lost in thought, Siwoo's own mind became complicated.
There are cases where academy students become villains...
If so, wouldn't there also be cases where villains infiltrate the academy in the first place?
Cold sweat trickled down Siwoo's forehead as he felt a gaze from behind him.
After school, on the way home.
Siwoo's mind was complicated.
Ethics, he thought. He had never seriously considered it before.
Now that he thought about it, it wasn't wrong.
If villains swayed a hero, they would gain an ally and simultaneously eliminate an enemy.
Moreover, as always, it's easier to destroy something than to protect it.
He had heard that heroes were always overworked.
He casually looked around, and sights he usually overlooked caught his eye.
A person casually throwing finished trash on the ground.
A person spitting on the ground.
He frowned at sights he normally would have ignored.
Suppressing his uncomfortable feelings, he continued on his way home.
An old woman was pulling a cart up a hill.
"Grandma, do you need help?"
"Oh...? Are you helping me? Thank you."
Someone who needed help, whom he would normally have passed by without noticing, caught his eye.
So, Siwoo helped the old woman.
After he pulled the old woman's cart up the hill for her, she smiled and said:
"Thank you. I was able to come up easily thanks to you."
"It's nothing."
He felt a little embarrassed, but his heart warmed as he heard her gratitude after helping someone.
Yes, the teacher was right.
Heroes exist to help people.
Ethics are truly important...
"---!"
His heart, which had just warmed, instantly turned cold as if doused with ice water.
"J-just now... From behind the utility pole..."
I think I saw black hair.
Wavy hair reaching her chest. It was the hair of that person who had recently been on his mind.
The wind, which had been warm just moments ago, turned cold as if it had never been warm.
No, that can't be.
Arte couldn't possibly be here.
It must have been someone with a similar hairstyle... No, that's impossible.
His pounding heart was loud.
Arte Isis, she was following him.
There was no mistake.
There's no way he wouldn't recognize those narrow eyes.
"What in the world...!"
Could it be that?
The teacher had said there were cases where academy students became villains.
Was she trying to persuade him to become a villain?
Is that why she was watching him?
He couldn't understand.
For what reason was she following him?
He got goosebumps and immediately drew the curtains as soon as he got home.
"Hoo, hoo..."
His ragged breathing bothered him. It felt as if someone was watching him.
Her past actions flashed through his mind.
Hacking the academy's database, showing a lot of interest in him, and somehow being involved in the monster incident, though he didn't know how.
Furthermore, he had heard from the teacher that the monster incident had occurred due to a criminal's mistake.
He didn't know if the criminal was Arte's helper. But orchestrating a monster incident wasn't an ordinary feat.
There must definitely be some grand conspiracy hidden behind it.
What was certain was that she was plotting some kind of incident with the being she called 'Author'.
And that she had an interest in him.
"Did she... leave?"
He cautiously peeked through the curtain.
Night had fallen. Surely she would have gone home by now...
"---!"
He quickly pulled the curtain back down.
She's there, she's there!
It was blurry, but he saw her.
She was definitely watching his place!
"Why, why are you doing this to me...?"
He felt wronged, but Siwoo couldn't even shout loudly.
Afraid of provoking Arte, who was watching his house from outside.
Siwoo scrambled into bed and pulled the blanket over his head.
Just like when he used to hide after watching a scary movie as a child.
Tears trickled down Siwoo's eyes, soaking his pillow.
Siwoo couldn't sleep that night.