Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

Senior, I’m your fan (3)

On a slow morning, at the academy training ground.

I came to the exam hall for the ‘senior’s greeting’ that my master had requested yesterday.

And after stepping up onto the podium, I doubted my eyes for a moment.

‘Why are they together?’

The familiar-faced girls were gathered together in the front center seats.

Park Yoon-seo, Choi Arin, Song Hyun-a.

Two were younger sisters of my friends, and the remaining one was a new student who had recently heated up the Holder community.

Coincidentally, these three were also pivotal characters that would open a new phase of the original story.

‘Do they have connections?’

It was strange for those three to be together.

Originally, they would be covered in separate episodes.

Park Yoon-seo would be kidnapped in the <Villain> episode, leading to a story with her older brother Park Jin-woo, the protagonist. Choi Arin would gain attention in the special department as a genius alchemist prodigy.

And the original ‘Song Hyun’, Song Hyun-a, would gradually grow aiming for the female lead Kang Juyeon.

They all had their own stories, and their processes did not particularly overlap, so they had no reason to become close.

Especially, Song Hyun-a did not easily get close to others.

She was called an ‘icon of effort on par with Park Jin-woo’ as a Holder… But just as much as that inner factor, she also greatly valued external factors like family honor and personal sophistication.

She wouldn’t even glance at someone she considered lacking in grace.

So for Song Hyun-a to be with Choi Arin, who could be seen as the epitome of the commoner, and Park Yoon-seo, an ordinary person from the outside… It was certainly an exceptional case.

‘Let’s focus for now.’

But surprise was surprise, and work was work.

I couldn’t ruin the task requested by my master Professor Tak Won-ho over a minor variable.

Moreover, I had seen so many deviations from the original flow already, that I wasn’t easily shaken by variables like this anymore.

“Hello juniors. Nice to meet you.”

I lightly spoke into the microphone.

In the quiet training hall, countless Holders were densely seated.

It wasn’t just new students and supervisors.

Starting from academy staff, there were also scout teams from domestic clans, or seniors and colleagues who came to spectate.

The ‘Duel Exam’, the final entrance exam, is a quite large-scale event that allows checking the new students’ skills and abilities.

Especially outside guests preferred observing these practical exams over formal events like entrance ceremonies.

“I am Holder Do Jae-hyun, currently a 2nd year Assassin student.”

Waaaaaah–!!

Clap clap clap–

As soon as my brief introduction ended, thunderous cheers and applause rang out.

According to the new student survey results, my popularity was indeed overwhelming for this speech.

‘Ah, I’m embarrassed.’

But I’m still not used to this popularity.

I should be getting used to it, but I can’t adapt at all.

The nation’s top promising holder.

The youngest expected S-grade Multi-Holder.

A representing student of Seoul Holder Academy…

There are so many titles labeling me.

On top of that, the cheers and praises from many people.

The expectation that I will lead the future Holder community.

Befitting that, I’ve somehow already become a nationally renowned celebrity.

This is within just 1 year of becoming a Holder, but it’s strange that I’m not used to it yet.

‘……’

Of course, such fame isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In any case, it becomes a driving force to help me take a step forward, and can breathe strength into my vague sense of purpose at times.

But.

‘It’s not all good either.’

The public’s attention being focused on one person is absolutely not a good phenomenon.

If there are people who like that person, there will also be people who dislike them in backlash.

They will probably lie in wait silently…

And if I slip up even a little, they will pounce on me like vultures and tear me apart without a doubt.

And they will enjoy the hero’s downfall more than anyone.

Becoming fodder for the media and anti-fans like that, was something I declined.

“To be honest, I worried a lot about what story to tell my juniors. If I just said the typical things, it would be boring, but if I told light stories, it wouldn’t help you all.”

In any case, riding on that fame to give the ‘senior’s greeting’ could draw even more attention from the new students.

It’s already a mess outside, and it could get even worse inside too.

I didn’t want to deal with that tiresome situation if I could avoid it.

-So let’s try to divert that attention a bit!

That was the feeling behind my approach to this speech.

Of course, there were many intentional parts to my speech too.

“But today is the entrance exam, and soon you all will take the Duel exam right? So to form some common ground… I want to tell you about when I was a new student taking the Duel exam.”

I slowly brought up the subject I had been thinking about since last night.

I had pondered it thoroughly for over an hour.

The new juniors’ burning attention is already pouring out.

To reduce that attention even a little…

“It was probably the first time then. When I met my life’s greatest rival Holder, Park Jin-woo.”

The method was to divert that attention’s direction to someone else.

I smiled faintly as I thought.

‘Jin-woo, thanks and sorry again today.’

You sold me out when wooing Camilla too, so I’ll use you this time.

***

Ippotranslation

***

Park Yoon-seo awakened as a Holder last summer, around when summer vacation was ending.

Unlike her brother, she was born with innate talent. She was granted formidable epic runes like [Cool Ambush], suitable common rune settings, and quite high ability stats.

Thanks to that, even though it hadn’t been a year since her awakening, she was expected to develop solidly.

She was labeled a new talent that appeared in the Assassin department.

-Is Yoo Eun-seol, the only S-grade Holder in the Assassin department, really not taking any students besides Do Jae-hyun?

-Will Multi-Holder Do Jae-hyun’s Assassin abilities be to what extent…?

And it was only natural for her eyes to be drawn to the two at the top of the Assassin department.

Yoo Eun-seol and Do Jae-hyun.

The combination of the two was already famous in the Holder community.

They showed a fantastic breathing rhythm that transcended the teacher-student relationship, almost like colleagues.

They were perfect role models that those walking the same path aspired to.

‘Do Jae-hyun… Senior.’

And gradually, Park Yoon-seo’s eyes were drawn more towards the student, Do Jae-hyun.

There were many reasons.

First, he was a good-looking senior guy. As a Holder in the same department ahead of her, there was much to learn. And he has shown a heroic track record so far…

But more importantly, her eyes were simply drawn to him as he was.

For the first time in her life, Park Yoon-seo became someone’s ‘fan’.

-Bro. What kind of person is senior Do Jae-hyun?

-Ooh! Sheesh. Are you grossly asking your bro’s friend, what he is like, senior this senior that.

-Well, what else should I call him then?

-…Don’t disturb my training and figure it out yourself.

-This guy is totally crazy.

The conversation with her closest person, her brother, was no help at all.

He just kept rambling useless stuff that didn’t help.

So Park Yoon-seo slowly learned about Do Jae-hyun bit by bit.

From the major information in articles to the most trivial details.

She ran around searching directly, gradually learning about him.

That’s how she came to Seoul Holder Academy, and that’s how she earned the ‘Excellent Fan Club Membership’ rank.

And now.

Her own idol Do Jae-hyun was giving his greeting speech in front of her.

But…

“…That’s how Jin-woo became an unmatched expert in the Warrior department. Also, among offensive Warriors…”

Park Yoon-seo stared ahead with a blank face.

Even though quite some time passed as she listened, she still couldn’t grasp the situation well.

Something, something strange was continuing in this greeting speech.

‘Why is he talking about that training maniac here…?’

It was the greeting speech of Do Jae-hyun, the hero of the academy.

She had expected to hear fun anecdotes related to his brilliant achievements, his unparalleled dungeon conquests, or his dazzling activities within the academy…

But for some reason, from his mouth.

Only stories about her brother Park Jin-woo were flowing out.

Of course, it wasn’t completely unrelated.

“…Like this, the existence of a rival who can stimulate each other is very important for Holders to improve their skills. Just look at how Jin-woo and I grew side-by-side from F-grade until here…”

Do Jae-hyun was mentioning the ‘importance of rivals’ while supplementing it with his interesting duel stories and experiences.

The instructive content that friends of similar skill levels can sometimes become the fertilizer for growth.

In a way, it was the most suitable topic for a ‘pre-Duel exam speech’.

But Park Yoon-seo felt resentful.

‘This useless bro…! Give our senior’s story back!!’

She simply wanted to hear stories about Do Jae-hyun.

The amazing feats he had accomplished, or stories about his department and Multi-Holder talents.

There were plenty of unique and interesting topics.

Among all those stories, the ones stuck on her brother were not part of the plan.

-You don’t know Park Jin-woo? He was the best rival I knew.

…And such.

She didn’t want to hear useless summaries like that.

But time just kept passing relentlessly.

And before she knew it, the senior’s greeting was over.

“…Thank you for now. I am 2nd year, Do Jae-hyun.”

Clap clap clap-

Wah, waaah–!!

Clap clap clap-

Whether he knew of Park Yoon-seo’s fan heart or not, the surrounding classmates’ reactions were very heated.

Praising it as a great speech, as expected of Do Jae-hyun, befitting the academy’s representative student.

Such compliments poured out, but…

The main subject of the reactions was, of course, the core topic about Park Jin-woo.

“Wow, senior Park Jin-woo was that great?”

“Senior Do Jae-hyun’s only rival. That says it all.”

“The hidden contributor to the Villain Eradication Operation, or something like that?”

“Hey hey, what are you saying? That thing, you know. The Unsung Hero.”

Really nonsensical stories without head or tail.

Park Yoon-seo felt her head spinning from it all.

‘No. My bro isn’t like that. He’s just a training maniac obsessed with the sword…!!’

No matter how desperately she shook her head, nothing changed.

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