Episode 5
Randy was still catching her breath, but Serena was already drowning in unease. Things were bad enough as it was—what new problem was about to hit her this time? She couldn’t even guess.
“What’s going on, Randy?”
“Um… the head of the student affairs office wants to see you.”
“Me?”
The word head of student affairs made Serena frown instantly. A sharp image of his scary face flashed across her mind, and her chest sank with dread.
“Yeah. I’m not 100% sure why, but… probably because of that article.”
Randy whispered, then glanced over at Luize, who was still standing across the way.
“Ugh, Bell! That jerk just won’t quit bothering people, huh?”
Thinking about Bell’s shameless face made Serena’s blood boil. She immediately headed toward the office, completely forgetting that Luize had been there the whole time, quietly watching.
Every major department had its own office, but the head of student affairs had a separate one. Serena stood in front of the giant door, took a deep breath, and muttered:
“Ugh, what if I end up not even graduating over this?”
She pressed her aching temple, then knocked lightly.
“Come in.”
“Hello. I was told you called for me.”
When she stepped inside, she found not only the head of student affairs, but also her homeroom teacher, plus one teacher each from the magic division and the martial division.
“Serena, sit down.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know why you were called here?”
“…Isn’t it because of the article the newspaper club put out?”
The head gave a slow nod.
“Normally, we don’t meddle in club activities. But in this case, the school’s reputation is at stake, so we can’t just ignore it.”
He tossed the newspaper onto his huge desk. Serena winced. That awful headline glared right up at her.
“I actually have something to say about that.”
Serena didn’t shrink back. She’d been planning to complain about Bell spreading lies anyway—maybe this was her chance.
“That article isn’t true. The newspaper club published it without even checking the facts.”
“But Serena,” Luize’s homeroom teacher said, pushing up his glasses, “your crush on Luize is already well known among the faculty.”
“That’s… true, but not anymore. I don’t like him now. Which means the article is even more wrong.”
God, why did she have to talk about her personal life in front of her teachers? It was humiliating. But if she wanted to clear things up, she had no choice. She lifted her chin and met their gazes squarely.
“Really? Then can you explain each part of the article for us?”
“Yes. I went to the library to study for midterms. I just wanted a good seat, and it just so happened the spot was next to Luize’s. I never even talked to him while I was there. I left without us ever meeting face-to-face.”
Her reply was confident.
“Hm.”
The head leaned back, listening.
“Alright. But you don’t have any real proof to back this up, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“How are we supposed to believe your story?”
His sharp eyes told her everything—he’d never intended to believe her in the first place. He just wanted to pin her down.
“Meanwhile, this article… does sound pretty convincing.”
He leaned forward again, rapping the desk with his knuckles.
“First, it’s true that you’ve made your feelings for Luize obvious all over the academy.”
Used to, Serena groaned inwardly. Not anymore.
“Second, I checked your grades. You don’t exactly look like someone who cares about studying.”
I do now! Serena screamed silently.
“Sir, you should at least consider Serena’s side of the story. She says it isn’t true—”
That was Violet, Serena’s curly-haired, middle-aged homeroom teacher, stepping in nervously.
But the head didn’t budge. In fact, he cut her down with a sneer.
“Violet, remind me, how were Serena’s grades last semester?”
“…Average of a D.”
Violet lowered her head. Serena also stared down at the floor, cheeks burning. He wasn’t wrong. She had no evidence, nothing concrete to prove her words. The odds were stacked against her.
And still—she could tell the head had another reason for coming down so hard on her.
“Serena, you know what kind of student Luize is here.”
“…”
“He’s the top of the entire academy. His magical talent is unprecedented.”
Of course she knew. She nodded faintly.
“And… no, never mind.”
But Serena knew what he wanted to say. That Luize was heir to the Duke of Fredelin. The most prestigious noble family in the empire, practically the emperor’s right hand. Naturally the academy wanted to stay on his good side.
Well, fine. If the world was going to back Luize no matter what, then she’d just have to fight harder.
“…What if I prove it?”
“What?”
The head scowled.
“I’ll prove that article is false.”
Sure, she knew Luize was amazing—he was the male lead, after all. And she’d guessed the teachers would try to pin the blame on her anyway. But that didn’t mean she’d give up. If this was the price of not following the “original story,” then she’d face it head-on.
“And how exactly do you plan to prove it?”
“By becoming the top student in the entire academy this midterm—not Luize, me.”
Her smile was full of confidence. The teachers, though, all stiffened like they’d just been slapped. Some even looked offended.
“Serena, what nonsense are you—what could you possibly—” Violet’s voice shook with shock.
“If I take first place, it proves I went to the library to study, not to chase Luize.”
That would knock out the head’s second point.
“And you all already know I used to waste my time following Luize around instead of studying. That’s why my grades were so bad.”
Right? Serena looked at Violet, who nodded firmly. She’d scolded Serena countless times to stop obsessing over Luize and hit the books.
“So if I become top student now, it proves I’ve quit chasing him and started focusing on my studies.”
She looked the head straight in the eye.
That would erase his first point too.
Everyone went silent, staring at the head. He drummed his fingers on the desk, frowning, deep in thought.
“You’re serious about this? Serena.”
His low voice finally broke the silence. Clearly, he still didn’t believe her—if anything, he seemed amused at the absurdity.
“Of course. Would I joke about something like this in front of all of you?”
“…Fine. We’ll leave this matter on hold for now. If you really do take first place in the midterms, we’ll act like this never happened. And we’ll punish the newspaper student who wrote the article.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance. I’ll definitely prove it.”
She bowed her head gratefully.
“But if you fail to keep your promise… then you’ll be sent straight to the disciplinary committee.”
“…Y-yes, understood!”
The word disciplinary made Serena flinch, but she swallowed her fear and nodded firmly.
Finally, she had a way to prove to everyone—including Luize—that she wasn’t obsessed with him anymore. If she became top student, the whole scandal would vanish, and Luize might even believe her words.
I’m going to be first, no matter what.
Clenching her fists tight, Serena vowed to herself. Winning first place in the midterms wasn’t just an exam—it was a gamble she absolutely had to win.
