[Hmm, something feels lacking…]
"What are you planning to do now?"
[Doesn’t it feel a little wasteful to just pick a weapon and go home?]
Wasteful? What’s wasteful about it.
"We have plenty of time. There are still three years left at the Academy…"
[No! Those three years are an illusion! In reality, it’s just a one-year Academy!]
"Well, that may be true… but I don’t think we need to rush that much. It’s not like new material appears every day."
The author’s right about that.
It’s the fate of Academy novels.
By the mid-to-late stages of the story, the protagonist leaves the Academy…!
And that usually happens in the early second year, once all the Academy tropes are exhausted.
There’s no way I wouldn’t know that.
But finishing two episodes in a single day? That’s a bit too fast-paced, isn’t it?
…Something smells off. Something’s definitely off.
Her voice sounded a little shaky just now.
"How many chapters did you write yesterday?"
[Huh? …W-Why are you asking that all of a sudden?]
"You’ve been using up your backlog, haven’t you?"
[…]
As I suspected.
She must’ve binged through a mass release without thinking.
But now that she’s done that, she’s probably run out of material for tomorrow.
She’s desperate for new ideas, so she’s scrambling to find something to patch things up.
"How shameless. …Hmm, what should I do?"
[P-Please, Reader-nim! I’m in trouble! I need material!]
"Then why not look at other people?"
[Aaaah, Reader-nim, it’s hard to do that without looking through your perspective! You know that! Please, I’m begging you!]
Our author always acts before thinking. That’s the problem.
I’d love to be petty and refuse to help, but I can’t actually do that.
I’ve heard that if the author leaves my field of vision to check on others directly, it drains an unexpected amount of energy.
In the end, if the author quits writing, I’ll be the one who loses the most.
If the author who shapes this world however she wants suddenly stops, what would happen?
The world might freeze? …Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.
With a sigh, I finally gave in to the author’s request.
"Fine. Just this once."
[Yay! As expected of Reader-nim! I love you!]
"But if you do another thoughtless mass release, I’m scolding you."
[Yes!]
Speaking of mass releases, there was one question that came to mind.
What does the author do when she runs out of material?
Even if a major event happens and she milks it for a few days, there’s no way to avoid gaps entirely.
No Academy has nonstop incidents for a whole year, right?
When I casually asked, she gave a refreshingly blunt answer.
[I take a break.]
"…What?"
[Since it’s irregular serialization, it’s fine!]
Fine? What’s fine about that?
A sudden wave of unease washed over me.
Memories of poorly written novels that updated irregularly before dying off flashed through my mind.
No, this can’t be!
"Alright, let’s do it. For the early Academy arc, what kind of events are there…?"
[There’s sparring, and there’s dungeon conquering!]
"Let’s go with sparring."
Dungeon conquering can be saved for later.
But if you reuse that material too many times, it loses its appeal.
Sparring, on the other hand, can be inserted in all sorts of places.
For an author who’s always starving for material, sparring is the perfect choice.
[Great! Then let’s check the schedule…]
A short time passed.
Claire, who had disappeared into the teacher’s office saying she’d be right back, returned to the classroom.
"Sorry. I was planning to let you all go early today, but the schedule changed. I’d appreciate it if you could spare a little more time."
"Huh? You said we were done here!"
"That was the plan, but apparently they want us to compare the students’ levels. They told us to hold sparring matches as a way to build camaraderie."
The students groaned.
Of course they did.
She’d said it was the first class, so they’d be dismissed early, but now there was extra time tacked on.
It was only natural they’d complain.
Claire knew that too, which was why she was just smirking bitterly.
"Put on your school uniforms and head to the training grounds. I’ll make it quick, so I’d appreciate your cooperation."
"Y-yeah…"
The students seemed to accept the inevitable and gave up.
Everyone started heading to the changing room to get dressed.
[Hmm, this is how a chest should be…]
"…What are you staring at?"
[The one I made, of course.]
Wasn’t that a little too bold?
I’d been trying my hardest not to look at the girls changing around me, but—
An attack came from a direction I never expected.
I never thought *I’d* be the one on display…
With no time to worry about anyone else, I frantically changed into my school uniform.
[Ahhh. Too bad. I wanted to see more.]
"…"
I didn’t even know what to say to that.
Maybe it was because I’d been fumbling around for so long, trying not to look at the girls.
By the time I stepped out of the changing room, everyone else was already gone.
"Good, everyone’s here. Let’s see, there are 20 of you… Alright. Pair up into twos."
Huh?
Startled, I looked around.
Everyone else was awkwardly forming pairs.
So that’s what she meant by “building camaraderie”…
But I didn’t have anyone I was close to yet.
[Hehe, in academy novels, characters often pair up like this! I wanted to try it too!]
If the author had been standing in front of me right then, I would’ve grabbed their head and shaken it every which way.
It was a shame I could only hear their voice.
I urgently turned my gaze toward where Yu Siwoo had been, only to see a blonde girl with a spear approaching him.
No, no, no—!
I subtly loosened the thread of the half-gloves I’d worn under my school uniform, just in case.
I opened my mouth to say something, took a step forward—and then—*trip her!*
Now!
"Eek?!"
Thud!
As she stumbled over the thread and fell, drawing everyone’s attention, I quickly made my way over to him.
"Uh, excuse me, but would it be alright if we paired up together?"
"…Me?"
"Yes. Hehe, I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I don’t have anyone I’m close to yet."
Please, please, *please*…!
There was nothing more awkward than pairing up with a stranger.
W-well, I *had* heard that guys were easy for girls who looked up at them with aegyo…
…But since I’d never actually interacted with a girl before, I had no idea if that was true.
I really, *really* didn’t want to do this, but—
Aside from my lazy eye making me look suspicious, I *was* a pretty girl.
Long, dark hair with a slight wave that fell past my chest.
A bust size that leaned toward the larger side, somewhere between big and average.
Enchanting red eyes and a smile that added to my charm.
If this guy’s a man, wouldn’t he fall for a cute girl like me closing her eyes and acting all sweet?
Becoming friends with Siwoo was inevitable anyway.
Try to cling to Siwoo, who I need to get close to, or spend awkward time paired with a stranger?
Obviously the first option!
Fine, I’ll swallow my pride and give it a shot.
"Would you like to be my partner?"
[Wow, she’s throwing herself at him…]
Shut up, author.
I bend my waist slightly and flash a playful smile!
How’s that…!
And for the finishing touch—tilt my head just a little!
He’s gotta be smitten! He’ll wanna spar with me, right?! Huh?!
…Why no reaction?
"That’s odd…"
"Hah, I’ll do it! I’ll be your partner!"
Hmm…?
I thought maybe he was the type who wasn’t interested in women, so I assumed I’d failed.
But then he suddenly accepted in a panic.
What’s going on?
Well, it’s fine by me if it’s not awkward.
"Then, nice to meet you."
Should I give him a little extra service?
I smile brightly at him.
So? Am I pretty or not?
"Eek?!"
One of the students approaching me suddenly tumbled to the ground.
A loud noise made me instinctively turn my head, and before I knew it, a woman was standing right in front of me.
That’s right—Arte Isis. It was her.
"Uh, if it’s not too much trouble… would you be my partner?"
"…Me?"
I didn’t think it was possible, but I reflexively looked behind me.
Please, don’t let it be me.
"Yes. Hehe, I’m a little embarrassed, but I don’t have anyone I’m close to yet."
If you don’t have anyone, go make friends!
I wanted to say that, but Yu Siwoo didn’t have the guts.
The dagger in her hand was too distracting.
Maybe she was bored, but she kept tossing it into the air and catching it…
To Siwoo, who already found her suspicious, it was downright chilling.
"Would you like to be my partner?"
Should I accept this?
Had Yu Siwoo’s brain ever worked this hard in his life?
Countless simulations flashed through his mind.
…Then, Arte leaned her face closer to mine.
She tilted her head slightly, looking up at me.
To an outsider, it might look like a pretty girl being cute.
But I wasn’t fooled.
She was definitely approaching me for a reason.
And here’s the proof—
Look at those eyes.
Through her half-lidded, smiling eyes, I could catch a glimpse of her true gaze.
Those piercing eyes that seemed to see right through me.
Alright, I’ll refuse—
"That’s odd…"
Just as I made up my mind to turn her down.
The smile vanished from her face, and the dagger in her right hand glinted in the sunlight.
The moment I saw her expression, every simulation in my head was wiped clean.
"Hah, I’ll do it! I’ll be your partner!"
Before I knew it, I was shouting in a panic.
If I refused, I had a feeling I’d never wake up from my nap.
"Then, nice to meet you."
Her smiling face looked like the grin of a demon.
That expression seemed to say, *You won’t escape me.*
Yu Siwoo thought to himself:
Looks like I won’t be sleeping anytime soon.