Chapter 4 : Chapter 4

In truth, graduation ceremonies are often not as romantic or emotional as they are portrayed in movies or dramas.

Especially if you're still a student after graduation, even more so.

In general, during graduation ceremonies, students often feel sad about separating as they head off to different schools, but that was never the case for the students of Hwayoung Academy.

From the beginning, there was no reason to envy the facilities of other schools when you were already attending this one.

It wasn't just the facilities.

The academic atmosphere, the surroundings, and the glamorous faculty all made it absurd to leave this school for another, as if saying, "I can no longer afford to stay here."

And that was something the students here, no, their parents' pride, could never allow.

That's why, at this relatively late graduation ceremony, most of the students sitting here didn't seem particularly excited.

Well, still, school is school, and the students and parents are people too.

Although there was little regret or sadness, feeling a sense of pride in graduating middle school or anticipation for high school was not completely absent.

The location may be nearly the same, but still, their status and uniforms will change.

Today was the last time they'd wear their middle school uniforms.

Thinking that way, it wasn't strange to see students gathering in small groups to take pictures.

…Though there wasn't a single person around me.

Luckily, the instructions I received before the graduation listed Ye Sara's class, and after the ceremony, I could head there.

After the homeroom teacher's rather ordinary speech, the students gathered to take pictures with their friends, but no one came up to me.

Hmm.

Wasn't it typical for a villainess to at least have two cronies by her side?

Like, causing trouble together since middle school… wasn't that the usual cliché?

"…"

Yet, among the students chattering near the teacher, no one approached me.

I was treated like a complete ghost.

Could it be that the only daughter of the number one conglomerate in the country was actually being bullied?

Well, it didn't bother me.

Even if someone did talk to me, it would only be awkward. I wouldn't know what to say to a student I didn't remember.

"…"

I sat there for a while, then finally stood up.

Staying any longer wouldn't benefit me.

I grabbed my diploma and left the classroom.

"Let's go."

I said to Yang Hye-in, who was waiting in a black coat at the back of the classroom.

"Yes, miss."

Yang Hye-in, seemingly aware of what I was thinking, just nodded and followed behind me.

As I opened the door with a screech, only then did some of the students in the classroom glance my way.

But when I looked back, they quickly averted their gazes.

Even if I asked why, I wouldn't get a proper answer.

I silently left the classroom.

The scene outside the classroom was much the same.

Students with their parents were busy taking pictures everywhere, chatting about where to go since the ceremony had ended early.

I should just go home.

"…"

Well, it would be a bit odd not to take a single picture at graduation, so I'll ask Yang Hye-in to take one in front of the school gate.

*

As I made my way through the crowd toward the school gate, no one had spoken to me yet.

At this point, I was starting to wonder—did Ye Sara really not have a single friend at this school?

…Or did they perhaps think she wouldn't inherit the Eugene Group?

With those thoughts in mind, I kept walking when—

"Ah, e-excuse me!"

Someone called out to me.

Before I could even turn to look, black suits appeared out of nowhere, forming a barrier between me and the student who called out.

"…"

Ah, now I understand why she didn't have friends.

If this happened every time someone tried to talk to her, no wonder she didn't have any.

"Could you step aside?"

I asked politely, but the response was ridiculous.

"We are acting to ensure your safety, miss."

"…"

…Are they doing this on purpose?

If Ye Sara made any friends at school, information about the family might leak.

For the stepmother, it was probably better if Ye Sara's social circle remained extremely narrow.

Considering how they kept her shut inside, they might have loathed Ye Sara herself.

Who knows? Maybe they even paid off her classmates or their parents to pretend she didn't exist.

It sounds absurd in real life, but this world is based on a ridiculous game full of dramatic plots, where even high schoolers were embroiled in life-and-death situations.

Nothing is surprising here.

I had no intention of becoming the villainess.

If I clashed with the heroine, I'd either end up dead or near-death, depending on which character the heroine aligned with.

But that rule only applies to the heroine.

It doesn't apply to nameless extras.

"Maid."

I gave up asking the bodyguards and called for Yang Hye-in. At my call, she stepped forward, hands politely folded at her waist, head slightly bowed.

"As far as I know, I hold the personnel authority at my estate."

"Yes, that's correct. You are the owner of the estate, miss."

"What's your name?"

At my question, the black-suited bodyguard who had been showing me his back flinched.

"I don't know what the chairwoman ordered you to do, but I doubt exchanging a few words with someone at my graduation will turn the world upside down."

I looked up at his stiff back and added.

"And even if some rich person's bodyguard were to disappear, I'm sure the world wouldn't change much either."

I could see a drop of sweat rolling down his neck.

After a brief silence, the wall blocking my way parted.

Good, that's more like it.

Keep scratching at people's patience, and that's how you become a villain.

I'm already on edge these days; I might actually fire them if this keeps up.

After giving the bodyguards a sweeping glance, I turned to the student who had tried to talk to me.

She seemed a bit shaken by the bodyguards, frozen stiff with her smartphone in hand, but her face was glowing.

…No, I don't mean she looked radiant or had a bright personality.

Her face was literally glowing.

Is that even physically possible?

Does this world have some kind of glowing face makeup…?

I pondered, then realized what was happening.

It must be my 'sixth sense' at work, showing me her glowing face.

I had no idea what it meant, though.

Blonde pigtails, big pretty eyes, and a slightly timid demeanor.

I think I know who she is.

If nothing else, the twin-tails are a hairstyle worn by a female character in If You Wish.

I don't remember her name, though.

What stuck with me was the streamer calling her 'human capybara.'

The viewers called her by that nickname too, instead of her actual name.

She was the 'information-gathering friend' type character commonly found in dating sims, knowing all the main characters' favorite foods, hobbies, and preferences, sharing them as tips throughout the game.

But she was also a romance target in this game.

Despite knowing everyone else's preferences, she rarely talked about her own, making her difficult to pursue… or so the wiki had said.

I'm not sure why she came up to me.

Maybe that capybara instinct kicked in again.

Perhaps she'd decided to befriend everyone before middle school ended.

It wouldn't hurt to get close to her.

She'd later become one of the heroine's closest allies, and she knew all the gossip around the school, which would make her a good source of information.

"What's up?"

I asked the girl, who still seemed a bit scared, and she blinked her eyes, snapping back to reality.

"Ah, um, er…"

Perhaps still wary from what had just happened, she kept glancing nervously at the bodyguards.

"Don't worry about them. If you've got something to say, just say it to me."

I said, hands in my coat pockets, and the girl swallowed nervously.

"T-th, the ph-photo…"

Photo…?

"Would you take a picture with me?"

Her voice cracked from tension.

Yeah, I figured as much.

"Photo?"

Still, this was the first time I was meeting her.

Ofcourse, suddenly asking to take a picture together felt odd.

Even if I had a guess why, it was more natural to pretend not to know.

"Y-yeah. I saw you a few times around school, and you always looked so cool… I thought it'd be nice to get a picture before we graduate…"

Her honesty almost made me laugh.

I see why people like her.

Well, I couldn't say for sure what Ye Sara's real personality had been like, but if she kept her mouth shut and did nothing, she did have the aura of a cold, beautiful girl.

Anyone would think she was an elegant young lady, so it wasn't surprising she had admirers.

As I held back a smile, the girl seemed to mistake my silence for something else and nervously fidgeted with her eyes.

"M-maybe it's a bit much to ask, right? I mean, asking someone I've never spoken to for a picture—"

"Sure."

"—would be a bit awkward…"

"I said sure."

As she reached her own conclusion, I stepped toward her.

The bodyguards flinched as I approached the other girl, but my earlier threat must have worked since they didn't block me this time.

"Where should we take it?"

Now standing right in front of her, I asked.

The girl responded with the same reaction I had when Hye-in caught me chanting a status screen command—"Ah, uh, um," she stammered.

While I was close, I glanced at her school uniform pocket.

With how much more developed that part of her body was, it wasn't surprising that her name tag looked more like it was perched on her chest than pinned.

Even the streamer had been conflicted about which heroine route to take.

Despite being drawn in a simple paint program, the character's proportions were clear.

The best graphics card is imagination, or so they say.

Her name tag read Lee Soo-ah. Right, I think that was her name.

I extended my hand to her.

"Your phone."

At my words, she quickly placed her smartphone in my hand, but then, realizing she hadn't unlocked it, she quickly took it back, unlocked it, and handed it over again.

Then, remembering she hadn't opened the camera app, she snatched it back once more to open the app before handing it to me.

Depending on the person, such fumbling could come across as annoying.

If it had been someone I disliked, I might've said something.

But somehow, her clumsiness came across as endearing—perhaps because of her sincerity or simply because she had a likeable face.

Maybe that's why she was so popular.

"All set?"

When I asked, her face flushed, and she nodded.

I passed the phone to Hye-in, who had been standing behind me.

"Oh, right."

Just before we posed for the picture, I turned to Lee Soo-ah and asked.

"So, where do you want to take it?"

She blushed again, bowing her head slightly.

"We can take it here. You can see the school well from here…"

She answered, twisting her body bashfully.

Anyone seeing this would think she was taking a picture with her crush.

In this world, people could date both men and women.

I remember hearing the streamer explain that it wasn't unusual for girls to date girls, or for boys to date boys.

Of course, given my fiancé is a man, I wasn't sure how 'normal' such relationships were considered.

"Well, alright."

I shrugged and stood beside Lee Soo-ah.

Naturally, I couldn't pose very comfortably.

I wasn't the type to take photos often, and I had certainly never taken a picture with a girl I had just met.

Lee Soo-ah seemed similarly awkward, despite being the one to ask for the photo.

She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, squirming, her face still blushing deeply.

"If you're ready, please look this way."

Hye-in, holding the phone, directed us.

"I'm taking it now. One, two, three."

Click, the smartphone's shutter went off.

Hye-in immediately handed the phone back to us.

I glanced at the photo on the screen.

Two people standing side by side, looking a bit stiff.

I had a slight smile, though it was almost expressionless, while Lee Soo-ah had bowed her head slightly, her face barely visible.

Even considering the fact she'd bowed, I seemed to be a bit taller than her.

Well, Ye Sara might've had a slim figure, but she wasn't short.

I returned the phone to her.

"How is it?"

"Y-yeah. It came out well…"

She replied, avoiding my eyes.

…Was I being too familiar for someone she'd just met?

I shrugged lightly.

"I thought I wouldn't get a single photo today, but thanks to you, I did. Thanks."

At my words, her face flushed an even deeper shade of red, as if she were about to explode.

"Well then…"

Hmm, how should I wrap this up?

I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged again.

There was no need to exchange contact information or anything.

We'd be seeing each other in high school anyway.

"I've got somewhere to be, so I'll head off first."

"O-oh, okay."

She nodded in response.

Though I had no plans, leaving without being rude was the best approach.

As I turned to leave, I heard her voice behind me.

"W-wait!"

When I turned back, Lee Soo-ah was looking at me.

"S-see you in high school!"

She shouted.

"Yeah."

I replied, turning back around.

My previously sour mood had improved a little.

Maybe it was because I'd chatted with a cute girl and taken a picture, but more likely, it was because I felt like I'd taken a step closer to avoiding becoming the villainess.

Walking a bit more lightly now, I caught Yang Hye-in staring at me like I was some strange creature.

*

Lee Soo-ah is of mixed race.

Her father is a Korean businessman, and her mother is an American model.

I heard they met while her father was doing business in the U.S.

Inheriting her mother's blonde hair and blue eyes, Lee Soo-ah was treated as an outsider both in America and Korea.

She faced discrimination for being Asian in the U.S. and for her hair and eye color in Korea.

But Lee Soo-ah tried to overcome it.

She spent a long time figuring out ways to deal with it and eventually found a solution.

What mattered most was having a lot of friends.

Bullying happens when the people who dislike you outnumber those who like you.

So, whenever a new school year started, Lee Soo-ah immediately sought out people to befriend.

She would go out of her way to chat with people, butter them up, and become friends, while also maintaining relationships with her previous friends.

To do so, she learned to use her appearance to her advantage.

Being a 'blonde mixed-race' student, rare in Korea, made her appealing to certain students who sought status through association.

By diligently building relationships, befriending as many classmates as possible, those who tried to bully her eventually disappeared.

If they targeted her, they'd only face backlash.

But maintaining that life was, to put it bluntly, exhausting.

Human relationships are fluid.

Sometimes friends fight, forcing you to choose sides.

Other times new students transfer in or out.

Managing all these relationships left her with no days off.

And on top of that, she had to maintain her grades, making her daily life hectic.

One day, after entering middle school, she encountered a certain girl.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say she 'saw' her.

They had never spoken.

It would be more appropriate to say she 'noticed' her.

"You'd better not get involved with her."

The other kids in the class all said that.

No one ever approached the girl with black hair and red eyes, with doll-like beauty.

"Why?"

When Lee Soo-ah asked, they pulled her away from the girl and, in hushed voices, explained.

"Her mom…"

"The Eugene Group's succession is really complicated…"

"You'll hear more soon…"

They gave many reasons, but none made much sense.

Still, Lee Soo-ah eventually had to agree that it was best not to talk to that girl.

"Staying away from Ye Sara of the Eugene Group would be wise."

One day, her father called her and told her this.

"…Why?"

Lee Soo-ah, still confused, asked her father.

"I'm sorry. I can't explain in detail. All I can tell you is that it's related to the Eugene Group. If we're not careful, we could get caught up in it too."

Her father made her promise several times, and in the end, she had no choice but to follow his words.

…No choice but to?

Was that really the right way to put it?

How could one excuse ignoring, ostracizing, and treating someone like they didn't exist?

That was a terrible crime.

Having experienced bullying herself as a child, she knew this all too well.

But in the end, she did as her father told her.

Because she didn't want to give up her current life.

Because she knew all too well what would happen if she became the 'minority' instead of the 'majority.'

During the one year she shared a class with Ye Sara, she constantly felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

She was at least a little relieved when they ended up in different classes the following year.

At least then, she could feel a bit less guilty for not directly contributing to Ye Sara's ostracism.

Even after they were in different classes, she saw Ye Sara from time to time.

Sometimes Ye Sara walked through the halls with a blank expression.

During joint P.E. classes, she would sit quietly on the sidelines.

Occasionally, when passing by her classroom, she'd spot her through the window.

And every time she saw her pretending to be unaffected, a pang of guilt gnawed at her.

Just because they weren't in the same class anymore didn't mean she couldn't speak to her.

If someone just reached out, maybe that girl would break through the ice she surrounded herself with and smile.

…But the idea of being that person was terrifying.

Two more years passed like that.

On the last day of middle school at Hwayoung Academy.

Lee Soo-ah, who had many friends, spent the day taking pictures with them.

Most of them would be attending the same high school, so it was important to make sure she left a good impression.

As she wandered around taking pictures, she spotted Ye Sara heading home.

Without even thinking, she found herself following her.

She didn't know why.

Maybe she just wanted to apologize for being swept along with the others for the past three years.

Apologize.

Now?

Even she found the idea ridiculous, yet she had abandoned taking pictures with her friends to follow her.

Surely, at the very least, she should say something.

"Ah, e-excuse me!"

And just before Ye Sara left through the gate, she finally managed to call out to her.

*

I want to apologize.

That was what she wanted to say, but the words didn't come out.

The way Ye Sara brushed off the bodyguards and spoke to her, despite them having never exchanged a word in the past three years, was too refreshing.

As if she didn't care about the past at all.

"Would you take a picture with me?"

In the end, all she could manage was a pathetic request.

…But Ye Sara agreed.

Again, as if nothing had happened.

And now, a photo sat on her phone.

A picture of two girls, with their school in the background.

One, Lee Soo-ah, shyly looking down, barely able to face the camera, and the other, Ye Sara, standing confidently, looking straight at the camera.

…In some ways, it was a highly symbolic photo.

One girl, with countless friends and a popular school life, yet endlessly shy.

And the other, treated as invisible by everyone, but standing tall, having overcome it all.

'This picture, I'll never delete it.

And when we enter high school, I'll be the first to speak to her.

I'll make the apology I couldn't make before.

For the next three years, I'll live regretting what I've done for the past three years.

Whether I'm part of the majority or the minority.

No matter what anyone says.

I want to become someone as confident as Ye Sara', Lee Soo-ah thought.