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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Gaze
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"Hoo, hoo..."
Dorothy was utterly flustered by the persistent gaze fixed on her.
What is it? What did I do wrong? Did I do something to offend Arte?
It was different from when she'd checked the lottery results.
Back then, her lips had been smiling, but her eyes were glaring daggers at her. Now, though, it was different.
That terrifying expression from before had vanished completely, and an unreadable gaze kept landing on her.
...What's wrong with that, you ask? Isn't it fine if she's not looking at me with a scary expression?
It's *more* terrifying precisely because her expression isn't scary.
Why? Why did she have that expression then? Why is she looking at me normally now?
What on earth could be the matter?
"...Dorothy. You seem to have been unable to focus for a while now."
"Ah, ah! I'm fine! I'm, I'm perfectly alright!"
"You don't seem alright."
There it was again, that gaze.
The gaze that had lingered on her throughout her practice with Siwoo.
She turned her head, and sure enough, Arte was watching her.
Now she thought she roughly understood what triggered Arte's gaze.
"D-don't come any closer."
"...Uh, Dorothy. I'm sorry, but that's not really an option. The exam is a team effort. Even if you dislike me, that can't be changed."
"No! It's not that I, I dislike you!"
Oh, oh no.
No matter how she thought about it, Arte's gaze was always directed at her when Siwoo approached her, or when she and Siwoo were close.
So, she had no choice but to keep her distance from him, and it seemed he'd gotten the idea that she disliked him.
"W-well. It's just that..."
"...I'm sorry, Dorothy."
"U-ughhh..."
W-what should I do?!
This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad!
It seemed Siwoo really thought she disliked him!
O-of course, it was her fault. She couldn't stand Arte's gaze, so she'd kept Siwoo a little distant.
To divert Arte's attention!
As if her theory was correct, Arte wasn't looking at her now either.
B-but... Is this really okay...?
But once Arte's gaze lifted, she started to feel increasingly wronged.
Thinking about it, this didn't seem right.
What wrong have I done to be shaking like this?
I haven't done anything wrong. I just teamed up with Siwoo as the teacher instructed, so why on earth am I subjected to this gaze?
It's not me who's wrong; it's Arte.
She steeled herself.
It would be disastrous to neglect practice out of fear of Arte and then mess up the exam.
...Alright.
"...Dorothy?"
"U-uh. It's nothing."
Slowly, slowly.
As she slowly approached Siwoo, Arte's gaze predictably followed.
"Eek..."
"Dorothy. You don't have to push yourself."
"Huh?!"
"I know, so you don't have to push yourself. What I said just now was a joke, so don't worry too much. I know you don't dislike me."
Her mind went blank.
...You knew? That Arte was watching like that?
But why are you so nonchalant about it?
"I wonder what she's looking at us for this time..."
"S-Siwoo. You knew?"
"Hm? ...Oh, you probably don't know. She does that a lot."
"A lot?!"
The casual way Siwoo said it left her speechless.
A lot? A *lot*?!
No, fine. Even if I concede a hundred steps and say 'a lot'... Ha. Watching someone often is stalking... No, never mind.
Even if I accept that he knew she did it often, what on earth was with this nonchalant attitude?
"I'll have to ask Amelia about it later. I'm sorry, Dorothy. This is because of me."
"U-uhm...?"
"Even if she looks like that, she's just watching, so don't worry and let's just focus on practice."
Her emotions were really all over the place today.
Fear from Arte's unreadable expression and intense gaze, bewilderment from Siwoo's ridiculous reaction.
At this point, she felt like nothing mattered anymore, so she turned her eyes to Arte.
Sure enough, she was watching them with an unreadable, faintly smiling expression.
And Siwoo knew about it but was just letting it slide...?
Both of them were out of their minds. Dorothy began to resent her teacher.
She should have just let me switch.
"Oh, that. That's love."
"...Huh?"
"Love. You don't know? When love runs deep, sometimes people get jealous. It's exactly that."
"Are you crazy?"
After school, once all classes were over.
For the first time in her life, Dorothy blurted out such harsh words in front of someone.
"If that's love, then heroes chasing villains must be lovers who can't live without each other!"
"No, that's different. Heroes chase villains because they have a purpose, right?"
Arte's partner, Amelia.
She'd heard Amelia was from a rich family, but she never imagined she'd be like *this*.
They say human madness is immeasurable, don't they?
A hollow laugh escaped her at the faint madness lurking behind Amelia's clear eyes.
They say empty vessels make the most sound, but do truly insane people all appear so normal on the outside?
"Arte is just looking at Yu Siwoo without any purpose. ...If that's not love, then what is it?"
"..."
"See? You're speechless, aren't you? I'm sorry. Arte is just a bit prone to jealousy. Please understand."
She didn't stay silent because she couldn't refute it, but because she was too dumbfounded to.
She wanted to say that, but Dorothy soon closed her mouth.
Because it seemed they wouldn't listen even if she told them that wasn't love.
One terrifying girl, whose thoughts were a mystery, stalking a male student.
One nonchalant male student who treated being stalked as completely normal.
And one girl who knew all about it and still spouted crazy talk about love.
When the teacher announced the exam would be in pairs, she'd thought she might make some friends.
Far from making friends, it felt like she'd gotten tangled up with people she absolutely shouldn't have.
A sudden downpour of despair began in Dorothy's heart.
They're all crazy.
***
"They're closer than I thought, aren't they?"
[Indeed. She seemed like a timid person. ...Well, getting closer can only be a good thing, right?!]
So carefree.
A sigh escaped her at the author's irresponsibility.
Still, just as the author said, there probably wouldn't be any real issues.
After all, given the nature of academy novels, they'd likely maintain a relationship that was more than friends but not quite lovers.
Even if they got a little closer now, it wouldn't make much difference.
"Ah, Author."
[Yes?]
"By any chance, have you decided who will win the heroine race?"
With a new heroine introduced, she wanted to know who Yu Siwoo would end up with.
A harem ending, as is typical for academy stories?
Or the currently dominant Amelia? Or the newly introduced Dorothy?
[It's a secret!]
"...Huh? No, you could at least tell *me* a little."
[You're a reader too, after all! I don't want to give away too much!]
"Haa..."
When the author was in this mood, no amount of persuasion would get through to her.
So, even if she wanted to know, she wouldn't be able to get it out of her.
Knowing who the main heroine will be would be meaningless anyway.
...Well, personally, I think it'll be Amelia.
Because there was only one heroine for too long.
Now, they even joke around like childhood friends who've known each other since they were little.
"Well, fine. Just be careful not to cause any major drama."
[Don't worry!]
As if I *couldn't* worry.
It's not like this is the first or second incident she's caused by herself.
She sighed, watching the two heroines and the protagonist chatting on a bench.
Tomorrow's the start of final exams, isn't it?
The protagonist needs to do well. She was starting to worry.
***
"...What did you say?"
"I said to back off the Arachne case, Investigator Lee Hayul."
"B-but...! There's a strong suspect!"
Hayul was taken aback. To be told to back off.
The Arachne case was handled solely by the staff under Lee Hayul's command.
If she were to drop it, there would be no way to catch Arachne moving forward.
And they told her to drop it?
"I appreciate your zeal, but orders have come down from the higher-ups. They said to stop now."
"What do you mean by that?! Arachne is a criminal!"
"Yes. A criminal. ...A criminal that the citizens truly love."
"Ugh..."
Her superior's words instantly brought to mind the public's reactions.
The sight of citizens rejoicing, saying 'Good riddance,' wondering if villains weren't human, meaning murder charges wouldn't apply, but rather illegal dumping.
"They seem to think that if Arachne is caught, approval ratings will fall."
"What?!"
"If a villain takes care of our troubles, why not just leave them be and reap the benefits? ...It seems the higher-ups have decided as much."
"Arachne is treated differently from other villains, you know. It's not like she's some kind of righteous outlaw from centuries ago."
Her superior smiled bitterly as he said that.
"She's also been quiet recently, and they've decided there's no need to worry even if a major incident occurs. So, back off."
"B-but...!"
"Oh, and they also said they wouldn't tolerate any overreach. If they see any hint of it, be prepared to be treated like a villain. ...Those were their words."
"...Ugh."
Damn it.
Was it because she'd caused too much trouble until now? She hadn't really minded being treated like a nuisance normally, but today, she hated her past self.
I should have behaved a little better...!
"I know how you feel, but that's the decision from above, so there's nothing we can do."
"...Yes. You're right."
"Care for a cigarette?"
"If you're offering, I'd be grateful."
She thanked her superior, who pulled a cigarette from his pocket and offered it, then lit one.
"Don't be too disheartened... Oh, she's already left."
In her superior's room, where he gave a wry smile, only thick smoke lingered.
Only a long plume of smoke stretching out the window.