The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character
Chapter 139: Blackmail [1]

There was a short pause before she added, more quietly,

"And things will get rough. Maybe not this week, or next month… but Velcrest doesn't produce average people. You're all here because you're capable of more. So we will push you toward it—whether you like it or not."

The room went quiet. No one laughed this time.

Then she smiled again, lightening the mood.

"So! Orientation Week starts today after classes. Club booths will be open in the central courtyard. You're free to visit as many as you want, you can even join as many clubs you want but remember if your academic performance dropped, that's all onto you."

She straightened and glanced around the room one last time.

"If you're not sure where you belong, that's okay. Talk to people. Watch the demonstrations. Think about where you want to grow—not just what looks cool. A strong club match can shape your entire trajectory at Velcrest."

Then her gaze briefly flicked toward me. It was only for a second—but I felt it.

"And remember," she added softly, "sometimes the right choice isn't about what others want for you… but what you want for yourself."

I swallowed hard.

Yeah. I got the message.

Homeroom ended not long after that.

Professor Lena gave a few final reminders, then dismissed us with a smile and a warning not to rush to the booths like wild animals. Some students immediately bolted out the door anyway.

I stood up, grabbing my bag and stretching a little.

Just as I was about to head to my first class, the faint buzz of my phone startled me.

Bzzzt.

"…Huh?"

That thing barely ever went off. I fished it out of my pocket and blinked.

A message from an unknown number. No contact name.

Great. Just what I needed.

I was about to swipe it away when I noticed the attachment—and the message that came with it.

> [If you don't want this picture to spread, come alone to the designated location during lunch break.]

For a second, I just stared at the screen.

Seriously?

I tapped on the image, and my stomach twisted with both disbelief and pure irritation.

It was a photo—clear, high quality—of me and Leona entering a movie theater. From last weekend, when we'd "accidentally" run into each other and decided to watch a film together.

And yes, at one point… she had linked arms with me. For like, three seconds.

The angle was just unfortunate enough to make it look like we were way more comfortable than we actually were.

"…Who the hell takes pictures like this?" I muttered under my breath.

Also, let's be real. Leona, who was still in her "undercover boy" mode at the time, looked very much like a guy in the photo. But… her profile—slight, soft features, long lashes, the kind of subtle androgyny that made people second-guess—definitely leaned more feminine when captured like this.

To anyone who squinted hard enough, the photo had just enough ambiguity to spark rumors.

Ugh.

I wanted to be the bigger person. Just ignore it. Block the number. Pretend I never saw it.

But I couldn't.

Leona might be pretending to be someone else, but this wasn't just about me. If this got out… even a hint of scandal could mess things up for her.

Sighing, I replied with a simple:

> [Got it. I'll be there.]

My thumb hovered over the screen for a second before locking the phone.

Whoever this was—they had nerve. But now I was curious. Who went through the trouble of following us, taking a picture, and sending something this dramatic?

And more importantly…

Why?

----

The rest of the day passed… painfully slow.

I kept checking the clock. First class. Second. Lunch break. Training period.

And finally—finally—Velcrest Academy's final bell rang, echoing through the halls like a starting pistol.

I headed to the cafeteria.

Most students had already cleared out by then, either heading home, to their dorms, or swarming the club booths outside. The cafeteria had quieted into that strange in-between state—no longer busy, but not completely empty either.

I walked in, eyes scanning the room.

There.

A girl sat alone at a back table, a drink in her hands and a second chair pushed out across from her—as if she'd reserved it just for me.

She noticed me instantly. No phone checking, no pretending. Her gaze locked onto mine like she'd been waiting for this moment all day.

She… was someone I knew.

Or more like—someone I'd met once before. Briefly. Enough to remember the name but not enough to care.

"Rin," she greeted smoothly, nodding to the empty chair across from her. "Glad you showed up. I had a feeling you would."

Aria Collins. Right?

I didn't sit. Not right away.

Instead, I crossed my arms and stared at her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She blinked, clearly unbothered. "Whoa. That tone's a bit harsh. Are you mad?"

Was I mad?

"Yes," I said flatly. "You sent me a blackmail threat."

She tilted her head like I was the unreasonable one. "Technically, I sent a message. With a picture. And a request. You came, didn't you?"

I exhaled slowly through my nose. In all honesty, I didn't want to come.

If I were being logical, I would've blocked her number, deleted the message, and moved on with my life.

But logic flew out the window the moment I saw that picture.

Leona and I, entering a movie theater. Arms linked. Just for a moment. Three seconds, tops.

And yet somehow, someone had snapped it with perfect timing. From the right angle, we looked like a couple sneaking out on a date.

In any normal world, I'd laugh it off.

But this wasn't a normal world.

This was Velcrest Academy. A school filled with high-tech surveillance, mana sensors, nobles, and bored rich kids who loved a good scandal.

If that picture spread... someone might investigate. What if they realized that Leona—who'd been posing as a boy since day one—was actually a girl?

That would be catastrophic.

Even if her secret wasn't exposed, rumors would start. Nasty ones.

"Is Rin Evans gay?"

"Is Leon Harper into boys? Or girls?"

"Third-ranked Leon Harper seen sneaking around with a lower-ranked student?"

It was bad enough that I already drew too much attention just for existing. This would make it worse.