The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character
Chapter 34 - 34: Complicated Family

Thankfully, I didn't get stabbed in my sleep and was still alive to see the morning sun.

Small victories.

The first thing I did after waking up was quietly slip out of the dorm room.

Leona—or rather, Leon—was still fast asleep, and I wasn't about to be the guy who woke up a cross-dressing sword prodigy just because I couldn't sit still.

So I tiptoed out and headed toward the one place I dreaded more than death itself.

The gym.

...But today was different.

I was different.

Yesterday, I could barely lift a 1kg dumbbell without feeling like my arms were going to fall off.

But now? It felt like I was lifting featherweights—no joke, the 1kg dumbbells felt like they were 250 grams.

It was euphoric.

I was on top of the world.

"Two hundred thousand and ninety-six!"

...Okay, so maybe I exaggerated that number a tiny bit. But it's all about mindset, right?

Ring ring~

Just as I was getting into my groove, my phone rang—blaring that cringy default ringtone I really needed to change.

With a sigh, I checked the caller ID.

[Hey.]

The voice on the other end was familiar. Surprisingly familiar.

And considering I had virtually no friends in this world, that voice was borderline precious.

"Yeah," I replied, slightly more relaxed.

[You're not asking who I am this time?]

"No need."

It was my older sister.

Well, Rin Evans's older sister—but still.

We didn't have any real shared memories.

Our bond only existed because I was inherited his body… and along with it, his contact list, his history, and his awkward family relationships.

But still—something about her voice felt grounding.

Maybe it was the way she spoke—calm, assertive, a little sarcastic around the edges—or maybe it was the fact that she was the only one who didn't treat me like I was disposable.

[Huh. I thought you'd forget me after running off to the academy without saying goodbye.]

"I didn't forget you," I said, moving to sit on the nearest bench press. "Just… had a lot going on."

[You mean you were too chicken to say bye.]

"...Maybe."

She let out a small laugh, and for a second, I forgot I was in a fantasy world with sword-wielding nobles and cross-dressing girls.

[Rin, seriously. How are you holding up?]

That question caught me off guard.

I hesitated.

How was I holding up?

Between waking up in a new body, dodging narrative death flags, and tiptoeing around Leona Harper, I hadn't really taken a second to breathe.

"...Fine," I lied.

[You're lying.]

"Yup."

I said in cheerful voice but other side was very serious.

It's seems like cat is already out of bag, No need to pretend now.

I sighed and continue.

"Look I'm fine and also, Sorry about last time. I was feeling a little out of it after coming out of the dungeon."

It wasn't a lie.

I'd been coughing up blood, ended up in the hospital for two days, and was dizzy as hell. That wasn't something you bounce back from easily.

So no, I wasn't lying.

Maybe the half-hearted excuse worked, because for a moment, there was silence on the other end of the call.

Then came her voice.

[Well, fine. Just don't go cutting ties with the family, alright? But seriously, what are you doing? Why didn't you come home after getting discharged? And why the hell did you move into the dorms without telling anyone?]

She wasn't yelling, not really. But her tone had that edge—tight, low, and laced with concern disguised as annoyance. The kind of voice you use when you're holding back a hundred emotions and trying to make sense of just one.

I leaned forward, elbows on knees, the cool metal of the barbell brushing against my back.

"…I had to," I said quietly.

[Had to? Rin, are you in some kind of trouble?]

Yes.

Absolutely.

I was neck-deep in a plot that might get me killed by chapter thirty if I wasn't careful. But saying that out loud felt… dumb. I couldn't exactly drop, "Hey sis, I transmigrated into a novel, and now I live with a sword-wielding noble girl disguised as a boy." Not unless I wanted her to call the psych ward.

So instead, I took a breath and chose my words carefully.

"I just… needed space. A fresh start."

[From us?]

I couldn't answer her. I can't just casually say things that I don't have any information about on.

I guess sensing my hesitation she decided to change the subject.

[Anyway where are you at the moment?]

"At the moment? Well, I thought I'd move in early and get a head start. Do a little training. Right now, I'm actually at the gym, Sister."

[…Sister?]

Ah. Crap.

That slipped out.

I called her "Sister" without thinking—Rin's memories were fuzzy about what he normally called her.

[It's been a while since you called me that…]

Her voice trailed off, suspicious.

[Anyway, what are you talking about? Training? At the gym? Are you seriously trying to tell me you're working out? Don't joke around. Be honest.]

I wasn't joking.

I was, in fact, lifting weights.

...Even if they were just 1-kilogram dumbbells.

"It's true."

There was a pause.

Then her voice came back—shaky, almost horrified.

[Are… are you out of your mind?]

"What?"

Was it really that shocking? Can't a guy decide to work out for once in his life?

…Okay, maybe Rin wasn't the best person to judge. But still, her reaction was a bit much.

[You, working out? Since when do you care about that? What happened to your "I'll just be a couch potato for the rest of my life" attitude?]

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. She wasn't wrong. Back in Rin's old life, he'd never been the type to care about physical fitness. He'd preferred reading books, and anything else that didn't require moving more than his fingers.

"I don't know. Something about this place… it's got me feeling like I need to be stronger. For some reason."

[Right. Because a few dumbbells are going to save you from whatever mess you're in. Come on, Rin. What's really going on?]

"Seriously. I'm just doing some light training."

[Don't tell me you're possessed or something.]

Crap. That almost gave me a heart attack.

Seriously, women's intuition was terrifying sometimes.

I needed to start choosing my words more carefully whenever we talked.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I stared down at the tiny dumbbells in my hands.

This was going to be a long call.

"First off, I'm not possessed," I said, trying to sound casual.

That was a lie… but whatever.

"And second… I've decided to become a hero. That's why I've been working hard lately, Sis."

There. That should do it.

I'd read countless scenes like this in novels. The underdog sibling says something noble, the older sister gets teary-eyed and ends up supporting him.

Textbook stuff.

[…Have you completely lost it?]

Wait, what?

That was not the reaction I was expecting.

[You should be home resting! Quit Velcrest Academy and come back—immediately! Don't be reckless with your health!"]

I blinked slowly.

Right. I remembered now—bits and pieces of Rin Evans's family situation were starting to come back to me.

After his death, his sister had been filled with regret. There had been subtle clues in the story that she'd wanted to make amends, even if their relationship was strained.

From what I could tell, the tension between them hadn't been Rin's fault. It had been hers.

If Rin—who, let's face it, was more or less a version of me—wanted to become a hero and his family stood in the way, he would've resisted with everything he had.

Still… family was family.

Even if I had formed bonds in this new world, I couldn't just ignore the ones who had been there from the beginning.

"Big sister…" I murmured.

But I couldn't finish the sentence.

Because the truth was—I wasn't really Rin Evans.

["I don't care what excuses you make. I'm not dropping this. There was a terrorist attack, wasn't there? I'm calling Dad. Whether you want us to or not, we're coming to get you."]

Her voice was sharp, filled with fear that she tried to hide behind anger. For a second, I didn't know what to say. She didn't know the half of what I was going through. There was too much—too many secrets, too much danger. I couldn't tell her. She wouldn't believe me.

But at least now I knew this: she did care. Even if she didn't know how to show it properly.

"I understand," I said, swallowing the emotion building in my throat. "And… thank you. But I can't leave right now. There's something I need to do. I have to stay."

["What are you even saying? This isn't some fantasy novel, Rin! This is real life—you're injured! You're not some untouchable superhero!"]

I wished I could just tell her everything. That I wasn't her brother, not exactly. That I'd been thrown into a story I hadn't written, struggling to survive each day. But that wasn't something she could accept—not now.

"I know I'm not invincible," I said quietly. "But I still have to try. I can't go back to who I was before."

Silence hung in the air. Then—

["…You're really serious about this, aren't you? About becoming a hero."]

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Yeah. I am."

["But Rin… it's too dangerous!"]

"It's not about being able to or not. It's about whether I choose to or not."

["Ugh! You stubborn brat…!"]

"I'm not going to die. I'll make it through. I will graduate. And I will become a hero."

Because now that I had this chance… I had to fix the broken parts of this world.

So that tragedies like that didn't happen again.

…Wait.

That?

What was I remembering?

It felt like something just out of reach. Something important. A memory trying to resurface.

["Hey."]

Her voice cut in, snapping me out of the haze.

["Don't push yourself too far. I transferred some money to your account. Use it. No more part-time jobs, okay?"]

"Wait… money?"

What was she even talking about?

Ding!

Right on cue, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the notification.

My eyes widened.

She'd actually sent it.

A huge amount. Way more than I could've earned juggling any number of side jobs.

"…Sis."

["No arguing. Just use it."]

"No, I'm not arguing. It's just…" I hesitated. "There's something I really need to say."

["What now?"]

"…I love you. I really, really do."

[…"W-What?! Have you completely lost it or something?!"]

Her voice on the other end was full of disbelief.

[Don't say weird things out of nowhere! What's wrong with you?!]

"I'm just being honest."

[Ugh… seriously, now you're making me feel weird.]

I laughed softly, the tension in my chest easing just a little.

"Still… thanks, sis. Really. For the money. For calling. For… worrying."

[...Tch.]

She didn't say anything for a moment, and I could hear her take a breath.

[Just don't get hurt. Don't do anything reckless. If you're gonna act all heroic, then do it right.]

"I will."

[And… you have to call me at least once a week, got it? I don't care how busy you are. If you forget, I'll come down there myself and drag you back home.]

"Yeah, yeah. I'll call."

[Every week.]

"Yes, every week."

[Good.]

There was another short pause. This time, her voice came softer.

[...Take care, okay?]

"I will, sis."

We ended the call, and I stared at the screen for a while. My reflection in the black screen looked more determined than I expected.

----

Thank you for reading the chapter. I hope you continue to do read more in future.

It's my first novel so if there's any kind of mistakes you find in the novel related to grammar please tell me and I'll edit it as soon as possible.

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