I’m a Villainess but So Popular

Episode 24

Translator : Missme Editor : Aru

beep-

A clear whistle sounded from outside the stadium, and the surroundings quickly calmed down.

“Yerine Spade victory, Astra Jacqueline defeats.”

As soon as the professor’s words were over, I rushed towards Astra, who was sitting outside the court line.

“Astra!”

At my call, Astra, who raised her head suddenly, smiled at me running.

“You don’t have to run like that.”

Arriving at Astra, I stretched out my right hand at her.

“Come on, let’s get up.”

“Thank you.”

Fortunately, when she was out of the court line, she didn’t fall that hard, so she looked relatively fine.

“By the way, Yerine is too strong. I can’t win.”

At Astra’s words, I shook my head and said,

“No, Astra was strong, too. I never thought of using body enhancement magic for defence, not attack.”

Then Astra burst into laughter and patted me on the back.

“Ah-ha-ha! You’re too serious for a matter like this.”

“Huh, yeah……? Ugh, wait, Ugh, Astra, it hurts–”

No, you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances. I don’t know how this kind of strength comes out of her soft body.

Is it because Jacqueline’s successor’s speciality is strengthening their body?

“Astra, Yerine!”

It was the voice of Rayl that saved me from the taste of Astra’s ‘friendship’ hugs.

“Oh, I guess they’re done, too.”

Rayl, Rachel, and Cassius were coming this way together.

As a result of the tournament up to the 2nd round, all successors were all in the 3rd rounds.

The third round didn’t end in one game. In some cases, there were people who had to play two games, and as a result, the final game at the 3rd round was played by me, Astra, and Casius and Eugene.

“Well… what happened there?”

Astra glanced at Cassius and asked him a question.

Casius, who came back from the game, was certainly more distant than yesterday. He might have already healed himself, but at least it seemed so to me.

“Ace won.”

Cassius answered in a curt manner.

I nodded when I heard the words.

“I guess he’s not bluffing. Seems like he’s strong enough to beat you.”

Then Cassius looked at me with yellow eyes and talked.

“You’re right. He has a different style from you, but he’s suffocating in a different sense. Anyway, he was a difficult opponent.”

I can’t believe he beat Cassius, who was pretty heavy.

The game the day after tomorrow must be worth watching.

“Then as expected, Yerine and Eugene will play in the 4th round.”

Rayl mumbled with his arms crossed.

“I know. Top two sure are different……”

Rachel also talked back.

In the end, it was nice that it was the way I wanted it but it seemed like Eugene’s voice, which had already been lit up and threatened, was automatically played in my ears.

“……I’m sure Eugene will say he’s going to win and be in the first place again, right?

When I spoke in a slightly weak voice, the other children began to look at me with sympathetic eyes.

“……just spill in, Yerine. Those words are like a morning greeting to him.”

Rayl consoled me with a pretty serious face. Then I sighed back at him.

“His morning greeting is so dynamic……”

“Well, I agree with that.”

said Rayl, scratching his head as if embarrassed.

“Hmm. Still, Yerine, just relax. I don’t think you need to pay so much attention to the outcome of the game because both of you are confirmed to be in S-Class anyway.”

Rachel talked, tapping her chin with her fingers.

Rachel was right about it.

The primary requirement of becoming Trump was being assigned to the S-Class in Academy Awards.

The top five players will be assigned to the S-class, by combining the performance of the test conducted before admission and the results of the tournament, so regardless of the outcome of the match, Eugene and I will be automatically assigned to the S-class.

“Is that so ……. But he keeps winning 1st place, so I think I should be 1st place too…..”

“That’s how scary brainwashing is.”

Cassius stepped in and murmured quietly.

So chattering about the game the day after tomorrow, all five of us went back to class together.

***

Now, since you both know the rules too well. Please be careful not to cheat, even by mistake.”

“Yes.”

Eugene and I stood with our hands together and answered.

The two of us were just stopping by Professor Frain’s private room to hear the message about the upcoming 4th round match the day after tomorrow.

“I hope you stay in shape before the game and try your best until the last game. You can do both, right?”

I nodded still, and Eugene answered with a slight raise of eyebrows.

“Of course.”

“And I don’t think that’s the case, but I want you to shake off your feelings of disappointment or hatred and compete in good faith. You’ll be competitors in tomorrow’s game, but you’ll end up together in the same class for a year.”

I have no intention of refuting Professor Frain’s words, but after hearing the last words, I felt somewhat dizzy.

“I was so happy that both of the 4th round match contestants came out of my class, so I’d like to thank Miss Spade and Sir Ace. It’s already great enough now, so don’t be nervous the day after tomorrow and just do it as usual.”

Prof. Frain said with a friendly smile.

For some reason, her smile made me want to play my best at the game.

“Well, that’s enough for today. You both can go back to class.”

Then Eugene and I greeted Prof. Frain and left her private room, taking steps into the dreary corridor.

And I knew Eugene would pick a fight with me as soon as Prof. Frain disappeared from sight.

“I say again, this time I will win, Spade.”

I deliberately stretched and yawned, pretending I couldn’t hear the words.

“Oh, no, I can’t hear you.”

“I know you can hear me. I’ll win the day after tomorrow’s game is what I said.”

Well, it was cute now.

“I’m never going to go easy to you. I’m not going to go out soft too. So show your best that day, too.”

Eugene spoke with a low voice.

“If I show my best that day, won’t you be at a disadvantage? Why would you say that?”

“Are you belittling that I won’t be able to stand against you?”

No, I asked you out of curiosity, you don’t have to show me your rotten expression.…..

“I’ll endure it, no, I’ll win. So, do not worry about useless things. Aren’t you the one who said I underestimate your skills when we haven’t competed?”

“No, I was just curious and you shouldn’t take it like that…….”

I walked down the hall, shaking my head.

Eugene then said with a slight frown, in his usual twisted voice, quite seriously.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, nothing. Don’t mind it.”

I decided to just let it go because it would only hurt my mouth even if I talk about it.

“The important thing is, show your best that day. Use the magic fire. If you don’t use them, I’ll attack you to an unbearable extent, so keep that in mind.”

“Oh, you’re very obsessed with magic fire. Do you like fireworks?”

“I’m not in the mood to joke with you, Spade. You’re going to get beaten up one day after you’ve been so relaxed like this.”

I was starting to feel bad from here.

I thought it was a pointless intervention.

“I’ll take care of my life. And that’s my way.”

I responded in my own way and walked out of the hall.

Anyway, I was just praising myself in my heart, but Eugene continued to talk as if he had more to say.

“You, I repeat, don’t listen to people’s words lightly.”

At that time, the words that I had thought in my mind jumped out of my mouth.

“Rather care about me, why don’t you mind your underlings?”

“Under…….what?”

After passing by him who had stopped in the middle of the hall because he couldn’t understand me, I turned around and said,

“Your followers. The kids that follow you. Just take care of them if you’re gonna talk to me.”

The words surprised Eugene’s blue eyes.

“What do you mean, Spade?”

As expected, the bullying of the Boylies gang seemed to be missed by Eugene’s eyes.

He doesn’t know that the people who are following him right now are the ones who will dump him right away if things change.

“Edwin Boyleis. You know him, right? I’ve seen some of your followers bullying a student in the backyard around him. And it wasn’t only bullying by words since he used violence too.”

Eugene, listening to my story, looked at me with blue eyes, wriggling his eyebrows as if he had never heard of it.

“Boyleis?”

“Yes, that guy.”

This way, that man will not be able to try to bully Erica against Eugene’s power.

Of course, it’s not Eugene who keeps tackling her, so it’s an impulsive remark.

“They say that the upper water needs to be clean so the lower water can be clean. Is it okay that you, the head, don’t even know what the people around you are doing?”

And turning around, I said, moving his steps in the opposite direction of the corridor.

“You’re the one who needs to take care of your people. So, don’t tell me what to do.”

I don’t know how Eugene looked when he heard that.

But what’s certain is that Eugene didn’t say anything while looking at my back leaving.

***

“Oh, Eugene-nim, you’re back!”

Boyleis approached Eugene’s side, trudging along with a business smile.

“It’s expected for Eugene-nim to win the 3rd round. Now, if you win the fourth round–”

Eugene, however, could not hear Boyleis’s words at all.

A few hours ago, the words were left by his rival.

The words that told him to take good care of the people around him.

‘Is it reliable……..’

Ever since he was a child, he’d been used to someone looking up to him.

He was so used to it that he didn’t even doubt it, and didn’t pay much attention to who his followers were.

For the first time now, however, Eugene was looking back at his followers around him and reflecting on what his relationship was like with them.

“Eugene-nim, is something wrong? Your face looks…….”

said Boyleis, looking at him with a worried look.

‘But…’

If he thinks of it as normal, it would be hard for him to believe what his rival says.

However, Eugene thinks that Yerine Spade is not a person to lie.

On the contrary, if she wanted to hit him with facts, she would have stabbed him, but she’s not a person who would play tricks on other people with lies.

“Eugene-nim, if anything happens–”

“Boyleis.”

Eugene turned and said, avoiding Boyle’s hand.

The strange voice, which had the power to press down on a person, silenced all his followers.

“I heard you’ve been doing useless things lately.”

At the words, Boyleis stammered and spoke in bewilderment.

“Me, me? What the–”

Then, Eugene noticed that Boyleis is hiding something from him.

Immediately frowned, he warned Boyle in a low voice.

“If such rumours come to my ears again, I’m not going to a standstill. Watch your behaviour from now on.”

At the end of his sentence, Eugene opened the door with his hands touching his forehead as if he were tired.

“Eu, Eugene-nim–”

Leaving Boyleis hanging, Eugene came out again.

The moonlit terrace covered by clouds was calm and desolate.

Eugene, who was still looking at the scene where the leaves were shaking in the cold night breeze, muttered, tearing his hair out with both hands.

“No……. I can’t waver…..”

With his bright blue eyes shut tight, Eugene stood in the wind for so long.

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