The Narrow-Eyed Villain of the Demon Academy

Luna.

I had inflicted an irreparable wound upon her.

I yearned for her forgiveness, but I knew I didn't deserve it.

And I hoped that moment would never come.

Luna didn't belong in Sytan.

She was too fragile.

Physically, and mentally, she lacked the resilience needed to survive here.

That's why I wished she would leave for good.

To a place without war… a tranquil place where she could live her own life.

Perhaps it was a strange kind of empathy for a character I hadn't even fully developed, or maybe it was guilt.

I knew it was paradoxical to feel guilty for someone I hadn't even written a story for, but it was the truth.

And yet, there she was, standing right before me.

What should I say?

Did I even have the right to utter a single word to her?

These thoughts, like a persistent fog, swirled in my mind.

“Hey, you idiot…”

Thump.

Perhaps noticing my dazed expression, Samuel jabbed me in the back with a blunt thorn from his desk.

I quickly composed myself, trying to maintain my composure as I looked at Luna.

She, however, avoided my gaze entirely.

“Luna! I know you had a fun vacation, but you can't be late on the first day back!”

“……I apologize.”

Swoosh.

Luna bowed deeply at Idea's words, her knees touching the ground in a display of remorse.

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant… I’m late too, I was just… embarrassed…”

Idea, flustered by Luna’s unexpected reaction, quickly helped her up.

As Luna rose, I noticed her eyes, though tinged with pink, seemed clouded over, almost ashen.

“…………”

“…………”

Neither Luna nor I spoke for a while.

I wanted to say something, anything, but the right words eluded me.

I had coldly dismissed her, inflicting more pain with my words.

And yet, there she was, standing before me.

Whatever change of heart had brought her back, one thing was clear: Luna was completely ignoring me.

Swoosh.

Without a word, Luna walked past me to an empty seat.

“Um… well…”

Samuel, at a loss for words, or perhaps just feeling sorry for me, let out a low groan.

It was Idea who broke the awkward silence, turning to Luna.

“My dear student, why such a fearsome expression? You look like a warrior prepared for death!”

…She looked nothing like a warrior.

Everyone seemed to agree, as silence met Idea's remark, the awkward atmosphere thickening.

“Class president! Please gather the students and lead them to the auditorium!”

Perhaps embarrassed by her own awkward attempt at consoling Luna, Idea hastily changed the subject.

Dong-.

Dong-.

As if on cue, the bell of Sytan rang, signaling the start of the new semester.

I stood up and addressed the class.

“Everyone, follow me.”

* * *

On the way to the auditorium, Fron walked beside me, her gaze constantly shifting towards Luna.

Luna walked alone, not mingling with anyone.

Fron, clearly bothered by her demeanor, kept pestering me with questions.

“Why is Luna acting so strange? Something must have happened that I’m not aware of.”

“…….”

“For a frivolous woman, your intuition is terrifyingly accurate.”

“What?!”

“……Please, both of you, calm down.”

I intervened, preventing the brewing argument between the two.

A sigh escaped my lips.

I was the one in the most turmoil, yet they were about to come to blows.

“So, tell me, what happened?”

Fron, her anger quelled, looked back and forth between Luna and me.

A quick glance at Samuel revealed a conflicted expression.

He seemed hesitant to divulge the details of what happened between Luna and me.

It was a personal matter, after all.

He may have been annoying at times, but he knew when to be discreet.

“This imbecile rejected Luna's confession.”

“……?”

…He just had to blurt it out, didn't he?

I was speechless, my eyes fixed on Samuel in disbelief.

Undeterred, Samuel continued to spill the beans,

“And now he regrets it.”

“What a fool.”

“I concur.”

I didn't recall ever expressing regret.

And yet, there he was, shamelessly fabricating stories.

The saying 'nothing is more entertaining than other people's love lives' rang truer than ever.

Fron, after listening intently to Samuel's account, tilted her head and looked at me.

“Why did you reject her? I knew Luna had feelings for you. Honestly, she deserves better.”

“I concur.”

“You can stay quiet.”

I pressed down on Samuel's head, momentarily entertaining the thought of stunting his already limited height.

At that moment—

Thump, thump.

“Luna, it’s good to see you.”

Fron approached Luna.

My mind filled with question marks.

She had just heard everything, and yet, she was approaching Luna?

Ignoring my bewildered expression, Fron boldly took Luna’s left hand in hers.

“Come with me.”

“…….”

Twitch.

Luna’s lips twitched at Fron’s touch.

It was as if she was trying to suppress a smile, her mouth trembling slightly.

And then—

Tickle.

“Ah…!”

Fron tickled Luna’s hand, causing her to burst into laughter.

I stared at them, dumbfounded.

It was Luna.

The Luna I knew, her face radiant with genuine laughter.

“……!”

As if realizing what she had done, Luna quickly tried to compose herself.

But it was too late.

“You smiled.”

“……I couldn’t help it!”

Fron, her eyebrows raised playfully, grinned at Luna, who in turn, blushed and shouted back.

“Hmph, you can’t resist my charm!”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying…”

Luna sighed, her cheeks still flushed, as Fron reveled in her victory.

Fron’s unique aura and playful antics had broken through Luna’s walls.

As I observed them, my gaze met Luna’s for a fleeting moment.

“Gulp.”

“Gulp.”

I must have imagined it.

Luna, too, seemed to have heard nothing.

We stared at each other, neither of us speaking.

Then, Luna’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, and she quickly averted her gaze.

“I’m going ahead.”

“Wait, let’s go together.”

“D-Don’t follow me…!”

Luna, like a startled animal, darted away.

“Get back here!”

Fron ran after Luna, determined to keep her close.

Idea had instructed us to gather in the auditorium, and there they were, running off on their own.

“Should we go after them?”

“Let them be. As if you’d want to spend a single moment with someone like her.”

Samuel scoffed at my question.

What was that supposed to mean?

I had to admit, his words stung a little.

In any case—

We finally reached the auditorium.

Luna was already there, still avoiding my gaze.

I, too, hadn't figured out what to say to her, so I decided to leave it for now.

As I stood among the students of Class 1, waiting for the ceremony to begin—

Thud.

The doors of the auditorium slammed shut, plunging the room into darkness.

It was as if a thick curtain had fallen, obscuring everything from view.

As I tried to make sense of the situation, a loud clang echoed from the stage, followed by a blinding light.

I turned to see Headmaster Luzian standing on the podium, a wide grin on her face.

She hadn’t grown an inch.

She still looked like the little girl I had seen before the break.

“Greetings, everyone! I trust you all had a restful break? You all look well-rested.”

Some students nodded in agreement, while others gulped nervously.

One student even had the audacity to shout, “Headmaster, you look beautiful!”

I couldn’t fathom what went on in their minds, but before I could dwell on it, Headmaster Luzian began her opening address.

“As you all know, much has transpired. This past break must have been a time for introspection and self-reflection.”

“However, you have yet to achieve anything. Humans continue to encroach upon our land, their greed knows no bounds. Their hooves will one day trample all that we hold dear. Remember, your growth is intrinsically linked to the survival of the Demon Realm.”

“We will be victorious. For our families, our friends, our neighbors who were sacrificed at the hands of humans. We cannot afford to lose. This semester will be more challenging than the last. If you are afraid, you are free to leave. Is there anyone who wishes to do so?”

Not a single student raised their hand at Luzian’s question.

The once relaxed atmosphere had become heavy with determination.

The students, their eyes burning with hatred for humans, were ready for anything.

As the Headmaster continued her speech, she dropped a bombshell that I never saw coming.

“Recently, the head of the Bares family was killed by the Sword Saint.”

In that instant, the air in the auditorium crackled with tension.

Murmurs erupted among the students.

- The head of the Bares family is dead?

- No way.

Most of the students found it hard to believe.

The arrogant Crete.

Everyone knew he was one of the strongest beings in the Demon Realm.

How could they accept the fact that he had been killed by the Sword Saint?

But it wasn't their reaction that shocked me the most.

‘The Headmaster knows about it.’

There was no way she could have received the diary entry I had written about it yet. I had just given it to Idea, so she couldn't have known either.

And yet, the Headmaster was aware of Crete's death.

‘Human spies within the human realm.’

They must have informed the Headmaster about the war between the Bares and Nina families.

Just how deeply had they infiltrated the human world?

As I tried to process this new information—

“The Sword Saint is also dead.”

The Headmaster dropped another bombshell, leaving me utterly speechless.

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