The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 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 living in his body.

But even so... I couldn't just cut her off. Not like that.

Some lines, once crossed, couldn't be redrawn. And honestly, I wasn't ready to erase something that felt even a little real.

"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 so early? You do realize the semester hasn't even officially started, right?]

Yeah, I figured she'd ask that.

To be honest, I'd assumed we weren't on great terms—she hadn't called since the last time we talked. I thought maybe she didn't care anymore.

But clearly, that wasn't the case. She was worried.

That was... nice, in its own way.

"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 exactly the gym type before, but still.

"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 at home, recovering! Quit Velcrest Academy and come back—now! Don't be reckless with your body!]

I blinked.

Right. I remembered a few scenes about Rin Evans's family now.

After his death, his sister regretted a lot of things. There were hints that she'd wanted to patch things up with him, even if their relationship was rocky.

From what I could tell, her attitude had been the real problem between them. Not Rin's.

If Rin—who was essentially modeled after me—wanted to become a hero and his family stood in the way, I probably would've fought back just as hard.

Still... she was family.

Even if the people I met at the academy were part of this new world, I couldn't just brush off the ones who'd been there from the beginning.

"Big Sister..." I said softly.

But the words that followed caught in my throat.

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

[I don't care what anyone else says. I'm not letting this go. There was a terrorist attack there, wasn't there? I'm calling Dad. We're coming to get you, whether you like it or not.]

I sighed again.

This was going to be tougher than I thought.

"Sis, don't try to stop me. I'm not coming back—not until I say so. And it's not like you or Dad can force me, right? I'm going to become a hero. And when I do... I'll come back."

[...You...!]

She sounded completely taken aback. I guess she didn't expect me to say something like that.

"I realized something during that terrorist attack... Something important. I want to become a hero."

Please... just understand.

[You're... you're still holding onto that day...]

"Yes. You already know why I'm doing this, sis."

I hoped she was the kind of person who believed that sometimes, a lie was necessary—if it led to the right outcome.

[But still...! You can't! It's too dangerous!]

"It's not about whether I can or can't. It's about whether I will or won't."

[You little brat...!]

"I'm not going to die. I'll graduate, and I'll become a hero."

Because now that I had the chance... I was going to change the twisted stories of this messed-up world.

So that things like that wouldn't happen again.

Wait...

Things like that...?

What exactly was that?

It felt like I was standing on the edge of a memory—something important. Something I needed to remember.

[Hey.]

But before I could chase the thought any further, my sister's voice snapped me out of it.

[Don't be so stubborn. I sent you some money. Use it, okay? No part-time jobs. Got it?]

Money?

What money was she even talking about?

Ding!

Right then, my phone buzzed with a notification. I opened the message app out of habit, and my eyes widened.

She really had sent money.

A lot of it.

Way more than I could ever earn right now, no matter how many part-time jobs I worked.

"...Sis."

[I'm serious. No complaints.]

"No, it's not that. I just... I have something really important I want to say."

[What is it?]

"...I love you. So much, sis."

[...What?! Have you completely lost your mind?!]

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.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

[...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.