The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: About damn time!

“WHAT?!” Shelly shouted, her voice laced with shock.

“You… don’t know?” I asked, my confusion deepening.

“No… I don’t,” she replied, frowning.

This is strange.

How could she not know I was her new roommate? Even Lucas knew about it. That doesn’t make any sense.

“Didn’t you receive any messages?” I pressed, watching as her brows furrowed in thought.

“Well… there was this one time a letter was sent to me,” she admitted after a moment of silence.

“A letter?” I echoed, my skepticism growing.

“Yes.” She nodded.

Why would the school send her a letter when the message could just be forwarded to her MetaWatch?

“So, what? You didn’t read it?” I asked. Her expression turned sheepish as she nodded again.

“Well, the letter wasn’t given directly to me. It was handed to him to pass on instead.”

“…Which he didn’t,” I finished, and she nodded once more.

Tsk.

Plot holes—always abundant when the main character is involved. Why send her a physical letter instead of a digital notification like the one I received? Unless…

Wait.

Could that conniving bastard of a vice principal have planned all of this?

“Who gave him the letter?” I asked, my tone sharper now.

She tilted her head, gazing upward as if recalling the details. “It was Miss Melina. She said it was from the vice principal and meant for me.”

Alright, let me piece this together.

First, I get assigned to the very room where Lucas’s childhood friend—her—is staying. Then a letter, supposedly meant for Shelly, gets handed over to Lucas instead. If the message was really intended for her, why not give it directly? It’s obvious they wanted him to read its contents.

“So… he didn’t tell you what it was about?” I probed further.

She shook her head. “No. I even tried asking him because I was panicking. It’s not every day the school authorities send you a personal letter, you know? But he wouldn’t budge. He said it was a mistake and that I didn’t need to worry. He said he’d handle it.”

Her frown deepened as she seemed to piece things together herself.

I see.

Now that I think about it, the day Lucas challenged me, Shelly wasn’t around. Could he have deliberately waited for her to leave before confronting me?

Hmm.

It actually makes sense. Considering her gentle nature, Lucas probably guessed she’d accept the room change without much fuss. But Lucas? Knowing his personality and the rumors surrounding me, there’s no way he would’ve been as accommodating.

Interesting.

So our boy Lucas is a little overprotective of his childhood friend. But… was he this attentive to her in the novel? I don’t remember him being this way.

Unless… could there be some butterfly effect at play here?

I… honestly don’t know.

Wait.

What if I’m looking at this all wrong? What if the challenge wasn’t just Lucas acting on his own?

What if… the challenge was a trap?

What if Lucas was made to challenge me?

In exchange, he gets to swap rooms and protect his childhood sweetheart?

Hm. That actually makes sense.

If I had accepted the duel, there would have been terms involved—stakes. It’s possible that the vice principal, that bastard, had his eyes on those stakes all along. Maybe he wanted to corner me somehow, though I can’t quite figure out what terms he could have imposed to accomplish that.

“Then…” Shelly suddenly sprang up, grabbing my hands with surprising enthusiasm. “We’ll be roommates until we graduate!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I couldn’t help but pity Lucas, who had been trying so desperately to ‘save’ her. If he saw her acting this chummy with me, he might actually lose it.

Hm.

Maybe I should do it in front of him.

‘Sigh. Just don’t get yourself killed,’ chimed Nelia.

‘So, you’ve decided to talk again?’ I asked dryly.

‘…,’ she responded with nothing but silence.

It seems she’s still angry. Though for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.

‘FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU, RYAN!’ she suddenly burst out, her curses echoing in my head.

Anyway, putting aside the cursing Nelia for now, Shelly and I were seated on the rooftop, chatting, as Elena and Leon had taken the risk of surveying the lower floors to check if any vampires were still lurking about.

It was now 2 PM, and the sun had started its slow descent. If those bastards didn’t agree to my terms soon, I might just grab Shelly and escape alone.

“I don’t think so. Permanent roommates are only assigned after the grading exams,” I said.

Shelly frowned but nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Anyway, since we’ll be roommates for now, let me make this clear—I can’t cook those fancy or foreign dishes you might be used to. Don’t get your hopes up,” she said, rubbing her nose with a finger, wearing an oddly smug expression.

“Who asked you to cook? I’d rather not die young,” I retorted, turning toward the door as I heard faint footsteps approaching.

“W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, JERK?!” she shouted, landing a punch on my side that nearly took me out.

Damn this weak body!

“A-ah, sorry!” she panicked, her expression shifting as she saw me clutching my ribs. She quickly grabbed me, resting my upper body on her lap before beginning to chant a healing spell.

Hm. Somehow, this feels worth the pain.

I looked up at her face, studying it closely. Stunning. Her beauty didn’t fade no matter how many times I saw her. She was on the same level as Selena—or maybe, just maybe, a tiny bit cuter.

No. They were the same, especially when Selena went into her ‘docile’ mode.

“Why are you smiling? Don’t tell me you tricked me,” Shelly said, her voice tinged with suspicion. For the first time, I saw her narrow her eyes at me.

She looked completely different.

“Boop,” I said, tapping her nose playfully.

‘WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT?’ Nelia’s voice rang in my head again, clearly trying to ruin my peace.

Sigh.

“I… I just feel like this might be the last time I can truly be myself,” I replied, my eyes drifting shut as I felt the wind on my face. “All these masks… they make you feel lonely sometimes.”

I ignored whatever Nelia had to add next and simply let myself enjoy the fleeting peace.

Selena.

I really don’t want to see her again.

Not because I hate her.

No.

It’s because I…

Sigh.

I don’t want to fall for her.

But I can already feel it.

It’s just like with Renay.

I kept denying it, but one day, I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

She took advantage of that, and with time, I couldn’t resist.

I began wanting her.

The same way I’m now wanting Selena.

But…

I’m afraid.

Not because I don’t want to be heartbroken or anything.

No.

It’s because it always ends one way.

Me losing the one thing I want the most.

It’s not the first time.

Not the second.

Not the third.

But I don’t want a fifth.

I don’t want to feel that guilt anymore.

‘Stop it.’

‘What?’

‘Stop thinking you’re alone, you idiot! I wish I could just come in there and slap some sense into you!’

‘Hehe,’ I smiled.

Yeah.

Sorry about that.

You’re always with me.

‘I am, so stop thinking you’re alone. I hate that.’

‘Alright, my bad.’

BAM!

I looked to the side and found a horrified Leon and a pale-looking Elena.

“We… agree. Just get us the fuck out of this place!” Elena said through ragged breaths.

About damn time!