How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 33. Field Trip (Illustration by Carla Arlen)

‘As I thought, I was right.’

Yoon Yu-na’s eyes sparkled with joy.

At last, she had confirmed the truth through Kim Do-jin’s own words.

Yet, her curiosity remained unquenched.

Why had Kim Do-jin concealed his true abilities and pretended to be a fool? And why had he not boasted about saving her?

Without hesitation, she asked for the reason, only to be met with a look of bewilderment from Kim Do-jin.

“Why should I boast?”

His words left Yoon Yu-na feeling flustered.

Hadn’t he confessed to liking her?

If so, wouldn’t it be natural to seek her favor by boasting?

“…….”

For a moment, Yoon Yu-na was at a loss for words, staring blankly before attempting another question.

“Then what was the reason for hiding your skills and pretending to be a fool?”

“…I understand, but my family situation is different from that of ordinary people. The siblings I have are all half-brothers, and in truth, they are nothing more than rivals competing for a vast inheritance of wealth and power.”

Had he deliberately hidden his claws to avoid scrutiny, only to reveal them now?

It was not an unreasonable thought.

“…….”

—

Yun Yuna gazed at Kim Dojin with a look that seemed to question everything, her lips nervously chewing as she asked again.

“So, then… was everything you said about liking me just an act related to that?”

Kim Dojin was momentarily taken aback, but he masked it, pondering for a moment before responding.

“Yes, that’s right. If it upset you, I apologize.”

In that moment, Kim Dojin thought to sever their ties completely.

All the reckless behavior, all the declarations of affection towards Yun Yuna—merely a performance.

Yet… Yun Yuna found it hard to accept those words.

‘Was all of that just an act?’

No matter how she thought about it, his past actions had never seemed like mere pretense, and she questioned whether there was even a need to act as if he liked her in the first place.

But what could she say to someone who claimed such a thing?

“Ugh…”

As Yun Yuna felt a surge of anger but couldn’t find the right words, biting her lip in frustration, it was then that—

“Hey, long time no see!”

From the nearby hill, suddenly, Dokgo Su appeared.

He had just returned after switching places with Nasca and Renya, who had gone to the fourth occupied territory.

“Huh?”

Dokgo Su had hurried over, expecting Yun Yuna to be in trouble, but upon seeing Kim Dojin in a state of defeat, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Kim Dojin lost?”

Though he looked at Kim Dojin in disbelief, he didn’t forget to plant the flag, and after a brief moment—

– Beep!

The test for this conquest had finally come to an end.

As everyone had anticipated, the results showed the victory of the teams led by Lee Jinryul, Yun Yuna, Dokgo Su, Nasca and Renya, and Rahim Rashid.

* * *

With fierce tests every week, it was easy to forget, but ‘Arc’ was fundamentally a high school.

For the sake of the mental health of students still in their teens, it was said that there should be at least one field trip or excursion each quarter.

The reason for this sudden mention? Naturally, today was the day for the excursion.

Buzzing.

Unlike any other day, as they stepped out of the dormitory towards the central plaza, they were met with a throng of students gathered in excitement.

It seemed to be the first outdoor activity since entering ‘Arc,’ and the atmosphere was charged with anticipation.

Kim Dojin weaved through the crowd, heading straight for where the first-year class one bus was parked.

– Thud.

Eventually, stepping onto the bus, he found many empty seats still available.

‘Where should I sit?’

In truth, it mattered little where he chose to settle.

Kim Do-jin glanced around, then plopped down in a random vacant spot.

– Thud.

As he settled in, his backside sinking into the seat, he began fiddling with his smartphone.

“……?”

Suddenly, from across the aisle, a figure named Dokgo-soo plopped down and struck up a conversation.

“Hey, hisashiburi.”

Though he didn’t know much Japanese, Kim Do-jin recognized that ‘hisashiburi’ was not an appropriate greeting for the current situation.

Yet, he refrained from correcting him. That was precisely what Dokgo-soo desired.

“…….”

Kim Do-jin merely shot a sidelong glance at Dokgo-soo before lowering his head again, returning to his phone.

“Ugh….”

Just as Dokgo-soo seemed poised to speak again, a surprising figure unexpectedly took the seat beside him.

“K-Karla-chan!?”

Dokgo-soo exclaimed, his surprise evident as he continued, flustered.

“Why is Karla-chan sitting next to me…?”

“Why? Is this seat already taken?”

“Ah, this is Jin-ryul’s spot… but if it’s you, Karla-chan, it’s fine. Sit as you please.”

Thus, Karla Arlen settled into the seat beside Dokgo-soo, while Jin-ryul arrived shortly after to take the spot next to Kim Do-jin.

“Hi! …Huh? But what kind of combination is this?”

Jin-ryul greeted them with his characteristic beaming smile, and Kim Do-jin merely nodded slightly, pondering.

‘Jin-ryul, what on earth is your true identity?’

In truth, Jin-ryul was concealing his real abilities, and Kim Do-jin had already caught on to that fact.

Yet, one intriguing point remained: despite hiding his true skills, Jin-ryul was still regarded as a strong candidate for the top student of the year.

In other words, he was deliberately showcasing just enough strength to be considered a contender for the top spot.

—

‘At just 17 years old, that’s an immense power to possess…’

Kim Do-jin had discerned that Lee Jin-ryul’s magic clearly surpassed the realm of a mere high school student, leaving him unable to dismiss the boy’s true nature.

Yet, with no solid clues to grasp, he found himself in a position where all he could do was observe further.

‘Hmm…’

Kim Do-jin stole glances at Lee Jin-ryul’s seemingly amiable face for a while before finally turning his attention away.

And after some time had passed.

“Is everyone here?”

At last, as all the students boarded, the bus lurched into motion.

– Thud, thud.

During this, Kim Do-jin fidgeted with his smartphone, eager to uncover a few things.

‘What a predicament…’

There was one issue.

Carla Arlen, seated across from him, had been staring for quite some time.

‘What is she doing…?’

Believing herself unseen by anyone, Carla Arlen was openly gazing at Kim Do-jin’s face, forcing him to sweat as he pretended not to notice her scrutiny.

‘When should I confess about my ability to see through her?’

Feigning ignorance was no simple task, and he had contemplated telling Carla Arlen that he could see her at some point.

But timing such a revelation was no easy feat.

“…….”

Slowly, Kim Do-jin tore his gaze from his smartphone and glanced at Carla Arlen.

“……!”

As expected, Carla Arlen continued to fixate on his face.

“…….”

The moment their eyes met, Carla Arlen’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly returned to her usual demeanor, even offering a peculiar smile.

‘What is this…’

A gaze that felt inexplicably warm and ticklish.

Kim Do-jin turned his attention back to his smartphone, and thus, the suffocating silence lingered on.

– Vroom……

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck; the destination of this field trip was not far off.

The bus traveled for about thirty minutes before coming to a halt, and Kim Do-jin let out a sigh of relief, finally stowing his smartphone away in his pocket.

—

“Alright, everyone, disembark and line up in front!”

At the instructor’s command, the students responded in unison, their voices bubbling with excitement.

“Yes!”

Soon, they began to tumble out of the bus in a rush.

Kim Do-jin, too, rose leisurely from his seat, intending to join the throng.

“…….”

As expected, Carla Arlen was staring up at him from right in front, her gaze unwavering.

‘She thinks I can’t see her, but it’s so blatant that it’s making me uncomfortable…’

By some twist of fate, Kim Do-jin found himself standing uncomfortably close to Carla Arlen, awkwardly shifting his gaze around before finally stepping off the bus.

“Ha…”

He took a deep breath, slowly surveying his surroundings.

The field trip destination was perched on a mid-slope of Gwanak Mountain, a place known as the ‘National Mage Engineering Research Institute.’

The purpose was likely for the students to experience the cutting-edge mage technology of South Korea.

Once the students had lined up, they were led by the instructor into the building ahead.

The structure was a museum showcasing all manner of mage engineering products developed from 2022 to the present day in 2037.

“Wow…”

As they entered the museum, the students looked around, unable to contain their awe.

In the vast center of the building, a ‘Mage Engine’ worth billions in Korean currency stood proudly, while hundreds of other mage products, including portals and mana coolers, captivated their eyes.

‘Indeed, quite a lot has progressed during my seven years in the other world.’

Kim Do-jin observed the mage engineering products with keen interest, reflecting on how far mage technology had advanced.

And then, after some time had passed…

– KWAANG!

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from one side of the museum.

“Ahhh!”

In that instant, the museum staff shrieked, huddling down in fear, while the students of ‘Arc’ quickly drew the weapons strapped to their waists, assuming defensive stances.

Though not yet legally recognized, they moved as if they were destined to become heroes, the best of the best.

Their faces were etched with tension, but one among them, Kim Do-jin, stood apart.

‘What’s going on?’

A group of villains poured through the shattered wall, and upon seeing this, Kim Do-jin narrowed his eyes.

‘Did they come here to steal from the museum?’

Of course, there were many expensive items here, but they were merely for display.

It meant that a place where such awakened individuals would dare to take risks and invade was certainly not this.

“Everyone, don’t move!”

Ten villains had somehow taken five museum staff members hostage and shouted.

“Ugh!”

The nearly 1,000 first-year students from Ark, along with their five supervising instructors, could only sigh and comply with the villains’ demands.

“Drop your weapons! If you make even the slightest move, I will kill you!”

The instructors and students of Ark soon laid their weapons on the ground, and the ten villains forced them to kneel.

“Shhh….”

Kim Do-jin, like the other students around him, knelt and obeyed the villains’ threats.

However, unlike the others, he did not feel a sense of grave seriousness.

The ten villains, their faces obscured by black masks, continued to threaten them to remain still, but it was, upon reflection, a rather strange situation.

‘What are they doing? It’s not like they’re robbing a bank and are now cornered, yet here they are, leisurely holding a hostage situation after breaking through the walls?’

It was odd.

Crimes have their purposes, yet these villains were merely stalling for time.

Why was that?

‘…A diversion. The true goal of this criminal organization is likely somewhere deeper within the research facility.’

The students of Ark had come to this museum as a field trip, but the museum was merely a part of the ‘National Mage Science Research Institute.’

If they ventured deeper, there would be the research facility, and there, valuable items worth targeting by this criminal organization could very well exist.

‘What should I do…’

If his speculation was correct, the ten villains in this museum were merely bait.

As the students of Ark were elite from various countries, they were the top priority for protection, and the agents of the soon-to-deploy ‘Special Defense Agency’ would surely be distracted by this situation.

The criminal organization was planning to exploit that very gap to steal something from the research facility elsewhere, and indeed, it was a sound strategy.

If only Lee Jin-ryul, who had gone to the restroom at this very moment, were here.

‘Looks like he’s caught on too.’

Kim Do-jin sensed through his keen instincts that Lee Jin-ryul was assessing the situation from beyond the wall, and soon confirmed that Lee Jin-ryul was hastily darting toward the direction of the research facility, his eyes shining with determination.

‘But can Lee Jin-ryul really handle this alone?’

He didn’t know how much power Lee Jin-ryul was hiding, but judging by the strength of the ten villains who had come as bait, it didn’t seem like an easy task.

‘I should go check the situation. If necessary, I’ll lend a hand…’

With that thought settled in his mind, Kim Do-jin lifted his head and looked around.

—

He was searching for a way to slip away unnoticed.

But in the midst of it all.

“……!”

Kim Do-jin couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock.

There, hidden behind a pillar in the corner of the museum, Carla Arlen had suddenly begun to undress.