Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat-Chapter 380: The novel i was watching is finished (1)

[─So, I was once again seated in the right diagonal back seat of the Academy's heroine.

I woke up behind the protagonist of the Academy once more.

When my friends asked if I remembered my name, I could only answer like this:]

“Evande...”

End

“...Wait, that's it? It ends like this?”

I wanted to shout, but I held back since it was late at night. How could the story end without showing what happens next to the protagonist? It felt like there was more to tell, but the novel had wrapped up abruptly, leaving me unsatisfied.

Before I knew it, my thumb had hovered over the "Post Comment" button, as if I were under some spell, just like the last line spoken by the protagonist: "Evande..."

“...No.”

I paused and took my thumb away from the button. Instead of posting the comment I had originally typed, I deleted it and wrote something new.

[Thank you for the great read. I hope the protagonist and their friends can live happily ever after, considering all they went through.]

A few seconds after I posted my comment, a reply appeared beneath it.

[They surely will, thanks to you. Thank you very much.]

“...Thank me? All I did was enjoy reading the story,” I muttered, chuckling at how overly gracious some authors could be these days.

I clicked the back button, returning to the novel's cover and the title, The Right Diagonal Back Seat of the Academy's Heroine. I couldn’t help but think, ...Was that always the title? It was such an odd name, but after finishing the novel, the lingering emotion made it resonate more.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

I’d been so immersed in the story that at times it felt like I was the protagonist myself. Leaving a comment wishing for the happiness of the characters was simply a reflection of how much I cared about them.

Feeling content after receiving the author's response, I realized it was time to sleep. After all, just like the characters in the novel had their lives, I had my own.

“Good night.”

I glanced at the family photo next to my phone and softly whispered goodnight to my parents, then drifted into a deep sleep, preparing for work the next day.

(Whispering voices can be heard in parentheses.)

The next morning, despite staying up late reading the novel, I woke up early. After sautéing some bean sprouts for breakfast, I headed to work earlier than usual.

I expected the office to be empty, but to my surprise, someone was already there before me.

“Oh? You’re in early today, Senior.”

It was my junior colleague, who always insisted on calling me "senior."

“Just woke up early, that’s all. How about you? What are you doing here so early?”

“Just some paperwork I need to handle.”

“Ah, I see. You’re diligent.”

"(...And if I come in early, I get to spend a little time alone with Senior.)”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“Nothing important.”

This junior had a habit of specifically calling me "senior" because, besides being my colleague at work, they were also my junior from college. It was quite the coincidence that they ended up working at the same company as me after I joined.

Back when I was job hunting after graduating, this junior had recommended this very company, saying it seemed like a good fit. They must have been researching it for themselves, and as a result, our paths converged here. In hindsight, it wasn't such a random occurrence.

...Though I doubt they knew the company would turn out like this.

“So, what kind of paperwork are you handling? Need help?”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. This is something you’re not supposed to see, Senior.”

“Something I’m not supposed to see? I’m higher in rank than you.”

“There are just some things like that. Anyway, you don’t need to help, Senior. Why don’t you just do your thing?”

“Hmm, well, I don’t have much to do at the moment. I finished all the urgent tasks a while ago. Maybe I’ll clean the office.”

“Again? Seriously, Senior, you should just leave that to the interns. All they can do at this point is make coffee and clean up anyway.”

Usually, cleaning offices is the job of cleaning staff, and our company used to be no different. But not anymore.

“No, I’ll do it. I just like it when the office is clean. Besides, there’s that saying: ‘Treat the company as if it’s your own.’”

“...Wow, you’re a real model employee, aren’t you?”

On the surface, our company seems small, but it’s actually a subsidiary of a famous conglomerate. Or rather, it used to be.

It used to have a huge, impressive building and state-of-the-art equipment. But just around the time this junior joined, something happened. The parent company decided to start a new subsidiary, taking away our building, equipment, and employees, leaving only a small department—ours.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in a cramped office with old equipment, and we had to do our own cleaning. If it weren’t for the fact that our salaries remained the same, I’m sure there would have been a mass exodus.

Despite the upheaval, we adapted. The shared experience of going through it together had brought the remaining staff closer. Well, all except for one manager who took out their stress on us.

Honestly, if it weren’t for that Manager Han, I bet the office’s stress level would drop by half.

As I quietly fumed about our manager while cleaning, I heard my junior muttering and shaking their head.

“Ugh, whatever. Go ahead and clean, Senior. After all, you’re the one who insists on treating this company like it’s yours. (...Well, it’s not a bad mindset to have, especially considering what’s going to happen soon.)”

“...What did you just say?”

“Nothing important.”

“...You really have a bad habit of muttering like that. It makes people curious.”

My junior had this annoying habit of mumbling to themselves just loud enough that you knew they were saying something but not enough to hear it clearly. Naturally, it made me wonder what they were saying, but whenever I asked, they would never tell me.

If I had to compare it, this habit was as frustrating as a writer who leaves a novel unfinished, like the author of The Right Diagonal Back Seat of the Academy's Heroine.

Ugh, thinking about it again, I wish I’d pressed the author to reveal what happens next.

As I pondered, my junior suddenly smiled mischievously and asked me:

“Hmm, Senior, am I on your mind?”

“Come on, how could I not be curious?”

“...Hehe.”

“...What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing. Anyway, Senior, what do you want for lunch today? Korean? Chinese?”

Just as we were chatting, they brought up lunch plans. We often ate together, so it was natural that they assumed we would today as well. Unfortunately, I had a prior commitment.

“Sorry, but I have plans today. I can’t join for lunch.”

“...Plans? With who? It’s not Yujung or Deputy Shin, is it?”

“Huh? No, it’s not anyone from the company. I’m meeting Seonghyun. He’s in the area today, so we’re grabbing lunch.”

“Oh, Seonghyun? Then I can come too, right?”

This junior was referring to Ji Seonghyun, a long-time friend of mine. We’ve known each other since elementary school and even attended middle school, high school, and college together. Naturally, my junior knew him too since we all went to the same university.

I had thought about inviting them to join us for lunch, but unfortunately, Seonghyun had insisted it be just the two of us. He was married now, and his wife was the kind of person he never wanted to upset.

“I asked if you could come, but Seonghyun said no. He doesn’t want to create any misunderstanding with his wife. He’s super cautious about that kind of thing, even though I’m going to be there too. The guy is really intense about it, right?”

“...Right. I’m not sure if that’s really because of his wife, though. Well, what about dinner then? Free for that?”

“Ah, about that... I’m also meeting Seonghyun for dinner. He’s free in the afternoon and offered to wait until I get off work so we can hang out.”

“(...Ugh, that guy’s no help at all, is he?)”

“...Wait, did you just say something bad about me or Seonghyun?”

“...Pfft, is it wrong to say something bad? You’re both leaving me out to hang out by yourselves.”

“Come on, I haven’t seen Seonghyun in a while. I promise I’ll make it up to you next time.”

“Really? Then no backing out when I ask you to hang out next time, okay? You know I don’t forget promises, right? Remember when I visited you in the hospital, and you said you’d treat me to dinner as thanks? I’m still waiting on that.”

“Wow, you really don’t forget anything, do you? Alright, alright. I promise.”

“Yes! Seonghyun is useful sometimes, after all.”

As we chatted and I cleaned the office, I could hear more people arriving ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) outside, signaling the start of the workday. Among the voices were some shouting—probably from Manager Han berating someone again.

Hearing the commotion, my junior frowned, and I sighed.

“...Hey, relax your face. You know Manager Han will just comment on your expression if he sees you like that.”

“...Let him. I won’t have to deal with him much longer anyway.”

“...Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“There are just things, Senior.”

The cryptic way my junior said this while glaring made me curious, but before I could ask for more details, Manager Han stormed into the office, interrupting us.

...Wow, I didn’t know my junior could make such a scary face. I remember them being upset after a certain drunken incident, but this looks like a whole different level...