The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character Chapter 177 177: Rachel Evans [2]

This world still follows the old Earth system. Democracy, elections, governnts, pri ministers — all of it still exists.

And yes, that includes the Velkova Republic.

They hold elections, appoint ministers, pass laws... but in a world dominated by superhumans, how much power do those institutions really have?

The real authority lies elsewhere — with the Hero Association.

Still, Velkova's system is miles better than those countries ruled openly by superhumans, where tyrants wear capes and no one dares question them.

According to the original story, the Velkova Republic isn't just run by elected officials. It's shaped by the influence of three major figures:

First, Nero Taylor — head of Taylor Corporation & Private Limited, the largest company in the country.

If the na rings a bell, that's because he's also Leo Taylor's father.

He may not hold a public office, but his financial power and political reach make him a pillar of Velkova's power structure.

Second, Alia Black — the top-ranked official hero in the world according to the Hero Association.

Now, hero rankings aren't purely based on strength. Influence, popularity, and public presence play a big role.

Still, Alia's at the top for a reason.

In the original story, it was implied that if she really wanted to, she could rule the Velkova Republic by herself — and neither the governnt nor the Hero Association could stop her.

And then… there's the leader of The Twelve Signs — the villainous alliance that operated from the shadows.

In the original story, the public despised him. But his influence over Velkova couldn't be ignored.

He orchestrated terrorist attacks, commanded an army of criminals, and led twelve terrifying lieutenants, each codenad after a celestial sign.

Each of them had powers that put even so official heroes to sha.

But thanks to the changes I made, their growth has been stunted. They likely won't beco the sa colossal threat they were in the original tiline.

Now, you might be wondering why I'm suddenly talking politics and power players in the middle of what started as a family drama.

The answer is simple.

My father, Aldric Evans, had connections to all of them.

He wasn't a man who sought the throne, but one who could choose who sat on it. A kingmaker in the shadows.

He was the head of Evans Group, a powerful conglorate, and in the original story… he eventually fell into darkness.

Just like Rachel, my sister, he turned into a villain seeking revenge — not just against the Villain Alliance, but also against Velcrest Academy, the place that had betrayed him.

But in that story, he died before his vengeance was complete.

And then Rachel followed his path… and t the sa end.

That was the original story.

Now that I've taken over Rin Evans' body, none of that has happened — and I don't plan on letting it.

Still, I can't change the past. My family still treats like a ticking ti bomb.

Rachel Evans — the golden child of the Evans Group — was the family's pride.

Unlike .

A B-rank hero who skyrocketed to the top 5 rookie rankings within a year.

Thanks to her striking beauty, imnse talent, and perfect public persona, she's practically a celebrity — appearing in comrcials, dramas, and variety shows on top of being a hero.

To the public, she's a symbol of hope.

To the family… she's the one they point to when they ask, "Why can't you be more like her?"

"No offense," she said slowly, "but you and her… don't really give off 'sibling' energy."

I gave her a tired look. "Yeah. I get that a lot."

She shook her head, still trying to process. "And she's coming here?"

"Eventually. She said if I pass out in a dungeon one more ti, she's going to drag ho by my ear."

Leona winced. "Yikes."

"Yeah, that's Rachel for you. Scary strong, terrifyingly blunt, and extrely allergic to weakness—especially from family."

She sipped her drink and gave a side glance. "You sure you're not exaggerating?"

I raised an eyebrow and pointed at my phone again. "There's a ten-minute-long compilation video online of her beating down a troll king solo while lecturing him about proper hygiene."

Leona let out a low whistle. "Okay, okay. Point taken."

I slumped further into my bed. "So now I have to act like a perfect model student for an entire week, just in case she shows up unannounced. I should've just lied and said I was out of town."

Leona smirked. "Yeah, but lying to your sister sounds like a great way to get your door kicked down."

I groaned. "Exactly. She'd probably track with satellite imaging just to prove a point."

"Doesn't she have that sponsorship with that tech company? The one that makes military-grade scouting drones?"

"Three of them," I muttered, staring at the ceiling like it had personally wronged . "She once had one fly above my dorm building because I didn't reply to her ssage fast enough. I got a 'satellite-eye view' photo of myself eating cup noodles on the balcony. Captioned: 'Is this what failure looks like?'"

Leona nearly choked on her drink, coughing as she laughed. "Okay, that's ssed up—but also kind of hilarious."

"It's not hilarious when you're the one being remotely humiliated by a national hero," I muttered, dragging a pillow over my face. "She's not even trying to hide her disappointnt anymore."

Leona tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Do you think she's actually disappointed in you… or she's just worried about you?"

I peeked out from beneath the pillow. That question hit a little too close to ho.

"…Probably both," I admitted after a pause. "My family group sees like a dormant virus. The kind that hasn't killed anyone yet, but they're just waiting for the symptoms to show."

Leona's smile faded. "That's… rough."

"Yeah. Welco to the Evans household," I said with a bitter laugh. "Either you're shining or you're suspect."

She reached over and nudged my shoulder. "Well, you're not your dad. And you're not your sister either. You're Rin. And you're still here. Still trying."

I blinked, surprised by the sincerity in her voice.

"…Thanks," I mumbled.

She gave a small smile. "Anyti. Just… try not to get yourself hospitalized again. I'm getting tired of watching you bleed all over dungeon floors."

I snorted. "No promises."

"Also… can you help with sothing?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Help you with what?"

Leona hesitated for a mont, then blurted out, "Can you introduce to your sister?"

…What?

Where the hell did that co from?

I stared at her, trying to make sense of what I just heard. "You… want to introduce you to Rachel?"

She nodded eagerly. No sha. No hesitation. Like this was a perfectly normal request.

Now that I thought about it, there was sothing like this in the original novel.

Leona, despite her cold and collected exterior, had grown up in a very sheltered environnt. She was forbidden from socializing freely, but she was allowed books, newspapers, and docuntaries—especially those featuring heroes. It was part of her "education."

In the original story, it didn't co up much—she turned villain long before any of this could matter—but it wouldn't be strange if she'd idealized so of the heroes she'd read about.

And Rachel Evans was exactly the kind of hero soone like Leona would admire.

Beautiful. Talented. Fearless. A national icon.

"Please introduce to her, Rin!"

Oh, she was serious.

Our usually unflappable Leona now had stars in her eyes, practically bouncing on my bed like an excited puppy.

But hold on a second—there was a trap here.

To the world, I was Rin Evans—a guy.

And Leona? She was still pretending to be "Leon" to keep her identity hidden. As far as anyone else knew, this was one boy asking another boy to et his super-hot older sister.

I raised a brow, lips twitching.

"Leon, co on. Even if we're close, that's not sothing you just ask. No guy casually introduces his sister to his male friend."

Leona paused. You could almost see the internal alarm bells going off in her head.

"N-No! That's not what I ant!" she said quickly, waving her hands in protest. "I just… I really admire her, that's all! It's not like that!"

"Right. Sure." I folded my arms and leaned back. "You just want to et the beautiful, famous, world-renowned heroine who just so happens to be my sister. Out of 'pure admiration and goodwill.'"

"Exactly!"

I gave her a flat look. "Yeah, no. That doesn't exist between a man and a woman who've never t."

She groaned and covered her face, mumbling sothing under her breath. I couldn't catch it, but it sounded suspiciously like cursing.

Obviously, she couldn't tell the truth: that she was a girl, and this wasn't as weird as it sounded.

Still, I could've let it go. I should've let it go.

But I didn't.

Because I was Rin Evans, and when I see an opportunity to tease soone, especially soone pretending to be a boy, I take it.

I leaned in slightly, smirking. "You sure you're not just hoping for a et-cute? Should I tell Rachel to bring a bouquet and romantic background music when she walks in?"

Leona shot a death glare.

"You're insufferable."

"And yet, here you are," I said, hands behind my head. "Asking for sisterly blessings."

She muttered sothing again, turning her head away like a sulking cat.

I chuckled and finally let it drop.

"…Fine. If she shows up while you're around, I might introduce you. But if she ends up thinking you're crushing on her, don't bla ."

"I'm not—!"

"Sure you're not."

Her fists clenched, but she didn't argue anymore. Just sank back into her chair, grumbling softly like a kicked puppy.

Yeah, I shouldn't tease her so much.

But man, was it hard not to when she made it this easy.