Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

When Xanthia was asked by Hannah to purchase a publishing platform, she instantly understood the hidden meaning behind the request.

It was clear that a segment of their classmates was eager to see Dematero's downfall.

Dematero’s reputation among the girls had plummeted, with a small group harbouring such disdain for him that they were waiting for the moment to expose his facade. Among this group, Yannis was their ringleader, and her dorm mate, Hannah, seemed to share in this sentiment.

One could trace back to when Yannis had viciously mocked Dematero in front of Xanthia. Chica, who had been present at the time, captured the entire episode on video, and it spread like wildfire, becoming the talk of the school.

In response, Dematero didn’t falter. He defiantly announced that he would prove everyone wrong by having his work published in the popular publishing platform Pen N' Pen. This act of defiance came shortly after he cut ties with Yannis when Elena, on her behalf, tried to apologise.

Since that event, Dematero’s attitude towards the girls in the class had changed drastically.

Previously, Dematero had lived up to his name – mild-mannered and polite. He was the kind of gentleman who would help with any small errand without a second thought.

But after that incident, he transformed from within. Even his aura shifted. Suddenly, Dematero carried himself with an air of superiority, as though he were a celebrity. His attitude towards all the girls, except for Xanthia, became cold and condescending, as if everyone owed him a debt of millions.

Some girls speculated that Dematero's change was due to his rejection by Elena La Loannou, suggesting that he had been brainwashed by online male-centric ideologies.

"Such a nice, amicable boy, and now he's gone rogue," they lamented.

The rise of misogyny toxic ideas in internet like "Money is to show women, not to spend on them," "Hesitation leads to failure, sincerity is wasted," "Success attracts beautiful women, don't downgrade yourself and pick anyone as soon as you succeed." "Delete any woman who controls your emotions", and "women are vile creatures," was seen as poison, polluting the young minds of vulnerable boys like Dematero.

Such misogynistic ideas so dangerous that any weakened boy would feel overpowered thinking men are better and may lead to the objectification view of the other gender.

Nevertheless, there remained those with a "romantic and tender heart" immune to such ideologies, genuine men caring and hoping for true love and companionship in life.

Dematero's declining reputation among the girls wasn’t due to a single incident but was rather compounded by his increasingly arrogant "masculine" stance, which contrasted too sharply with his former persona.

It was akin to a man known for his lifelong good deeds suddenly committing a single misstep. The fall from grace was devastating.

Even thinking about Elena no more than scumbag gold digger without even a drop of chance of knowing her personally.

Despite being 'illuminated' after the 'miracle', he's still showing signs of immaturity and narrow-mindedness.

Nevertheless, should Dematero truly rise from the ashes through his talent, the one hit hardest by the backlash would undoubtedly be Yannis. Of course, Elena wouldn’t escape unscathed either, despite her earlier apology, which had both saved face and endeared her even more to Yannis.

But, as fate would have it, Elena had been Dematero’s previous crush. In her eyes, however, Dematero was no more than a stranger, she was relieved that he will not do anything with her anymore in fear of potential harassments. She was even more thankful she had distanced herself from him after his bizarre personality-change began to show, as it clashed with her image as one of the school's campus crush.

"Alright then, I’ll head out after lunch and grab a copy for you," Xanthia agreed, accepting a ten-romani note from Hannah.

Hannah beamed. "Thanks for helping out! Keep the change as your errand fee," she added, casting a glance at Xanthia's shoes—old, unfashionable trainers that were frankly embarrassing to wear.

"Sure, thanks," Xanthia replied indifferently.

The book cost eight romani, and the two-romani change would cover her effort, saving her from having to return the money to Hannah. While the girl held no particular malice towards her, there was something unsettling about the way she looked at people.

In her mind, Hannah smugly thought, So Xanthia is really that concerned over two romani? No wonder her family’s poor.

After the results of the monthly exam had come out, Hannah had privately doubted Xanthia’s performance, but over time, she had come to realize her suspicions were misplaced. However, she soon found another area in which to feel superior to Xanthia.

'So what if her grades are good? She's still poor. Her only way out is through academic success, trying desperately to change her fate. How pitiful.'

With this comforting thought, Hannah felt at ease. After all, her own family had a bit of wealth, and her grades were decent too, ranking thirteenth in the class. It was enough for her to confidently believe she had the upper hand over Xanthia. Of course, her unpleasant personality had earned her the nickname "Little Thirteen" behind her back.

After Hannah left, Luciel turned to Xanthia. "Little Xanthia, helping them buy might make Dematero dislike you. After all, you’re indirectly aiding them."

Luciel didn’t particularly like Dematero either, but she didn’t wish for his complete ruin, unlike Yannis’s group. Her disdain stemmed from the fact that Dematero had tried to start a relationship in high school and, after being rejected by Elena, had immediately turned his attention to Xanthia. It was as though Xanthia had become the second choice, a bouncer, a mere bandage for Dematero's broken heart.

Unaware of Dematero's complex history, Luciel could only judge his actions by what she saw and conclude.

So, how could she possibly think highly of Dematero? When most of the girls dislike him?

Had Dematero’s confession to Elena not been public knowledge, his acts of kindness towards Xanthia might have earned him Luciel's favor. After all, as a "knight in shining armour," he had shown reliability at critical moments.

Xanthia chuckled. "Luciel, how could I be a villain in this? If Dematero knew, he’d probably thank me. After all, I’m getting him the publishing platform that will let him prove everyone wrong ahead of schedule."

Luciel frowned. "Little Xanthia, you don’t seriously believe Dematero can get published in Pen N' Pen, do you? I’m not a die-hard reader of it, but it’s incredibly popular, and our classmates practically buy every issue. Dematero’s just a first-year student—there’s no way he could get published in something so big. Maybe if he aimed for a lesser-known publishing platform, I’d be more inclined to believe his boast."

Xanthia thought, But Dematero isn’t just any first-year. He has the soul of a bestselling author, and the writing skills he’s been granted are already rated at Lv3 (Professional). He's close to breaking through to Lv4 (Expert), and who knows when that might happen.

If it were the old Dematero, without his "rebirth," Xanthia wouldn’t have had such faith. But now that she knew the truth, how could she not?

In class, Xanthia had been the only one to openly support Dematero, making her a lone voice among the girls. This moved Dematero deeply, often to the point of tears, as it brought back painful memories of a previous life.

In his past, it had been exactly the same—everyone had doubted him, except for Xanthia.

Unfortunately, in that previous life, Dematero hadn’t proven himself in high school, becoming a joke, and even Xanthia’s belief in him had been mocked. Although he eventually became a successful writer, by then it was too late to prove his doubters wrong.

Xanthia’s public support was met with outward understanding by her classmates, though Yannis’s group still ridiculed her behind closed doors for her supposed poor judgement.

"Well, I’ll be getting the new issue of Pen N' Pen soon," Xanthia said with confidence. "We’ll see if his boast comes true."

Luciel couldn’t help but admire her friend’s stubborn belief in miracles.

It reminded her of the time at the school’s sports day when Xanthia had defied all expectations to win the 3000-meter race and take home the gold.

This revelation left Luciel speechless.

After a moment’s contemplation, she finally smiled and said, “It seems your unwavering certainty has made me rather curious. I’m suddenly quite eager for the answer to be revealed.”

After lunch, the two of them exited the cafeteria and made their way towards the school gate.

When they reached the security checkpoint, Luciel naturally paused, while Xanthia, with her day student ID, smoothly left the school. She crossed the road and arrived at a modest bookstore on the opposite side.

The bookstore, though small, was well-stocked with a diverse array of books, including hefty online novels the size of bricks, available for rent.

Despite the prevalence of bold students reading web novels on their phones these days, the risks associated with it were considerable. If caught, the phone would be confiscated, and parents would be called in...

On the other hand, these large, brick-like novels were not only inexpensive to rent but also affordable to purchase. Once bought, they could be torn into pages and hidden between textbooks or study guides, increasing discretion. Even if caught, the worst outcome would be a loss of a few pages, which were cheaper than toilet paper.

This was why the small bookstore across from the school had remained popular for years.

The stricter the school was about confiscating phones, the happier the bookstore owner became.

“Owner, I’d like the latest issue of Pen N' Pen, and as usual, all the various comic books, the more risque, the better.”

Xanthia was evidently a regular customer. She gave her instructions to the owner, requesting her source of entertainment.

The owner, seeing Xanthia as a valued client, was immediately all smiles, greeting her warmly while efficiently gathering the comic vooks she needed.

Every time she sold Xanthia those provocative comic publishing platforms, the owner felt a pang of guilt. It puzzled her why such a seemingly innocent and demure student enjoyed comics filled with strife, underdog triumphs, satire, and rebellion against the elite.

It seemed that the more politically charged or dark the comics were, the more she liked them.

Despite having a face that seemed perfect for sweet romance comics, Xanthia showed no interest in sugary love stories.

The owner, faced with Xanthia's appearance of innocence, would often feel conflicted, mingling guilt with the satisfaction of the sale.

“Eh, why the sudden interest in Pen N' Pen, dear?” the owner asked curiously, thinking that a shift to novels wasn’t such a bad thing, as long as it wasn’t the rebellious stuff.

“I’m getting it for a classmate… and I have a friend who submitted to this publishing platform. I’m not sure if his work was published,” Xanthia casually replied.

She rarely bought from web novel books, finding text less stimulating and tiring compared to comics. She preferred web novels that could be listened to, which suited her need for entertainment more effectively.

Printed books often aimed for literary value, which was less immediately gratifying, reducing the efficiency of enjoyment.

“A high school student submitting to Pen N' Pen? Goodness, that’s quite a challenge. Those who get published in this publishing platform are usually well-established authors, even if their pen names seem unfamiliar; they’ve published extensively in other platforms”

The owner assumed Xanthia’s “friend” was herself, leading her to ramble on.

Xanthia, having opened the book and flipping directly to the contents page, searched for the author’s name and, indeed, found “Dematero”!

Xanthia grinned. “Owner, I’ll take another copy of this. My friend’s story has been published, so I should buy another to support him.”

Xanthia thought that getting more copies for her classmates would surely lead to more shared enjoyment.

The owner was stunned. High school students making a mark in such a publishing platform was unheard of. She’d only heard of high schoolers making waves in web fiction, not in physical publishing platforms like this!

Seeing the owner’s bewildered expression, Xanthia pointed to the author name in the contents page. “Look, his name is Dematero, not a pen name, his real name.”

With that, Xanthia left, her arms full of her entertainment fuel. Upon meeting the eagerly awaiting Luciel, she handed over the already opened publishing platform. “Sister Luciel, I won’t spoil the surprise for you. You’ll have to see for yourself.”

Luciel, holding the book with its elegant cover, couldn’t help but wonder if it was truly possible for someone her age to be published in such a popular publishing platform.

Despite her curiosity, she immediately began flipping through the book, searching for the author’s name just like Xanthia had.

After all, Dematero had boasted in class about his imminent appearance in the publishing platform, warning everyone not to be shocked when his name showed up.

Luciel quickly found the name “Dematero” in bold letters. Her reaction was far more dramatic than Xanthia’s calm demeanor. She exclaimed, “Wow… oh my, he really did it! How impressive, he actually followed through!”