Chapter 13 – It’s Seriously a Misunderstanding, They are Supplements 

A white gown stained with red blood which had dripped from my mouth. 

A patient in a rush to take medication, going as far to say, “I don’t have much time left…”

Anyone would look at that and think I’m talking about my life expectancy.

I hastily gave Shin Sihwa an explanation.

“It’s a misunderstanding, Miss.”

“You’re telling me that I misunderstood?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I did momentarily panic, but I began to explain it to her in a calm manner.

“These are actually nutritional supplements. They have to be taken at a set time every day.”

“Ah…nutritional supplements…”

“Yes, they are supplements. I wasn’t able to take them because I was sleeping.”

“Ah… I see…”

As expected of Ms. Shin Sihwa. Although we’ve only met for a day, it didn’t seem as though she misunderstood this nonsensical situation.

She wasn’t a teacher at the Hero Academy for nothing.

But why are you making me feel uneasy and just standing there like that?

Ms. Sihwa was staring into space with a blank expression.

“Alright… I see… Supplements…”

“Miss?”

You actually understood me, right?

I wanted to ask her directly, but my lips didn’t part open.

No, just from looking at her I can tell she didn’t believe me.

It looked like morning drama was already playing out in her head.

Even though I did cut my lifespan, it’s not like that.

Right then, as Ms. Sihwa’s misunderstanding deepened, a face perked out from her side.

“Huh, what the? So you were up? And Teacher is here too.”

“Uh huh, long time no see.”

I waved my hands to express my welcome.

Yoo Hayeon sounded animated.

From the order they came in, it seemed that Ms. Sihwa arrived first after the ceremony ended.

Hayeon’s gaze was on my patient gown, which was tinged in red.

“W-Wait… I-Is that…?!”

“No, it’s not. It’s not blood at all. Don’t scream.”

“It is blood! That is…!”

Ah, I’m screwed.

I really didn’t want to get caught by her.

If I show that I’m hurt to her, things would become unimaginably troublesome.

Hayeon dove at me like she was jumping for the bed.

“Where are you hurting that you’re bleeding from? Who hit you? It was Yoona, wasn’t it? I’ll make her…”

“I told you, that’s not it! Let go of this and then talk! Uh, uh. It’s going to tear apart!”

From my perspective, Yoo Hayeon was like a brute who didn’t know how to undo a button.

She could’ve just pulled it off from the side. More importantly, I didn’t understand why she wanted to undress me.

It was a situation where no further dialogue would work on Hayeon.

I decided to plead for help with my eyes.

Help me, Miss.

She still looked like she was imagining things, but as it got noisier, she seemed to have come to her senses.

I’m begging you, please save me.

Blink. Blink.

I sent a desperate distress signal to her.

Reading my eyes, Ms. Sihwa began to open her tightly shut mouth.

“P-Please…stop. Yoo Hayeon! It’s not what you think!”

The outcome wasn’t bad.

Hayeon’s grip on my sleeve was gradually losing strength.

“What do you mean, it’s not what I think?”

She tilted her head as she looked at Ms. Sihwa.

“Are you saying that Sijoon isn’t hurt? When he bled out this much?”

It was a question demanding an explanation. 

Ms. Sihwa slightly glanced at my expression then nodded as if she had made up her mind.

“T-That’s right. Sijoon… is not hurt at all!”

A shocking lie.

“Then, what’s with all this blood?”

Sihwa continued to explain.

“That’s not blood. It’s…the tomato juice that I spilled…”

She explained with a look barely containing the unbearable sadness.

Something.

 
Something went wrong.

But I couldn’t say anything in my current situation.

“Is that true? You’re not actually sick, are you?”

If it turned out that I was actually in pain, she’d try to send me home at all costs.

Ms. Sihwa went along with my lie.

Though she might have a different idea.

I spoke as if nothing had happened.

“…Of course. When have you ever seen me sick? Teacher had an accident while trying to open the juice.”

“Ahem!”

Ms. Sihwa covered her mouth with her hand when I finished talking, as if she was trying her best to hold back her sorrow.

I don’t know how we came off in her eyes, but I don’t really want to think about it. Since it didn’t seem like she’d believe me even if I did explain.

That much I was already convinced of.

“So it was tomato juice!”

It was only then Hayeon broke out into a bright smile.

Since she had chronic rhinitis, I’m glad she couldn’t smell the blood.

Yeah, it’s much better if you smile like that.

But more importantly…

“Can you leave for now? Let me change my clothes.”

“Ah.”

A patient’s gown stained in blood.

I needed to change my clothes if I wanted to go outside.

 ***

“Then, Miss. We’ll be heading back.”

“A-Alright. Get home safe…”

The two students said their farewells to me, their teacher, then left the nurse’s office.

“You haven’t taken a look around the school yet, have you? The cafe here is really nice! Let’s go together!”

“…It’s a hassle.”

“Stop complaining, and follow me!”

The male student was taken from his spot, dragged away by the female student.

They grew up together when they were young, commonly known as childhood friends.

They knew each other the best.

They were students of such a relationship.

Thud.

When the door closed after they left, I fell to the floor, like a marionette with its strings cut. 

Small tears of sadness poured from my eyes.

“Oh no, at such a young age…”

During class, I had heard news of a student who had passed out.

His name was Han Sijoon.

I met him at the interview, and he looked frail.

He was a student who somehow left a lasting impression.

He didn’t have that big of an injury, but I heard that he was resting due to his lack of stamina.

I was also surprised when I found out his opponent was Na Yoona.

And he had a slight lead over Yoona too?

There was nothing much to see when it came to his stats, but as expected, he packed a punch.

From the rumors, he used mana even without a core. So he was a student with some type of innate ability.

I believed he was a promising student.

However, what Sijoon said in the nurse’s office left me shocked.

He said he didn’t have much time left…

Sijoon said that to himself as he coughed up blood while swallowing down the pills.

From his tone, it seemed like he knew when his end would come.

My heart sank.

But what hurt even more was his lie.

“Ah. These are nutritional supplements.”

Sijoon spoke in a calm manner as if nothing had happened.

Just how many lies had he told for him to be that composed?

He was not given the future that we took for granted.

I wanted to ask what illness he was ailing from, but the pre-existing factors were already present.

The absence of an innate magic core.

The heart disease which came as a result of that.

The blood dripping from his mouth was the proof.

Then at that moment…

The person, who must not find out about his time limit, appeared right then.

“It is blood!”

What should I do?

He probably didn’t want her to know about his terminal illness.

Sijoon sent me a wistful look.

“I’m begging you, please save me.”

To keep this from her.

That he did not want his childhood friend to know that he was on his deathbed.

“It’s…the tomato juice that I spilled…”

In truth, I did not spill tomato juice.

It was just Sijoon’s blood.

It felt like countless spears were jabbing at my lying conscience.

What was even sadder was the lie he directly told her.

“…Of course. When have you ever seen me sick?”

I’m not sick whatsoever.

It was disheartening seeing the fleeting look of happiness as he talked to his childhood friend.

A student with such a sad story.

There was nothing I could do for him for the remainder of his time.

I am truly an incompetent teacher.

“What should I do…?”

For the student whose days were numbered.

For Yoo Hayeon, who would receive immense shock upon finding out the truth.

I began to brood over what to do.

***  

Outside the window was the illuminating red sun.

A flaming sunset.

It was lighting up wherever we went.

That was that.

“You know what my innate ability is, right?”

“Don’t you gain power and get stronger for a short period of time?”

“…So you did know.”

But it didn’t seem she knew about the price that needed to be paid.

I was doing well to get around the parts I didn’t remember.

I walked along by Hayeon’s side.

Though it was a problem that we were headed to a cafe of all places.

“Do we have to go to the cafe today? I’m tired.”

“It’s good to visit the cafe every day though? It’s always fun and exciting. I heard everything from the school nurse and how you slept because you were drowsy~”

…I was in actual pain though.

Do you know how it feels to have a magic core appear then disappear?

She probably will never know the feeling.

I let out a tut then answered Hayeon who was humming out of excitement.

“…Just for today. I won’t go ever again.”

“Really? We’re going! No take backs!

Hummm~

Hayeon hummed with excitement.

I ultimately ended up getting dragged by her.

I don’t know why she liked cafes.

Can’t you just eat at home?

It’s a cafe without any fees.

I don’t think I’ll ever understand it for the rest of my life.

Hayeon spoke to me like she was a teacher.

“If you didn’t have fun in the cafe, it meant the person you went with wasn’t fun. It’s the person that’s the issue, not the place.”

“I went there with you the most though?”

“…I guess those cafes were average.”

Kuku.

I sneered at Hayeon.

I simply disliked cafes.

It didn’t seem like the extroverted Yoo Hayeon understood that aspect of me.

“Excuse me.”

As I was laughing at Hayeon, another voice mixed in with ours.

I turned around to check the owner of the voice.

“…Na Yoona?”

“Hi. So you’re awake.”

I am, but what’s up with her?

Did she come here to give me an answer to what I said about being friends?

Unlike before, Yoona was wearing a butterfly pin on the back of her head.

Hayeon began to be wary of her.

“Wait a sec, why are you looking for Sijoon?”

A situation where the loser went looking for the winner to quarrel.

Misunderstanding the situation, Hayeon’s gaze was sharp.

After telling her it was okay, I asked Yoona.

“What do you want? It’s unlikely you came to me without a reason.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Hu.

There was a slight air noise.

Yoona replied to me with a faint smile.

“You wanted to be friends with me, did you not? I’m here to give my answer.”

“What… What? Friends…?!”

Hayeon began to look back and forth at me and Yoona.

Friends.

It might not mean much to Hayeon, but that wasn’t the case for me.

I smiled at Yoona as I responded, “Wanna head to a cafe to talk?”

The cafe might be noisier than usual today.