Chapter 73

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Eugene surprisingly accepted the invitation without much resistance.

When Lucia asked if he was free over the weekend, Eugene hesitated for a moment before nodding. 

She requested to meet then, and Eugene responded with a simple gesture to show his agreement.

It was a bit odd for him to use body language instead of speaking, but judging by his expression, he seemed tired. Maybe he hadn’t slept well the night before? 

Knowing how diligent he was, there could only be one explanation—he must have lost track of time while training.

For someone as disciplined as Eugene to sleep in? That was unexpected. 

But then again, he had reached the threshold of awakening, so missing just one night of sleep wouldn’t exhaust him. It was likely intense training that wore him down.

‘What a hard working kid,’ Lucia thought. ‘I don’t dislike that. If I’m going to trust Alice to him, he should at least be that dedicated.’

Lucia awarded him two “Lucia Points”. However, she immediately docked one point because he clearly hadn’t listened to her advice about not overdoing it. She recalled telling him that just yesterday.

For the record, if you reach 100 Lucia Points, you’ll get a wish ticket! Keep it up.

Though, he doesn’t know this, hehe.

“…”

“Alice? Is something on your mind?”

“…Ah, n-no…”

Alice shook her head and turned her attention back to her book. Ever since she started her formal training, Alice rarely had time to read. 

The only moment she could was during the few minutes before morning assembly.

Even though the time was short, Alice’s incredible speed-reading skills let her turn the pages with ease.

But today, she was taking much longer than usual to flip a page.

Normally, she read so fast it made one wonder if she was really reading at all.

Her unusually serious expression suggested she was engrossed in an especially interesting section.

Now that she thought about it, Alice had that same look on her face since Eugene and Lucia started talking. Maybe she had been eager to get back to her book all along.

‘If that’s the case, I shouldn’t interrupt.’ Lucia thought, suppressing the urge to pinch Alice’s cheeks.

Satisfied with having secured Eugene’s time over the weekend, Lucia started to daydream.

Convincing Eugene to give up a day of training was no small feat. 

Normally, his obsession with improving himself bordered on madness. He rarely ever sacrificed training time, usually brushing people off with, “I’m busy.”

But because she had asked as a close friend, he was making an exception.

The reason Lucia wanted Eugene free over the weekend was simple: she wanted to create a moment for him and Alice to spend some time together.

In her ideal world, the two would meet one-on-one, but they were still too unfamiliar with each other. Eugene might agree, but Alice would definitely refuse.

So, step one was to help Eugene and Alice grow closer.

Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Closing the gap little by little is important.

Eugene was already a kind person, and he’d be especially gentle with Alice. This wouldn’t be too difficult.

‘Alright, let’s do this!’ Lucia clenched her fists, brimming with determination.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a head of golden hair.

It wasn’t her own. This gold was darker than Lucia’s, and unlike her perpetually pristine looks (thanks to her super regeneration), this hair looked slightly faded. The artificial tint was noticeable.

Leo had gone all out, dyeing his hair a bold gold. In this world where all kinds of hair colors existed, dyeing wasn’t unusual, and the academy had no rules about hair. Students could dye or style their hair however they pleased.

So technically, there was nothing wrong with Leo’s golden hair.

But still…

Something about it felt… unsettling? No, more like risky.

Not that it didn’t suit him—actually, it did. The new hair color completely changed his image.

Leo’s appearance was already striking. 

At best, he looked ruggedly masculine; at worst, downright fierce. His sharp features—pointed eyes, a strong nose, and a defined jawline—made his face resemble that of a lion more than a cat.

And he was tall. Eugene, who was already a head taller than Lucia, still had to look up at Leo.

His physique was equally intimidating. Obsessed with strength, Leo had forged his body through sweat and blood.

His supernatural ability, Acceleration, put immense strain on his body, requiring him to withstand the feedback from high-speed movements unassisted. As a result, his frame was pushed to its physical limits.

While Eugene’s strength was compact and controlled, Leo’s was unapologetically raw and prominent.

Up close—or even from a distance—he exuded an overwhelming presence.

He stood at least 180 cm tall, with broad shoulders and a frame his uniform struggled to contain.

With his sharp, rugged features and striking new hair color, he now looked like…

A golden-haired delinquent.

Lucia couldn’t help but think about it.

The stereotypical image was too close to be ignored: dyed blond hair, tanned skin, a sharp and masculine face, and a hulking build.

What’s next? Is he going to drag someone off to the gym to “teach them a lesson”?

No, no. That would be absurd. Leo wasn’t some thug. Sure, he could act a little immature at times, but his sense of justice was genuine.

He was Eugene’s rival in the truest sense.

Even though their skill gap would eventually grow too wide for him to keep up.

In any case, Eugene trusted Leo as a reliable friend and ally. Comparing him to a shady golden

delinquent trope was an insult. Changing hair color didn’t suddenly make someone suspicious.

…Still, just to be safe, I shouldn’t leave him alone with Alice.

Though, it would be a different story if I was alone with him, hehe~♡

◈

“Good to see everyone again. I hope none of you neglected your studies while I was away.”

The homeroom teacher for Class A, Angelica, had returned.

With her arrival, the substitute teacher’s role came to an end, and Angelica resumed command of Class A.

She looked the same as ever, chewing her cigarette like it was a piece of candy and wearing her signature fitted blue jersey jacket. Eugene felt glad to see her doing well, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

The weekend…

Normally, Eugene would arrive at the training grounds before dawn and stay until after sunset.

He didn’t train as intensely as during the week since he needed to recover from accumulated fatigue, but he never skipped training entirely.

Eugene didn’t take breaks. Weekends were for self-training, essentially solitary study sessions.

Just two days left.

But this weekend, Eugene was looking forward to something different—not the training, but what he planned to skip it for.

For the first time in five years, Eugene was considering skipping his weekend training.

The idea made his muscles itch, but he had no choice.

Lucia had asked him.

She had granted his request before, so it was only fair to reciprocate.

Besides, I’ve worked hard. Skipping one day won’t hurt.

Lucia had even told him not to overwork himself. Maybe that’s why she asked if he had time this weekend—to give him a chance to rest.

Eugene didn’t know for sure, but he chose to believe that was the case. Otherwise, his head would be consumed by endless speculation.

…Is this a date?

It seemed obvious. If a girl asks a guy if he’s free over the weekend and arranges to meet, that’s practically the definition of a date, right?

Could it be… Lucia likes me?

His face flushed as he shook his head violently, trying to clear the thought.

The class vice president sitting next to him glanced over, puzzled by his behavior, but Eugene didn’t notice.

Don’t read too much into it.

He recalled advice from Yui, his younger sister, from years ago:

“Don’t get the wrong idea just because a girl is being nice to you.”

Back when Eugene was still in elementary school, there had been a girl he was close with. They often walked to school together, shared meals, and played after class.

Young Eugene had mistaken her kindness for romantic interest. He agonized over what to do if she liked him back.

When he confessed his concerns to Yui, she sighed deeply and said:

“That’s such a typical guy thing to think. Just because a girl acts friendly doesn’t mean she likes you. Boys always mess things up by jumping to conclusions.”

She was right.

Not long after that conversation, the girl stopped approaching Eugene entirely. She acted like she’d lost all interest, avoiding eye contact and fumbling nervously whenever they crossed paths.

And it wasn’t the only time.

Similar situations happened with other girls over the years. They’d start off friendly but eventually drifted away.

Whenever Eugene asked why, they would just avert their gaze, sweat nervously, and refuse to answer.

He turned to Yui for advice again.

Though embarrassed to rely on his little sister, she was the only person he could confide in.

“It’s your fault, big brother. You probably got too clingy once you felt close to them, and they got fed up. Did they start acting scared of you? If so, then it’s definitely on you.”

Yui’s bluntness stung, but it made sense.

“Listen, don’t mistake kindness for romantic interest. A girl’s heart is like a reed; it sways with the wind. If you ever get close to another girl, come to me first so you don’t mess it up. Promise? Pinky swear!”

Yui’s sincere advice helped Eugene learn an important lesson:

Just because a girl shows kindness doesn’t mean you should assume anything more. Misinterpreting her intentions was a surefire way to ruin things.

Lucia is kind, that’s all. She’s just worried about me.

Yes, that had to be it.

Eugene forced himself to dismiss any lingering notions.

Not completely, but enough to refocus his attention.

Angelica stood at the front of the classroom, delivering a series of announcements.

“…which is why you all need to be careful. Always carry your weapons with you.”

Eugene, who hadn’t been paying attention, found the statement abrupt and out of context. Weapons? Suddenly?

While it wasn’t unusual for academy students to carry weapons in public, most chose not to unless necessary. Carrying them without purpose was cumbersome.

Confused, Eugene turned to Su for clarification.

“Hey, Su. What did the teacher just say? Why do we need to carry weapons now?”

“You weren’t listening? Seriously?”

“Sorry, I got a little distracted,” Eugene replied with an awkward smile.

Su shrugged nonchalantly. “Lately, the number of dimensional rifts has been increasing. They’ve been appearing more frequently in crowded urban areas. 

So, just in case something happens, she’s telling us to keep our weapons on hand. If anything goes down, we might get called into action.”

“…I see.” Eugene nodded, finally understanding.

If a dimensional rift opened nearby, unleashing monsters into the city, academy students were expected to step in and contain the threat until the professional heroes arrived.

It was a grim responsibility, but one they had to bear as part of their training.

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
It’s not just Eugene’s fault for being clueless.

But Lucia is 100% at fault.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
I wonder if some of you know this already, but there are quite a few hidden details within the texts.

This chapter just has them being less subtle, heh.