Direction

Returning to the Academy, I fell into various thoughts.

Why did I end up inside the novel I created? And not even as the protagonist, but as an extra. To Ross, who I thought of as a disposable item.

Suddenly, my original life came to mind.

If time flows the same here as it did there, is anyone looking for me?

I shook my head with a bitter smile.

Having shitty parents was the same here as in my original world.

If it’s my mom who hated seeing me, she’s probably living happily with her boyfriend, right?

Were all my belongings in the studio apartment thrown away? They were things I cherished.

The old gift I received from my dad, no, rather, that mister, is probably still there, unopened.

I stopped and stared at the Academy in the distance. What would happen if I turned my back and ran away?

Abandoning all the memories and relationships I’ve built up until now, irresponsibly running away.

If I did that, there would be no more hardships, and my life wouldn’t be in danger for the next few years.

I could use my future knowledge to slack off while Roel saves the world.

If I give up, there’s no need to try.

Darkness creeps into the streets, and even the stars are hidden in the sky tonight.

I moved my heavy feet. Not backward, but towards the Academy.

I won’t run away. No, I couldn’t run away.

I was a coward to begin with.

Someone who is awkward with relationships and finds it difficult to deal with people.

A coward who, upon receiving a gift, would fret over what to give in return, worrying about it first.

So, I have no choice but to walk. The friends I made at the Academy. The emotions I newly experienced, the precious memories.

Those things become the driving force that moves me.

If I run away, they will all crumble and vanish into my memories in vain.

To prevent the tragic story of pushing the protagonist into desperate situations for the sake of their growth.

Karma, causality, fate. I couldn’t escape those things.

As if running away from the encroaching darkness, I moved my feet, but before long, I had no choice but to stop again.

I don’t know when it started, but Luna was standing in front of the main gate as if it were natural.

The sight of Luna standing still, looking up at the sky where not a single star could be seen, wondering if she was waiting for me, stirred up a strange feeling in a corner of my heart.

I started walking again.

Unlike before, my steps didn’t even feel heavy. With a smile.

***

The next day.

After taking classes for just one more week, the Academy would have a long summer vacation. Whether it was because of that, or because of the three-day break.

The atmosphere of the Academy felt a bit more relaxed than at the beginning.

Roel playing with the heroines at the beach, a group illustration of them in swimsuits, and a two-month summer vacation to increase the volume.

While Roel solidifies his position with the heroines during his second year, I must continue to grow without stopping. The moment Roel becomes a third-year, all sorts of incidents will come crashing down like a storm.

,I’m going back home during the vacation. What about you guys?

Aria, who was sprawled out on the club room sofa, eating snacks, asked.

,I have to go back home too. I need to suck up to my family diligently during the vacation to get my tuition fees.

Kane answered with a sigh, frowning.

,I’m planning to go back home too. My sister and I have decided to train with our father.

Most of the students were going back home during the vacation, like Lacar. It was an Academy where some of the most talented individuals from the continent gathered.

Unless you’re a born genius, you need support for your talent to blossom. And most of the Academy students were nobles.

For their beloved children, and for their families. High-quality elixirs would be waiting for them to return home.

,I… I’m going home to see my parents too.

I smiled bitterly at Luna’s words. I knew it in advance from Luna, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed in a corner of my heart.

That’s how much I love Luna.

,What about you, Ross?

As I was drinking coffee silently, Aria looked at me with curious eyes.

,Someone has to protect the club room.

It didn’t seem like Ross’s parents would welcome him back. Anyway, I didn’t plan to go home and rest. I was in a position where I had to work even harder to catch up.

,The vacation is long, so why don’t we all go on a trip together? You can come to my house! It’s a resort, so there’s a lot to do!

Aria said with a happy smile, seemingly excited at the thought of playing.

,I’m in favor. I can make it if it’s before the end of the vacation.

,My training should be over around that time, so I’m fine too.

Lacar added to Kane’s words.

,I like it too.

I nodded at Luna’s approval. I didn’t want to ruin the mood, and I thought I needed a break too.

When Aria, who was excited by everyone’s approval, got up from the sofa and started writing a schedule on paper, someone knocked on the club room door.

It was a small sound, and the members were adding comments to Aria’s schedule, so I got up from my seat.

When I opened the door, I saw an unfamiliar female student with a plain impression.

Because of that, the most noticeable thing was her bright blonde hair, cut straight at her shoulders.

I realized she was a senior when I saw the ribbon on the female student’s clothes indicating she was a second-year, and I bowed my head as well.

,Hello. My name is Flynn. I’m from the student council. I’m here to see Ross-ssi, the top student in the first-year combat department.

The Transcendence Academy also had a student council. It wasn’t anything grand, just a mediator between professors and students. An existence that did various things like a teaching assistant.

There was also a student council president elected by the students, but I didn’t know their name because it was only mentioned as the student council president in the novel. They didn’t really do much either.

,I’m Ross.

At my words, Flynn nodded and asked in a businesslike voice.

,Have you finished filling out your wish tickets?

At that question, I immediately took out the two wish tickets I had put in my pocket and handed them over.

The wish tickets stated my wish to leave the combat department dormitory and live in the club room, and for Aria to become a disciple of Professor Leora.

Flynn, having received the wish tickets, seemed to be done with her business, bowed her head again, and hurried away.

*

The next day, Flynn-sunbae knocked on the club room door again.

,Here are the results of your wish ticket usage. Well, then….

Having received the results, I bowed to the departing sunbae and checked the contents.

It simply stated [Wish Ticket Usage Approved – Nelson].

Aria had already received permission from Professor Leora, and I was the top student in the combat department and the runner-up in the first year, so permission was easily granted.

I placed the results on Aria’s face, who was lying on the sofa, scratching her stomach, and taking a nap, and headed to the combat department dormitory.

I organized the bed I used to use and put the remaining luggage into the space warehouse.

My roommates gave me puzzled looks as I emptied the bed, but they were awkward with me, so they couldn’t easily talk to me.

I didn’t feel the need to explain it to them either.

As I left the room and was about to leave the dormitory building to return to the club room, I happened to run into Roel, who was returning to the dormitory.

Roel, who met my gaze, faltered for a moment, but pretended not to see me and silently passed by my side, avoiding my gaze.

I was wondering if I should talk about Bella, but I smiled bitterly at Roel’s attitude. Roel was always like a big dog, running up to me and wagging his invisible tail enthusiastically.

It seems Roel is going to diligently grant my request to get out of my life.

***

This week passed by faster than I thought. Rather than feeling that way because I was playing around on Monday, it was because building a house on a deserted island was difficult.

At first, I only thought of it as a place to sleep, but when Aria, who was bored, casually started to interfere, and Lacar and Luna also started giving their opinions, things gradually started to get bigger.

As a result, instead of the small cabin I had initially planned, it became a matter of creating our own hideout on the deserted island where we could all have fun on the weekends.

Because of that, Aria and Luna also lent a hand in building the house.

Later, they said that they were planning to live here if they used their wish tickets, so the members were planning to create their own rooms like me.

Thanks to the blueprint that Kane worked hard on and Aria and Luna’s magic, building the house was faster than I thought. It felt like we had already completed 40% of it in less than a week.

Lacar cut down trees with his sturdy hands and laid the foundation by hammering them. Kane and I installed the bathroom and the (Aria strongly demanded) bubble bath.

Luna diligently carried tools and hovered around me, trying to help even a little, and Aria… diligently ran around.

When it was dinner time, we all left the Academy together and ate out. It was too tiring to cook, and we felt a bit sad to just go to a restaurant, so we all went out together.

I was having a good time eating honey beer and delicious steak when I had no choice but to put down my fork with a stiff face at the voice that suddenly rang in my head.

[Bella is in danger.]

It was the voice of Estelle, who I had asked to watch over Bella.