episode_0063

1.

“Kang.”

These were the first words I uttered after receiving treatment from a health worker near the testing center.

Because I felt like I had to make some kind of fox sound.

But soon I realized that it was broken for a moment and I hit my head hard.

“…Hmm.”

Now that the wounds have healed and the excitement has died down.

I was sitting alone on the bench, dazed.

I felt lonely for no reason so I looked for Ignis, but he was up on the exam room floor.

And the opponent was Van.

Looking at that picture reminds me of the fact that I just got ruthlessly eliminated in the round of 32.

I was thinking of casting a curse while looking at Ban’s profile.

“Ugh, I don’t know…”

He let out a long sigh and left the place.

The more I look at the round of 16, which might have been my seat, the more upset I feel.

I guess I’ll have to stay in the infirmary and die under the pretense of getting treatment for an injury.

The Academy, where midterms are held, is actually more like a festival.

If you’re not in a position to compete for rankings like me, you can just watch the sparring with peace of mind and get excited.

Even during the heavy period of midterms, this lively atmosphere is maintained.

But I felt uncomfortable because I was competing for the rankings.

-Thump, thump, thump…

Everyone is out at the training grounds, so the academy is relatively quiet.

A hallway so quiet that the sound of footsteps echoes around.

Bright day, clear sky, bright-faced children.

He is truly young, but he intentionally avoids attention and lingers in that atmosphere.

In the silent hallway, an idea suddenly comes to mind.

“That’s right. Kai oppa.”

The origin of the idea was a habit.

The habit of taking time to reflect on yourself through review immediately after a battle or a duel.

Since I had developed the habit of following Instructor Tachibesus’s words during the warrior club, I was thinking back on the battle of the 32nd round a little while ago.

What was revealed at the end was me, who was being pushed by Ban,

‘……..no.’

Kai’s brother’s intrusion.

In fact, even though I did a review, my memories during the sparring session are vague.

Is it that when you are running at full speed and are on the verge of losing your mind, you can’t even visualize the details?

But at the end of that blurry vision, my brother’s face appeared so clearly.

therefore.

Eyes so pitiful that they look like they might burst into tears at any moment.

Beautiful, trembling eyelashes and lips.

Tears hanging from the corners of the eyes.

All that comes to mind is an earnest expression I once saw.

‘Ah, when I first saw you, oppa. You had this kind of… expression back then too.’

That expression was very similar to the unforgettable expression I had seen when I first met my older brother.

And then, and now, I was in Kai’s arms.

“Eww…”

Suddenly, I felt an eerie feeling and scratched my forearm with my fingernails.

Is it because my brother’s appearance came to mind today?

The sight of her desperately embracing me gave me goosebumps for no reason.

As it was the first stimulation I felt when my mind became clear, the part where the lumpy muscles wrapped around my forearm felt hot.

The strange feeling of being suffocated by someone’s arms still remains in my body.

“…”

I don’t know why, but it’s this pressure or weight that I feel when I’m held in my brother’s arms.

Or maybe it’s the ticklish breath or the pounding of your heart that’s transmitted to my body.

“I feel good…”

It burst out in my head without me knowing.

I anxiously pricked up my ears to check if there was anyone around me, but fortunately the area was empty.

But the feeling of a soft embrace has also disappeared.

I tried to grab my own forearm a little, just a little, to get that feeling back.

“What are you doing… Eeee…”

The sight of her foolish self hugging him and the sight of her dazed self reflected in the window made me dizzy.

…When I thought about how I ended up doing something like this, I was thinking back to when I first met Kaioppa and when we met a little while ago.

It’s a bit strange that Kai oppa’s appearance at that time, my reaction, and even my vague memories are similar to now.

But when I think back to how I looked then and how I look now, I somehow find myself making a sour expression.

‘What should I say…’

As I walked down the hallway, thinking about what I wanted to say to my brother when I met him, I finally arrived at the infirmary.

-Knock knock.

The infirmary was so empty that the sound of the door opening was loud.

The school nurse must have gone to apply for the midterm exam because the only thing left on her calendar was the words ‘Out of town.’

In the first place, I received treatment from a member of the health club, so there is no need for follow-up measures.

-Squeak

“Sigh…”

I lay down on the creaking bed.

I failed my exam and I feel so depressed that I have no energy.

I just laid down on the bed, wanting to heal my emotional wounds on the soft bed.

At the same time, a presence was felt.

‘…Huh? There’s someone there?’

The sunlight streaming through the window brightly illuminated the infirmary.

And the light was casting a human shadow on the curtain of the bed next to me.

Just like a shadow play.

‘Hey, I liked it for nothing. This makes me feel a bit uncomfortable…’

I am reminded of the courtesy I received growing up in a noble family called the Shukeros.

And a word of advice my mother gave to me, who was a particularly tomboyish person.

‘Even if you’re a mess when you’re alone, be polite when you have someone around.’

That’s why, when I become aware that there are people around, I feel like I need to straighten my posture and straighten my body.

Or just lie down in an upright position.

But the reason my body was stiff wasn’t just because of manners.

“You really thought it through well…! I’m so glad…”

“Oh my.”

After a few conversations, a relatively loud voice rings out.

Because two shadows merged into one.

‘Is there a reason for such intense contact between a doctor and a patient!?’

And that doctor happened to be Uni.

I mistook Uni’s delicate and timid voice for a happy and active one.

It was definitely Uni and the other person.

Shadows are seen in their size, their shape, their voice, and their scent.

It was Kai oppa.

-pat

And then his hand reached out and he patted me on the back?

It was obviously a hug, since there was no way that Yuni would suddenly rush towards her brother’s chest.

It was a hug that burst out because she couldn’t contain her joy.

“Ah, ah, I’m sorry, I was so happy that I made a mistake…”

After that, Uni’s shadow moved backwards.

The first thought that came to mind when I was expressing my embarrassment with a motion of covering my mouth and looking around.

‘Kai Oppa, he hugged someone. Not me. Someone else.’

It was a thought that floated through my head as I walked down the hallway.

‘Is Yuni acting like a fox?’

It was a feeling of irritation at his friend’s cheeky side.

Of course, he was unaware that he was projecting his own actions onto Uni’s appearance.

“Whew~ Doctor, is the atmosphere good?”

It was Taina who threw away her manners and started a fight first.

…

Somehow the situation was resolved.

I dragged Uni out semi-forcibly.

In fact, rather than saying that he was dragged out, he was brought to the bedside for treatment purposes.

It was just portrayed with a bit of urgency and a hint of timidity that was brought out by Uni’s timid appearance.

“Uni.”

“Uh, huh? Why, Tyana?”

She hasn’t been like that lately, but she looks just like when we first met.

A timid Uni who trembles, looks around, and stutters when speaking.

I came to my senses when I saw that Uni.

“Hooo…”

I pressed my eyes shut to calm my confused mind for no reason.

Because the upturned eyes like a fox make people feel uneasy, especially a child like Yuni.

“Do you know Kai oppa?”

What came out of his mouth had nothing to do with treatment, but it was a story I was so curious about that I couldn’t stand it.

“You seem a little different from your usual self. So you’ve become more passive, or rather more active than usual? Oh. You seem unfamiliar. ”

“Ah, ahhhh…”

Yuni lowered her head, perhaps remembering the sudden rash from earlier.

And he spoke in a voice as small as an ant.

“When I was treating, my head was filled with only the treatment and the spirit, so… Thanks to that, I could speak well at that time.”

“But wasn’t that a little while ago unrelated to treatment?”

“Oops…”

This time, I unconsciously found fault with it.

But maybe it’s because of my will to find the answer that I do this without realizing it.

“Well, actually…”

“Really?”

“Also, it’s a bit more comfortable with people who are older than you than people of the same age, so… I guess…”

“…Huh? What does that mean?”

When I think about Uni’s appearance, it seems like she was a child who was awkward in dealing with people…

But Uni gave the answer.

“Same age. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a personal relationship… Is it because they’re inflexible… No, is it because they don’t know how to keep the line… It’s an intangible relationship…”

“I see.”

Let’s respond appropriately. Yuni continued speaking with a much more relaxed expression on her face.

“But maybe because I played with my dad a lot when I was young, I feel more comfortable with old people, no, no! people who are a little older than me… Even if I act like a kid… no, the line itself is a little different, so I don’t have to worry about it…? That’s how I feel…”

“Ah~ Really?”

But isn’t it a little weird to compare your dad and Kai?

Even though he’s older, he looks like he’s about the same age as us…

I wonder if the line will change significantly if you just keep going.

“And Uncle Kai…”

“Huh? Sir?”

“…Huh? What’s the problem?”

“No. What did the old man say?

If you are older, you can call him ‘uncle’.

I thought about it that way and then I became curious about the story, so I waited quietly for the conversation.

“Something about this uncle… He has a similar vibe to my dad. It’s a familiar vibe…”

I wasn’t that curious, but since Uni seemed to be having fun talking, I was just eager to follow the conversation.

When I finished organizing it in my head.

-Wowwowwowwowwow

I could hear the kids shouting, signaling the end of the midterm exam.

“Ah, midterms!! Sorry, Taina. I’ll go first!”

“Yeah. I’m fine, so you don’t have to be sorry.”

Yuni realized she had been away too long and ran out of the infirmary.

Only then was I able to turn my gaze and face Kai.

“Brother.”

“Huh?”

“I have a lot to say.”

“Really? Ugh.”

My brother got up from the bed and held out his hand to me, who was sitting on the bed.

I naturally accepted such consideration.

“Let’s go to the cabin. I have a lot to say.”

With those words, I headed to my brother’s cabin.