Ch.11Chapter 11

# Thursday Morning

Thursday morning was a day for first-year lectures. The lecture was titled “About Demon Gods.” As with lectures for other years, the Professor introduced me by having me stand beside her.

Just like before, I paid enough attention not to trip while climbing onto the platform, so I was able to stand comfortably. Though I did have to tighten my belt once in a while.

As I quietly held my head up, everyone was whispering about me. Rather than looks of surprise, the overwhelming atmosphere was more like “so the rumors were true.”

Since I had already made my presence known during the second and third-year lectures, it seemed inevitable that rumors would spread before the next lecture.

I wondered if they had spread to other departments too.

“Today we’ll have a simple orientation. If anyone wants to ask Ourr questions, you can do so in order.”

Just like with the other years, these first-years bombarded me with questions. While seeing a Demon God for the first time was the same for all years, I could somewhat understand the first-years’ excitement since they encountered this opportunity the moment they entered the Academy.

The barrage of questions continued without any particular standard, ranging from questions about Demon Gods to personal inquiries.

I answered what I could, declined what I couldn’t or didn’t want to answer, and soon it was Karen’s turn.

“Equipment?”

Equipment. A word that treated me like an object. It was also a term used to refer to research tools typically found in a laboratory. Karen uttered that word while looking at me with a subtle expression.

It was because the Professor had introduced me as equipment. Though there was absolutely no mention of borrowing me or anything like that, it was only natural to consider the possibility upon hearing the word “equipment.”

Karen’s red eyes briefly scanned me before she carefully extended her hand.

“No, I just… wondered if we could hang out together sometime.”

“That’s fine. Come to think of it…”

I gently took Karen’s hand and pulled it slightly as if saying “come here.” Karen, as if on cue, quietly leaned forward. I whispered in her ear.

“I got a phone. We can exchange contacts if you want.”

I quickly pulled away, thinking it might look strange if we stayed close for too long.

Karen heard my words and her lips twitched. Then she mouthed the words “after class” to me. I nodded.

After the simple introduction and orientation ended, I finally sighed with relief, thinking I’d been just about everywhere now.

“Wasn’t it a bit easier today?”

“I think it’s because rumors spread from the second and third years… it was easier. They were somewhat calmer…”

I still trembled remembering the barrage of questions from the second and third years. I wrapped my arms around myself, recalling that chaos I never wanted to experience again.

As we walked down the hallway, I heard the sound of someone running quickly behind us. Turning around to see what was happening, sure enough, I saw Karen returning after the lecture had ended.

Perhaps she thought it would look odd to leave together from the start, so she left with a slight delay? Either way, I had no trouble understanding and welcomed her.

“You’re here, hi.”

“Oh, yes. You said you got a new phone…”

“Feel free to talk comfortably. I’d be happy if you became friends with Ourr.”

Karen caught her breath. The Professor stepped back with a smile.

I took out the phone I had carefully kept in my inner pocket. A good phone with a jelly case—a combination that seemed reassuring yet somehow difficult to feel completely at ease with. I unlocked the screen and showed it to Karen.

“Oh, I memorized the numbers yesterday, so if you tell me your number, I’ll try to write it down!”

I spoke with a slightly nervous voice. It was simple yet somehow confusing—could I really not memorize these ten digits? This doubt squeezed my heart.

Karen looked at me with wide eyes, then chuckled and slowly recited her number.

“…Um, um. I wrote it all down… is this right?”

To be honest, I wasn’t confident. Though it was supposedly a language I didn’t know from beginning to end, I still felt self-conscious about making mistakes, causing my voice to become small.

When I handed the phone to Karen, she nodded.

“Yes, it’s all correct. Did you study yesterday?”

“Yes. The Professor taught me.”

“Well done. Can you write names too?”

I lowered my head. As I quietly stared at the nameplate hanging around my neck, Karen continued as if she’d received my answer.

“Then I’ll write my name for you. Wait a moment…”

Karen quickly moved her fingers, tap-tap. Unfamiliar characters, a keyboard layout that matched those characters. Thinking about it, typing like Karen seemed like a distant goal for me. It was like an unattainable level.

As I stared at her, Karen slightly averted her gaze.

“There, I wrote it.”

“…So this is how ‘Karen’ is written.”

I quietly looked at the name Karen had written. Though I couldn’t memorize it immediately, I felt confident I could quickly learn it by looking at the contact list.

“I saved it… I’ll call you now?”

“Oh, yes!”

Karen also took out her phone from her pocket. She immediately answered my call, saved my number, and showed it to me.

“Ourr.”

“Ourr.”

A voice calling my name. I echoed my own name. Glancing down at the list, I saw the same characters written there.

I really should learn to write my own name at least.

It felt like I had a new assignment—something more basic yet essential than what Academy students typically learned. But it wasn’t bad. Compared to the time when I couldn’t learn to write and stayed in the lab all the time, this was much more enjoyable.

“Well, I should go eat lunch now. I promised to eat with my classmates.”

“Really? You became friends quickly. Enjoy your meal.”

“Yes, enjoy your meal too, Ourr. Professor, enjoy your meal as well!”

Karen walked away toward where her friends were. The Professor watched her go with a pleased expression, as if even that was something good. Noticing my gaze, the Professor cleared her throat.

“First-years are somehow… unspoiled, I guess? They just seem so fresh.”

“I think so too…”

Second-years seemed similar, but third-years felt different. And graduate students were completely different. I found myself agreeing with this observation.

“Well, shall we go eat lunch too?”

“What would you like to eat?”

“Let’s think about it after we go out.”

I followed the Professor to get lunch.

After lunch, I felt drowsy. Returning to the lab and feeling the spring sunlight, I felt a slight regret. Drowsy, wanting to sleep. It felt like I was missing something by not being able to indulge in such feelings.

If I were a student who had to attend lectures, this body would be much better, but it felt somewhat strange that I had this body despite not needing to attend lectures.

Still, I decided to be satisfied with the fact that I could sleep if I wanted to, and curled up. I pressed my face against the desk, rubbing my cheek against its cold surface. As I stared at the Professor while enjoying the cool sensation, she chuckled at me. Wondering if my pressed cheek looked strange, I lifted my face.

Knock knock.

Just as I raised my head, I heard someone knocking on the lab door. I quickly turned to look at the door, which opened with a creaking sound.

Blue hair and emerald eyes. It was Sera.

“Hello…? I came to borrow Ourr…”

“Oh, hi?”

I immediately recognized Sera and greeted her. She shifted her gaze from the Professor to me and waved.

“You’re here to take Ourr?”

“Yes, I thought since she’s equipment, she could attend lectures with me. I already got permission from the other professor. They said they could trust her under Professor Yuria’s guidance…”

“Well, if that’s the case… Ourr, listen well in class.”

“Huh?”

Listen well in a third-year lecture? Wait, wasn’t I supposed to help write magic formulas?

I suddenly felt like I’d been hit on the back of my head. I tried to recall our conversation from yesterday.

…I don’t think she said there wouldn’t be a lecture. Did I just mistakenly assume I’d have free time?

My mind went blank. As I stood frozen, repeatedly thinking about this until I was overwhelmed, I furrowed my brow. Sera saw this and gasped.

“Ourr frowned…!”

“No, no! I just didn’t know I’d be attending lectures too… that’s why I made that face…”

As I slightly turned my head and spoke in a gloomy voice, Sera seemed to recall the skirt incident and patted my back.

“It’s okay. There probably won’t be many students with overlapping lectures. Each lecture has about 40 students anyway.”

“Really…?”

I hummed and seriously considered the situation. Since I had already agreed to go, it was awkward to back out now, though thinking about it wouldn’t change anything.

“Ourr, are you not going?”

“I am going… but, you know, I’m equipment so I don’t get credits!”

That’s what I was—someone who could audit classes at the Academy despite not being a student. Someone who could be the 41st person in a class with a capacity of 40 regardless of year. That was me.

As I jumped up and confidently declared this, the Professor quietly added from the side:

“I’d like to give Ourr an A+.”

“Really?”

“Of course, Ourr isn’t a student who receives grades.”

“Oh, really…?”

I found myself brightening at the mention of good grades without even realizing it. It’s not like I would advance in life with grades anyway. Why was I so excited? This is all because of grade supremacy.

While thinking these silly thoughts that no one would pay attention to, the homonym for “grades” came to mind. Though “grade supremacy” probably didn’t refer to that kind of “grade,” the fact that this thought occurred to me was probably because of a certain someone who had said unnecessary things to me.

This is all Sera’s fault.

I thought this while glaring at Sera. Meanwhile, Sera, seemingly unaware of my threatening gaze, was gently touching my cheek.

“It’s soft.”

“Right?”

It was a bit annoying that she was bonding with the Professor over this.

“That’s me…”