Ch.174173. Goodbye Is Not Forever

# 173. Goodbye Is Not Forever

A time of ecstasy that was not short by any means, yet felt infinitely brief.

After that moment when, as she had said, we could get addicted to it, we lay comfortably in bed together and began talking about everything that had happened.

“I, I lost. You already know that, right? Since you met the person involved.”

“Yes, but I won. You probably already know that too.”

When I boasted like that, she reacted as if she had expected me to do so.

It seemed she had anticipated and worried about this all along.

“I thought this might happen… I tried my best to win…”

“But I won because I was lucky, really.”

“You don’t actually think that inside…”

“How did you know?”

“It’s obvious… Well… But you really did win. Honestly, I thought you’d lose.”

For some reason, those words felt quite awkward.

As if she didn’t actually think that at all.

“I knew I would win.”

“Sure… of course you did… More importantly…! Was it fun…?”

That question seemed like a threat demanding me to say it wasn’t fun.

Regardless of her intention behind the question, that’s how it felt to me.

“It wasn’t fun.”

“Um… you don’t have to answer without thinking…”

“It really wasn’t fun.”

Hearing those words, the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile.

Her reaction proved that was exactly what she wanted to hear.

Maintaining that expression, she asked me:

“So what happened with Luna?”

“She didn’t confess?”

“Huh?”

“Even though she said she’d make you fall for her…”

Hearing this, she made a genuinely puzzled expression.

Seeing her face like that made me laugh.

“What…!?”

“She was talking nonsense.”

“Can I… believe that?”

“You’d believe it even if I told you not to…”

“Of course! You’re my person!”

“That sounds really nice to hear…”

My person.

Hearing those words made me feel like I’d already succeeded in life.

‘How many people could possibly hear words like this from her…?’

Excluding family, it would probably only be Riel.

Realizing this fact gave me an immense sense of superiority.

“That’s a relief…”

“So you’re leaving soon, right?”

“Yes… in two weeks at the latest…”

“Wait for me there. I’ll follow you once I become a Special Forces soldier.”

“Then… you won’t come until then…?”

With an expression like a puppy waiting for its owner, seeing her face made it impossible for me to say I wouldn’t go.

“Well… if I don’t have time, I might not be able to go.”

“Come visit sometimes… I’ll be bored… okay…?”

I embraced her as she pleaded with me to visit occasionally, acting cute.

Then, caressing her infinitely slender and soft body, I said:

“Alright, I’ll visit sometimes during breaks or when I have time.”

“But… why aren’t you dead? We just did it.”

“That… I don’t know either.”

“Want to do it one more time…?”

“Uh…”

“I want to…”

It seemed impossible to keep my promise to Chris.

“Don’t even think about sleeping tonight. It’s all noona’s fault.”

***

In the dueling arena, peaceful as always, the usual guardians were gathered today as well.

However, it felt like quite a while since we’d been here, probably because of the school trip.

“When is that bastard coming?”

“Who?”

“Our new party leader.”

She had handed over the party leadership to him, so now he was supposed to lead this party.

But he was late on his first day.

And quite severely late at that.

Chris was waiting for him, who had yet to show up at the dueling arena, and Luna cautiously suggested to him:

“Let’s just start without him… he’ll probably show up while we’re at it…”

“Tch, fine… let’s do that.”

“How do we split the teams?”

“Obviously it’s us versus the rest.”

As I appeared saying that, Chris stared at me intensely, as if he’d already caught someone.

He seemed more than just a little upset.

So I immediately bent my body at a 90-degree angle.

“Sorry…”

“Why are you late?”

“Well, I didn’t mean to be late, but there were unavoidable circumstances… it’s a really long story.”

“Summarize it in one line.”

“I overslept.”

“You fucking bastard.”

“Come to think of it, that is the summary.”

I couldn’t exactly tell him I was late because I was doing that…

Even to me, it sounded like a garbage excuse.

After receiving that well-deserved curse, I looked at her, who could be considered the root cause of this incident.

She blushed and avoided my gaze, and my face heated up in response.

“A-Anyway… let’s begin.”

Everyone was looking at us with expressions that seemed to say “I don’t need to see the video to know what happened.”

Apparently, they all already knew without needing any explanation.

Afterward, they all headed to the dueling arena, sighing with varying degrees of intensity.

“Everyone… seems to know… or is it just my imagination?”

“Only an idiot wouldn’t know. You came together and were both late.”

“I guess so…”

“Let’s go up too. If we stay here like this, they’ll probably say something again.”

The last days I could spend with her every day.

I planned to enjoy those two weeks as much as possible.

Because we would have to be apart for a while after that.

And she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

During those two weeks, we were almost always together.

When waking up, eating meals, training, sleeping…

Except for class time, we were always together.

As we spent each day like that, I thought:

‘This feels like a vacation.’

A two-week gift for me, who couldn’t enjoy the school trip.

However, unlike the school trip, those two weeks passed by at bullet-like speed.

Even though it wasn’t such a short period.

Happy moments truly seemed unable to last long.

But it didn’t matter much; this was enough.

I came to see her off with a rather calm expression, contrary to my expectations.

There were many students here, not just her.

“There seem to be quite a few people like noona.”

“I think they’re a bit different from me…? Those people are going for overseas training.”

“It’s roughly similar, so let’s just say it is.”

“You seem surprisingly unbothered. I was hoping you’d cry and make a fuss about me leaving.”

No matter how sad I felt, I wouldn’t do something like that.

Not with so many people around.

At this point, the embarrassment would overcome the sadness.

“Besides, I’ve never seen couples who part with such drama end up well.”

“That could be us though.”

“I don’t want to take unnecessary risks, and I’d probably want to die of embarrassment if I did something like that.”

A red train appeared behind her at some point—the train heading to the Orion Kingdom.

After confirming the train, I said to her:

“Take care.”

“It feels a bit disappointing to leave like this… Can’t you give me a goodbye kiss at least?”

“Do you think that’s possible? I’m already dying of anxiety…”

Perhaps because news had spread about her heading to the Orion Kingdom as a support soldier, there were quite a few journalists looking for her.

To do something like that in this situation…

It was truly nonsensical.

But it didn’t seem like such a terrible idea either.

“You say that, but you’re slowly moving closer?”

“Be quiet, we might get caught.”

After saying that, we quietly pressed our lips together in that tense atmosphere.

Her infinitely soft lips and her embarrassment at boldly kissing in such a situation.

Thinking that I wouldn’t see such a sight for a while made me a bit sad.

I asked her, who looked satisfied:

“Better now?”

“Yes, I feel a bit better now, more at ease.”

“That’s good, and it seems the journalists didn’t notice either.”

Despite what we did, there was no particular reaction from those around us.

The people nearby seemed to just think of us as a peculiar couple.

“It’s because I disguised myself well.”

“Those glasses… don’t really suit you. Don’t wear them normally.”

“Of course I won’t.”

“Anyway, take care over there, and don’t be too sad without me.”

“Ugh…”

“And don’t neglect your training just because I’m not around.”

She spoke as if she’d heard those words hundreds of times.

“Suddenly… nagging…”

“You need to work hard since you’re weaker than me.”

“Want to have a match right now?”

“Unfortunately, that’s impossible. Hurry up or you’ll miss the train.”

“You work hard too, Albert. Just try not to become a Special Forces soldier after graduation?”

“What will you do if I don’t make it?”

“That… I’ll think about it when the time comes…”

We won’t be able to joke around like this anymore.

Thinking about that fact made me want to stay with her a little longer.

“Um… call me later when you have time. I’ll answer anytime.”

“Oh…”

“Why are you impressed…”

“I just felt a little flutter in my heart.”

With those words, she turned toward the train.

Then she bid me farewell.

“Alright. I’ll contact you when I have time. Goodbye.”

After saying that, she waved her hand lightly and entered the train.

Afterward, left alone at the station, I repeated the last words she had left me with.

“Goodbye, huh…”

Thinking about hearing those words again when we next meet made me look forward to our reunion.

Because goodbye is not forever.