Ch.21Chapter 21

I was quietly watching TV. While I couldn’t read, I could still see and hear, so I found it interesting to watch.

The best thing about TV was that it had subtitles. I could roughly figure out what people called things and how to read them, which made learning letters easier.

Simple words like “news,” for instance. I’d already learned numbers before, so now I could read that this was the “9 o’clock news.” My reading skills were more like guesswork, but I firmly believed that by the time my guesses turned into certainty, I’d be better than I was yesterday.

I sat on the sofa, humming and waving the remote control. I wasn’t planning to change the channel, so I didn’t press anything.

The Professor, having finished her household chores, dried her hands and stepped into the living room. Curious about what program I was watching, she paused and fixed her gaze on the TV screen.

After a brief silence, she spoke first.

“Does Ourr like the news? Is it because you can learn various things?”

“I just like how they read the text clearly.”

“Is that how you knew the word ‘festival’ before?”

The Professor seemed to recall how I had slowly read a pamphlet a week ago. I’m not sure how she remembered such a small detail. Perhaps that’s what it takes to be a professor.

She plopped down on the sofa next to me. Ignoring her, I swung my legs while watching the news report about being careful of spring pollen.

I heard it’s tough for people with pollen allergies.

As I watched blankly, the Professor glanced at me. Feeling her gaze, I glanced back, and our eyes met briefly.

“…What is it?”

It was a bit awkward, but since I wasn’t the one who looked first, I asked casually. The Professor lightly touched the hem of my clothes.

“Nothing, just that you’re cute.”

I wasn’t sure if she had something she wanted to say or what it was, but if she was going to brush it off like this, she probably wouldn’t answer even if I asked. So I just stayed quiet.

Is it because my clothes are too big? But considering I used to have a chest, this size seems right.

I slumped my shoulders while watching the news. Today was another day of learning a few new words.

Time passed quite quickly. Perhaps because I went to the Academy on Saturday, the weekend seemed to fly by after just one day of rest.

Today was Monday, the first day back to school. Though I wasn’t working, I felt a bit sad that the comfortable time spent wearing my new clothes was over.

Still, I didn’t think it was bad since there would be nothing boring or tedious at the Academy.

Humming, I got dressed. I buttoned up my shirt and skirt and put on my coat. The looseness was something I was used to by now. As I tightened my belt, the Professor also put on her coat.

“How long will you wear that, Professor?”

“…This? Well, I suppose I can’t wear it when it gets hot.”

The same applied to me. I couldn’t imagine myself walking around in just a shirt, so I let out an involuntary “hmm.” As I looked down at my coat for a while, the Professor asked me instead.

“Why? Have you grown attached to your coat?”

“No, it just feels like something would be missing without it.”

I shook my head at the Professor’s words. I patted my clothes to straighten them, then stood up abruptly to check if my skirt was secure.

After checking that she had everything, the Professor smiled at me.

“Ourr, shall we go then?”

“Yes.”

Monday was a day with morning lectures. The thought of going to where the second-years were made me feel overwhelmed already. In the first year, there was Karen, and in the third year, there were Sera and Aria, but I hadn’t really made any friends in the second year yet.

But it would be strange for me to approach someone in the second year just to make friends.

Some might dislike me because I’m a Demon God, or they might want to keep their distance internally. If I approached first, both the person rejecting and me being rejected would feel awkward.

Given the reason, I judged it was right to be careful when making friends.

We headed to the Academy. Students with morning lectures dragged their feet. The Professor arrived earlier than the students, but it was interesting to see that there were still students arriving at that time.

“The air is nice.”

The Professor took a breath of the morning air and made that observation. Despite the cool air that felt like it would freeze my insides, it wasn’t bad, so I also took a breath.

Taking in the cold air with a deep “hup,” I was greeted by that air that can only be felt around dawn.

“Phew.”

“Nice?”

“Yes.”

While walking through the Academy’s internal streets, I noticed a vending machine in the corner. As I glanced to see what drinks were inside, the Professor was taking out her wallet beside me.

With a jingling sound, coins appeared in the Professor’s hand.

“Is there something you’d like to drink?”

That wasn’t my intention, but now that she offered, I would gladly drink something, so I looked up. Though I couldn’t read what was written, I could guess what the products were.

“…I’ll have that one.”

I pointed to the orange juice at the top. The Professor looked at the orange juice I pointed to and inserted the coins. The vending machine swallowed the coins with a clinking sound. When she pressed the illuminated button, the orange juice fell with a thud.

“Wait, don’t put your hand in.”

As I crouched down to open the compartment to get the can, the Professor stopped me. Just as I looked up at her, another can fell into the open compartment with a loud thud.

I flinched in surprise. Looking closely to see what the sound was, I saw that a can of coffee had been added along with the orange juice.

Of course, the Professor needed something to drink too. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my head and smiled awkwardly. The Professor then roughly tousled my hair.

“Aaack.”

I let out a small groan as my vision shook. I had nothing to say since I had thoughtlessly tried to take my drink without considering the Professor, so I silently took out both cans.

When I handed her the coffee, the Professor said, “I’ll enjoy it,” and took it. Why would she say “I’ll enjoy it” when she bought it with her own money? Putting aside this trivial question, I took a sip of the cold orange juice in my hand.

The orange juice in the morning, with the dawn air still lingering, was incredibly refreshing. So much that my body shivered.

After entering the research lab, the Professor began organizing her lecture materials. Being Monday, she seemed to have a lot to do. Since I couldn’t help her busy movements, I started studying on my own.

The writing on the can was indeed “orange juice.” It seemed that fruit juices typically had their names written directly on them.

While writing “orange juice,” I also learned that this was “orange” and this was “juice.” I thought I would definitely be able to order pancakes and juice confidently when I went to a restaurant later.

As I was humming and writing, the Professor approached me.

“Shall we go now?”

“Yees.”

“Your handwriting is getting prettier.”

“I’m practicing hard.”

If you’re growing, you might feel things getting easier over time, but if you’re shrinking, you can’t help but feel things getting more uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if I was growing again or not, but my suddenly smaller hands didn’t seem suitable for writing.

Still, I should be proud of myself for adapting.

“Let’s go.”

I organized the paper I had been diligently writing on. Then, hugging it to my chest, I headed to the classroom with the Professor.

Second-year “Principles of Demon God Birth” lecture. Inside, Iris, who had touched my head before, slightly raised her hand in greeting. Realizing that her light blue hair was quite noticeable, I waved my hand slightly.

“Ourr greeted you.”

“Hello!”

It was a greeting meant for Iris sitting at the back, but the students who saw my greeting thought it was for everyone coming in and waved back at me.

I was a bit nervous, but thinking this might be an opportunity, I quickly scanned the room.

As a Demon God, I needed to distinguish between friendly and hostile people to have a smooth Academy life going forward.

“Well, I’ll start the lecture now, so Ourr, go sit wherever you want.”

“Yes.”

I grabbed my papers and climbed up the steps. I felt awkward going to where friends were sitting together, so I went to the very top corner where Iris was and took a seat.

“Hello, Iris?”

“You remembered my name.”

Iris said that and then tapped the nameplate hanging around her neck. It wasn’t an officially made card nameplate, but just a laminated tag made with little money.

Looking at it quietly, I tilted my head.

“Huh, you’re wearing a nameplate?”

“Yes. Everyone should be wearing one.”

Perhaps overhearing our conversation, a student sitting just below us turned around.

“I have a name too. Want to see?”

“…Oh, ohh.”

I expressed admiration, but I couldn’t read the name.

It seemed they were being considerate of me, but suddenly I found myself having to learn the names of all the students attending this lecture.

“Ah, Iris… Louise… Ra, Rai?”

“Rain.”

“Ah! Rain!”

Honestly, there were so many that my head hurt.