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The results of the poll is out and… wow. I honestly expected most of you to pick 3 or 2 hmm. Well, I guess I have a Kofi account now.

It should be linked on the scribblehub page, so I suppose if you want to support me, you are free to do so.

Though, don’t feel obligated to do it. It’s your money after all, heh.

Enjoy the chapter~

Early morning.

Eugene woke up habitually from his sleep.

Checking the time on the clock hanging on one wall of the hospital room, it was precisely 5:00 AM.

It was the time he always woke up.

On a normal day, he would have immediately tidied up the bed sheets and blanket before heading out for morning training. But now, he was a patient admitted to the hospital.

Eugene slightly lifted the hem of his patient gown, looking down at his bandaged body.

Though he was recovering quickly, overexertion would only reopen his healing wounds.

He had to refrain from any strenuous activity until fully healed.

Naturally, training was out of the question.

This felt unfamiliar to Eugene.

Since becoming a supernatural, not once had he skipped a day of training.

Whether it was raining or shining, regardless of his physical condition, and no matter how special the day, Eugene’s flame of diligence had never wavered.

But now, he couldn’t ignite it.

Just yesterday, he had attempted some light exercise, only to be scolded at length by the nurse.

Eugene let out a deep sigh.

His body itched for activity. He longed to push himself to his physical limit, to sweat until he was drenched.

But he held back. If they said he could be discharged in less than a week, he resolved to endure until then.

“If I can’t move my body…”

Eugene sat up straight on the bed, folding his legs beneath him.

The rest his body needed did not extend to his mind.

He closed his eyes, seeing only darkness.

Eugene retrieved memories from the past and painted them onto the dark canvas.

The high-rank monster.

The Sun Sword.

The sound of thunder.

For a first real battle, it had gone decently well.

No, it went remarkably well.

After all, he was just a first-year student who had entered the academy a month ago, fighting a high-rank monster.

And it was his first life-or-death combat experience.

The encounter had given him rare insights, and through the process, he experienced rapid growth.

Yet, Eugene’s heart was far from at ease.

It was clumsy. Must’ve been due to my lack of experience. My judgments were off, and my reactions were slow. Luck—there’s no other way to put it.

It was a miracle Eugene had survived.

Fortune had smiled upon him.

In the battle against the high-rank monster, he had come close to death countless times—more times than he could count.

He had been too slow to adapt to unexpected situations. He had made several poor decisions.

He had blocked attacks he could have dodged, and tried to evade those he couldn’t.

If it hadn’t been for the assistant homeroom teacher, Si-ul, he wouldn’t have survived. Forget victory—he would’ve been a lifeless corpse by now.

“In hindsight, it wasn’t even a victory.”

He had let his guard down after believing he’d won, only to nearly be struck down.

If Lucia hadn’t been there… he would’ve died.

Ultimately, the captain of the second division eliminated the high-rank monster.

Eugene could only watch from the sidelines.

That strike…

Lightning.

The flash of a thunderous slash had cleaved the high-rank monster in two in an instant.

The technique demonstrated precise control—restraining excessive force, compressing it, yet maintaining stability.

Witnessing it, Eugene had been struck by an indescribable shock.

The perfected form of the Sun Sword.

Though slightly different in shape and composition, it had taken Eugene’s incomplete ultimate skill and stripped away all unnecessary elements, leaving only the essentials for a one-strike-kill technique.

“Could I replicate it now?”

He acknowledged his shortcomings. He understood what he had overdone.

But could he do it?

Eugene couldn’t answer his own question.

He wouldn’t know until he tried.

Part of him wanted to run out of the hospital room and test it immediately.

But he forced himself to resist. The Sun Sword put too much strain on his body. In his current condition, using it would only prolong his hospital stay.

If he couldn’t physically attempt it, he would etch it into his mind instead.

Eugene began mental training.

Compress the fire.

Let it rotate repeatedly, further compressing it.

Using the sword as an axis, create a miniature sun.

Eugene extended his arm diagonally, clenching his fist.

At his fingertips, a small flame flickered like a candlelight.

At the same time, he recalled the first time he had used the Sun Sword.

He compared his past self to his present self.

Back then, it was his first time wielding the ultimate skill he had theorized. The compression and rotation had been clumsy.

He had lost control of the force, accidentally burning his own hand.

Now, he wouldn’t make such a foolish mistake.

If I burn myself again, Lucia said she’d bite me…

Eugene nodded absentmindedly at a sudden thought, only to flinch and tense his shoulders in surprise.

What am I even thinking right now?

That was meant as a warning to be careful, not a literal threat to bite.

His face flushed red, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.

The thought he’d conjured up himself felt so awkward and mortifying.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he resumed his mental training.

But for some reason, the intrusive thoughts wouldn’t go away.

The soft sensation.

The gentle way those pink lips curled around his fingers.

His hands must have been much hotter, but the warmth inside Lucia’s mouth had felt even more intense.

Her flowing golden hair cascaded like silk.

The sweet, tender breath.

Those eyes gazed up at him while biting his fingers.

Eugene swallowed hard.

The petite girl refused to leave his mind.

That mischievous smile she wore.

The way she mimicked biting with her small, delicate hands.

Eugene massaged his face, pressing down his cheeks to push out the distracting thoughts.

This wasn’t the time to get lost in such daydreams.

While his memories of the battle were still vivid, he needed to focus on revisiting and refining his techniques.

…It was so soft.

But once the thought arose, it wouldn’t subside easily.

Lucia’s hands were porcelain-white, soft, and small.

Not just her hands, either.

Compared to Eugene, everything about her was petite—her height, her frame, everything.

Of course, it was natural, considering the biological differences between genders.

And she had such a pleasant scent.

She didn’t seem to use perfume; the scent must have been her natural fragrance.

A mixture of sweat and soil—an earthy, untarnished aroma.

Is that how all girls smell?

Eugene pondered, but no answer came to him.

After becoming a supernatural, he had been so focused on training that he had no experience or knowledge about the opposite sex.

Lucia.

What kind of person was she?

Honestly, he didn’t know much about her.

It made sense—before their field training, they hadn’t interacted at all.

Although they were in the same class, being classmates didn’t mean they were close.

If anything, Eugene had paid some attention to Lucia even before the field training.

But it wasn’t Lucia herself who had caught his interest.

It was the girl who was always with her—Alice—that had drawn his attention.

The girl who resembled his deceased younger sister.

And her close friend, Lucia.

To Eugene, Lucia had been no more than that—a peripheral figure.

He let out a deep sigh from the depths of his chest.

His emotions felt tangled.

It was the first time he felt this way, and he couldn’t even define what it was.

There was only one thing he was sure of.

He wanted to see Lucia again.

To learn more about her…

“I can’t focus.”

In the end, Eugene gave up on his image training.

Even when he tried to concentrate, Lucia’s face kept surfacing in his mind.

He also remembered that she was also admitted to the same hospital.

Would it be okay to visit her?

Eugene opened his eyes.

It seemed he had been meditating for quite a while, as bright sunlight was streaming through the window.

As he turned his head to check the clock, he was met with golden hair shimmering in the light.

“Lucia…?”

For a moment, Eugene wondered if he was hallucinating.

But, of course, it wasn’t an illusion or a trick of the eye.

The girl in front of him was the real Lucia.

What was she doing here?

“A-Ahaha… Hey?”

Lucia, halfway out of her seat, settled back onto the chair.

She waved her hand with a gentle smile.

“Sorry. You seemed like you were concentrating. Did I disturb you?”

Eugene’s mind raced faster than ever.

He quickly pieced together the situation.

“No, if anything, I’m the one who’s sorry. I had something on my mind…”

When had she even arrived?

He’d been so focused on meditating that he hadn’t noticed her coming in.

Judging by how she seemed about to leave, she must have waited quietly not to disturb him, only to grow tired and prepare to leave.

“Don’t worry about it. I just got here myself.”

As if reading his thoughts, Lucia reassured him with a smile.

Eugene felt a bit of relief—only for his ears to suddenly feel hot.

Did I make any strange faces just now?

He cautiously glanced at Lucia.

Thankfully, it seemed no such embarrassment had occurred.

There was no sign of reluctance in Lucia’s demeanor.

Wait… isn’t Lucia’s face… red?

Not only was her face flushed, but she was also sweating.

She looked as though she might be suffering from a fever, prompting Eugene to speak up with concern.

“Hey, you’re sweating a lot. Are there any wounds that haven’t healed?”

“No, I’m fine. All my wounds have healed. Want to see?”

“Ah? N-no! I’m good!”

Lucia nonchalantly grabbed the hem of her hospital gown.

Without hesitation, she began to lift it, and Eugene, panicking, grabbed her wrist to stop her.

His gaze briefly fell on her slender, toned waist before quickly averting his eyes.

Lucia tilted her head in confusion, staring at him—then suddenly, her face turned bright red.

It seemed she had realized what she was about to do.

“S-so, my wounds are all healed, but… maybe not completely… which is why I haven’t been discharged yet.” she muttered, her voice small and timid.

Her awkward smile looked somewhat pained.

If she weren’t unwell, she would’ve been discharged already.

Considering her abilities, it wasn’t the injuries that were keeping her here.

So… it must be the side effects of excessive supernatural ability usage.

Supernatural abilities draw from mental strength.

The more they’re used, the more mental energy is depleted. Overuse could cause severe mental strain and, in extreme cases, lead to complete mental breakdowns.

Although such dire consequences were rare, temporary symptoms like Lucia’s—confusion and impaired judgment—were fairly common.

Eugene had experienced it himself during intense training sessions when he pushed past his mental limits.

Lucia’s injuries had been severe.

Even with super regeneration, the physical and mental toll of healing would have been immense. Her current state made sense.

She was likely still hospitalized to stabilize her condition.

As Eugene thought this through, he suddenly realized he was still holding Lucia’s wrist. Flustered, he let go immediately.

The gown she had lifted fell back into place, concealing her midsection once more.

It looked soft.

From the brief glimpse he had, her stomach appeared smooth and firm, and for a split second, he felt an urge to touch it.

What’s wrong with me?!

Eugene was horrified at his own thoughts.

What did I just think? That I wanted to touch her stomach? Lucia’s?

…Maybe I’ve been overusing my supernatural ability too.

I’m losing my grip on reality.

“Eugene, how’s your body? Are you okay?”

Her question deepened Eugene’s inner turmoil.

He finally realized why Lucia had come to see him.

She had come out of concern for him—early in the morning, no less—yet here he was, thinking such inappropriate thoughts.

He wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

But there was no such refuge in the hospital room, and it was time to respond to her question.

“I was lucky. I didn’t get hurt too badly, and I’m healing fast… I heard I could be discharged within a week.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. Honestly, I was relieved. I was worried, wondering what would happen if you were seriously injured.”

Her warm smile made Eugene feel even more pathetic.

There wasn’t a trace of insincerity in her words. She had been genuinely concerned for him.

Now that he thought about it, Lucia had always been like this.

Back on the bus, when everyone else was paralyzed with fear, she had been the first to act.

Even when Astaroth subjected her to unspeakable torment, she prioritized Eugene and Angelica over herself.

She had thrown herself into danger to save them from the high-rank monster’s ambush.

None of her actions were motivated by pretense or vanity.

Such sacrifices could only come from someone with a genuinely selfless heart.

“Um… Lucia.”

Eugene hesitated, the words catching in his throat.

There was something he had wanted to say to her ever since she had saved him. But now that the moment was here, he struggled to summon the courage.

“…Thank you.”

“Hm?”

“That time… I was careless. I was so caught up in the satisfaction of having defeated a high-rank monster that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. It was definitely my mistake. If I’d been more alert sooner…”

He forced the words out.

He felt ashamed of the fleeting improper thoughts he had harbored toward her.

There was an excuse, of course.

He was a growing 17-year-old boy, full of restless energy. It wasn’t entirely strange to have those thoughts when faced with someone as beautiful as Lucia.

But Eugene didn’t want to stoop to making excuses.

Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that he had harbored indecent thoughts about someone as kind as her.

“If you hadn’t saved me, I definitely would’ve died there. Thank you. And I’m sorry… for the pain you had to go through because of me…”

He spoke with sincerity, bowing his head to express his gratitude.

If not for her, he wouldn’t be here right now.

He would have been pierced by the claws of that high-rank monster, left as a cold corpse.

“Hmm… So, in that case…” Lucia said, scratching her cheek.

“We each saved each other once, so that wish token should be considered canceled, right?”

“Ah… oh, yeah. I guess so?” Eugene replied.

It was only natural.

Lucia’s offer to grant a wish had been her way of repaying Eugene for saving her.

Now that she had returned the favor, there was no reason for the wish token to remain in effect.

When Lucia had first mentioned granting him a wish, Eugene had been so flustered that he had run away, face burning.

What was she even thinking? Any wish? Did she really mean… any wish?

The thought had spiraled uncontrollably, leaving Eugene unable to focus.

But now that it was moot, he found he didn’t mind. He had never intended to use it anyway.

Eugene nodded, thinking to himself, It’s fine. Really… fine.

…Although, maybe it was just a little disappointing.

“But, I still owe you one more.” Lucia spoke again, interrupting his thoughts.

Eugene looked at her, puzzled.

“A debt? To me?”

“Yes.” she confirmed with a small nod.

Eugene was at a loss.

What had he done to earn her gratitude?

Before their field exercise, they’d barely interacted at all.

While he mulled over it, Lucia simply smiled warmly.

“The wish token is still valid.”

She reached out and gently held Eugene’s hand.

Her hand was soft—so soft that he was afraid it might break if he squeezed too tightly.

“What kind of wish would you want to make with me?” she asked.

“Anything’s fine. Whatever you want—I’ll gladly do it.”

She added the words with a cheerful smile, leaving Eugene unable to respond.

The only sound he could make was an incoherent exhale.

His face burned, as if set ablaze.

His heart raced.

The loud, pounding thuds of his heartbeat filled his ears.

Is… that so…?

Eugene struggled to regain his composure.

Surely Lucia was saying this to ease his guilt.

She must have noticed his remorse and was trying to comfort him by claiming she owed him something, even if it wasn’t true.

It was her way of saying, Don’t feel burdened, or guilty, over me saving you. After all, I owe you too.

Lucia was truly a kindhearted girl.

“You don’t have to say it right now.” she said. “You can save it. When you think of a wish, let me know then. Got it? I’m someone who believes in repaying their debts.”

She let go of his hand and stepped back.

Eugene instinctively reached out to grasp her hand again, only to stop himself and freeze in place, realizing what he was doing.

What is wrong with me today?

His heart refused to calm down.

If anything, it beats even harder now.

He looked at Lucia with trembling eyes.

She didn’t shy away but smiled at him gently.

She was such a kind girl. Brave, too.

From the moment she had stepped forward to protect everyone, Eugene had admired her.

He admired her unwavering spirit.

And this burning feeling in his chest… was admiration too, right?

“By the way…”

Lucia fanned herself with her hand, her expression one of discomfort.

Then she grabbed the collar of her shirt and tugged at it lightly.

“It’s oddly warm. I’m sweating a lot too.”

Ah.

Eugene immediately realized why.

It was because of him.

Strong emotions could influence supernatural abilities.

He must have inadvertently released a surge of heat, turning the hospital room into a furnace.

“Eugene,” Lucia called softly.

Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, and her collarbone peeked through the neckline of her shirt as it fluttered.

Her bra strap had slipped slightly, revealing the curve of her toned chest, glistening with sweat.

Every now and then, as her shirt shifted, glimpses of her smooth, sweat-dappled stomach came into view.

Her slender waist curved alluringly toward her hips, forming a provocative silhouette.

“Could I have some water?”

It took Eugene a moment to register her words.

He had been staring at her in a daze and only belatedly managed to respond.

“W-water? Yeah, sure…”

The water dispenser was in the center of the hospital room.

Eugene began to shift his legs to get up from the bed.

But he couldn’t stand.

He had been sitting cross-legged for too long, and his legs trembled as he tried to rise.

If that had been the only reason, there would’ve been no alarm bells ringing in his head.

Oh no… what do I do…?

He couldn’t let her see.

Under no circumstances could Lucia see that.

Eugene clenched his teeth, frozen in place, the sensation below making him break out in a cold sweat.

Eugene’s pupils trembled.

He stole a glance at Lucia.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice anything.

Moving only his upper body, he reached for the water bottle sitting on the folding table beside the bed.

Eugene handed the bottle to Lucia as casually as he could.

That was close.

It was sheer luck that the bottle had been within reach. Otherwise—Wait a second.

That bottle… I’ve been drinking from it.

If Lucia drank from the bottle now…

Would that be… an indirect kiss?

The thought startled him so much that his hand shook, causing the bottle to slip from his grasp.

The water spilled out in a rush, soaking Lucia’s hospital gown.

Already made of thin fabric, the gown clung to her body as it absorbed the water.

Her figure became clearly visible, even more so than when glimpses of her skin had been showing earlier.

Eugene swore he could hear the sound of his brain short-circuiting.

“Oh… I-I’m so sorry!”

“No, it’s my fault.” Lucia replied, unfazed. Instead, she laughed, saying the cool sensation was refreshing.

Standing up, she added, “It feels nice, but I might catch a cold like this. I’m going to change.”

“O-okay…”

“Sorry if I interrupted your rest by dropping by. Make sure to get plenty of rest, alright? Don’t overdo it.”

Lucia grabbed some tissues to mop up the water on the chair and floor before waving goodbye and leaving the room.

Eugene stared blankly after her, lifting a hand to give a small wave in return.

Steam felt like it was escaping from his head.

Even after she was gone, he stared at the door for a long time.

Then he suddenly felt someone’s gaze on him and turned his head.

Leo, lying on the opposite bed, was glaring at him with a disgruntled expression.

When did he wake up? Oh, right—it was about time for him to get up anyway.

“H-how long have you been awake?”

“Since you spilled water on her.”

At least he didn’t see everything, Eugene thought, feeling a bit relieved.

But Leo’s next words had him choking on air.

“Are you two dating or something?”

“Pfft!”

Eugene frantically denied it, explaining the situation in great detail.

But Leo’s skeptical expression didn’t waver.

We’re really not—

“Tch, to think that you are even one step ahead of me in that department.”

—Dating!

 

Author Note

Actually, Leo was awake the moment he heard about the Wish Ticket.

However, he said that he couldn’t bring it up because it was too awkward.

Translator Note

And it turns out, both were bottoms, heh.