Chapter 21: Unchanged Daily Life
by AfuhfuihgsAlthough various things happened over the weekend, the daily routine on weekdays didn’t change much.
“Now, this chapter……”
At the front, teachers continued their usual boring lessons.
“I have a question!”
“Good. Go ahead.”
Students diligently listened to the lesson, which was incredibly boring for me, proving their knowledge through questions or notes.
During class, I always felt isolated like a lonely island.
I was staring at the slowly moving clock hands, wondering when today would finally end.
Ding Dong Dang Dong-
“……That’s our time. That’s all for today’s class.”
“…”
And just like that, with the teacher’s final words, the class actually ended.
‘This isn’t bad.’
‘Next time I’m bored, I should just stare at the clock.’
Thinking I had found a rather excellent method, I lightly rose from my seat.
“……It’s Lee Seo-yeon.”
“Hey, hey, don’t look.”
“You want to get scolded by the Princess again?”
“You still haven’t learned your lesson.”
Then came the voices.
For reference, Heroine 2’s followers, who used to bother me every time they saw me, now started avoiding me instead.
Apparently, Christina’s threat to hold them accountable next time was real.
Seeing those guys, who were always itching to tear me down, tuck their tails like that.
‘Just how badly did she scold them?’
‘I need to train hard so I don’t get scolded.’
While wondering how scolding could change people so drastically, I also felt a strange sense of emptiness.
To think this could really be resolved so easily.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to solve it no matter what I did.
It wasn’t just my imagination that Heroine 2’s body overlapped with the blue cat robot from the manga.
(TL note: The blue cat robot mentioned is Doraemon.
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio.)
“Princess?”
“……Huh? Did you call me?”
“…”
Of course, the problem was that Christina had also changed somehow, just like her followers.
Occasionally, if I called her, she would jump startled as if she’d seen a ghost, which felt strangely unpleasant.
How should I put it?
Maybe the time when we had our differences or when she used to make fun of me was actually better?
‘It’s true I’ll become a ghost soon enough.’
‘But at least I’m not a ghost yet.’
It didn’t bother me, yet it strangely did.
…What kind of nonsense is this?
I tapped my forehead with my hand and called out to Christina, who still seemed out of it.
“Aren’t we training today?”
“……No, we have to. We must. We absolutely must.”
Christina repeated the same words several times, perhaps thinking I wouldn’t hear her properly.
‘Seriously, what’s wrong with her all of a sudden?’
‘Why did she suddenly turn into someone imperfect?’
‘The only words I uttered that day were sentences Christina should have liked.’
‘What on earth could make a person change like that all of a sudden…?’
Ah, maybe it’s because the clothes she lent me got dirty?
Is she afraid something similar might happen again, requiring her to lend me clothes?
If that was the reason, I could understand Heroine 2’s behavior.
Even I wouldn’t want to lend clothes again to someone who returned them thoroughly soiled after borrowing them.
I finally felt like the tightness in my chest was loosening.
“Princess, don’t worry.”
“……Pardon?”
“I wore pants instead of a skirt today, so I won’t need to borrow your clothes.”
“What are you suddenly talking about……”
Christina looked confused, but I understood her.
“It’s true. Look here.”
“……Are you perhaps interpreting my expression as reluctance to lend you clothes?”
“It’s okay. I understand everything.”
Heroine 2 still wore a dumbfounded expression.
But I truly, perfectly understood Christina.
Was this how all the saints in history books felt?
‘Yeah, she might not want to lend clothes. I wouldn’t have lent them either.’
I definitely didn’t feel cheated.
Really.
After all the classes ended that day, Heroine 2 and I visited the training ground.
The reason, obviously, was to train in preparation for the group assignment.
However, a completely unexpected problem tripped us up.
“……There are quite a lot of people.”
“…”
The training ground, which had been empty enough over the weekend to not be able to see a single ant, was now packed with students.
Perhaps because it was because of the weekday and it hadn’t been long after classes ended, the training ground was already filled with the enthusiasm of the students there.
“……It’s hot.”
“…”
Calling it hot was an understatement; there was an overwhelming number of people.
To the point where it was indistinguishable whether this was a training ground for students or a gym for fitness fanatics.
‘I should definitely never come to the training ground on a weekday.’
‘Though honestly, I probably wouldn’t come here alone anyway.’
“What should we do?”
I asked Christina.
Should I call it blind faith?
Somehow, I felt like if I asked Christina what to do, everything would be resolved.
Honestly, it was justifiable.
The bullying issue, which had been a headache until now, was nearly half resolved in one go.
Is this when I should shout out ‘that line’?
‘Help me, Tinaemon!’
(TL: Tina + Doraemon)
Tinaemon, who had been watching the students training for a moment, opened her mouth softly.
“It seems training here might be a bit difficult.”
“You think so too, Princess?”
“Yes. It seems burdensome to train when many people are watching nearby.”
I nodded silently at Christina’s words.
Well, if the Imperial Princess is training nearby, attention would naturally gather.
It was as natural as water flowing for ordinary people’s gazes to turn towards famous people.
Humans instinctively like shiny things, and Christina, excluding Kim Soo-ho among the students, had the shiniest demeanor about her.
Unlike me, filled only with hollow darkness instead of glitter.
Followers who trailed after and obeyed just one person didn’t appear for no reason.
As I was thinking that, Christina’s voice reached me.
“……Shall we go to the student council’s exclusive training ground?”
“……Am I allowed to go there?”
“If you’re with me, the Vice President, you can also enter…… Wait a moment, weren’t you also the Vice President initially?”
Ah, right.
I was Vice President too.
Although I held the position briefly, I had never actually used the Vice President’s privileges, so I forgot.
No. What reason would I have to go to the student council’s exclusive training ground?
I hadn’t even been to the regular training ground until recently, and that was the first time ever.
Ignoring Christina’s pointed gaze with effort, I stepped forward first.
“Let’s go quickly.”
“……Follow me.”
I was confident.
Because I was confident, I didn’t look back.
It definitely wasn’t because I was scared of Christina’s glare drilling into my back.
“……Wow.”
That was my reaction upon visiting the student council’s exclusive training ground for the first time.
Christina nodded at me as if my reaction was understandable.
“It’s a bit different from the general training ground, right?”
“……Yeah. Well.”
‘It’s not just ‘a bit’ different, it’s on a whole other dimension.’
First, the ambience of the place was different.
Unlike the general training ground accessible to all students, only designated personnel used this place, so was it natural?
“……What’s that?”
“That’s a virtual combat experience booth… Simply put, it’s a system where you can conduct mock battles.”
And the level of training equipment was worlds apart.
The general training ground, at best, only had mana-operated equipment like mana measurement devices.
Even considering this place was for the student council members, with only two selected from each class, isn’t the difference too extreme?
I felt like I slightly understood why other students obsessed over positions like Class President or Vice President.
Christina, shifting glances between me and the mock battle system, opened her mouth slightly.
“Seo-yeon, shall we try training with that today?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
“Yes. It seems training against monsters would be more helpful for you than sparring with me……”
Christina’s expression distorted strangely as she said that.
‘What’s the reason this time?’
Ah, is it because she knocked me out during our previous sparring session?
Is she saying that if we sparred, my weak body might faint again, so I should fight monsters presumably weaker than her?
In a way, it could be a slightly pride-wounding statement.
The essence of that sentence, after all, was the thought that I was weak.
Someone with strong self-esteem who believed in their own skills might even shout at Christina right now.
How dare you disregard me like that?
Do you think I’ll just stand by even if you, a princess, ignore my words?
“Okay.”
“If you really don’t want to, we can spar…… Huh?”
“I also wanted to try fighting monsters at least once.”
“…”
Although I was quite far from being that kind of person.
What foolish person would refuse when offered an easier training partner?
I should accept it, even if it meant bowing down.
I didn’t want to stubbornly assert my pride, only to faint again and be dragged to the infirmary.
As the saying goes, if there’s an easy way out, it’s best to take it.
I read that somewhere in a book.
I just don’t remember which one.
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