Chapter 97

Chapter 97

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 97: Chasing After You (7).

The highly anticipated event had finally arrived.

“Hmph, hmph,” Zelnya hummed a tune while surveying the various booths. They spanned several disciplines—literature, natural sciences, social sciences, and arts. However, it was the medical booth that drew the largest crowd, a testament to its popularity.

“It’s Adelwein.”

“Shh, don’t make eye contact.”

“Are we going to get picked on again?”

The students around her hesitated, stepping back and allowing Zelnya to move forward without a wait. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of superiority. With her outstanding academic record, respect was almost handed to her. Why bother with humility when you’re at the top? Brushing aside Aidel’s advice, she confidently entered the booth.

“What activities are available here?”

“You can try a CPR simulation or test out ECG and MEG equipment, all from a doctor’s perspective.”

Zelnya positioned herself in front of the CPR model as instructed. A doctor should naturally know this procedure.

“Is this your first time?”

“Yes, kind of.”

She had learned the theory in class, but it hadn’t been crucial for exams, so her knowledge was purely theoretical. This practical application was a new and valuable experience.

“Place your hands here and compress at about 80 times per minute. Yes, just like that…”

The key was to use the weight of your upper body effectively. Zelnya recalled the techniques from a long-ago safety class and pressed firmly on the model’s solar plexus. If the model’s torso LEDs lit up, it indicated the correct application. However, despite her efforts, the lights remained unlit.

“Try adding a bit more force.”

Beep, beep, beep. The only response was the sound of air escaping. Zelnya, who usually preferred lighter weaponry like plasma swords due to her weaker arm strength, found this physical task challenging. Glancing around, she saw others succeeding effortlessly while critical eyes watched her struggle from outside the booth. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.

“Ugh…”

Determined, Zelnya adjusted her stance, lifting her hips and using nearly three-quarters of her body weight to press down. Finally, the light flickered on.

“Excellent work.”

“Ha!”

Zelnya beamed with pride. She had proven to herself that she could indeed perform under pressure. Buoyed by her success, she moved on to the electrocardiogram, ready to tackle the next challenge.

At our booth, we were conducting a hands-on exercise where pairs of the same gender learned to operate an electrocardiogram machine.

Standing in front of Zelnya was a plain-looking girl.

“Ah, ah, hello…”

“Yes.”

The medical students began explaining how to use the device, initiating the practical session. Zelnya first attached the electrodes to the female student and pressed the start button as instructed. A graph displaying the heart’s rhythm materialized on the screen.

“This graph represents the electrical signals of the heart. As you can see here, these sharp peaks, which repeat, indicate a normal heart rhythm.”

“Oh…”

Zelnya found the explanation fascinating despite the barrage of unfamiliar terms like ‘PQRST graph’ and ‘ventricular depolarization.’ After examining the female student, she tested herself.

“You are normal as well.”

That didn’t seem right to her.

“Can an electrocardiogram diagnose arrhythmia?”

“For chronic arrhythmia, yes, it can be detected immediately. If it’s intermittent, however, a Holter monitor test would be necessary.”

“A Holter monitor test?”

“It involves a 24-hour monitoring period.”

“I think I might need that test.”

The medical students exchanged puzzled looks. One of them, with a grave expression, responded.

“Having arrhythmia in your teens is quite serious. You should visit a general hospital as soon as possible.”

Zelnya gasped.

The thought of dying before even starting college was terrifying. It seemed urgent to visit a hospital today. Just then, she noticed doctors rushing about outside the booth.

“What’s happening?”

“Someone fainted on the street!”

“Who?”

Curious, Zelnya poked her head out.

“I’m not sure who it is, but it happened right in front of the physics hall…”

A strange ceiling greeted my eyes.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in a hospital. Don’t worry.”

A warm sensation came from my hand. Sonia was holding it, her expression sullen. Suddenly, a thud; her headband fell onto my face. She quickly retrieved it.

“Who in the world faints just because they were scolded by professors?”

“…Did I faint?”

“Seeing that you don’t even remember, it seems you were really shocked.”

I sat up, trying to piece together my memories, but found nothing. At that moment, my professors approached, their wails filling the room.

“Student Aidel!”

What was happening now?

“We’re really sorry, student! We wanted to send you to graduate school, but we had no other choice….”

“What did you just say?”

They wanted to send me to graduate school. But they had no choice? That couldn’t be right.

“The nation did not grant permission. The only option available is early admission to college.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m really sorry. It seems I won’t be able to keep the promises we exchanged through emails from Alcatraz.”

This was absurd. If I took the graduate course here, I could become a professor by twenty-two, not just a doctor. My ambition. My grand ambition…

“Ah, aaaaah.”

“Student…?”

“Noooooooo─!!!!”

“How is Reinhardt doing?”

“He has stopped eating and is solely focused on his research in the recovery room.”

Overhearing the professors’ conversation, Zelnya couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“That’s just a hunger strike.”

It was the first time she had seen an academia student cry over being rejected from a graduate program. It was probably a first for the professors, too. Rustila started to cry along with Aidel simply because Aidel was sad, launching into what seemed like an unlimited empathy operation. In contrast, Ceti laughed so hard she nearly hyperventilated. Zelnya felt torn between the two extreme reactions. Which emotion should she align with?

As Zelnya peeked into the recovery room, Rustila blocked her way.

“Why are you here? You sneaky cat.”

“Sneaky cat?”

It was a strange yet endearingly cute nickname. Zelnya chuckled and responded.

“I haven’t stolen anything, yet you call me a thief. How amusing.”

“What about that thing you did with Aidel last time?”

“Is Aidel yours?”

“What?”

“I mean, are you two dating, or have you promised a future together?”

“T-that’s…”

Rustila fidgeted with her hands and blushed. Her straightforwardness was excessive, almost naive—a perfect trait to tease. Zelnya twisted her lips and spoke.

“Or should I just take him?”

“No way!”

“Fine. I wouldn’t take a guy like that even if you handed him to me on a silver platter.”

As she spoke her last words, Zelnya felt a slight sting in her heart. Arrhythmia again! She needed to end this pointless argument quickly and make a hospital appointment.

Rustila spat out her words.

“If you have no business here, just go back. Aidel needs to rest.”

“No? I do have business.”

Zelnya brushed past Rustila and entered the recovery room. She had heard that Aidel was just momentarily stunned and that there was nothing physically wrong with him. However, he was quite disheartened about going to college instead of graduate school. In any case, this was an opportunity for Zelnya. She asked him.

“Hey, what are you going to do now?”

“…I have to go.”

Aidel stood up.

“I’m going to college. The graduation deadline will be delayed, but… I have to accept it humbly, thinking of it as laying the foundation once more. Believing I could go straight to graduate school was self-deception. It was arrogance.”

His shattered mentality was clearly visible. As he shed tears, even Zelnya, who typically struggled to empathize, felt a pang of sadness. Compelled by the moment, she spoke.

“I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to follow you.”

Zelnya crossed her arms and looked up at Aidel determinedly. Rustila, who had been standing by in silence, was startled and exclaimed.

“You, what are you talking about…!”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to graduate early, just like Aidel.”

Her resolve was as firm as her tone. During their first semester, Zelnya and Aidel had fiercely competed for the top spot. Having clashed with him, she understood his drive. Even in the required liberal arts and common major subjects, she realized that without Aidel as her competitor, boredom was inevitable. If they were to leave, they would leave together.

“Everything else here is just too dull.”

With a dismissive tone, Zelnya mocked Rustila, who took it as a declaration of war and glared back fiercely.

“Do you really want to talk after a sword fight with me?”

“Sure. If you can’t even win that, how miserable must it be to have no skills beyond the sword? If you’re so desperate to be a soldier, maybe you should quit and go plow fields on some southern planet.”

“Is that everything you wanted to say?”

“Of course. Why do you ask? Ah, my tongue hurts from arguing for the first time in ages. What a fate for me.”

“…”

“What? Want to pull each other’s hair and fight?”

Rustila’s expression was unusual as if she were an inspector facing a cosmic monster. She radiated controlled anger, pressuring Zelnya with nothing but her gaze.

“Hoo.”

Aidel sighed.

“Rustila.”

“…Yes, why?”

“You shouldn’t let killing intent seep out like that. As an inspector, how can you harbor ill will towards Zelnya, a fellow citizen of the federation?”

“That’s…”

“And Zelnya. Stop speaking harshly to your friend. How long are you going to behave like a child?”

“…”

Aidel’s tone was reminiscent of an adult scolding children, trying to reconcile a trivial quarrel. Despite the simplicity of his approach, it seemed to work. Zelnya gave a reluctant nod.

“I want you two to reconcile.”

“Alright. I’m sorry.”

Rustila apologized first.

“Now, Zelnya, it’s your turn. Apologize.”

The words “I’m sorry” were foreign to her. It wasn’t as though she had committed some treasonous crime; they had merely argued over something trivial. Yet, apologizing felt like an assault on her pride. So, Zelnya…

“S-s-s…”

“Come on, don’t hesitate. Say it quickly.”

“…Sorry.”

She then subtly edged closer to Aidel. It didn’t take long for Rustila to explode.