episode_0033

1.

I came out of the dormitory just before the students started to flock in.

In the first place, since Kai’s foggy memory effect is applied to me, I won’t be able to attract attention.

‘I wasted my time…’

I feel a surge of regret, as if I wasted the whole day.

I regretted the time that passed without any results and set out to find Kai.

I also take a walk in the garden to soothe my tired body and mind.

…

Kai was sitting on the bench.

With my chin resting on my head, facing the sunset.

And what is so comfortable about crossing your legs?

When I look at that calm expression, I suddenly feel angry.

‘Wow.’

While I was toiling away in vain, I was sneaking out and having a blast!

I jumped to conclusions emotionally and started to approach him briskly.

My heart, which seemed ready to get angry at any moment, melted as soon as I saw Kai’s profile.

No, it wasn’t at a melting level.

Rather, the emotions that were as fiery as fire cooled down and transformed into emotions that stabbed the heart like ice.

So that it is a bit harsh.

“…”

Take in Kai’s expression.

The expression is very strange.

Eyebrows, mouth, nose, forehead, tongue, etc.

All of this cannot move more than half an inch from the face, yet expresses so much emotion.

Even a slightly different face can express joy, and a very small change can express sadness.

And the more often you see that person, the more you will notice small changes.

The same goes for Kai.

I tried to keep a calm, expressionless face, but I couldn’t hide my emotions.

To most people it would seem expressionless, but to me it feels so desperate.

I put my trembling hands on my chest to calm myself down and call Kai’s name softly.

“…Kai.”

Kai faces the sunset and heads somewhere.

The eyes filled with excellence were focused on two female students sparring.

His face was turned forward as if he hadn’t heard what I said.

However, he very slowly turned his head to greet me.

With a big smile on her face.

“Are you here?”

I wish I could stop making that face and trying so hard to smile.

Because it emphasizes too much of one emotion out of two disparate expressions.

But I try hard to forget the former’s expression.

I approach Kai, grumbling deliberately to hide my anxious feelings as much as possible.

“…Why are you slacking off! I’ve worked so hard!”

“Oh, you’re just a slacker. I’m working hard and getting a well-deserved rest.”

“Since when have you been sitting here?”

“…After lunch?”

uh?

Are you angry?

“… Did you eat?”

“Yeah.”

?

What are you doing?

He glares at Kai, filled with bewilderment and anger.

Kai protests to me, perhaps sensing my unintentional killing intent.

“…Why are you angry?”

“Do you know how much effort I put into looking around that dormitory, step by step?”

“Don’t you know…? I can’t see what you’re doing. Wasn’t that the plan you came up with in the first place…? ”

A very logical rebuttal strikes me.

I don’t know because I haven’t seen it, yeah. That’s right.

And it’s only natural that my body is tired, since I have a head that can’t think of anything other than stupid plans.

Hot! I almost got caught up in Kai’s story!

“Then you should have told me first. Why are you going to eat lunch alone? Don’t you know that I’ve been skipping meals a lot lately and I’m sensitive?”

Here’s one lesson I learned today.

It takes a long time to admit that one’s thinking is wrong.

Or you may not be able to admit it until the end.

“…How can I tell you? I can’t even enter the girls’ dorm. And I waited for a while and she didn’t come out, so I gave up.”

“Bar, outside! If you had shouted outside…!”

“I don’t plan on shouting your name at the Academy. And we’re not in a position to be noticed. We’re unofficial cleaners.”

If I’m wrong, I’ll be quick to admit it.

Because it’s likely to get pretty ugly.

Eventually Kai went along with the foolish idea, but realized that the operation was wrong and aborted the mission.

Since I pushed through with the mission, there was nothing Kai could do for me… all he did was eat lunch and take a walk.

“…heeeing.”

I suddenly feel sad.

Oh, I guess I wasn’t trying to judge right from wrong in the first place.

Let us listen to the screams of what has not become a mixed language.

‘I had a really hard time today, so please console me and sympathize with me.’

Because the same whining just keeps repeating.

Before I, who was completely defeated, put on a show of tears of defeat,

“Smile.”

Kai put his hand between his armpits and lifted me up like he was holding a cat.

He didn’t let go of me and sat back down on the bench.

Then he hugs me with his huge arms.

“…sniff.”

Instead of tears, I got a runny nose, but I held my nose so that the runny nose wouldn’t stick out.

“Sorry, sorry. I should have done more.”

Increase your empathy and comfort me with the gentlest voice possible.

Then he takes out his familiar ivory comb and pretends to comb my hair, stroking it.

I had to hide my sorrow in Kai’s arms like that.

No, it’s closer to Kai releasing it himself.

“Heeelp…”

A thought that suddenly occurred to me after I calmed down.

Kai’s body is big.

considerably.

After becoming immortal, he becomes fixated on his prime, that is, his youth.

So it is between the end of growth and the beginning of aging.

It maintains a consistent appearance of maximum growth and minimum aging.

At his maximum growth, he looked two heads taller than me, and his body was stocky with lean muscles.

That body is pressed against me, and the slight pressure feels pleasant.

“Ugh…”

If we sit back to back in that embrace like we are now, I feel a warm energy.

Perhaps it is especially so now that the sunset is setting.

-Sarak, sarak

The sound of a broom sweeping the floor is similar to the sound of me brushing my hair.

After being comforted by that sound and warmth, I began to wonder again.

I wonder what expression Kai is making right now.

Kai was so big that I had to bend my neck to put his chin on my head, so I raised my head without hesitation and opened my eyes.

‘It was this look.’

When I was stroking his head he was looking at me, but now he is looking straight ahead.

With those eyes full of excellence.

It’s been a while since Kai has been so numb that he doesn’t even realize that I’m looking at him.

I also follow where Kai is looking with my eyes.

As you turn your attention away from Cain, your ears naturally perk up and your eyes follow the direction you are following.

-Cheong, cheong, cheong!!!

The sound of swords clashing against each other resonates beautifully in the training ground.

The main characters are children who are familiar to me.

The student who continues the offensive by swinging the claw is Taina, a descendant of Alina.

You can tell its identity just by looking at its tail and ears.

And another student… Ignis, who has a history of stepping on me.

She continues to swing her greatsword, which is as big as her own… She swings her sword with a leisurely pace, as if she is watching each and every move.

-Kagagagagak! Chaeaeaeng!

It’s as if I’m a master of the sword, not even revealing half of my skills.

-dump…

The exciting fusion of the two eventually ended with Taina collapsing.

He was covered in sweat and both of his claws were off and lying around.

The two of them took heavy breaths and conversed quietly, but their meaning was understandable.

“Haak, ugh, haak. Again, I lost again…”

“Whew… It’s good to be scheming, but if your skills are lacking, it’s just a trick. Tricky techniques can be good for surprising and winning by luck, but they’re no different from setting limits to your skill level.”

“Fuck… I know, I know… Kkk… I don’t want to lose, that’s why…”

It’s surprising how different the atmosphere is from when I took up Ignis’ sword.

She picked up the sword and stuck it into the floor.

He spoke with his sword hanging on his staff, his former majestic presence nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, are you going to do this? Oh my… You’re already at your limit…”

“Whew, whoosh… I have pride too, Ignis. Take up your sword again. ”

“Heeeing… Do you know that’s the 7th time you’ve said that?”

Ignis, who had a look of exhaustion on her face, groaned as if she was tired, but when she picked up her sword, she faced Taina again as one of the swordsmen.

Ignis is a complete powerhouse.

Taina is the underdog who challenges the strong.

However, the fighting spirit is not broken, and instead, the strong are pushed to the point of exhaustion.

…no.

I push myself to the point where even the strong get tired.

‘Altina…’

Kai seemed to remember as he looked at Taina and Ignis.

By projecting myself onto Ignes and projecting Altina’s appearance onto Taina.

School days that have already passed and cannot be returned to.

He said that even then, he competed with Altina in a training ground filled with sunset.

99 wins out of 100, Kai.

100 wins, 99 losses, Altina.

Altina was a member of the red fox tribe, a family that did not fit the status of the Shukeros Counts, who had produced warriors for generations.

The Red Fox Tribe inherits the blood of the red fox and is stronger than normal humans, demonstrating superior fighting skills.

However, they have the delicate fighting skills of the Fox Tribe, rather than the rough fighting style typical of the Suin Tribe.

But…Altina had a thin red fox’s blood.

It is said that normal ears are about 1.5 times better than humans, and their physical strength is also slightly better than humans.

‘It’s true that Taina and Altina look alike.’

It doesn’t break.

Just like a fox, he was clever enough to find a way to win, and he charged into the end without fearing his opponent.

It looks like Taina pointing her claw at Ignes and Altina pointing her claw at Kai overlap.

‘Did Taina imitate Altina?’

When my thoughts started to become jumbled, Kai said.

“I went through all that trouble for those kids.”

“…!”

Kai said in a calm voice.

Without any feeling of anxiety, emptiness, or fatigue.

I just quietly recited my thoughts.

It wouldn’t be an illusion if it sounded like I was making a promise to myself rather than to myself.

“It’s not a waste of effort. You’ll wander around a lot and make mistakes, but… in the end, those kids will smile brighter than if we hadn’t worked so hard.”

A reward for a day of futile effort that left me dissatisfied.

An uncertain future with no way of knowing what will happen next.

Even though it’s frustrating and difficult, I believe that all of this will be rewarded with one result.

So, I think I can protect the future of those children.

He looked at those children and spoke to me with anticipation rather than deep regret.

No, he told himself.

‘……….fool.’

Kai’s warm comfort and determination makes my eyes tear up.

It’s no different from being stupid.

He said he would make sure those students had the happy school days he didn’t have.

I will not protect what is my own, but what is for those children who are just other people.

No one asked them to do this, and they don’t know Kai’s true story.

Even if Kai saves the children, he won’t receive any thanks.

But I decided to save myself.

Because that’s a warrior.

A person who protects others, not one who subdues the Demon King.

Kai, who grew into a warrior by his own definition, made a vow to himself.

“…You didn’t have much trouble today.”

“Sorry, let’s eat something delicious for dinner tonight.”

My mouth always speaks empty words, but Kai is someone who has seen my face for a long time.

He smiles in relief when he sees my expression, which is instinctively expressed but cannot be expressed in words.

“I guess it’s settled now. It was fun.”

Then he turns his gaze back to the training ground.

-Chaeaeaeaeaa!

“Kaaang!”

Before we knew it, the sunset had set and dusk was approaching.

The showdown between the two students came to an end in the academy, where the sunset sky was covered in blue.

“Are you okay!?”

The final blow was delivered by Tai Nai, but was eventually blocked by Ignis.

I can leave it to luck and win once.

But I can’t call that my growth.

Today’s match is a clear defeat for Taina.

You can successfully perform a spectacular attack with a miraculous blow.

But rather than comforting them by saying things like, “They fought well even though they lost,”

“Ugh… It’s okay.”

“Hey, did you get hit in the head!? My head hurts!?!?”

“…I’ll win next time.”

I hope to acknowledge my shortcomings and grow.

That’s the reason this academy exists.

The word that best suits youth is growth.

I hope you all become people who fit that word.

Because there is a person who has stopped growing who is silently cheering you on from behind.