episode_0057

In a dark forest.

The highlight of the math trip, courage training, continues.

Since this is an event where two people usually pair up, it is a chance to get closer to someone you like.

‘Okay, let’s do it.’

Emily Swan also took courage.

It feels a bit fatal and it stings my heart.

In the end, I chose my heart over my friend Bianca.

How long have you been watching your opponent, your childhood friend Carlyle? In fact, strictly speaking, it is rather ambiguous to even call them childhood friends.

Carlyle had already left the orphanage years ago and was starting to live his own life.

Maybe that’s when things got awkward between the two.

Still, there was a brief connection between them during their childhood. So, Emily has continued to like them ever since.

An opportunity that was created with difficulty by taking advantage of that connection.

From Carlyle Schultz’s perspective.

Of course, I know how much courage Emily Swan had to have to do this, to ask her to look at me just once. That’s why she kept quiet even when she couldn’t be Bianca Shamal’s partner. Now, since she likes Bianca herself, she understands the other person’s feelings well.

A girl who is my childhood friend. A girl who is unrivaled in every way.

Emily Swann was fully aware of the fact that Carlyle had a romantic interest in her.

But he himself-

Yeah, definitely.

I think my childhood friend Emily is a nice girl. She has a very good personality, is kind, and even feminine.

In short, a partner that men would like.

But at the same time, there is only that sentiment. To be honest, Carlyle has no idea why Emily likes him.

Like countless girls who have liked him before, he doesn’t know what he sees in himself that makes him do this.

Maybe I’m just twisted.

My favorite Bianca, and Emily Swan next to her.

Even if I think about it myself, I have a feeling that I can’t figure out if there is a clear difference between the two.

But one thing is certain: he doesn’t have romantic feelings for his childhood friend, Emily Swan.

In all such matters of reason, it is necessary to be certain.

So Carlyle spoke to Emily somewhat indirectly, turning around for a moment to meet her gaze and smiling faintly.

“Are we friends?”

Emily was immediately taken aback by the single word uttered by her childhood friend Carlisle.

“Uh, yeah… ?”

It’s as if all my courage was in vain.

I feel like an idiot after hearing those words.

“Emily, I think you’re a good friend to me.”

Carlyle ignores the bewildered reaction and continues walking forward.

Dude, you’re driving nails into it like that.

Emily, who had been standing still with a blank expression on her face, barely managed to answer.

“That, that’s right… ?”

In the meantime, I follow the slightly widened distance with measured steps.

Even in this situation, even after being gently rejected, I no longer have the courage to express my feelings.

‘… I’m an idiot.’

Emily bit her lip. She wanted to say something, but the courage inside her had already evaporated.

So Emily ended up saying it with a somewhat awkward laugh.

“We’re not just friends. We’re childhood friends, right? ”

Like a coward. But still emphasizing their special relationship as childhood friends.

Eventually, Emily backs down once again.

“That’s right. Not even a normal friend.”

In response to Carlyle Schultz.

I feel relieved.

As if he was satisfied with the position of childhood friend, a position that was only in name.

Even though she thought to herself that she was really stupid and foolish, Emily couldn’t say anything more.

Originally, Emily herself was not very fearful.

As I walked with Carlyle, ghosts appeared several times, but my heart was already so calm that I didn’t have the energy to react.

“Is it right to go that way?”

“Did you find the hidden item?”

“Yeah, it looks like this.”

The two of them just put their heads together and break the mission together, and they just make awkward small talk as if they have something to say.

“It’s fake anyway. But isn’t it secretly fun?”

Fortunately, Carlyle responds to the seemingly cheerful tone.

“Yeah, secretly.”

“Because this is what a math trip is like.”

So Emily and Carlisle.

The two finished their courage training in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

***

“I still can’t find it?!”

“No, how did that happen… ”

What happened?

When Emily and Carlisle actually arrived, the gathering place was quite chaotic.

A situation where adults are running around with flashlights in their hands. A situation where a dark forest area is being illuminated.

“What is it…?”

“Well.”

Emily and Carlisle briefly met eyes, wondering what was going on.

“What happened?”

Well, this courage training had multiple routes. If it was a route other than the one the two of us came from.

“Hey, guys… !”

At that moment, Sasha ran towards the two people.

It’s not an ordinary feeling. The expression is quite urgent, and even a little sad. In short, the face is a mess of worry.

“What’s wrong, Shasha…?”

Emily opens her lips in surprise and hears an unexpected name.

“Rain, Bianca…!”

At that name, Carlyle Schultz’s expression hardened.

I have a really bad feeling about this.

“Bianca, why?”

Sasha answered Carlyle, sobbing, as he pressed her.

“He went missing in the mountains… ”

“No, how come… ”

“I guess I rolled down the slope… ”

Emily’s face also turned pale.

“Rain, Bianca…?!”

Because I can’t help but be surprised. I’m also embarrassed.

Emily covered her mouth, momentarily at a loss as to what to do.

The students gathered on the gravel road were chattering. The atmosphere was very chaotic after hearing the news of the accident.

“Ka, Carlyle-!”

Emily screamed. The panicked sound drew everyone’s attention.

After taking the flashlight.

“There, student-!”

“Where are you going now!”

Carlyle ran, completely oblivious to the reactions of those around him.

Looking at the anxious-looking guy among the teachers, Rue.

“I have to find it quickly…!”

A pink-haired, eccentric junior who is close to Bianca Shamal.

“Calm down, first. You got hurt while looking for it too… ”

“But, senior…!”

After hearing that conversation, there is no time to hesitate.

What the hell is going on?

I would like to grab the junior by the collar, but I don’t have time for that.

Strength is put into the chin.

‘What the heck…’

His fists were tense. Why did this happen when he was momentarily distracted?

-They said he went missing in the mountains…

When he first heard those words, Carlyle instinctively looked up at the sky.

The sky was so dark that I started swearing.

‘Rolled down a slope…?’

Then, in a situation where even safety could not be guaranteed, Carlyle was overcome with emotions he had never felt before.

‘… … ‘

It’s far away.

I feel like I’ve been thrown alone into the vast ocean.

My heart is pounding, my ears are ringing, and I feel like I’m not sure if this is real or not.

By the time Carlyle came to his senses, he was running again with a flashlight in hand.

“There, student-!”

“Where are you going now!”

The shouts coming from behind are not heard at all.

‘No… Bianca… ‘

It’s just that Carlyle’s head is trying hard to push away the worst assumptions.

The mountain at night is dark. Dark and very dangerous.

Even now, at the end of autumn, it is extremely cold.

In this situation, I think of that scared woman, alone, trembling with pain and suffering…

Carlyle is now out of sight.

Because I have to find it somehow.

Absolutely, unconditionally!

Because I can’t just trust others and wait.

Carlyle gritted his teeth and started running. He felt that if he didn’t find it, he would never be able to forgive himself.

***

Curl your body and protect your head with your arms.

Fortunately, Vita, who had been rolling around, was not seriously injured.

Still, because it was an autumn mountain, there were a lot of soft fallen leaves, so perhaps those fallen leaves acted as a buffer.

I guess I was lucky that I didn’t get caught on the edge of a protruding rock or a branch.

‘That’s probably huge too…’

For a while, Vita lay there blankly staring at the sky. She was usually scared, but her current situation didn’t feel real enough for her to be staring blankly in the dark forest.

‘How did it end up like this…?’

I don’t know. But I have no choice but to trust my junior, Lou.

By now, everyone will be looking for themselves.

“Hi, eek… !”

Vita is a coward. So when she comes to her senses, she suddenly gets goosebumps.

Sararak-

Suddenly, Vita heard a sound and closed her eyes.

And then, after a while, I opened my eyes slightly.

‘Hey, what happened? Was there something?’

Am I overinterpreting this? Is it just the sound of leaves?

It was probably just the sound of leaves rustling.

“Whew-”

Only after being so sure can Vita breathe a sigh of relief.

Well, definitely.

It was a little scary. But as scary as it was, the thought that I couldn’t lie down like this forever became stronger.

“Ah… Aya… ”

My whole body still hurts, but fortunately, I wasn’t seriously hurt anywhere.

‘Rather than rolling…’

It’s a feeling of luck.

How did he roll around like that and barely get hurt?

‘… Thank goodness, really.’

Vita suddenly found her situation funny and ended up laughing out loud.

“What are you doing, me… ”

It’s so absurd. I don’t understand it myself.

Why did he have to suffer like this and why did he cause trouble to everyone so recklessly?

Vita can’t figure it out.

‘… Everyone will be worried.’

What on earth is going on? Why am I losing my mind today?

Why, why.

Just like that, stupid.

I feel so stupid that I can’t understand.

‘Why on earth…’

Actually, maybe. Maybe Vita knows a little bit about the reason.

Eventually, he covered his face and shouted loudly to let others know where he was and to relieve his frustration.

“Aaak-! Gyaak!”

Now it’s very natural. When I scream quite a bit, I go up to soprano.

Even this is ridiculous.

“You’ve become a total woman… ”

But I have to get moving first. It’s too dark and my body feels chilly.

I’m starting to get a little scared of this situation where I’m alone.

So, little by little, really little by little, Vita.

I walked slowly, trembling and clenching my fists with all my might.

“There, there-!”

“… Is there anyone there?”

Goosebumps run down my body. My eyes become anxious. The forest at night is much scarier than I thought.

“Who, who… ”

Vita, who was about to speak, ends up covering her mouth.

There’s really no one. Are you kidding me?

‘How much has it rolled… Where on earth am I…’

I’m not kidding, I’m serious.

Because Vita Shamal is usually very timid.

Trauma from when he was young, when his older brother teased him. He was so scared that he couldn’t sleep alone for almost a year.

[Ugh, coward.]

Even when he was teased like that, Vita couldn’t deny his brother’s teasing.

Because his nature is so pure and his imagination is also rich.

So even after growing up, Vita continued to believe in ghosts, and it was not by her own will that she ended up in this situation.

Thud- thud-

Even worse, it’s like adding insult to injury.

I thought it was a mistake.

Vita thought it was an illusion that a drop of water fell on her nose for a moment.

‘Oh, no way…’

I looked up at the sky and saw a few drops falling. It was raining lightly from the dark sky.

***

‘Suddenly, it rained…’

It’s close to the worst case scenario.

Vita was a bit taken aback, but the weather in autumn is unpredictable. So it’s not unusual for rain to suddenly fall without warning.

But in this situation, it’s really close to the worst.

Cold, hungry, and even a little scared.

And it’s raining on top of that.

In the dark forest of the night, Vita stood there dumbly.

For some reason, that is.

Suddenly, I felt so upset that I hit my chest with my fist for no reason.

Oh, why.

‘…Why doesn’t this happen?’

Everyone had a fun school trip. But what am I doing here alone?

‘What the hell is this?’

I have that thought too. Meanwhile, my head and shoulders are getting wet. The damp rain is making me feel even worse.

‘…’

For such complex reasons.

Also, why.

I can’t help but feel tears welling up in my eyes. This has happened several times since I became a woman.

So Vita kept muttering with her mouth while clenching her small fists for no reason.

“… No, it’s okay.”

I say that to myself.

‘I’m really okay.’

If you think about it, what you’re doing now and everything that happened today is really nothing.

Today is just a day that feels strange in many ways. Vita tried hard to hint like that and walked steadily.

The moment I stopped walking, I felt like I was really going to cry.

Because my optimism and my inability to give up are my good qualities.

If you go back again.

Emily, her junior Lou, and her partner Sasha.

I think everyone is genuinely concerned about you.

‘So again I…’

If I ever see my friends again, I should smile brightly. Vita thought to herself. Today was really not like herself in many ways.

Let’s say that being isolated on the mountain alone wasn’t a big deal, and that the courage training was so trivial that it was actually fun.

‘Yeah, like that.’

Vita continued to walk along the dark forest path, thinking. In fact, she felt less scared when she had random thoughts.

“There’s someone here… !”

So Vita kept walking with great effort, occasionally shouting.

And, Carlyle.

Suddenly, when I think of that bitter guy, Carlyle Schultz, my heart feels heavy. It’s as if something is rising from underneath me.

‘It looks like you and Emily were supposed to be partners…?’

Yeah, that would be nice.

I hope you had a good time.

But I don’t just want to imagine that situation.

My chest is getting more and more stuffy, and even when I see Carlyle, I don’t know what expression to make when I look at him.

Why, why?

Vita kept asking herself.

Carlyle didn’t do anything wrong or anything, so why does he feel uncomfortable looking at the other person?

No, actually.

I don’t even know if it’s awkward to look at or scary to look at.

If you’re afraid, why?

Swaaaah-

In the meantime, the rain got stronger and Vita’s whole body got wet.

“Ha… Really… ”

Cold, tired, and confused.

It was dark around me, I had no strength left in my body, and I felt miserable because I was the only one in this situation.

Vita bowed her head.

‘This is it…’

It’s because I became a woman.

Why did you turn into a woman? I feel so bad for no reason.

It’s just confusing and disorienting.

The fact that the reason why it is difficult is unclear makes it even more difficult.

So tears welled up in my eyes.

Knock- knock-

Suddenly, without any reason, it started to flow. Vita sat down amidst the pouring raindrops.

‘I’m fine.’

Actually, it’s not okay.

Why is it just so hard?

I feel it again, but my ankles are also hurting so much that they feel like they’ve reached their limit.

“Oh, really… ”

Vita raises her hand and tries hard to wipe away her tears, but even that leaves her body soaked in the rain and feeling clammy and uncomfortable.

Now just nothing.

I don’t want to think about it.

So how long did I sit there alone? Was it an illusion?

Suddenly, a faint light shone in my direction as I sat down and lowered my head.

But Vita just doesn’t want to raise her head.

I’m so tired. I’m just so emotional.

‘Perhaps, rather…’

I also felt childish.

I feel like it would be okay if the opponent of that light passed me by, I just want to hide like this.

So, the moment Vita curls up even more, the sound of footsteps is heard.

‘Just go away…’

Could this be the person who came to find me?

Or maybe-

A face that suddenly came to mind.

Vita just wanted to tear out her hair.

‘There’s absolutely no way that’s happening…!’

I want to laugh at myself, even at this moment!

The worst thing is just thinking about that guy’s face.

Why, why!

‘Why that guy…!’

It’s the worst, really.

While Vita was thinking about many things in her mind.

Before I knew it, the other person’s footsteps had come right up to me.

Vita, who had been unaware of it, was suddenly hugged, and her eyes grew wide.