episode_0035

That dawn was quiet.

Daphne enjoyed a peaceful morning for the first time in a while.

‘It’s quiet on the bunk above today.’

Her clumsy roommate often tossed and turned in the early hours of the morning, mumbling in her sleep.

If you listened closely, it sounded like a sick puppy whimpering alone, confined in its doghouse. Hearing such sounds every night made her wonder if her roommate was ill.

Violet herself didn’t seem to be aware of it.

Violet hadn’t returned late last night. Daphne had even sent a text message out of curiosity, but there was no reply.

‘Where on earth did Ruzilin go? Did she stay out overnight?’

Suddenly, Daphne became worried about her roommate.

The Violet she usually saw was playful, lighthearted, and a bit fond of food. While that might just make her an ordinary girl, there was something slightly lacking about her.

She had an inherent instability that made onlookers anxious, like a child left by the water [a proverb about someone helpless and in need of supervision].

‘She might have gotten into a quarrel with some mean seniors.’

She had never dreamed that such absurd, even ugly, behavior existed behind the facade of this prestigious school.

‘I was certainly told before admission that this was a school of order and tradition…’

Unfortunately, her roommate had a very bubbly personality. She might have snuck into the senior dormitory dining hall to snatch food, or her lively nature might have simply led to a quarrel.

No, she’ll be fine. Even if something like that happened, Violet would probably manage to escape any trouble with her uniquely lively personality.

Her roommate still hadn’t returned even after breakfast. Daphne changed her clothes and went outside to get some fresh air before studying, when a text message arrived from an unknown number.

“Who on earth… Oh my?”

[If you know Violet Ruzilin, please come to the infirmary as soon as you see this message!]

She ran to the infirmary, where Violet was lying on a white bed. Three students sat right beside her, their expressions full of worry.

Hearing her footsteps, the three students turned their heads one by one.

“Goodness, Ruzilin! What on earth is this…”

She approached in surprise, and Violet on the bed was moaning and twitching.

“What happened? Is she badly hurt? Or is she sick?”

A purple-haired girl standing nearby answered Daphne’s question.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a hangover… You’re the one who received the text, right? What’s your relationship?”

“I’m not sure if it’s an ‘appropriate’ relationship, but I’m her roommate. My name is Daphne Grace.”

The girl sighed after hearing her answer. Daphne wondered how to interpret the meaning of that sigh.

She soon heard the reason.

“…Initially, I tried to contact Violet Ruzilin’s parents. I inquired at the administrative office. But when I called, it said the number didn’t exist. There was no way to find relatives’ contact information, and she didn’t even seem to have any friends. So, I checked her smartphone…and this came up. Oh, don’t misunderstand! I couldn’t open it anyway since it had a password.”

The girl picked up the smartphone from the table and showed it. Daphne’s blue eyes went to the screen displaying text messages and phone numbers.

She felt slightly offended seeing only a phone number listed without a name.

‘Ruzilin, that’s a bit much. She could at least save my name.’

“You were the first-year student representative last time, weren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right. My name is Irene Solstis.”

Daphne tilted her head for a moment.

Solstis? That’s a familiar surname. Though less so now, it was a name she often heard in the news and on broadcasts when she was a child.

“Um, Solstis, if you don’t mind me asking…”

“You’re right to think what you’re thinking. He’s my father.”

Levi, who was sitting next to her, whispered to Granite.

“It’s true…that Magic Spear wielder…!”

“Oh, it was real.”

Irene explained Violet’s situation.

“…She drank a whole bucket of strong alcohol and fell asleep lying on the street. These fellow students brought her here, wondering if she was sick. According to the school nurse, she’s just very drunk, and she’ll be fine after she sleeps it off. So don’t worry.”

Hearing Irene’s explanation, Daphne felt crestfallen. It was good that she wasn’t sick, but to drink and pass out on the street… she truly was an incorrigible person.

“But wasn’t drinking alcohol prohibited on campus?”

“That’s right. And that’s precisely why I came here.”

-Buzz!

A vibrating sound rang out.

“Ah! Something came up, so I’ll just take this call outside.”

Irene took her vibrating smartphone and quickly stepped outside. Finally, Daphne had a chance to talk to the classmates who had brought her roommate in.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re truly good people.”

“It’s no…big deal! We…we had to, of course.”

“We just brought in a drunk person who passed out, that’s all.”

They awkwardly greeted each other and made polite conversation, but since they didn’t know each other and weren’t even in the same department, the conversation was stiff and quickly ended.

As the three students stood quietly by the bed, something unexpected happened.

Violet, who had been quietly moaning, suddenly began to convulse.

“No…! Don’t…!”

Violet, who had been silently moaning with her eyes closed, suddenly flailed her arms and screamed.

“Why is she doing this?”

“Her hangover…it seems to be…quite severe!”

Violet thrashed and twisted her body as if she were about to lose her breath. While Levi and Granite didn’t know what to do, Daphne observed Violet.

‘It doesn’t seem like a physical problem. Is it psychological?’

The events from before came to mind.

‘Was what I heard every dawn not just sleep-talking after all?’

Violet pitifully flailed her arms at the air and struggled in her spot. It was like the movements of a person on the verge of drowning, trying to grasp a lifeline.

Unable to watch any longer, Daphne grabbed her arm. The hand that had been flailing in the air tightly gripped Daphne’s hand.

Violet’s struggling lessened. She now began to cry bitterly.

“Uwaaah… No…”

Everyone was silent for a moment, unsure what to do in the sudden situation.

Daphne placed her hand over Violet’s head. A soft green light spread out.

A moment later, Violet began to calm down little by little.

The moans escaping her lips gradually grew fainter.

Granite, who had been quietly watching, spoke out of curiosity.

“What was that?”

“I used my unique ability. It has the effect of healing injuries and reducing pain. If I apply a properly modulated wavelength to her head like this… Yes, she’s better now.”

Her movements significantly decreased. Violet became quiet, but tears still flowed continuously from her eyes, like an unending spring.

Violet, still whimpering, slightly parted her lips.

“Don’t torment me… No… Mom…”

The three students gazed sadly at the whimpering Violet.

A moment later, Daphne carefully responded to Violet’s monologue.

“Are you alright? I’m here.”

It didn’t really matter to her whether Violet actually heard it or not. Still, she thought, perhaps she might hear it. If so, wouldn’t it be a little bit of comfort?

Violet mumbled once more.

“Mommy…?”

“It’s me. Daphne! Ruzilin’s roommate. You’re okay now…”

Was it simply a bad nightmare, or something else? She calmly tried to comfort her roommate.

She tried to comfort her.

“…Not Mommy…?”

“Uh… huh?”

“Wahhh…!”

Violet began to cry sadly again. As her cries grew louder, the attention of others in the infirmary turned to them. Levi was at a loss, and Granite looked around before standing up immediately and drawing the curtains.

Violet continued to whine.

“Mommy…! Wahhh…”

‘What should I do about this…? Could it be?’

A flustered Daphne quickly thought of a solution. She hesitated for a moment, then managed to reply.

“Yes! It’s Mommy. I’m here. You’re not hurting. You’re okay now.”

“Oh… Mommy…”

“…No one is bothering you. You’ll get better. So be strong. Understood? I’ll say it again: I’m here.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Violet’s sad crying gradually stopped.

She soon took a quiet breath and became calm.

“Hehehe…”

The girl who had been crying just moments before now laughed as if something was very amusing.

‘Thank goodness. This worked.’

Daphne raised her head and saw her classmates, who had turned away in embarrassment. Her face soon flushed hot.

‘Ah… “Mommy,” what on earth did I say…’

She wished she could hide in a mouse hole [meaning she was extremely embarrassed].

“Alright, everyone?”

“…We’re listening.”

“Yes… Yes, ma’am!”

“Please pretend you didn’t see what just happened with Ruzilin. Understood?”

The two nodded. It was consideration for their fellow student.

“Never, under any circumstances, ever tell Ruzilin about this!”

She once again made the two students promise.

Violet tossed and turned for a moment, then opened her eyes.

***

Standing before me was the first-year overall representative – let’s set aside whether such a position could actually exist – Irene Solstis.

‘She’s small.’

Irene’s height was similar to mine.

So far, all the characters I had met, both male and female, had been taller than me, making her height even more notable.

“Are you feeling alright, Ruzilin?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But if you don’t mind, please speak informally to me instead of using honorifics.”

Daphne was enough for one person to use honorifics among peers.

She immediately changed her tone and explained.

“…If you’re comfortable with that, I will, Ruzilin. The reason I came to see you is as follows. I’ve already heard explanations from the two people who brought you here. Is it true that the seniors committed extremely unfair acts of cruelty under the guise of a welcome ceremony?”

“That’s right. But why are you asking?”

She opened the bag she had tucked under her arm and pulled out a file.

“Alright. If you wish, I’ll help you report them for disciplinary committee review. Can you fill this out?”

It was a very tempting offer. I accepted it without hesitation.

“I’ll do it! This is great!”

I wrote the statement very densely, following Irene’s instructions.

But seriously. Would this really work?

-Exactly. In this messed-up school, there’s no way such a normal procedure would work…-

-Honestly, it’s just worth a try.-

After the proposal concluded, I left the infirmary. I thanked Levi and Granite, who had brought me there. The expressions on their faces as they looked at me were somehow awkward.

“Daphneya, is there something wrong?”

“Ah… Well? Actually, Ruzilin seemed to have been… sick, and she mumbled quite a lot in her sleep.”

For some reason, Daphne explained hesitantly.

Oh, dear. I must have shown quite a pathetic side. How embarrassing.

I spent the weekend without much thought.

On the third Monday afternoon since admission, a disciplinary committee meeting was held. The location was the conference room on the 5th floor of the student union building.

The disciplinary committee meeting, held with Irene’s help, was… something. Very, severely clumsy.

“Greetings. I am Kaim, the General Affairs Officer of the Polaris General Student Council! Irene, we meet again. How many times is this now?”

A brown-haired young man with a casual demeanor greeted us with exaggerated fuss.

“…Where is the professor in charge?”

“Hahaha… According to Article 21, Clause 1 of the Student Self-Governance Regulations, they don’t have to be present!”

“What about the Student Council President and Vice President?”

“According to Article 21, Clause 5 of the Student Self-Governance Regulations, the General Affairs Officer, myself, Kaim, is enough to proceed!”

Damn it, it’s a mess from the start. None of the adult faculty members who should be present are here. Aside from that ridiculous General Affairs Officer, the positions of Student Council President and Vice President, who should originally be here, are also empty.

This is a disciplinary committee meeting?

No, more importantly, I don’t know if this can even be valid if students just hold it on their own whim.

“…According to Article 31, Clause 7 of the Student Self-Governance Regulations, the decision here is merely a pronouncement. The final decision will, in any case, be made by the Board of Directors! Don’t worry. The Board members will always stamp their approval!”

Wow, that’s truly amazing!

This pseudo-disciplinary committee, where all students and witnesses gathered, proceeded as quickly as beans roasting over lightning [meaning very rapidly and haphazardly].

Surprisingly, the disciplinary committee process proceeded in my favor. For one, it was true that prohibited alcohol had been brought in.

When the alcohol bottles, presented as evidence, were displayed, Camerdin, who had been reported, and the other seniors began to whimper.

“Senior… No, General Affairs Officer-nim. I’m innocent! I only told her to drink one glass, but she willingly drank it all!”

“Student Ruzilin. Is that true?”

“Uh… That’s true, but…”

After thinking, I just spoke honestly. It was true that I had voluntarily guzzled it down. Irene, who somehow found herself acting as my lawyer, looked at me with curious eyes and then argued on my behalf.

“But it happened under a coercive atmosphere, didn’t it?”

“No! Here’s the evidence. That student, Violet, ate happily! How is this coercion?”

What?!

The second-year students showed a smartphone video, taken at who-knows-when. It showed me smiling brightly and frantically stuffing food into my mouth.

“Ah… it’s true.”

-Argh! I must have eaten too excitedly!-

-Should I have eaten while crying?-

Five minutes later, the disciplinary committee’s results were announced.

“Alright. I hereby declare the disciplinary committee’s findings. Bringing in prohibited alcohol according to school regulations, and making other students consume it, can be considered a severe violation of regulations.

Student Camerdin and five others are hereby suspended. The detailed terms will be decided by the Board of Directors, so you may leave now!”

“No! She happily drank it all! This is unfair!”

Those shameless rascals were quietly dragged away by the student council executives. They were punished for now, but I’m not sure if this was truly the right outcome.

“Wait a minute. What about the forced consumption of food, confiscation of weapons, and forced hazing? Those are grounds for expulsion.”

When Irene and the first-year witnesses protested, Kaim waved his hand dismissively, as if annoyed.

“Ah, I don’t know about that! The maximum disciplinary action the student council can impose is suspension, nothing more. The Board of Directors will handle anything beyond that, so take it up with the Student Council President.”

“Excuse me! General Affairs Officer!”

“That’s all for now!”

That Kaim fellow shook off Irene and ran out as if fleeing with the other student council executives.

This is a disciplinary committee?

“Ah… Well, at least those seniors were punished, so I guess I should think positively?”

“No, this was just touching the branches.”

This ambiguous ending left me feeling completely flat, and Irene looked bitter. It felt like drinking flat soda.

“Alright, I’ll go first. Thanks for your help!”

“…Okay. If you need help next time, contact me here.”

After exchanging SNS and contact information, we parted ways. I suddenly felt like exploring the 5th floor.

I wandered through the old-fashioned interior. Various commemorative plaques, trophies, and certificates were displayed. It was really strange that such a messed-up, terrible school would receive awards.

“Ugh…dust.”

It seemed unmanaged, with thick layers of dust accumulated. When I swiped my finger across a trophy, a thick layer of dust came off. Only then could I see the engraved letters.

Their histories were all impressive.

Checking the year, it was inscribed as Federation Year 15. That was 10 years ago. Looking at the other awards, they were all from 10 or 20 years ago. The most recent year was a trophy from 7 years ago.

Did that mean it used to be a good school in the past?

As I walked down the hallway, I observed a scene from the school’s moldy and messy history. While looking at the portraits of the first chairman and principals one by one, I heard two familiar voices arguing in the distance.

‘It’s Irene! And that person is…’

It was a familiar scene from the admission ceremony. The tall, ash-haired young man. He was the Student Council President.

I crawled on all fours carefully behind the nearest sofa to eavesdrop on their conversation.

-What kind of person is this Student Council President? This school is really strange.-

-Freedom, what on earth…-

-It sounds crazy, but it might be better than talking about senior authority.-

As I eavesdropped, my clones spoke in unison. Some parts were hard to hear, so I didn’t fully understand.

Should I listen a bit more…?

“…It’s not proper to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, junior.”

With a creak, the sofa was pushed away. It was telekinesis.

When I lifted my head, I gasped in fright. The Student Council President was staring down at me with lifeless, cold eyes.

“Eek!”

“Violet Ruzilin? Why are you there?”

Ugh, I’m caught.

Suddenly, I was caught between Irene and the Student Council President. The Student Council President, who had been staring at me, reached out his hand. I felt something being snatched, and my body was forcibly lifted. I was instantly pulled by telekinesis and brought before the Student Council President.

Agh! I’m caught! I’m going to die! I’m doomed!

“Eek!”

The Student Council President scanned me with cold eyes. What, is he going to punish me? I felt an invisible pressure all over my body, and the telekinesis was…

-Tap, tap!

“Tsk, tsk, how dirty…”

“Huh?”

“Student Council President, what are you doing…”

“I didn’t realize your eyesight was so poor. I’m dusting. Is there a problem?”

The telekinesis lightly tapped my clothes, shaking off the dust. Once all the dust was gone, I landed on the floor. The Student Council President’s disdainful gaze swept over me.

“Are you some kind of cockroach? Hiding prone on the floor like that…”

“Hehehe…”

Faced with the cold, hard truth, I was speechless.