Rival
Once they actually started talking, the frozen stiffness that had locked her body just moments before melted away as if it had never existed, and her heart settled into ease.
It was probably thanks to the other woman noticing her tension and gently carrying the conversation forward.
Her name was Cecilia.
The name of the woman who had saved her life — a name she was learning for the first time in fifteen years.
Yi Siyun resolved to tuck the name Cecilia deep into her heart and keep it there forever.
Cecilia appeared to be a teacher at the Academy rather than a student. Which made sense, given the considerable age difference and the fact that she wasn't wearing a school uniform. Even when Siyun, her mind still not fully working, asked absurd questions, Cecilia answered them with a smile.
They exchanged a few more words after that. How had she been all this time? How had she recognized Siyun and approached her? Things like that. Beyond the fact that one had saved the other's life, they knew so little about each other that they didn't even know each other's names — so there wasn't much else to talk about.
But that was fine. They could get to know each other gradually from now on. Now that she knew Cecilia was a teacher at the Academy and knew her name, she could meet her whenever she wanted.
She was absolutely not comforting herself with this thought because she'd forgotten to get her phone number.
"Ah, damn…. I should've gotten her number…."
But what was done was done. Vowing to get the number without fail the next time they met, she started running toward the classroom where Elysia was waiting.
Their reunion had been shorter than expected — Yi Siyun had a promise with Elysia, and Cecilia had duties as a teacher. Siyun thought that was actually fortunate for now, since she hadn't been able to think of much to say anyway. Better to finish what little conversation they had and arrange to meet again than to stand there in awkward silence and drag that awkwardness into their next meeting.
Yi Siyun hoped that the awkward atmosphere between herself and Cecilia would lessen even a little.
"Ah~ We already parted ways. I wanted to watch a little longer."
A reunion after fifteen years with the savior whose name she didn't even know! Of course she'd want to watch, right? That's why I'd deliberately asked Cecilia to wait in the direction Siyun was likely to come from.
In truth, I'd already half-guessed that Cecilia was Siyun's savior. I hadn't been certain, but still.
Of course, in the original work How to Become a Hero, there was a flashback of the Great War from Yi Siyun's past. But it only mentioned that a savior had rescued her as a child — there was never any reunion in the present day. To think that even though they were at the same Academy as teacher and student, they never learned of each other's whereabouts and never reunited — what a tragedy…!
In How to Become a Hero, Yi Siyun never even learned whether her savior was alive or dead. She simply took her as a role model and continued to grow, eventually becoming a "true hero" — by emulating her own personal hero, someone who charged at enemies stronger than herself to save the weak.
Looking at it that way, even though she never appeared directly, Cecilia was a character who made a tremendous contribution to the ending of How to Become a Hero.
How did I know Cecilia was Yi Siyun's life savior?
Well… while I was hospitalized, I'd asked about Cecilia's past and heard the answer directly. I hadn't been completely certain, but it was practically confirmed. A blind woman who dodged every attack as if she could see and drove her sword home. There couldn't be two such characters in the same world. Of course, her age and appearance had changed, and the dull kitchen knife she'd held had become a sharp sword — but still.
So I'd wondered if I might be able to arrange a meeting between the two, and asked about Cecilia's past. In the hospital, I'd heard about Cecilia's bleak past, the brief moments of hope that had shone through, and the Great War. I'd heard about the memory of her first kill, and the story of training her ability and participating in the Great War.
Whether Cecilia thought it wasn't something worth hiding, or simply found me that comfortable to talk to, she poured out the story freely. Only after hearing everything did I understand the secret of Cecilia's strength.
To dodge an attack using Cecilia's ability, she first had to take the hit once in the future she foresaw. During the Great War, she had fought through the agony of her entire body being torn apart dozens, hundreds, thousands of times. The attacks she couldn't dodge left marks on her body like some kind of brand, and by the time the Great War ended, she had already become a hero.
The body she'd trained to survive had reached the limits of an Awakener, and her innate senses had long since surpassed those of a human. Based on countless experiences of pain and the attacks she couldn't dodge even after seeing the future, she always found the optimal movement — and that was how the present Cecilia came to be.
Cecilia had told me about the time she saved a young girl — that is, the memory of her first kill. Back then, she'd been nothing more than a fragile little girl with a slightly special ability. While telling the story, Cecilia had pulled a photo of herself from the Great War out of her pocket. A photo taken with the comrades she'd fought alongside. She was filthy and stick-thin from not being able to wash or eat properly, yet her unique dignity and beauty remained intact.
Having no combat experience, she'd been unable to fight relying solely on her body's senses, so she'd borrowed heavily from the vision of the girl beside her and the man she was fighting. Because she'd never once tried to dodge anything with that ability, wounds appeared on her body every time the man swung his knife. Because she'd never once tried to attack anyone with that ability, she couldn't even thrust the kitchen knife properly. What's more, because she couldn't use her ability properly, when she accidentally drove the knife into his eye instead of his neck, she'd felt that pain herself as well.
Hearing that, I thought — so even Cecilia had a time like that. Indeed, to possess true beauty, one must be someone who knows pain and hardship. That's why Cecilia is so pretty! Of course, there are exceptions like me.
In any case, I'd clearly heard the story of saving the nameless girl that had been my goal. It matched the flashback in How to Become a Hero perfectly — moving as if she could see despite being blind, the weapon being a kitchen knife with a completely dulled blade, and even accidentally stabbing the eye instead of the neck. If this wasn't the same person, one would have to question the author's mental state.
Having heard this in the hospital, I'd thought, I want to bring the two of them together someday~ And then the opportunity came right away: calling her to pass on word about the fireworks festival. Originally the plan had been just to text her last night, but thinking about Siyun suddenly brought Cecilia to mind, and I hatched a plan to make them meet. A plan I'd thought up in thirty seconds while lying in bed trying to sleep at dawn yesterday.
There was a stretch of road where Siyun and I often crossed paths. If we ran into each other there often, it meant that path connected my classroom to hers — so if I asked her to come, she'd take that route. And of course, my brilliant mind being perfect, the prediction was correct and the reunion took place.
"I wanted to watch a little longer…."
The problem was there was too little time. A reunion after fifteen years, and they only get to exchange a few words before parting! And both of their reactions were so bland. At least Siyun seemed a little nervous…. Normally shouldn't they be crying and hugging each other? That's what I'd been hoping for!
And if they part ways like this now, I won't get to watch their next reunion. I considered texting them to talk more right now, but Cecilia's time was running short, so even if I canceled the appointment it didn't seem possible to get them talking longer.
Well, still, it wasn't bad. I could see both of them were happy deep down, so as the one who brought them together I felt rather proud…. And it seemed they planned to meet again! So for now, I need to run to the classroom. Siyun can't get there before me!
"Sorry…."
"…It's fine."
I arrived later than Siyun! Is this why she's the protagonist? Her running speed is ridiculously fast…. I mean, I've even been receiving Cecilia's special training! The world is unfair….
She's not as beautiful as me, but she has a lovely face, a good personality, and decent grades. And her athletic ability is that good too! Is Siyun really my greatest rival after all? I'll have to be careful going forward….
By the way, Siyun doesn't seem to be in a good mood. Did she not like the meeting with Cecilia? …No, that can't be it. It's probably because I was late. After all, she parted with Cecilia and ran here in a hurry because of our promise, only for me to show up late. From Siyun's perspective — not knowing I'd arranged for them to meet — it must have been annoying to see me stroll in late with a cheerful grin.
I tried to give her a tight hug to cheer her up, but she dodged, so my arms just sliced through empty air. That was a bonus.