A Sincere Confession
"Ah, holding back my curiosity is absolute torture! Hey, are you listening? I'm seriously going crazy here! I'm dying to see for myself what kind of girl that red-haired woman Sloth mentioned actually is! Do you think I can find her if I completely turn the city upside down? What about you? Aren't you curious? What? You're losing your mind, so I should shut up? I've only been babbling next to you for a few days. How much longer do I plan to keep talking? Well, who knows? Probably until my curiosity is satisfied, I guess. Huh? Go see her myself? Of course I want to! But I don't even know who she is, which is why I'm holding back like this. Oh? You think you know who she is? Ah, from when we played with dolls last time? Really? She's an academy student? Well, even if I know who she is, I can't get in there. The inside is warded against teleportation magic, and forcing my way in from the outside would be a massive pain in the ass. Oh? You'll help me? Yes, yes! If you help me, I will gladly shut up. Ah, a contract? You don't have to worry about that. The contract only says I won't lay a hand on her even if I see her. So... as long as I don't lay a 'hand' on her, it's fine, right?"
"If you've ever read a history book, you've probably wondered about this at least once. With so much Magi blanketing the outside world, how on earth did the heroes of the past go on expeditions to subjugate the Witches? Well, while the concentration of Magi is so thick now that traveling is nearly impossible, it wasn't always like this. In the past, Holy Relics scattered across the world suppressed the spread of Magi."
The history teacher's low voice droned on soothingly. Back in my school days, we used to call teachers with voices like that 'sleeping pills' because listening to them practically guaranteed a nap. Of course, the students of Aegis Academy weren't the type to doze off just because of a dull voice, but today, it was glaringly obvious that no one was paying attention. They had been like this ever since this morning, when Professor Eve announced the schedule for today's special class along with the guest who would be joining them.
"Among the most famous were the World Tree revered by the Elves, the Everlasting Forge in the subterranean kingdom of the Dwarves, the Sky Orb that powered the floating islands, and the Tear of the Ocean, a treasure of the Mermaids. Perhaps because the Witches feared their power, many of these Holy Relics that suppressed the Magi were destroyed. And the remaining relics were all consumed to seal the Gluttony Witch when she invaded in the past. Thus, they can no longer be found... By the way, it seems none of you have any intention of listening to my lecture today."
At the history teacher's pointed remark, the students let out sheepish chuckles. Seeing this, the teacher chuckled softly and closed his textbook.
"Alright, fine. It doesn't seem like you're in the mood for a lecture anyway, so we'll end here today. I'll let you off a bit early, so make sure you pay close attention to the special class this afternoon, and try not to cause too much trouble for our guest."
Not long after the history teacher left the classroom, someone sitting by the window pointed outside and shouted.
"Hey, hey! He's here!"
At those words, the students scrambled out of their seats and swarmed the windows. Watching them huddle together like sardines against the glass made me chuckle. They looked exactly like high school boys who had spotted a girl walking through their schoolyard. But to be fair, the person arriving today was indeed someone worthy of that level of intense interest.
Amidst the excited chatter of the students, the classroom door slid open with a sharp *clack*. Instantly, the room fell dead silent as every eye locked onto the person who walked in. I, too, turned my gaze toward the entrance.
It was a familiar face, but in highly unfamiliar attire.
"Uh... hey, everyone. Long time no see."
The culprit behind the classroom's collective distraction. No longer wearing his school uniform, Yoon Siwoo stood there with an awkward smile.
Apparently, Yoon Siwoo had come as an assistant for the afternoon's special class, which was to be conducted by Martina Ivanova, the Captain of the Astrape 4th Division. It seemed he had planned to have lunch with his former classmates in the cafeteria to catch up and say hello, but he clearly hadn't anticipated things turning out quite like this.
"Ahaha! I knew you were strong, but I had no idea you'd graduate early as the youngest ever and join Astrape! I saw your appointment ceremony on TV. You looked seriously cool, man."
"You're working with Lady Martina, right? Damn, I'm so jealous. Hey, what's she like in person? She's way prettier in real life than on screen, right?"
"U-Uh, guys? One at a time, please..."
The look of sheer helplessness on Yoon Siwoo's face as he was bombarded by questions from the crowd of students surrounding him was truly a sight to behold. I mean, a guy they used to take classes with had suddenly returned as a massive celebrity—there was no way they were going to let him off easy. Since they were already on friendly terms, they had zero hesitation in grilling him, meaning he'd likely be trapped like that until the special class officially started.
Sucks to be you, I thought, watching his struggle with mild amusement.
Just then, Sylvia, who was sitting next to me, turned her head.
"Um, Scarlet, it's been a while since you last saw him. Don't you have anything you want to say to Siwoo?"
"I'm fine. He looks pretty busy anyway."
Unlike the others who hadn't seen him in ages, I had already talked to him at the orphanage recently. I figured there was no need for me to butt in and steal the precious time his classmates had to catch up with him.
However, Sylvia looked strangely disappointed by my answer. What? Why that face?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Marin, who was sitting on the other side of Sylvia, whispered something into her ear with a sly, mischievous grin.
Sylvia's eyes widened. She darted her gaze between Yoon Siwoo and me, then leaned in closer to Marin, and the two of them began whispering furiously. Every now and then, they would exchange highly suspicious, knowing smiles.
Seriously, what on earth happened between them last time to make them this close? I was glad they were getting along, but watching them have their own private conversation right next to me made me feel a bit left out...
Still, my social battery and introverted nature weren't nearly high enough to let me boldly say, 'Hey, don't leave me out of the fun, let me in on the gossip!'
So I just sat there, blinking blankly, when Sylvia suddenly stood up from her seat and looked down at me.
"Scarlet, just wait here for a moment."
"......Eh? For what?"
I asked, bewildered by the sudden instruction, but Sylvia merely offered a mysterious smile. She and Marin, who had also stood up, marched purposefully toward the crowd surrounding Yoon Siwoo.
Wondering what they were up to, I watched them approach. Sylvia flashed a brilliant, dazzling smile at the surrounding students and spoke.
"Excuse me, everyone. I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but do you mind if we borrow Siwoo for a moment?"
The students nodded dumbly in unison.
Was this the terrifying power of a top-tier beauty? It was practically a Conqueror's Haki. Shutting up a crowd of rowdy teenagers with a single smile was nothing short of monstrous.
While I shivered in awe of her terrifying charisma, Yoon Siwoo, flustered by the sudden silence, looked at the two girls.
"Uh, do you guys need something from me?"
In response, Marin whispered something to him with a sweet, beaming smile, then pointed directly at me.
Yoon Siwoo's gaze followed her finger, landing straight on me. He flinched violently, then suddenly shoved his face into his plate, frantically shoveling the rest of his lunch into his mouth as if his life depended on finishing it this very second.
I tilted my head, wondering if they had threatened to murder him if he didn't finish his meal immediately. Once he was done, the two girls flanked him, practically escorting him like guards transporting a prisoner.
Seeing Yoon Siwoo sandwiched between Sylvia and Marin, a sudden realization struck me.
Oh, wait... is this... a catfight in the making?!
Excited by the prospect of a front-row seat to some juicy drama, I began inhaling the rest of my food. But just as I was finishing up, I felt a strange presence behind my back.
I slowly turned around.
There stood Sylvia and Marin, with Yoon Siwoo trailing behind them, looking down at me with pleasant, unreadable smiles.
"......Huh?"
Before I could even process what was happening, the two girls grabbed me by both arms and dragged me out of the cafeteria.
Nooooo! I still have one piece of meat left!
And so, having been kidnapped mid-meal...
"Fufu, you simply must have dessert after a meal."
"Ahaha! I knew you had good taste, Sylvia."
For some reason, I found myself sitting in the school's backyard, eating dessert with Sylvia, Marin, and Yoon Siwoo.
If they wanted to eat dessert with me, they could have just asked...
The unspoken complaint lingered on the tip of my tongue, but the moment I scooped up a spoonful of the premium tiramisu Sylvia had bought from the kiosk and put it in my mouth, all my grievances melted away along with the sweet cream.
Holy crap, this is delicious... As expected of a luxury dessert that cost a whopping four meals' worth of my budget...
I felt a little guilty about getting treated, but I decided to think of it as compensation for the piece of meat I had to leave behind and quietly enjoyed my treat.
But seriously, was this atmosphere normal? There were two heroines here with Yoon Siwoo, yet instead of a catfight, the vibe was incredibly peaceful.
Hey, even if I'm staying quiet, shouldn't you say something?
I glanced sideways at Yoon Siwoo, but the bastard seemed completely oblivious to the heroines around him. He was totally engrossed in the dessert, keeping his head down and nibbling on his tiramisu as if trying to make it last.
So it's dessert over beautiful girls, huh? I guess when you're a guy who can date a gorgeous girl whenever you feel like it, you can afford to be like this.
As I glared at him, thoroughly annoyed by his behavior—the classic attitude of a genetically blessed, ultra-talented show-off—Sylvia's voice broke the silence.
"Hmm, eating only dessert is making my throat a bit dry. I was thinking of going to the kiosk to grab some drinks. Does anyone have a preference?"
"Ah! Since you bought the dessert, I'll get the drinks! Just tell me what you want to drink!"
I blurted out, startled by Sylvia's suggestion. Good grief, getting treated to both dessert and drinks was simply unacceptable in my book. Besides, thanks to Sylvia taking care of my housing and basic needs, my bank account was actually quite comfortable. Even if they wanted some fancy ten-dollar caramel frappuccino with extra drizzle and chocolate chips—the most expensive drink I had ever heard of—the current me could easily afford it!
Armed with the supreme confidence of someone with money in their bank account, I prepared to leap to my feet. However, my body refused to cooperate.
Someone was quietly but firmly pressing down on my shoulder, keeping me pinned to the bench.
Confused, I looked to my side. Marin was smiling warmly at me.
"You just stay seated, Scarlet. I'll go with Sylvia to buy them. We actually have some things to discuss in private anyway."
Marin spoke in a soft, gentle tone. But how could I possibly agree to that? My life's motto was to never live in debt to anyone.
"There's no need for both of you to go just to buy drinks. I'll go by myself—"
I tried to brush Marin's hand off my shoulder as I spoke. But her hand didn't budge. In fact, the downward pressure only intensified.
Yet, without a single change in her pleasant expression, Marin smiled and said:
"Scarlet, really, it's fine. Just stay seated."
"But—"
"Stay. Seated."
"Okay..."
She's terrifying...
Shivering in fear, I ultimately surrendered to Marin's authority. Life motto be damned; the vibe she was giving off made it crystal clear that she would murder me if I stood up.
In the end, when they asked what I wanted, the only way I could salvage my conscience was to ask for plain water. It wasn't like I minded anyway—I usually only drank water or instant mix coffee, so I wouldn't even know what a fancy, expensive drink tasted like! Compared to a certain shameless jerk like Yoon Siwoo, who just told them to buy 'whatever' despite being treated, wasn't I practically an angel?
Anyway, once the two girls left for the kiosk, Yoon Siwoo and I were naturally left alone.
Not knowing what to say, I silently focused on shoveling tiramisu into my mouth. Before I knew it, I had scraped the container clean. I set the spoon down, but feeling a bit reluctant to let any go to waste, I was busy licking the leftover cocoa powder from the bottom of the wrapper when Yoon Siwoo's voice drifted over.
"......If it's not enough, do you want mine? I'm not a big fan of sweet things."
Yoon Siwoo held out his tiramisu toward me. He wasn't lying about not liking sweets; there was still a significant portion left. I had assumed he loved it because he was eating so slowly with his head down earlier, but I guess not.
Well, if he didn't want it, it would be a waste to throw it away. Deciding to dispose of it in my stomach instead, I thanked him, took his tiramisu, scooped up a massive spoonful, and popped it into my mouth.
"Ah, wait, that's the spoon I was..."
What? If you're going to regret it now and ask for it back, too bad. I'm not giving it back.
With that thought, I kept the spoon in my mouth and gave him a flat, defensive glare. Yoon Siwoo seemed to give up, hanging his head with a sigh.
As I continued to savor the tiramisu, Yoon Siwoo, perhaps finding the silence awkward, spoke up again.
"......Um, have you been doing well lately?"
"Hmm? Yeah, pretty well. Before regular classes started, I visited the orphanage to play with the kids, and lately, I've just been attending classes and training."
"......I see. The classes aren't too hard for you?"
I let out a soft chuckle at his question.
"No matter how hard they are, they can't compare to what you're going through on the front lines... Though, yeah, they are a bit tough."
I shook my head as I recalled the recent special class. Man, that was brutal. Marin's mother really didn't pull her punches just because we were students. I had lost count of how many times I had to retry.
It was painful and exhausting, and there were moments when I seriously considered throwing in the towel. Yet, I didn't give up and pushed through to the very end.
There were many reasons why I was able to do so, but...
I looked at Yoon Siwoo and opened my mouth.
"Now that I think about it, there's actually something I should thank you for."
"......Thank me for?"
"Yeah. There was this incredibly brutal class not too long ago..."
I offered a gentle smile to Yoon Siwoo, who was tilting his head in confusion.
"During that class, I managed to hold on by thinking of you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have made it. So, thank you."
Perhaps unable to comprehend what I meant, Yoon Siwoo froze, completely stiffening up without a word. But that was fine. These were things I couldn't say to anyone else, so as long as he was listening, it was enough. With that in mind, I calmly began to pour out the thoughts and worries I had kept bottled up inside.
"Do you remember the promise we made last time? Back then, you told me to be happy. I thought about that a lot afterward. How exactly could I be happy? After giving it some deep thought, I realized that if I just do my absolute best with what I can do, then maybe, just maybe, I can find some happiness. Giving it my all, leaving no regrets. That's how I was able to endure."
To be honest, there were plenty of moments when I felt like I was going insane, and many nights spent tossing and turning with anxiety. Yet, the reason I could still give it my all was because of the promise we made that day.
"Thank you, Siwoo. I was able to find the strength to keep going because of you."
It was all thanks to him. Because of his presence, I could make the choice to live my life to the fullest and leave this world without any regrets when the time came. For that, I was endlessly grateful.
With those feelings in my heart, I smiled warmly at him.
"So hang in there, okay? Because I believe in you more than anyone else in this world."
Yoon Siwoo kept his head buried low, offering no response. I hadn't said it expecting an answer anyway, so I didn't mind.
As I waited quietly, Yoon Siwoo slowly lifted his head.
The moment our eyes met, he let out a bizarre, strangled squeak—"Hyeok!"—and suddenly bolted in the opposite direction.
What's up with him? Did he suddenly need the bathroom?
Left all alone after Yoon Siwoo's abrupt departure, I continued to munch on the tiramisu while waiting for everyone to return. But neither Yoon Siwoo nor Marin and Sylvia, who had supposedly gone to buy drinks, showed up by the time lunch break ended.
It was only then that I realized I had been abandoned.
Lunch break ended, and the next period began. The first-year students gathered in the gymnasium, waiting for the instructor who would be leading the special class.
While waiting, I stole a glance at Yoon Siwoo, who was sitting next to me, staring blankly at the floor.
With his head hung low, he was behaving incredibly strangely—suddenly giggling to himself, then burying his face in his hands. He had been like this ever since lunch, and I was starting to genuinely worry if something had gone wrong with his brain.
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, a wave of cheers erupted from the students.
In the distance, a woman with vibrant orange hair fluttering behind her walked into the gym. It was Martina Ivanova, the Captain of the Astrape 4th Division and Yoon Siwoo's superior, who would be conducting today's class.
Walking in with an imposing, majestic stride, she swept her gaze across the assembled students. For some reason, her eyes seemed to linger on our section for a beat too long.
I saw her lips twitching slightly.
"......Sacred education...... dare to flirt......"
Muttering something inaudible under her breath, she glared at the students with sharp, piercing eyes and spoke in a chillingly cold voice.
"I'm sure you all know who I am. I won't bother with introductions, so you'd better brace yourselves."
With an expression that looked incredibly displeased—though perhaps it was just my imagination—she made her declaration.
"You're all dead today."
Yep. Today, we were dead meat.