Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Superstar's Solitude
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I am...
...a superstar.
More precisely, a super-elite prospect.
So, think of me as the next Messi or something.
Superstars are lonely. No one dares approach me out of envy for my overflowing talent.
Look at that girl over there. That pretty child with red hair and red eyes. Even she, who's friendly to everyone, hesitates to talk to me.
Aah. So lonely. Ever since I became a superstar, all that's come to me is isolation and solitude...
"Anis."
"Yeah?"
"...What are you doing all alone in the corner? Let's go eat."
"Okay."
A peaceful lunchtime. I went to eat with the Yoon-Na-rin trio. For reference, the Yoon-Na-rin trio is short for Yoon Na-rin, Reisi, and Han U-sol.
Even while eating, the stares directed at me didn't stop. I wonder what emotions are in those eyes.
Eyes.
What a fascinating word. Eye and light. Two words that seem completely unrelated combined to create a new meaning.
Are those gazes filled with contempt? Or curiosity? Maybe jealousy and envy? I don't know.
No, let's not think negatively.
Those gazes mean respect and admiration.
Because I'm a superstar,
'And fucking awesome.'
With that thought, I picked up my spoon, and Reisi spoke up.
"Anis, can't you teach us something besides daggers now?"
"Hmm. Sure. Could my personal secretary contact you separately to adjust the schedule?"
"Huh? You have a personal secretary?"
Superstars are busy people.
"Don't play along with that nonsense, Reisi."
I ignored Yoon Na-rin's comment from the side.
#
I entered the bathroom.
Superstars are busy, but physiological needs can't be helped.
As soon as I entered, gazes pierced into me.
Following the lines of those gazes, at the end were three female students.
Faces I already knew. The ones who had a huge fight with Yoon Na-rin before, right?
Our eyes met, and the female students' stares intensified. Sending such fervent gazes—being a superstar is tiring.
"Hey~ Our prospect superstar. Hi there?"
"...Hi. Hello."
Look at this. Unable to contain her overflowing respect, she comes over to talk. This is the life of a superstar...
"A prospect whose magic power won't increase? Pfft. Kinda funny, huh?"
"......"
The girl in the middle sneered like that, and the atmosphere in the bathroom turned hostile. Or maybe it was already hostile from the start.
...From somewhere.
From deep inside me, from my inventory.
I felt like I heard a voice.
My beloved sword, Lapis Lazuli's voice. It was a clear and elegant voice, but within it simmered waves of quiet rage.
This time, a different voice. One swallowed by madness. Incredibly arrogant and haughty.
Heavenly Demon Shattering Fist. The gauntlets I'd received from Han U-sol recently. Of course, I named them myself.
'No, hold back. I'll handle it.'
I calmed the two who were raging in fury at the insult to their master. If they stepped in, it definitely wouldn't end well. I had to handle it appropriately myself.
I put strength into my eyes and glared at the girl in front. Even I thought it was a pretty intimidating look. This should make her understand and back off quietly...
"Oh? Look at her glaring. What are you looking at? Lower your eyes."
"......"
...I lowered my eyes.
'...Lapis Lazuli. I'll leave it to you.'
I called out to my beloved sword, Lapis Lazuli, in my mind.
――.........
Lapis Lazuli didn't respond.
'...Heavenly Demon Shattering Fist.'
――.........
As expected, no response.
...Betraying their master.
You ungrateful bastards. This isn't why I named you and polished you every day.
"Pfft. She actually lowered them."
"What a halfwit."
I quietly endured the three's barrage of insults with my eyes down.
"Halfwit. Don't get the wrong idea."
"You're not special at all, totally meaningless..."
Smack!
"Ow! Fuck! Who was that?!"
A palm struck the back of the head of the girl in the middle of the trio.
The girl rubbed her head and glared behind her.
Behind her was a silver-haired bob-cut girl who looked somewhat delinquent. It was Reisi.
"What are you looking at? Lower your eyes."
"......"
"Who do you think you are..."
"Lower them quick? Wanna try me? I've got a knife right now."
Reisi moved her hand to her waist and tapped the dagger's hilt with her fingers.
With an expressionless face, Reisi looked like killing one person was no big deal, which scared me a bit.
...Surely Reisi wasn't telling me to lower my eyes, but I did anyway.
"...Tch!"
The bitch trio followed my lead, clicking their tongues before leaving the bathroom.
"...Anis. You okay?"
"...Yeah. Thanks."
Reisi asked me with a worried look.
I forced a smile onto my frozen, scared face and thanked her.
These bitches. A superstar always has bodyguards on standby.
[Halfwit.]
"......"
Ah.
Ugh.
Urk.
My stomach feels bad.
#
One more worry added to the list. Superstars always live burdened with worries.
The first worry was, as always, no big deal. Arsenal lost again.
I didn't watch the match, so I don't know. But they must've sucked.
The second worry was the same. My magic power wasn't increasing.
"Let's measure magic power for a bit."
Practical class time. Teacher Rockbell pulled a palm-sized orb from his pocket.
Maybe because the students' magic power was increasing and improving every day, he seemed in a good mood.
"Mark Rapster. 1310."
"Reisi Hearts. 1600."
"Yoon Na-rin. 2080."
"Everyone's improved overall. Next, Anis Harper."
Ah, my turn.
Gazes gather. Something emanates from the gazes.
What is it? What kind of gazes? I was curious. I had a feeling, but no certainty.
Unfortunately, I don't have the social skills to read everything from people's eyes alone.
Anyway. Not a good feeling.
Gazes. Gazes pierce. Whether they're really gazes, something pierces.
Pierces, stabs. Twists. Crushes.
Pulls out, tears apart, thrusts back in...
Yeah, something. That something pierces...
"Anis Harper!"
"Ah, yes."
The bald guy snapped me out of my daze.
I was lost in weird thoughts again. That's my third worry lately.
Negative thoughts flowing into my mind unbidden. Sometimes even auditory hallucinations.
Yeah. Not by my will, negativity flowing in from somewhere. From where? Where is it coming from?
I went up to the bald guy and placed my hand on the orb.
"2320... Not increasing at all. Why is that?"
The bald guy clutched his head with one hand and sighed. It looked like he was lamenting his lack of hair, which was kinda funny.
Again. Hallucinations again.
No, it's not that I'm pretending not to hear the gossip—it's really hallucinations.
No one here except the bald guy is speaking out loud.
Of course, their eyes might be talking.
My thoughts don't move as I will.
If I loosen my mental grip even a little, they drag me toward the negative.
...I don't want that.
Ah, fuck.
Ugh.
Urk.
Think positively.
Think positively.
Is this agony and pain also the fate of a superstar?
Hmm. The path of a superstar is long and arduous.
###
'Anis...'
Yoon Na-rin sighed inwardly.
Anis's expression was getting worse day by day. It seemed even more severe than at the start of the semester now.
It made sense. The media kept hyping her up, piling on the pressure, but her magic power wouldn't increase. No solution in sight.
On top of that, the stares gathering whenever Anis passed by. Even oblivious Anis would notice stares that blatant.
Media expectations.
Magic power with no solution.
Intrusive gazes judging her.
A maddening harmony of three elements. Even Yoon Na-rin would have been mentally unstable for sure.
'...Ah, seriously.'
She wanted to comfort her with some solution, but there was none. What if Anis actually developed depression? Yoon Na-rin stamped her feet anxiously.
Yoon Na-rin glanced at Han U-sol beside her. He too had been fixedly watching Anis all day, worried.
"Hey, Han U-sol."
"Yeah?"
"You can imbue weapons with all sorts of special abilities, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Then, something like mental stabilization... or whatever. Even just something to relax the mind a bit."
Han U-sol quickly caught on to what Yoon Na-rin meant. She was worried about Anis's mental state.
After thinking for a few seconds, Han U-sol replied promptly.
"If I imbue a purification ability, it should work."
"Really? Then make one quick and give it to Anis."
"Got it."
#
Break time.
I was staring at the blackboard, counting sheep in my head. Pretty lame for a superstar.
After counting all the sheep and starting to draw stars, Han U-sol approached me.
"Anis."
"Yeah?"
"Come here for a sec?"
"Okay."
As I followed Han U-sol out of the classroom, Yoon Na-rin, sitting at her desk, glared at him fiercely and mouthed something.
...Or was it at me? Na-rin, your face is scary. Jealous? Love over friendship?
Leaving behind Yoon Na-rin staring intently, Han U-sol and I headed to the rooftop.
Upon arriving, Han U-sol created a dagger in his hand.
'Oh, called me to give a weapon?'
My mood lifted, and my expression brightened.
Soon, the dagger in Han U-sol's hand was complete.
Pure white. That phrase suited it best. Completely snow-white.
"Anis, you seem really down lately. This dagger has a modified purification ability imbued in it. Just keeping it nearby should help when you're mentally stressed."
Oh. Exactly the weapon I needed right now.
Come to think of it, from the moment the dagger appeared, the negative thoughts filling my head vanished. The effect was real.
Was I showing it that much? I'd been trying hard to stay positive.
"...Thanks."
Maybe because my head cleared a bit from the dagger's function, a small smile slipped out unwittingly.
I could feel he'd worried a lot to cheer me up and cared deeply about me.
That was so grateful, a laugh came out.
"...Haha."
Han U-sol scratched his cheek awkwardly, avoiding my eyes. His face seemed a bit red.
And the moment I reached out to take the dagger from Han U-sol, a spark flew.
Zap!
"Ugh!?"
"A-Anis!? You okay?"
I flipped my hand around checking for issues. No big problem. Just startled.
'...What the fuck.'
Static? I reached for the fallen dagger again.
Zap!
"Ugh!"
"...Anis?"
...What the fuck.
Han U-sol and I stared at each other with wide eyes.
...No, really, what is this?