Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Lost Bond
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Rafne Bell Martinez opened her eyes.
What she saw was the familiar ceiling.
The girls' dormitory of Dredis Academy, her own room.
"Yawn..."
Rafne let out a yawn and sat up on the edge of the bed in a daze, greeting the familiar morning half-heartedly.
For some reason, she felt a strange sensation, as if she'd just woken from a long dream. She stared blankly into space for a moment.
Why was that?
She'd clearly slept soundly, yet somewhere deep in her heart itched, felt stuffy, and anxious.
Though it was her comfortable own room, for some reason it felt awkward and unappealing.
And then.
A name kept surfacing relentlessly.
"...Ken."
Why was that?
Was it because he hadn't been coming to the academy lately, making her curious about his whereabouts?
But that didn't explain why saying his name aloud made the turmoil in her chest grow even stronger.
That agitation cleared her foggy mind.
Rafne immediately got out of bed and began preparing to head to the academy.
Once everything was ready.
She put extra effort into her appearance today, then stepped out of her dormitory room.
'...Why am I rushing like this?'
Even as she walked herself, Rafne questioned her own actions.
There was plenty of time, after all.
She wasn't the type to fuss much even if she was late.
But Rafne's footsteps quickened anyway.
And the name kept circling in her head.
'...Ken, ...Ken. ......Ken!'
Before she knew it, she was repeatedly thinking his name and broke into a run. She arrived at the academy in an instant.
After dropping her bag in her own classroom, Rafne headed straight elsewhere.
To a different class.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
As she drew closer to that classroom, a smile began to bloom on her lips.
She flung open the front door energetically and shouted.
"Ken—!!"
Ken Fine Stein, who clearly hadn't been coming to the academy lately.
For some reason, she had a strong feeling he'd be in the classroom today. She called out vigorously while scanning for his seat.
'...Who is that?'
But the person she sought wasn't there.
Just some unknown boy sitting there, smiling brightly at her.
'...Why is that guy in Ken's seat.'
Not liking it one bit, Rafne stormed toward him, her anger evident in her stride.
As she approached, the boy's expression shifted from a bright smile to a flustered one.
"...Hey? ...Rafne."
'...He knows me?'
The boy called her name and waved his hand.
But Rafne had no idea who he was.
"Who are you?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Who... are you?"
I couldn't process Rafne's words for a moment.
But the look in her eyes as she stared at me conveyed the meaning through my skin.
A cold gaze from Rafne that she'd never directed at me before.
I'd never imagined her looking at me like that.
"......I'm."
Even in the confusing situation, I opened my mouth to answer her question.
If I just said my name, maybe her demeanor would return to normal.
But somewhere in my mind rejected that idea.
I couldn't easily speak up.
As the cold air filled the classroom.
Creak.
Someone opened the back door of the classroom and entered.
The sudden noise in the quiet room naturally drew my eyes to the back door.
And there, my eyes met Emily's.
"......Huh?"
Emily, spotting me, looked as if she'd seen a ghost for a moment.
"Wha-what?!"
She pointed at me with her index finger, her face flushing as she let out a startled voice.
Then she rushed over to me.
"Ke-Ken?! You're like this now...!"
"Ken....?"
Rafne, standing beside me, reacted with a cold glare at Emily's urgent call as she ran up.
The other students watching the scene began murmuring too.
"Ken? Did Emily just say Ken?"
"So that's Ken over there now?"
"No way, Emily must be mistaken."
Skeptical reactions.
But Emily ignored the other classmates and Rafne's gaze, continuing without a care.
"You, you you, ...you ...lost weight?"
"......Yeah."
"Now you don't have to eat tons of food?"
"......Right."
At my response, Emily's face lit up brightly with an innocent smile for a moment.
Then, noticing my gaze, she turned her head away with a "Ahem, ahem."
There was one reason I eyed her suspiciously.
'She didn't know I'd lost weight.'
Not just Emily—Rafne was the same.
In Rafne's case, she hadn't recognized me from the start.
That's why she was still glaring at me suspiciously.
"You're really Ken?"
"...Yeah."
"You haven't been to the academy lately, did you lose it during that time?"
"......"
I didn't answer, just looked at her.
It felt like I'd been struck on the back of the head with an unbelievable fact.
From this conversation, it was clear.
Rafne's glaring eyes at me, and Emily averting her gaze from my changed appearance.
They didn't remember me.
At least, the memories of conquering Tarros Tower together were completely gone.
"...Hey."
As I started to ask them something amid the confusion.
Creak!
The front door of the classroom opened again with a bang.
"Rafne! Emily!"
There stood Mary, radiating cold fury.
"Tch."
Rafne clicked her tongue upon seeing her, and Mary quickly approached me.
"You two...! Bullying Ken again?!"
Mary positioned herself in front of me, turning her back to shield me from the two.
I was a bit surprised watching her from behind.
'...She recognized me right away.'
Probably the same as the other two, though.
She'd just said "bullying Ken again."
Rafne bullying me was from first year, and Emily's too was from quite a while ago.
Yet she spoke as if they'd been bullying me right up to recently.
"Hmph, whatever. I'm going back."
After a brief standoff with Mary, Rafne turned and headed for the front door.
Creak.
As Rafne opened the front door to leave the class.
She glanced back at me.
Not a glare, but a very gentle look.
Seeing that, Emily sighed and returned to her seat. With a thud, she sat down, propping her chin and sneaking glances at me.
"Ken, are you okay?"
Once the situation settled, Mary looked at me with her usual expressionless face.
"...You recognize me?"
"Pardon? What do you... Oh, you've lost a lot of weight. I was worried since you haven't been to the academy lately... Did you go on a diet?"
To my question testing if she remembered the Tarros Tower events, Mary gave a completely different answer.
I watched her intently.
The top she was wearing.
It was definitely the enchanted raincoat I'd made for her.
"Then, I'll stop by again during the next break."
Confirming I was safe, Mary gave a soft smile and left the classroom.
Her attitude toward me was just as friendly as before I'd changed the past.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ '...What the hell is going on.'
The morning commotion settled, time passed, classes began—but none of it entered my head.
The only thing lingering in my mind was Rafne's glaring eyes at me.
And the reason she'd changed like that.
There was only one guess.
'...Because the prophecy child thing is gone, the present changed.'
Rafne was originally fated as the prophecy child, cursed and trapped in the tower.
But I'd erased that fate.
Meaning Rafne stayed at the academy without ever being trapped.
From the class reactions and Mary's words earlier, it seemed Rafne had been bullying me steadily from first year until now.
And Emily.
Our first connection was saving her from a monster in the forest.
That had nothing to do with the prophecy child, so it happened as is.
That's why Emily recognized me right away upon seeing my changed appearance.
And from my memory, after that, Emily started bullying me.
From Mary's reaction, probably right up until now.
The reason was obvious.
The trigger for her warming up to me.
The ten-day loop event from the demon army invading to find the prophecy child—no longer existed.
"......Sigh."
I let out a sigh.
To sum up, removing Rafne's fate was a clear success.
But as a side effect, all events tied to the prophecy child were erased.
'Why didn't I think of this...'
I'd focused on the massive chaos changing the prophecy child history might bring to the world, overlooking small events.
But in the end, the world was peaceful, and my surroundings were in chaos.
Above all, Rafne's gaze at me.
Honestly, it hurt a lot.
"......Rafne."
I recalled her face, always looking at me with a kind smile.
The promise I'd made with her.
I'd risked my life conquering the tower to fulfill that responsibility.
Now it was all for nothing.
'No, but I did protect Rafne from the demon army...'
Thinking that way, it felt inevitable.
After all, it secured the most important thing—Rafne's safety.
"......Sigh."
Still, sighs kept escaping.
In the end, I spent the whole day thinking about the changed Rafne.
Before I knew it, classes ended, the sun was setting, and it was time for everyone to head back to the dorms.
"Ken, shall we go back together?"
As classes finished, Mary opened the classroom door and approached softly.
Come to think of it, before lifting Rafne's curse, I'd often gone back with Mary.
"Sorry. I'm planning to head back a bit later."
"Oh.... Is something wrong?"
Perhaps sensing my mood, Mary asked with a worried face.
"No, really, I'm fine."
"...If you're okay. See you tomorrow, Ken."
Nodding at my words, Mary waved and left the classroom.
I turned back to the window, watching the sunset.
"......Sigh."
The reason I sat there sighing.
Going back to the dorm now would make it all too real—everything had truly changed.
My original routine was not heading straight to the dorm, but to Rafne's tower.
Eat dinner with Rafne there, then back to the dorm.
But now Rafne lived in the girls' dorm too.
The tower we'd shared was practically gone.
Thinking about it made me melancholic; I couldn't bring myself to get up.
'What should I do now...'
Rafne didn't remember me.
Precisely, all the memories of building our bond were gone.
And what remained were only the memories of her bullying me.
Our relationship now was just bully and victim.
Nothing more, nothing less.
That pained me deeply.
"......Let's go."
Realizing nothing would change by sitting and staring out the window, I stood up listlessly.
I approached the back door and opened it.
Creak.
"......Ah."
"Huh?"
I bumped into Rafne leaning against the wall by the back door.
She startled upon seeing me, eyes widening.
Then she quickly frowned and glared.
"Why'd you come out so late!"
Snapping at me.
"Why late...? Were you waiting?"
"Hah, can't you tell?"
"...Why?"
There was no reason for Rafne to wait for me.
Before the past changed, sure, we'd go back together.
But now, no connection.
She'd go to her dorm, I'd go to mine.
Yet she'd waited.
'Does she have business with me?'
The only thought was more bullying.
Was she going to harass me non-stop even after classes?
That idea tensed me up as I watched her.
But Rafne did nothing, just turned and walked away.
Then she whipped around and opened her mouth.
"What're you doing? Not coming?"
"...Huh? ...Uh, yeah."
At her glaring words, I followed behind her.
'...Where to.'
The path she led was nothing like I imagined.
I'd thought maybe to the back yard for some awful deed.
But the familiar path she took with me was...
The way back to the dorms.
'...What is this?'
If we kept going, we'd reach the girls' dorm. Past that, the boys' dorm.
But Rafne said nothing, just walked one step ahead.
"...Are we walking back together?"
"Hic!"
My offhand comment made Rafne's head jerk in surprise, a cute sound escaping.
Then she spun around, face red, glaring as she yelled.
"Wh-who said we're walking back together?! I-it's just coincidence our paths overlap!"
"I-is that so."
After speaking, Rafne turned back and walked ahead.
I stared blankly at her back.
Once some distance opened, she turned again.
"What! Not coming?!"
Still flushed, she shouted.
A laugh slipped out unwittingly.
After that, I hurried to catch up at her urging, and we walked to the dorms together.
'We're walking back together, huh.'
She denied it, but that's how it seemed.
No real conversation, just walking side by side.
Naturally, we reached the girls' dorm first.
At the main gate, Rafne—who'd been ahead—stopped abruptly.
Noticing, I scratched my cheek, pondering.
Then turned toward the boys' dorm and greeted her.
"See you tomorrow then. Bye."
No real talk, but since we'd walked together, a goodbye seemed right.
As I started toward my dorm.
Tug.
Suddenly, my collar was yanked.
Wondering what, I looked down.
There was Rafne, face red, head down, gripping my clothes with a frustrated expression.
"U-um... Rafne?"
"......I'll go."
"What...?"
Her soft mutter reached me.
As I asked again, Rafne glared with a beet-red face.
"I-I'll... walk you to the boys' dorm."
'......Why?'
I nearly blurted my confusion but shut my mouth and nodded.
Then Rafne walked ahead again, and I followed.
'...What the heck?'
We'd reached her dorm already.
Yet she didn't turn back, heading with me to the boys' dorm.
Amid my puzzled thoughts, her swaying red hair caught my eye.
That sight suddenly recalled Rafne from before the past changed.
It felt like calling her name now would make the memory's her turn with a bright smile.
And in that imagining, something flashed through my mind.
'......Maybe.'
Soon after, we fully arrived at the boys' dorm.
Even then, Rafne hesitated, not leaving.
Just standing there, arms crossed, head turned away.
"Hey, Rafne."
"......What."
"Not going back?"
"......"
At my question, her shoulders trembled. Anxiously, she glanced at me, then away.
"...I'll go back."
"Yeah, take care."
"Wha—hey! W-wait...!"
As I moved at her reply, panicked Rafne grabbed my arm.
"Wh-why am I... even."
She stared at her own hand gripping my arm, as if clueless herself.
At her reaction, I turned fully to face her, abandoning my dorm entry.
And voiced what I'd pondered all the way back.
"Hey, Rafne."
"Y-yeah?"
This was just to test her reaction.
But it came from the heart's depths.
"I have someone I like."
"......What?"
My sudden words were clearly out of nowhere and weird.
A normal person would tilt their head or frown.
But Rafne's face calmly settled, serious as she looked at me.
Then continued.
"What kind of bitch is she?"
The familiar glint in her eyes for an instant.
Not a glare, but hollow, lightless pupils.
Absolutely not the eyes of a Rafne with no ties to me in this changed past.
Seeing that, a smile slipped out as I replied.
"I promised to take responsibility for her. For life."
"......"
Hearing that, Rafne stared blankly at me.
Then her hands trembled as she glared.
And with a flushed face, tears began falling.
"...I'm going."
Saying that, she turned and headed back to the girls' dorm.
Her retreating figure carried anger, sadness, frustration—many emotions.
'...No way that's just the Rafne who only bullied me.'
Watching her go, standing still, my hypothesis felt confirmed.
I'd despaired that changing Rafne's fate erased all our bonds.
All the memories with Rafne, Emily, Mary, and others—gone.
But her reaction now convinced me.
'It's not completely gone.'
Unclear why, but her 'feelings' for me remained inside her.
The thought first hit during her insistence on escorting me to the boys' dorm.
Rafne didn't want to part from me.
She wanted to stay together, got anxious without me nearby.
That was obsession born from her curse-isolated tower days.
Absolutely not behavior for a Rafne with no past ties.
Yet just now, she clearly showed attachment to me.
And that final look.
The murderous glint at "someone I like"—cemented my conviction.
'...I'll do anything.'
I clenched my fist watching her fade away.
I resolved.
To somehow recover the memories hidden within Rafne.