Chasing You (2)
“There’s a career experience event in two weeks,” Kendra said.
The career experience event was exactly what the name suggested—an opportunity for college students to demonstrate to the academy students what they were learning in their respective departments. For the academy students, it was a meaningful time to ponder which major they might choose. Of course, it was also beneficial for the college students, who could earn ten hours of volunteer credit. It was a win-win situation, so there was no reason to refuse.
“I’ll hand out career surveys, so make sure to fill them out and bring them back by this time next week. Understood?”
“Yeees.”
With that, we received A4-sized survey sheets. The questions were vague—what did we want to become when we grew up? What were our aspirations? What career paths and majors would lead us there? Not only were the questions all essay-style, but there were no right answers either. Even the elite students of Stellarium were busy chewing on their pens and groaning. I filled out my answers quickly.
As I finished writing, I overheard my classmates talking. Christine was aiming to become a lawyer, and James an editor. Just like in the original story.
“Hehe.” Seti grinned as she set down her pen. Business administration. That was the major she had chosen.
Rustilla finished her answers just as quickly. She looked at me with a mix of worry and hope in her eyes.
“Eidel, do you think I could become a soldier?”
“Because of your parents’ opposition?”
“Yeah. For now, at least.”
Rustilla still seemed hesitant. It wasn’t that she wanted to give up on her dream—she was afraid of becoming estranged from her parents. I scooted closer to her and whispered.
“I don’t know about other people, but I think you should do what you love.”
“……”
“Rustilla, live happily.”
Rustilla stared up at me blankly. I patted her shoulder a couple of times and stood up.
After school ended, Rustilla and Seti went their separate ways to take care of their own matters. Seti had apparently joined an economics club to build up her credentials. My little sister was a money-making genius, so there was no need to worry about her.
“Hup, haap!”
“Your footwork’s sluggish. Move faster!”
When I went to find Rustilla, she was training with Naire on the small field below the hill. I had come to give her a sports drink, but she was so focused that I couldn’t even hand it over.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Professor Eidel!”
A voice called out from behind me. It was the reporter I had seen that morning. She hurried down the grassy slope and greeted me politely.
“It’s me, Sophia. Thank you so much for agreeing to the interview so early in the morning.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Would it be all right if I sat next to you for a moment?”
“That’s fine.”
It was a nuisance, but I needed to start managing my reputation. I reluctantly nodded.
And so, there we were—an unlikely pair watching the sunset together. Whoosh, whoosh!
Two real plasma swords, not wooden practice ones, clashed above the setting sun, sending sparks flying. The sound was so sharp that even watching from afar made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“Wow, that’s intense. Is that blonde woman a student too?”
“Yes. She’s my classmate.”
“I see. If she’s your classmate, then she’s your friend. Your girlfriend……”
I shot the reporter a glare.
“Just kidding, just kidding. Ahaha.”
“Even as a joke, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make such assumptions.”
“Are the two of you not on good terms?”
I chose my words carefully. I had been wrong. Sophia’s interview hadn’t ended that morning. She was pushing the limits, asking every question she could while walking a tightrope. My throat felt parched. If it were up to me, I would have downed the drink I brought all by myself.
“Wow. Even at a time like this, you’re reading a thesis?”
“Well, yes. That’s right.”
“Are you working on new research? I like watching people do research. I may not look it, but I’m a science major. My name’s Sophia, right? ‘Sophia’ means wisdom, and that……”
“……Excuse me.”
A shadow fell over the chattering reporter. Drip, drip. Water droplets fell onto the dry dirt ground, stirred by the autumn breeze. I followed the drops upward like a salmon swimming upstream.
There stood Rustilla, drenched in sweat. She was glaring at us, a pink towel draped around her neck. Her sharp gaze was that of a military general.
“You, standing next to Eidel. Who are you?”
“Pardon me. I’m Sophia, a newspaper reporter. I was interviewing Professor Eidel.”
“I see.”
Rustilla wedged herself between Sophia and me.
“If you’re done with the interview, please leave.”
“No, I’m not quite finished……”
“Then let me ask you one thing. If you’re here to interview him, why were you explaining the meaning of your own name?”
“Th-that’s……”
“Everyone at Stellarium is busy. Would you mind not disturbing Eidel while he’s studying?”
“I’m so sorry! I’ll be going now!”
Sophia the reporter scurried away. I took a moment to calm my startled heart. To think I would witness the haughty charisma she only showed after her parents’ deaths in the original story. Had Rustilla grown up?
Either way, it had been chilling—like walking on thin ice. I gave a wry smile.
“Thanks. I was in a tight spot.”
“Did you just meet her today?”
“We didn’t even really meet. She just latched onto me one-sidedly.”
I handed her the ion drink and continued.
“She’s been like this all day ever since that thesis we wrote together.”
“……I see. That’s a relief.”
Rustilla let out a deep sigh and relaxed her tense expression. The gentle breeze was growing stronger. Rustilla’s throat moved slowly beneath her light clothing. With each movement, beads of sweat gathered at her chin and fell one by one.
“Thanks. That was refreshing.”
“You’ll catch a cold.”
I set the thesis aside and draped the coat I was wearing over her shoulders.
“Ah, ouch……”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just muscle pain. Want some too?”
“Just a little, then.”
My throat was bone-dry from all the talking with the reporter. I took only two or three sips before handing the drink back.
“I should get going.”
“Where to?”
“I left something in the classroom.”
While reading the thesis, I had realized I’d forgotten a paper.
Naire watched from a distance as Rustilla and Eidel chatted quietly.
“Ah, youth.”
Normally, she would have gone to Eidel to apologize. To say she was sorry for sending him to Alcatraz. That it had been an unavoidable choice because he had been possessed by an Outer Deity. And above all, to thank him for overcoming the possession and returning safely.
But there had been no opening to interrupt. Naire recalled the burns from the past. Back when she had been actively pursuing the man who was now her husband, everyone had tactfully cleared the room whenever the timing was right. Interrupting now would be rude to Rustilla.
After finishing her conversation, Rustilla sent Eidel off and came running over excitedly.
“Master, Master!”
Her voice was as warm as sunlight and as soft as cotton. Rustilla smiled brightly as she kept bringing the drink Eidel had given her to her lips. She must have been thirsty.
“Green light, huh.”
“Green light?”
Rustilla tilted her head. Naire chuckled.
“How innocent. It’s nothing.”
“Training. Let’s keep training.”
Rustilla readjusted her grip on the sword. Now that the Ether Belt had been fully repaired, the aspiring soldiers could train with peace of mind more than ever before. To repay the peace created by a certain physicist, the two of them swung their swords until nightfall.
“Sonia.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why is she like this here?”
Right after seeing Rustilla off and returning to the classroom, I found a silver-haired girl slumped over and asleep in a corner seat.
“She’s been sleeping here for a while now.”
“I didn’t see her.”
“She’s quite small in stature.”
I picked up the paper I had originally come for and approached the girl. A few strands of her white hair fluttered down in the breeze coming through the window. With her eyes closed, she looked like a sleeping princess from a fairy tale. If someone only saw her like this, they might believe she was an angel rather than the universe’s greatest villainess.
I clicked my tongue and shook her shoulder.
“Zernya, wake up.”
“……”
No response.
“Ma’am, if you sleep here, your face will get crooked.”
Even after saying something that would normally make her fly into a rage, she remained silent. Listening closely to her breathing, I could hear a stuffy, nasal sound.
“Sonia.”
“Yes, young master.”
“Can you check her temperature?”
“311.8. She has a fever.”
“This isn’t the time for thesis writing. Celsius, not absolute temperature.”
“38.6 degrees.”
If I left her like this, Zernya would get seriously ill. Even so, she was my classmate—I couldn’t just ignore her. I grabbed Zernya’s shoulders and slowly helped her up. She was breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Sonia, close the window.”
“Understood.”
“She’s out cold. Even shaking her like this doesn’t wake her? How deeply is she sleeping?”
“It seems she took an antihistamine. It’s the changing of the seasons, so she may be suffering from seasonal allergies.”
If I left her here, Zernya could truly become very sick. I didn’t know why she was here, but I needed to move her to the infirmary first. With Sonia’s help, I hoisted Zernya onto my back.
At that moment, a single sheet of paper fluttered to the floor.
“This is……”
“It’s a career survey.”
Besides Zernya’s name, student ID, and the words “doctor” written in the future aspirations section, the paper was blank. The reason Zernya was aiming for the medical school was simple—because it was the department the top student always chose. If the department the valedictorian always entered had been physics, Zernya would have aimed for physics instead.
If only this prodigy would join the same department as me, she would make an excellent graduate school colleague. In the end, she was someone who lived and died by rankings. In the future, she would become a great evil, so it would be best to eliminate her while she was defenseless like this—but that wasn’t my way.
In this timeline, Zernya hadn’t committed any crimes yet. Why would I kill her?
“Sonia. Follow me.”
I adjusted my posture to press Zernya firmly against my back. Just as I was about to head to the infirmary—
Crunch.
A burning sensation flared in my left shoulder.