Shutra Magic Academy (2-5)
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While Sung Suho locked the club room door, Luna, standing behind him, spoke up.
“Let’s study at the library after dinner this time.”
“Sure. But let’s eat dinner separately.”
“…Why?”
Luna’s puzzled voice came from behind his back. He answered as he confirmed the club room door was securely locked.
“Looks like you’ve made some friends too. It’d be weird if you only ate with me. At least share meals with your friends.”
“There’s no need to go that far…”
“Just listen to me. I’d love having you around, but friends matter too.”
“Tch…”
Luna grumbled yet immediately accepted his words.
Come to think of it, I’m short on practical info myself. I need to dig some up from the others.
Luna wanted to help him as much as she could.
It wasn’t that she wanted to turn against Louis. For Luna, however, Sung Suho already occupied a large part of her world, and the feeling that she no longer wanted to follow Louis’s childish behavior weighed heavily. Even if she had received great help from Louis’s family, they were ultimately just friends.
Luna never imagined Louis might like her. She simply decided he was throwing a tantrum because it irritated him that she stayed by Suho’s side—someone he disliked.
Louis will understand someday…
The reason she burned with such a desire to grow was largely because she wanted to repay Louis’s family. That included Louis himself. To Luna, though, Louis was more like family than a romantic interest. Between a presence like a little brother and someone she truly wanted to become family with, her heart inevitably leaned toward the latter.
Luna planned to stand firmly by Suho’s side while slowly persuading Louis. To make that possible, she first decided Suho could not afford disastrous grades.
If Suho loses… I’ll somehow beg Louis to cover it up if I have to.
With that resolution, she spoke to him.
“Then let’s meet at the library entrance after dinner.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
Luna hurried toward the cafeteria, fretting that her close classmates might already be eating.
“Last year the first-year spring semester practical exam was to express magic in an artistic form.”
“And the fall semester practical was to invent practical magic.”
“…So it changes every year.”
Luna listened to all sorts of stories from the girls sitting with her at the table. Unlike Luna or Suho, these girls belonged to large or small clubs and had picked up plenty of information from their seniors. Thanks to that, she gathered quite a bit about the written exams as well.
The practicals, however, centered on applying what was learned in class. That was the core. Luna worried about Suho on one hand yet looked forward to it on the other.
He’s weak at written tests, but strong in unique fields. He might be fine.
The decisive reason Luna had grown close to Suho was discovering his magic-circle casting ability. Though he sometimes showed clumsy sides, he stood out in distinctive areas, and faith began taking root in her heart.
But to minimize variables, he still needs to do well on the written. I’ll have to teach him rigorously for a while.
Luna resolved that and continued her meal with the girls.
The library at Shutra Magic Academy boasted an enormous scale befitting the continent’s most prestigious school. It possessed the largest and most magnificent exterior among the campus buildings, and the interior was so clean not a speck of dust floated. Although the sections students could access were limited, even that limited portion held knowledge rivaling the royal libraries of the continent.
I looked around such a library and marveled.
“Whoa, there are a lot of people.”
Perhaps because of exam period, an enormous number of students had flocked here. No matter how quietly one moved or turned pages, the small sounds gathered and created an atmosphere like the cafés from the world I used to live in.
While walking the café-like interior with Luna, we chatted.
“I thought we had to study without saying a word, but it’s not that strict.”
“Yes, maybe it’s because it’s exam period.”
As long as no one suddenly shouted, the students didn’t seem to mind much. With every student from first to third year gathered, it was inevitable.
Luna and I picked out a few books and sat together at a vast rectangular table, opening them. The reason we came to study was simple. Though Luna was an honor student, she was no genius. Even diligent attendance still required talent to remember and apply everything. She certainly possessed superior talent compared to other students, yet without effort she would be no different from ordinary ones.
Luna, who had not been chosen by Sanctuary or Zodiac, needed effort to keep growing the talent she had. I watched her reading intently and made a bitter face.
This world really is unfair. No matter how hard you try, you can’t catch up to the guys who raise their abilities with Enel, huh?
Originally, the world is unfair. There are those born with once-in-a-generation talent who become orphans and never discover it until they die, while others born without a shred of talent are born into heaven-sent environments and reign at the top.
Luna would never know. That she was not the protagonist of this world…
But that did not mean she was unhappy. If she lived her life striving, that became the path to becoming the protagonist of her own story. Luna was steadily walking that path and working hard.
When I stared at her intently, she noticed my gaze and turned her head toward me. With a sulky expression she started scolding.
“You’re thinking weird things again, aren’t you?”
“….”
My image has already hit rock bottom, huh. I laughed hollowly inside and shook my head.
“It’s not that. Just… I’m sorry.”
“…For what?”
“Because of me, your study time keeps getting cut short. Thinking about it, I feel pretty selfish.”
“….”
Unlike Luna, this world of Shutra was not everything to me. If I failed here, I could simply leave for somewhere else. But not Luna. To her this world was the first and last—a place where she had to pour everything and give her all. The thought that I was taking her time made me feel considerably sorry.
As I wore that apologetic expression, Luna slowly reached her hand toward my face. Her slender white fingers, full of vitality, caressed my cheek. And then…
“Ah… hey, hey, hey!”
She pinched my cheek and started pulling it out long. It wasn’t extremely painful, but the intensity was no joke. After tugging for a while she released her fingers and began voicing her complaints.
“Why on earth would you think something like that?”
“Well… I’m taking away your study time.”
“Not at all. Teaching is studying in itself. And…”
Luna looked at me and smiled.
“I was the selfish one. I acted cold toward you, Suho, then approached you just because you had what I wanted.”
“Is that so? I didn’t see it as that selfish…”
Luna shook her head.
“It’s the same for me. Rather, I like now better than when I was alone before.”
“…Okay. Sorry for saying something unnecessary.”
“As long as you understand. Now, let’s focus again. If you want to make a wish to me, you’ll have to study harder, right?”
“Oh… my motivation just skyrocketed?”
Luna smiled at my childish-sounding words and stroked my cheek.
Time passed until the library grew so quiet that even footsteps might become a nuisance. With no human warmth left, the chilly dawn air freely wandered the interior, silently protesting for the remaining people to leave.
At the vast rectangular desk only Luna and I remained. Yet the only one sitting properly upright was me. Luna had at some point slumped over the desk, breathing softly in deep sleep. My cloak was draped over her body.
Hmm… I should wake her soon.
Originally I planned to wake her midway, get her to come to her senses, and send her to the dorm, but she seemed to have fallen into a deeper sleep than expected and would not stir. What was particularly amusing was how she clutched my cloak, rubbing her face against it and grinning foolishly—it was a masterpiece. Luna’s appearance, quite distant from her usual dignified look, felt refreshing.
“Luna.”
“Mm… huh?”
When I shook her she flinched in surprise, then straightened her back and looked around. Grasping the situation, she covered her mouth and yawned with her small lips.
“What time is it…”
“Pretty late. You go back first and sleep.”
“No. If possible, together…”
“No. I’ll look over the parts you taught me a bit more and then go. You sleep first.”
“I don’t wanna…”
Still half-asleep, Luna grumbled that she did not want to go alone, but I persuaded her by emphasizing her condition for the next day.
“Don’t doze off in class tomorrow for no reason—hurry back.”
“…Okay. Don’t overdo it. This cloak… thank you.”
Luna neatly folded the cloak I had covered her with, placed it on both hands, and held it out toward me. I looked at it, shook my head, and said,
“No, it’s chilly right now. Wear that and go.”
“…Thank you. I’ll return it tomorrow.”
Earlier she had thrown a tantrum about not wanting to leave, yet when it came to taking the cloak she agreed at once and gently draped it over her shoulders.
“Then… don’t overdo it. And don’t sleep here either.”
“Got it. Be careful on your way.”
Truly tired, Luna swayed as she tidied the desk and headed for the exit. Even as she left she glanced at me a few times, then smirked and completely departed.
Once Luna was gone, not a single person remained around me. Even though the library interior was filled with bright lights, it was so quiet that it created an atmosphere like a scene from a horror movie.
Man, good thing I’ve built up immunity to scary stuff. Otherwise I’d be a little scared.
Have you played a lot of horror games?
No, reality was the horror.
…
If a house with a crazy older sister roaming around isn’t a haunted house, what is it? There were more than a few times I got startled mid-jerk-off by that bitch suddenly popping out and fell over. That sister who even wrecked my fantasy masturbation…
Should I just go sleep too? If no one’s watching, there’s no need to put on a show of working hard…
Actually, the reason I stayed this late was to look good in front of Luna. For the written exams there was a surefire route anyway, so there was no reason to waste time annoyingly in the library.
Just as I was about to close the book and start tidying up—
A sneering voice came from behind me.
“Are the letters even going into your head?”
“….”
I deliberately did not turn around and focused on tidying the desk. Despite my ignoring him, the punk’s voice kept coming nonstop from behind.
“Leaving already? Shouldn’t you cram in even one more letter so you don’t end up last? Then again, a guy like you wouldn’t retain anything no matter how much you study. Yeah, go get plenty of sleep now. That way you can at least work hard as my servant later.”
Louis kept chattering nonstop toward the back of my neck.
He was waiting until Luna left, huh…
It would be better for you, Suho, to leave the spot quickly.
As Armonia said, arguing with this punk right now would do me no good. But one line the punk spat out stopped me cold. He let out a mocking laugh in the library and spoke.
“What do you think Luna would think if she saw you heading off to sleep because you’re sleepy?”
“….”
I set down the neatly placed book and asked Armonia.
Armonia.
Yes.
There’s one thing I’m curious about…
I asked Armonia what I wanted to know and received the answer I desired.
It is possible.
Good…
After hearing her answer I left the book there and walked toward the exit. When I abandoned all the books and departed, Louis started pouring criticism at me.
“Do you have zero dignity? A commoner like you leaving books scattered like this? If I tell the librarian right now…”
“I’m not leaving.”
“…?”
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Hmph…”
Louis snorted at my words and showed signs of leaving. Inwardly I shouted Got him! and opened my mouth.
“What do you think Luna would think if she found out about a stalker like you following her around?”
“…What?”
Louis immediately reacted, approached me, furrowed his brows, and spoke in a low voice.
“Who’s a stalker…. I just came to study.”
“Oh… then are you going to keep studying?”
“Hmph, I don’t need to study as hard as you…”
“Right.”
I answered that way and headed for the bathroom, babbling so Louis could hear clearly.
“What do you think Luna would think if she heard about you whining like a kid that you were a bit sleepy?”
“How dare you say such things to me…”
“Well, keep studying if you want. I’m going to the bathroom.”
I ignored Louis’s reply and headed to the bathroom while communicating with Armonia.
Armonia, prepare the warp.