Counseling (3)
'You're that S-rank, right? Great. Let's do well together.'
'You have a duty to lead the future of the magic world! Get up and open your book again!'
'Hey, you're that S-grade, aren't you? Wanna be friends?'
'...After all these gifts, why won't you even be friends with me!!'
Aah, it's been a while since I had a nightmare like this.
Iruka stared blankly at the people pointing and condemning her with dazed eyes.
...Maybe it's because I slept on the cold floor after so long.
I should've just gone back to my room if I knew this would happen.
But no matter how much she regretted it, there was no special way to escape this nightmare.
She just had to endure listening to these idiots for a while.
'Answer me!'
'Get up!'
'Squeeze out more mana! You can do it, so why aren't you!'
'...I'm disappointed.'
Voices getting angry and irritated on their own whims.
Instead of arguing back, Iruka chose to flee. She went to the farthest corner of the dream, lowered her head, and covered her ears.
And then just closed her eyes, enduring until this time passed.
It was something she was used to now, so the moment Iruka steeled herself in resignation—
"Iruka."
A warm voice.
"What do you want to do?"
Pulled her in.
"Iruka. Wake up."
"Ugh, urgh...."
I pressed a book against Iruka's cheek, who was groaning from the morning, lying on the floor.
Was she having a nightmare or something? Iruka was frowning and letting out endless "urgh urgh" sounds.
"Iruka."
Why not use my hand? Don't talk nonsense.
It wasn't because she was a girl that I was being careful—no, the thing in front of me was a monster who could dismantle me with a single gesture anytime.
Worst case, even if Iruka unconsciously released mana in her sleep-talk, I—the creature named me—could die.
I wanted to wake her by throwing something from as far away as possible, but that might piss her off and get me killed.
Then just don't wake her? Maybe because I was a teacher in my previous life, my soul-deep work ethic wouldn't allow it.
"...Who?"
"It's the teacher. You can call me Teacher."
"...Was it Uta?"
"What kind of name is that for someone who sings well? My name's not Uta, it's Otto."
Fortunately, Iruka seemed to have escaped her nightmare unscathed.
I'd worried she might swing magic at me if monsters from her dream chased her here, but it was just unfounded fear.
"Sleep in bed from now on."
"...."
Iruka's responses were still slow. Even in the original story, she wasn't this sluggish, but when talking to me, it felt like she pondered every single word.
I ignored Iruka and busily moved my pen.
There was no greater inefficiency than devoting all my time waiting for her reply.
Even after a long wait, no answer came. That's when I realized she wasn't thinking—she was just ignoring me.
Feeling like an idiot for waiting, I stood and sat across from her again.
A student sitting still while the teacher paces back and forth—what a sight. Ah, the good old teacher authority.
"Shall we continue the counseling?"
"...You gonna keep doing that?"
"What kind of counseling is it if I'm just talking alone? Counseling involves back-and-forth."
Mutual exchange of words.
All we'd done since dawn was me asking questions while Iruka fell asleep without answering.
Far from counseling. If someone charged money for that, I'd call the cops.
But here I was, doing it without proper pay. Public school teacher salaries were stingy here or on Earth.
"Iruka, what do you want to do?"
"...Nothing in particular."
"Liar."
I cut through Iruka's lie in one stroke.
"If you have no desires, there's no need to stay at the academy. No matter how messed up it is, they can't force you to stay."
"...."
Hitting the nail on the head, Iruka glared at me wordlessly.
This part wasn't in the original story either, so I didn't know much.
"...Don't wanna talk about it."
Iruka refused flatly.
Well, I hadn't expected her to spill on the first meeting anyway.
"Then tell me when you feel like it."
Guess today's counseling ends here. I stood up.
"...Not gonna ask more?"
"No point asking if you won't answer. But if you need anything, tell me anytime. I'll help within my power."
"Why...?"
"Because I'm your teacher. What do you think teachers are?"
It's hard to close the distance with problem kids all at once.
I'd have to take it slow, building rapport over months.
Even in my past life, I'd sent kids from a school full of delinquents to top universities and big companies. I was a pro at handling troublemakers.
'If only some triggering event happens... but that's probably too much to hope for.'
Still, I'd managed this much conversation with Iruka, who barely spoke in the original. The others should be easier.
Since counseling ended early, I had time before tomorrow's sessions. Maybe practice mana usage.
Mastering mana was essential to surviving this world.
"Because I'm your teacher. What do you think teachers are?"
Hearing that, Iruka's mind went blank.
What was a teacher?
Idiots who approached with their own expectations, got mad when students didn't follow, right?
'Follow me, Iruka. I'll show you a new world.'
Recalling the "teacher" who'd dragged her to the academy, Iruka buried her face in the pillow again.
She could head back to her room now, but she didn't feel like walking.
Just rest a bit more. Iruka looked up at the blue sky.
'If you need anything, tell me anytime.'
Usually, gazing at the blue sky cleared her mind and brought sleep, but today it strangely didn't.
Instead, her head filled with the teacher sitting at the desk a little away, fiddling with mana—
'Iruka. The world is surely a beautiful place.''Find the ■. Just like I did there in the past.'
Her mother's voice, one she could no longer hear.
It had never overlapped with anyone else's before—why now?
...Could she trust again?
The breed called "adults."
Thump, thump. Her heart raced.
With fear and anticipation at once.
"...Hmm. Is this how it's done?"
The teacher's mutter reached her.
She'd felt strange mana flows earlier—what was he doing now?
Iruka approached the teacher, unaware herself that it had been ages since she'd shown "interest" in someone.
"...Whatcha doing?"
"Iruka? Oh, as you see, practicing magic."
"...."
The teacher grinned confidently and held out his hand to her.
"Even I think it's pretty decent magic. What do you say? I'd love your opinion."
The teacher was weird.
An adult, a teacher, asking her opinion and wanting an answer.
It felt bizarre.
Solemn and serious during counseling, yet handling mana like a kid trying magic for the first time—pure and innocent.
Enough to seriously analyze what he held without realizing.
...Blue mana swirling around his hand, vaguely similar to her own color at a glance...
"Ma, gic?"
Magic?
Iruka stared at the lump of mana in the teacher's hand—so pitiful it was embarrassing to call it magic.
He called it 2nd Circle, and the quality matched exactly.
But that mana lump... was pathetic.
It was such an insult to magic that she wanted to punch his mouth for calling it that.
"Gahk?!"
"...Ah."
Mistake.
Iruka panicked watching the teacher fly far away.
Her mana had interpreted her intent on its own and blasted him.
"...."
"...Uh, um."
Iruka cautiously approached the teacher.
He was out cold, showing no sign of waking.
"...What now."
Iruka looked down at the teacher, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Ugh, urgh...."
I clutched my throbbing head and sat up.
Looking out the window, the moon was already high in the sky.
...No memory of falling asleep. How'd that happen?
My aching face answered instead.
"...Right, Iruka socked me and sent me flying."
Just say if it's bad—why hit me?
Iruka was an S-rank mage, so I showed her once, but who knew that'd backfire.
Too lame, so she punched? Yeah.
"Ah, I'm screwed."
I rubbed my dry face.
When I needed to build favor, starting in the negatives—what an idiot.
...No helping it now.
I buried my face in the pillow again.
...Wait, pillow?
"What the hell."
Only then did I notice I was using a pillow.
It was the Shimo pillow I'd given Iruka yesterday as her first gift.
"...So my favor didn't drop that much."
Unlike her cute current self, original Iruka tormented the protagonist left and right, but her laziness and pillow love stayed.
For such an Iruka to give me her pillow? Full redemption potential.
"Hope it goes this well with the others too."
I closed my eyes, whispering a small wish to the moon.