Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Something My Sister Used to Do
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Glacia waited for Adelia outside the infirmary door.
The entire situation felt awkward to her.
"..."
Several instructors had informed the cadets that Han Cheon-seong was not receiving visitors, so everyone knew.
Glacia, of course, was aware of this, but she had come anyway and made her request.
*—Please let me see Han Cheon-seong, even if it's just for a moment.*
She had told Adelia that she knew Han Cheon-seong, that they were friends, and asked if she could see him for just a little while. Now, she was waiting for an answer.
"Hoo."
Letting out a short sigh, Glacia fidgeted, clenching and unclenching her fists.
*Is he really okay?*
She had vaguely heard from Yumia that Han Cheon-seong was fine, but that alone wasn't enough to put her at ease.
Wanting to see his face for herself, even briefly, Glacia had come to the infirmary.
*Click.*
Before long, the door opened.
"Cadet Glacia, was it? Come on in."
"Thank you."
Bowing her head, she stepped inside the infirmary and found it larger than she'd expected. There were about six beds, and off to one side, a small dining table and a tea table.
There was even a wash area that looked like a shower room. The overall impression was one of pristine white and cleanliness.
*Clack.*
As Glacia followed Adelia, who walked ahead, the instructor began to speak slowly.
"As you know, Cadet Glacia, we're not officially allowing visitors to see Cadet Han Cheon-seong just yet. I'm only making an exception because you said you were a close friend... You understand that, right?"
"Yes. I'm truly grateful, Instructor."
As they approached a bed by the window, its curtains drawn, Glacia could feel it instinctively.
The Cheon-seong she wanted to see was in there.
*Swish.*
As Adelia reached for the curtain, Glacia found herself tensing up unconsciously.
She had heard several times that he was doing better, but she still braced herself, knowing it would hurt to see her friend injured.
*Fwish!*
When the curtain was pulled back, Glacia blinked at the scene revealed before her.
"..."
Han Cheon-seong was sitting up in bed.
And he wasn't alone.
Glacia stared blankly, her eyes blinking at the sight of a woman with pale, sky-blue hair cascading down to her waist, dressed in the distinctive black cadet uniform.
"...?"
Seeing Glacia's surprise, Adelia gave a small smile and spoke.
"If you have something to say, go ahead. But don't stay too long, alright?"
"Yes..."
Adelia then sat down nearby, watching with interest, as Glacia awkwardly approached Han Cheon-seong.
"...It's been a long time, Glacia."
Cheon-seong was the first to greet her.
His eyes sparkled as if he were genuinely happy to see her after so long.
As Glacia met his gaze, she felt a strange sensation.
"It has. It's been a while... Han Cheon-seong."
As she spoke, she realized how vastly different this was from what she had expected.
Everything she had prepared to say felt useless; she was suddenly at a loss for words.
Cheon-seong looked much better than she had anticipated. For someone who had been in a serious accident, he had no visible scars, nor did he seem to have any trouble moving.
In fact, she was surprised by how perfectly fine he looked.
And more than anything else...
*Who is that person?*
Access to Han Cheon-seong was currently forbidden. Everyone had been told as much, with exceptions only for a few instructors and high-ranking officials.
So she couldn't understand why a woman who was clearly a cadet was sticking so close to his side.
As Glacia stared at Karite, Karite, coincidentally, was staring right back.
"..."
Cheon-seong, watching their silent exchange with a hint of amusement, spoke up.
"Glacia, you seem curious about Karite. I'll introduce you to her first. Karite, this is Glacia. She's an A-Class cadet and a friend of mine. Her name is Glacia. Karite, would you mind introducing yourself?"
...At his natural prompting, Karite, who had been looking at Glacia, spoke awkwardly.
"My name is Karite Esildereun... I'm a C-Class cadet, same as Han Cheon-seong. We're not in the same class, but we got to know each other through some recent events. I suppose you could call me his 'friend' now."
After she finished speaking cautiously, Cheon-seong casually added.
"That's right. Karite is a friend of mine, too. I hope you two can get along well."
At Cheon-seong's lighthearted tone, Glacia nodded and forced her lips to part.
"...As Han Cheon-seong said, my name is Glacia. I just stopped by to check on him."
Once they had introduced themselves, Glacia and Karite's eyes met again.
"..."
"..."
As the two of them just stared at each other in silence, Cheon-seong, feeling the awkwardness, patted the space opposite him.
"Glacia, don't just stand there. Since you came all this way, why don't you sit and talk for a bit?"
"Okay."
As Glacia tersely agreed and slowly sat down opposite Cheon-seong, a very peculiar arrangement was formed.
Cheon-seong sat up in his bed. Karite was seated on one side of his bed. And now Glacia was sitting opposite him, creating something of a triangular formation.
They could all see each other, but their gazes were strangely misaligned.
"..."
"..."
Ever since Glacia had arrived, Karite had been watching her, but she was also keenly aware of Cheon-seong's demeanor.
And Glacia, while looking at Karite, was also carefully observing Cheon-seong's condition.
Cheon-seong, caught between the gazes of the two women, blinked and looked from one to the other.
He had hoped they would start talking to each other, but when the silence stretched on, he finally gave an awkward laugh.
"Haha, you two must both be really shy."
Ironically, his words perfectly described them both.
Glacia was inept at interpersonal relationships and rarely paid attention to others, so she wasn't the type to initiate conversations. Karite, influenced by Leteia, had suffered from anxiety and auditory hallucinations for years, leaving her with no capacity for social interaction.
Both of them were strangers to social interaction.
Unexpectedly, it was Karite who spoke first.
"Um, Han Cheon-seong."
"Yes, Karite?"
"I'm asking because I don't quite understand, but how do you know Glacia, an A-Class cadet?"
When Karite asked as if she couldn't fathom it, Cheon-seong thought for a moment before answering nonchalantly.
"We trained at the same training hall before entering the academy. So we knew each other before our classes were assigned."
As he stated the fact calmly, Glacia nodded in agreement.
Seeing the two of them, Karite's eyes widened slightly as she asked again.
"I see. Are you two... very close?"
At the increasingly pointed question, Cheon-seong didn't answer immediately but looked at Glacia.
"..."
Glacia met his gaze, and this time, she was the one to speak up.
"We are. Han Cheon-seong and I are very close."
Cheon-seong was a little surprised by the conviction in her voice but soon broke into a faint smile.
"Yeah. It seems Glacia thinks we're as close as I thought we were."
At Cheon-seong's natural reply, Glacia's lips curled up ever so slightly.
...Glacia's mood improved more than she herself could have imagined.
Rationally, she understood as she took in the sight of Karite in her peripheral vision.
*—Karite Esildereun.*
It was a name Glacia had vaguely heard before.
The cadet who had been involved in the accident with Han Cheon-seong. The impression she gave in person was completely different from the various rumors circulating about her.
*She doesn't give off an unpleasant feeling.*
Rumors had painted her as perpetually gloomy or negative, but that wasn't the impression Glacia got upon meeting her for the first time.
Her incredibly pretty and delicate features stood out.
Her actions and speech exuded femininity; there was nothing gloomy or unsettling about her, contrary to the rumors.
"So you two are very close..."
Her awkward reply seemed extremely cautious.
But after paying Karite only a moment's attention, Glacia turned her gaze back to Han Cheon-seong.
"You don't seem to have any major problems on the outside, but what's your condition really like, Han Cheon-seong?"
"Not bad. I should be back to normal in a few days."
As Glacia nodded at Cheon-seong's lighthearted answer, a flicker of curiosity arose.
*What kind of accident could have injured him this badly...?*
Glacia hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to ask about the accident.
She didn't want to make an injured person relive the memory of it. Figuring there would be plenty of opportunities to hear about it later, she changed the subject.
"That's a relief, then. Get some rest, Han Cheon-seong. I hope you'll make your health your top priority right now."
"Thanks for your concern. And... I honestly never expected to hear you say something like that."
As Cheon-seong chuckled while looking at her, Glacia slowly nodded and then stood up.
*Clack.*
As she suddenly began to move, Karite, who had been listening to their conversation in silence, tilted her head.
*Why is Glacia suddenly approaching Han Cheon-seong?*
While Karite was lost in thought.
"...Glacia?"
Han Cheon-seong also watched her approach with a curious expression.
"What?"
"It's not 'what,' why are you suddenly coming closer?"
They weren't far apart, so it only took a few steps for Glacia to reach him.
A strange dynamic was created, with Cheon-seong, sitting on the bed, looking up at Glacia, who was standing. Glacia spoke nonchalantly.
"There's something my sister used to do when I was sick."
"Glacia... I don't really know what you're talking about."
Even as he replied, Cheon-seong felt a sudden sense of alarm.
Glacia had always been unpredictable, and he wondered if this was another one of those times, but he tried to convince himself it wasn't.
*Even for Glacia, there's no way.*
They weren't alone right now.
Karite was right beside him, and not far away, Adelia was watching them with an amused expression.
Beyond her innocence, she wouldn't do something so embarrassing.
As Cheon-seong suppressed his rising alarm and met her gaze, Glacia slowly reached out her hand.
*Swish.*
Her subsequent action was without a hint of hesitation or doubt.
"Hey, Glacia. What are you doing...?"
"Oh, my."
For the two people watching Cheon-seong and Glacia,
the sight that unfolded in that moment could only be described as shocking.