I have something to say to Aria.
I have something to say to Aria.
Day two.
Chirp, chirp, chirp-
I woke up to the sound of birds.
'.............'
It wasn't the ceiling.
It was the tent fabric.
'Ah. Right. We came on a retreat.'
I looked to the side.
Left.
Thor was sprawled out, snoring.
His arm was stretched out toward me.
'Fuck. I had a hell of a time yesterday because of that sleep-talking.'
Right.
It was empty.
Kaiden wasn't there.
'Did he wake up early?'
I heard birds outside the tent.
The sound of the wind.
The smell of grass.
'What time is it?'
The sun was shining softly through the tent fabric.
Early morning.
Around 6?
I got up.
My body was stiff.
The floor was fucking hard.
I opened the tent and came out.
Kkii-ik-
The morning air hit my lungs.
Cold.
Clean.
The smell of grass was strong.
Ash remained at the campfire spot.
The traces of the fire I started last night.
Beside it.
Kaiden was sitting.
Alone.
Bathing in the morning sunlight.
He had an expression like he was thinking about something.
'.............'
He made eye contact with me.
Kaiden smiled.
"You're up early."
A soft voice.
A gentle tone.
"............Yeah. Sure."
"Did you sleep well?"
"............I slept fine."
It's a lie.
The floor was hard so I tossed and turned three times, and I got hit by Thor-sunbae's arm twice.
I stayed up almost all night worrying he might draw his sword on my right.
Kaiden said, looking at the morning sunlight.
"This place is really nice. You're the one who picked it, right?"
"............I only planned the route."
"You're humble."
Kaiden chuckled.
'.............'
Why is he talking to me?
The guy who was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me until yesterday.
Sitting there having a conversation like a friendly peer in the morning.
'I don't get it.'
"Where are we foraging today?"
Kaiden asked.
"............The north slope of the hill. The species are different from the south-facing ones."
"You really know a lot about this stuff."
"I just walked around a lot."
Kaiden smiled.
Softly.
But there was one more question behind that smile.
"By any chance..."
"Are you close with Aria?"
'.............'
It was out of the blue.
No.
It wasn't out of the blue.
This was the real question.
The morning greeting, the talk about sleep, the talk about foraging—it was all a buildup to get here.
'The way he asks is similar to Camilla.'
'People all probe in similar ways.'
"............Well, we're in the same club."
"Right. Same club."
Kaiden nodded.
"But in the club, it seems like Aria talks to you quite often."
'He was watching everything.'
"............She asks about herb identification and stuff."
"Herb identification, huh."
Kaiden nodded once more.
"Is that really all?"
'.............'
He was smiling.
His mouth was.
'This guy is doing a verification check right now.'
Ian, aren't you paying special attention to Aria?
Without asking directly, going in circles.
'It's annoying.'
"That's really all it is."
"Yeah. Of course it is."
Kaiden smiled.
Softly.
"...........I'm going to wash my face."
I stood up.
Kaiden smiled and said "Yeah."
A gaze followed me from behind.
'.............'
'I'm tired from the morning.'
Morning.
2nd foraging session.
The Teaching Assistant led us up to the north slope of the hill.
"Alright, today is the north-facing slope. The species that grow here are different from the south-facing ones."
The Teaching Assistant opened the guidebook.
"Especially here, Silver Myrtle grows natively. The one with silver undersides on the leaves. It's used as an antidote herb."
6 people scattered.
Foraging individually.
I went to the corner.
Obviously.
The side with no people.
This is the only area where I can breathe.
I walked while pushing through the grass.
Silver Myrtle.
Leaves with silver undersides.
Found it.
A small colony.
It was growing in a crack in the rock.
I knelt down and reached out.
I touched the leaves.
'.............'
There was a feeling.
At my fingertips.
Faintly.
A tingling sensation.
As if the grass was reacting to my hand.
'What is this.'
I didn't take my hand off.
I focused.
The tingling continued.
The tips of the grass leaves, just slightly.
It felt like they were leaning toward my fingers.
'.............'
'This is the reaction that happened when I was raising my Druid character.'
'Or is it not.'
It could be that the wind blew.
'It must just be my imagination.'
Foraging continued.
I wanted to do it alone in the corner.
But when I was in the corner, "Ian, what's this?" kept coming.
The Teaching Assistant too.
Thor too.
Riel too.
"Junior, is it okay to pull this out by the root?"
"You have to leave the root so it grows again next year."
'I just want to be quietly in the corner.'
I snuck back.
Behind the rock.
The side with no people.
I went 3m.
"Ian~ Is this a poisonous herb or a medicinal herb?"
I went 5m.
"Student Ian, can you check the soil condition over here?"
'.............'
'Why does it keep increasing as I go?'
At that moment.
Aria was foraging near me.
Quietly.
Alone.
But she was coming toward me little by little.
Whether conscious or unconscious.
3m.
2m.
"............Sunbae-nim."
'She's here.'
"Is this... Silver Myrtle?"
Aria was holding a leaf in her hand.
She looked up with light green eyes.
"............Try flipping it over."
Aria flipped the leaf over.
The back was silver.
"If it's silver, then it's correct."
"............Thank you."
Aria bowed her head and put it in her pocket.
She didn't leave.
She kept foraging next to me.
At a 1m distance.
'.............'
Kaiden was watching from over there.
I felt it.
Even without looking directly.
That Aria is near me.
That Aria isn't leaving my side.
'.............'
Lunch.
We ate near the valley.
Food the Teaching Assistant brought.
Bread and dried soup.
I just wanted to roast some potatoes, but it wasn't on the menu.
While eating, Hana-sunbae suddenly said.
"By the way, Teaching Assistant."
"Yes?"
"Did you tell the freshmen about Winter?"
'Winter?'
The Teaching Assistant's expression stiffened slightly.
"............Ah. I haven't yet."
Thor stopped chewing his bread.
Riel lowered her gaze.
The atmosphere changed.
'What is it.'
Kaiden had an expression like he didn't know, just like me.
Aria too.
Hana-sunbae sighed.
"I should tell them, right? Since the executive position is empty."
The Teaching Assistant put down the cup.
"............I suppose so."
The Teaching Assistant looked at me.
Looked at Kaiden.
Looked at Aria.
"Originally, there was one more executive in our club."
"............."
"Winter. They were a third-year."
'If they're a third-year, they're Thor-sunbae's peer.'
"This semester...... they ended up leaving."
The Teaching Assistant chose their words carefully.
"Due to various circumstances."
'Various circumstances.'
Thor started chewing his bread again.
But his expression had hardened.
Riel was picking at the grass.
As if trying not to look.
Hana-sunbae said.
"So, one executive position is empty. We need someone to fill it."
"............."
"It's not urgent. But we'll have to think about it after the retreat."
That was the end of it.
No one said anything more.
Why Winter left.
What the "various circumstances" were.
'.............'
'Let's not ask.'
'Since being a loner, my specialty is reading the room.'
'I instinctively feel that if I ask now, the mood will turn cold.'
Munch-
Munch-
I just finished my meal.
But the name "Winter" remained in my head.
Thor-sunbae's hardened expression.
Riel's lowered gaze.
The Teaching Assistant's voice choosing words.
'What happened.'
'.............'
'Well. Not that it's any of my business.'
Afternoon.
Free time.
After foraging ended, the professor said, "Feel free to rest."
Thor took a nap.
Hana organized the guidebook.
Riel was drying herbs.
I went to the tent.
I was about to take out the game console.
'.............'
'If I do it outside, I'll get caught, right?'
I barely held back.
I came out of the tent and sat on a rock near the spring.
The sound of water.
The sound of wind.
The sound of birds.
It was quiet.
A different kind of quiet from the Dormitory Warden's room.
The Dormitory Warden's room is a quiet blocked by walls.
This is an open quiet.
'Fuck. If I played games in this scenic place, I'd probably shit myself.'
I stood up to go back to the tent, but.
"Ian."
It was Kaiden.
He was standing behind me.
"Are you alone right now?"
"............Yeah."
"I'm going to rest a bit too. Can I sit next to you?"
'Why here of all places.'
"............Sure."
Kaiden sat on the rock next to me.
The sound of water.
Kaiden looked at the water.
"Ian."
"Yeah."
"Earlier when we were foraging, Aria was next to you."
'He's coming directly at it.'
In the morning, he went in circles.
In the afternoon, straight on.
"............She asked about identifying Silver Myrtle."
"I see."
Kaiden nodded.
"Don't you think Aria has become a bit brighter lately?"
"I don't know."
"I can feel it. The girl who didn't even talk well at first is a bit different these days."
Kaiden smiled.
"It's a good thing."
'.............'
'I know what this guy wants to say right now.'
He wants to think the reason Aria has become brighter is because of him.
Because he treated her kindly.
Because he bought her drinks.
Because he was by her side.
"When we go back, I have something to say to Aria."
Kaiden said.
Looking at the water.
It wasn't a soft tone.
It was calm.
"I'm going to say it properly."
'.............'
'It's a confession.'
Kaiden looked at me.
This time, he didn't smile.
"............I see."
I tried to get up.
To cut it off like when I was washing my face.
"Ian."
I stopped.
"I'm letting you know."
'.............'
We made eye contact.
Kaiden wasn't smiling.
It was the first time.
"Anyway, thanks for listening."
Kaiden stood up.
He went back.
Night.
Last night.
Campfire.
I started the fire.
I got used to it more than yesterday.
Laying down twigs, putting grass on top, flint.
1 minute.
6 people sat around.
The Teaching Assistant took out herb liquor.
"Since it's the last night. Only the adults."
The Teaching Assistant, Thor, and Hana drank.
The others had herb tea.
The atmosphere loosened up.
Thor put his arm around Hana.
"Hey, don't graduate."
"If I don't graduate, what will I live on?"
"You can just live here growing herbs."
"Are you crazy?"
Boisterous laughter.
Slurp-
I was quietly drinking tea in the corner.
Aria was sitting near me.
Like yesterday.
2m distance.
Kaiden was sitting opposite.
Today, he didn't sit next to Aria.
'.............'
'Why didn't he sit next to her.'
Is it because he said "I have something to say when we go back" in the afternoon?
Did he distance himself?
Aria was quietly drinking tea.
But her expression was a bit different.
It was darker than yesterday.
'Kaiden must have said something.'
"I have something to say when we go back."
Aria must know what that means too.
'.............'
The Teaching Assistant stood up.
"Alright, let's wrap it up for today!"
One by one, they stood up.
"Good night~"
"We have to pack in the morning, so let's wake up early."
We went to the tent.
Thor went in first.
Kaiden followed.
Before I went into the tent.
I looked back.
Aria was standing in front of the women's tent.
After Riel went in first.
Aria was standing alone.
She was looking at me.
'.............'
Light green eyes.
Since the lights were out, only moonlight was shining.
It seemed like she wanted to say something.
But there was a distance.
Between the two tents.
Aria opened her mouth.
I couldn't hear the sound.
It was too small.
Mixed with the wind.
But I could see the shape of her mouth.
'Sunbae-nim.'
I was standing still.
Aria bowed her head.
And went into the tent.
'.............'
She started to say it but stopped.
'What was she trying to say.'
'.............'
'Not my business.'
I entered the tent.
Thor was already snoring.
Kaiden was lying next to me.
He had his eyes closed.
Whether he was asleep or not.
I lay down.
'.............'
I looked at the bag.
Game console.
'.............'
I didn't take it out and closed my eyes.
Aria's mouth shape came to mind.
'Sunbae-nim.'
What was she trying to say.
"Kaiden says he has something to say when we go back. What should I do."
Was she trying to say this?
It was like that before too.
Coming to knock on the door at night and saying, "Can I have one consultation?"
Was it a consultation this time too?
'.............'
'When we go back tomorrow.'
'Will Aria come again?'
'If she knocks on the Dormitory Warden's room door.'
I closed my eyes.
'Fuck. What should I say.'
Again, "If you don't have feelings, don't accept it"?
I already did that.
"Kaiden is a good guy"?
No, why should I be the one pushing for that?
"Don't ask me"?
That's too cold.
'.............'
'Fuck. The simulation is endless.'
'Game bosses have patterns so you can memorize them.'
'People don't have patterns.'
'Ha.'
'Life.'
'But. Fuck, wait a minute.'
A thought suddenly occurred.
'I'm the Dormitory Warden.'
'I'm the Warden.'
'I'm the person who does roll call, facility inspection, and locks the curfew.'
'Why am I worrying about the tenants' dating problems?'
'.............'
'No, really.'
'Isn't this outside my scope of work?'
'There's no extra pay either?'
'.............'
'Fuck. The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.'