"Shall We See the Cherry Blossoms Together?"
"Shall We See the Cherry Blossoms Together?"
A liberal arts class.
[Nature and Human — Spring Special Lecture]
I saw it sandwiched in my schedule and wondered what it was.
A mandatory liberal arts course.
Common to all departments.
'Another mandatory class.'
'This school threatens you with mandatory courses for everything.'
I entered the classroom.
It was spacious.
But the atmosphere was different.
In Professor Bertina's class, the air freezes before the door even opens.
Here.
Ungseongungseong.
Kyaruru.
They were chattering.
Even with two minutes until class started, no one was nervous.
The desk arrangement was different too.
They weren't lined up in rows but gathered in circles.
Five or six people each.
Like islands.
I looked for the very back.
There was no back.
Because it was circular.
'Fuck.'
I went to the most corner table.
By the window.
The side with fewer people.
I sat down.
Both sides were empty.
'Good. This place is fine—'
I couldn't finish.
Riel.
My Druid department classmate.
She sat right down next to me with her bag.
"Is it okay if I sit here?"
She was already sitting.
There was no point in asking.
"............Yes."
"You're taking this class too! I was wondering what elective to take and then heard there's no exam, so I signed up right away!"
'I also have the same reason for now, but...'
Riel put down her bag and looked around.
"Oh, right. Ian, my classmate."
"Yes."
"Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. She's in the same Magic department."
'Ah.'
"Wait a moment. I'll call her over."
Riel waved her hand.
A woman got up from that table over there and came over.
Brown hair.
Short cut.
Round eyes and a bright expression.
"Sophia~ Over here, over here!"
The woman named Sophia came closer.
She looked at me.
I lifted my head.
"Ah... Hello."
Being nervous, my voice came out low again.
Sophia hesitated.
She looked at my narrowed eyes.
For 0.5 seconds.
"............Hi."
She took a step back.
Slightly.
Riel cut in.
"No, no. He's actually kind. His eyes just look like that."
".........Ah, really?"
"Yeah. He's in the Druid department with me, and he's super nice. He sets up tents by himself and lights fires on his own."
"............Isn't that hardworking rather than kind?"
"Anyway, sit down! Let's take it together."
Sophia carefully sat down.
Facing me.
Keeping some distance.
"..........."
"..........."
It was awkward.
Riel looked back and forth between us.
"Hey, why are you both so awkward? Say something."
"..........."
"..........."
'You don't know how cruel it is to tell a shut-in to say something.'
Just then.
Kkiiik-
The door opened.
The professor walked in.
She had a guitar slung over her shoulder.
Her brown hair came down to her shoulders.
Not a school uniform, but a linen shirt and pants.
Sandals on her feet.
'That's a professor?'
She looks like a free spirit.
The professor stood her guitar against the podium.
She smiled as she looked around at the students.
"Good morning."
Her voice was relaxed.
The voice of someone with not a single hurried thing.
"How was everyone's week?"
No one answered.
The professor smiled.
"I see."
She picked up her guitar.
Tung-
She plucked a string once.
"There's no competition in this class."
Tung-
"No exam either."
Tung-
"Your grade is based on attendance. If you sit here, you get an A+."
The classroom buzzed.
"Really?"
"No exam?"
"What is this class? It's amazing!"
"You chose really well!"
The professor placed the guitar on her lap.
"My name is Rahel. Think of me more as a companion than a professor."
'A companion.'
"Since the weather is nice today."
She looked out the window.
Cherry blossoms were in bloom.
Petals were fluttering in the wind.
"Let's hold class outside."
The classroom exploded.
"Really?!"
"Outside?!"
"We're having class under the cherry blossoms?!"
"Hey!! They said class is under the cherry blossoms!!"
The sound of chairs being pushed back erupted simultaneously.
The sound of bags being packed.
Excited voices.
"Let's go quickly!"
"We need to claim a spot!"
"First-come-first-served under the cherry trees!"
Ureureu-
The students poured out.
I remained seated.
'...........'
Outside.
The outdoors.
A space open on all sides.
The classroom has walls.
It has a back.
It has corners.
Outside has none of that.
'Fuck.'
'There are no corners.'
Riel grabbed my arm.
"Ian, my classmate, what are you doing! Let's go quickly!"
"............Yes."
I was dragged out.
Sophia followed behind.
She was still a bit wary of me.
Because of my narrowed eyes.
'Ha.'
'This is sad.'
It's not like I was born with narrowed eyes because I wanted to be.
Behind the main building.
A lawn.
Cherry trees stood in a row.
They were in full bloom.
Petals fluttered every time the wind blew.
Students were already claiming spots.
Two women taking pictures under the cherry trees.
Three men sprawled on the grass.
One man dozing against a tree.
A man and woman picking up petals and scattering them on each other.
Everyone was excited.
Everyone had a liberated expression.
'Everyone is really happy.'
'What's so great about outside.'
I'm getting grumpy for no reason.
Riel plopped down on the grass.
"This place is nice! Ian, my classmate, sit here!"
Sophia sat nearby.
I sat down too.
With my back to the cherry tree.
Because I need something behind my back to feel at ease.
Professor Rahel sat under a cherry tree.
She placed the guitar on her lap.
Ting- Ting- Ting-
A slow melody.
It blended with the spring breeze.
"Once you come to the academy, everyone tends to only look ahead."
Ting-
"Rankings. Grades. Mana output."
Ting-
"But sometimes, you have to look beside you."
Ting-
"At who's next to you."
The students relaxed at the sound of the guitar.
Those who were chattering grew quiet.
The one lying down looked at the sky.
A petal fell onto their face.
'...........'
It wasn't bad.
There's a tree behind my back.
The wind blows.
Petals flutter.
The sound of the guitar is heard.
No one looked at me.
No one was competing.
No one measured mana output.
'So there's a class like this too.'
Riel whispered beside me.
"Ian, my classmate. Don't you like this professor?"
"............It's not bad."
"When a guy says it's not bad, doesn't that mean it's good?"
'That's true, I guess.'
Sophia cut in.
"Hey Riel. Look at those flowers. They're so pretty!"
Her voice was a bit more relaxed than before.
"Where? Ah, really. That's a king cherry blossom."
"King cherry blossom? Isn't it just a regular cherry blossom?"
"No. The petal size is different."
"How do you know that?"
"When you become a Druid, you automatically know all that."
Sophia looked at me.
"Ian-ssi, do you also know things like that as a Druid?"
"............More or less."
"What's the difference between king cherry blossom and regular cherry blossom?"
"The petal size and...... the blooming period are different."
"Oh. Really?"
Sophia's wariness eased a bit.
Though my narrowed eyes still seemed scary.
Since I answered her question.
Riel was earnestly explaining something to Sophia.
About petal structure and whatnot.
About stamen arrangement and such.
I pretended to listen while focusing on the guitar sound.
Ting- Ting-
At that moment.
In the corner of my vision.
A flash of blonde passed by.
'...........'
Elise.
She was sitting down under the cherry tree.
Over there.
One tree away.
The spot next to her was empty.
And a little ways away from there.
Black hair.
Zeke.
He was leaning against the tree with his eyes closed.
'...........'
'So he's in the same class.'
Riel spoke.
"Ian! Are you listening?"
"............Yes."
"If the stamen arrangement is five, it's a king cherry blossom. Don't these tree petals look a bit big?"
"............I suppose so."
Riel held a petal and held it out in front of me.
"Look. This is big, right?"
"............Yes."
I was looking.
At the petal.
But in the corner of my vision, Elise was there.
Professor Rahel stopped playing the guitar.
"Alright, today let's do just one simple thing."
The students raised their heads.
"Try having a conversation with the person next to you."
"One topic. 'One thing you liked recently.'"
"That's all."
The students started moving.
Turning to the person next to them.
Starting to talk.
"Something I liked recently? The meat pie at East Gate street."
"That's something that was delicious, not something you liked."
"If it's delicious, it's good."
Kyaruru.
Riel looked at me.
"Ian, my classmate. What's something you liked recently?"
"..........."
I thought.
"............Defeating the boss."
"Boss?"
"In a game. Stage 52."
"Ah, games. Ian, my classmate, you really like games, don't you?"
Sophia looked over.
"You're a gamer?"
"They say he built a game console himself using mana crystals."
"What? That's insane."
"They say his playtime is 5,000 hours."
"..........."
Sophia looked at me.
Narrowed eyes.
This time, it wasn't a look of fear but of curiosity.
"............You're really unique."
"............Thank you."
'Is being called unique a compliment?'
'I don't know.'
Riel talked about her turn.
"For me, it was going on the MT with Ian last time."
"It was really fun! Ian, my classmate, set up the tent in 3 minutes and lit the fire in one go."
While Riel and Sophia were chattering.
From the corner of my vision.
Elise stood up.
She walked.
Towards Zeke.
"Zeke."
"May I sit next to you?"
"............Sure."
They sat side by side.
Under the cherry blossom tree.
Ting- Ting-
The sound of the guitar.
The wind.
The petals.
I pricked up my ears and focused on the voices from over there.
"............I liked that."
Zeke's voice came riding on the wind.
Softly.
I couldn't hear it well.
I couldn't hear what he said he liked.
".......I see."
Elise's small voice.
That was all.
Elise had her hands clasped together on her lap.
Zeke was leaning against the tree and looking forward.
'...........'
Something.
I felt something.
But I didn't know what.
Professor Rahel stood up.
"Alright, finally."
The students raised their heads.
"Look at the cherry blossoms with one person. With the person next to you. Just for 5 minutes."
The students moved.
Naturally.
In pairs.
Riel looked at me.
"Ian! Let's look together!"
Sophia cut in.
"We can look as three. Me too, together."
Riel looked up.
Sophia looked up.
"Wow. It's really pretty."
"Look at the petals falling."
"Ian, look too."
I looked.
Cherry blossoms.
Petals were fluttering.
'...........'
It was pretty.
But.
From the corner of my vision.
Zeke stood up.
"Wait a moment."
He walked away.
Away from the cherry tree.
"Where are you going?"
Elise's voice could be heard.
It was quiet.
Zeke didn't look back.
'...........'
Riel spoke.
"Ian, my classmate, what are you looking at instead of the cherry blossoms?"
"............I'm looking."
I was looking.
At the cherry blossoms.
But beyond them.
Elise was sitting.
Under the cherry tree.
Alone.
Everyone around was in pairs.
They were looking up side by side under the cherry blossoms.
Only Elise was alone.
Her hands were clasped on her lap.
They were tightly clenched.
She was smiling.
With her mouth.
But not her eyes.
'...........'
5,000 hours.
Dozens of bad endings all started like this.
It wasn't a grand event.
It's just.
Not coming back.
'...........'
I stood up.
Riel looked.
"Ian, my classmate? Where are you going?"
"............Just a moment."
I walked.
I don't know why I'm walking.
I don't know what I'm going to say either.
But my feet were moving.
Next to Elise.
The spot where Zeke had been sitting.
"............Excuse me."
Elise raised her head.
Her eyes widened.
Narrowed eyes.
School uniform.
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
0.3 seconds.
Opened again.
"............Ian-ssi?"
Her voice was small.
It was a tone of confirmation.
A tone that said she didn't know why I was here.
I didn't know either.
Why I was standing here.
"Would it be alright if I sit here?"
Elise blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"............Pardon?"