Club MT... Me?

Thursday.

Herb Research Club regular activity day.

Greenhouse Annex.

I was sitting in the corner, as usual.

I was observing the wood grain.

'The relationship between this wood and me seems to be the most intimate one in this club.'

Aria was sitting opposite me.

She was looking down at a herb encyclopedia.

Next to her.

That guy was sitting there.

Brown hair.

Tall.

Handsome.

I'd heard his name.

Kaiden.

Department of Swordsmanship.

From a noble family.

Even now, he was leaning slightly toward Aria.

Naturally.

He probably thinks he's being natural.

But I could see it all.

Every time Aria turned a page in the encyclopedia, Kaiden's gaze followed.

When Aria wrote something down, Kaiden would glance over.

When Aria tucked her hair behind her ear, Kaiden's eyes lingered for 0.5 seconds longer.

'............Yeah, he definitely likes her.'

And Aria.

She was leaning slightly in the opposite direction.

Minutely.

So slightly that Kaiden couldn't feel it.

But I could see it.

'You still haven't sorted that out, huh.'

Not my business.

I looked at the old tree standing in the middle of the greenhouse.

They said the Herb Research Club had been growing it for generations.

The trunk was thick.

The bark was cracked.

The branches reached all the way to the ceiling.

'Nice tree.'

It must be decades old.

It must have watched all the club members come and go.

It must have stood there alone even while the department was under threat of closure.

'I shouldn't feel a sense of kinship.'

My peer Riel was sitting next to me writing something, Thor-sunbae was leaning back in his chair yawning, and Hana-sunbae was looking out the window.

It was peaceful.

The wood grain was peaceful.

That was when.

The Teaching Assistant walked in.

That Druid department Teaching Assistant with a leaf stuck in his hair.

"Alright, everyone's here?"

The Teaching Assistant placed some documents in the middle of the table.

Thud.

"I have an agenda. We need to go on a Club MT."

'MT.'

'MT again.'

Thor-sunbae slammed his chair forward.

"Oh. MT?"

"We go on an outdoor gathering and MT once a semester. We haven't gone yet this year."

'I wish we couldn't go.'

Hana-sunbae crossed her arms.

"It's our graduation year, so it's our last MT. Where are we going?"

"That's the problem."

The Teaching Assistant unfolded a map.

"We can't go to Bern Forest, where we went last year, because there's a warning about Magic Beast sightings."

"Riben Valley is out because it's the rainy season, so the water levels are high and it's dangerous."

"Then where do we go?"

Suggestions came out one by one.

And were rejected one by one.

School Back Mountain — Low altitude, no herbs.

Eastern Plateau — Permit takes three months.

Western Swamp — Poisonous insects.

"Hmm......"

"This is tough."

"Is there nowhere to go?"

That was when Kaiden spoke up.

"How about the entrance to the Northern Mountain Range? It's near my family's estate, and I've heard herbs grow quite well there."

A confident voice.

Relaxed, as expected of someone from a good family.

The Teaching Assistant tilted his head.

"Isn't the altitude too high there? It might even snow at the entrance."

"Ah, is that so?"

Kaiden laughed awkwardly.

And then he snuck a look at Aria.

With a look that said, 'I made a pretty good suggestion, didn't I?'

Aria was looking at the encyclopedia.

'.............'

Kaiden's smile stiffened slightly.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The atmosphere dampened.

The Teaching Assistant sighed.

"At this rate, we won't be able to go on an MT this year."

'It would be good if we couldn't go.'

'............But.'

I had the answer in my head.

I lived in a barren estate for 15 years.

There was no other way for the second son of a frontier baron to survive.

I'd climbed every mountain there was.

I'd scoured every forest.

If I didn't memorize what grew where, I starved.

'If I speak up, I'll get involved.'

That's right.

I just need to look at the wood grain.

I just need to be like air.

'But.'

The Teaching Assistant was genuinely troubled.

The atmosphere was such that neither Thor-sunbae nor Hana-sunbae had an answer.

The people here had been good to me.

They ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were the people who cried and welcomed me as the first freshman in two years.

'Ha.'

'Fuck.'

I can't trample on goodwill.

I opened my mouth.

"............Excuse me."

Six pairs of eyes looked at me.

'Ah. The gaze.'

My heart raced.

"If you go north...... there's the Hallen Hills."

"Hallen Hills?"

"It's about half a day by carriage from the Academy. The altitude is between 500 and 800 meters, so it's the perfect height for herb gathering. And even in the rainy season, the drainage is good, so the ground doesn't get muddy."

Once I started talking, I couldn't stop.

The knowledge embedded in my body poured out of my mouth.

"It's a south-facing slope, so the sunlight is decent. There have been no records of Magic Beast sightings in the last three years. It's not a protected area, so you don't need a permit."

"............."

"And at this time of year, Purple Evening Primrose blooms on the mid-slope of the south-facing side."

"Purple Evening Primrose?"

The Teaching Assistant's eyes widened.

"Isn't that a rare species?"

"That's its habitat. It only grows there because the soil acidity is just right."

Silence.

It was only after I finished speaking that I realized.

Everyone was looking at me.

Thor was gaping.

Hana was uncrossing her arms.

Riel had her eyes wide open.

The Teaching Assistant was looking at me with sparkling eyes.

And.

Aria was looking at me.

She had lifted her head from the encyclopedia.

With her green eyes.

'.............'

For the first time, not during roll call, she was looking straight at me.

I don't know what was in that gaze.

Surprise.

Wonder.

Or something else.

But I wasn't the only one who saw ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it.

I felt it.

From the left.

A gaze.

A heavy gaze.

Kaiden was looking at me.

It wasn't the same look he had when he was looking at Aria earlier.

It wasn't a soft, affectionate look.

It was cold.

Just for a moment.

0.5 seconds.

But I felt it.

Because a loser's intuition is hypersensitive to gazes like this.

'............Fuck. Why is he glaring at me?'

Kaiden's gaze was fixed on me.

To be precise.

It was a gaze that came to me after he confirmed that Aria was looking at me.

'.............'

'Ah.'

'This bastard.'

'He's wary of me right now.'

I couldn't not know the reason.

Because Aria was looking at me.

A guy like air, who only looked at wood grain in the corner, suddenly opened his mouth.

And Aria was watching it.

From Kaiden's perspective.

'My woman is looking at another man.'

They aren't even dating yet, but he must be thinking of her as 'my woman'.

That's how everyone is when they like someone.

'Fuck.'

'I just suggested an MT location.'

Kaiden's gaze softened.

He returned to a gentle expression.

He was nodding along to the Teaching Assistant's words with a smile.

'If we go on the MT, those two will be spending days together.'

Aria hasn't sorted things out yet.

The advice I gave, "If you don't have feelings, you should turn him down," hasn't been put into action yet.

In that state, spending days outdoors.

Setting up tents.

Cooking meals.

Having a campfire.

'It's going to explode.'

'Something is going to explode there.'

'And I've become the person in charge of scouting the location for that MT.'

'.............'

'Ha. Fuck.'

That's when Thor said.

"Hey. Ian."

"............Yes."

"How do you know all this?"

'Because I lived in the estate for 15 years.'

"Just...... I've traveled around a bit."

"Traveled around?"

Hana-sunbae uncrossed her arms.

"You know about drainage, sunlight, and even soil acidity, and you call that 'traveled around'?"

"............."

The Teaching Assistant looked at the map.

He pointed to the Hallen Hills area.

"I'll check it out. But, student Ian."

"Yes."

"Have you been there yourself?"

"............Yes."

"How many times?"

'A dozen times?'

"............A few times."

The Teaching Assistant's eyes sparkled.

"Then, can student Ian be in charge of scouting the location?"

'.............'

"You can draw up a specific route, right? Since you've been there yourself."

"Th...... that."

"You know the gathering points, too, right?"

"Well...... roughly."

Thor chimed in.

"Teaching Assistant. Ian can just do it all, right?"

Hana nodded.

"If he knows the location, the route, and the gathering points, Ian is the right person for the job."

Riel looked at me and smiled.

"Peer Ian. Unexpected, isn't it? I didn't know you were good at this kind of thing."

'It's not unexpected, this is just how I am.'

Because if I wanted to survive, I had no other choice.

Aria glanced at me.

The corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

And next to her.

Kaiden was smiling.

Saying, "That's amazing, Ian."

He was smiling.

His mouth was.

His eyes were not.

'.............'

I looked down at the wood grain.

'I should have just lived looking at this wood grain.'

"............Understood."

'Since it's come to this, I have no choice.'

"Oh!!"

Thor clapped.

The meeting was over.

People stood up.

Kaiden approached Aria.

"Aria, let's go together. I'll drop you off on the way to the cafeteria."

"............Yeah. Thanks."

Aria followed him with her head bowed.

As she walked out the door.

Aria looked back once.

At me.

0.3 seconds.

She immediately lowered her gaze.

Did Kaiden see it, or did he not?

I returned to the dormitory.

I entered the Dormitory Warden's room.

I closed the door.

Thud.

I looked at the game console.

'.............'

I turned it on.

Click.

[STAGE 50 — ???]

But before the boss.

I took out a piece of parchment in front of the game console.

I picked up a quill.

Hallen Hills.

The terrain came to mind.

The path I walked dozens of times in the estate.

The ridge I climbed to find food.

The valley I went down to find where the water came out.

The pen began to move.

Scratch—

I started drawing the route.

'Start from here.'

'If you follow this ridge up.'

'There's a colony of Purple Evening Primrose on the mid-slope.'

'And if you go a little further, there's a spring where water comes out, so it's good for setting up camp.'

Scratch—

Scratch—

'How should I arrange the camp.'

The thoughts continued naturally.

'The tent location is good near the spring.'

'The campfire should be in the east, considering the wind direction.'

'Gathering in the morning, and free time in the afternoon.'

Then I stopped.

'Tent arrangement.'

Aria.

Kaiden.

Same club.

Same MT.

'.............'

'How should I arrange the tents.'

Since there are men and women, they should be separated.

But since there are few people, there won't be many tents.

'Why am I worrying about this?'

'Wasn't I just supposed to scout the location?'

'.............'

'Fuck. Let's just draw the route.'

I focused on the parchment.

Scratch—

Scratch—

But my hand kept going toward the tent arrangement.

'If I place Aria in the same area as Kaiden.'

'If something happens there.'

'If I want to prevent it from happening.'

'.............'

'Why am I worrying about this?'

'It's none of my business.'

I covered the parchment.

I grabbed the controller.

Click-click-click—

But my hand kept going toward the parchment.

The 0.3 seconds Aria looked back.

The 0.5 seconds Kaiden glared.

'I'll finish drawing it tomorrow.'

Click-click-click—

But not even 10 minutes later, I unfolded the parchment again.

'Fuck. It keeps coming to mind, so I can't play the game.'

'Let's just get it over with quickly.'

Scratch—

Scratch—

I drew the ridge route.

I marked the gathering points.

I wrote down the spring location.

'If we set up camp here, water is close, and we're sheltered from the wind.'

Scratch—

Scratch—

It was quiet.

11 PM.

I couldn't even hear chatting from beyond the wall.

Looks like everyone is asleep.

Only the sound of the quill moving on the parchment.

Scratch, scratch.

That was when.

Thud.

Once.

A knock.

'.............'

I stopped the pen.

Thud.

Twice.

'At this hour?'

'Is it broken again?'

I reached for the Toolbox, then stopped.

This knock.

The intensity was different.

When it was Elise — Thud-thud-thud-thud. Urgent and desperate.

When the water pipe burst — Thud-thud. Urgent, but routine.

This was.

Thud.

Weak.

Cautious.

Knocking once and waiting.

'.............'

I opened the door.

Creeeak.

Light purple hair.

Green eyes.

Aria.

She was holding a paper bag in her hand.

'Cookies.'

Usually, she would have left it in front of the door and run away.

Today, she was standing there.

She didn't run away.

"............Um."

Aria opened her mouth.

Her voice was small.

But less shaky than before.

"I...... made cookies."

She held out the paper bag.

"Thank you."

I took it.

Normally, I would say, "Then go inside," and close the door.

But Aria didn't leave.

She was standing in front of the door.

It looked like she wanted to say something more.

'............What is it.'

"............."

"............."

The silence of two losers.

3 seconds.

5 seconds.

Aria's gaze moved.

Past me.

Into the Dormitory Warden's room.

The parchment was spread out on the desk.

The quill was lying there.

The Hallen Hills route was half-drawn.

"............MT route?"

"............Yes."

"............."

Aria looked at the parchment.

"............You're working hard."

"Well...... since I took it on."

"............."

Silence again.

Aria bowed her head.

"Today...... during the meeting."

"............."

"Thank you...... for speaking up."

'For what?'

"The thing no one knew...... only you knew, Senior."

'That's just because I traveled around the estate.'

"No one had an answer...... but because you spoke up...... we can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠go on the MT."

"............."

"I...... have never been on an MT."

Aria's voice became even smaller.

"I'm...... looking forward to it."

'.............'

I looked at Aria.

She was bowing her head.

Her ears were red.

This girl, who was standing there even after handing me the paper bag.

She said she was looking forward to it.

The MT.

The kid who would barely answer "............Yes" 3 seconds after roll call.

The kid who hid under her blanket and couldn't even go to class.

She said she was looking forward to it.

'.............'

I didn't know what to say.

"You can look forward to it."

It came out of my mouth.

"It's a nice place. That area."

'Why am I saying this?'

"The stars are visible...... and the air is clean."

'Stop.'

"There are lots of herbs...... and there's a spring, so the water is good, too."

'I said stop.'

"............It's a decent place."

Aria lifted her head.

Green eyes looked at me.

She was smiling.

Small.

Very small.

"............I'll look forward to it."

She turned and went up the stairs.

Her footsteps faded away.

'.............'

'What was that just now.'

'Why did I act like a tour guide?'

'The stars are visible and the air is clean?'

'Fuck. Am I a travel agency employee?'

I closed the door.

Thud.

I opened the paper bag.

Cookies.

This time, the shape was different.

It was star-shaped.

'.............'

I took a bite.

It wasn't burnt.

It was sweet.

There was a subtle herb scent.

'Her taste is improving.'