Aidrin Telne is Surprisingly Sensitive
Miss Aidrin Telne was surprisingly sensitive.
Though not quite on the level of Drin Libringer and Kasha Hanahan, she hailed from a highly reputable family, possessed outstanding talent, and was a character of considerable importance in the original game.
One of her most memorable traits in the game was that her events would only trigger if the player's level was equal to or higher than hers. It wasn't because she was an opportunist or a snob. She simply had a tendency to seek validation of her own worth by associating with outstanding people.
Having been stripped of my first-place record and passing the second trial with an utterly mediocre score, the current me shouldn't have met her standards. Yet, here she was, approaching me separately after the exam. I honestly thought she had come to give me a piece of her mind about what had just happened.
"See? What did I tell you! Did you apologize to those two?!" With her earnest yet prickly personality, I expected her to snap something like that at me.
"Are you... are you okay...?"
But to my surprise, far from snapping or giving me a harsh scolding, she was carefully reading my expression, her voice laced with genuine concern.
'Why on earth is she acting like this?'
The clue to solving that mystery came not from Aidrin, but from the noble brats nearby.
"Is that him?"
"Ah, that guy?"
"Pfft, looking at that clueless face of his, I can totally see how he could do something so stupid."
"How could he possibly think his record was higher than Lord Drin's or Lord Kasha's?"
"Just like any other commoner crawling into the Academy—a lowborn who doesn't know his place."
The nobles sneered at me. Hearing their insults, Aidrin's expression grew even more strained, and she began to fidget like a criminal caught red-handed.
'Ah, so that's what it is.'
I finally understood her behavior. She was clearly feeling guilty about publicly questioning me in the exam hall earlier. She believed her actions had put me in this awkward, humiliating position.
"..."
Perhaps that was why she looked so pained, as if the insults directed at me were being hurled at her instead. Even though I, the actual target, couldn't care less.
'How unexpected.'
I didn't know the prickly Aidrin had such a sensitive side.
'Well, actually...'
There was a setting in her character profile stating that she was overly conscious of how others perceived her.
'And there was that one specific event in the game.'
1. Player level is similar to Aidrin's.
2. Aidrin's quest is cleared.
3. Player has not visited Aidrin even once after clearing her quest.
If you happened to run into her while satisfying those three conditions, an event would trigger where she would aggressively demand, "Hey, are you avoiding me lately?!" before immediately shrinking back and asking, "D-did I do something wrong...?"
'Right.'
Thinking about it, it wasn't unexpected at all. This was exactly who Aidrin was. Prickly and confident on the outside, but soft and sensitive on the inside. And right now, that very girl was walking on eggshells around me, consumed by guilt.
'Oh.'
It's a bit vulgar to say, but I practically started drooling.
A scenario that a trashy, thick-skinned, squinty-eyed bastard like me would absolutely love flashed through my mind.
I could pretend to be deeply traumatized and suffering from the ostracization, just as she feared. Seeing me like that, Aidrin would regret her actions, writhe in guilt, and cling to me in a desperate bid for atonement.
'Ugh.'
But that's a bit too extreme. It's like a sensory overload of a dish made by mindlessly dumping cheese and capsaicin together. Personally, I prefer a cleaner, milder flavor profile.
With that in mind, I decided to relieve her of her guilt. True to my trashy, thick-skinned nature, a part of me felt it was a waste, but what could I do? Food loaded with too much cheese and capsaicin might taste delicious in the moment, but it always upsets your stomach later.
'Besides, once we enter the Academy, another "opportunity" is bound to present itself, right?'
How should I act so that our sensitive Miss Aidrin could move past this without her precious little heart getting hurt? After carefully weighing my options, I opened my mouth.
'Ugh...'
Standing right next to Number 348 and hearing the insults directed at him made the reality sink in. She finally realized just how terrible of a thing she had done.
To be blacklisted by the likes of Drin Libringer and Kasha Hanahan, and to be openly despised by his peers... If she were in his shoes, she would never have been able to endure it. She would have thrown away everything, abandoned the Academy, and fled straight back to her family estate.
What about him? Aidrin carefully stole a glance at him. He still wore that same silly, carefree smile. But to Aidrin, whose heart was heavy with guilt, that smile looked incredibly lonely, as if laced with deep self-derision.
*Throb.* A heavy, suffocating ache tightened in her chest.
Then, the man finally spoke. What would he say?
Would he say that all his blood, sweat, and tears to enter the Academy had been rendered utterly futile because of her? That whether he passed the exam or not, his Academy life was already over? That he was ruined? That his life and dreams were shattered? Would he pour out words of resentment? Curses?
Or perhaps he would try to comfort her instead, putting on a brave face... No matter what reaction she imagined, she didn't have the courage to face it.
"What do you mean by 'okay'?"
But the response that came from him was entirely unexpected. The man offered a clueless reply, his tone light and his expression as silly as ever. He was exactly the same as when she had first laid eyes on him.
"Haa..."
A sigh of relief escaped Aidrin's lips. But that relief was short-lived. Nothing had changed. He was still in the worst possible situation, and she was the one who had put him there. She had to do something.
'But what can I even do...?'
If he had lashed out at her with all his resentment and hatred, she would have gladly accepted it and begged for forgiveness. But because he acted as if absolutely nothing was wrong, she had no idea how to respond. It almost made her feel as though she hadn't committed any wrong at all.
"What do I mean...? Are you still completely oblivious to what's going on? Didn't you hear what those guys just said about you?"
In the end, Aidrin fell back on acting as if nothing was wrong, just like him. She confronted him without showing her emotional burden.
"What they said about me? Ah. You mean those gentlemen just now."
A bitter smile played on the corners of his thin lips. Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, Aidrin raised her voice defensively.
"Exactly! Why did you have to be so ridiculously stubborn! If things go on like this, your standing in the Academy will—"
"Sigh... It couldn't be helped. It was a situation where I simply couldn't afford to give up."
"W-what?! A situation where you couldn't give up...?"
*Thump!* Aidrin's heart raced. She worriedly wondered if some tragic, complex backstory—like a promise to his deceased parents—was about to be revealed.
"Have you never had a dream like that?"
"What... What kind of dream?"
"A dream where you perform brilliantly in front of a massive crowd, and all the people who used to look down on you go, 'Whoa! That guy was actually amazing!' and finally acknowledge you."
"...What?"
"A fantasy that anyone with human emotions must have had at least once! A dream! Romance! I had no doubt that the situation earlier was the exact moment that romance would become reality. That's why I absolutely couldn't give up! You understand what I'm trying to say, don't you?!"
Aidrin's jaw dropped as she stared at him passionately preaching his ideals.
This guy... was an idiot far beyond her wildest imagination. An absolute eccentric.
"That look! I knew it, you understand me!"
"Understand you, my foot! Who on earth would understand such a stupid delusion?! I'm just utterly speechless because you're spouting such nonsense!"
"Ehhh? My, my, to think you don't understand this sentiment. It seems you are a person who knows nothing of romance."
"I'm sorry, but if that's what romance is, I'd rather live without it."
"With all due respect, you have the cause and effect backward. It is because you don't know romance that you cannot comprehend this."
He narrowed his squinty eyes even further, as if refusing to back down on this single point.
"Haha."
Aidrin let out a hollow laugh. She suddenly felt ridiculous. Why on earth had she been worrying herself sick over such an utter fool?
"Hey, look. That's the guy I was talking about—"
"Pfft, hahaha."
Ah. She knew. She was well aware. The sneers of the nobles, drifting over just as she was starting to forget. A clear sign of how precarious the man's standing in the Academy had become. It was because of that. That was exactly what she had brought upon him. Because of that, it was only right for her to feel this heavy weight of guilt. She knew this with absolute certainty.
Yet, the very man who should have been most aware of it seemed completely oblivious. He was acting as if she had absolutely no reason to feel guilty. She had no idea what tune she was supposed to dance to anymore. It was utterly baffling.
"Urgh, it seems... I am paying the price for my arrogance."
That was his reaction upon hearing the nobles' mockery. Dumbfounded, Aidrin finally voiced her question.
"Is that it?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"If things go on like this, even if you pass the entrance exam, your Academy life is going to be incredibly difficult. Are you really okay with that? Half the cadets won't even want to be associated with you, and the other half will look down on you."
He fell into deep thought for a brief moment, then nodded with supreme confidence.
"You don't need to worry about that. If anything, it only fires me up."
"Fires you up...?"
"Shall we picture it? In front of all those people who look down on me, I perform a legendary feat. Then, the people who used to insult me will look at me and—"
It was that stupid romance talk again. Aidrin stared at him blankly and muttered under her breath.
"You're an idiot, aren't you?"
"Those who pursue romance are sometimes called that."
At his confident, yet utterly clueless response, Aidrin burst into laughter despite herself.
"No, you're an idiot. A massive one, at that."
It was a genuine, heartfelt laugh. Before she knew it, the guilt that had been tormenting her had completely vanished.
Instead, a new worry took root in her heart. What on earth am I going to do with this idiot?
He was a man who shared absolutely zero common ground with the type of people she usually sought to associate with. He was clueless and seemingly powerless. Yet, she felt like she couldn't just leave him to his own devices. She couldn't stop worrying about him.
Why? Yes. Responsibility. It was because of responsibility.
Just because this clueless man, who lacked even an ounce of crisis awareness or objectivity, didn't take his current situation seriously didn't mean his situation wasn't actually dire.
Surely, no one in the Academy would want to associate with this fool. They would thoroughly ignore, despise, and ostracize him. A commoner, completely isolated within the Academy... Under such harsh conditions, carving out a place for himself would be nigh impossible.
He might spout nonsense about being 'fired up' and show immense confidence in overcoming his plight, but unless he possessed extraordinary talent on par with Kasha or Drin, it was an absolute impossibility. That was the grim reality the man faced.
And she was undoubtedly at fault for putting him in this position. Therefore, she had to take responsibility. She had to step up and help this clueless man find his footing in the Academy.
Why? Because there was no doubt that she was the only one who would ever associate with this ostracized, clueless commoner. This foolish, pathetic man had no one but her.
Thus, this was pure compassion. Consideration. Good will and benevolence.
Having rationalized her concern for him, Aidrin's expression cleared. Now feeling justified in worrying about him without any lingering hesitation or awkwardness, she spoke.
"Hey. Idiot."
"At your service."
"Are you going to let me keep calling you an idiot?"
"Alas, what power does a weak, lowly commoner like myself have? I have no choice but to follow the will of a noble lady."
"Good grief, what do you take me for? Just tell me."
"Pardon?"
"What should I call you instead of 'idiot'?"
"Ah! You mean you want to know my name."
"I-it's not like I'm particularly curious. It's just that you said you didn't like being called an idiot."
Aidrin awkwardly averted her gaze.
"My apologies. I have been remiss in introducing myself. I am Sillon."
"Sillon. Pfft, somehow, it suits you."
"I shall take that as a compliment."
"I meant it sounds foolish, though. But fine, I'll call you Sillon instead of idiot."
"Ah, my proud name..."
Aidrin shook her head at his playful response. Then, turning her head away and crossing her arms, she spoke with feigned indifference.
"Aidrin Telne."
"Pardon? Ah, yes. Lady Aidrin! Wait... Telne?"
Sillon gasped in surprise, looking up at her with wide eyes.
"Ohhh... I knew you seemed extraordinary. You are from the prestigious Telne family!"
"Hmph, flattery will get you nowhere."
*Twitch.* Aidrin desperately strained her facial muscles to suppress the smug grin threatening to break out, barely maintaining her indifferent facade.
"Well, whatever. I suppose even an idiot knows a thing or two. In that case, you must realize how big of a deal this is."
She spoke casually, maintaining her aloof expression.
"I, Aidrin of the Telne family, am willing to remain acquaintances with you in the future—provided you ask very politely."
She made sure to sound as natural and indifferent as possible, like a noble handing down charity. While projecting this aloofness, she eagerly awaited his reaction.
Since this was likely the first time this clueless man had ever had the chance to form a connection with someone of her stature, he would surely react with dramatic excitement. Keeping her head turned, she stole a glance to check his expression.
"Huh...?"
As expected, he looked utterly caught off guard and bewildered.
*So this guy can actually get flustered.* Feeling like she had scored a victory, Aidrin quickly looked away before he could notice, a smug smile spreading across her face.
"Well? What's your answer?"
Growing even more confident, she pressed Sillon for a response.
A noble showing off her relaxed, aloof posture with crossed arms and a turned head. A commoner showing off his clueless, bewildered face.
Then, the commoner spoke.
"Ah! So what you're saying is, you want to be my friend!"
"..."
The noble, who had been showing off her relaxed, aloof posture with crossed arms and a turned head, felt her entire face burst into flames.