Chapter 13

Another day, same as ever... or so I'd like to say. But I'd only started exercising yesterday. Still, unable to resist the combined pressure from Yu Ha-neul and Lee Su-a, I came out to exercise again, and the result was, once more, turning into dried squid. At this rate, in just a few more days, my transformation into dried squid would probably become the new 'same as ever', especially with Yu Ha-neul to keep in mind.

I lay sprawled out on the urethane floor, gasping for a long while before I finally got ahold of myself. Today, too, I collapsed after just one lap around the field. Yesterday I couldn't run because I ate too much; today I couldn't run because my muscles ached from yesterday. My limbs were already sore before I even got here; there was no way I could run properly.

That said, even setting aside all those excuses, it was still a fact that Ye Sa-ra's stamina was abysmal.

When I finally came to my senses, three faces were looking down at me. Yu Ha-neul and Lee Su-a gazed at me with worried expressions, just like yesterday.

"......Not really okay."

I answered before anyone could ask.

"Yeah, you don't look very okay to me, either."

Nam Da-un said, looking at me.

"Well, anyone who's never worked out in their life starts out looking like that."

I suppose that makes sense. A person can't exactly start out bursting with vitality.

"......."

It was true that Nam Da-un clicked his tongue every time he saw me, but he never seemed to harbor any real malice towards me. At the very least, it felt less severe than the kids who treated me like I was completely invisible.

He'd pushed his disheveled blonde bangs back, a hairstyle that would easily mark someone as a 'delinquent character' in a game world like this, yet he seemed to take his club activities seriously. Then again, sports clubs are usually for the diligent ones.

Even so, characters like this always have a weirdly sincere side. Though they'd also skip class or show up late with a brazen attitude.

Or maybe the delinquent character who turns earnest through some pivotal experience is one of those clichés.

"......."

I stared up at Nam Da-un for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"Senior."

"What."

True to form, Nam Da-un answered curtly. But I knew all too well how remarkable it was just to get a reply. I hadn't deliberately tried talking to anyone since coming here, because I'd never really imagined I'd get a proper answer, anyway.

"Have you ever skipped class?"

"What are you suddenly on about."

Nam Da-un's face went blank at my out-of-the-blue question.

"Sara?"

Yu Ha-neul looked back and forth between me and Nam Da-un with surprise.

"Hey, it's not like that. I've never done that," Nam Da-un said flatly, meeting Yu Ha-neul's eyes.

"No, you just look exactly like the type who'd dye their hair, mess it up, and skip class a few times."

"So I'm asking, what are you suddenly on about."

When the underclassman he was helping suddenly started picking a fight, Nam Da-un looked baffled. But even so, he still didn't show any hostility towards me. Was it because he saw my frail body and thought I was beneath contempt? Or was Nam Da-un just fundamentally nicer than other people?

Well, maybe it was both.

"If I'm a delinquent because I have blonde hair, then what's she—a delinquent too?"

"I-It's naturally blonde for me!"

Nam Da-un pointed at Lee Su-a as he spoke.

"Ah, oh, is that so. Sorry."

Nam Da-un immediately apologized at Lee Su-a's reply.

I watched Nam Da-un give a dry cough and pulled myself upright. I still didn't have the energy to stand up from my spot, so for now I sat with my legs stretched out and only my torso raised.

"Or is that hairstyle something you genuinely like and do on purpose?"

"Why the hell would I do it if I didn't like it? You've kinda sounded like you're trying to start something for a while now."

Nam Da-un swept his hair back as if to say someone like me wasn't worth a single punch. But the light was still shining from his face.

Hmm.

Maybe this had less to do with fondness for me and more to do with an ability that reveals a person's true nature.

Truthfully, I didn't think I needed to be all that close with Nam Da-un. A good relationship wouldn't hurt, of course, but it wasn't as crucial as the key that was Yu Ha-neul. Above all, Ye Sa-ra was a character who, in the original story, got tangled up with the male leads and never saw a good ending.

In that sense, identifying people with personalities that 'wouldn't easily fall apart' in a relationship would help increase my odds of survival. Including the people right in front of me, whose faces were shining.

"Alright, I'll believe you."

"Whether you believe me or not, that's... haah, never mind."

Nam Da-un pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

"In that case, may I ask you a question, senior, since you've been here a year longer than me?"

"......Go ahead."

Seeing that Nam Da-un hadn't lost the will to converse with me, I brought up a question I'd been pondering for a while.

"Is there an easy wall to climb over at this school?"

"......What?"

*

"Ah, I see. So you didn't get into that car because you wanted to......."

Before I knew it, Yu Ha-neul, Lee Su-a, and Nam Da-un had all settled onto the ground around me. Normally someone else might have been using this spot, but the students at this school generally don't even consider coming near me. If you call that being bullied, it's unbearably miserable, but if you look at it as an easy situation to use to your advantage, it's not so bad.

In fact, the other soccer club members were doing their own thing far off in the distance, only occasionally sneaking glances this way.

Nam Da-un, don't you need to go back?

He must not need to, since he was staying planted right here.

"Yeah. If I go out the main gate, a car is always waiting for me. So I have no choice but to get in."

"So your plan is to climb the wall and run away?"

Nam Da-un asked, dumbfounded.

I shrugged in reply.

"There's nothing wrong with it. Walking home just one day wouldn't hurt."

At my words, Lee Su-a's eyes unexpectedly sparkled as she looked at me.

"An escape from one's oppressors. That's so cool......."

Wait, isn't that a bit much to be moved by?

Well, it was a relief they weren't trying to stop me.

"Senior! Isn't there some way we can help Sara!?"

Yu Ha-neul, having taken my story about the car to heart, cried out, full of righteous indignation, as she looked at Nam Da-un. When Yu Ha-neul suddenly thrust her face forward, Nam Da-un went "Guh," and instinctively shrank back.

I haven't had a proper look at Yu Ha-neul's face since coming here, so I can't quite say how pretty she is, but she's probably quite pretty even by the standards of this world, which seems full of beautiful people. In fact, the playable female characters in dating sims like this are usually pretty in the illustrations. You need a rock-solid sense of probability if you're going to be paired with the sons of the major groups that run the Republic of Korea's business world, right?

"Well, I mean, it's not like there's no way to help."

Nam Da-un let out a deep sigh.

"The wall at the back of the school isn't that high. When I stand in front of it, it's about this high?"

Nam Da-un drew a line with his hand roughly at his collarbone. It seemed it would land right around the top of Ye Sa-ra's head.

"So it's possible to climb if you try. But that's going up. Getting down on the other side is a bit higher."

"Someone can just lift me over."

When I answered so readily, Nam Da-un gave me a look of disbelief.

"Who?"

"......."

I glanced at Nam Da-un, then shifted my gaze between Yu Ha-neul and Lee Su-a.

"Me?"

"I'm fine with it!"

Yu Ha-neul shot her hand up in agreement.

"Because I've always wanted to try walking home from school with Sara!"

"M-Me too......."

Lee Su-a said in a somewhat timid voice.

"......."

And Nam ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Da-un, looking at the three of us, let out a long sigh and ran his hand down his face.

*

"I have zero intention of climbing over that wall, so you guys go ahead."

Sure, and yet you've got a face perfectly made for it.

I thought it, but I didn't say it out loud. It would be rude to say something like that to someone who'd come to help. Though I'd already done plenty of that earlier.

But maybe Nam Da-un had roughly read my thoughts, because he just glared at me sharply. Still, perhaps because I hadn't actually voiced it, Nam Da-un didn't say anything either.

"It's here."

We slowly climbed a sloping hill deep within the school grounds and eventually arrived at the place Nam Da-un had mentioned.

The school entrance started at a low point on the grounds, but if you followed the winding path upward, the terrain itself gradually rose. The absolute height of the school wall stayed the same, so if you climbed the gentle slope to the highest point, the wall became shallow enough that a tall person could easily see over it.

Thankfully, because it was the terrain that rose, the other side didn't have much of a drop-off either.

"Are you really going to climb over right here?"

Nam Da-un asked me one more time, as if to confirm.

"Yes."

Maybe I wouldn't be able to do this every day. But it wasn't a bad idea to learn a few escape routes, just in case. Who knew when I might need to make a run for it in the middle of class.

And since I was being forced to build up my stamina anyway, it would be good to map out various escape paths here and there that Ye Sa-ra's physical ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ability could manage. Maybe I should look for a doghole later.

"You two as well?"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

When Lee Su-a and Yu Ha-neul shouted in unison, Nam Da-un ended up putting a hand to his forehead and letting out another sigh.

*

"Alright. Swing your legs over the wall from there."

Nam Da-un said, gripping my arms tightly.

"Y-You really won't let go?"

"You're the one who decided to climb the wall, and now you're saying things like that? Yeah, I won't let go, so don't worry and just get your legs over."

I swallowed hard and swung my legs over the wall.

"Wha—!"

"Ah, didn't I say? There's a roof eave on the other side. Your feet probably won't reach it."

"W-Why would you tell me that just now!"

I yelled and flailed my legs, but just as Nam Da-un said, my feet found nothing to touch.

Nam Da-un and I were now facing each other over the wall. I had my upper body practically draped over the wall, my legs dangling loosely, and Nam Da-un was holding both my arms tight in that position. The moment he let go, I was clearly going to drop straight down under the eaves of the roof.

"Well, don't worry. It's just a bit higher than it looks from this side. You probably won't get hurt even if you fall."

"Ah, wait!"

"What now."

"I mean, thank you."

Saying that only now, I was met with Nam Da-un's expressionless stare.

......Was that thank-you too late?

Just as I was thinking that, Nam Da-un smirked.

"Alright then, take care."

Nam Da-un let go of my hands.

And naturally, my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body slid right down the roof of the wall.

"Uwaaahk!"

Letting out some weird noise I couldn't help, I headed downward—

Before I could even register falling, my feet hit the ground with a thud.

"......."

The wall was so low that it felt ridiculous to have screamed.

It wasn't that I hadn't believed her.

"If you were going to drop me, say something first!"

When I shouted, a sulky voice came from over the wall: "You asked to be let down!"

......Well, I guess complaining so much after asking for help had its own problems.

Thinking that, I lowered my gaze. I needed to get a grasp on my surroundings.

But before I could even look around, I totally froze up.

"......."

The front of my skirt was hiked up. So perfectly lifted that, in a different genre, you might think something was hanging♂ there.

I stiffly stepped backwards, and my school uniform skirt slid smoothly down, revealing the being who had been underneath it.

Crouching there was a blonde, tanned high school girl who looked like she'd stepped right out of a drawing. Her hair, grown down to her back, was dyed blonde, but the roots were growing back in black. Her skin was lightly tanned. She wore a single piercing in her right ear, and the uniform shirt she wore under her vest had three buttons undone, so the shirt was gaping open above her vest.

With noise-cancelling earbuds in both ears, and a lollipop stick in her mouth that was about to fall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out without her even noticing, she was looking up at me, her face dyed bright red.

To be precise, looking up at where my underwear had probably been.

That face was shining just slightly, like Lee Su-a's or Nam Da-un's.

......No, I mean, it's great that I'm meeting the game's last heroine, but.

Here, of all places!? And like this!?