The Decision
Why did I do that?
I couldn't even explain it to myself.
My body had simply moved on its own, and my brain seemed to have ceased functioning for a moment, leaving everything to my subconscious.
But there were three things I knew for certain: the students in the hallway were watching us, Eline was following me while holding my hand, and my heart was beating like a madman.
The walk up the stairs and over to the main building where she had her lectures felt incredibly long.
“… Was it true?”
“I guess so?”
Even the students who had been skeptical of the rumors were either shocked or busy whispering the moment they witnessed the reality of it. It was bound to be good gossip, regardless.
I glanced to my side.
Eline was still walking in step with me, her expression as blank as ever.
… What is she thinking?
Now that I think about it, I grabbed her hand without even asking for her opinion. And the same went for ordering food at the cafeteria on Saturday. In many ways, I felt like I was giving zero-point answers as a partner.
They say being considerate of the other person is the golden rule, so why do I keep thinking only from my own perspective?
I shouldn't be like this.
“Lutes.”
I snapped back to reality when she called my name.
“Yeah?”
“I have to go up from here.”
“Ah.”
I turned my head to see a white staircase before me. Since the Alpha Class’s major courses were held in separate, dedicated lecture halls on the upper floors, she had to head up.
“You can go now. You have class, too.”
Eline said in a calm, monotone voice. As I loosened my grip on her hand, she naturally began to climb the stairs.
What should I say when we part like this?
Goodbye, have a good class, take care today.
A lot of things crossed my mind, but I was worried about what to actually say. It was such a mundane conversation, yet for some reason, it had become difficult to speak in front of Eline.
Why am I like this?
But time waits for no one. Regardless of my hesitation, she was slowly moving further away.
If I just turned around and left, it would look too cold, but I couldn't think of a proper line to throw her way.
So, I decided to go with what I always said to my friends. Something low-pressure.
“See you later.”
A promise to meet again. Then, I turned around.
Good. That was natural and not burdensome. Maybe that wasn't such a bad answer after all.
“When?”
I stopped in my tracks.
I turned back to see Eline holding the stair railing, her body turned to look at me.
“Huh?”
“When are you going to see me?”
…
I see.
Maybe it’s because when someone says “see you later,” it’s standard to just continue the conversation with, “Yeah, sure,” or “You take care, too.”
I was momentarily flustered by her sudden question.
“Uh…”
Eline stood there, motionless, staring at me from the stairs as if demanding an answer.
When…?
Right, it’s a weekday now, so it’ll be hard to meet for a while. I have my own schedule, but she’s likely even busier than I am.
If I had to pick a time… I figured today would be the best.
“What time does your lecture end?”
“7:00.”
7:00 PM, huh.
It’s definitely a late finish, but the academy cafeteria stays open until 9:00… Should I ask her to grab dinner together?
No, let’s think about that when the time comes.
“Then let’s see each other at 7:00 today.”
“Today?”
“Yeah. I’ll hang around the area and come here when you’re done.”
I finish at 5:00, so I’d have about two hours to kill, but I figured I could just sit in the library.
“…”
She stared at me intently.
Did I say something wrong?
I saw her brow narrow ever so slightly. It was as faint as always, barely visible, but did it mean she was annoyed?
“Okay.”
But she only left me with that word, turned, and climbed the stairs.
…
Only after she disappeared did my thoughts begin to settle. We’d only been talking for a few days, but I felt like I was starting to see a pattern in Eline’s conversation style.
Never leave an answer ambiguous. Always provide a definitive response.
I need to be careful.
I realized I should be cautious even with the most trivial remarks. My heart was still pounding, but perhaps because I was starting to gain some experience, it felt like it was calming down bit by bit. Or maybe it was just because Eline was gone.
I couldn't be sure. The preparatory bell for the next class was the only thing that cleared my mind. Only when she was completely out of sight did I finally start walking down the hallway.
Sunlight settled into the pristine lecture hall.
The Alpha Class lecture hall was small and cozy, contrary to its prestige, but the equipment and instruments inside were in a different league from those in the Beta Class.
Moreover, unlike the Beta Class, which was always noisy and boisterous, the Alpha Class was a gathering of the future leaders of the Empire. A very orderly and calm atmosphere for learning was established.
Even if students were talking, they did so quietly or in hushed tones, or they were busy preparing for their studies. Of course, since this was still a space where students studied, gossip existed.
Several students naturally turned their eyes toward one girl.
Eline Payless.
Along with Serean Rugvida and Tyrion Alteran, she was one of the three most notable students of this cohort. At the same time, unlike the other two who were famous for their wild personalities, she was a girl who drew attention for a different reason: the incredibly quiet and cold atmosphere she exuded.
And there was only one reason they were looking at her now: the rumor had spread that Eline was in a relationship with a Beta Class student.
Due to the academy’s nature, they valued autonomy and didn't forbid dating, but since dating could eventually affect grades, an atmosphere that avoided romance had formed in the Alpha Class. But since Eline—of all people—had found a partner, they were naturally curious.
Eline, of all people.
Who is that guy, where does he live, and how great could he be to start dating Eline? What is Eline thinking?
Such thoughts were inevitable. No, if anything, the Alpha Class students who had watched her from right beside them were even more curious.
Eline, as if accustomed to such gazes, ignored them and kept reading her book. She calmly read through the tongue-twisting incantations and formulas of Advanced Magic Practice and Application, while scribbling notes with one hand.
…
Click.
Her writing stopped.
It wasn't because she was stuck on a magic formula. It was a problem that, while difficult, could be solved without a hitch if one applied it lightly and substituted the variables. From Eline’s perspective, it was a problem she could solve easily.
Tap, tap.
She tapped her quill quietly.
‘7:00.’
Since Eline sat by the window, the academy’s landscape naturally came into view whenever she turned her head. Even if the room was thoroughly soundproofed, there was no way to seal off the windows, so it couldn't be helped.
As someone who had always sat by the window, Eline naturally turned her head once or twice. To look at the clear sky, or to watch the sunset. It was a habit she used to clear her head.
And having done that for two years, there was one fact she had naturally learned: Beta Class lectures ended at 5:00 PM, when the sun began to set. Since the students pouring out were mixed in whenever she turned her head to look at the sunset, she ended up knowing it even if she didn't want to.
Tap, tap.
‘I’ll wait.’
Two hours.
Waiting for two hours after the lecture ended.
…
Eline closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, picked up her quill, and continued writing the formula.
Click.
She stopped writing once more.
“…”
She should have told him to go eat dinner first, but she hadn't. Even when he said he would wait, she hadn't said a word, knowing full well he would be waiting for two hours after his lecture.
She knew she was being selfish, and she knew it was a bad choice, but she did it anyway.
Because she wanted to eat with him.
The quill pressed hard against the paper, causing the ink to spread, but Eline didn't care.
I was incredibly worried.
Why did Eline make such a sour face?
That thought crossed my mind the moment I entered the classroom. At first, I brushed it off, thinking it wasn't a big deal, but then I realized—wasn't it me who made the appointment on my own whim again?
Hmm…
‘Right.’
I was certain of one thing: I am naturally untalented at romance. People say that everyone gets scolded at first and that you learn by getting hit, but even so, I felt like I was doing such strange things that I felt self-reproach.
“So, basically, when dealing with monsters, the formation is…”
While the professor tapped the blackboard and continued the lecture, I couldn't study because that worry kept lingering in a corner of my heart. Ah, well, would the amount I studied really have changed much even if I wasn't worried?
How did it end up like this?
It started as a penalty. In truth, I couldn't believe she had accepted my confession, and it was even more unbelievable that we had gone on a date on Saturday.
Should I tell her now that it was a penalty?
I naturally expected Eline to refuse. Because… that would have been the right thing to do. But she accepted it. In reality, my feelings toward Eline were nothing special.
She was just pretty and amazing, so I thought she was someone I would never have any reason to be involved with. We had been briefly linked in our first year, but we hadn't spoken since.
That’s why I was conflicted. But I couldn't carry this complexity anymore. I had to be precise about everything. First, starting with how I felt about Eline…
“Lutes.”
“Yes?”
“Your deep contemplation is very impressive. I suppose that means the lecture is that interesting?”
Ah.
Perhaps I had been thinking too deeply; I had caught the professor’s eye. Mistaking me for a student who was listening intently, he singled me out and tapped the blackboard.
“Would you like to answer? In this situation, what kind of magic should be used?”
I looked at the blackboard in a hurry. There were game pieces labeled ‘Low-level Monsters’ lined up in a narrow, straight passage. It seemed to be a hypothetical situation for dealing with monsters.
“Uh…”
I hesitated for a moment before pushing my chair back and standing up. Think, think.
“I should use Holy Light.”
Holy Light. It was one of the support spells, a magic that detonated light using divine power.
“The reason?”
“The passage is narrow, and the only places where low-level monsters would appear simultaneously are caves or sewers.”
The professor nodded.
“Therefore, I would have the rest of my allies turn their backs to the light, then cast Holy Light to use it like a flashbang.”
At the same time, it would help the allies secure their vision.
The professor, his eyes crinkling as if he were pleased, clapped his hands.
“Eight points. I like that answer.”
A short gasp of admiration could be heard from the students.
“We have about 20 minutes left, but I assume you wouldn't want to hear any more of the lecture?”
At his playful remark, the students nodded in unison.
“Right, today is Monday, so I’ll end the lecture here. The assignment is due next week, so everyone keep that in mind.”
The moment he finished speaking, the students rose in a rush as if they had been waiting for this moment. Even as they left, there weren't any students who spoke to me as blatantly as they had in the morning, but many of them scanned my face at least once as they passed by. Rumors spread fast, after all.
I heard a voice that sounded like someone was trying to talk to me, but I ignored it cleanly and stood up.
I walked through the empty academy corridors for about two hours. The sunset light coming through the windows and the shadows of the tilting window frames grew darker, and I was lost in deep thought, like a philosopher pondering the birth of the universe.
When I checked my watch, it was already past 7:00, and it was about time for her to come, but my thoughts were still not organized. As expected, no matter what, the topic was the same: what do I think of Eline?
I couldn't keep making mistakes like this, so I had to settle my feelings for sure.
It started as a penalty. And she accepted it.
I pressed down on my chest with my hand as a corner of my heart kept aching.
“Hoo.”
…
… Yeah, what’s the point of self-torture like this? This isn't the time for me to be worrying. This is something Eline will handle on her own. So, I’ll just… do me. Just like me.
I slapped my cheeks.
If I kept holding onto these feelings for no reason, I might make another mistake in front of her, so I decided to clear my mind and think comfortably. I can do this.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
No sooner had my worrying ended than I heard the sound of someone running urgently from the end of the hallway. I turned my head and saw Eline.
She was panting slightly, beads of sweat were forming, and her eyes, filled with a touch of anxiety, met mine.
“… Did you wait?”
It was plain, yet I could feel her voice trembling slightly.
She was cute.
How should I say this?
Instead of answering, I took her hand.
“I’m hungry.”
Naturally, so naturally,
“Let’s go eat, Eline.”
I said with a smile.