104. Absolutely Not Jealous
The meeting room in Stille was bustling today. School administrators and professors were gathered, conducting the meeting.
“So, when will the spatial entanglement phenomenon in the male dormitory be resolved?”
“What can I do? If I touch it carelessly, more problems might arise.”
“Thinking about it, where did the person who remodeled the dormitory go? I haven't seen him for years.”
“Please tell me only about the current agenda.”
In the midst of this, the academy's twin secretaries, Mell, organized the direction. She was the moderator for today's meeting.
“No, that's... Is it even possible that that ominous thing has escaped?”
“Where do you think it ran off to, and that's how the male dormitory issue came up.”
“How were the physical examination results?”
“Examination results: A total of three students showed traces. Since they took appropriate treatment measures before the seizures, it seems there will be no problems.”
“That's fortunate. But there's no guarantee that another victim won't be created in the meantime.”
The professor who brought up the physical examination looked at one of the other professors. The others started looking as well.
“... I'm dead.”
Under the barrage of gazes, the person in charge of this incident bowed his face. Professor Truyes of Monster Studies. Among the long-standing professors of Stille, an elderly male mage.
“No, this person. Who said anyone committed a crime that would lead to death.”
“We didn't push you into it.”
“Even the older people...”
“I don't know how to make amends for this embarrassment. I'm dead... No, I should resign from my professorship...”
“Ehehe, don't say that!”
“If I die, what happens to the escaped thing returning?”
“Cheer up and look for it properly.”
The meeting room quickly became noisy. The professors, shocked by the extremely humble attitude, threw out words one after another.
And, Magic Operation Professor Hubert was silently observing the meeting room while sucking on candy. Usually, he participated well by giving opinions on each agenda, but today he was unusually quiet.
“All of you... Thank you... I won't die... I'll do my best to find it as soon as possible...”
When he regained his composure, the direction of the story started to flow a little differently.
“But, isn't it better not to tell the students? They are crawling silently, and since it doesn't hurt to bite, the victims can't notice.”
“It's creepy. Like a killer.”
“First, it might be good to keep an eye on it for a few more days... If we just create chaos...”
“Kill them as soon as you find them. Monsters that ask for people must be killed.”
“...”
Inside the meeting room where professors were sharing their opinions. Truyes quietly lowered his head.
.
.
.
The meeting ended.
When the professors returned to their respective positions, some showing fatigue, some overflowing with research enthusiasm, some half-closed eyes thinking about rest. There was one who stood in a place with no people and twisted his expression.
It was a completely different attitude from the humble appearance in the meeting room. His expression was tightly twisted, and the magic power flickering was exactly that.
Just as he was doing that, a presence was felt from behind. Truyes turned around with his angry face still on.
“Huh. I knew you'd do that. Your temper isn't going anywhere. First, try to loosen your expression. It's scary for someone to see.”
“...”
“Come on. Don't say just one word of mine. It's not something you can't handle in research.”
“... Can't handle it? If so, shouldn't we ask if magic itself is something humans can handle?”
“I'd like to decline one-dimensional discussions.”
Hubert replied with a slightly exaggerated tone while peeling a new candy.
“Seeing you get angry like this, it seems you have an idea about the escaped experiment subjects. Truyes. Are you still unable to let go?”
“Experiment subjects...?”
“Still, isn't this a new era? A new saintess is in place in Seongdo, and a new king is in place in the neighboring country. But you're still stuck in the old era like you.”
“I'm going to start a candy shop that fits the flow of the times.” Hubert muttered while putting the candy in his mouth.
Taste-changing candy. Ambitious project. The hundred-year-old mage who had researched magic power all his life lamented that he couldn't drink coffee and started creating cute snacks.
“Are you going to eat one too? I gave it to the students I know, and it was very well received. They wanted a few more. I heard they were scolded for sharing it together, but how exactly did they share it...”
Hehe, Hubert let out a light laugh as if exhaling.
Truyes turned his back on that. He didn't like that light-hearted remark at all. It had been like that since the old days. He just walked down the corridor with his mouth tightly shut. After thinking for a long time, he opened his mouth again.
Whether he was talking to the old friend behind him, to himself, or to his former teacher.
“That's not an experiment subject.”
***
Sugar was startled by the scene in front of her.
Leon eating lunch in silence was fine. His expression was bright, and sometimes he smiled proudly at Sugar and Ryly, which was annoying. But that could be dealt with later.
The problem was Ian. Sitting next to Leon, eating or not eating. It was better than when he was rubbing lettuce on his cheek, but eating soup with a fork was strange.
“Ian-nim, shouldn't you scoop it with a spoon?”
“Ah, yes...”
But he was fumbling with his left hand without looking at the spoon on the right. At that moment, Leon on Ian's right picked up the spoon instead and handed it over.
“Here.”
“Ah... ah... thank you, thank you...”
Ian took the spoon out without touching Leon's hand.
She's being very conscious of it...
It's not like she's showing it too much. Well, after her chest was touched like that, it makes sense.
Sugar recalled the incident. Leon's child. It was funny how she had been groping her chest desperately at the time.
Is it possible he's not gay...?
The suspicion was fading, and the vigilance was lowering. Should I stop guarding now?
No, no. Not the time to think that.
Seeing Ian's reaction. Ian, who couldn't stop eating soup with a fork. That means it left a deep mark in her heart. It means her mind was shaken.
Before lunch, Leon asked, “What kind of gift is good to give when apologizing to a woman?” So it seemed he was sincerely trying to apologize. But whether that would be properly done or not was uncertain.
She couldn't remove the bandages and leave. She couldn't do dangerous things to receive one apology.
Should I say I will deliver the gift instead...?
First, I talked to Ian too. She said, “Apologizing or whatever is fine. Tell her not to do such things.”
Is Ian-nim wanting to forget it in her memory?
An unprecedented event where the saintess had her chest touched by a man. If this becomes known to the Holy City side, Leon will, well, probably get cut there. It was a bit curious what Ione's reaction would be.
Anyway, it was a big deal. Ian probably thought burying it in memory and the ground would be good for everyone. She's very broad-minded.
If it were me, I'd have killed them right away...?
Sugar thought to herself while cutting the meat and putting it in her mouth. The rhythm of her wrist holding the knife was good, and she sliced it smoothly. It was a silent knife fight where the blade rubbed against the plate without sound.
While eating, she looked up at Ryly. He had probably lived outdoors for a while, but how could he eat so elegantly. After deciding to pamper him more, Sugar was overflowing with maternal love. Of course, every time Ryly touched her, she jumped up and down, but a few whispers calmed her down quickly. Easy.
“Ah, Ian-nim. I asked.”
At that time, a sound was heard, and looking ahead, Leon was holding a napkin to Ian's mouth. Gently wiping Ian's mouth with soup on it with a fairly kind touch.
Ian froze as is. Ah, ah, ugh, making strange noises like a broken machine.
Sugar's eyes narrowed at that. Leon received the glare from both Sugar and Ryly.
“Why? Why are you looking like that. I just wiped my friend's mouth.”
Even so, Leon smiled proudly and replied. Normally, he wouldn't do such an action, and even if he did, he would run around saying 'Don't misunderstand!'
Why did he awaken alone.
Whether he accepted the taste or woke up the agape spirit. Sugar couldn't tell. Just feeling bad, she hugged Ryly's arm tightly.
.
.
Sugar had a dream she had wanted to achieve for a long time.
The dream wasn't grand, just the wish she had after entering Stille: 'I want to do this—'
What was it.
Take a bath and drink milk!
Submerge in warm water, come out, and drink cold milk. She wanted to because there was a bath in the basement of the dormitory.
Milk. Drinking milk. Recently, this is the drink Sugar has been drinking a lot. She's drinking it belatedly to grow.
It's not because she wants a big chest or anything. Really. Looking at Ian's chest that was soft and deviating from physical laws according to Leon's hand movements, Sugar didn't think she was absolutely jealous. How could she have such shameless thoughts.
Sugar erased all the complicated thoughts and headed to the basement. The goal was the bathhouse. First time going since entering school. Originally, she wanted to go faster, but because many people had left nasty marks on her neck, she was going now that the traces had faded.
She entered, undressed in the changing room, and opened the door to the bathhouse.
Oh. A magnificent bathhouse made of white marble. The bathhouse where female students chatted while dipping their bodies with kka kka ho ho.
Some with rose scent, some with lemon scent. Each bath had various bath additives. After checking each one, Sugar started with the shower first. She had to wash her body and then enter.
After tying her hair, she applied foam to the towel and rubbed it on various parts of her body. White foam rose on her white skin. First the arms. Then the chest. Chest. Chest...
Sugar, applying foam, lightly squeezed her chest. It was a very slightly overflowing size with Sugar's small hand. Maybe, it would fit in Ryly's hand— what!
Shaking her head saying what is she thinking now, she touched it again. Because worry was greater than shame.
Men like big things. Surely Ryly also likes big things...?
When Leon and Ian collided, Ryly had watched together. Ryly hadn't seen Ian's male disguise. This was the first time.
But, to see such an extremely stimulating scene. To see the explosive skin overflowing in her hand.
“...”
Sugar lowered her head.
Whether Ryly liked big things or not. Whether his taste was like that or not. We are just friends. I can't adjust everything for him.
Even while thinking that, her face twisted in displeasure and she was kneading it without stopping.
There were female students leaving the bath who flinched and took a detour in another direction, but it didn't matter.