Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: I Hate Exams (3)
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"...Ah."
Waking up, the first thing she saw was the white ceiling. Even the mold caked in the corners felt familiar now. Moonlight filtered faintly through the window—it was still night. Normally, she'd just drift back to sleep, but tonight, sleep wouldn't come.
It happened sometimes. Even as a kid, she'd wander alone down that rural road—empty, without a single light—hoping her parents might come back. She knew later it was pointless, but the habit lingered.
Tap—tap—
Leaning her head against the window that perfectly framed the dark, silent neighborhood, she lightly tapped its frame with her finger. Seeing her reflection in the clear glass—a platinum blonde girl—no longer felt strange. A wry smile tugged at her lips.
...Brings back old memories.
Before coming here, she'd often wake at dawn and gaze out the window. Back then, in her basement apartment, she saw people's feet or the ground rather than buildings.
Thinking about it, life was better now than back then. Unlike those days scraping by, now she was treated like hero material, a promising student. Maybe this was a second chance at life.
If so, if she'd been given another shot...
...I hope I don't lose anything this time.
#
"Aisha!"
"Frey, I told you not to yell like that first thing in the morning."
A green-haired girl came running from afar, shouting excitedly. Was it okay for someone with a snail ability to run that fast? Aisha had told her not to yell, but she didn't exactly hate the enthusiasm.
"You say that, but you're happy deep down. How about being a little more honest?"
"...I'm not."
"Heh heh, sure. If you say so."
"Don't be sarcastic."
"Okay, okay...!"
Aisha lightly pushed away the approaching Frey, but the girl shoved her head in and clung to her anyway. She knew Aisha would react like this—did she do it on purpose?
"Oh, right. Did you see that announcement?"
"What announcement?"
"The one about the practical exam coming up. It popped up on your smartwatch yesterday."
"...What's a smartwatch?"
Aisha had heard of smart boxes, but smartwatch? Frey showed her wrist in disbelief, as if Aisha couldn't possibly not know. It looked like an ordinary watch. But when Frey pressed the small button in the center—
Click—the hologram and voice cut off. After a brief silence at the absurd notice, Aisha cautiously spoke up.
"...How are we supposed to take this?"
"Heh heh, I was like, 'What?' when I first heard it too."
The announcement boiled down to: Since I had no friends, instead of pairing friends together, we'll draw lots. The reason was relatable, but one thing bothered her.
"It's pairs of two, right?"
"Yeah, I was hoping to team up with you. Bummer..."
"...This feels ominous."
Pairs of two—surely, out of all these students, she wouldn't end up with him.
...No way.
She shook her head to dispel the bad thought. The academy had over 200 students. No way they'd draw each other. Thinking it might jinx it, she switched gears.
What was for lunch today? Checking on her smart box made her frown. Dried pollock stir-fry? Serving this for lunch? She hated pollock. It was okay warm, but once refrigerated and cold, impossible to eat.
Too bony, and the texture was awful... How did Zenon like it? He said he liked fish in general. Maybe test it at a sashimi place later. She liked raw fish, so it could be fun...
"What am I even thinking."
Why was she thinking about what he liked? Better not think at all. Pondering pairs kept leading back to him. As she rubbed her forehead and muttered, Frey approached, antennae twitching.
"Aisha, something bothering you?"
"...No, just thinking about the pairs."
"Makes sense. You only have me as a friend. Oh, wait—is that Zenon guy your friend too?"
"He's not."
"Come on, you bicker but always end up together. Not friends? Or more than friends..."
"Hmph."
More than friends? She and Zenon weren't even friends. She just put up with him because he kept talking to her. If she kept saying no, he'd sulk, and it bothered her—no, she couldn't stand his face, so she humored him a bit.
Speeding up to pass Frey, who chased after her calling her name. Why bring it up when she knew Aisha hated that?
"Aisha! My bad...!"
"I told you not to keep bringing him up."
"Zenon doesn't talk to anyone else. You're the only one he chats with."
"That's his problem."
He didn't trust others, only wanted to be a hero for his own goals. Nothing like a typical hero. He'd change later, but not now.
"By the way, isn't Zenon hot? I was stunned when I first saw him."
"Not really."
His face was decent, sure, but she refused to admit it. Acknowledging it would mean defeat. His face was average. Parasite-like, nothing special.
"I prefer a bulkier type."
"Yet you don't seem interested in any other guys besides Zenon?"
"That's not true."
"You just say 'Yeah, got it' when other guys call you. But with Zenon, you go over and chew him out. That's interest, mmp—!"
That mouth of yours, Frey. Aisha froze Frey's mouth with ice and walked on. She only confronted him because he kept whispering—nothing to misunderstand.
Entering the classroom, she spotted familiar hair in the corner. The slacker sleeping face-down again. Glancing at him irritably, Frey—ice now gone—caught up and chattered.
"Wow, he's sleeping again? How'd he even get in?"
"Right? I keep telling him not to, but he does."
How did he follow classes sleeping like that? In the original story, he flunked constantly. He was quiet then, but after suspension, this was basically rebellion.
...Gotta wake him. What else can I do?
Aisha strode to Zenon's desk. Only three days since his suspension ended—if teachers saw this, it'd be defiance. He could get expelled for real. Couldn't let that happen.
"Hey, Zenon."
Thud thud thud—
She knocked on his desk and called his name. No reaction. Frowning, she shook his shoulder—he showed no sign of waking.
"You sick or something?"
He wasn't frail, so tilting her head, she leaned close to his ear.
Sniff—sniff—
Breathing's fine. Sniff sniff—a nice scent from him. Not fabric softener, fresh lavender. Dazed by it for a while—then her eyes caught his ear. Bright red, like it was painted.
"...If you're awake, get up."
".......Yeah."
Without looking at his face, Aisha returned to her seat. Until she could meet his eyes again... it'd take a while.