Handkerchief Snowball (2)
Why hasn't this girl left yet? I thought Ronari Sharino was the very incarnation of words like "early" and "ahead of time." Is she planning to monitor if I actually show up to classes properly? I asked her casually.
"Forget something else?"
Ronari just lifted her fingertip slightly, pointing at me. I pointed at myself in response.
Me?
She nodded. Does she really have something to say? I stood there blankly, my face a picture of confusion, and only then did she finally speak up.
"Well, there's this and that to talk about. Like study sessions... and other stuff."
Ah, got it. I nodded and headed into my room.
"I'll just change clothes and come out."
As I entered and started unbuttoning my shirt, I heard Ronari slip into the room next door. Soon, the sliding door rattled faintly. It seemed like she was leaning against it.
What the—
"Th-that study session thing."
"Yeah."
"You won't... join us, right...?"
"?"
"The main goal is to cover Belica's remedial lessons, of course, but I thought it might help you too. You skip a lot of classes. If we study together, I could lend you my notes..."
"Wasn't that already the plan?"
The sliding door rattled again.
"Was it...?"
"I thought we decided that on Saturday. I can't commit a ton of time, but still."
"Ah, a-ah... Ahaha. Right, yeah."
"You couldn't handle Belica on your own anyway. You'd get swept up in her pace and end up just chatting before you know it."
"Yeah... probably."
"Not saying I could control her either."
By now, I'd finished changing. I stepped out of the room. Like the shadow of my footsteps, an identical rhythm sounded from the next room over, treading the floorboards. Our doors opened almost simultaneously.
I stood by the bathroom, picking up the bag I'd left there earlier, when a pale hand darted out from the side. In it was a handkerchief. No way it was mine—it had to be Ronari's.
"I'll give yours back tomorrow for sure. Use this till then."
"It's fine. I borrowed one from Belica earlier."
"...From Bel?"
"After sparring."
I pulled Belica's handkerchief from my pocket to show her. Ronari stared at it and muttered to herself.
"Ah... so that's why."
So that's why? Whatever clicked for her, Ronari nodded to herself and brushed past me. I thought she was heading out first, but she circled around in front of me instead.
"?"
Ronari grabbed my empty hand, pried it open, and pressed her handkerchief into it. Then she trotted off toward the entryway without a word.
Suddenly holding handkerchiefs from two different girls, one in each hand, I just stared at her back.
Once she'd finished putting on her shoes, she glanced at me.
"What're you doing...? You coming or not?"
Yeah. Right. I finally hurried after her.
We stepped out the front door and started walking. I'd planned to lag a few steps behind Ronari, but no matter how much I slowed, the distance wouldn't open up. Inevitably, she ended up walking right beside me. She spoke first.
"Um, before the study session, there's a few things I want to know ahead of time."
"?"
"Like subjects Belica's weak in... I figured you'd know, since you're close to her."
"If it's written subjects, it'd be faster to list the ones she's not weak in."
"Ugh... yeah...?"
Ronari looked like she'd half-expected that. I added,
"As you know, she doesn't have many weaknesses in subjects with physical components. That's probably how she even stays in the academy. But written stuff..."
I paused there. Did Belica even have any written subjects she was good at? ...Ah, right. One.
"Imperial History's decent for her. Ever since we were kids."
"...Ever since you were kids?"
"Yeah. We've had the same master since way back, and he taught us history too."
"Ah..."
"But Belica could never memorize it, no matter how much he drilled her. Got scolded every day. I got fed up and helped her out."
"You helped her...? How?"
"Explaining it to the class topper might sound like wrinkles on a silkworm cocoon, but history's one of those subjects that surprisingly needs tricks."
I recalled those days studying under our master with Belica.
"To memorize efficiently, you need to grasp the connections organically. But Belica had no knack for that, so I turned it into a song."
"A song?"
I hummed the clumsy melody that still lingered in my head.
"Valtia 234, King Robert ascends~ 237, codex compiled, 241 eastern advance... You know, like that. Nothing special. Just listing the timeline straight."
I glanced at Ronari to gauge her reaction. I'd expected a laugh, but she didn't bat an eye.
She asked, "The whole timeline...? That's a ton of material..."
"We didn't cover all of Imperial History at once, obviously. Wasn't just one song—made a different one each time. Most are fuzzy now, but add 'em up, probably around twenty. All crappy tunes, though."
"..."
Ronari's expression was oddly complex after hearing that. A bit surprised, maybe? Hard to pin down.
"Anyway, thanks to me, she's at least human-level in Imperial History. That's for sure. That idiot still mumbles the songs I made her during exams. Listen close next time."
"Whoa..."
A sigh-like admiration slipped from Ronari's lips. Maybe feeling it wasn't enough, she said it louder.
"Whoa...!"
"What, that surprising?"
She nodded.
"Surprising, yeah... but kinda, I get immersed in it or something..."
Immersed? In my crappy songs?
Ronari clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, as if savoring some lingering emotion. Then she blurted,
"See, back then, you were good at studying too."
I think my grades are still decent now, but saying that in front of Ronari Sharino would just be wrinkles on a silkworm cocoon again.
As we reached the lecture hall, she said,
"Tell me your weak subjects later too. I can help."
I'm not as desperate for help as Belica, but hey—no reason to turn down study help from the class topper.
"Sure."
Ronari stepped back from the door, signaling me to go first. I gladly stepped into the classroom.
Morning classes were major-specific. Students attended lectures in rooms matching their majors, regardless of section. I'm technically in the swordsmanship department but majoring in magic swordsman as a dual-track student, so I'd come for the magic department lecture. Ronari, being magic department, was in the same class.
Probably why she'd approached me first today.
No assigned seats like in section-wide classes, so I plopped down in an empty spot. But right away, someone sat next to me.
As expected... Ronari.
"...I'm watching today to make sure you actually pay attention."
That's the reason, huh. Luckily, my condition's not bad today. I held back on overdoing it last night because of morning sparring.
Still, habit's habit—I felt a bit sleepy. As I let out a massive yawn, the professor entered.
He didn't seem to have brought any textbook either. He rapped the podium and suddenly announced,
"Alright, everyone out. We're heading to Student Plaza 2. Class is there today."
The other students rose without surprise. Sudden outdoor class? Not unheard of, but... Must've been an announcement last time. Guess I slept through it.
As I gathered my things to leave, Ronari was waiting at the door, of course.
"Let's go."
I followed her lead. We passed through the corridor and emerged onto the plaza's grassy field. The wind rustled the grass. Ronari brushed her spring-tousled hair behind her ear.
Watching her like that, it really hit me—spring was pushing winter out. Late March already. Flowers would start blooming next week or so.
I sat on the grass, facing the slightly chilly breeze, lost in such idle thoughts. Pretty leisurely for a guy like me, but no rule against it.
Meanwhile, the professor droned on with the lecture. Seemed like stuff we'd covered in first year. Basic theory on mana circulation inside the body and output outside.
Swordsmen circulate pure mana internally to boost physical functions. Mages output it externally, infuse attributes for stability, and sublimate it into explosive energy.
Why rehash this now? Then the reason came.
"But even in these seemingly bifurcated mana uses, there's overlap. One example is this..."
The professor clasped his hands in prayer, then slowly pulled them apart. Pale light-mana from one hand began flowing into the fingertips of the other.
"...Mana exchange."
It was impressive. Any mage knows that's no easy feat. Pure mana is unstable—evaporates fast once output. Infuse attributes to stabilize it, and you can't recirculate it internally. Same reason you don't shove flames or lightning into your body.
"Today, we'll train on outputting pure mana externally and recirculating it internally."
Students stirred uneasily, but the professor reassured them.
"No need to panic yet. You all have excellent helpers right beside you."
As students exchanged confused looks, he nodded.
"Yes. Pair up with the student next to you now. Practice outputting mana externally and exchanging circulation with each other."
Ah, got it. Someone else's body counts as "external" by my standards too. Flowing pure mana into another person lets you get the feel, like the professor demoed.
I nodded to myself, and Ronari tugged my sleeve.
"You hear that...?"
"Yeah. Pretty solid method. Flowing mana into someone else isn't hard, but as prep for the next step..."
"Not that."
She tugged again, urging me to stand. I got up reluctantly.
"?"
"...Let's be partners."
"Yeah, sure."
The professor's voice rang out again.
"Pairs set? Start practicing. Hold hands with your partner and take turns exchanging mana."
Ronari, hands behind her back, hesitantly extended her other hand. I stared down at that pale palm.
"Why're you just standing there...?"
She said,
"...Let's do it?"