School Starts #6
School Starts #6
—Flash.
"Wakey wakey, feeling reborn."
Maybe because I was literally reborn?
My vision was stupidly blurry. I was so tired I wanted to die, but I forced myself up and washed my face. My body's in rough shape from the injury, obviously.
Anyway, I refueled with an energy bar and a protein drink, then brushed my teeth.
Pants on.
"Agh. Tsssp! Tsssp...! It was worse than yesterday!"
It honestly hadn't hurt that much when it happened, but now my forearm felt like it was splitting apart. That Antillery General bastard... he really was a tough son of a bitch.
Still, looking at it, there was a scab forming. It was closing up well. The muscle was torn to hell, but it was recovering in a single day.
Superhumans really are built tough.
"Hoo!"
I applied some Superhuman Madecassol and wrapped the bandage again.
Moving around a bit like that made a little blood seep through, but it's not a problem. It'll fully heal in a week, easy.
I finished putting on my uniform and went out.
"Si-hoo! Let's get to school!"
"Yeah, Geun-cheol. Just a second."
While I waited for Si-hoo to come out, one keyword surfaced in my mind.
[The Sovereign Commander was dead.]
In that future I went through, the Sovereign Commander was dead. That had come back to me. Fragmentary memories, I guess you could call it. It seemed like those childhood memories all flooded in, and then they tossed in some future memories as a freebie.
"Did you wait long? Let's go."
"Yeah."
So I walked to school with Si-hoo.
"Alright. Let's give it our all today, Geun-cheol. We'll start seeing the other classes. We can't let them look down on us, right?"
"Ha. Si-hoo, what's there to worry about? If we're Warrior Types, those guys are Mage Types. You really think a warrior's gonna lose to a wizard in brute force? I'd lose all my swagger, and that's a line I don't cross."
"Heh-heh, you're right. Honestly, I'm feeling a fire in my gut. Think there'll be any strong ones?"
"Even if mages are strong, I don't see them overwhelming a dedicated warrior in a one-on-one. Whatever, if we end up sparring, let's smash 'em to bits. Heh heh heh."
"Yeah!"
Si-hoo answered brightly.
"..."
The smile on that face was really so pure and radiant. If Si-hoo ever dropped the male disguise and smiled like that in her real form, she'd definitely leave a trail of mesmerized people behind her.
"You little punk. You've pulled your head together completely, huh?"
"Yeah. Staying down doesn't solve anything. My missing sister, the lab... and the Sovereign Commander's scheme. They're all huge problems, but they aren't reasons to be afraid. I just have to push through."
"That's what I'm talking about. That's more like it. That's the Lee Si-hoo I know."
"Thanks, Geun-cheol. It's all thanks to you."
"Never forget that fact for the rest of your life. Carve it into your memory."
"You always have to tack on a line like that."
We went into the classroom and set our bags down.
Not everyone had arrived yet.
"Si-hoo, bathroom."
"Yeah."
I walked out into the hall toward the restroom.
"Oh!"
I spotted Leona coming toward me.
"Kim Geun-cheol!"
"Whoa, if it isn't Leona!"
The second Leona saw me, her eyes flew wide open and she came over with a beaming smile. She's so angelic it's unreal. Literally an Archangel.
"Good morning!"
"Quick. Leona. Sign my shirt."
"Sign my shirt my ass. Stop clowning around, seriously. Hoo hoo hoo."
Leona had stopped next to me, laughing as she said it.
"Did you sleep well?"
Her smile was really shining.
"Yeah. Best sleep in the world."
And honestly? That's basically true.
"Such nonsense. What does 'best sleep in the world' even mean?"
"Ha, Leona."
I can't hold back. I have to confess my feelings.
"You still don't get it? Leona, your mere existence as a being means that every single person in the world can, you know? Enjoy a deep slumber—"
"Stop talking crap!"
And in that instant.
—Thwack!
Leona lightly smacked me on the shoulder like she always does.
And then.
"Aaaagggghhhh!"
I screamed like Guan Yu studying at his desk and banging his elbow on a chair!
"Huuuurrrrrrgh!"
Insane pain...! I grabbed my tricep, lying flat on the ground, and choked down my scream!
"No, no, no! Kim Geun-cheol, what on earth are you doing?! Stop messing around and get up, seriously! Your overacting is insane today! That damn baby act!"
A flustered Leona grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me up. No! I'm honestly in a crapload of pain here...!
Guess the wound hadn't closed up yet.
And Leona's strong, so it might've torn a little...!
"Okay, okay! I'm getting up!"
I suppressed the pain and got up like it was all part of the joke. No point making her worry if she finds out I'm hurt.
The moment I was back on my feet.
"Huh?"
Leona tilted her head, her eyes vacant.
"W-wait. Kim Geun-cheol...?"
"Hm? What."
"You... you're suddenly sweating buckets."
"Sweat?"
I touched my forehead.
—It was a stream.
Sweat was pouring down like water.
"Wh-what is that?"
"What's this? Did Mun Min dump water on me? It's hot. Just hot. Come on, Leona."
"Hold on! No matter how hot it is, sweat doesn't gush out like a rainstorm!"
"No, I mean, it could—"
"Tell me the truth!"
—Swoosh!
In a flash, Leona shouted as she looked me straight in the eyes!
"Kim Geun-cheol, you're hurt somewhere!"
"No, where would I get hurt? Hey. Leona? Huh? The radiance coming off you is just so bright it's hurting my eyes—"
"Your shoulder! Your shoulder area! What's there! Show me, right now!"
Busted.
"What's there to show! Let's just head back to class!"
"That's enough out of you."
Leona said that.
—Fwoosh!
And before I knew it, Leona was holding me in a princess carry.
"What the?"
I looked, and Leona's face had gone stone-cold, like a general, staring down at me.
"Hold on tight."
"Gah!"
—Whoosh!
And then Leona ran off with me!
"Where the hell are we going?!"
"Behind the school."
"Why are you talking in that general voice! Please! Turn back into the usual Archangel, not the General!"
"Negative."
So scary!
—Slide.
When Leona stopped, the scenery had changed.
The place where we once killed the Doppelganger Slime.
The dead-quiet back of the school.
"Kim Geun-cheol. You're hiding something, aren't you?"
After setting me down, Leona was looking down at me with a very ominous expression.
"Something about your health."
"A misunderstanding!"
"Don't lie! You're hurt!"
"I said it's a misunderstanding!"
"Your arm! Something's seriously wrong with your arm!"
"No!"
—Grip!
Leona seized my wrist, roughly.
"Take it off!"
"Off?!"
"I said take it off! I'm going to check!"
"Don't do this!"
"Hah! I told you to take it off, Kim Geun-cheol!"
This is strength I absolutely cannot resist!
Leona, as if possessed by something, stripped off my school jacket.
"Kya, kyaaaah!"
She let out a short scream and covered her mouth with both hands.
"Wh-what is that!"
My dress shirt... the sleeve area was soaked with blood. Dammit, I knew this would happen, that's why I tried to hide it.
"B-blood! What on earth...! Kim Geun-cheol, what is this! What is this wound! There's no way blood should be like this...!"
Leona dropped to one knee, staring at my wound with a deadly serious face. How the hell do I explain this away?
"No, uh, how do I put this..."
"Answer me straight!"
A voice thick with worry and anger.
"Ah! Right! I kind of got hurt training!"
"Cut the crap! What kind of training makes your arm bleed like this!"
"What! A man can bleed like this from training!"
I basically handwaved it away as a training accident.
"I got a little too into it and got hurt. I kept quiet because I knew you'd worry over nothing, and then you go and smack my arm so you found out. Leona. I told you, you get hurt once you find out, right?"
Did that work?
I threw in a joke to ease her mind, but.
"..."
Leona just kept her head down, fists trembling.
Huh?
"Leona?"
"D-don't tell me..."
"Don't tell you what?"
A genuinely cautious voice.
"Is it because of me...?"
Leona looked up, her eyes brimming with tears as she said that... Wait. What? Because of you?
"Leona? Hold on. Why. Why would it be because of you? This has absolutely nothing to do with you."
"Impossible! I pushed you by telling you to work hard!"
—She shot to her feet!
"That must have pressured you and caused this, hrrk!"
I realized it instantly.
Leona was misunderstanding.
"Hey, hey! That's not it!"
"Don't try to make me feel better! Kim Geun-cheol, you always do this! This is 100% because of me, hmph...! What do I do!"
"Hey!"
"I'm so sorryyyy!"
Tears flying, Leona was panicking and trying to run away!
"Not a chance! Hey!"
"Aack!"
I lunged, grabbed Leona's ankles, and tackled her down!
"I said it's not that, you idiot! Don't cry!"
"What do you mean it's not! It really is my fault! I'm genuinely sorry! To drive you to an injury like this! I'm so sorry I don't know what to do! Hrrrgh!"
Leona thrashed around, crying and trying to get away. I struggled with her, pinning her down and yelling to stop her from running off.
Leona seems to have a habit of wanting to bolt in high-pressure situations. I need to hold her and explain this properly.
"Ah, jeez, I'm telling you no! It was just a normal training mistake, you dummy! Pressure my ass! Do you have any idea how much, you know! How much you cheer me on!"
"Even so!"
"Even so nothing! Quickly! Heal me with your Angel Power or whatever!"
"I can't do that!"
"Then hurry up and say nice things to my wound! That heals it faster."
"What nonsense is... sniffle."
Once I spouted some nonsense and jokes, Leona finally started coming to her senses, sniffling and calming down.
"Okay, quick. Leona. Don't you know about mantras? Say something nice to my wound. Y'know, like that story about the onions someone grew while saying nice things?"
"That doesn't even work!"
"It works if you do it."
"Bull!"
"Hurry!"
"Ah, fine!"
Having answered desperately, Leona brought her face close to my tricep.
"G-get better, fast. Kim Geun-cheol's forearm."
And with a blushing face and glistening eyes.
"Yesssssss!"
"What is it now!"
"I feel a surge of energy."
It actually had an effect.
I felt strength welling up from my body.
"Alright, let's head back."
I got up and pulled Leona to her feet. Leona fidgeted and asked.
"Is it really okay? Kim Geun-cheol? Shouldn't we go to the infirmary?"
"I told you it's not a problem. It'll be healed shut in two days, tops. Stop saying weird stuff and let's get to class. Morning call's about to start."
"O-okay..."
So Leona and I went back to the classroom together.