Unspoken Intentions
Even though a major incident had occurred where the researchers were completely wiped out, the Academy followed its usual schedule. This was no different for Class A, whose homeroom and assistant homeroom teachers had been hospitalized together. Although they had been caught up in the incident, they had gotten through it safely without any casualties. With only a few injured and the vast majority of students able to attend class without issue, there was no reason to halt the curriculum. The Academy's schedule was always packed. They had to train these green fledglings into fully fledged heroes within three short years. Of course, graduation didn't mean immediate deployment to the front lines, but by the time they graduated, they had to at least be capable of pulling their own weight as a hero.
"Everyone~ Let's do our best today as well!"
Under the guidance of a temporary teacher, the class began. The woman, who had her mint-colored hair braided to one side, shouted energetically. With a bright flush on her face, she looked quite innocent. She was the teacher assigned to take charge of Class A for the time being, filling the vacancies left by Angelica and Siul, who were currently admitted to the Academy Annex Hospital.
He didn't know her name. The only information Yujin had was that she was the assistant homeroom teacher of Class D. He knew Class D to be the class for troublemakers. He wondered if it would be difficult for someone who looked so innocent to manage them, but she was still an Academy teacher. A veteran with a record of subjugating high-ranking monsters.
Yujin was well aware of just how monstrous high-ranking monsters truly were, having fought them firsthand. If she had defeated such creatures, she wouldn't be weak enough to be pushed around by mere students.
And it's not like everyone in Class D is a bad kid...
Yujin recalled the girl with the severe dark circles under her eyes. Though she wore an excessive amount of accessories and her uniform was slightly disheveled, she didn't give off the impression of being an utterly useless troublemaker like the rumors suggested. Rumors tended to get exaggerated as they passed from mouth to mouth, and if someone were truly an incorrigible delinquent, they wouldn't have even been admitted to the Academy in the first place.
Yujin shook his head to clear his stray thoughts. Now was not the time to be distracted. Paying attention during class was a student's proper duty.
The lesson plan was simple. It was a mock battle simulating a Rift in Space opening in an urban area, where they had to fight monsters while protecting citizens who had failed to evacuate. It was a drill they had already done several times. Previously, they had placed full-body mannequins in the center of the training ground and protected them from the relentless onslaught of Angelica's golems.
This time was similar. However, instead of mannequins, students from Class A took turns playing the role of citizens, and the monsters were replaced by summons created by the Class D assistant teacher's supernatural ability. A supernatural ability that materialized drawings. While not as formidable as Angelica's golems, they were decent enough summons.
Yujin cut down the summons out of sheer habit. His body moved without him even having to think. Using his fire as a propellant to move erratically, he felled the summons pouring in from all directions with single strikes. It didn't even warm him up. Perhaps that was why Yujin's gaze kept drifting away from the lesson.
"L-Lucia, I-I will p-p-protect you..."
"Yes, I'm counting on you! But don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"Y-Yes!"
Lucia, who was playing the role of the citizen, and Aris, who stood before her to protect her from the summons. Both of them were classmates Yujin secretly cared about.
One was a girl who reminded him of his late, only sibling. Every time he looked at Aris, Yujin felt a subtle yearning and pain. He knew it in his head. Aris wasn't his younger sister; she was merely someone who resembled her. Yet, he couldn't help but think of her. He would find himself wondering if Yui, had she not died and grown up safely, would look just like Aris does now.
He wanted to get a little closer. He wanted to become friends. But on the other hand, he didn't want to approach her. He didn't want to look at her. Every time he saw Aris, the pain of that day resurfaced, making it hard to bear.
The other was similar to Aris, yet different. It was the same in that his heart raced whenever he looked at her. Every time he looked at Lucia, his heartbeat quickened. Sometimes, it beat so fast that his chest actually ached. His feelings became so complex and subtle that his head would spin, and eventually, his mind would go completely blank.
It clearly hurt, and the heavy pounding was painful, but he didn't dislike it. Rather, he felt strangely excited. This was the first time he had ever felt this way. He wanted to know more about her. But when he actually tried to approach her, he grew afraid. He was scared of her. Even if asked why, Yujin didn't know the reason.
He wanted to talk to Lucia. Yet, whenever he stood before her, he became tongue-tied. He wasn't like this with anyone else, but it happened specifically in front of Lucia. Was it because she was of the opposite sex? Because he was a boy and she was a girl? But Arin was also a girl. Arin was also of the opposite sex, yet they got along just fine without any of this.
...I don't know.
Yujin sliced the final summon in half. Though his body felt so light, his heart was incredibly heavy.
Come to think of it, what should I do about the wish coupon?
The wish coupon Lucia had mentioned. It was supposed to be a reward for saving her, but Lucia had saved Yujin as well. If so, it would be only natural for it to be canceled out, yet Lucia still insisted she would grant him a wish. It didn't seem like a joke or empty words. If it were, she wouldn't have had to emphasize it twice. Once at the hospital, and once again this morning.
Yujin felt the blood rush to his face. Recalling that moment, the sensation of her breath brushing against his ear came back vividly. Idly touching his ear, Yujin held his breath.
Although Yujin lived a rather ascetic life for a boy his age, he was still a guy. He knew what he needed to know, and he had those desires just like anyone else. When a beautiful girl like Lucia offered to grant any request... naturally, his mind couldn't help but drift to 'that sort of thing' first.
It wasn't Yujin's fault. It was Lucia's fault for approaching a hot-blooded teenager with active desires so defenselessly. What made it even worse was that she didn't even seem to realize what she was doing.
Is it... too late to reject it now?
If he was going to do that, he should have refused from the very beginning. Receiving it felt burdensome, yet letting it go felt like a waste, so hadn't he ended up in this situation by dilly-dallying and putting it off? In the end, it was a product of his own indecisiveness. Refusing it at this point would also be rude to Lucia. If she had gone out of her way to mention it twice, she was serious. If he kept putting it off only to suggest they act like it never happened, it would be spitting on her sincerity.
Yujin swallowed hard. Right, let's not overcomplicate things. It's just a wish coupon, how big of a deal could it be? I can just make a simple request, right? But a wish that's too trivial might disappoint Lucia instead, so maybe something moderate...
But how would Lucia react if I asked for something unreasonable? Would she refuse, saying it's too much? But she did say she would grant anything...
"You're going to drill a hole in her at this rate. Aren't you staring a bit too blatantly?"
A sudden voice cut through Yujin's thoughts. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed someone approaching. Though he was startled enough to make his hair stand on end, he didn't let it show as he turned his head.
"Arin."
"Are you looking at Lucia? Or are you looking at Aris? I thought fire was about to shoot out of your eyes. Though shooting beams from the eyes is Aris's ability. Hmm, maybe you could pull it off too?"
Arin, who had been playing the role of the citizen, said as she crossed her arms. Normally, once all the summons were defeated, they would swap roles. Since Arin had just been the citizen, it was now Yujin's turn to take on the role.
"You didn't even answer when I called you. Where on earth is your mind wandering?"
"Sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
"It wasn't just a moment. You've been completely out of it for a while now."
Even while swinging his sword, he hadn't paid the summons any mind. Arin cast her gaze toward the spot Yujin had been staring at until just now. Aris, who had defeated all the summons with a heat ray dialed down to its absolute minimum power, was jumping up and down in joy, while Lucia held her and rubbed her cheek against Aris's head. The way they giggled and clung to each other made them look like close sisters. They were actually the same age, but Aris looked quite young for her age. Arin thought as she observed Yujin's reaction. The one Yujin was looking at was... Hmm, I see.
"Is Lucia on your mind?"
"……."
There was no reply. But that was answer enough. Arin nodded. Come to think of it, it was only natural for Yujin to have Lucia on his mind. That day, Lucia had thrown herself in harm's way to protect Yujin. Arin had detected the danger and rushed forward, but the distance had been too great. She hadn't been able to warn them in time. In a situation where a catastrophe could have easily occurred, Lucia had thrown her body without hesitation to save Yujin. She was his savior. She had taken the attack of a high-ranking monster in his stead right before his eyes, ending up in a horrific state; it would be stranger if he didn't care. At least, from what Arin knew of the boy named Yujin, he was not a cold-blooded person who took favors lightly.
"If you want to thank her, should I help you out?"
"No, that's..."
"Ah, knowing your personality, you probably already did, right? A simple thank you, at least."
Since they had been hospitalized in the same place, wouldn't he have done it then? Arin tilted her head. That's strange. Then why is he staring at her with such an intense gaze? Something felt like it was on the tip of her tongue, but now was not the time for idle chatter, so Arin looked at Yujin and spoke.
"I don't know what you're thinking about, but it's class time right now. You need to focus on the lesson."
"……Yeah, you're right."
"If you have business with Lucia, I'll set up a spot for you after class. You can tell her whatever you want to say then. Don't just suffer in silence by yourself."
"Oh, really?"
"It's easy. It's lunch break after this class anyway, right?"
The Academy's lunch break was quite generous. There was plenty of time to leisurely chat even after finishing their meals.
"Then..."
Yujin toyed with his bangs. He hesitated, unable to easily find the words, but soon his expression hardened as he spoke.
"Could you help me get some time alone with Lucia?"