Misunderstandings and Makeovers
Yujin accepted surprisingly readily. When I asked if he had time this weekend, he hesitated for a moment before nodding. When I asked if we could meet up then, he gave me a thumbs-up. It was a bit strange that he suddenly stopped talking and resorted to body language, but looking at his face, he seemed exhausted. Did he not sleep well last night? If a diligent guy like him stayed up late, there could only be one reason. He must have lost track of time while training. It was unexpected for Yujin, who usually kept a strict routine, to oversleep. Since someone who had stepped into the realm of Awakening wouldn't get tired from just one sleepless night, he must have pushed himself to the absolute limit. Yes, he's such a hardworking boy. I don't dislike kids like that. He needs to be at least this good if I'm going to trust him with Aris. Plus two Lucia Points. But wait, I told him just yesterday not to overdo it, and he completely ignored my advice. That's a deduction. Minus one Lucia Point. By the way, if you reach a perfect score of one hundred, I'll grant you one wish. Keep up the good work!
"..."
"Aris? Is something on your mind?"
"N-No... it's nothing..."
Aris shook her head and looked back down at her book. Since she had started her training in earnest, she barely read anymore. The only time she could indulge in reading was the few minutes between arriving at school and the start of morning homeroom. Even though it was a brief window, Aris was an unrivaled speed-reader, usually flipping through pages in a blur. Today, however, she was taking quite a long time on a single page. Normally, she read so fast you'd wonder if she was actually reading at all. Her expression was dead serious, suggesting she had reached a particularly gripping part of the story. Come to think of it, she had been wearing that exact face ever since I started talking to Yujin. She must have been itching to get back to her book. In that case, I shouldn't disturb her. Suppressing my urge to squish Aris's cheeks, I lost myself in thought.
First, I successfully secured a promise to meet Yujin over the weekend. Yujin, who would normally spend his entire weekend swinging a sword, had agreed to put his training aside to hang out with me. Hehe, asking to be best friends was definitely the right move. It was highly unusual for Yujin, whose obsession with strength bordered on madness, to compromise on his training. Normally, he was an obstinate blockhead who would reject any invitation with a blunt, "I'm busy training." But because we had agreed to be best friends, he was genuinely putting in the effort to act like one.
My reason for asking Yujin to free up his weekend was simple: to create an opportunity for him to spend time with Aris! Ideally, I would have set them up to meet one-on-one, but they weren't close enough yet. If I suddenly told them to hang out alone, Yujin might agree, but Aris would definitely refuse. Therefore, I had to help them get closer first. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It was crucial to narrow the distance between them step by step. Yujin was naturally a good guy, and he would be exceptionally gentle with Aris, so it wouldn't be too difficult. Alright, let's do this!
Just as I was clenching my fists in determination, a flash of gold caught the corner of my eye. Of course, it wasn't mine. The shade was slightly darker than Lucia's honey-blonde hair. Moreover, unlike Lucia's hair, which was always vibrant and undamaged thanks to her Super Regeneration, this hair was different in many ways. It looked a bit faded, carrying an artificial quality. Leo, whom I hadn't seen in a while, had dyed his hair a flashy color. Even in this world of diverse natural hair colors, hair dye existed, so it wasn't entirely unusual. Besides, the academy had no dress code regarding hair. Whether a student dyed their hair or styled it wildly was entirely up to them. So, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Leo dyeing his hair blonde. Yes, nothing wrong at all... But, well, how should I put this? It looked a bit dangerous.
It wasn't that it didn't suit him. It actually did. But changing just his hair color completely transformed his image. Leo's looks were, to put it nicely, highly masculine, and to put it bluntly, fierce. A face that truly lived up to his name. Sharp features, upturned eyes, a prominent nose, and a slender jawline. He looked like a cat... no, a lion. And Leo was tall. Even Yujin, who was a head taller than me, had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. And his physique? Desiring strength no less than Yujin, Leo had forged his body through sweat and blood. His Supernatural Ability, Acceleration, placed an immense burden on his body. He had to endure the physical backlash of extreme speed with his bare flesh. Consequently, Leo's body was trained to the absolute limit. While Yujin's muscles were tightly compressed, Leo's were prominently defined. Up close—or honestly, even from a distance—he exuded an incredible sense of intimidation. Standing well over 180 centimeters with broad shoulders, his rugged build couldn't be hidden even by his school uniform. On top of that, while he was handsome, it was a sharp, aggressive kind of handsome, not pretty. And now, he had added blonde hair to the mix. Let's summarize Leo's traits once more: deeply dyed blonde hair, beautifully sun-kissed tanned skin, sharp and masculine features, and a robust physique that would make anyone gasp in admiration. If you put all of these together...
He's a blonde, tanned delinquent...
He was such a stereotypical blonde tanned delinquent that I was left speechless. If we were left alone, would I get ravished? Would he find my weakness and toy with me at his whim? Would I be dragged to the gym and get NTR'd? No, no, no, no. Leo wasn't that kind of trash, and making up these wild delusions was incredibly rude of me! Even if he acted immaturely, his sense of justice was the real deal. He was Yujin's friendly rival, after all—even if the gap between them would eventually widen so much that calling them rivals would become a bit of a stretch. Regardless, he was a trustworthy friend and ally to Yujin. Comparing him to a sleazy delinquent from some shady genre was an insult to Leo. Besides, I shouldn't make such a fuss over a simple change in hair color. ...Still, just to be safe, I should keep my guard up. I must absolutely make sure he never gets left alone with Aris.
"Good to see you all again. I trust you haven't been slacking off on your studies while I was away?"
The homeroom teacher of Class 1-A had returned. With the temporary teacher's duties concluded, Angelica was back in charge of Class 1-A. Seeing her again after so long, she hadn't changed a bit. She was chewing on an unlit cigarette like gum, wearing her usual form-fitting red tracksuit jacket. While Yujin felt a wave of relief seeing her alive and well, his thoughts kept drifting in a completely different direction.
The weekend...
Normally, he would head to the training grounds before sunrise and stay there until the sun went down. Of course, he didn't train to the point of collapse, as he needed to let his body recover from a week of grueling workouts, but Yujin had no concept of a rest day. For him, the weekend was simply a time to immerse himself in self-discipline. In other words, it was essentially a self-study day.
Two days left.
Yujin was actually looking forward to the weekend. Not because of training—for the first time in five years, Yujin was planning to skip his weekend practice. His body would probably itch to move, but he couldn't help it. It was Lucia's request. She had granted his favor, so it was only fair that he returned the gesture. He had been working hard up until now, so taking a single day off shouldn't hurt. Besides, Lucia had told him not to overdo it. Maybe that was why she had asked if he was free this weekend. Perhaps she felt bad seeing him constantly push himself without a single day of rest, and wanted to give him a brief breathing room. He didn't know if that was her actual intention, but Yujin decided to interpret it that way. If he didn't, his head would start spinning with all sorts of wild delusions.
Is this... a d-date...?
I mean, wasn't it? If a girl asked a guy if he was free on the weekend and made plans to meet up... that basically qualified as a date, right?
Could it be that Lucia... likes me...?
His face flushed hot, and he shook his head vigorously. The vice president, Soo, who sat next to him, gave him a bizarre look, but Yujin didn't notice at all. Don't go interpreting things to suit your own delusions. Did you already forget what Yui told you? Never mistake a girl's kindness for something else.
A long time ago, back when Yujin was still in elementary school, there was a girl he had been quite close with. They often ran into each other on the way to school and walked together, ate lunch together, and even hung out after school. Back then, Yujin had mistaken her kindness, wondering, Does she like me? If she did, what was he supposed to do? When he honestly confessed his worries to Yui, she had sighed and told him that it was a terrible habit of boys. She said that the moment a girl acted even slightly friendly, boys would mistake it for love and make a mess of things. Her words proved true. Not long after he consulted Yui, that girl stopped approaching him entirely. She wouldn't even look at him, as if she had lost all interest, and on the rare occasions their eyes met, she would startle and hurriedly look away.
And that hadn't happened just once. Even after that, whenever Yujin managed to get close to a girl, they would all eventually distance themselves from him in the exact same way. When he asked them why out of confusion and hurt, they never gave him a straight answer, only averting their eyes and breaking out in a cold sweat. Once again, he had consulted Yui. Although he felt embarrassed as an older brother constantly relying on his younger sister, he had no one else to talk to.
"It's your fault, Oppa. You got a little close and probably started acting creepy, so she got sick of you. Did she look scared when she saw you? She did? Yep, definitely your fault. Listen to me, okay? You can't just assume a girl likes you just because she's being nice. A woman's heart is like a reed—it sways with the slightest breeze. Next time you get close to a girl, tell me first. I'll help you so you don't mess up. Promise? Pinky promise?"
Yui had given him her heartfelt advice. Thanks to her, Yujin had realized one crucial truth: he must never rashly misinterpret a girl's goodwill. Doing so was the fastest way to ruin a relationship.
Lucia is just a kind person. She's only worried about me.
Yes, that was it. He shouldn't blow Lucia's kindness out of proportion. Yujin barely managed to organize his thoughts. He hadn't completely cleared his mind, but he was at least able to pay attention to his surroundings again. Angelica, standing at the podium, was in the middle of delivering announcements.
"...Which is why you all had better be careful. Make sure you carry your weapons with you at all times."
To Yujin, who hadn't been listening to a single word prior, this came completely out of left field. Weapons? All of a sudden? While academy students were legally permitted to carry weapons in public urban areas, they rarely did so. Carrying a weapon when there was no immediate need for it was simply a hassle. Confused, Yujin whispered to Soo.
"Hey, Soo. What did the teacher just say? Why do we need to carry our weapons?"
"...She literally just explained it. Weren't you listening?"
"Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a second."
As Yujin offered an awkward smile, Soo shrugged.
"She said the frequency of Rifts in Space has been rising lately. Apparently, they're popping up more often in crowded downtown areas, so we're supposed to keep our weapons on us just in case. We could be deployed to the front lines at any moment, after all."
"...I see. That makes sense."
Yujin nodded at Soo's explanation. If a Rift in Space opened nearby and monsters poured out, academy students were obligated to fight back—at least until active-duty heroes arrived on the scene.