The Noisy Girl Next Door
"I'm dying...."
It's probably around 9 p.m. now.
I'd been stuck in meditation for hours without eating a damn thing, and it was seriously killing me.
And this pathetic body of mine— the more I examined it, the more ridiculous it got.
"Okay, fine, I can maybe understand everything else... but no mana circuits at all? Isn't that a bit much?"
Of course, lacking mana circuits didn't mean I couldn't use mana.
Like when I first meditated and circulated it through my blood vessels instead. In a pinch, you could always substitute veins for circuits.
"If you're ignoring efficiency entirely, sure, it's doable...."
But my mana pool was already pathetically tiny.
And wasting it needlessly on top of that?
...Whoever the previous owner of this body was, I had no idea, but they were clearly bottom-tier trash.
Hell, how did they even get into the Academy?
"Sigh... no point cursing a dead guy...."
It's my body now anyway—insulting it was just spitting in my own face.
Speaking of which, the room next door was still occupied.
By none other than Aen Arbel, true to her name.
"She's really grinding away."
Unlike some people, she was diligently honing herself—impressive.
Aen Arbel, huh....
"Aen Arbel... Aen Arbel...."
The name felt strangely familiar....
"Aen Arbel! Isn't my name super pretty?"
A high-pitched, hyper-energetic voice burst in.
Half white hair, half black with a blue secret streak in a two-tone style.
Complete with a choker and chains dangling from her skirt.
Didn't all that junk weighing her down get annoying?
"Yeah, it's pretty."
"Huh? Why aren't you surprised?"
"I don't startle easily."
"Hmm~ So is your face always this stiff, like right now?"
"...Ah."
"You were pretending not to be surprised! You totally were!"
Right. I was startled.
But not because of you, exactly.
It was just... that nauseating quest sensation radiating off you, Aen Arbel—way too familiar.
Couldn't exactly say that outright, so I played along.
"Busted."
"Hee~ But why were you mumbling my name like that? Do you know me?"
"Nah, no clue."
"What?! So you were just repeating it 'cause my name's that pretty!?"
Sure, whatever.
Overly self-conscious much?
"No, it just rang a bell, so I was wondering if it matched someone I know."
"Hmm~! Probably 'cause my name's the same as one of the heroes!"
One of the heroes, huh....
Guess that's how the hero party that killed me got recorded in history.
"Yeah, now that you mention it."
"Yesss~ Nailed it~!"
"Haa...."
She was draining my energy.
Yesterday's silver-haired girl barely spoke, which was one problem... but this one was the total opposite.
How could reincarnated heroes vary this much?
Couldn't they just split their personalities halfway or something?
Still... that girl yesterday looked mentally shattered. This one's fine, so that's a relief.
And between total silence and nonstop chatter... I'd take the latter, maybe.
"Heyyy~ What're you thinking so hard about~?"
"That you talk a ton."
"Gasp... H-how'd you know?"
After this much chit-chat, how could I not?
"D-does that mean... you hate it?"
It'd be nice if she toned it down a bit.
"Nah, don't care."
"Yesss!"
"Hey~ We're friends now, right? Can you tell me your name too?"
"Uh...."
What made us friends already?
"D-do you... not want to...?"
"No, it's just kinda unique."
"It's fine, it's fine~!"
"Alright... I'm Iheon. Shin Iheon."
"Ooh~ Family name first? Definitely unique!"
Yeah... figured.
Most folks here had Western-style names, Earth-wise.
"By the way~ You're super weak!"
"...Out of nowhere?"
"Yup!"
Was "yup" really the answer here?
"Your mana's like, barely there, and your circuits are... totally messed up!"
"...Huh?"
Spot on.
I'd only scraped together any mana today, and the circuits were a hasty hack job.
Dead-accurate read on my condition.
Like she could see right through me.
"How'd you know?"
"Hee~! 'Cause I'm a total genius, duh!"
Genius? Obviously—reincarnated hero and all.
But that wasn't the point.
"Even a genius can't just know that, right?"
"Ah~! My eyes are special! Super special!"
Good eyes, huh... not just 20/20 vision.
Innate talent? Or maybe an authority.
Scanning someone's body like that with perfect accuracy... OP as hell, depending on how you used it.
Though useless for a low-spec scrub like me.
"Helllo~? I wasn't done talking!"
"Oh, sorry."
"Yup yup~ Listen~? Heonnie's super duper weak right now, right?"
Heonnie...?
That nickname felt... off-putting.
"So I'll help you out!"
"How?"
"That fake-circuit thing you've got? I'll make you a brand-new one, perfect~!"
Remake my circuits.
Hard to brush that off lightly.
Like she said, my body's trash right now.
Tiny mana drops, and circuits a total mess from my rush job.
But her rebuilding them...?
And she could diagnose bodies at a glance.
Circuits needed to be optimized for the individual's body for max efficiency.
Performers usually refined theirs as they grew, understanding their bodies better with each breakthrough.
But if Aen did it from the start?
Someone who saw right through me?
I'd kick off with a normal-grade setup.
I was already way behind other cadets, but solid circuits would let me catch up fast.
Hell, normal-grade for a cadet was basically a cheat code.
And Aen was ex-hero party material.
No reason to doubt her skills or character.
No reason for me to refuse....
Which was exactly the problem.
"...Did I help you out in a past life or something?"
"Huh? No! First time seeing you today?"
"Or did you fall for me at first sight?"
"Boring."
One second grinning, next dead serious... hurts my feelings?
"Then why?"
"Huh? Why what?"
"Why help me?"
"'Cause we're friends, dummy!"
Normal friends didn't jump to that level so quick.
Pure goodwill toward a "friend"...?
Hard to buy.
Aen Arbel was a hero reincarnate.
She'd seen plenty of atrocities and filth in her past life.
Even that silver-haired girl—same hero stock—was a wreck now.
Could I swear there was zero malice behind Aen's bubbly grin?
"Hoo...."
...Who knows.
"Arbel."
"Yeah?"
"How long to set up the circuits?"
"Hmm~ Sloppy job's one or two hours, but you're a friend, so I'll do it right~?"
"Appreciate it."
"Hee~ Then like five hours~!"
"Got it. Too late today—lunch tomorrow?"
"Mmm~ Sure~."
"You eaten?"
"Nope~! I don't eat much anyway!"
Bird-like appetite?
"Not hungry?"
"Kinda, but I don't mind~!"
Not into food much, then.
"I'm starving—wanna grab something?"
"Mmm~ Okay!"
"Cravings?"
"Cravings~? Hmm~ Sandwich?"
"Sandwich?"
"Yup!!"
Ooh... nodding like her head might fall off.
So she did care about food....
Whatever. Time would tell.
"Sandwich it is, then back to the Dormitory."
"Great~! Oh, I know a killer spot—let's go there~!"
"Lead on."
Honestly, killer spot or not—just fill the tank.
Hadn't eaten properly since yesterday.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About ten minutes after leaving the Meditation Room, following Aen...
A sandwich shop caught my eye.
Way past closing for normal spots, but the open sign blazed.
Probably 24-hour joint.
Anyway, got her recommended special: Betodi Sandwich or whatever.
Tasted good—solid enough to grab again sometime.
Oh, and Aen scarfed three.
Claimed no interest in food... yeah, right.
Stuffed and back to the dorm with her.
Unlike yesterday, today felt almost... normal.
If only it ended that way....
The world wasn't that kind.
Dormitory, first-floor hall fountain benches.
The one dead ahead from the entrance.
There sat yesterday's silver-haired girl—Sellin El Soladion—staring at... not me, but Aen Arbel beside me.
Eyes colder than the ones she'd fixed on me yesterday.
And Aen matched it.
Why the hell...?
They partied together in their past lives—shouldn't they be tight?
Why the beef between you two?