Red Fruit (2)
Piiiiik—!
At the instructor’s whistle, the students switched sparring partners. Two weeks had passed since the academy semester began. By this point, they had all memorized one another’s names and quirks. Standing before me was Liber, the boy whose stock had risen sharply of late.
“Looking forward to it.”
“Yeah, same here.”
His eyes were faintly bloodshot. It didn’t look like simple sleep deprivation. He had been slipping out of the academy every day recently; it seemed he had fallen headfirst into the red-light district. Well, once a boy that age tastes a woman, it’s hard to pull him back out.
Let’s see what he’s made of.
I had been hearing for days that Liber’s skills were improving rapidly, yet I had never crossed blades with him myself. Too many students were already lining up to test themselves against the rising star, and the pairing schedule had simply never worked out. Meeting him today after so many near-misses was the perfect chance to see exactly how much he had grown.
After all, a few days ago he couldn’t even handle Aura…
Keeping that in mind, I swung my wooden sword with moderate force. About this much.
Whoosh—.
Clack!
Liber blocked my strike with perfect composure. Considering his level only days earlier, it was hard to believe. I swung several more times, and this time I clearly sensed the Aura flowing naturally through his body.
He really has learned to use it?
Aura was technically forbidden during sparring, but it strengthened the user’s body automatically even when not actively channeled. The deeper the Aura, the greater the reinforcement. In my case, as an Aura Master, it even tempered areas that ordinary Aura Users or Experts found nearly impossible to strengthen. Reaction speed, dynamic vision, biological timing—everything shot into the stratosphere.
“Hoo, hoo—!”
After roughly gauging his ability, I began to swing with sharper intent. A sword does not grow stronger simply by pouring raw power into it. Timing and precision are what matter. Just as a knight’s accurate thrust pierces deeper than an ogre’s wild swing, the true purpose of the blade is to exploit the enemy’s openings.
“Opening.”
“Huh—?”
Liber flinched at my words and began searching for the gap I had mentioned. In truth, he had shown none until that moment. The instant he created one by reacting to my provocation, I struck.
The wooden sword drove into a vital point. Liber doubled over, wheezing in pain, yet he still looked up at me with an expression that screamed utter disbelief. I lowered my blade and gave an innocent shrug.
“You actually fell for that?”
“Ugh… you crazy bastard… you set it up yourself…”
“I only said it because I knew you’d fall for it.”
Had the words come from some street thug or an opponent whose swordsmanship was visibly inferior, Liber would never have reacted. But because he was already tense facing me, my voice made him hesitate, and that hesitation cost him.
“Never get nervous, no matter who you’re fighting. If you don’t fix that habit, you’ll suffer for it later.”
“Ha, haha—thanks a ton, asshole.”
“No problem, kid.”
By the time Liber stopped groaning and recovered, the instructor blew the whistle again. I gave him a quick nod and moved to the next pair to continue the session.
Still… how the hell did Liber get that strong?
Wasn’t he supposed to be an extra?
Academy life might seem like an endless grind of training and classes, but even this world had weekends. Two days—Saturday and Sunday. While most students spent the time building friendships, I usually spent mine on dates with Yuri.
Today should have been no different. Except it was.
“Making a lady wait this long? You really are a total homme fatale.”
At the academy’s main gate, a third wheel had attached herself to our date. Aria. First-year Art Department. The same bold junior who had flirted with me on the day of the entrance ceremony.
I stiffened slightly at the sight of her face.
“What’s an homme fatale?”
“…It means a guy who’s fatally popular with women. Like you.”
“Oh. That’s a compliment.”
Aria nodded vigorously in agreement. Praise could make even a whale dance, they say. While I stood there grinning at her words, Yuri’s expression clouded over. As an Aura Master I was sensitive to other people’s emotions; the moment I sensed her displeasure, I stepped beside her, linked our arms, and started walking away from the academy.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Aria stared blankly after us for a second, then quickly hurried to my free side. She didn’t cling to my arm—probably mindful of Yuri—but simply having two beautiful girls on either side of me drew countless envious stares. I absorbed the jealous glances with light amusement and led both of them toward the best dessert café I had scouted earlier. The atmosphere was perfect, and the sweets were supposedly divine.
When we arrived, Yuri tilted her head at the completely empty shop.
“Kyle? This place is…”
“I prepared it just for today.”
As we stepped inside, the owner rushed out and bowed deeply. We were the only customers. Of course we were. I had rented out the entire café.
There goes the rest of my allowance.
Even for the only son and heir of a count, the price had been steep. Still, moments like this were necessary from time to time. The reason I had gone to the trouble of reserving the whole place instead of simply booking a table was simple: I felt like showing off. That’s just how men are.
“Order anything you want. As much as you like.”
“What are you having, Kyle?”
“Me? Coffee cake.”
“Then I’ll have the strawberry shortcake.”
“Ooh, carrot cake for me!”
The owner promptly prepared tea to go with the cakes. Since there were no other customers, our desserts arrived almost immediately. After setting everything down, he left a small bell on the table and discreetly retreated to the back. The café now belonged entirely to the three of us.
I sipped my tea while watching people pass by outside, then glanced at Yuri. She had been quietly nibbling at her cake. Feeling my gaze, she looked up and met my eyes.
“…What?”
“You’re eating so neatly. It’s cute.”
“Mm.”
She continued picking at the cake in silence. That was when I noticed the single strawberry she had left untouched on the edge of her plate. I wondered if she would give it to me if I asked.
“Yuri.”
“Yeah?”
“I want that strawberry.”
She tilted her head in confusion, then pointed at the display counter.
“There’s a whole bunch over there.”
“I want that one.”
“Weirdo.”
Still, she carefully lifted the strawberry she had deliberately saved and held it out to me. I felt a small wave of emotion. I honestly hadn’t expected her to give it up. I took a tiny bite from the tip and returned the rest. Yuri accepted it without hesitation and ate it with obvious pleasure.
“Wow… watching couples do lovey-dovey stuff is actually pretty disgusting.”
Aria let out a dry laugh and openly criticized our behavior. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her.
“If you’re that jealous, just get a boyfriend.”
“Maybe I will. Kyle, how about me?”
“Sorry. I already have a fiancée.”
I was inwardly impressed by her audacity—flirting with a man right in front of his betrothed—when Yuri suddenly looked at me as though she had just remembered something.
“Kyle.”
“Hm?”
“Do you know someone named Kim Sera?”
“…Who?”
The name hit me like a hammer. My entire body stiffened. Kim Sera. A name that should never have existed in this world.
How does she know that?
Kim Sera was my childhood friend back on Earth. She was the one who had recommended the game Dairos Academy to me. But she was someone I could never meet again. After dying, I had reincarnated into this world. Unless I died once more and returned to Earth, she was unreachable. No—she was a person whose very name should not exist here.
The fact that Yuri knew it made no sense.
A coincidence? Same name?
Even that was strange. This was a world that used Western-style names. A Korean name like Kim Sera stood out too much. Whether it was a coincidence or not, something was clearly hidden behind that name.
I was about to press Yuri on where she had heard it when a tremendous roar erupted outside the building.
“That name—”
Boom—!
“…Where did you—”
Boooom—!
“Wait, why is it so damn loud—”
KWAAAAANG!
An explosion detonated right beside the building. I instantly pulled both girls into my arms and wrapped them in Aura. They screamed and clung tightly to my chest. Once the blast subsided, I looked down at them.
“Are you all right?”
“…Yeah.”
“Y-yeah…”
Confirming that the frightened pair had calmed down, I carefully stepped outside to see what was happening. Explosions were going off in the narrow back alleys between buildings—places where people rarely looked. Even now, more blasts could be heard in the distance.
“What the hell is this…”
A terrorist attack was underway inside academy territory.
I quickly ran through the possibilities, trying to recall who was responsible for this incident.
“Hmm—”
—I forgot.