After the Sunset Explosion
The thick smoke that had blanketed the arena from the sunset explosion began to drift apart on the breeze, slowly fading away. With that, the situation had wrapped up nicely. Both of us had gotten far too heated. Still, I understood. Lucy had her own reasons for needing to win at all costs, just like me. I felt bad about it. But this was an exam. I had to win because I needed to climb back up to Class B.
That aside, I might get called in separately since I’d used such powerful magic. To the point where the spells collided and triggered an explosion… Of course, that was that. It was a relief that neither Lucy nor I had ended up badly hurt.
“Lucy, the situation was urgent, so I apologize for my rudeness.”
“...”
“...Lucy?”
This kid… she’d fallen asleep. When I looked over to check on her, there was a red-haired girl sleeping with a peaceful expression. But the closer I looked, the more I noticed the heavy dark circles under her eyes and how her lips were cracked and dry. It was probably from pushing herself with classes, this duel, and everything else on top of that. On top of that, she’d used up nearly all her mana, so of course she was exhausted.
This is why taking care of your body is so important. It’s good to work hard at something, but there’s no need to run yourself into the ground. If you ruin your health by overdoing it, you’re the only one who loses. That’s why Lucy really is a foolish girl. But I can’t say I don’t understand.
A fallen noble hiding her family name and enrolling as a commoner to restore her house’s glory. She must have been running at full speed without rest from her first year until now. It all caught up to her today. What she needs right now is rest. There isn’t much I can do for her while she’s this worn out. Still, I can at least help her sleep comfortably.
I tried to lay her down—she’d been leaning against me in an awkward position. I was just going to lay her down, but…
“Mmm.....”
Whether it was sleep-talking or not, the sleeping Lucy wrapped her arms around me tightly so I couldn’t move. Does she think I’m a teddy bear or something? Well, if it’s come to this, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll just stay still. It’s not like I can move properly anyway.
I remained seated in the arena with the sleeping Lucy still clinging to me. Eventually our duel officially ended, and people started climbing up onto the stage.
....
“Ugh… my head… Where am I…?”
My head is spinning. Where is this place? White curtains hung all around me, and a thin blanket covered my lap. When I turned my head, I saw an IV needle stuck in my left hand. Clear fluid flowed through the dangling IV bag. As my mind cleared, the truth rose to the surface. No, I already knew it. I just hadn’t wanted to remember.
“I… lost in the end….”
Frustrating is frustrating. It’s a shame, but… I can do better next time. I just need to work harder. There’s still plenty of time left.
While I was comforting myself like that, someone pulled the curtain aside and stepped in.
“You’re finally awake.”
“H-hiek?”
“Don’t make weird noises.”
The man who entered had hair as black as midnight and equally dark eyes. He was holding a plate of sliced apples. He set it down beside me and added,
“Lucy, this is the infirmary. You collapsed from overwork.”
“R-really? I see… How pathetic, collapsing like that. I won’t be able to face my family now…”
“You really are foolish. An academy student who can’t even manage her own body. If you hadn’t pushed yourself, it was a fight you could have easily won.”
“What the—what are you saying, you idiot!”
“Exactly. So take care of your body. If you collapse from overdoing it again, you’re on your own.”
With those final words, the man left the infirmary. Inside the spacious room, only Lucy remained. The cool breeze slipping through the open window was the only thing that wrapped around her lonely figure.
In the quiet infirmary, she turned her gaze toward the window. Even the sun that had been shining warmly was slowly pulling back its light. The sunset had begun. The sky, dyed crimson by the sun sinking beyond the horizon, was breathtakingly beautiful.
When was the last time I really looked at the sky?
It feels like years since I last watched it properly. An entire year of running without proper rest. While others played with friends or relaxed in their rooms, I pushed my body to its limits, training and training again… and still lost.
Yet the uncomfortable knot that had been sitting in my chest felt like it had loosened. Mm, I feel refreshed somehow. Like something inside me has been cleared out. Yeah, let’s think positively. There’s still plenty of time. I just need to work harder.
I’m so tired. Sometimes it’s not so bad to just sit here blankly staring at the sky like this. Losing to that guy this time… it is a little disappointing. But next time, I’ll definitely win.
Still, just thinking about that bastard makes me angry again.
“Ha, seriously ridiculous. He just says what he wants and leaves. What kind of guy does that?”
“Don’t be so angry~”
“Hiek?!”
“Pfft. Now that I look again, it’s not just your face that’s cute, hm?”
“W-who are you?”
“Yep~. I’m the school nurse here. Just call me Miss Lora, comfortably~”
“Ah, yes… S-sorry. You startled me for a second.”
“It’s fine~. No problem, no problem. Everyone gets surprised~”
A woman with purple hair wearing a white coat. She was quite tall, and heavy dark circles sat beneath her eyes. Combined with her pale face, she almost looked like a ghost. When my eyes drifted lower, I saw the tight black shirt and skirt she wore beneath the coat. Even for me—who had always been proud of my own figure—Lora’s was on another level entirely. Even though the coat covered some of it, her body was so outrageously curvaceous that Lucy couldn’t find anywhere safe to rest her eyes.
The nurse’s outfit is way too much…!
While Lucy was glancing around in embarrassment, Lora spoke again.
“That friend of yours—is he your boyfriend?”
“N-no he isn’t!! That guy, my boyfriend…? No way, that’s ridiculous!”
“Really~? He looked cold and blunt, but he stayed by your side nursing you until you woke up, you know?”
“.....”
“And look beside you. That boy peeled those apples for you to eat. You were out all day without eating anything, so it seems he went and got them himself.”
“....”
“Hehe, you’ve got yourself a good friend~. Ah~ I’m jealous~. I wish I had a caring boyfriend like that too~. I wonder if one will just fall out of the sky~.”
“Oh, and since you seem mostly recovered now, I’ll give you some medicine. Don’t wander off—head straight back to the dormitory~. You mustn’t collapse from overworking again, okay~? Bye bye~.”
With that, Lora sent Lucy on her way. Somewhat dazed at being ushered out of the infirmary, she trudged back toward the dormitory. The sun had long since set. The sky had turned black, and tiny stars were shining brightly.
She walked while letting out heavy sighs. It really had been an incredibly long day. It felt even harder than the previous practical training. That Vern Flame guy… and the nurse too… Well, she was grateful to Vern. He had taken care of her all day while she was unconscious. The apples had been delicious too. During the duel, he had even thrown his body in to protect her when she became unable to fight. She was thankful.
Even so, he was a man she couldn’t understand. And she didn’t particularly want to. In comparison, Miss Lora was an incredible teacher. Lucy knew she herself was fairly well-developed for someone who had only just passed her coming-of-age ceremony. But Lora… anyway, Miss Lora was on another level. Still, for a teacher to wear clothes like that…? Well, it didn’t matter. She’d stop thinking about it for today and get some proper rest for the first time in a while. Lucy decided to leave it at that.
....
Ha, it really was an incredibly long day. I never expected the duel to end like that. Lucy had collapsed from mana depletion and was in the infirmary, while I—who came out relatively fine—received simple treatment and got chewed out by my homeroom teacher. Well, Lucy will probably get the same treatment tomorrow.
Neither of us had thought about the consequences and had just fired off high-powered magic. If things had gone even slightly wrong, we wouldn’t have gotten away with only minor injuries. Anyway, the result of the duel is my victory as the one who remained standing. But the power Lucy displayed was also impressive, so she should receive a good evaluation too. In the end, it was a win-win for both of us.
In that sense, tonight I’m going straight back to the dormitory and doing absolutely nothing but resting deeply. I did receive simple treatment from Lora, but it didn’t erase my fatigue. On top of that, I spent the entire day as her conversation partner from the duel onward, so I feel like I’m going to drop dead from exhaustion.
In the original game, Lora was a very popular character thanks to her huge heart, outrageous figure, and beautiful appearance. But once you get caught by her, she becomes incredibly annoying, so I had been trying to avoid her as much as possible. And yet she didn’t seem to have heard any rumors about Vern Flame. The way she spoke and her attitude made it seem like she viewed me as just another ordinary student. When I asked, her answer was:
‘I wouldn’t know? I’m terrible with rumors, you see~. I have to work overtime again tonight, and even if I wanted to pay attention to students, I simply don’t have the time. So you’ll have to keep me company for a while, yes?’
That was the answer I got… Well, in the original story she always had those dark circles because she was buried in work. I guess it makes sense that she’d be bad with rumors when she’s always working. That aside, Lora really was beautiful. Her skills as a nurse were excellent, and her reputation among both students and teachers was outstanding. Her personality wasn’t bad either. If there was one problem… it would be that she’s a rather dangerous person. Not that she’s truly evil, but maybe I should call her snake-like? Or perhaps a hyena? Anyway, she’s like a predator that hunts for prey, so you always have to stay on guard. Just looking at how she dresses, she doesn’t look like a teacher—she looks like a female targeting males.
Ha, I’m really tired. It feels even harder than during practical training. But the soft bed waiting for me in the dormitory is calling my name.
Wait for me, bed! I’m coming!
The night deepens.