7. My Character Isn't That Rock-Bottom
7. My Character Isn't That Rock-Bottom
"......."
"......."
A silence of several seconds passed.
Ciel's large eyes, starting from my face,
were slowly descending to my neck, chest, and the scars covering my entire body.
"...Huh?"
A beat late, a dazed sound leaked out of Ciel's mouth,
and his face, which had been pale and fair,
instantly flushed bright red like an apple about to burst.
"H-Heeeek?!"
"Hey, why are you...."
Teolseok!
Why on earth are you here.
Before I could even finish my sentence, Ciel dropped the handle of the suitcase he was holding.
Was that all? He completely buried his face in both hands and plopped down onto the floor.
Though what kind of mindset had him peeking at me through the gaps between his fingers was beyond me.
"S-So w-wild.... N-No, the scars... w-what should I do...!"
He was stammering so much that I couldn't understand what he was trying to say at all.
More than that.
"What's this. Were you assigned here too?"
"Huh? Ah... mm-hmm. I'm in Room 201 too. Looks like we're roommates."
Unable to even get up from his spot, Ciel just blushed furiously and fumbled around the floor.
'Of all people, I end up sharing a room with this sickly pretty boy.'
If you asked whether it was good to share a room with a familiar face, it was naturally good.
Rather than staying with a total stranger, it was obvious that someone whose face I recognized at least once was preferable.
Besides, it wasn't like this guy, Ciel, seemed to be a bad sort.
Only.
"......."
Hilkkeum.
I really wish he would stop constantly blushing and glancing my way, especially since he's a guy.
Because, well⋯. I'm scared he might swing that way.
Right around when I was pondering whether I should put my discarded shirt back on because his gaze was needlessly burdensome,
"⋯⋯."
Ciel's mouth, having seemed hesitant for a moment, slowly opened.
"Hanah. By any chance, those wounds are...."
With worried eyes,
his gaze drifted toward my body, toward the long scar drawn across my chest.
He must be curious.
He's probably wondering what kind of unbelievable backstory I have for my body to have not a single unscathed spot, as if it were a drawing canvas.
"Ah⋯ this? Nothing to be shocked about. I just got hurt while catching a few beasts in the mountains."
"Y-You get scars like that from catching beasts...?"
"It was a big beast."
It wasn't just an ordinary big beast, to be fair.
Back when I crossed over into demon territory and fought bloody battles every single day,
it was a wound I got from fighting for days on end against a monster called the Demon Beast King among the demonic beasts.
The bastard was no different from a zombie, getting right back up even after being killed, so taking its life for good was quite the struggle.
"Hey. Ciel."
"U-Uh?"
"You're not going to keep sitting out there like that, right? I'm gonna wash up and get dressed, so don't just stay out there and come on in quickly."
If he wanted to it couldn't be helped, but aren't we going to live together anyway?
Then instead of lingering like that, it's only right for him to hurry inside and unpack his luggage.
Taking my eyes off the dazed guy, I answered nonchalantly and turned toward the bathroom.
Although the sweat on my body had all evaporated, it was still just as sticky.
"Mm-hmm...!"
Leaving behind the sound of luggage rolling from behind me, I closed the bathroom door.
*
Swaaaa—
As streams of warm water drizzled down over my head, I felt the stiff muscles across my entire body relax comfortably.
"Haa.... Now I feel like I can finally live."
Not the thick stench of blood and demonic monsters that was always by my side, but the small happiness of a subtle soap fragrance piercing my nose.
'And even hot water.'
The academy's facilities themselves weren't bad.
No, they were more than generous.
A hot shower like this was a luxury I couldn't have even dreamed of seeing back when I was in demon territory.
Far from hot water, I had been in a position where I was deeply grateful just to be able to shower with cold water.
Swaaaa—
Lifting my head and taking the stream pouring from the showerhead head-on, I quietly closed my eyes.
'Will I be able to do well?'
It might be a rather belated worry at this point, but.
Honestly speaking, it would be a lie to say I wasn't worried.
Compared to the war I experienced, to the time I had to spend amidst blood that never dried for a single day.
How was this academy where I am right now?
Wasn't it simply an exceedingly peaceful place?
It wasn't a place filled with demons' murderous intent, nor was it a place where people might stab you in the back at any moment.
Just an academy filled with the immature passion of greenhorns. Wasn't it merely that?
And yet. Could I, really.
Could I endure three years at this academy without feeling out of place?
"......."
Just today alone, I've already made a serious enemy out of a troublesome heroine, a duke's daughter or whatever.
And the roommate sharing a room with me is nice, but somehow he's a guy who makes me suspect he might swing that way.
"...Ha."
Still, I have to pull it off.
'Hanah. Take care of our family.'
As I shut both eyes tight, hiding myself in darkness,
unable to hold back even for that brief moment, the voice of the dead rang in my ears.
I know.
Damn father. I know, already.
'I have to do it. I have to pull it off no matter what.'
I endured a hellish life-and-death struggle in this place where not a single day was peaceful. Would I really fail to endure a mere three years of school life?
Swaaaa—
As the bathroom filled with steam from the heat, I turned on the cold water at the end and poured it over my head.
There wasn't any particularly special reason.
Just that I wanted to cool my head down a bit.
As the chilled stream of water cooled my heated head, my mind finally felt crystal clear.
Kkirik. Kkirik.
Roughly drying off the moisture, I threw on some extra comfortable loungewear provided in the closet.
The clothes were slightly tight because of my damn muscles, but they were a hundred, a thousand times more comfortable than the school uniform.
With my scar-ridden upper body hidden beneath the loose collar, I even briefly had the illusion that I might actually look like an ordinary student.
Deolkeok.
"Are you done washing up?"
When I came out to the living room while drying my wet hair with a towel, Ciel, who had somehow already unpacked and set his suitcase aside in a corner, was sitting demurely on the sofa.
"⋯⋯."
Why is a dude sitting so modestly with his legs brought together like that?
⋯No. Let's not get suspicious for no reason.
He could be from a family with a lot of noonas.
So he might just have grown up a bit feminine.
Anyway.
"Yeah. How do you want to split the rooms? Left? Or right?"
"Ah. I don't really mind either way...."
And here I gave him the chance to claim a room first.
At this point, isn't he overly soft rather than just being nice?
I'm not saying it's a bad thing.
At least I like that guy's personality quite a bit.
It's just that I'm worried.
I don't know who he'll end up marrying later on, but.
If he doesn't fix that pushover personality, he'll definitely become a battered husband.
"Then I'll take the inner one. I'm not really fond of sunlight coming in."
Having slept outdoors so much in demon territory, my body had adapted to falling asleep much better in moderately dim places rather than bright ones.
Feeling a sense of pathetic misery over my altered constitution, I roughly waved my hand and got down to business.
"More importantly. Since we're sharing a room, let's set some minimum ground rules between us."
"Huh? Rules?"
"Yeah. Nothing grandiose, let's just keep to one thing."
I said, raising a finger.
The rule was simple.
As much as possible, do not interfere with each other's private lives.
Since we've lived different lives, starting from dispositions to habits and down to every single behavior, we're bound to be different.
It would be great if we got along well in the process, but there was also the possibility of conflict, wasn't there?
So I'm saying let's avoid interfering as much as possible so problems don't arise beforehand.
"How about it, simple, right?"
An extremely simple rule to avoid creating issues between each other as much as possible.
If this were the standard formula of a rom-com, you'd bicker with your roommate, experience conflict, reconcile, and gradually deepen your friendship here, but.
I didn't really have any intention of doing that.
"......."
Ciel, who had been listening to my words quietly, hesitated for a moment before speaking in a small voice.
"...O-Okay. I'll do as you say."
"Good."
Seeing Ciel nod, I stood up from my seat with satisfaction.
I've taken a refreshing shower.
We've set our mutual ground rules.
All that was left now was to throw my body onto that soft-looking bed and get some sweet sleep to wash away the fatigue accumulated over the past several days.
"Then I'm tired, so I'm sleeping first. You finish unpacking your stuff and rest."
"Huh? E-Excuse me! Hanah, wait a second...!"
As I waved my hand and was about to enter my room, Ciel urgently grabbed my collar.
"...Why?"
Wondering if he still had something more to say, I turned my head.
As my gaze fell upon his hand, Ciel was startled and let go.
"Th-That is... earlier when you fell asleep in the main auditorium. You were breaking out in a lot of cold sweat... and you looked really tired."
The cold sweat was because I had a nightmare.
Being tired was also because I hadn't slept a wink for days.
As I crossed my arms and looked at Ciel's mouth as if telling him to go on,
"S-So what I mean is?"
Ciel gathered up a small thermos and a teacup sitting on the table and held them out to me.
"This is herbal tea brewed with a specialty from my hometown.... It's really good for deep sleep. Since you said you were... tired. I thought it might help if you drank even this before going to sleep...."
Beyond the sloshing liquid, a subtle floral fragrance similar to the scent coming from him was wafting from the teacup.
"So, would you like to... try a cup?"
"⋯⋯."
With those words, he didn't say anything more.
He was merely looking up at me without any other words.
When I met his eyes, wondering if there might be some hidden motive I hadn't noticed,
not a shred of malice or calculation could be felt in Ciel's large, clear eyes.
Only goodwill and a slight amount of concern were resting there.
'...Just how nice is he, making people feel uncomfortable.'
It was a kindness that rendered my resolve to draw a line completely pointless.
⋯Just how long has it been since I received goodwill like this?
I tried frowning to trace back my memories, but soon gave up.
'I don't even remember.'
Ever since I came to this world, I had never received genuine goodwill.
Because everything I encountered was either trash trying to use me or demons trying to take my head off immediately.
"......."
No, there were some.
It wasn't that everyone who approached me was trash.
It was just that because they were painful memories when recalled, I had tried to forget.
"B-By any chance, do you not like tea very much...?"
When I said nothing, just as Ciel was about to pull back the teacup with a sullen expression,
"No."
I took the teacup from his hand almost as if snatching it.
"I'll enjoy it. Thanks."
Kkulkkeok kkulkkeok.
Without even time to savor the aroma, I gulped down the tea in one breath.
A warm, sweet energy traveled down my esophagus, solidly warming my stomach.
"H-Huh!? It's hot if you drink it all at once like that...!"
"I'm good with hot stuff. I'll leave the cup here."
Leaving behind Ciel, who was staring in surprise, I set the empty teacup down on the table.
It was just as I scratched the back of my head in awkwardness and grabbed the doorknob leading to my room.
"Um, Hanah!"
"...What is it this time."
Even though I was being blunt, a voice calling me once again without getting tired of it.
Turning around, with both hands gathered at his chest,
with a dazzlingly radiant smile that had none of the terrified expression he had when he saw me in the main auditorium earlier, he was smiling.
"Earlier I said it was fine if you didn't return the handkerchief. But you said you'd wash it and bring it tomorrow."
"...I did. But we're in the same room."
There wouldn't even be a need to bring it, just washing it and putting it on the table would do.
"Yeah. So.... If it's okay, would you like to go to school together tomorrow? If I wake up first, I'll wait."
"......."
Did I fail to draw the line right after making up my mind?
Because my personality wasn't quite rock-bottom enough to say 'I don't need it, so piss off' to a brightly smiling face.
"...Do whatever you want."
"Mm-hmm!"
I replied bluntly, stepped inside the bedroom, and closed the door.
"Phew."
As soon as I entered the bedroom, what came into view was a wide king-sized bed laid with top-grade duck-down carpeting.
It was so large that there would be room to spare even if two people, not just one, lay down.
Entertaining the silly thought that at least I wouldn't roll off while tossing around on the bed, I threw my body onto it without hesitation.
As the bed softly supported my weight, a plushness as if lying atop a cloud enveloped my entire body.
Neither in my original world nor since coming to this world had I ever laid on a bed this soft even once.
"Eoh-heu⋯."
An eoh-heu sound naturally flowed from my mouth.
Is this why everyone tries to buy an expensive bed once they save up money?
"......."
Whether it was the effect of the herbal tea Ciel gave me, or simply that I had reached my limit.
The muscles throughout my entire body relaxed languidly, and an irresistible drowsiness began to wash over me like crazy.
Kkoreureuk.
Because I hadn't put anything in my stomach all day,
I was gradually getting hungrier, but.
'Shut up.'
No matter how starved I was, I had zero desire to get up from the bed I was lying on.
Meaning the desire to sleep was far more urgent than the desire to eat.
"......."
Enduring the appetite and lying still, my eyes gradually began to close.
Yeah. Let's think about tomorrow's matters tomorrow.
Once I get a solid night's sleep, it'll work out somehow.
Just as my consciousness was slowly sinking into darkness like that,
Ddiring—!
a system sound effect that didn't fit the current situation at all rang out.
'...What is it.'
It was just when I was about to fall asleep pleasantly.
When I snapped my eyes open with an irritated groan, a translucent blue hologram window was floating in the air.
[Goddess Serenoa-nim has sent you an urgent message!]
[Content: Ah, Hero-nim, by any chance you aren't sleeping, right? You really shouldn't be sleeping right now!]
Why is she making a fuss and waking me up when someone's finally trying to get some comfortable sleep?
"⋯⋯."
Is it that she just can't stand seeing me at peace?
The moment I raised my hand to dismiss the window regardless of what she had to say,
as if she had anticipated even that,
additional content smoothly surfaced below the message window.
[Content: H-Hero-nim! You must not close it! I brought good information for Hero-nim, you know!]
'Information?'
Ddiring—!
[Content: Just now, the young lady of the Duchy of Valois kicked open the dormitory's main entrance and barged in! Looking at it, it seems she checked the dormitory roster to find Hero-nim. Wishing you luck, Hero-nim! Fighting! ٩( ᐛ )و]
"...What?"
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
No sooner had I read down the system window,
faintly from the direction of the dormitory's 1st floor lobby, ridiculously loud footsteps and shouting that shook the entire building began to be heard.
"I will never forgive you! I've already confirmed where you are, so come out right nowww!"
"......."
It's a familiar voice.
And it was also a voice I desperately did not want to hear.
It was the lion's roar of Lucia de Valois filled with spite, throwing whatever soft tone she had while taking the oath at the podium straight to the dogs.
'...She really came looking for me?'
No, wasn't she a noble?
Not just an ordinary noble, but a duke's daughter at that.
Even if she holds a grudge against me, still.
Coming to the male dormitory, and acting this crazy while doing so, does that make any sense?
Do you hate me that much?
Is it really because I tied my necktie a bit loosely?
Does something called common sense even exist in this game?
Ah.
"...There's no way something like that exists."
Come to think of it, this game. It has no common sense.
Because if it did, I wouldn't be suffering like this. Yeah.
Just as I was convincing myself, the closed door soon opened and Ciel came in with an ashen face.
"Hanah! I-It's really noisy outside. Could something have happened?"
Glancing briefly at the terrified guy, I got up if only to avoid the impending danger, unwanted as it was.
"From now on, stay quiet without even breathing."
"H-Huh? Why?"
"Because something more horrific and barbaric than a wild mountain beast is scheduled to invade."
To prepare for any possible contingency, I turned off every light in the room.
Then, grabbing the dazed Ciel by the nape of his neck and pulling him in, I clamped my hand tightly over his mouth and hid in the corner under the bed.
I doubt it, but.
Because you never know.
"Eup⋯. Eueup?!"
Kung! Kung! Kung!
The footsteps were drawing closer and closer.
Something that had climbed the stairs was walking down the 2nd floor hallway without hesitation.