Because I Like My Sister!
Felix Foundation Ward.
Located some distance from the school itself, the facility had been established for the welfare of faculty and Felix Foundation staff. At the same time, it also served as the place where Academy students were treated for illnesses or injuries beyond what the school nurse could handle.
“…….”
Lua stopped in front of Room 202, a bag of clothes and daily necessities clutched in one hand.
—Knock knock.
“Yes!”
After a moment’s hesitation she knocked, and a bright voice answered from inside. Lua pushed the door open with her shoulder and stepped in.
“Ah, Unnie!”
Sua, sitting up in bed in a hospital gown, waved cheerfully. An IV needle was taped into her left forearm.
“Thanks! Looking at the time, you came straight after work, huh?”
“Yeah….”
The room was a well-appointed private suite—a courtesy provided by the Felix Foundation, which bore responsibility for the accident. Hospital fees and treatment costs were free of charge, of course.
“Here. The stuff you asked for.”
“Thanks.”
Lua set the bag on the bedside table and hopped up onto the caregiver’s chair.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
Sua smiled brightly.
“I just overdid it a little. A few days of rest and I’ll be good as new.”
The problem had been the way she had poured out skills until her mana was completely drained. The excessive strain had damaged both her mana circuits and her body; the doctor had said she needed time to stabilize.
If Lua’s Healing or Perfect Healing could have fixed it, that would have been ideal—but those two skills were only useful for external wounds. They could not restore internal exhaustion.
“…….”
Lua took Sua’s hand in both of hers.
“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t done what I did, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt like this.”
“…….”
The deeper Sua’s injuries, the heavier Lua’s guilt.
Charging the monsters just to figure out the conditions for Sua’s limit break had been, even by her own admission, a stupid move. She should have expected that Sua would push her skills past the breaking point.
She got hurt because of me.
If she had simply focused on defense and escape until the teachers arrived, Sua would never have ended up in a hospital bed.
“It was my greed.”
Lua laid it out honestly.
“Greed?”
“I wanted to see how strong your ability really was. The first time you blocked the slime’s attacks over and over with Ether Shield, I got curious about the conditions that made it possible.”
Sua watched her in silence.
“I figured out you only get stronger when you’re trying to protect me… but I never thought you’d push yourself that far. It’s my fault.”
Maybe, even now, Lua was still living this life as if she were playing a game.
This is already reality.
She should have realized it the moment Himari had come to her saying she would become her “moon,” or when Juju had taken down Lee Hwiseong. These were not the game characters she had known—they were living, breathing people with real emotions.
And yet, like an idiot, she had treated Sua like a game character and forced her past her limits.
“It won’t happen again.”
The words were a vow to herself as much as to Sua.
“So you don’t do it either, Sua.”
“…….”
“You don’t have to push yourself that hard just for me.”
“Unnie.”
At Sua’s voice Lua lifted her head to meet her sister’s eyes—
“—Ow!”
Without warning, Sua pinched Lua’s cheek between thumb and forefinger. Tears sprang to her eyes from the sharp sting.
“Ugh, uuuh….”
Sua’s angry face stared down at the teary-eyed Lua.
“I get that you jumped into the slime because you wanted to test my ability. I’ll forgive that.”
“S-sorry….”
“That’s not what you should be apologizing for!”
—Smack!
Her little sister cupped both of Lua’s cheeks in her palms and pulled her face close.
“What? ‘You don’t have to push yourself that hard just for me’? What is that supposed to mean?!”
“Huh? Eh?”
“You’ve been like this since we were kids. Whenever someone made you cry, I went and taught them a lesson for you. Remember?”
Of course Lua had no such memories. But given the relationship between Sua and Lua, it was easy enough to guess that things had always been that way.
“Nothing’s changed.”
“…….”
“You’re the most important person in the world to me. This whole thing made me certain of it. The second I think you’re in danger, my instincts scream at me to pour everything I have into saving you.”
With both cheeks still squished, Lua could only blink at her sister.
“I’ve never felt that way about anyone else.”
“Sua….”
“So don’t say stuff like that. It hurts my feelings.”
Released from Sua’s hands, Lua settled back onto the chair.
She fretted over what to say, then finally managed a hesitant murmur.
“Yeah… sorry.”
Only then did Sua smile and gently brush Lua’s hair back from her forehead.
“Juju came by earlier.”
“Huh? She did?”
“I heard you promised special tutoring for Juju and Himari.”
“Uh? Uh, well….”
She hadn’t expected the two of them to talk to each other; Lua nodded in flustered surprise.
“When I get out of here, I want in too.”
“You, Sua?”
“If I’ve got some ability I don’t even understand yet, I want to use it to protect you.”
Her little sister’s expression was completely serious.
“I don’t know what kind of lessons they are, but I’m going to practice so I can use the power I showed when I protected you more safely—and whenever I want.”
“…….”
“So help me, Unnie.”
Lua’s lips parted, then closed again.
She couldn’t bring herself to say yes right away.
True, the strength Sua had displayed while protecting her would make her an outstanding mage for any party. And her relationships with Lua and the rest of the party were excellent.
But the fear of hurting Sua again still lingered.
“I know what you’re worried about.”
Sua spoke up.
“But if you’re ever in danger, I’m going to jump in no matter what. Which means I’ll end up back in a hospital bed like this, right?”
“What?”
“So wouldn’t it be smarter to train beforehand so that doesn’t happen?”
Sua giggled, delivering the adorable threat with a mischievous sparkle.
“Besides, I can’t just leave you to those two.”
“What is that supposed to mean….”
Lua let out a small sigh.
If Sua was going to throw herself into danger the moment Lua was threatened, that was a checkmate. A pattern she would walk into even knowing it was coming.
In that case, Sua was right—better to train her so she could control the power than leave her free to spam skills recklessly again.
And besides…
Apparently she still couldn’t quite shed the gamer in herself.
Just imagining the performance a party with Sua’s power added would put on made her heart race.
“All right.”
“Really?!”
When Lua nodded, Sua beamed and pulled her into a tight hug. By the time Lua managed to wriggle free, her hair was a complete mess.
“We’ll start once you’re discharged.”
“Okay!”
“Come back fully recovered. It’s going to be tough.”
“Yes, Teacher!”
Lua huffed a laugh mixed with a sigh, stood, and walked toward the door. It was about time she headed back.
“See you tomorrow!”
“…….”
Hand on the doorknob, Lua suddenly paused.
“Hey, Sua.”
“?”
She looked back at her sister.
“Why… do you go that far for me?”
It was the question she had kept buried deepest of all. Why was Sua so determined to protect her no matter what?
She had asked it with considerable weight, yet Sua’s answer was light as air.
“Hm? That’s easy—because I like my sister!”
“…That’s all?”
“Do I need more reasons?”
Sua tilted her head and answered the question with a question of her own.
“R-right, okay….”
Lua’s face flushed for no good reason. She left the room with her head ducked low.
The following afternoon, a hearing on the monster research class incident was held in the Chairman’s office on the top floor of the Academy building.
“Is everyone here?”
Seated at the head of the long table was Chairman Pyo Yeonghan. He normally stayed out of day-to-day school affairs, but this matter was serious enough that he had taken personal charge.
“Yes, Chairman.”
“All first-year faculty are present.”
The first-year teachers sat in a row along one side.
“Second-year faculty are all here as well.”
The second-year teachers occupied the other side. Given that the incident had occurred during a joint first- and second-year class, their presence was only natural.
“And the witnesses?”
The Chairman’s gaze shifted to the far end of the table, where a separate set of chairs had been arranged.
—Gulp.
There were four witnesses.
On the far right sat the teacher in charge of the monster research class, legs trembling violently. Next to him was Lua. Beside her sat Himari.
Lua was required to attend as the only teacher who had witnessed the entire incident from start to finish; Himari was present in place of Sua, who had defeated the slime.
And on the far left, arms crossed and eyes closed, sat a man.
The Academy field-team hunter who had captured the slime.
In a sense he bore the greatest responsibility of all, yet he waited for his turn without the slightest sign of nerves.
“W-we’re all—”
“Yes, everyone is present.”
Himari soothed the stammering Lua and answered in her place. She laid her hand lightly over Lua’s as if to say, I’m here, so don’t worry.
“Very well. Let us begin.”
Chairman Pyo Yeonghan’s tiger-like gaze swept over everyone present.
“This incident has shaken the trust placed in our Felix Academy and endangered the safety of our students. We therefore regard it with the utmost gravity.”
The words were closer to a warning than a statement.
“The purpose of this hearing is to ascertain the full details of the event and to establish clear responsibility.”
“…….”
“Then we shall begin. First witness, please step forward.”