Chapter 24
As soon as I got back to my room, I tossed my clothes haphazardly over the chair and flung myself onto the bed.
“Haaah……”
Lying there, enveloped by the bed's soft embrace, the accumulated fatigue from the day began to melt away, leaving me blissfully drowsy.
Come to think of it, the beds in the academy dorms have some kind of fatigue recovery magic on them, right?
I'd heard they also had spells for stamina and mana regeneration to help you recover faster even while sleeping. It seemed the academy, true to its reputation as the best, really invested in student welfare.
When I was reading the novel, I'd thought it was such a waste of money.
But now that I'm living it, I'm glad that detail exists.
Still, even with my body gradually recovering, it wasn't like the exhaustion vanished completely, so my eyes grew heavier and heavier.
I've got to head to S-Class tomorrow, too.
I'd come in dead last in the physical test, so I was a bit scared that guys like Epelsar might target me.
But whatever, Dina's there, so it'll probably be fine somehow.
With me around, it'd be easier for her to get close to Scarlett, so she'd keep an eye on me, right?
Eventually, my eyes fully closed, and I slipped into the illusion of my body floating gently on water.
A moment later, I forced my eyes open again……
“What the fuck.”
Sunlight leaked through the curtains, and the chirping of birds drifted in from outside the window. It felt like I'd only blinked for a second, but it was already morning?
Thanks to the bed's effects, my body felt refreshed, but for some reason, I felt a little cheated. It didn't feel like I'd slept at all.
So, what time was it now? I turned my head to check the clock—it was already pushing 8:20.
…I was supposed to meet Dina at 8 sharp to head to class together?
“Shit!”
No time to wash my hair. I splashed some cold water on my face in the bathroom and threw on my uniform.
Did she go ahead? It's annoying not having a way to contact her.
We should exchange contact info or something.
I roughly ran my fingers through my hair to tame the bedhead and yanked open the door in a hurry… and there was Dina.
“…Huh?”
I froze in surprise, and she looked just as startled. After staring at my face stiffly for a moment, she spoke.
“…You're late.”
Her cold voice pierced right through my chest. Better apologize first.
“Sorry.”
Dina hummed thoughtfully at my quick apology.
“Let's go. We're going to be late.”
“Yeah……”
She started walking briskly ahead, and I hurried after her.
We left the dorms and headed down the street toward Shield. Just like yesterday, her beautifully cascading hair swayed with each step, leaving a faint fragrance in its wake.
Of course, trailing right behind her, I got the full brunt of that scent.
Peach again… Is it her shampoo?
Even in that brief glimpse, her silhouette and aroma were captivating enough to draw anyone's eye. The silvery strands shimmered like well-cared-for silk, releasing a subtle, sweet perfume.
Watching her back, I couldn't help but fret over my own unwashed morning hair.
I hadn't even properly checked the mirror while washing up, so honestly, I had no idea how bad it looked. But it was definitely a mess.
Once I thought about it, it started bugging me nonstop, so I tried to at least smooth it down with my hand.
Preoccupied with my hair, I nearly crashed into Dina when she suddenly stopped.
“What's up? Something in the way?”
“We'll be late at this rate.”
She whipped around to face me. She was right—the distance from the dorms to Shield was pretty far. At this pace, we were definitely cutting it close.
“Then should we run…?!”
I was about to suggest sprinting when Dina strode over and grabbed my hand.
Her hand was unbelievably cold—hard to believe it belonged to a person. Probably the influence of her [Reverse Heaven] trait.
Light usually evokes warmth, so its opposite, darkness, naturally feels cold.
Her icy hand gripped mine tightly.
And in the next instant, darkness enveloped us both.
Is she killing me as punishment for making us late?!
Contrary to my wild guess, the darkness lifted quickly. But the scenery around us had changed.
Dina had teleported us right in front of Shield.
What a ridiculous overpowered cheat…
I stood there dumbfounded, staring at the building, when Dina tugged my hand and pulled me toward the entrance.
Honestly, her physical strength was way below mine, so I could've shaken her off easily, but something told me not to, so I gave in.
Dragged along by Dina, we reached the door. When I pushed it open, the only person inside was Kania, slumped asleep over her desk.
The seats for the A-Class supervisors were at the far back. Dina said she was heading to the bathroom first, so I went and sat down.
Glancing at the clock, class was about to start, but Kania was still the only one here.
They wouldn't already be late or skipping, would they?
In the novel, Dina hadn't been in charge from the start, so I had no idea how things would play out.
No major incidents were supposed to happen, so it should be fine…
I was mentally listing upcoming events when suddenly a cold sensation settled on my head.
I didn't even sense her approaching right behind me with [Instinct]?
Was I too lost in thought? Too startled to move, I felt that icy touch gently stroke my hair.
It was refreshingly cool, clearing my mind, and the careful touch wasn't half bad.
…Feels kinda nice, actually.
But I had a pretty good idea who was standing behind me.
Slowly turning, I saw the silver-haired beauty in her black mask, her body trembling slightly.
“What're you doing?”
At my words, Dina averted her eyes a little. Her gaze and the tips of her reddening fingers trembled like she was scared of something.
I'd asked what she was doing, but it was obvious why she'd act like this toward someone else.
She's definitely trying to seduce me.
Her top priority right now was Scarlett, but she didn't mind reeling me in along the way.
Honestly, my heart did skip a beat, but remembering there was a guy inside her quickly settled it.
It reminded me of my dad patting my head—more embarrassing than anything.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
…I'd ignore the heartbeat sounds from somewhere.
“Y-you seemed bothered by your messy hair earlier.”
“Huh? My hair?”
“Yeah… So I thought I'd fix it for you… D-did it bother you?”
Obviously a lie, but it was so plausible that it almost swayed me. I had been obsessing over my hair since we left the dorms.
An elf-level beauty personally tending to my bedhead like that? Any normal guy would've fallen head over heels.
Heh. But I'm not like those guys.
As if I'd fall for a dude!
No matter how well Dina played the girl role, the core was still a man. As long as I remembered that, there was no reason to fall for her.
I could feel her peeking at me with those starry night eyes, gauging my reaction.
“It was bugging me anyway. Thanks.”
I flashed a bright smile in response. She had no idea it carried my ironclad resolve: I will never fall for you!
Dina stared blankly at my face before suddenly whipping her head away.
Her ear tips seemed a little red…
Standing behind me, fidgeting with her hands and feet for a bit, she finally plopped down in the seat next to mine.
I was watching her out of the corner of my eye when the door to Shield burst open, and two girls came in.
“Listen to this, Il!”
“Ugh, no! Stop being annoying and get lost!”
“This is the low-grade fire spirit I contracted with yesterday! I thought it'd suit you perfectly, so I brought it!”
“I don't care about spirits, so scram!”
“Come on! Look closely—it's super cute! It looks just like you!”
“Uwaaaah!”
Their boisterous entrance finally woke Kania, who slowly lifted her head from the desk. Even slightly disheveled from sleep, her beauty shone through undimmed.
As I stared at the just-awakened Kania, I felt a strange gaze from right beside me.
Curious, I turned slightly and locked eyes with Dina before quickly facing forward and slumping over my desk.
Thanks to what just happened, I felt a bit more at ease, but she was still scary.
What if she changed her mind and tried to kill me?!
…Huh? At ease?
Isn't this a little dangerous?
If I kept letting my guard down like this, something bad might happen.
I've gotta stay sharp.