15. You're Pretty
15. You're Pretty
"Traitor."
"What are you talking about...."
"You, who acted like you had no interest in dating, are secretly hanging out with such a young kid... As they say, the quiet ones are the problem."
"Haa......."
Ever since I happened to—truly, just happened to—run into Noah, my friend of the same age had been going on and on about this.
It's probably because she's a woman who's been starving for a man.
Not just usually, but because she's a woman who hasn't been able to have a proper relationship for years.
It seems she just didn't like the situation where I was having a fairly normal conversation with a boy who was much younger, 11 years younger to be exact.
It wasn't like we were in that kind of relationship, anyway.
To begin with, having weird thoughts about someone 11 years younger makes you a crazy bitch.
But that's just the kind of bitch she is.
"17 years old... that's around the time we entered the Academy... six....... Are you seriously crazy? That's a literal child!"
"But he's handsome!"
"......."
"His shoulders are, like, yeah? Super broad, and he's tall, too. It makes no sense, really! If you look at his frame, he's incredibly masculine, but his face is secretly cute, yeah?!"
"Haa...."
Crazy bitch....
Seriously....
"Sigh...."
"Wow, I've met many noble men. It's been a long time since I've seen a kid who's such an all-rounder?"
"......Sigh."
Ever since she saw Noah, she had been doing this non-stop.
It was truly ridiculous that she kept going on and on, but... well, it was true that the kid was handsome.
"......Sigh."
Still, I wasn't sure if it warranted this much of a reaction.
.
.
.
"Good morning, Nuna. Did your friend from yesterday not come today?"
"Why, are you interested?"
"Huh? That's not it. It's just, for once, there was someone other than you at the convenience store counter. I just thought it was a bit fascinating, that's all."
"Aha."
That makes sense.
Even to me, the only person who usually comes behind the counter, besides myself... was this kid who comes into the break room as he pleases.
I could certainly understand why he'd react this way.
Even if it is a bit ridiculous?
"I was also a bit surprised that you had a friend, Nuna. You're usually always alone, and I've only ever run into you when you're by yourself outside the Academy."
"Hmm... well, I suppose so."
"Anyway, I'm really happy to see you again after so long."
"Yeah, even though it's only been two weeks."
"Isn't two weeks long enough? During the Academy semester, we met almost every single day."
"......."
Is that so?
I thought about it a little at Noah's words, but two weeks... I'm not sure.
I just spent the time boringly and normally, and it wasn't anything particularly strange.
But well, since the kid says so.
Since the kid who has lived a shorter life than me says so.
I just let it slide.
"Ah, um... Master? I came to train with that person, is it okay to be here like this?"
"Ah, training with Master is in the afternoon. I just came here because I wanted to see you, Nuna."
"Sigh."
Seeing him say weird things again, I felt relieved that Vivian was sleeping comfortably at the inn.
If that bitch had been chattering right next to me here.
She definitely would have spouted all sorts of nonsense next to me, and on top of that, she would have said weird things to Noah.
"Instead of me, you should be spending more time with your childhood friend."
"Iris? Why?"
"Tsk tsk...."
Anyone could see that she harbored those kinds of feelings.
I couldn't help but think that the girl must be having a hard time because of this kid who was so incredibly oblivious.
On the other hand, I was also ridiculous for dealing with such an oblivious kid like this.
"Anyway, seeing as they called you in early during vacation to train, that Master is definitely a weird person."
"Haha...."
"Is it some super old, weird person? There are a lot of people like that in the Swordsmanship Department, so it must be. Like, demanding all sorts of things from talented kids, training them, and saying if they work hard, they'll become amazing swordsmen. Yeah?"
"Hahaha......."
Seriously, what kind of crazy Academy teacher would call a student in like this when half the vacation has already passed.
This kid who agreed to it isn't normal either, but just seeing him act like this toward me, who is 11 years his senior, he isn't exactly normal.
I just let him slide.
But an Academy teacher is different.
If they're an Academy teacher, they're an adult, and they should have a brain that works properly....
"Tsk tsk... If it's hard, should I report them for you? I'm not without connections, you know."
"No, it's okay. Actually, it's true that I'm continuing to improve while training."
"Is that so? Well, if you say so, it doesn't matter. But if that teacher keeps making you do weird things, seriously, tell me."
I didn't say this because I particularly liked the kid, but just because it was the kind of thing that was problematic in terms of common sense.
Even Vivian, that bitch, just acts that way.
She is the eldest daughter of a fairly prestigious family, and among her old connections, there were some quite high-ranking people.
I could handle one Academy teacher, if I tried hard enough.
Not in a weird, dangerous sense, but just that it's possible to have them sent to a different academy.
"Thank you. As expected, there's no one like you, Nuna."
"Haa... I don't know what you like about an old lady like me, always acting like this... I'm seriously worried about your future...."
"Haha...."
I'm worried about my own future, wondering how long I have to put up with this.
Still, doing this will eventually stop on its own someday.
It wasn't like there were no women around him.
Rather, his childhood friend who grew up with him from his hometown is right there by his side, and from what I hear... it seems he even ate cake with another girl.
Wouldn't he easily forget an old lady like me once he gets together with one of them, or someone else?
That age difference doesn't matter.
Among the bastards who say things like that, there wasn't anyone who didn't like young, youthful partners.
"So, what are you going to do for lunch?"
"Um... I was thinking of buying it here?"
"Even during vacation...."
Dinner with Academy convenience store food....
I held back a sigh.
Aside from him acting like a fool with me, I felt a bit sorry because it felt like I kept saying mean things to a kid who was much younger.
Anyway, he's a kid who threw away his precious vacation and returned to the Academy because of a teacher much older than him.
I remember Noah isn't a noble, but a commoner.
For a kid like that to buy this and that, eat... and live abundantly, at least within the Academy, it would be difficult.
"...Wait here for a second."
"Yes?"
Still, I'm an adult.
It doesn't matter much that he usually plays absurd pranks on adults.
But it's just a bit pitiful to see a kid who is much younger coming to school alone during vacation and doing this.
"......Nuna, is this okay?"
"If I'm opening the convenience store every single day during vacation without taking time off, that's enough. Who's going to say anything if the owner says she's going to eat lunch outside?"
"Uh... um... is that so?"
"In the first place, have you ever seen me go outside to eat lunch while I'm working?"
"...Ah, that's true. I don't think I've ever seen you eat lunch. Do you eat separately when there are no customers?"
"I just don't eat it?"
"......What?"
I left the kid who was looking at me with a bewildered expression behind and was slowly walking toward the cafeteria.
Because the weather was damn hot.
Because it was still summer.
Because the temperature today easily exceeded 30 degrees.
"Ugh... it's hot."
"...Nuna, do you really not eat lunch normally?"
"Lunch? I told you I don't eat it."
In the first place, I work alone, so where would I find the time to eat?
Besides, I have to sell all the items in the convenience store, and it's a bit of a waste to pay for them with my own money.
Expired goods were just things I took home in the evening to eat as snacks, or sometimes I'd just dump them on kids like Noah.
"......Are you sure you're okay?"
"I eat breakfast and dinner just fine. I'm fine, and to begin with, my body is different from a normal human's, so there's no problem."
"Uh... um......."
I don't usually pay much attention to it, but....
Noah had a somewhat peculiar habit.
It's nothing major, but something I see often.
When he can't easily bring something up, but feels like he needs to say something, he tilts his head vaguely to the side and furrows his brows tightly.
Like he is right now.
He's done this before, too.
"Because a Snow Woman's body, unlike a human's, uses mana as a kind of nutrient."
"Ah...."
"Of course, if I use too much mana, my body gets weaker, but my mana pool is so huge. It's not really a problem."
"Mana pool......?"
"Yeah, the amount of mana varies from person to person, right? Your childhood friend, and you too. Everyone is different."
"Ah, um, yes, that's right."
"So it's not a big problem."
That was also the reason I could run the freezer and cold storage inside the convenience store every day.
It's possible because I have a lot of mana.
Plus, in a summer like this, I even acted as an air conditioner, so mana was bound to be used up rapidly.
"I told you before, when you were spouting nonsense, didn't I? That I'm definitely not just some insignificant person, unlike what you think."
"Hmm... I don't have much talent for magic, so it's a bit fascinating."
"Is that so?"
Well, it must be difficult from the perspective of swordsmen.
Of course, it was a racial trait of the Snow Women, so even magic users would find it hard to relate easily.
Still, maybe... if it were that childhood friend, Iris, she might have understood it a bit better than this kid.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. The weather is... ugh.... It's too hot, let's go somewhere quickly."
"Yes, Nuna."
"Still... it's about 10 minutes left until the restaurant I was planning to go to."
Would it have been better to just settle for somewhere nearby?
That thought crossed my mind, but I couldn't just feed a kid who has training in the afternoon anything, or feed him carelessly....
"You're hot too, right?"
"It is, well, quite hot."
"Tell me about it."
I could see sweat flowing down the back of the shirt Noah was wearing, as well as on his neck and chin.
It might be because I'm a Snow Woman and particularly sensitive to heat.
But it was weather that was hot enough for normal humans, too.
So, when I was indoors, I usually adjusted the indoor temperature myself, and outdoors, I naturally took various measures around my body using mana.
"Noah, look at me and try standing still for a moment."
"Yes?"
Because normal humans find that difficult.
Because it's something only possible as a Snow Woman.
I decided to help him avoid the heat, even if just a little.
"Huuu......."
"Ugh...?"
I infused a bit of mana into my breath and sent a very cool breeze to the kid.
Actually, it was just me exhaling a long breath.
But in this weather, it would feel incredibly cool and nice.
"How is it?"
"Ah, uh, you're pretty...."
"...What are you saying? I'm asking if it's cool."
"Ah......."
Did the heat get to him?
Him suddenly giving me a weird compliment was so typical of a boy that age that it was a bit funny, and on the other hand, it was ridiculous and cute.
It wasn't in a weird way.
"If you've cooled down, let's get going again."
"...Yes, Nuna."
It was also funny how he followed quietly behind me, even though he was much taller than me, and I'm already quite tall for a woman.