17. Body
17. Body
"Noah!"
"Ah, Iris."
"You worked hard on your training today, too. It was tough, wasn't it?"
"It was, but it's something I always do. Actually, I didn't even attend my Academy classes and came straight here, so I'm fine."
"Still, you're sweating buckets like this, there's no way it wasn't tough."
Towards the end of the training, Iris had naturally entered the training room.
As always, she was naturally wiping Noah's sweat with a towel that smelled of soft flowers.
A behavior that had continued since the first semester.
No, to be precise, it was a habit that had lasted for several years, as she had done the same whenever Noah sweated or occasionally bled since they were children.
"Do you want some water? Ah, I also brought orange juice."
"Water is enough."
"Okay, here."
Iris was taking care of Noah with a gentle voice as he lay exhausted on the floor of the training room.
And Noah didn't particularly refuse Iris's touch.
It was something that had been normal since childhood, after all.
They were childhood friends, and it had been that way since they were young.
"......Hmph. Noah, are you planning to end today's training here?"
"Uh... isn't the usual time already over?"
"You've become quite dull over the last two weeks. Everything from a moment ago was closer to rehabilitation than training. What do you want to do?"
Noah's Master, who didn't like the sight of the two, spoke while looking down at the lying Noah.
In truth, she didn't usually do this.
Even though they hadn't met in a while, there was no welcoming reaction from her disciple, and she didn't like the way he was nonchalantly receiving the touch of that childhood friend bitch.
So, she deliberately suggested doing more training.
"If you say so, Master, then I suppose I should do a bit more."
"That's right."
"Uh, uh... isn't that too hard...? Noah, you're breathing really heavily right now?"
"I'm fine now. Once you spar, you get used to this level."
"Still...."
As expected, Iris thought this wasn't training, but just an act to vent her anger.
She gave a very suspicious look.
But she had seen Noah wanting to become a cool person by honing his swordsmanship even more.
So she didn't continue the conversation and quietly stepped to the back of the training room.
"Put down your sword first."
"Yes."
"For a swordsman, swordsmanship is an extension of the body; the sword is ultimately just a fist with longer reach. You need to get used to hand-to-hand combat."
"Should I take off my Gauntlet too?"
"Yes."
Even though she didn't usually make him do this during training, she did it because of a certain girl who had approached her disciple.
Because of a student much younger than herself.
17 and 23; in truth, 23 wasn't that old, but compared to a 17-year-old boy, it was certainly much older, and Morgan, the Master, was aware of that.
"Master?"
"...Ah, yes. Now that you've taken off the Gauntlet too, I'll continue the explanation."
Morgan was momentarily distracted because Noah's hand, having removed the Gauntlet used for sword training, looked sexier than she thought.
It felt quite pretty for a man, but when looked at in detail, it was clearly bumpy and thick due to the traces left by his dedication to sword training.
"Hand-to-hand combat literally means subduing an opponent with your bare hands. This includes grappling, striking, restraining... things like that. Using these goes beyond just utilizing your body; one day, you might even use them in a situation where you're fighting with swordsmanship."
"Certainly... while a sword is a swordsman's life, just because the sword is taken away doesn't mean you're guaranteed to die."
"That's right. That's what this is for."
"Yes, Master."
She quietly suppressed the corners of her mouth from rising at the response of her disciple, who was politely nodding while looking up at her.
Morgan wanted to be a cool Master in front of her disciple.
She wanted to appear as an older person with something to teach.
"Can you give me your hand?"
"Yes."
"......."
Of course, even she hesitated for a moment when she directly held Noah's hand for the first time, unable to do anything for over 5 seconds.
But she felt like she would lose her dignity as a Master, her dignity as an older person, and her dignity as a Noona if she stayed like this.
She immediately pulled herself together and continued speaking.
"If we're in a state where we aren't using Mana, you're a bit stronger than me. Let's start slowly for now."
"Yes, Master."
Even though she was still holding his hand.
Thus, the training continued.
To be precise, unlike usual, they continued by mimicking martial arts stances while holding each other's bare hands.
"......."
'Isn't that just skinship......?'
It was only natural for Noah's childhood friend, who was watching that scene, to think that.
Of course, Noah was truly serious.
He didn't care at all that parts like his Master's chest or thighs occasionally touched his body, and he was seriously learning about combat, actually focusing only on that.
"Haa...."
She couldn't say anything to that childhood friend, just watching as her childhood friend rubbed his body against someone who was much cooler than her and had a good job as an Academy teacher.
Though she even turned her eyes away halfway through.
"Hey, Skadi. One whiskey on the rocks."
"Are you really going to drink it?"
"...Just make me one ice cube to put in the glass."
"Sigh......."
There had been a bit of a commotion because of a certain brat I know.
But I was living normally.
It was still vacation anyway, and Noah only visited the convenience store in the morning.
My 28-year-old friend... she barely woke up at the inn around lunchtime, solved her lunch alone, and didn't show up until evening, right around the time I was getting off work, so no further problems arose.
"Khuuu... Ah, the inn was really hot."
"Well, it's summer."
"How is the inside of the convenience store cooler than the inn... can't I just sleep here?"
"After I clock out, I only keep the cooling on in the fridge and freezer, and then I leave?"
"That's...!"
She was a woman who would come and bother me like this while I was cleaning up before clocking out, just like today.
She was like this when we attended the Academy, too.
How is it that even after 10 years, there's no difference at all?
"...Ah! I realized it!"
"......?"
Anyway, now she was sitting alone in a chair, like a scholar who had realized buoyancy and was shouting Eureka.
Of course, she was dressed normally.
It's absurd that she's suddenly being noisy all by herself....
"...What is it, did you realize the core of romance or something?"
"No? The heat while staying at the inn, can't I just stay at your place?"
"......."
Is she a crazy bitch?
It feels like she's like this every time we meet.
It really feels like she's like this every day.
"No, honestly, we're friends, right? We're friends, aren't we? We are! We've built this up since our Academy days, back when we were first-year freshmen and I punched that ugly noble bastard in the face for hitting on us!?"
"......."
"I really keep losing sleep because it's so hot lately.... The inn only has a fan, and I can't exactly wave a fan while I'm sleeping. Plus, the room is small."
"You have plenty of money."
"Hehe, I didn't bring much."
"......."
Crazy bitch.
Anyway, the weather was hot.
This year's summer is hotter than last year's.
Even I, whenever I walk outside, every time I go to work or come home, I breathe onto my hands and splash it on my face as if washing it.
By the standards of ordinary humans, it must be quite hot.
Since they said it was easily exceeding 30 degrees anyway.......
"...Would it be okay for a noble lady to sleep on the floor?"
"Wouldn't the floor be cooler?"
"...Sigh."
Yeah, what can I do.
We're friends, after all.
What can I do.
Thinking that... I ended up bringing the baggage named Vivian home.
An inevitable decision in many ways.
Still, I couldn't really abandon a friend I've known for over 10 years, and she sweats buckets every time we meet, and she loves it as soon as she enters the convenience store.
"Sigh...."
"Is this... heaven?"
"......Sigh."
"I'll admit it, Skadi. You... are a goddess. A total Snow Woman!"
"...I actually am a Snow Woman."
"Ah, Snow God? That sounds like a curse. No, hmm...."
"......Sigh, just make yourself comfortable. I've already cooled the house enough anyway."
"I'll repay this favor by supplying something good to the convenience store next time. I have something I'm developing in secret?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let's just rest. I just clocked out. You bitch."
"Aha? I suppose so."
It was a noisier house than usual, but.
That's that.
I also needed a shower since I had sweated outside.
Since a Snow Woman's body is generally cool, it was natural that I struggled more in hot weather and sweated more.
Thanks to that, the dress shirt I was wearing was quite... on the way back.
"...I'll have to wash this too."
I reached that conclusion while taking off my clothes in the bathroom and tossing them aside.
After briefly abandoning that conclusion, I immediately started washing my body.
Cleanly from my hair to my toes with cool water.
Washing the sweat under my breasts and between my breasts cleanly, and finishing with relatively warm water.
"......Phew."
Just grabbing panties, short shorts, and a T-shirt, and since the only person outside was Vivian, a woman, I didn't wear a bra.
"Vivian, do you want to wash up too? You must have sweated on your way here."
"Huh? Uh, wait, you, that...."
"Why."
While diligently drying my hair with a towel.
Covering my body with one large towel.
I came out and spoke, feeling puzzled by my friend's sudden strange reaction.
Why is she like that again?
Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?
"Did you not bring underwear?"
"N-no, that...!"
I completely came out of the bathroom and went to the living room where my friend was.
She was the one who had occupied one of the chairs in the living room before I went into the bathroom.
Naturally, she was still here, and her voice was heard from this side, so I came out.
"Ah, haha...... Noona, that....... Hello......."
"Fucking hell...!"
I ran into Noah, who was making an awkward expression and couldn't meet my eyes properly.
On the other side, my friend was trembling and giggling.
I immediately ran back to the bathroom.