It wasn't until a few days later that I was able to go back to the academy.
However, I was only allowed to go about my daily life, and was prohibited from strenuous exercise or using mana, and I was living in a dormitory under the approval of Alice Blesbuck.
Of course, training and club activities were also prohibited.
All I could do was skim through the class content with the notebook Han Soo-Young had given me, or else just fall asleep.
Whenever I tried to go out for a walk, Choi Hyun-Woo, Jin Ye-Seul, and even Lee Ye-Eun would come to my side and try to support me as if they knew I was going out for a walk.
Eventually, I was conscious of going outside, so I almost stayed only at the dormitory except for meals.
Having been unable to stand the boredom, I have now come to the point of playing games or talking with Mandragora.
“Don’t cheat, you piece of grass. Does it make sense that 6 comes out 7 times in a row?”
When I said it in a ridiculous way, Mandragora looked at me as if there was something wrong with me.
The insincere look I've always seen on his face just made me even angrier today.
Then, with a pop, the dice he threw into the air without sincerity came up with a 6 once again.
“Tsk.”
When I gently pushed the game board to the side as a sign to stop, it seemed like he had a somewhat triumphant expression on his face.
Then, as if to say, let's try again, he rolled the dice at me, which was very cheeky.
“Hey, since you’ve already won, please listen to me.”
Once again, I came to the point where I talked seriously with Mandragora.
He stared at me as I spoke with my crossed hands on the table.
“…… .”
The problem was that when I start talking, he also listens seriously in his own way.
That's why I was able to tell him things that I couldn't tell anyone.
It might have been a scene where someone might suspect that my head was wrong, but at least I could say that the conversation with him was an act that contributed greatly to bringing me psychological stability.
"If I'm mistaken, I'll just be ashamed once, but no matter how much I think about it, I don't think it's an illusion.”
When I spoke with a sigh as if I were complaining, he nodded.
“Honestly, I’m not an idiot…… .”
I quietly leaned against the chair and closes my eyes.
In the original world, my age was closer to my 30s than my 20s.
Even if I didn't have much experience, I've been in relationships several times.
I've known for quite some time that Han Soo-Young has that kind of heart for me.
I wanted to pretend I didn't know, but does it make sense to pretend that I don't know after seeing what she said or did at the last hospital?
I'm almost convinced that Han Soo-Young is intentionally avoiding me these days.
Han Soo-young thought that I and Jin Ye-Seul are lovers.
And maybe…… .
“Oh, why she is not Choi Hyun-Woo, but me…… .”
He tilted his head as if he didn't understand my words, but I pretended not to see him and continued talking.
“She is younger than my sister. Plus, if we had met normally, the age difference would be close to 10 years.”
Extremely speaking, when I entered elementary school, Han Soo-Young was not even born yet.
When I thought about it again, I got goosebumps all over my forearm.
There were many reasons other than this that made me hesitate.
Why does Han Soo-Young have such a heart for me?
As I was thinking about it, there was an answer I found.
Fixed favorability.
By helping when we first met, I was able to build fixed favorability for both, Choi Hyun-Woo and Han Soo-Young.
As long as there is fixed favorability, no matter what I do, their favorability or trust will not decline below it.
Maybe that's what made her feel that way.
I couldn't stop such thoughts from coming to me constantly.
Yes, it must be because of that.
Or that Han Soo-Young is still young and has misunderstood her feelings for a moment.
I wanted to believe that.
“…… .”
I was the one who had to go back in the end.
There would be nothing more irresponsible than to answer Han Soo-Young's feelings and go back later.
Although it had been less than six months, I was actually quite fond of Choi Hyun-Woo Han Soo-Young.
So, I wanted to avoid anything that could hurt them as much as possible.
“Whoo…… .”
What should I do?
After thinking about it for a while, I felt my head pounding and I rubbed it as if pressing down between my eyebrows.
As I felt my chest grow heavy, I felt something tap my arm.
“…… .”
It was Mandragora.
He was patting my forearm as if cheering me up.
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
“Thanks, dude.”
When I said that, he gave me one last hard tap on my forearm and went back to his tank.
I shook my head slightly as I watched him climb up the stairs I had built for him while staying only in the dormitory and enter the water in a familiar position.
‘… Let's check on her later and have a proper talk once.'
I knew that it would be wrong for me to keep up an iron wall, pretending that I didn't know anything.
Having come to that conclusion, I began to roll my head to divert my thoughts to another topic.
"That's right."
Then I thought of the most appropriate thing for the current situation.
“Hmm.”
When I thought of it in my head and gave strength together, the branches of the World Tree that had escaped from the right arm were woven by themselves and took the shape of a bow.
World Tree Bow.
I lifted it up and looked through the newly updated status window.
[Shape change]
― You can change the branch of the world tree into the World Tree Bow.
― The power of the World Tree Bow increases in proportion to the agility stat.
― You can apply a specific effect to an arrow fired by consuming mana.
■ You can change arrows into branches of the World Tree and root them.
■ ???
■ ???
As it was a weapon I acquired suddenly, I wasn't ready to handle it properly yet.
But that day in Aegis, while fighting the Waterer of the Red Case, I had a certain sense of how to use it.
A portal created by Henir's Shadow.
This was almost like shooting from a zero distance.
In other words, it meant that I could hit my opponent 100% of the time.
While looking at it slowly as if admiring it, I suddenly thought, 'Others should also have their own weapons.’
And that thought surfaced one after the other, Han Soo-Young came to mind again, and I put the World Tree Bow without saying a word.
“Whoo.”
Let's go outside and get some air.
With that thought, I said bye to Mandragora and walked out of the dorm on crutches.
“The weather is nice.”
I muttered blankly and walked along the promenade relying on crutches.
My body was still throbbing, but not to the point that I couldn't move.
I thought again that the level of medical care in this world was so great that it was scary.
I didn't think that the wound that would have made me lie motionlessly for a few months in the original world would heal this much in just a week.
There were hardly any other students on the promenade or in the surrounding area.
Well, it's probably because it's still time for classes.
With that in mind, I walked along the promenade, and suddenly thought of going to the library.
‘Since I'm here, let's go and look for the skill book I've been looking for.’
They won't say anything if I get caught reading books in the library.
As I headed to the library with that thought, a familiar person was sitting at the information desk.
She was the senior who taught me the basic rules of the reading club in the past.
She was still reading a thick book with expressionless eyes, wearing large glasses.
Then, as if she had noticed me, she closed the book and got up from her seat.
"Hello. Do you need any more help?"
“No, I can do it myself.”
"Okay?"
Then she sat back down as if she understood.
As I moved the crutches carefully so that there was no loud noise, she got up from her seat, closing the book she had opened again.
“I’ll help you.”
With those words, she waved her fingers in the air in a commanding manner.
Then I could feel something invisible lifting my body.
Looking at me floating in the air as if I were being held by something, she asked quietly.
“Where are you going?”
“…Third floor, in the philosophy section, please."
"Okay."
She moved me to the third floor, to the philosophy books.
I was extremely nervous about the sensation I was experiencing for the first time, but I stayed still until she dropped me off because I thought I would fall if I flapped my feet.
“Then I'll go. And when you go back...… .”
I said quickly as I watched her furrow her eyebrows as if she was agonizing.
"Oh, I'll call my friend, so you don't have to don’t worry.”
"Okay."
She nodded her head as if she understood, and went back.
Carefully placing my crutches to the side, I pulled a book out of the bookshelf again.
How much time was I like that?
It was when I was about to put the book I had finished to the side and take out a new one.
"Here."
Someone took the book I was about to take out first and handed it to me.
"This one, right?"
That person was Han Soo-Young.
She asked when I hesitated, honestly surprised by her sudden appearance.
"Isn't it this?"
“Oh, no. This is the right one."
When I was about to take the book, for some reason she did not loosen her grip on the book.
When I glanced at her wondering why, I saw Han Soo-young staring at me.
“Are you feeling okay?"
“Uh, what.”
How the hell did Han Soo-Young know that I was here?
As I sat down and opened the book she had handed me, she too sat down, a little further away from me.
Staring at me as if observing me.
“…… .”
“…… .”
Eventually, I closed the book.
And asked her with a sigh.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
"Yes."
Han Soo-Young nodded.
Then she said, still staring at me.
“It’s very important, so I’m waiting like this.”
… I didn't expect that the opportunity would come so soon after I made up my mind.
With that in mind, I got up on my crutches.
“Then let’s go somewhere quiet. I happened to have something to tell you.”
"Okay."
Han Soo-Young said that and approached me as if to support me.
Then when I flinched and avoided her, she hesitated and began to pick up the books I had pulled out and put them back in their original places.
When I tried to help, she said that's enough, and silently put the dozens of books back in their place all by herself.
“Then shall we go?”
Han Soo-Young said so and began to walk side by side next to me.
I felt deflated at the sight of Han Soo-Young walking beside me like a guard escorting a prisoner.
So we got out of the library and headed for a nearby bench.
It was originally a deserted place, but because of the time of day, there was no one around to be seen.
No, wait a minute.
"Isn't it class time for you?"
In response to my question, Han Soo-Young made a small sound, oh, and nodded.
“I skipped it."
"What?"
When I looked at her in disbelief, Han Soo-Young looked at me as if to ask what was the problem.
"Why? Can't I do that?"
“No, it’s not like that. Why all of a sudden today...… .”
“I just suddenly wanted to do it today.”
The Han Soo-Young Han of the original story that I knew was someone who could be called a genius of sincerity and hard work.
But she's skipping.
When I kept my mouth shut for a while, she told me.
"You said you had something to say, right? Do you want to go first or should I go first?"
"I'll go first."
I breathed out a small breath saying that.
Then I opened my mouth quietly as I saw her still staring at me.
"If I'm mistaken, I'll just kick the blanket and be ashamed, so I'll just say it."
Do you like me?
“…… .”
Han Soo-Young didn't say anything.
“If, by any chance, that’s the case…… I don't intend to have a relationship like that with anyone. That's what I was trying to say.”
“… Why?"
“Because there are circumstances. Personal circumstances that I can't tell anyone about."
Biological parents didn't matter anyway.
A long time had passed with no contact knowing where the irresponsible father died, and the irresponsible mother was the person who said all the time that it was a pity that I and my sister could not be aborted when she was pregnant.
I didn't care what happened to them.
But, my sister…… .
That kid wasn't like that.
I had to go back.
And there was no way I could say this to anyone.
“And it’s also true that I purposely avoided you, as you said before. I'm really sorry about that.”
“… So, are you done with your story?"
Surprisingly, Han Soo-Young asked me in a nonchalant manner.
Maybe I'm mistaken, I wish I am.
I was thinking like that.
“But what does that matter?”
"What?"
When I looked at Han Soo-Young, wondering if I heard something wrong, I saw she was looking at me.
She said, still staring at me with unfathomable eyes.
“I'm saying I like you, so what does it matter to you?"
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