...
After drinking all the liquid from the bottle, Hazuki realized she hadn't left any for Theo. Upon realizing this, she quickly apologized, but Theo promptly responded that it was no problem, assuring her that he wasn't thirsty and that she didn't need to worry.
Hazuki, however, didn't imdiately believe him. But upon noticing that Theo showed no signs of fatigue—such as not having a single drop of sweat on his body—she eventually believed him, albeit reluctantly.
After a good few minutes of rest...
"Co!"
Noticing that the instructor was returning, Theo stood up with a fluid motion and extended his hand to Hazuki. She stared at the hand in front of her for a few seconds, hesitating slightly, before finally taking it. As she stood up, Theo, attentive to details, noticed her slight glance away and the subtle blush that colored her cheeks.
That gesture from Hazuki was incredibly cute in Theo's eyes, and he had to make a trendous effort to resist the urge to pinch her chubby cheeks. He lightly bit his lower lip, trying to hide the smile that insisted on forming.
"Ah! I'm going to be humiliated again..."
"Cheer up, Hazuki-san!"
Theo encouraged her in a soft but firm tone after seeing her so disheartened. He leaned slightly forward, as if trying to convey confidence through his posture.
After standing up, now a bit more refreshed after the ten-minute break, Hazuki returned to her position. She brushed the dust off the sides of her pants with quick, precise movents, and then waved at Theo with renewed determination, her eyes shining with a spark of confidence.
"Ready?!"
Theo waved back, even though he had no weapon in his hands. He crossed his arms, maintaining a relaxed but alert posture. The instructor, seeing this, simply sighed helplessly. After all, before the training began, he had asked Theo if he wasn't going to use a weapon, but Theo simply replied that he wouldn't. Given Theo's military background, the instructor accepted it, as before joining Cubo, Theo had fought using his fists.
"Begin!"
'These cadets this year are real monsters...'
...
With the end of the daily classes, the cadets of Class Veritas had already dispersed, walking back to the dorms after being dismissed. The busy sidewalk outside Cubo was filled with the sound of footsteps, lively voices, and the occasional clinking of soda cans being opened. Among the youths, Theo walked alongside Hazuki, both exchanging casual words while enjoying their cold drinks recently bought from a vending machine.
With Nayun and Suho going off to train, and Yeonha leaving the class without anyone noticing, once again, Theo had been left alone after class. However, his luck changed when he ran into Hazuki while buying a soda from the vending machine—an unexpected but welco presence that now filled the silence of his evening.
"Thank you for today, Theo."
Hazuki's voice cut through the background noise of footsteps, her tone soft but filled with gratitude, catching him off guard. She looked at him with a shy smile, her hands firmly holding the soda can.
"Huh?! Why the thanks?"
Theo asked, furrowing his brows in slight confusion as he turned his head to look at her. He stopped walking for a mont, turning completely to face her.
"You not only went easy on during training, but you also gave a lot of tips about my skills. I always thought being fast was enough, but you pointed out things I had never considered. It helped a lot."
Hazuki's words were sincere, and her eyes shone with genuine gratitude. She gestured slightly as she spoke, as if trying to express how aningful Theo's tips had been. After they both returned to training, Theo's comnts had revealed subtle weaknesses in her approach, showing how her speed, though impressive, could be wasted without precision and strategy. For the first ti, Hazuki felt she had a clear direction to improve her techniques.
Pausing montarily from drinking his soda, Theo looked at the girl who had just thanked him, observing the braids that swayed rhythmically with each step. He curled his lips into a slight smile, his eyes softening as he watched her.
Approaching her, he observed her from the side, tilting his head slightly as he reflected. After a mont of thought, he replied:
"Don't ntion it... If you want more help in the future, don't hesitate to ask. After all, besides being teammates, we're friends."
Hazuki broke into a wide smile, which almost seed to light up the early evening around them. She shook her head, making her braids sway from side to side, and her eyes sparkled with gratitude.
"Of course, Theo-kun!"
Hazuki's warm reply ca with an enthusiasm that seed natural for her but caught Theo slightly off guard, especially after hearing her address him in a way he hadn't expected.
Recalling the original story, he knew that Hazuki was the type of girl who had a bit of difficulty communicating due to her linguistic slip-ups and reserved personality. So, seeing her talking to him so naturally surprised him at first, but it was nothing more than that...
"The world is really complicated to understand, but so be it. I plan to have a harem anyway. If it's mutual, I'd be very happy to have a girl like her by my side..."
With these thoughts in his head, Theo continued walking with Hazuki. After a few minutes, they arrived in front of three large skyscrapers.
"See you later, Theo-kun!"
"See you, Hazuki-san!"
Bidding each other farewell, Hazuki walked ahead, heading toward one of the skyscrapers. She gave one last wave before disappearing through the door. After confirming she had entered, Theo changed the direction of his steps, his hands tucked into his pockets as he reflected on the day.
"I think it would be good to buy so groceries to make sothing later."
My plan was to stop by a convenience store and buy so groceries. After all, his fridge and pantry only had the basics, and for the dish I planned to make, there weren't enough ingredients.
"Hmm!"
I checked my smartwatch and searched for nearby convenience stores. After a quick search, I found one just a few minutes away from where I was.
"Perfect..."
After morizing the entire route shown on my smartwatch, I turned it off and continued walking, observing the movent of people around .
...
Upon entering the convenience store, the cool air from the air conditioner enveloped , relieving the heat outside. I grabbed a basket near the entrance and began walking through the aisles lit by fluorescent lights. As I browsed and picked up the products and ingredients I needed, my sharp perception caught a sound coming from the next aisle.
"Hmm..."
I raised my head above the shelves and spotted Yoo Yeonha. She was squatting, holding two packs of ran, one in each hand. Her expression carried a mix of seriousness and indecision, as if she were deciding sothing of utmost importance. She furrowed her brow, her lips moving slightly as she murmured to herself.
"Which one should I choose?"
She murmured to herself, swaying the packs from side to side, as if trying to weigh her options.
"Why not take both? What's the reason for so much indecision?"
The words slipped out of my lips without thinking, crossing the aisle. As soon as my voice reached Yeonha, the scene that unfolded was worthy of a cody.
Caught off guard, she widened her eyes and tried to stand up quickly, but in the process...
"Crash!"
Her forehead hit directly into one of the tal trays on the shelf above. The impact produced a hollow sound, and she imdiately squatted back down, now massaging her forehead with her hand. The impact must have hurt a lot, as she closed her eyes tightly, her lips twisting into an expression of pain.
"Ah! Ouch! Ow!"
I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure while disguising an involuntary laugh. I left the basket in the corner and went over to her, my quick steps echoing through the aisle.
My quick steps echoed through the aisle, and Yeonha, noticing my approach, looked up with a slightly irritated and embarrassed expression. She tried to disguise the pain, but the blush on her face betrayed her embarrassnt.
"You..."
"Stay still."
I interrupted before she could say anything else. I crouched in front of her, at eye level. My finger touched her forehead, where a red mark was beginning to form. She flinched slightly at my touch but didn't pull away.
"This is the second ti I've used my healing magic on you. If there's a third ti, I'll charge interest."
Yeonha shot an irritated look, but her flushed face didn't hide her sha. The warmth of my palm on her forehead made her protest get stuck in her throat, and her eyes closed at that mont. Using a simple spell, the faint light emitting from my finger dissipated the pain and the impact mark. It was quick, almost automatic, but what followed wasn't sothing I could control.
"Done!"
My voice sounded softer than I expected, perhaps because, in that instant, Yeonha was staring directly into my eyes. I also stared at her. She was so close that I could notice the smallest details. The subtle glow of her skin, the delicate curve of her lips, and the eyelashes that fluttered slightly.
'Stunning!'
That word echoed in my mind as an inevitable truth. It wasn't just her flawless appearance that impressed , but the way she carried an air of mature womanhood. Every feature of hers seed carefully sculpted, yet at the sa ti, there was sothing so human, so real, that pulled closer.
My heart raced intensely. It was dangerous. I knew it, and yet... I couldn't look away.
'Calm down!'
Yes, calm down, Theo. You're not at that level of relationship yet. One step at a ti. Even if she shows interest in you, don't forget: this is Yeonha, and besides, she's the girl who's in love with a guy who only sees her as a friend. So, don't think she's like Nayun. Don't get carried away by the mont. Rember, you don't want to get involved with them just for a re mont.
"Ahem!"
I pretended to cough as I stood up, breaking the mont between us. Yeonha, snapped out of her trance, blushed slightly upon realizing what she was doing. She quickly averted her gaze, as if trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.
"Co on!"
"T-thank you!"
Realizing I wanted to help her, she promptly accepted and held my hand as I helped her stand up. She leaned lightly on , her fingers squeezing mine for a brief mont before letting go.
"No, no need to thank . It's my fault you hit your head. I didn't expect Yoo to be so focused on what she was doing."
She furrowed her brow, trying to disguise her embarrassnt with a slightly irritated expression. She crossed her arms, as if trying to protect herself from further comnts.
"Humph! Make sure to be more careful next ti. And don't go around scaring people, Theo."
"Of course, don't worry. I promise to only do this with Yoo."
She looked at , confused for a second, before letting out a muffled laugh. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of amusent and embarrassnt.
"Aah! You're unbearable, you know?"
"It's part of my charm."
"Charm, my foot."
As we chatted, I took the opportunity to pick up the instant noodles Yeonha had dropped on the floor. I bent down, carefully picking up the packs and handing them to her.
"What a sha."
I handed them to her while asking another question.
"Are you dating?"
Yeonha already didn't understand where I was going with this, but she answered with a hint of hesitation. She looked around, as if searching for an answer in the environnt.
"N-no, i'm not dating."
"Oh, really? I thought Yoo was dating. You're usually glued to Jonghak."
"Huh? N-no... We're just friends. There's nothing going on between us..."
"..."
This girl is really sothing else. Even if she says there's nothing, you can see the hope in her eyes, even when she says they're just friends.
Seriously, even in the original, I couldn't understand her, and apparently, I'm still the sa.
"Hah! This girl is definitely crazy. She really likes being in the friendzone, huh."
Realizing nothing important would co out of this conversation, I muttered resignedly to myself.
From what I see, I'll have to row hard against this current.
"Huh?! Did you say sothing, Theo?"
"No, nothing."
"..."
"Seriously. Anyway, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow, Yoo."
"See you!"
...
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