Before leaving the training ground, there’s sothing I need to do.
I put on my eye patch and wrap the bandages tightly.
This way, I can feel more at ease.
I don’t want to run into the people who used to hit back then at the academy.
It would be best if they couldn’t recognize , even if we crossed paths.
The academy is a particularly large building.
It’s where all sorts of training grounds are gathered.
I think it’s unlikely that I’ll run into them, but you never know what life has in store.
“Can I use the training ground anyti?”
“It’s usually fine, but Seo-ah, you need your ds. It’s better if you report to before you go.”
That seems to be the case.
“I’m temporarily in charge of the special class, so I don’t know if the teachers will change, but until then, just let know.”
“Yes.”
“Try not to get too involved with other students, alright?”
I nod.
I don’t really want to get involved anyway.
Talking to people is exhausting in itself.
[11 hours 13 minutes]
I can’t waste any ti.
“Anyway, morning classes are over. You can co back here after lunch.”
“To the training ground?”
“Yeah.”
The classes have ended.
More specifically, the tests have.
“While you’re out, if you feel like sothing might go wrong, you know what to do, right? Contact imdiately.”
I don’t think anything will go wrong.
After saying goodbye to Lee Yoo-ram, I leave the training ground.
I feel good walking around alone for the first ti in a while.
Or maybe it’s just that the effects of the drugs are still lingering.
[11 hours 5 minutes]
I’m not that hungry.
I’d be satisfied with just a can of tuna.
Now, where should I buy food?
The restaurant district I went to with Han Si-hu last ti sounds good.
There are restaurants inside the building, but I’d rather eat outside.
The air outside definitely feels better.
Even though it’s class ti, I see a few students out here.
They seem to be upperclassn.
There’s one person who stands out.
A boy with white hair.
“…Who is that?”
I quickly turn off my path and hide behind a nearby pillar.
Who could that be?
The figure is definitely soone lingering in my mory.
White hair.
-That white-haired brat...
When was that mory from?
Who said that?
I distinctly rember soone saying it.
I’ve never seen soone with white hair before.
-Why did that white-haired brat send so many watchers?
I rember that.
My stomach churns.
The culprit behind the beating I took for sothing trivial.
How hard did they hit for to have gotten bruised like that?
I’m fine now, but it hurt a lot back then.
They hit while talking about humanoid watchers.
I’m glad the doctor saved .
But the one who hit wasn’t the white-haired boy.
So there’s no reason to hide.
I know that logically.
But still, I feel uneasy.
However, standing still behind the pillar feels strange.
I should do sothing.
I pull out my device.
[Han Si-hu: Let’s have lunch together.]
Eating together?
Right, it’s much better than eating alone.
Maybe I acted a bit too antisocial.
I really don’t have any friends.
It seems my wish to make friends at the academy won’t co true.
Since I’m isolated in the special class.
[Yeah.]
It’s good to eat together.
[I’ll be at the restaurant district.]
I should go since I need to eat sothing.
It should be fine.
“You.”
Sothing unexpected happened.
The white-haired boy speaks to .
If I answer “What?” it’ll break my character.
“…What is it?”
I quickly adjust my tone.
“Are you a new student?”
The white-haired boy stands up.
Given that he’s asking if I’m a new student, he must be at least in the second year.
“That’s right.”
“I thought you might know .”
“What do you an?”
He’s a strange one.
It might have been better to just avoid him.
I didn’t expect him to talk to .
The warning about how there are many weird people at the academy echoes in my ears.
“Hey, you see that pigeon over there?”
He walks closer and points to the streetlight above.
A pigeon is sitting there.
“That one saw you hiding.”
Is that what a watcher is?
This is why awakened ones are troubleso.
They can do all sorts of unexpected things.
I never imagined they would use pigeons for surveillance.
-…Beware of the watchers?
-But you hit just enough that it should be fine.
-Who was it that warned about humanoid watchers?
The conversations from that ti co flooding back.
I don’t feel good about it.
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s strange for a new student to be wandering around at this ti.”
I finished early just because I’m in the special class.
“Hey, with the eye patch and bandages, and your speech...”
He seems to ponder for a mont.
“You’re a pretty pitiful kid.”
He places his hand on my head.
The look on his face is one of pity.
I try to shove him away, but my hand doesn’t move.
Is this for real?
-[You cannot attack a target not designated by a superior.]
Is that what it ant?
“Hang in there.”
Tap, tap.
He pats my head as if to cheer on.
Does he think it’s okay since I’m just sitting still?
“I heard that girls dislike being patted. You’re not mad, are you?”
That’s not the issue.
I can’t attack.
If I try to swing my arms, it feels like they’re weighed down by heavy tal.
Is it better than going on a rampage and smashing everything?
Still, this seems like a problem.
How long is this going to last?
I’m sure I heard sothing about it.
-[You cannot attack a target not designated by a superior.]
There was a line that played before this sentence appeared, like an explanation.
-[It only lasts as long as the drug’s effects.]
As long as the drug’s effects last.
Then it’ll be over when the effects wear off.
[10 hours 53 minutes]
The effects need to keep lasting, though?
This isn’t good.
I think I need to find a way.
At this rate, I can’t resist and will just have to endure.
“…What are you doing?”
I really don’t know what he’s doing.
Isn’t it rude to act this way to soone you’ve just t?
“What’s your na? I’m Seol Ha-jin.”
He seems to have beco a bit friendlier.
“You don’t need to know mine.”
“The problem is that they bring even sick kids to the academy.”
He seems to think I’m a sick kid, so he’s being a bit lenient.
That’s true.
But it’s not like I’m ntally sick.
“The academy isn’t a place that shows concern for the weak.”
His expression becos serious.
At this point, it feels like he doesn’t care how I respond.
He’s just saying what he wants.
He clearly sees as weak.
“Alright.”
He grabs my hand and starts walking towards the restaurant district.
“Ah, um...”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll buy everything, so eat sothing delicious. What do you want?”
“......”
I don’t even know what to say.
It would have been better to keep my character short, but thinking long just gives a headache.
I was just planning to chase people away.
Seol Ha-jin seems to feel closer to instead.
Since this has happened, should I try to be friends?
But that doesn’t seem right either.
“There's no need to refuse. I’m the senior treating you.”
I tried to get up from my seat, but failed.
He grabbed my shoulder.
“Choose. Whatever you want.”
Bad mories start to resurface.
I was originally misunderstood because of this guy.
He wasn’t the one who hit ; it was soone else.
“I really don’t need it. I have soone to eat with...”
I sigh as I say that.
“You don’t have to avoid that much.”
“Ugh.”
He casually drapes an arm over my shoulder.
What a jerk.
I can’t help but say this is a jerk move.
I recall Lee Yoo-ram’s advice to avoid getting too involved with others.
He probably worried about this happening.
“I’m just trying to help my pitiful junior—”
Thud.
A dull sound.
Seol Ha-jin gets knocked down by a punch.
“What are you doing to soone else's friend? Seol Ha-jin.”
It’s Han Si-hu.
Did they know each other?
It doesn’t seem like they’re close since he imdiately threw a punch.
“Han Si-hu? What are you doing…”
He stands up with a pained expression.
Han Si-hu looks angrier than I expected.
He’s not the type to throw punches right away.
“Hey, this is my lunch companion.”
“…Oh, I see.”
Seol Ha-jin looks at Han Si-hu in surprise.
“Is that so?”
He says it like it’s a re afterthought.
“Did you co from the slums too?”
He says it while looking at , rather than Han Si-hu.
He seems to smile as if it’s amusing.
I wonder how he found out.
“Yeah, so stop ssing around and get lost.”
Before he kills him.
I can hear Han Si-hu grinding his teeth angrily.
He seems to be quite furious.
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