Chapter 87
Class A, first-years
The overall mood of the student body was uplifted, as the festival was right around the corner.
Do you have any plans during the festival?
Me? Course I do. What, you wanna be included?
The throng of students were talking with each other about their schedules for the festival.
Arent you excited for the next intramural competition? Since Adela isnt here anymore.
S Class is free now~ I bet EunAh will destroy someone on Min SungHyuks level.
They were also celebrating Adelas return to her homeland.
Did you guys decide on a partner?
Me? Who knows~
Why are you hiding it? Just tell me!
The mass of students were also trying to decide on a partner for the various events being held during the festival. Among them, there were a few who were gathered around the most popular students in the school.
What about you, EunAh?
I bet a bunch of boys sent you messages, huh? Theres a lot of fun events this time around, too.
Ah, I bet EunAhs already decided on a partner, then, huh~?
Students in A Class were gossipping loudly next to EunAh. The girl in question, however, was deep in thought, a grumpy expression on her face.
A partner? How am I supposed to have a partner when I completely forgot about the festival in the first place?
But in the current situation, it would hurt her pride if she went right out and said that she didnt have a partner.
Uh y-yeah? EunAh replied, a dumbfounded expression on her face.
The eyes of a group of three girls lit up.
Thought so!
Ah, I know who EunAhs partner is!
Who is it?
Shin YuSung, right?
Ahh, youre right! Theyre in the same party, too!
As they brought YuSung up, the discussion somehow transitioned from the original topic of partners to being about him.
...Okay, to be honest, isnt he super hot?
Right? And for starters, hes strong! He won against Adela, too!
I guess hes a good match for EunAh in that sense, huh?
As the gaggle of girls continued to talk to each other, EunAh began to think about him herself.
...Shin YuSung?
It had been a while since EunAh had seen him, owing to the fact that she spent her time with JunHyuk, who had woken up from his coma. She had coincidentally been thinking of meeting with the boy to express her gratitude.
The festival was a good opportunity to do so.
But there was something she was still mulling over.
I just happen to have something I want to say to him.
The voices of the female students talking next to her no longer reached her ears.
I-if I initiate the conversation I just want to talk to him. But if I do this, wont it look kind of weird?
Something about asking YuSung whether he had a partner or not felt like she was losing in some way. Her heart kept flip-flopping back and forth.
Even when the girls next to her had split up to do their own things, EunAh remained lost in her thoughts.
...I mean, the more I think about it, isnt it alright for me to ask him? Its nothing that important, right? Were also fellow party members
The more she continued to think, the more EunAh began to rationalize it in her mind.
Actually isnt it weirder to be self-conscious about it?
Finished with her excuses, she sent a message to YuSung with an unburdened mind.
[KimsilverA: What are you doing during the festival?]
EunAh stared at the text she sent with a proud look on her face.
[Shin YuSung: Haunted house.]
YuSung replied soon after.
No, not that EunAh muttered.
She sent another text.
[KimsilverA: Not what your class is doing, what youre doing apart from it.]
[Shin YuSung: I haven't decided]
EunAh looked rather pleased at his reply.
Her expression was relaxed as she sent her next message.
[KimsilverA: Do you wanna hang out around 6, then? You dont have to if you dont want to.]
The last bit of the message was tacked on at the end possibly due to EunAhs own pride.
In contrast to the casual-sounding message, she was rather conscious of YuSungs reply.
The five seconds she waited felt longer than ever.
Ring!
The text had arrived.
[Shin YuSung: Okay, sure.]
He had responded with a yes.
Of course he agreed!
EunAh leaned her chin against her hand and laughed in a satisfied manner, mood uplifted.
* * *
* * *
F Class had gathered in order to prepare for the festival.
Renia, standing in front of the blackboard, nodded her head at the surprise proposal YuSung had suggested. Her expression was serious.
...Not bad.
The individual standing near the teachers desk was none other than Sumires skeleton.
Cla-clack!
All she had to do was summon them and they would move on their own. Even SiWoo, who usually nitpicked those things, was impressed with YuSungs idea.
Its true we wont be able to find skeletons of this quality anywhere else.
Right! And that's how these undead are gonna make us win against D Class! This owns, Sumire!
Sumire seemed to be embarrassed at the sincere compliment. Renis herself was in charge of creating the haunted house.
:Eh? I-is it that good?
That good? Phew bats? Skeletons? Ghouls? It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that your Trait was made to create haunted houses!
As Renia brought the subject up, the other F Class students also began to praise Sumires Trait as if on cue.
This ghoul is really scary
We wont need any costumes or anything, huh?
We trust in you, Sumire!
Against the torrent of interest being shown her way, Sumire could do nothing but smile awkwardly, as usual.
* * * *
Seven in the evening
The students of the Academy headed back to their dorms at a somewhat later time than usual due to their festival preparations.
Step step.
Even while YuSung and Sumire were walking to their rooms together, the boy was lost in his thoughts regarding HaYoon.
[I know you. Youre aloof, with strong willpower. Youll endure anything, no matter what happens.]
YuSung knew that expression on her face wellit meant that she wanted him.
[...But will your comrades be the same?]
She laughed, mouth closed.
There was no doubt that, assuming it was the usual HaYoon, she would employ any tactics she could in order to obtain him.
YuSung looked at Sumire, who was walking alongside him. The girl had quite the different air to her compared to the gloomy atmosphere she had when they had first met.
And that didnt apply to just Sumire, either.
...I bet the same thing has happened to me.
YuSung truly enjoyed the time hed spent at Gaon Academy with his party members.
One could say he had learned how to get stronger and how to stand on his own from the Fist King on Martial Spirits MOuntain. In that case, one could also say that hed learned how to share at Gaon Academy.
How to share the good moments
And how to share the bad moments.
YuSung had learned many things while experiencing various emotions with others. This, as a given, led to the strengthening of his inner self. However, these developments had also ironically led to the strengthening of his outer, physical self as wellbecoming even stronger than he had been back when he had completely dedicated himself to training.
To him, his party members were basically his family.
...And shes threatening those party members of mine.
YuSungs expression stiffened into a stone-cold mask. He didnt want to lose anything, or anyone, anymore. He'd endured the tough training on the mountain in order to protect the things he had managed to obtain.
All I can do is get even stronger.
Squeeze
YuSung clenched his fists subconsciously.
Sumire stared at YuSung doing so with worry-filled eyes.
For whatever reason, however, she didnt ask him what was on his mind. Instead, she rubbed her chilled hands together and blew hot gusts of air on them.
Uu i-its so chilly, even in April It should be spring right now, though
YuSung was taken out of his musings by Sumires words.
...It is.
But even so, there was a shadowed tinge to his usual expression.
The Shin-oh household, who was trying to bring him back again despite the fact that they had abandoned him in the first place. Preparations for the International Competition, where he would prove his strength to the world. Thoughts like those tangled YuSungs mind.
Sumire, seeing his expression, swallowed back whatever she was going to say.
I-It would be too forward.
That was the first time she had ever seen YuSung with such a pensive expression.
...What if I could be YuSung-ssis strength at times like this? How nice would that feel?
Sumire wanted to save YuSung, just as he had saved her before. She wanted to comfort him, just as he had comforted her before. It was the first time that Sumire had ever felt that way towards another person.
Even so, she did not know how she could help him.
Step step.
As they walked along the trail, a field of flowers began to spread out in front of them. Sumire, seeing something, stopped in the middle of the field.
Ah, th-thats
She was pointing towards a white flower. She approached it with a rather cheerful expression, plucking one out of the ground before returning back to YuSungs side.
...Its a white violet.
A violet?
Yes. Im not an expert on flowers or anything, but I do know about this one because we both have the same name. Ah, s-sorry you probably arent interested.
TL/N: (Sumire) can also mean violet.
Sumire laughed bashfully. But the boy slowly shook his head.
I am interested. And even if I wasnt, the flower has a special meaning to you, right, Sumire?
Her ears grew hot at YuSungs considerate words.
A special meaning
White violets
And YuSung.
Sumire recalled what her mother had told her in the past.
[Oh my, a violet! How beautiful! I cant believe one grew in our backyard]
[Hm? Why were you named after violets? Well, obviously because its beautiful!]
Suika patted her daughters back with an exuberant grin on her face before continuing her explanation.
[Sumire, do you know the meaning of the white violet? You dont? Goodness The name we spent so much effort into making for you]
She bit her lip with a displeased expression on her face.
[The flower language of the white violet is innocent love! Sumire, youre proof that Shintaro-san and I loved each other more passionately than anyone else. Smooch!]
Suika ended the conversation with a kiss on Sumires forehead. An innocent love that needed no other rewards aside from its existence. A love that could sacrifice anything for its sake without an ounce of regret. Sumire could understand a little bit of what her mother had told her.
Snap.
After plucking the flower, Sumire placed it right above YuSungs ear. A playful laugh shyly escaped from her lips.
YuSung was struck dumb by the sight. That was the first time he had ever seen her look so cheerful.
...Sumire.
The reason the girl was acting in that way was in order to free YuSung from the dark expression he had been wearing all that time.
The school festival was drawing near.
Sumire gathered up a bit more of her courage.
YuSung-ssi, p-please be my partner for the festival!
Flush
She ducked her head right after her declaration.
YuSung calmly stared at Sumire before opening his mouth.
Sorry, I already have plans for the afternoon.
...Eh?!
A completely unforeseen development to Sumire, who up until then was absolutely sure that YuSung did not have his own partner. She was stunned on the spot.
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