Chapter 17

### Chapter 17: I Hope We Can Get Along (5)

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#9

As the sunset faded and the moon rose, I felt like I had just had the most luxurious dinner of my life. I wobbled back to the dormitory, feeling as if I had crawled, after stuffing myself to the brim.

“Ugh...”

Thud—

To prepare for a good night's sleep, I splashed warm water over my body and scrubbed every inch of myself. Soon, a wave of fatigue washed over me. Lying down on the bed in this state felt like heaven. I could confidently say that if I were to ascend to heaven like this, I would have no regrets. The soft, crimson lighting that gently colored the room added to the drowsy atmosphere, making it hard to keep my eyes open. I was barely managing to stay awake, thinking that if I closed my eyes, it would be morning already.

Some might think I could just fall asleep, but it's not that simple. Sometimes, even when you're tired, you don't want to sleep. Occasionally, the urge to stay up all night with bloodshot eyes, despite the constant waves of fatigue, just pops up.

And today was one of those days.

“...”

The day felt incredibly long. From the early morning, I hurriedly packed my bags for the enrollment preparations and took the train to the capital. When I finally reached the crowded entrance of the Frontier, I ran into Miu. I thought that was the end of it, but then I saw Rubia.

Just those two were already overwhelming, but when the arrogant blonde kid, Yurii, joined in, I felt like I was about to lose my mind. It was unexpected to see a legendary figure at the enrollment ceremony, and it was also surprising to become friends with the ruthless barbarian from the north, Gabriel. Given my usual personality, I wouldn't have befriended such a type. I would have kept my distance because they drain my energy.

However, during dinner, I had a few conversations with Stella, which was a small gain.

Right.

Stella, that friend, seemed very refined and beautiful, and her mannerisms matched her appearance. Every gesture exuded a noble and dignified aura. She seemed fundamentally different from the nobles I had seen in my youth. Through Stella, I felt like I truly understood what it meant to have "blue blood."

Lying in bed, I reflected on the evening. There were quite a few things to ponder.

For instance, the moment I argued with Yurii, who had returned to her bratty self after her previous cute demeanor. I might be overthinking, but Rubia seemed a bit off.

“Does it not taste good? You don’t look well.”

“Huh? No, not at all? I don’t look like that? That would be disrespectful to the chefs, hehe... It’s really delicious! I could eat another bowl, it’s that good. Yes...”

When we each took what we wanted to eat and sat down, Rubia’s expression seemed a bit off. It had been about three years since I last shared a meal with her, but my instincts told me something was wrong.

Rubia seemed to be in a bad mood.

Her lips, which usually formed a gentle curve, were slightly downturned. Her usually soft and gentle eyes were unusually raised at the corners today. Her emerald eyes, like precious gems, held a faint sense of displeasure and confusion.

She seemed to be aware that something was off with her. I didn’t ask to confirm, but I think she was.

Hmm...

Why was she in a bad mood?

I thought it might be because of what happened in the hallway before dinner. Rubia had stood up for me and scolded Yurii, but I ended up defending Yurii. It’s understandable that she might feel hurt.

But... it seemed different.

I don’t know everything about Rubia, but when she’s upset with me, she usually shows it.

Of course, it’s not intentional; it just naturally shows. Her shoulders droop, and she clearly looks hurt, as if saying, "I’m hurt because of you, so comfort me." Over the years, her habits might have changed, but generally, when Rubia was upset with me, she showed it.

So, it didn’t seem like her bad mood was because of me.

It was someone else.

Who could it be? Stella? Yurii?

Excluding myself and Rubia, it had to be one of them.

But Stella didn’t do anything at the table.

At most, she said it was nice to eat with us. That’s not a crime.

So, Stella is not to blame.

Then, it must be Yurii.

It seems to fit. There’s no one else.

I don’t know.

Rubia isn’t usually the type to hold grudges.

But Yurii had used her ability on me, and she seemed quite angry about it. If that anger carried over to dinner, it’s not entirely impossible.

But... they seemed to have gotten along well.

Rubia isn’t the type to hold a grudge against a friend for long. Plus, Yurii had apologized to me, even if it was in a barely audible voice. That should have been enough to resolve any lingering feelings.

“...”

My thoughts delved deeper.

Why should I even care about Rubia’s emotional state? Now that I think about it, it seems rather foolish.

I was the one who wanted to cut ties with Rubia from our past.

There’s no reason for me, who has changed, to try to understand everything about her. If she’s upset with someone else, I should just hope they resolve it. Why am I overthinking this...

But it just felt... off.

It was just nagging at me, so I lay on the bed, reflecting on it.

Why...

Why did she look at me so anxiously when she saw the bacon roll I used to like, and then put the fork in her mouth when I didn’t react?

Why did she look even more dejected after that, and when Yurii tried to lighten the mood by asking about her time in the countryside, she looked at me again, as if trying to convey something?

Why did she finally smile faintly when I brought up a story about us?

Because Rubia seemed off in many ways.

That’s why I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“Rubia and Edgio... wow...”

“What? Her? Her? No way! That’s so bad! It doesn’t fit at all! Ugh...”

At that moment, we talked more than expected.

Stella looked at us with envy, and Yurii listened to Rubia in silence, sometimes giving me a jealous look, and other times reacting with shock at the mismatch between my past and present actions.

Rubia and I were friends, but she didn’t know how long we had known each other. When she asked why I knew such a person, I wanted to hit her but held back. After that, the way she looked at me seemed to change a bit, but whatever.

When Rubia talked about the memories we shared in elementary school, she looked genuinely nostalgic, but I... I just felt indifferent. I could only nod along.

“...Sigh.”

I sighed.

At the start of dinner, Rubia seemed in a bad mood, but by the end, she seemed to have recovered some energy. Maybe that’s all that mattered.

There was nothing more for me to worry about.

The only thing that made me feel uneasy was the faint thought that the memories I had with Rubia were fading like old, yellowed paper.

If they were happy memories, I should be smiling.

Why can’t I?

What a mess.

...Really.

“...”

The curtain outside was completely dark.

The lights in the opposite dormitory were still on, but they would all be turned off soon. Then, the only light would come from a few lamps on the campus and the moon hidden behind the clouds.

Swish.

I picked up the file on the table.

I hadn’t submitted it to the lobby yet.

I put on soft slippers, got up, and put on a light cardigan, preparing to go out for a bit.

Then, I quietly opened the door.

Creak—

The day had been long.

So, the night would be even longer.

#10

After submitting the file to the lobby.

Thud, thud—

Instead of going back to my room, I opened the dormitory door and slowly walked through the charming garden, heading somewhere.

Chirp, chirp...

The insects were singing.

A pale moonlight cast a desolate glow over the area.

Walking along the moonlit path through the fresh greenery, I arrived at the entrance of a former lecture hall.

“Feels good.”

It was a light evening stroll.

I felt like I would regret going straight to sleep, so I came out.

Fortunately, the cool, damp path was empty. Most of the freshmen were probably too tired and had already fallen asleep.

If I met any seniors, I would at least have to greet them.

I walked without thinking.

At the end of this winding path, there was a small building that used to be a lecture hall.

A small cottage covered in moss, vines, and leaves.

I planned to take a short break there.

They say there’s a magical engineering machine inside for brewing tea. Sipping warm tea and gazing out the window at the moonlit night would be the perfect way to relax.

I don’t particularly like the moon, but I do enjoy the quiet of the night. It feels like the whole world is peacefully asleep except for me.

When I close my eyes in the pitch-black darkness, it feels like the true time to be with myself has arrived.

So, I came out for a night stroll to clear my mind and calm my thoughts.

Therefore, I hoped to avoid running into anyone.

“...”

The night grew deeper.

At the end of the path, I saw someone sitting on a mossy bench, their white negligee tinged with a warm light, staring at a tranquil pond.

She didn’t notice me approaching and continued to gaze at the pond under the melancholic moonlight. A mysterious girl with hair the color of cherry blossoms.

“...Ah.”

Suddenly.

Her emerald eyes, so clear and transparent that they reflected the surface of the lake, turned to me.

Our eye levels were quite different, so she had to lift her head from her knees to look up at me.

Her soft, flowing hair cascaded like a waterfall over her smooth, reflective shoulders.

She weakly raised her delicate wrist and gently waved at me.

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Edgio... Hi.”

I thought about just saying a quick hello and leaving.

But a sudden feeling told me I shouldn’t.

“...Yeah. What are you doing here?”

She replied.

Rubia turned her gaze to the pond and muttered.

“Just thinking. I couldn’t sleep. I guess I was too excited on the first day of enrollment. ...I have an early class tomorrow morning, so I can’t stay up too late. Hehe...”

Rubia laughed foolishly and then looked at me.

Her innocent gaze, as always.

“...Can’t sleep either, Edgio?”

I shook my head slowly.

“...No, I’m actually really tired, but I don’t want to sleep, so I came out for a walk.”

“Is that so... Good that you didn’t force yourself to sleep, me too.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. Never mind.”

Rubia smiled faintly and looked back.

“...Remember, Edgio?”

“Remember what?”

Rubia pointed to the cottage.

“Remember, this place looks a lot like the house Edgio used to live in. I didn’t know such a place existed here. I was completely surprised at first... but when I came here, I felt really at ease. I think I’ll come here often, on this path.”

“...Is that so.”

“Yeah.”

The conversation paused.

In front of the small pond, which looked a lot like the one near my childhood home, Rubia and I stood in silence for a while.

We weren’t looking at each other.

We were just staring at the transparent surface of the water beside us.

Rubia’s voice seeped into the quiet air.

“Being here makes me think of old times.”

“...”

Rubia spoke as if singing a gentle song.

“There was a pond near Edgio’s house, though not in front of it. We were about nine, right? I was playing around with Edgio and accidentally fell into the pond. It was deeper than I thought, and I couldn’t swim at all... I really thought I was going to die. I was so scared, calling out Edgio’s name while underwater.”

“...That’s right.”

Rubia chuckled.

A weak, slightly forced laugh.

“But Edgio couldn’t swim either. We should have called for help, but we were the only ones there, and it would have taken a long time to get to the village. We were in a situation where we couldn’t call for help.”

“It was dangerous.”

Rubia shivered playfully, recalling the incident, then smiled faintly and murmured.

“Yeah, really. It was dangerous. If the person next to me wasn’t Edgio...”

“...”

“You jumped in without a second thought, even though you couldn’t swim. You somehow swam to where I was, holding a branch that seemed to float, and then dove under to push me up. Even though I was flailing, you stayed calm and dragged me to a place with rocks. You had to use me as a support sometimes because you needed to breathe, but... hehe...”

...That’s right.

The pond wasn’t extremely deep, fortunately. If it had been a bit deeper, we might have both died. It was as dangerous as Rubia said.

Rubia rested her head on her crossed arms and swayed rhythmically.

“We both managed to get to the shore, vomited out all the water we had swallowed, and shivered from the cold... but in the end, something was so funny that we lay on the ground and laughed a lot.”

“...”

Rubia wiggled her white feet and continued.

“I just suddenly remembered that. It was really fun, and we were so happy without a care in the world...”

“...”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than that. So, the memories of playing with Edgio in elementary school are really precious to me... and I never want to forget them.”

“...”

“...Do you feel the same way, Edgio?”

Rubia’s eyes, which had been on the pond, turned to me.

They were softer than before, with slightly bent corners that held a hint of sadness.

I rolled the words around in my mouth before answering.

“Those are memories I can’t forget.”

“...”

Rubia asked quietly.

“...If you could forget, would you?”

“...”

A familiar silence fell.

For some reason.

I couldn’t answer her question.

Rubia blinked her shimmering eyes.

“Hey, Edgio.”

“...What.”

Rubia pondered for a long time after my short response.

She finally spoke with difficulty.

“Do you... hate me a lot now?”

As she asked me this,

The corners of Rubia’s eyes, which had softened, began to fill with the water of the pond she was looking at.

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