Umi, who had previously thanked Third for helping, had now become someone who exchanged greetings with Third to some extent.
In terms of greeting Third, it was nothing more than a nod of acknowledgment, but simply having someone in the classroom—a place where no one usually welcomed her—who responded to her greetings warmed her heart.
Even if she were to disappear someday and no one cared, at least one person remembered her existence.
Moreover, with Third standing up for her, she thought that the bullying from the others would likely cease.
That realization seemed to grant her the strength to attend the academy.
Umi smiled softly, thinking of Third.
So small that no one else could hear, just a little chuckle.
“Hehehe…”
In that way, Umi’s life changed, albeit slightly.
At least, that was what she thought until that moment.
“Hey, you whatever, it’s been a while, right?”
“…Huh?”
If only the voice that had come from behind her hadn’t been there.
Umi’s body tensed up instantly.
At that moment, a sharp voice shot out from behind her.
“Hey, aren’t you going to greet me?”
“Ah, hi. Jack.”
Umi mumbled, looking down at the floor with a trembling voice.
Jack.
He was the person who had started bullying Umi by calling her a beardless dwarf and had been the most malicious tormentor since.
Pulling her hair, teasing her, and filling her desk and drawers with trash were mere trifles.
He would also force her to eat strange foods, lock her in a storage room, or take away her cherished belongings. Sometimes it even escalated to physical abuse in fits of rage.
“….”
Initially, Umi had been genuinely angry, but her inherently passive nature, unbecoming of a dwarf, had prevented her from expressing strong reactions.
As the bullying continued, the rebellious spirit and anger that once boiled inside of her had completely worn away.
She had asked countless times for him to stop, but he never listened, and it only intensified the bullying.
Like an animal slowly being tamed, her emotions became suppressed.
She now felt foolish for having thought Jack had not been around lately, perhaps having dropped out.
“It wasn’t that he dropped out…”
He had just taken a long break from the academy as he pleased.
A shadow began to cast over Umi’s face.
She felt weakened.
The thought that the same events from the past might happen again made her want to cry.
This wouldn’t be solved by telling a teacher.
Unfortunately, she could assure that.
Due to being frequently called to the staff room over various matters, she had grown somewhat attached to the teachers, but oddly enough, it seemed that the worse the student, the better the relationship with the teachers.
And even if an incident occurred, they would likely be too busy to cover it up.
She had heard of several similar cases involving others as well.
In the end, it was always the child being bullied, not the bullies, who would transfer or drop out.
She had even seen it happen once.
Umi hated the thought that her family would have to move or prepare for her transfer because of her.
Of course, the truth was that it wasn’t her fault.
If Jack hadn’t bullied Umi like that, she would have simply been known as a dwarf without a beard.
She had merely been born that way; she wasn’t terminally ill nor did she have any inconvenient problems in her life.
But when the bullying continued, she started to look for problems within herself.
Soon enough, she came to believe that being born without a beard was a mistake that she needed to accept.
“….”
At that moment, Jack suddenly snatched Umi’s glasses, smirking.
“Why are you still wearing those nerdy glasses? You really look stupid, you know?”
“Ah! P-Please, give them back!”
With Jack’s height, he held the glasses high above Umi’s reach, making them impossible for her to grab.
Her jumping to catch them looked quite ridiculous.
“I don’t feel like it. I’m not giving them back! Hahaha! Just take the class without glasses. That should be fine, right?”
“I can’t see anything without them…”
As always, for Jack, it was merely a fun prank to amuse himself, but for Umi, it was entirely different.
Without those large glasses, she couldn’t distinguish objects right in front of her, leaving her feeling utterly blind.
“You have to jump even higher to reach them!”
“Ugh…”
Umi understood.
She knew that her current desperate and tearful bouncing was only serving to entertain Jack.
In fact, there was a spare pair of emergency glasses that she owned.
How could someone like her, who was practically blind without glasses, feel reassured by just one pair?
Umi was not only worried but also quite prepared.
Yet, even so, she couldn’t help but show any desired reactions.
Otherwise, the bullying wouldn’t stop; it would only become more intense to elicit her desired response.
Thus, she found herself left with no choice.
Without her glasses, it felt as if a catastrophic event was about to unfold, as if something truly precious had been taken from her.
Like a puppet being controlled by strings.
At that moment…
“Stop it.”
It was a voice familiar to Umi—Third.
—–
Third couldn’t just sit back and watch Umi being bullied.
‘How can they bully such a small child like that…?’
Although they were classmates, Umi looked like she had just turned 11, just a tiny child.
It wasn’t a pretty sight to see a robust teenager bullying such a young girl.
Moreover, Third, who thought Umi had somehow “skipped a grade” to be in the same class, found the scene particularly hard to bear.
However, Third was not someone who would leap into action out of a burning sense of justice.
In fact, when it came down to it, Third was closer to being a villain.
Wasn’t he the one who had made a living from drugs and murder in back alleys since he was little?
Reflecting on the scene of a child being bullied, he didn’t feel it was something to be that outraged over.
If he let little incidents like that touch his emotions, he would have already noticed his own sensitive nature long ago.
Yeah, it was no big deal. It was just playing around with some glasses.
Ultimately, it would end when Jack grew bored and returned the glasses.
“Jump higher, I dare you!”
“Ugh, sob…”
Umi’s sniffles did not concern him.
The classroom was noisy, but it wasn’t loud enough for Third to interrupt his meditation.
Meditation lost its efficiency when interrupted for any reason, and he was inclined to maintain that flow of thought.
With that in mind, he continued to think—until he heard the next words.
“Hey, stop crying. It’s just a prank, right? Do you think I’ll stop just because you cry?”
– Freeze.
Third couldn’t continue his meditation any longer at that remark.
‘Heh heh. Do you think I’ll stop just because you cry? If you keep whining, I’ll just give you more—.’
A particularly unpleasant mockery.
Searing pain.
Damp clothes and humid air.
Suddenly, sensations, noises, smells, and emotions began to surmount within him, making it impossible for Third to focus on his meditation.
‘If I endure this all and survive, perhaps then… I might meet—.’
‘So, just hang in there a little longer, test subject.’
“….”
It didn’t take long for Third to realize that it was a fragment of memories trashed when the Circle was reconstructed.
Why were a few droplets of this child’s tears so embedded in his mind?
It felt like the girl’s emotions were being transmitted directly to him.
As if he still held emotions, just like before.
Those emotions twisted up Third’s Circle entirely.
In this state, it was impossible for him to continue meditating, so it was only natural for anger to rise.
Yes, this isn’t sympathy; this is justified wrath.
Third stood up and approached them swiftly.
“Stop it.”
“What’s this?”
Jack glared at Third as if questioning what he was doing.
At that moment, Third easily snatched the glasses from the stunned Jack and handed them to Umi.
“Here you go.”
Umi, caught off guard by Third’s sudden intervention, blurted out with astonishment.
“Uh, uh… Thanks…”
Oh my god, Third saved me from Jack!
Just like he’d said in the classroom before, did he really stand up for me?
If that was true, it was incredibly grateful of him.
Since she hadn’t put her glasses back on, Umi couldn’t see Third’s expression well, but that was a relief for her.
Because previously, Third’s expression had looked like something out of a nightmare.
Truly, the expression of someone about to commit murder.
Though Umi’s imagination transformed it into a lovely visage.
Jack, watching the scene with incredulity, scoffed and remarked.
“I’ve never seen that face before. Are you close with this girl?”
“What?”
Third showed a slight look of surprise.
How could he maintain such a calm expression while taking on his aura of menace?
It was something to marvel at.
Even in that moment, Jack continued to provoke Third, chuckling.
“No, what’s with the band-aid on your face? Did you get hit? Oh, wait, is it possible we’re the same age? You look like a grandpa, haha!”
“….”
Third couldn’t help but feel tense at Jack’s nonchalant demeanor.
How could this be happening?
In such situations, there were usually only two possibilities.
Either he was completely ignoring Third’s presence, or Third’s aura of menace felt so weak that it left no impact.
And from the current situation, it was likely the latter.
There were no signs of Jack absorbing the intimidation radiated by Third.
‘Is this kid that extraordinary?’
To the point of overwhelming him?
As Third grew flustered, Jack inched closer, wanting to close the distance, saying,
“Hey, can you fight? What’s this about?”
No.
No way.
That can’t be the case.
It simply makes no sense.
That’s impossible…
‘Ah.’
Third suddenly recalled one scenario in which it could be possible.
Luke Iruši.
A being that appeared childlike yet possessed the strength of a monster.
And if this kid really was such a being, he had to be tense.
Although it didn’t seem to radiate any mana, who was to say it wasn’t a disguise?
What if he simply hadn’t noticed?
“Hey, wanna go? Want to head to the roof?”
With Jack’s brazen provocation, Third’s temper cooled.
Something was dawning on him.
‘Was the Master expecting this and recommended this academy to me?’
If he thought that way, suddenly it made sense.
Hadn’t he mentioned that the academy was a small society?
In society, unexpected variables always arise.
“Haha.”
Perhaps he had grown dulled by being supported all this time.
If he was someone Third had to face without arrogance, Third was more than willing to comply.
With a faint smile lingering at the corners of his mouth, Third replied,
“I’ll accept that proposal. How about lunchtime?”
The reason Third didn’t initiate a fight immediately was that he was planning to stabilize his Circle and strategize.
It was clear that the opponent wouldn’t be easy.
“What? You seem hotter than I expected. Really confident, huh? Sure, lunchtime on the roof.”
Jack readily accepted the proposal, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Was this what strong individuals radiated?
“Of course, you will come, right?”
“Ha! Don’t suddenly run away, or I’ll hunt you down and kill you.”
“Don’t worry. Once I say something, I’ll definitely keep that promise.”
And as Umi watched the scene unfold, with two men fighting because of her, she felt a surge of panic, like something out of a drama, completely overwhelmed by terror.
“Stop! Don’t fight because of me!”
Unfortunately, the words couldn’t escape her lips and instead settled within her heart like a thickened knot.
Unlike a drama, this was frightening in real life.
Though it had her heart racing in another meaning.
