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“Han Si-hyun, huh?”

I didn’t expect to hear that name here.

I wonder why?

“Han Si-hyun has been looking into you,” he said.

“… What?”

It was hard to believe.

Is she really investigating me right now?

… Why?

“The expression might have seemed a bit odd. I was just checking on your and Shin Woo’s enrollment process.”

“Aha.”

I could roughly guess what it was about.

That must be related to what Han Si-hyun mentioned last time.

Does she still think I’m a constant ability user?

“Then why are you telling me this?”

“Aren’t you concerned?”

“Well, not really.”

Of course, maybe Han Si-hyun was right.

Perhaps something twisted because I was possessed by Yu Hana.

In any case, the chance that I currently have constant abilities isn’t completely zero.

Still, my goal remains unchanged.

Even if I do have abilities, I don’t know what they are or how to use them.

In the end, the most certain method is still one.

To just follow the original plan and kill myself.

Honestly, when I first heard this from Han Si-hyun, I was deeply troubled and lost.

However, after spending some time thinking, I made my decision firm.

Did my reaction surprise him? He sighed deeply.

“If that’s all, can I go then?”

There’s absolutely no benefit in staying with this guy.

There’s no one I should be distanced from more than him.

Without even waiting for his response, I got off the bed.

By the way, why is there a bed in the science lab?

Looking at the unfamiliar scenery, it must be some sort of laboratory inside the science lab.

Just as I was about to pass him and head outside,

I stopped in my tracks due to the ache in my chest.

I bit my lip tightly.

Another seizure.

It seems like the interval is getting shorter these days.

This can’t be happening.

Fortunately, it was the weakest of the seizure symptoms, but it was still painful.

Why doesn’t pain ever become familiar, no matter how much I endure it?

I couldn’t step carelessly.

Painkillers.

I need painkillers.

But my syringe is in my bag.

The bag should be in the classroom.

And I’m in the science lab.

So that means I can’t take painkillers.

“Ugh…!”

I could barely lean against the wall as I couldn’t stand on my own.

Clutching my chest, I desperately awaited the end of the pain.

“It seems like you need help,”

a casual voice teased me it felt like.

The medicine bottle in his hand. Is that it again? I’m really losing it.

“… Get lost.”

“Hmm. That’s unfortunate.”

I wanted to leave this crummy science lab right away, but it was hard to move before the seizure ended.

“Phew…”

Fortunately, the seizure passed without any major issues.

As the gnawing pain disappeared in an instant, my legs gave way, and I plopped down.

In the meantime, the jerk next to me continued to chatter away calmly.

“Are you sure you dislike pills? Since you refused the liquid medicine last time, how about an injection? It seems like you’re fond of that.”

“Please shut up.”

“Well, alternatively, I could make it into a cigarette for you.”

That doesn’t sound too bad.

If I had a cigarette in hand, I would have shoved it right into that annoying mouth by now.

So annoying.

Gathering strength into my trembling legs, I forced myself up and exited the science lab.

He didn’t stop me as I left.

*

After packing my bag in class, I headed straight to the dormitory.

My phone was flooded with missed calls and messages from Kim Shinwoo.

Isn’t this a bit obsessive?

He wasn’t this attached to Yu Hana before.

Last message from him.

– Are you feeling really bad? Is something wrong?

I guess worrying is part of the deal.

Well, I did collapse in the first period and didn’t show up until the end of the class.

I sent a quick reply.

– I’m okay.

That should suffice.

While looking at my phone as I walked, I somehow arrived at the dormitory entrance.

Fortunately, I didn’t run into anyone on the way.

Not Kim Shinwoo, or Han Si-hyun, or Hong Yeonhwa, for that matter.

They always show up and interrupt when it’s most important.

Truly, they’re a nuisance.

Sophie is much better than those guys.

She’s nice, and I don’t have to worry since she’s not in the original story.

Even though I just met her today, she was genuinely trustworthy.

Still, I didn’t want this development.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, hi… heehee.”

*

What the heck is going on?

As soon as I entered my dorm room, someone was already inside.

And it was Sophie, the one I had just been thinking about.

“I think I’ve entered the wrong room. This is my room, you know.”

“Hmm. It’s not wrong.”

“Then how did you get in? You shouldn’t have the key.”

I had mentioned the melted lock to the dorm teacher, and they fixed it again.

Surprisingly, it turned out to be the class president’s doing.

Goodness. The class president is definitely someone I can’t trust.

“I got the key.”

Jingle.

A key was in Sophie’s hand.

The more we talked, the more confusions arose rather than misunderstandings cleared up.

“Who did you get that from?”

“The dorm teacher.”

“… Why?”

“Hana, it seems like we’ll have to share this room from today.”

Share a room?

With Sophie?

Why? How come?

“This is a single room.”

“… It might be a bit cramped, but isn’t that fine?”

“The bed is also single.”

“… Then I’ll just sleep on the floor. Heehee.”

No, that’s not what I mean.

That’s supposed to be a polite refusal.

Still, it’s true that I praised Sophie earlier.

Compared to the other kids, I do prefer her.

But that doesn’t mean I want to share a room.

I’m more comfortable alone.

“Why is that? What about the room you were using before?”

“I was sharing a room with a friend from Class B… But I moved to Class A.”

“What does that have to do with it? You could just keep sharing.”

As far as I know, there aren’t any policies in the academy dorm that make the class relevant.

It means you can become roommates even if you’re in different classes.

“I’m not saying I want to switch. But the dorm teacher said I had to.”

“I can’t understand.”

I began to pace, lost in thought.

Why do I suddenly have to share a room with Sophie?

I walked around eleven times and still had no answer.

“This can’t be.”

“What? What can’t be…?”

“I need to ask directly. Something must be wrong.”

I immediately went down to the first floor to find the dorm teacher.

I protested as much as I could, but the response was simple.

“It’s the policy, so follow it.”

“That doesn’t make sense! At least you should tell me the reason!”

“Because it has been concluded that this is the best method.”

I’m seriously losing my mind.

They don’t provide a clear answer and just want me to follow blindly.

“In my room, the bed is also a single bed…”

“I’ll order a bunk bed right away. Just put up with it for today.”

No matter what I say, it doesn’t register, so what can I do?

In the end, I had no choice but to quietly return to my dorm room.

Sophie said with an awkward smile,

“… I’m sorry. It’s all because of me.”

“Phew. It’s fine. It’s not your fault. It’s just adult matters.”

Kids are always the ones who are sacrificed.

This world seems so cruel.

“But I’m happy! We can share a room, Hana. Heehee.”

“No, saying it like that makes me look bad… I mean, I don’t dislike it either.”

I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed, it’s not like I genuinely hate it.

If it had been Han Si-hyun or Hong Yeonhwa as an unexpected roommate, I would have staged a hunger strike to demand a reconsideration.

But, it’s Sophie?

As long as it’s Sophie, I can manage it.

“I brought the bare minimum with me.”

“What about those things you mentioned doing in the science lab…”

“Yeah. I guess it’s preparing for moving. Heehee.”

At that moment, the conversation fell silent and an awkward tension enveloped us.

How should I put this? It felt like a really long time since I had a normal conversation with a friend.

Ever since I was possessed by Yu Hana, every day has been filled with chaos.

It’s truly been a tough time.

Now that I’m used to it, I actually feel surprisingly okay.

“… Um, Hana.”

“Yeah?”

“I feel like I roughly know why I’m here.”

A sudden confession?

It was an intriguing topic.

“What is it?”

“Maybe it’s because of my ability…?”

“Ability? What type of ability?”

“It’s not a grand ability. It’s a constant ability that stabilizes the emotions of people around me.”

A constant ability, huh?

And an ability that stabilizes people’s emotions?

The more I think about it, the more ambiguous it seems.

It doesn’t seem very useful in combat…

Suddenly, I recalled what the counselor had said.

They had mentioned that my condition would improve with Sophie’s presence.

Did they forcibly transfer me to the dorm with that in mind?

If it’s a constant ability, does that mean I’m already impacted by it now?

I’m not sure. I really can’t tell.

It just feels like it’s the same as usual.

“… I heard some rumors. About Si-hyun and that….”

“The rumors are exaggerated. It was just a minor dispute.”

“Yeah. I also didn’t think Hana would fight that fiercely.”

Sophie seems to believe in me after all.

Just thinking back to the disciplinary committee makes me feel like I could cry all over again.

After all that passionate defense, they still slapped me with a severe penalty.

Well, I guess I have to see it as a good thing that I met Sophie because of that.

“So, about that…”

Sophie, who hesitated, cautiously raised a finger.

Only after following her finger with my gaze did I realize.

“What’s that rope hanging from the ceiling…?”

Oh, I didn’t get rid of that, huh.