Let’s rewind time a bit, back to when Rudion got knocked out by a magical explosion.
*Whoosh!*
Rudion flies helplessly and crashes into a tree.
Seria and Alkiné are momentarily stunned, just staring blankly at the scene. Only after seeing Rudion collapse unconscious do they snap out of it.
“Rudion?!”
“Seria! What on earth did you do?!”
“I don’t know! I was definitely keeping it stable…”
Flustered, Alkiné starts interrogating Seria, mistakenly thinking the explosion was her fault. But Seria genuinely has no clue, her face saying it all.
In reality, it wasn’t Seria’s fault. Skilled in magical control, she had maintained the magical sphere in a precise and safe manner, making an explosion practically impossible.
But what about now? What was supposed to be safe twisted in an instant and exploded without warning.
Luckily, the magical energy in the sphere wasn’t large, so the explosion’s impact was small. Still, it didn’t change the fact that her magic had sent Rudion flying.
“What have I done…”
“H-hey, calm down first. We need to check his condition.”
Was it really that serious? Both of them, pale-faced, slowly approach the fallen Rudion. The sound of his quiet breathing confirms he’s just unconscious.
Realizing this, they both let out sighs of relief.
“You really know how to worry people. You’re such a funny guy.”
“…Wasn’t this caused by your magical explosion?”
“Me? This happened because Rudion messed with it. It’s not my fault.”
Just moments ago, Seria looked like the world was ending, ready to blame herself. But now that safety is confirmed, she’s back to acting calm. Though, if you look closely, her hands are still trembling.
Seeing this, Alkiné lets out a quiet chuckle.
‘There’s a reason they’re always together.’
Whether they were similar from the start or just grew alike from being together, the way she pretends not to care while worrying more than anyone is just like him.
How does she know, having not known him for long? When you’ve been helped by him a few times, you can’t help but notice. How he acts calm but is driven by a fear of failure.
It’s just that he’s never failed before, so it seems fine.
…Just how much effort is he putting into keeping up that carefree act?
And why?
Am I included in that effort?
‘Damn it. Here we go again.’
I was overwhelmed by the urge to grab onto something tightly.
Even before, I felt this way, but now, with Rudion passed out in front of me, the feeling was even stronger.
I tried to calm myself by clenching my fists, but it didn’t help much.
Did she notice? Seria approached me with a cold glare.
…I know that look. I’ve seen how she deals with people who try to get close to Rudion.
But I never thought that glare would be directed at me… Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect it.
In the end, it seemed like I had developed those feelings too.
“Ms. Alkiné. Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Do you like Rudion?”
“…”
I couldn’t answer. But that silence was an answer in itself.
Seria let out a deep sigh as she watched me.
But on the other hand, she also had a look that said, “It was bound to happen.”
Unable to say anything, I just stood there. Seria was the one who broke the silence first.
“…Well, good. Since we’re here, let’s talk about what we need to.”
“I didn’t expect to have time for a separate conversation like this.”
“Did you think I knew?”
Seria’s actions, her tone—everything about her was cold.
She seemed to be trying to act as usual, but she wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions.
It couldn’t be helped. I still hadn’t loosened the grip on my fists.
I just… hoped it could be resolved through conversation.
For now, I decided to properly lay Rudion’s body down on the floor.
I could’ve just left him there, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off him since earlier.
“Ms. Alkiné, can you hold him? And… support his head too.”
But for some reason, Seria, who would’ve normally taken the lead, stepped back and let me take her place.
When I looked at her curiously, she avoided my gaze and quietly explained.
“I still feel too guilty to look at his face.”
“Huh.”
She tried to brush it off, but it seemed like she still blamed herself.
Of course, she knew. Rudion wasn’t the type to blame others for something like this.
But it couldn’t be helped if she still felt uncomfortable.
You know what? Later, Seria ended up doing something crazy because of this. She wanted to feel reassured by seeing Rudion’s usual reaction.
If there wasn’t some selfishness involved, it would be a lie, but that was definitely the biggest reason.
Anyway, in the end, it was Alkiné who ended up cradling Rudion’s head.
Seria kept glaring at Alkiné like that but couldn’t bring herself to approach.
Alkiné, seeing Seria like that, gave a light chuckle… then suddenly looked down at the sensation she felt on her lap.
There, she saw Rudion’s face resting on her lap.
‘…Oh, this is quite…’
His face, oddly handsome for his build, looked surprisingly youthful from this angle, and it felt different from the usual view she had of him.
‘He always seemed so reliable, but seeing him like this, he’s just another boy his age.’
He always felt so distant. But seeing him like this, maybe he wasn’t as far away as she thought.
After all, he’s the kind of guy who would pass out from something like this.
‘Wait, now that I think about it… it’s weird that he passed out from an explosion of that level.’
It was just the kind of magic that second-year students in the upper-middle ranks could use.
Even if it was sudden, it was strange for someone like him, who isn’t even a mage, to pass out.
‘That means…’
Maybe he’s not as strong as he seems.
Maybe he just appears strong by pushing his exceptional abilities to the limit.
‘No, isn’t that what being strong is?’
I don’t know. A lot of thoughts are popping up, but they’re not coming together.
Whatever. What does it matter? He saved me, and that was possible because he’s strong.
‘But still… maybe he needs my help too?’
No one is perfect, and he’s the kind of guy who would pass out from an explosion like this.
I feel like I could be of help to him too.
I want to protect him so he doesn’t get hurt.
…I want to be by his side.
‘I must be crazy.’
[Current Affection Level: 17/100]
[3 more until the next reward.]
I had some idea when I saw those strange messages, but feeling my heart race like this is something else entirely.
Now I can’t deny it. What I feel is clearly affection.
Realizing that, his face, which already looked different, now seems even more so.
This is… really…
“Wait a second. I didn’t say you could stare so blatantly, did I? And why are you patting my head?”
“Oops. Sorry.”
I quickly pulled back my hand, which had moved on its own.
Seeing that, Seria seemed to notice something, furrowed her brow for a moment, and then…
With a sigh, she asked.
“Alkiné, you’re already an important person in Rudion’s life. You’re aware of that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Alkiné, you’ve become that, haven’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
It was a feeling that had just hit her. A feeling she couldn’t do anything about.
No matter how much she tried to suppress it, it was bound to burst out.
Seeing Alkiné nod, Seria seemed to ponder something for a moment before finally opening her mouth as if she had made up her mind.
“Anyway, I’ll tell you. I like Rudion too. So much that I lose my mind every time.”
She already knew that.
That was why Alkiné couldn’t fully accept it even after seeing the favorability system with her own eyes.
Seria’s feelings were genuine.
She was so open about it that it was famous within the Academy. How could that be a lie?
That’s why, if Seria told her to give up, she would have done so.
“But regardless of my feelings for Rudion, I’m happy that you’re on his side, Alkiné.”
But the words coming out of her mouth were utterly incomprehensible.
“You’ll come to realize, Alkiné, but Rudion needs someone by his side who can believe in him. Someone who’s exceptionally capable.”
“He’s the type to solve everything on his own and come back. Don’t you think he needs someone who can just believe in him?”
“Still, someone who can help in daily life and has the ability to protect themselves without causing worry. I think that’s the kind of person who should be by Rudion’s side.”
“And… as much as I hate to admit it… the Alkiné I’ve seen fits that criteria.”
The words coming out of her mouth were a jumble of things she couldn’t fully grasp.
What was she supposed to realize?
What was she supposed to believe in?
It only added to the confusion by listing conditions.
“Alkiné. What do you want right now?”
But to Seria’s final question, she could answer clearly.
What she wanted right now. That was…
“I want some time alone with Rudion.”
It was the moment to convey her feelings.
Her emotions were still a mess. She didn’t know how to express them.
But even if they were a mess, she wanted to convey them.
To that, Seria…
“Do that.”
She gave a bitter smile and nodded lightly.
