28 – You Soaked Into the Corner of the Blanket (4)
Tap. Thud. Thud.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound echoed.
“…”
Tuck.
“Ah…”
I woke up to the brisk sound of footsteps pacing on the floor. As I yawned and opened my eyes, the familiar ceiling came into view. I stared blankly at the ceiling and called out her name.
“Yuna?”
But there was no response. Perhaps she had already gotten up and gone somewhere. Thinking so, I turned my head, and suddenly, my neatly laundered school uniform caught my eye.
“hahahaha…”
Laughter burst out of joy. I quickly went outside and grabbed the clothes as if they were brand new. Admiring the pristine condition of the clothes, I lifted my head. This time, I noticed a note placed in front of the door.
[Come out after washing in the inner bathroom. – Yuna.]
The tone of the note was unbelievably gentle compared to the notes she used to write in the corners of books before. It was a world of difference. It might be an ordinary content for others, but it meant quite a lot to me.
“The inner bathroom…”
As I pondered those words again, I felt a sense of embarrassment. Did I think too much? To shake off the embarrassment, I neatly took off Yuna’s clothes and quickly headed to the bathroom.
Combing my slightly damp hair, I opened the door, and there in the middle of the living room, Yuna was sipping coffee. As our eyes met, I greeted her cheerfully.
“Hello, Yuna. Did you sleep well?”
“Well… yeah. How about you?”
“Well, how was it? Did I sleep well?”
I naturally sat down on the side and smiled. In response, Yuna turned her gaze away slightly and took a sip of her coffee.
“You slept well. Very soundly.”
“Really? Did I snore, by any chance?”
“No. I didn’t snore.”
“Then how did you confirm that I was asleep?”
“…Want some coffee?”
As Yuna asked in detail, she casually turned the conversation and handed me a cup. Unlike the cheap coffee I used to drink at restaurants, it had an unusually strong aroma. I was about to compliment the coffee taste when I suddenly noticed something and stopped nodding. Then, with a slightly tilted smile, I asked.
“Yuna, did you put on makeup?”
“Just a bit.”
“No, it’s more noticeable today. It seems darker than usual.”
“…No, it’s not.”
Upon my words, Yuna turned her gaze away again. As she did, the sunlight shone on her face, revealing a lightly powdered face and redder lips that seemed more vivid than usual. It could be considered quite a mature makeup, but for some reason, it looked cute to me, like a child imitating an adult.
“So? Are we going out now?”
As I kept smiling, looking pleased, Yuna quickly changed the subject. Only then did the image of the room, in chaos from last night’s water fight, flash in my mind.
“Yeah, we should. There’s a lot to clean up. I can’t keep causing trouble.”
“I see…”
It might be a misunderstanding, but her response sounded a bit bitter. I raised the coffee cup again, and Yuna also took a sip following me. An awkward silence, similar to last night, lingered for a moment.
“…I’ll be going out soon too.”
In that silence, Yuna’s almost like a soliloquy was casually thrown out. Although I had heard her soliloquies many times before, this one felt like an invitation to listen. So, naturally, I asked with a playful tone.
“Really? Where are you going?”
“To the library to study. It’s hard to concentrate at home… I think.”
“Is that so? Want me to join you?”
“Hmm?”
“If you’re going out anyway, let’s go together. How about it?”
“Well…”
As always, Yuna bit her lower lip and let the end of her words linger. But now, I had become somewhat accustomed to it and knew how to respond. I subtly nudged her back to relieve her worries.
“I don’t really know the way either. I’ll guide you.”
“…Alright then?”
Only then did Yuna reluctantly open up. Seizing the opportunity, I stood up immediately.
“Sure. Let’s go right away.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, leaving early in the morning will attract less attention.”
“…Okay. Let’s go now.”
It might have been a sudden suggestion, but Yuna had grown accustomed to me, nodding confidently. Then, for the first time, she gave me a smile. This time, I was the one taken aback, and a nervous cough escaped me.
“Ahem. Yeah. Shall we go?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Yuna stood up without hesitation, taking the lead as we walked forward briskly. She reached for the bag placed next to the door and opened it wide, holding it for me.
The sky was clear, making yesterday’s pouring rain seem insignificant. Though there was no rainbow, the sky tinged with watercolor was so blue it felt piercing to the eyes. Walking beneath it, the leaves soaked with moisture waved towards us. Somehow feeling delighted, I waved back.
Then, as if telling a lie, the swaying branch snapped with a wooden sound.
“Oh.”
“Isn’t that the tree you shook yesterday?”
“I didn’t shake it that hard, did I?”
I hurriedly walked past the tree, burdened by a sense of guilt. Yuna, upon witnessing this, chuckled and followed behind me.
“I should report it to the academy. Ellen student broke the tree.”
“Please, hold on. Imagining the cost to compensate for that is beyond belief.”
“Well, then we’ll have to figure something out. Isn’t that right?”
Yuna even playfully teased me. It seemed that yesterday’s rain had washed away more than I thought. I awkwardly scratched my cheek and extended my hand toward her.
“Need help with your bag?”
“It might be heavy, but I won’t refuse.”
“No matter how heavy it is… ugh. It’s really heavy. Are you studying all of this?”
“Wouldn’t everyone? This academy is known for its heavy workload. You’re the odd one out here.”
“Is that so?”
I grinned and adjusted the bag. The weight of the knowledge inside was much heavier than I had anticipated.
“So, that’s the question. You know you’re different, right? Not studying much since you entered, fooling around in class.”
“Well, I guess I am.”
“Moreover, within the classroom, you approach the nobles without any hesitation, even though equality is claimed. It’s not like I’m saying it to criticize, but it feels a bit reckless, or maybe I should say carefree. I don’t mean to hurt you with these words! Just… like that.”
“Well… that’s…”
I stared blankly, then closed my mouth again. Even someone as foolish as me could distinguish between words that needed to be said and those that didn’t. Eventually, I just laughed like a fool and replied.
“I guess that’s just the way I am.”
“That’s why you need to fix it a bit. There’s a saying that happiness follows good grades. Whether you like it or not, someday you’ll have to. And, above all, in this academy, if your grades are high, employment is guaranteed…”
I didn’t know, but Yuna talks more than I thought.
Perhaps I just didn’t have anyone to talk to all this time.
As I walked, listening to Yuna’s advice pouring out like nagging, we found ourselves in front of the library. Originally, it would have been appropriate to part ways here, but as if we had promised to meet again, we naturally walked inside together. The library, which was already empty, was even quieter on the weekends. We couldn’t even see the librarian who was dozing off at the entrance.
“Sigh…”
As always, when I went deep inside and put down my bag, a sigh escaped involuntarily. I didn’t show it, but supporting the weight of the bag was quite a burden. How Yuna carried this with her thin arms, I have no idea. Yuna’s nagging didn’t stop until the moment I opened the bag and took out a book.
“… Anyway. Learning magical subjects is worth it. When you need it later…”
“I got it. I’ll work hard, too.”
“Talking is one thing, doing it is another.”
“No, really. I’ll do it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that so?”
Yuna looked at me with one eye closed, and for some reason, I felt uneasy and hastily raised my hand.
“Well… I’ll go then.”
“…Wait.”
As if her ominous prediction came true, Yuna suddenly called out to me. Then she asked cautiously.
“Are you very busy, by any chance?”
…
With just that question, I could easily guess what would follow. After a moment of contemplation, I decided to be honest.
“Yeah. Busy.”
“As expected, right?”
It was an answer that seemed to imply expectation, but within it, there was a hint of loneliness. Eventually, I succumbed to that loneliness and asked softly.
“Still, can we study together for a little while?”
“Is that so?”
A bright smile returned, much brighter than my dry voice. However, Yuna, after a fake cough, responded with an intentionally dry voice.
“Then bring the Intro to Magic book. It should be on the third shelf of the Magic Studies section.”
“You have it all memorized?”
“Just bring it.”
With Yuna’s pointed remark, I moved hesitantly. Once I stepped into the realm of studying, I felt a sense of discomfort, as if I were shrinking.
“Well… the Magic Studies section…”
Since I had been to the library several times, finding the Magic Studies section wasn’t difficult. However, the problem was finding the book. It wasn’t as easy as I thought to find the words “Intro to Magic” among the hundreds of books lined up.
While searching for a while, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. Yuna, perhaps. When I turned around, I unexpectedly locked eyes with an unexpected person.
“Oh, librarian.”
“…Elan. What are you looking for?”
“Huh? You know my name?”
“Well, you come here often.”
She responded with a half-closed eye, speaking in a very sleepy tone. I, taken aback, couldn’t speak for a while and finally gathered my thoughts to reply.
“Oh, right. I was looking for a book called ‘Intro to Magic.'”
“It’s right behind you.”
“Where is it? I can’t see…”
“Underneath. No, lower.”
“Lower? That’s… ah.”
Continuing to bend my waist, I almost despondently laughed when I found a book stuck at ankle height.
“If it’s here, shouldn’t you inform me that it’s usually on the low shelves?”
“Anyway. It’s usually behind on the upper shelves. So go ahead, take a look, and return it.”
“Oh… yes. Thank you.”
This person is also not normal. I quickly greeted and tried to turn away, but the mention of returning reminded me of the matter with the umbrella. Come to think of it, I should mention that too.
“By the way, sir. That umbrella that Yuna borrowed some time ago.”
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“Yuna? Ah… that thing. What about it?”
“I borrowed it again, but it seems like I lost it.”
“Lost it.”
“Yeah, so that’s…”
“What on earth are you saying? I already got it back.”
“You got it back?”
“Yeah.”
“Who returned it?”
Did I return it without realizing? I asked reluctantly to confirm. But unexpectedly, the librarian mentioned a completely unexpected name.
“Elise returned it yesterday evening. Is there any issue?”