30 – Spring Rain (2)
Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip
The sound of raindrops echoed eerily. From the water droplets, closer to the sky than anyone else, crashing down to the ground, a chilling sense of regret permeated even to my fingertips. I tried to ignore the sound and focus on the class.
“For those who have been attentive in class until now, you may know that the history of the empire is closely related to the history of the struggle against demons. Although we are currently in a relatively peaceful era, if we go back just 100 years…”
Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip
However, the raindrops relentlessly interrupted, capturing my gaze. It seemed like they were pleading, begging me to look at them, to remember my sacrifice. Some students were already impressed, looking not at the professor but in that direction.
Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip
Nevertheless, I couldn’t afford not to concentrate on the class as much as I did. That was the difference between first place and the rest. I had to study while others relaxed, let their guard down, and played to excel academically.
Well… it’s not something I can say. Recently, I’ve also been spending more time playing when others are studying. Perhaps because of such thoughts, my concentration was more disturbed, and the sound of raindrops became even louder. It was not just hearing it loudly; it felt like the sound was right next to me.
No.
Actually, it’s not an illusion; it’s really falling right next to me.
“…Hey, Alan.”
“Yes.”
In the end, the professor also seemed captivated by the sound, turning his gaze towards me. And he subtly asked Alan.
“Did you happen to forget your umbrella?”
“I forgot.”
“Hmm… Alright. I see. Well, from now on, I hope you’ll either stay in the classroom or at least take some measures against the rain.”
“I was running a bit late.”
“Ugh…”
The words “I was running late” stabbed into my side. The professor glanced wistfully at Ellen, who was drenched from the rain, then cleared his throat and spoke.
“Well, I understand. Please be more careful from now on.”
“Thank you for your concern, professor.”
“Um… It seems like you only do this during my class. It’s not that you hate me, is it…?”
“What?”
“Oh… It’s nothing. Let’s continue with the class, everyone.”
Professor Edmond turned towards the blackboard, visibly shaken. I waited until he was far enough away, then asked in a soft voice.
“Why did you come in the rain?”
“I borrowed an umbrella from the library on the way there. That’s why I couldn’t use it on the way back.”
“You could have borrowed one from the librarian.”
“I felt bad about borrowing again. I lost one before.”
“But that doesn’t mean you have to come in the rain.”
“I thought it would be okay this time. Besides, sometimes it’s nice to get caught in the rain, don’t you think?”
As always, Ellen smiled brightly. I couldn’t help but feel a bit burdened by her unwavering optimism, so I averted my gaze.
“Never mind that, just dry your clothes. Use a fan if you have to.”
“Will they dry quickly then?”
“It might be a bit chilly, but it should have some effect.”
“Oh, I see. That’s interesting.”
As soon as Ellen heard those words, she picked up a notebook and started fanning herself with it like a fan. Her movements were a bit exaggerated, causing the wind to blow towards me and slightly bother me. Trying to draw her attention to it, I glanced in her direction and was startled by something, quickly turning my gaze forward.
“Phew…”
“…”
“It’s… damp.”
“…”
Ellen sighed while fanning herself continuously. It seemed that she felt a bit chilly with the wind blowing onto her damp body. I rested my chin on my hand and looked straight ahead, then glanced sideways again.
And there, I absentmindedly stared at Ellen’s chest, which was slightly visible through her wet clothes.
“Phew…”
“…!”
Startled once again by another sigh, I turned my gaze forward. But once again, the wind blew, tickling my ear, tempting me to look back and steal a glance.
“Phew…”
“…”
Why… do I keep looking?
When I thought about it, it was just an ordinary sight. Ellen. Wet clothes. And the glimpse of her skin. It must have been a sight I had seen before. I had even embraced such things with my own body on a day when the rain poured endlessly. I tried to calm myself down, thinking that way.
Of course, it didn’t help at all. Instead, it only stimulated the curiosity of the teenage girl that still lingered within me. I continued to steal glances at the texture of her skin, peeking through the gap between the buttons and the edge of her shirt.
“Hmm…”
“…!!!”
At that moment, Ellen leaned back in her chair and started flicking the top part of her shirt. It was probably an attempt to dry it faster, but for someone stealing glances, it was an even greater stimulation. In the ebb and flow, I was filled with perverted treasures, constantly casting my gaze in her direction. Whether Ellen knew it or not, she even unbuttoned one of her buttons and flicked her shirt.
“Hmm…”
“Oops.”
As soon as the button came undone, without me realizing it, a word that was more like a scream escaped from my mouth. No, rather than a scream, it was more like an exclamation. Startled by the sound I made, I lowered my head as if to bury it in the book. The black letters quickly rushed towards me, as if reproaching me. Only then did a slight sense of guilt begin to rise within me.
What am I doing? Becoming a noble young lady and stealing glances at the boy sitting next to me, feeling embarrassed. Of course, it was understandable for a girl of my age to feel excited when seeing the body of the opposite s*x. The problem was that the person within the girl’s body was me, a twenty-year-old woman.
“Ah…”
As I thought about it, the guilt deepened. How much of an age difference was there between Ellen and me? I couldn’t figure it out exactly, but it was quite clear that I was older. So, am I getting excited while stealing glances at a much younger person’s body?
I’m going crazy. Seriously, I’m going crazy. I touched my cheeks and they were suddenly burning hot. Even just stealing glances could make me feel like this. If you really think about it, this is a sickness. And a crime. Looking at a child’s body like that…
Body…
…
But guilt was the mother of desire, and desire always gave birth to secret pleasure. My gaze once again, like magic, turned towards that place. And once again, the secret ecstasy began.
…
Still, I was relieved that I hadn’t been caught. If I had been caught stealing glances, I don’t know how embarrassed I would have been…
“Hey, Yuna.”
“Uh… Uh… Yeah?”
At that moment, Ellen turned around and opened his mouth. And in a slightly hesitant voice, he spoke.
“Can you stop looking now?”
“Huh?”
I stood frozen, mouth agape, as if I hadn’t heard the words. Ellen reached into his pocket, without looking at me, and took out a handful of overflowing coins.
“I’ve got too much money… My pockets are about to burst.”
…
I pondered that one word slowly, with a frozen mind. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that simple fact.
“Did the sponsorship come in?”
“Yeah.”
“Since when?”
“From the beginning.”
“Is it every time I look at it?”
“Eight times.”
“Then, unbuttoning in the middle too…”
“It brings in more money that way.”
“…”
As I pondered each detail, I eventually closed my mouth. Ellen scratched her cheek, looking at me like that.
“But even so, isn’t this a bit much for me… And it feels like my pockets are about to burst.”
“Ah…”
So, in the end. She knew everything from the start to the end.
I closed my mouth. And I looked straight ahead. Of course, that didn’t mean I could concentrate on the class. Not a single word from the professor entered my ears. I just kept repeating one phrase in my mind.
I want to die…
“When will it dry.”
“…”
Even after the class ended, I couldn’t shake off the shock. Ellen cautiously asked me.
“Um… are you okay?”
“…”.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not the first time, you know.”
“…”
“Of course, now that it’s like this, it really feels like I’m the one doing it…”
“Ugh, seriously…!”
In the end, I wrapped my head and sat down. Ellen hesitated before tapping my shoulder.
“I told you not to worry. I’m fine.”
“I’m not okay.”
“Well, technically, it’s me who got hurt…”
I couldn’t argue with that. I felt uncomfortable meeting their gaze, so I turned my eyes to the side. Then, by chance, I locked eyes with the grumpy elf. She smiled happily and raised her thumb towards me.
“…”
I’m going crazy…
Unable to bear the embarrassment, I slammed my head on the desk. Then, Ellen’s damp touch lightly patted my shoulder.
“Anyway, I’m sorry. I must have made you worry.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
I tried to calm my voice and lifted my head. There were still droplets falling from Ellen’s body. I looked at them with a puzzled expression and grabbed their wet collar.
“Do you have a towel or something? Can you wipe it off?”
“I wish, but there’s nowhere to get one.”
“Why? There’s one in the break room. Oh, right, ordinary people aren’t allowed in.”
“Well… that’s true.”
“There’s nothing we can do then. I’ll go get one for you.”
“Huh? It’s fine as it is.”
“No. Just stay seated.”
If I stay next to him, it feels like my gaze will keep wandering, you know.
Before Alan could grab me, I quickly stood up and headed towards the door. I intended to ask for a towel, but also to clear my mind. However, as I approached the door, unnecessary thoughts began to surface.
By the way, if I bring the towel, do I have to wipe it myself?
…
With that thought, the momentarily dormant imagination of the girl spread endlessly. If I were to wipe it, I should put my hand inside the clothes. Especially the back, since my hand might not reach the corners, I’d have to wipe them thoroughly. Then naturally, I would touch the inside, and if that happens…
Once again, my cheeks seemed to turn red. Ever since I let Alan into my fortress, my hidden imagination started to explode.
Of course, in the end, this was just my own thoughts. That fool Alan probably doesn’t have any thoughts at all, and here I am, alone in this. I tried to calm my mind and moved towards the open side.
From Noble mtl dot com
And the next moment, a blindingly loud sound echoed in front of me.
Bang!!!
“…!!!”
…
…
…
In an instant, everyone’s attention turned this way. Nobles. Commoners. Even the deaf elf who couldn’t have heard, all looked in this direction. And standing at the forefront of that loud noise, I remained frozen like a statue, staring straight ahead.
“…”
The roughly closed door in front of my eyes still trembled slightly, shaking off traces of dust and darkness due to the aftermath of the vibration. In fact, saying it closed roughly was an understatement. At the exact moment I was about to go out. At that precise moment, the closed door, with all its might, revealed more than just resentment – even flesh peeked through. I couldn’t grasp how to handle this situation and just suppressed the boiling emotions.
Grrrk.
At that moment, the door slowly began to open. And through the gap, one face peeked out. That face greeted me with a natural smile and a wave.
“Oh, hello. Yuna.”
“…Elize.”
“The door just closed so loudly. Were you in front of it? Oh my, hope you’re not hurt?”
She spoke with an exceptionally kind tone, just like in the book. However, a hint of sarcasm was felt in her expression. I tried to maintain composure and asked calmly.
“Did you happen to do that, Elize?”
“Me? Oh no, why would I do that? At least when I close the door, I always check around.”
“…”
The word ‘at least’ unconsciously brought back the contents of the book. Did Yuna ever torment Elize like this? But in a short time, such detailed memories didn’t come up. Meanwhile, Elize smiled at me and shook hands.
“Well then, I’ll be going, Yuna. The Crown Prince… I mean, Prince Loen was looking for you. You’re not hurt, right?”
“…Nowhere is hurt.”
“Yes. Well then, see you.”
“…”
Before I could decide how to respond, she swiftly passed by me. Clenching my fist, I walked out of the classroom. As I did, the gazes that had been directed at us faded, and the classroom returned to its noisy atmosphere.
“…”
After going outside, I leaned against the adjacent wall. Looking down, I noticed my fist trembling slightly. Was it because of the unease I felt when the door closed earlier? Or maybe, in a situation like this, anyone would feel anger.
I don’t know. More than anything, I don’t know how to accept this situation. In fact, it was just a surprise that the door closed right in front of me. If I think about it calmly, it could be a common situation.
…No. It’s not a common situation.
Anyone can see that Elize intentionally did that. And to me. No, to Yuna. Even without deep thought, this scene would never have appeared in the original work. If it were the opposite, maybe, but Elize would never act like this towards Yuna.
Something was clearly going wrong.
Elize, of all people, was becoming a variable in my life.
Of course, I couldn’t be certain. It might just be a momentary whim. Perhaps it was really nothing significant. Anyway, even if I am the beloved of the duke and Elise, who receives the affection of the crown prince, she shouldn’t treat me more recklessly than that.
And just because it’s a variable doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a bad thing. Like Ellen, at first, she surprised me, but in the end, she might become the kind of variable that brings positive feelings to me.
But I couldn’t think that way at all. Elise was definitely different from Ellen. Her impulsive actions bothered me somewhere. It wasn’t a big obstacle, but it was uncomfortable in some way, making me constantly uneasy. Yet, touching it wrong might lead to even greater wounds.
Yes, like a small piece of skin torn between the nails.