7 – The Nameless Extra (2)
“All right. Today’s practical training will be conducted in pairs.”
…
….
…..
Why is the ominous feeling.
Never wrong even once.
As I, descending into the abyss of despair at the young magic professor’s words, struggled to grasp the threshold of hope, I raised my head. No, it’s still okay. It’s not like I have social anxiety, and practicing in pairs shouldn’t be a big deal. If I endure the brief awkwardness, it’ll be fine.
And she hasn’t said that yet. That why. It’s the foolish remark of old-fashioned professors who, without understanding the classroom situation properly, mistakenly believe that students in the same class should naturally be friendly when paired for practice.
Fortunately, the magic professor conducting this class was known for being the youngest in the academy, with a sense of humor and a considerate personality. Therefore, I looked at her lips with a heart closer to trust than expectation.
But she ruthlessly crushed my expectations and trust, speaking with a bright voice.
“Well, then, pair up with someone you like. Understand, everyone?”
“Ah…!”
At that moment, I felt like I might collapse, simultaneous with a short sigh. No, maybe I really did collapse. My whole body relaxed, and my vision started to turn white.
A brilliantly shining sunlight spread across the endlessly white sky. It was an undoubtedly beautiful day, just as the young magic professor standing there said, but an unstoppable yawn escaped my lips.
“Sigh…”
Perhaps in my past life, I wasn’t a beast on the verge of fainting from sleep deprivation. With no unfulfilled dreams and no uneaten meals, maybe I’m just trying to make up for the sleep I couldn’t complete even in this current life. This tearing yawn sounds like the howl I used to let out with resentment during my beastly days.
Lost in useless daydreams for a while, I made an effort to shake my head and started concentrating on the professor’s words standing in front of me. She spoke animatedly for a while, mumbling about things I didn’t know, until she finally uttered a phrase I could understand.
“Well then, pair up with someone you like. Got it, everyone?”
“Yes…”
While I replied to her words with a lackluster tone, inwardly, I couldn’t help but smirk. Got it, everyone. It’s not like we’re little kids. Sometimes, it seemed like the professor forgot occasionally that this wasn’t a kindergarten but an academy.
However, despite her childish tone, her instructions contained some thoughtful considerations. Randomly assigning partners could lead to awkward situations where nobles and commoners end up together, creating an inevitably uncomfortable scenario. On the other hand, specifying that commoners stay with commoners and nobles with nobles would violate the academy’s spirit of educational equality.
Therefore, instructing to ‘pair up with someone you like’ might seem childish on the surface, but under the pretext of guaranteeing students’ freedom, it was a rather clever choice that naturally separated nobles and commoners.
Well, there might be a minor drawback; people who usually don’t have friends might find themselves in a quite awkward situation. And those with few friends might have to stick with the same person every time. I don’t know who falls into the former category, but at least I belonged to the latter. So, right after the professor’s words, I had to listen for the approaching thumping footsteps coming in my direction.
“Hey, Ellen. Let’s partner up.”
As I turned my head, Gwero, as always, blocked my path, obscuring the sun shining from the sky. Whether it was due to the practice uniform or not, her chest seemed unusually large, and I couldn’t help but blurt out a word.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Pair up with someone you ‘like,’ they said.”
“Wow, what a jerk.”
Gwero was quite shocked by my blatantly discriminatory joke. Then, covering her mouth with a fist beneath her large chest, she spoke.
“Stop talking nonsense and let’s just get this over with quickly. I want to run since I came outside after a while.”
“Do big-bodied ones like you even enjoy running?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Because those who dislike running all got caught and sold as slaves.”
“Pfft.”
I chuckled at the empty joke, but inside, I let out a sigh. Gueiro was a good friend for conversations, but when it came to activities like this, he was the worst partner. Well, with a body as large as his, it wasn’t uncommon for him to get into trouble with his brute strength. Plus, having spent over a dozen years in a village inhabited only by water creatures, Gueiro was quite inexperienced in controlling his strength.
But well, there wasn’t really any other choice. If I were to look for a replacement, there was the deaf elf Iriya or the friendly Elise. Or…
…
Suddenly, Yuna’s face flashed through my mind. If she were her usual self, she would be actively engaged in activities with her followers, receiving all kinds of praise. But the current Yuna was far from that villainous charming appearance. Actually, aside from me, she seemed to have never engaged in a conversation with anyone. I looked for her with that thought in mind.
And there, I found Yuna, her face turning red as she gazed at the sun.
With a cold gaze scanning the sky, standing tall on solid ground amidst the weeds, she resembled a sunflower blossoming alone. Those who didn’t know her situation admired her dignity and stepped back, and even those who accidentally approached quickly retreated after a single glance from her. Even the professors couldn’t easily approach her.
But unlike them, my eyes had shed the prejudice against her, allowing me to think a bit differently. Well, honestly, there was no need to twist my thoughts so much. After all, no matter how you looked at it, it was just pairing up as per the words of others.
…
No one to partner with, huh?
Of course, it was an unavoidable situation for her. She had distanced herself from the praise-singing attendants for quite some time, and now, she couldn’t be with ordinary people. In a way, it was natural.
But regardless of that, a playful smile appeared on my face. Yuna Richmond probably never expected to face such a situation. It must have been quite bewildering for her. If you looked closely, her expression seemed to reveal some uncertainty. Maybe she was starting to realize.
There was only one choice available now.
And with that sole option, I observed her actions with a sinister smile on my face.
Since our encounter at the library, Yuna had been even more thorough in ignoring me. She seemed to want to solve this awkward situation by simply turning a blind eye. I had no intention of forcefully breaking through, but I kept looking for opportunities. It was an interesting situation, and although it might sound a bit materialistic, I did need some money.
And perhaps now was the opportunity.
“Gueiro.”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’ll partner with someone else.”
“What? What’s up with you?”
At my words, Gueiro squinted his eyes and looked at me.
“Quit talking nonsense. Then, who are you going to be with?”
“Curious?”
“Well… I may not be that curious, but then, who am I going to be with?”
“Hmm. How about Iriya? She seems to be struggling because she doesn’t have anyone to do things with.”
“…Iriya?”
Simultaneously, Gue and I turned our heads toward the corner. Gue looked at the frail elf girl with an expression of disbelief and spoke towards my direction.
“Hey. What’s this about doing something with me and that little one… Hey! Ellen!”
However, I was already approaching Yuna with my back turned. Gue wiped his face with his hand, sighed, and then spoke.
“Phew… Hey, Iriya! Do you happen to not have anyone to do things with?”
” …? “
“With me. Activity. Together. Interested?”
” …!!! “
At Gue’s words, the elf girl nodded enthusiastically. I looked at that sight and then turned my head forward again. There, the back of Yuna, secretly rolling her feet, was visible.
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but she seemed deeply immersed in her thoughts. Even though I approached closely enough to feel the faint scent of shampoo from her tousled hair, she didn’t seem to notice my presence.
“Sigh…”
As I got closer, a light sigh with a gentle breath and a light sigh reached me. I hesitated a bit about playing a prank and just called her name casually.
“Yuna.”
“…!!!!!!!!!”
However, even with my casual reaction, she turned her head abruptly, shocked. Soon, as the neck gradually turned red through the scattered hair, it became hot up to the ear. Yuna, in that state, after holding her breath for a while, suddenly turned her head and said in a subdued voice.
“T-Don’t come so suddenly like that, okay?”
“Huh? Why are you speaking so quietly?”
“…Ahem. Why is that? Do you have some business?”
“Oh, I guess I should use a noble tone in front of people. Sorry, didn’t know.”
As I chuckled and spoke, Yuna looked at me with an expression that seemed to say she’d rather fall apart. Then, she turned her head away.
“If you have no business, please leave. I need to focus on my studies now.”
“Well… but you were having trouble because you don’t have a partner, right? We have to take today’s class together.”
“Just because of that doesn’t mean I want to be with you. I have the dignity of a duke’s daughter to maintain.”
“Isn’t it better than stomping around alone because the duke’s daughter has no one to accompany her?”
“…”
Yuna, who had countered each of my arguments, fell silent, only mumbling with pursed lips. Now, how would she get out of this? I watched with anticipation, but surprisingly, Yuna quickly admitted the situation, nodding her head.
“…Well, I can’t help it. I’ll accompany you just this once.”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Yes, anyway, it’s a magic class, so there shouldn’t be any inappropriate physical contact. Isn’t that right?”
“Well… I guess so.”
If there were such a situation, it would be quite entertaining.
I secretly hoped for such a scenario because it was a rare opportunity for me. Yuna had been avoiding me, but for some reason, this sponsorship seemed to be filled with numerous hidden questions. And unraveling those mysteries would be very interesting.
Yuna, as if reading my thoughts, stared at me with a highly guarded expression. I just smiled brightly and absentmindedly tried to put my hand into my pocket.
“…Huh?”
But the hand that was supposed to go into the pocket helplessly skimmed through empty air. I stared blankly at the exposed hand, and slowly, a realization dawned on me.
Come to think of it, the practice uniform didn’t have pockets. There were various reasons for that. They prioritized mobility over functionality. There were too many accidents caused by students carrying magical tools in their pockets. Complaints related to misconduct. Various reasons crossed my mind, but now, those things didn’t seem to matter. Instead, one fact derived from the absence of pockets lingered in my mind.
If there’s no pocket. Where does the sponsorship come in?
Suddenly, a bewildering emotion swept through my mind for the first time. It would have been convenient if it automatically stored in the original pocket of the clothes or if it was expected to come later, but the likelihood of such a fortunate event was low. If, by any chance, it absolutely had to come into my body.
Then where does it come in?
…
It’s fun to imagine, but it could be a bit embarrassing.
Of course, there might be no need to worry. As Yeong-ae said, today is a magic class, and there won’t be any unnecessary physical contact. I quickly glanced at the professor, brushing off my concerns as quickly as they arose.
However, she, being the youngest and most energetic professor at the academy, did not adhere to the traditional teaching methods. With a bright smile and a voice as bright as the sunlight pouring down, she spoke.
“Well then, before we start the class, let’s do some light stretching. Shall we face each other with our partners?”