73 – Her Her.
“A leave of absence?”
“Yes, Professor. Can’t we?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“No… Well… If that’s what Yuna means, there’s nothing we can do…”
Professor Sarah looked shocked at the sudden declaration. I asked, tilting my head slightly.
“Is there something that’s bothering you?”
“First of all, there are no procedural problems. In principle, applications for leave of absence should be made to the person in charge, but in reality, all you have to do is submit documents, so it doesn’t matter… It’s enough as a reason to take a mid-term leave of absence.”
“Then it’s okay?”
“Yes, but I must point this out.”
Professor Sarah nodded resolutely, as if she had made up her mind. And he said, pulling up the hem of the blanket that covered his body a little.
“…No matter how urgent the situation is, you don’t sneak into the professor’s dormitory in the middle of the night and apply for a leave of absence, right Yuna?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that point. Even though I tried to express my apologies, it was so cute to see Professor Sarah embarrassed like never before.
It must have been very embarrassing for the professor. It must have been quite embarrassing for the duke’s daughter, who had been absent without leave for over a week, to suddenly submit an application for leave of absence.
I knew, but it was something I couldn’t help.
“But I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to attract attention.”
“I understand. Yuna is the biggest problem in the Academy right now.”
“But I believed you would understand. Thank you for your help, Professor.”
“Um…I haven’t even said anything about helping you yet.”
There was still a hint of hesitation in her tone of voice. But then she sighed and nodded her head.
“But I can’t do it. As a teacher, how could I refuse a request from students who are in trouble? I will submit the documents. I will also do whatever it takes to process the leave of absence.”
“Thank you, Professor. I thought you would listen.”
“By the way, taking a leave of absence means that you will return to school someday, right? When do you plan to return?”
“Well, actually, I might drop out like this. But I’ll try my best to come back.”
“Hmm…”
Professor Sarah looked at me with a meaningful expression. She asked, hugging her knees.
“That’s right. Has your mother’s problem been resolved?”
“Did Ellen tell you this?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. In her defense, it was part of the class. So, please don’t say too much to Ellen.”
“No. I guess I’ll have to scold you. Honestly, you’ve thought about hitting the professor at least once, right?”
“Um…You can’t deny it, right?”
After we finished talking, we looked at each other and smiled softly. Professor Sarah tilted her head and squinted her eyes playfully.
“So? What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know. First, I’m going to go somewhere quiet and think about it. For the time being, I want to be as peaceful as possible.”
“Is there a designated place?”
“No. There is none.”
“Hmm… Then have you ever heard of Lorenheim? It’s a town famous for its peppermint flowers… No, just forget it. I’ll make sure I don’t give you strange advice for no reason.”
Professor Sarah looked out his window with a somewhat bitter expression. Then he suddenly smiled and looked back at me.
“I guess you should go soon? My friends are urging me.”
“Ah…Yes.”
When I looked out the window, I saw six hands shaking rapidly below, leaving a dark afterimage. I placed myself on the window sill and took one last look at Professor Sarah.
“Thank you so much, Professor. For your consideration.”
“What? Um…If you’re so grateful, could you please ask Ellen to keep her promise?”
“Huh? What promise?”
“Ah…It’s nothing. Bye, Miss Yuna.”
Instead of answering, I responded with a smile. And she also gave me a warm smile. Would you have felt like this if you had a sister? A bit of regret rested lightly in her heart.
But now it was really time to leave. That’s why I threw myself out the window without any hesitation. Professor Sarah’s last words were heard through the sound of the wind passing through my ears.
“Someday. I hope to see you again.”
“Tsk…Chaa…”
“Whoa…”
Although somewhat uneasy, Ellen successfully accepted my body, which had been thrown through her window. As I felt the trembling of my arms, I tightened my grip on Ellen’s neck for no reason.
“Why. Is it heavy?”
“No. It’s heavy.”
“You…”
As I pinched her arm, Ellen frowned but carefully placed me on her floor. As soon as she stepped onto the tall grass, the smell of fresh grass wafted out.
“So. Did you handle it well?”
“Yes. He said he would help. I’ll have to send him a gift later. By the way, he told me to keep my promise. Do you know what that promise is?”
“Ah…That’s right. I guess you’re lonely after all.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s nothing. By the way, Guero, come here. Are you going to go straight to the dormitory?”
Eren gave a vague answer and turned her gaze towards Guero and Illya, who were standing next to her. Since she had just returned from the capital, Guerro seemed to be feeling less tired from her travels, yawning profusely as she answered.
“Well…That’s how it goes. Bring him back quickly.”
“…”
Guero looked at Illya, who was on his back. Even though she had slept the whole way back from the capital to Erendel, she was still in a deep sleep.
“It’s a shame. It would have been nice if Miss Guero and Illya had gone together.”
“I couldn’t even decide where to go.”
“Still, I can take responsibility for at least two people.”
“Ah. We should go back to school. If I said I would take a leave of absence, my grandparents would be really upset. Hey, if she takes off even for a semester, she will have trouble getting a scholarship, so that’s not possible.”
“Still…”
“And what? Wouldn’t it be better for both of us if we weren’t there?”
When I kept showing signs of regret, Guero blurted out a word as if throwing it away. But she must have been embarrassed to say it herself, so she scratched her head for no reason.
“It’s already been bothersome that Illya pays attention to me. If I stay away for a while, things will get quieter.”
I laughed involuntarily at the sight of him looking like an old man who was not good at conversation. Are all beastmen like that?
Maybe that’s why I felt like joking around.
“I understand. Thank you so much. Guero.”
“Ah, ugh.”
I only missed one letter after her name, but she looked very awkward and scratched her head. Still, it seemed like she was happy as the corners of her mouth kept rising.
“Ah…This kind of thing is really awkward and I don’t like it. Okay. Well…Thank you too, Yuna.”
“Thank you. I have so much more to be thankful for.”
“No, but just…Ah, please don’t do this…”
Guero, who was already shy, turned her head away when I approached her to hug her. Nevertheless, I hugged her body, which felt like a huge tree.
“Thank you. Really.”
“Ah…Uh…Yeah…Uh…”
“I will definitely come back with Ellen.”
“I understand. I understand…Ahh…I’m really going crazy, really…”
Guerro used to throw large men with one hand, but in the end, she was just a girl who had not grown up. She wanted to tease her more, but if she did that, she felt like the moment they met again would be even more awkward.
“See you later, Guero.”
“Ah, ugh. Yes. Uh.”
“And…Illya too.”
I left Guero, who was ruined by the heat, and this time I looked at Illya. Unlike Guero, she was an elf girl who helped me out of curiosity rather than friendship. But whatever her purpose, it was true that I felt her affection. As I stroked her soft cheek, Illya slowly opened her eyes.
“Thank you, Lee. For everything.”
“…”
She lifted her hand weakly and also gave her thumbs up. Then he waved his hand at me.
‘Goodbye.’
“Yes. See you again.”
Soon her small hand dropped with a helpless jerk. Guero looked at Illya, who was sleeping like a baby again, and opened her mouth.
“She looks like she’s still sleepy. I guess I should put her to bed soon.”
“Yes. See you later, Guero.”
“Yes, it’s…Yuna. Goodbye to you too, Ellen. Be nice to Jesu, dude.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Guero gave Ellen a final reprimand-like greeting, then turned his back and walked toward her dormitory. A giant beast girl and a small elf riding on her back. The sight of their backs, which had already become such a huge presence in my heart, left me with an inexplicable bitterness. I watched them endlessly and then turned my gaze to the sky.
“Haaa…”
The exhaled breath did not even fade to pure white and scattered into the warm summer night sky. When I deliberately took a deep breath, my empty chest swelled with fresh air. Meanwhile, the calm scent of flowers mixed in made my nose feel cold and I felt mildly dizzy.
“Whoa…”
I glanced at her and saw that Eren was also catching her breath, looking at the spot where the two had disappeared. His profile, soaked in the night sky, felt special again.
Now that I think about it, it seems like it’s been a very long time since we were alone together. The four of us were stuck together the entire time as we were in a hurry to return from the capital. Thinking like that, I felt a bit awkward and opened my mouth.
“Why? Do I feel empty?”
I asked in a playful way on purpose. Then Ellen answered honestly, as always.
“Yes. Now that I think about leaving, I feel empty. Guero and Illya as well. The professors and the academy classes. It’s scary because I think the moment when I’ll miss you will come soon.”
“As expected, you don’t want to leave, do you?”
“It’s not like that. No, maybe it’s like that. I don’t know how I feel either. But I don’t necessarily regret it. I’ll have to leave someday anyway.”
“…”
Ellen’s honest answer hit her throat lightly. Even I, her possessor, feel a bit of longing, but Eren, who was originally a resident of this world, must feel even more so. Maybe I put Eren’s feelings aside because I only cared about Yuna and I’s happiness.
But as Ellen said, it was going to happen someday anyway. So, instead of sympathizing with his bitterness, I tried to smile.
“Then I guess I should enjoy it one last time today. Should I go for a walk? How about that?”
“Um…I guess so…”
Ellen nodded her head and then lowered her head as if lost in thought. Then, she suddenly looked at me with her signature mischievous smile.
“Hey, Yuna. Shall we take off our shoes and walk?”
“Huh?”
“Today could be the last day. If you want to enjoy it, you have to enjoy it to the fullest, right?”
“Umm…”
Ellen’s suggestions always puzzled me. But maybe that’s why we can’t help but be happy when we’re together.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
“Okay. Then I’ll take it off.”
“What? Ah…Yeah. Like that.”
I instinctively tried to scream, but then laughed and sat down on a nearby rock. Ellen carefully took off my shoes and then held out her hand to me.
“Come on, let’s go. It’ll feel better than you think.”
“I hope there are no bugs.”
“There won’t be. I promise with my fingers.”
I knew it was a promise I couldn’t keep, so instead of crossing my fingers, I held that big hand tightly and stepped on the ground. And started walking forward.
The touch of cold grass leaves tickled the soles of my feet and the fragrant scent of grass rose up. The academy’s grass field was wider and more expansive than the flower garden on the rooftop, so different grass and flowers were stepped on every time. As if I was playing the piano with my feet, various sounds and scents popped up with each step.
It was like the ending song that rings in the last chapter of a story, and I felt like I was in tears without even realizing it. But instead of shedding tears like an idiot, I looked at Ellen. The profile of the man who changed my life and Yuna’s. He who was once just an extra sitting next to me has become so big to me.
And in the meantime, so much happened.
So many things.
From Noble mtl dot com
Accidents and incidents that are difficult to count one by one. Looking back, not a single thing was easy. Usually, when I look back on memories, good things come to mind rather than bad things, but strangely enough, only the difficult memories kept coming back to me.
Is it because I want to believe that I can be happy now that I have experienced such things?
No. It wasn’t something I wanted to believe.
It’s okay to be really happy now.
Me too. Ellen too.
“Ellen.”
At that moment, I called his name without realizing it. Extras that brought me happiness. No, now you are the main character of my story. He turned his profile, filled with countless stories, and looked directly at me.
“Huh?”
“…”
But I didn’t answer. I felt like if I hurriedly said something strange, it would ruin this moment. I didn’t want to ruin the happy ending of this story with my words.
“It’s nothing.”
So I just smiled. Ellen didn’t know what it meant, but she smiled for me. I looked ahead with that smile on my face. The past that I had shaken off, the nightmares that I would no longer look for, crumbled into pieces behind my steps.
And so I finally looked at the clear night sky. Although it wasn’t completely clear, it was still a great way to celebrate a new start in life.
I held Ellen’s hand with a smile on my face. I felt a faint pain as his nails dug into my palm and wrist. For some reason, it felt like growing pains I had never experienced before, so I stopped…
…
…Tears well up. It felt raw.
For some reason. It felt like another crack had been drawn on his wrist.
I feel like I drew a line on my wrist to age like I did back then.
I kept crying.
I thought I would somehow feel more lonely if I wiped it away with my own hands, so I pulled Ellen’s hand. Please wipe away my foolish tears. I want you to touch my face.
But I couldn’t do that.
No matter how much I pulled, Ellen’s hand wouldn’t reach my face.
“…”
Only then did I realize that the clear night sky had become much darker than before. If I opened my mouth, it felt like my voice would scatter into the deep space instead of echoing.
The moment I realized that fact, the smile that had spread across my face gradually faded. But it never went away. I lowered my head with a faint, crumbly smile on my face.
Then, she slowly turned her body to face her.
“…”
She also looked at me. There was nothing else I could do, so I kept my mouth shut.
“It’s been a long time, Miss Yoona.”
But the goddess’s voice always struck without mercy. She took my hand again and gave me the same smile.
“And congratulations. You really saved Miss Yuna from a bad ending. Now, neither the Duchess nor the Crown Prince nor Elyse. Even she herself will not be able to push herself to death.”
“…”
“No. Actually, it’s more than that. Now all that’s left is to be happy, right?”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
A crying voice came out from my lips that were parted with great effort. The goddess lifted her hand and wiped away the tears that had not yet been shed.
“Hey, why are you crying like an idiot? Rather, it’s a moment to be happy.”
“That’s right.”
“You wanted to make Yuna happy, right? That’s how you became happy. Now all that’s left is to make you really happy.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
There were only words that were correct. But why do I keep crying? Is it now her heart that is filled with joy at the thought that she has achieved her goal?
“So, don’t cry, okay? It would be a waste of your beauty if you cried with a pretty face that you possessed.”
“Yes, the goddess is right.”
“Is that right? Then, can I ask you something now, Miss Yuna?”
She lifted her head after wiping away my tears, which were now really starting to flow. And she asked me in a soft voice.
“Are you happy now?”
He was asking me. No, maybe not to her. No, maybe to both. It didn’t matter either way. Because the answer is already decided.
“I…I…”
Nevertheless, I hesitated to answer. It was because I kept feeling anxious.
But the answer was already decided and I had no choice but to answer. Now, instead of tears, a strange feeling of happiness began to well up from deep within my heart.
In that warm energy, like a fool, I answered with wet lips and tears streaming down my face.
“Yes. I am happy.”