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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 84
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—Silence.
—Stillness.
Such words, when lingering between people, made for an incredibly awkward atmosphere. Even more so if one was with their ideal type, or someone they were attracted to; it was impossible not to feel unnecessarily restless.
Coincidentally, the two of them were experiencing precisely such feelings at that moment.
"..."
"..."
After Adelia left, the conversation between Cheonseong and Millia rapidly died down.
Cheonseong continuously hesitated, his lips parting and closing with a mix of apology and embarrassment over the previous night's events, while Millia, for her part, didn't know how to handle the situation.
This was a first for her as well.
She hadn't intended anything. Out of concern, she had stayed by his side, and before she knew it, it was already the next day.
As their gazes met and then darted away, a strange silence lingered, and time continued to tick by.
It was Cheonseong who couldn't bear the awkwardness any longer.
"Millia."
"...Hmm?"
At her half-beat-late reply, Cheonseong offered an awkward smile.
"Um... if there's anything at all you want to ask of me, anything at all, please don't hesitate to say so."
"Ask...?"
"Yes, a favor. No matter how much I think about it, there's nothing I can do for you right now, and it really bothers me that I lost consciousness in the park due to my clear mistake and irresponsibly left you to handle the aftermath. You must have been so flustered. So if there's ever anything you want from me, just say the word."
At Cheonseong's calm voice, Millia instinctively started to reply.
That it was fine. That she hadn't done it expecting anything in return.
"...Alright."
But. That thought merely circled in her mind. For a moment, Millia didn't want to refuse his offer.
Rather than saying it was fine... a powerful desire surged from her heart to use his words as an excuse to create an opportunity with Cheonseong.
And so, before she knew it, she replied as she did.
"I'm glad you accepted. I was worried you might refuse."
Unaware of Millia's true intentions, Cheonseong smiled lightly and met her gaze.
"...Don't worry. I won't make any unreasonable demands."
As Millia, her heart wavering at Cheonseong's demeanor, replied in a small voice,
"Even if it's an unreasonable demand, it doesn't really matter. I'll grant anything I can."
As Cheonseong, now completely at ease, casually replied to the continued conversation, Millia couldn't help but flinch again.
—*I'll grant anything I can.*
Cheonseong's words resonated too profoundly with Millia.
Such light words. Words that should have meant nothing. Yet, they were enough to make her suddenly conjure strange thoughts.
Click.
Then, as the door opened, the two of them turned their gaze to the entrance as if nothing had happened.
It wasn't Cheonseong and Millia who greeted the newcomer.
"Welcome, Instructor Adelia."
As Erpe, who had been quietly seated in a corner of the infirmary, greeted them first, Adelia replied with a light smile.
"You've worked hard, Erpe. You can go back now."
"Yes, understood."
Once Erpe had left, Adelia entered the infirmary with another woman.
Beside Adelia was Kalli, wearing a dazed expression.
***
"...Student Han Cheonseong collapsed."
The moment she heard Adelia's words, Kalli instantly doubted her own ears.
—*Collapsed.*
—*Last night, in the park.*
—*Student Han Cheonseong.*
Adelia continued calmly, but to Kalli, her words seemed fragmented, as if cutting in and out. Receiving the news in a daze, Kalli found herself walking alongside Adelia.
Click.
As the infirmary door opened, Kalli immediately searched for someone.
And she found the person she was looking for right away.
"..."
Han Cheonseong, propped up in the infirmary bed, wearing a surprised expression.
'*Thank goodness.*'
She instinctively felt relief. At least outwardly, he didn't seem to have any major issues. She had certainly heard from Instructor Adelia that he was fine, but seeing him with her own eyes now truly put her mind at ease.
"Instructor Kalli. Please, come in and see for yourself."
At Instructor Adelia's words, she stepped inside.
Click-clack.
The moment she felt herself walking, she was already standing before Han Cheonseong.
"...Student Han Cheonseong. Are you alright?"
Rather than asking about the circumstances of his collapse, she found herself asking first if he was truly alright.
"I-I'm fine."
Even as the flustered Student Han Cheonseong spoke, her hand instinctively reached out.
A gentle brush.
As she brushed aside his disheveled hair, Student Han Cheonseong's face became even clearer.
"...!"
Even as she saw the student stiffen at her light touch, a sigh escaped her lips without her realizing it.
Student Han Cheonseong's face, upon closer inspection, was a mess.
"Truly senseless..."
And just by looking, she could tell what he had been through.
That he had been so immersed in his training that it became excessive. She knew it the moment she saw Student Han Cheonseong, because she herself had been like that in the past.
It wasn't that someone had done something to him to make him collapse. It was that Student Han Cheonseong himself had pushed his body to its breaking point.
Naturally, her mind drifted to Student Han Cheonseong's past training sessions.
Student Han Cheonseong, his body pushed beyond its limits, continuously demanded sparring. In the end, she had simply accepted, until he finally lost consciousness and collapsed.
After that, she had reproached herself.
No matter what, there was a line that should have been upheld. Yet, she hadn't stopped the training until the student lost consciousness.
And now. Student Han Cheonseong was doing it even when he was alone.
It felt as though it was because she hadn't properly stopped him, because she hadn't shown him the right path.
"...You were training late into the night, weren't you?"
When she asked in a low, serious tone, Student Han Cheonseong paused, then nodded.
"You went to the park because your time at the training grounds ran out?"
"Instructor Kalli, how did you...?"
Student Han Cheonseong wore a truly surprised expression.
At his reaction, which was not at all unexpected, another sigh escaped her.
"The moment I saw you, I could tell exactly how Student Han Cheonseong must have acted. Why on earth did you train until you reached this state?"
"I... I'm sorry. Instructor."
She shook her head at his immediate apology.
"I'm not saying this to receive an apology from Student Han Cheonseong. It's just... I wish you'd consider your body a little more. Your diligence is admirable, and your dedication to training is good to see. But you shouldn't be doing it to the point of ruining your health, should you?"
Even as she slowly withdrew her hand, she felt nothing but regret.
When one's will charges forward like this, they don't realize it themselves unless someone stops them.
They might stumble over a large rock trying to forge ahead, or they might not realize how recklessly they are acting until they suffer a major injury.
"..."
Watching Student Han Cheonseong hesitate, his lips parting at her words, she slowly turned her head.
There, she saw Student Millia, wearing a dazed expression.
Her black bob swayed as she stared up blankly at Kalli, and just by looking at her, her exhaustion was palpable.
"Student Millia?"
"...Yes, Instructor Kalli."
"I'll excuse both you and Student Han Cheonseong from morning classes. I heard you stayed up all night worrying about Student Han Cheonseong. It's truly commendable to worry about a classmate... but I hope this doesn't happen again next time. It's not that such concern is bad. It's just that Student Millia, you need to think about your own body too."
"Yes... Instructor. Understood."
For a moment, Student Millia's eyes clouded over, and it felt incredibly subtle and strange in that instant.
She had suddenly felt a negative emotion, but the thought quickly vanished.
'*It must be my imagination.*'
Given that she heard Millia had worried through the night, Student Millia must be very tired right now.
So, it was understandable that she might look at her with a slightly strange gaze.
Nodding, she then turned her gaze to Instructor Adelia.
"Instructor Adelia. Then... I'll have to trouble you again today."
"Don't worry about that. I was just planning to let them rest for the morning and then send them back, just in case."
"Yes. Please do that."
...Feeling as though she had been indebted to Instructor Adelia quite a lot recently, she finally turned her attention back to Student Han Cheonseong.
"I'd like Student Han Cheonseong to participate in the afternoon classes. But if you still feel unwell, don't push yourself and just get plenty of rest."
She spoke a little more gently, and her hand instinctively reached out.
Gently smoothing his disheveled hair... even as Student Han Cheonseong looked surprised, he seemed a little cute to her.
'*He's so serious when it comes to training.*'
'*But when it comes to other things, why is he so defenseless? She really couldn't help but be concerned.*'
"...Thank you for your consideration. But I really am fine, so I'll participate in the afternoon classes."
"It's good to see your will pushing you forward; it's much better than being lazy and idle. However, there's a limit to everything. Student Han Cheonseong. You understand what I'm trying to say now, don't you?"
"Yes. I understand."
Nodding at Student Han Cheonseong's reply, she said nothing more.
Any more words would only burden the student's mind further.
"Then I'll be going. As I said, both of you can just rest well today if you need to. And Instructor Adelia. I'll trouble you once more."
***
Click.
With Instructor Kalli closing the door and disappearing, it felt as though a storm had just passed through the infirmary.
From the moment Kalli entered the infirmary, her subsequent actions had been utterly uninhibited.
She had displayed such direct and bold behavior.
As all three of them were equally surprised by Kalli's actions, the most surprised person, ironically, was Millia, not Cheonseong.
"I've felt it before, but Instructor Kalli really seems to care for Student Han Cheonseong."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes. To me, it certainly looks that way. *Hmmph*~ Student Han Cheonseong must be quite lucky, isn't he? To have such a beautiful instructor express her interest so directly?"
Adelia spoke playfully, intending to lighten the static atmosphere, but Millia, in fact, didn't find her words light at all.
"..."
Even now, as she watched Cheonseong awkwardly smile and shake his head, a corner of Millia's heart throbbed with a dull ache.
'*What was with Instructor Kalli just now...?*'
She thought, but couldn't understand.
She had casually reached out as if to caress Cheonseong's face, and had continuously looked at him while speaking at length.
Instructor Kalli's demeanor just now... it was a side of her I had never seen before.
My heart, watching, remained utterly confused.
Unlike the cold facade she showed during classes, Instructor Kalli had been incredibly tender. And Cheonseong, accepting it, also seemed unsure of what to do.
'*Well... of course.*'
Because she's Instructor Kalli. How could Cheonseong possibly shake off her hand or resist her?
But.
'*Could that really be considered the kind of concern an instructor shows a student?*'
Such thoughts kept swirling in her mind.
Foolish thoughts.
"Millia?"
"Hmm...?"
"You suddenly went quiet, so I called out. Are you perhaps very nervous?"
Looking at Cheonseong, who asked cautiously, this time I gave an awkward laugh.
"...Just a little. I didn't expect Instructor Kalli to suddenly show up."
Even as I answered, my gaze... blankly drifted.
To Cheonseong's hair, where Instructor Kalli's hand had touched.
"You don't have to be that nervous. Instructor Kalli isn't that cold outside of classes, you know."
Facing Cheonseong, who spoke gently, my heart fluttered once more, but at the same time, an unpleasant, throbbing discomfort welled up.
And then, I knew.
The feeling of... the man I liked being touched by another woman, right before my eyes.
...I was feeling upset about that right now.
"Han Cheonseong?"
"Hm?"
"Excuse me for a moment."
Saying that, I reached out my hand.
My hand instinctively went to the hair where Instructor Kalli had touched first.
A soft slide...
Even as I carefully smoothed it down, my feelings were unsettlingly strange.
"...Oh my."
Even at Instructor Adelia's surprised voice.
And even as I saw Cheonseong, who seemed flustered by my touch but quietly accepted it...
I... wanted to do this.