Chapter 25: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

 Chapter 25

Damn, it hurts...

This cut was much deeper than the scratch I got sparring with the class rep last time.

Yoon Si-woo seemed to be struggling with guilt, probably because he had cut my hand with his sword.

Honestly, while it wasn't entirely his fault, it was also my fault for trying to block the sword with my hand.

So, I subtly told Yoon Si-woo not to worry too much.

“Don’t worry about it.”

When I said that, he looked like he was about to cry, as if his sense of justice was overwhelming him.

Geez, I told him not to worry.

I managed to untie the protective gear with one hand, holding my wound, and walked away.

I thought I saw some color other than red near the wound, so I deliberately avoided looking at it.

Usually, when you look at a wound like this, it hurts even more...

Last time, one of the classmates who could use simple healing magic treated me, but this time, it seemed clear that it wouldn't be enough.

“I’m going to the infirmary.”

I told Eve and headed to the infirmary.

Given that a student from her class was dripping blood while speaking, Eve’s expression was not very pleasant.

*

When I opened the infirmary door, the nurse was dozing off against the back of the chair again.

When I entered the infirmary, the nurse woke up with a start, sensing my presence.

“I wasn’t asleep! I wasn’t asleep! I was just meditating for a moment!”

Seeing her meditating every time I came by, I wondered if she was about to become a 9th circle archmage or something.

Her reaction was so similar to last time that it seemed like she hadn’t just napped for a day or two.

She might be doing some work behind the scenes, but since I always saw her napping, I wondered if being a school nurse was an incredibly cushy job.

The nurse, wiping her saliva, was dazed for a moment, then saw me and widened her eyes.

Maybe it was because the goofy character she thought of, who’d collapse while smoking, was now standing there with a hand bleeding profusely.

The nurse looked at my hand, then at my face, and asked with a worried expression.

“Are you... okay?”

With blood flowing like this, how could I be okay?

I was a bit speechless, so I asked back in a small voice.

“Do I look okay?”

“No, not at all. Let me see your hand. I’ll treat it.”

When I extended my hand, the nurse applied pressure to my arm, wiped the blood with gauze, and then cleaned the wound with saline solution.

Then, placing her hand over the wound, it began to heal slowly.

Is this magic too?

Watching the gash slowly close was fascinating.

Moreover, she cleaned and disinfected the wound during the treatment.

After seeing Eve's illusion magic, this oddly realistic treatment method felt unfamiliar.

In a fantasy world, shouldn’t healing or potions make everything heal instantly?

The healing magic my classmate used last time felt like that.

Curious, I asked the nurse while my wound was healing.

“The magic my classmate used last time healed my simple wounds very quickly. Can’t you do it like that?”

“It’s not impossible, but for bigger wounds, unless it’s an emergency, it’s much better to use magic that boosts natural healing. Healing magic isn’t a cure-all. Sometimes, wounds treated with it can get infected inside later, and if you keep getting healing magic, your body can get used to it and lose its natural healing ability. Moreover, there aren’t many wizards who can heal big wounds in one go.”

Despite using magic, the nurse’s detailed explanation made her seem like a real professional, quite unlike her previous image.

Well, just being a teacher at Aegis Academy means you’re an elite.

Even if they aren’t as remarkable as Eve, they should all be experts in their fields.

The thought that receiving continuous healing magic makes the body stop healing naturally was a bit frightening.

Wouldn’t that naturally lead to something like hemophilia?

Everyone seems to be dying, no, I should stop thinking like this.

When the wound was nearly healed, leaving only a slight redness, the nurse bandaged my hand and said,

“Even if it looks healed, it could reopen easily, so don’t do anything strenuous with your hand for a while.”

After saying that, the nurse met my eyes and added in a worried voice,

“I also offer counseling, so if you need to talk about anything, feel free to come by.”

The thought of having a private counseling session with the nurse felt a bit risqué.

I stopped my imagination from running wild, nodded, and left the infirmary.

*

When I returned to the classroom, it was break time, and all eyes were on me.

The class rep approached me with worried eyes and asked if I was okay.

“I’m fine.”

I answered, waving my hand wrapped in a light bandage.

“...Alright, but if you ever have a hard time, make sure to tell me.”

The class rep seemed somewhat disappointed for some reason.

...Maybe everyone is hoping I’m not okay?

Why do they seem unhappy when I say I’m fine?

I don’t get it.

I stopped thinking, sat down, and listened to “Good Morning” in a daze for about an hour until lunchtime.

Having emptied my stomach in the morning and lost a lot of blood, I asked the cafeteria staff for a large portion.

Carrying a plate full of food, remembering the nurse’s advice not to strain my hand, I held the plate with my uninjured right hand. I noticed Yoon Si-woo watching me.

It must be surprising to see me eat so much.

I always found it amazing how girls could fit both meals and dessert into their small bodies. Now that I’m a girl, I understand.

I can fit it all in!

Even though I wasn't particularly hungry, I felt like I could eat more than usual.

As I diligently stuffed food into my stomach, I noticed Sylvia's ears perk up.

I suppressed the urge to run to the store reflexively.

From the moment her ears twitched, I could tell Sylvia was subtly aware of me.

Even if I tried to give her macarons now, she wouldn't accept them, and it would probably have the opposite effect.

Wasn't there a way?

A way to give Sylvia macarons...

Simply buying them and giving them to her like I did now wouldn't work.

I had to come up with a plan to prevent Sylvia's coin from being delisted.

Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa Good morning~

Ah, seriously!

Thinking while hearing this pa pa pa sound was impossible.

It was worse than hearing "Ring Ding Dong" the day before an exam...

Feeling frustrated, I went up to the rooftop and saw Leonor.

Was she some kind of rooftop NPC?

It was a position that matched her outward appearance perfectly.

I deliberately took a spot a bit away from her, but for some reason, she moved closer to me when she saw me.

I thought she was a fixed-position NPC, but she moved.

With an exclamation mark above her head, it felt like she should shout "Challenge!" if our eyes met, but the background music was "Good Morning," so I decided to let it go.

Leonor leaned naturally against the railing next to me and spoke.

“You seem to be in a good mood today. Is something up?”

Good mood?

Oh, right.

I was smiling.

Today was in Smile Evande mode.

Wait, didn't we have a conversation like this in the morning too?

Listening to the song lyrics echoing in my head, I replied.

“Just, the day is beautiful.”

“The weather is nice today. By the way, you should smile like that more often. It's a waste to keep that cute face expressionless all the time.”

Leonor said with a sly grin.

As expected of a blonde-tanned delinquent, her lines to flirt with girls came out naturally.

Though she was a girl herself.

As I was thinking that, I saw Leonor take out a magic cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth.

Seeing that, I unconsciously reached out with my right hand and lit the cigarette for her.

She nodded absentmindedly in thanks and started smoking with a slight chuckle.

It smells good...

Sniffing for a moment, I asked her.

“Senior, how much does one of those cost?”

“This? Hmm... about 3,000 gold each?”

Crazy expensive...!

That little thing was worth as much as 3 hosts when converted...!

But... but I didn't pay my friendship fee today, so maybe it's okay?

“I'll give you the money, so can I have one too?”

“I don't really need the money... okay. Just don't inhale it all at once like last time, okay?”

Leonor warned playfully as she handed me a magic cigarette.

I have no intention of creating another self-embarrassment moment.

I took it, lit it with my right hand, and inhaled the smoke.

Sss, hoo...

Slowly, the smoke I inhaled stayed in my lungs and then exhaled.

With the first inhale, the tension in my face eased,

With the second inhale, the song in my head quieted down.

Ha... this stuff is amazing.

“...Hey, are you okay?”

Leonor asked in a worried voice.

Am I okay?

Not really.

Forcing my hazy mind to be clear was a bit tough.

But maybe this was better for now.

I inhaled and exhaled the smoke.

As the song stopped and my mind cleared a bit, it started working.

Sylvia, macarons, 3,000 gold, magic cigarette cost, money, Leonor, cooking club, part-time job, 100,000 gold.

Plans started forming rapidly in my head.

I laughed inwardly at the unfolding plan.

It was a laugh of self-mockery, scorn, and a wry smile.

A trashy bastard.

Even while sneering at myself, I was thinking of possibilities in my mind.

If I wasn't going to do it, I wouldn't even think about it in the first place.

I made up my mind and spoke to Leonor.

“Do you have time after school today?”

I wondered what kind of expression I had when I said that.

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