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Chapter 41: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 41



As I opened my eyes in a daze, I saw a pure white ceiling.


I heard the sound of water dripping regularly: drip, drip.


Slowly turning my head to the right, I saw an IV bag hanging on a long stand.


The tube connected to the bag extended all the way to my right arm.


Something was connected everywhere, making me feel like I shouldn't move, so I tried to lift myself with my other arm.


But my body didn't budge.


Curious, I turned my head slightly to the left and saw the empty left sleeve of my patient gown fluttering.


I stared at it for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh.


Right, that happened.


I had lost my arm up to the shoulder.


Still, having already experienced the loss of a body part when I became a girl, it was surprisingly easier to accept this time.


It wasn’t something that disappeared unexpectedly; I chose this.


It wasn’t mentally exhausting or anything.


But still...


...I did feel a bit empty.


*


"Ah, are you awake, patient?"


As I lay there blankly blinking, a nurse entered the room.


I nodded slightly from my lying position, and she smiled kindly and spoke to me.


“I’ve called the doctor, so please wait a moment. Are you feeling dizzy or in any pain anywhere?”


When she mentioned pain, I felt her gaze brush over my left arm.


Despite her kind smile, her eyes held an unmistakable sadness, which I tried to counter with a reassuring smile, saying I was fine.


The nurse’s eyes glistened with tears.


If you’re that sensitive in the medical field, it must be tough for you...


Wiping her tears, the nurse left the room. A moment later, an elderly doctor with white hair entered, holding a chart.


The doctor, standing in front of me with a solemn expression, spoke.


“I’m very sorry, but there’s no way to save your arm other than fitting a prosthetic.”


With a firm expression, the doctor continued his explanation.


In summary, since the arm was gone, reattachment was impossible.


Since the arm was eaten by the monster and burned along with it, it was obviously impossible.


He also mentioned that no matter how skilled a healing mage was, it was impossible to restore a lost limb unless treated immediately after amputation.


The nerves and muscle tissue in the severed area had necrotized due to my crude cauterization, but they managed to restore it with magic, allowing the possibility of attaching another arm. That was a relief.


It was a close call; my rugged first aid almost left me permanently one-armed.


I had only done it to survive, but it made me realize again that mimicking something from a comic was insane.


Research is being done to create new limbs using genetic material, but since it’s still only at the level of making limbs for ordinary people, the doctor recommended a prosthetic for me as a superhuman.


The problem was, I didn’t have money for a prosthetic.


“But patient, did you ever receive healing magic for severe injuries all over your body when you were young?”


While worrying about money, the doctor asked that question.


Not knowing anything about my past, I just remained silent. The doctor looked me in the eye and earnestly continued.


“Regardless of what happened, your natural healing ability is currently very low. This time, you were lucky someone quickly transported you to the hospital, but if you get injured without someone to treat you, cauterizing the wound like you did could still lead to internal bleeding and put your life at risk. You must be careful with your body. Do you understand?”


The doctor was so serious that I nodded automatically.


He was saying I could die from even a small injury.


Honestly, I’d prefer not to get hurt, but that’s not easy in this world.


Knowing I was as fragile as a glass cannon, I thought I should take better care of myself.


The doctor, after several reminders, left the room.


I looked around the now quiet hospital room.


A private suite... it was bigger than my house.


Suddenly, I felt anxious.


Could I afford the hospital bills?


There's probably no medical insurance here...


Still, since I was hospitalized while protecting people, they’d cover my hospital bills, right?


While worrying, the door opened, and a middle-aged man who looked tired walked in.


Seeing me awake, he approached and spoke.


“I came as soon as I heard you were awake... How are you feeling?”


Though I had never spoken to him directly, I knew his face as a student of the academy, so I wasn’t startled and answered that I was fine.


He looked like a man coming home from a night shift.


He was the principal of Aegis Academy.


“They told me you asked for a door to be installed on the gymnasium. If it weren’t for you, I can’t imagine what might have happened at the school...”


The principal sighed heavily, looking relieved.


He looked like a regular middle-aged man, without any of the gravity you’d expect from an academy principal.


In typical academy settings, the principal is usually the strongest in the world.


The principal should have been a once-famous figure or a thousand-year-old girl, but our principal was just an ordinary middle-aged man, not even a superhuman.


Why is such a person the principal? Because his last name is Aegis.


Aegis Academy’s principal position is hereditary.


It’s amazing that the system continues without much complaint.


“My hair’s been falling out a lot lately, but thanks to you, I’ve bought some time before going bald... When my estranged brother brought a girl and asked me to let her take the entrance exam, I wondered why, but you really saved us.”


Not knowing the full story, I stayed silent, and the principal spoke again, looking apologetic.


“Scarlet Evande, right? What you did was incredible, and normally we’d publicize it widely, but given the circumstances, we’ve been ordered to keep it quiet. If people find out a mid-level monster appeared inside the barrier, they’ll panic... The people inside the gym don’t know the full details, so they’ll just be told it was a strong low-level monster. You and your friends won’t be mentioned. I’m really sorry, but is that okay?”


Seeing a middle-aged man pleading with someone much younger was really awkward, so I quickly reassured him.


Honestly, I had no interest in gaining fame, so I was about to say it was fine when the principal added more.


“We’ll cover all your hospital and arm costs, so please just let this go...”


Is it okay? Of course, absolutely.

The biggest concern resolved, I nodded vigorously.


“But honestly, this is something you obviously deserve... So, is there anything else you want? I can grant most reasonable requests.”


The principal said this, seeming to have something still on their mind.


There was one thing I was worried about.


I glanced at where my left arm used to be.


Even if I got a prosthetic, it would naturally be weaker than my original arm, so I made a request rather than a demand.


“Um, even with my arm like this, can I still attend the academy?”


“What...what kind of question is that? Of course, you can continue attending. Oh, really... Students like you never stop coming, so I can’t quit this principal job no matter how hard it gets.”


The principal replied as if they were dumbfounded by my request, muttering quietly.


With business seemingly concluded, the principal was about to leave the hospital room but turned back before exiting, bowing deeply at the waist.


There was no sign of the casual demeanor that didn’t match their age from earlier.


Remaining in that position, the principal spoke.


“Miss Scarlet Evande, thanks to your heroic courage and sacrifice, the citizens were able to be safe. On behalf of the 12,493 people you saved, I, the principal of Aegis, would like to express my gratitude once again.”


In a sincere tone, they expressed deep respect and appreciation, regardless of the significant age difference, fully believing it was worth it.


Seeing this, I thought that, despite everything, the principal truly deserved their position.


After speaking, the principal straightened up, sighed, scratched the back of their head, and dashed out of the room.


12,493 people.


If I saved that many with just one arm, I should be happy.


It was such a large number that it didn’t feel real.


Lying there blankly, I fell asleep.


*


When I woke up, it was dusk.


Hearing a rustling sound beside me, I turned to see a girl with short black hair and glasses.


She was sitting on the left side of the bed, looking at me with surprised eyes.


Her eyes, wide with shock, quickly filled with tears.


Mei, who seemed to want to say something, ended up just gripping the loose sleeve of my left arm with both hands.


Was she unable to organize her thoughts?


But even without words, I could understand what she wanted to say.


She probably wanted to ask why I had to do it.


So, I asked her.


“What day is it today?”


“...Tuesday.”


She answered softly.


Tuesday.


Tuesday, huh.


Even though Monday had passed, she was still by my side.


She was alive.


Now realizing what hadn’t felt real before, a smile appeared on my lips.


“You know, on Friday...”


Despite losing my arm, I could smile and tell her.


“A classmate promised to make me chocolate.”


That was my answer to the question she couldn’t ask.


A classmate.


Although we were still just at the stage of calling each other that.


Hearing my words, she hugged me with tear-filled eyes.


The warmth of one person felt more real than the number 12,493.


Just that warmth alone was reason enough to have given up my left arm.


The warmth from her tears filled my heart, more than making up for the emptiness on my left side.


That warmth kindled a desire for more.


I wanted to be closer, not just as classmates.


But can I really deserve that?


As I pondered this,


Mei, in my arms, spoke in a trembling voice.


“...Idiot. Drop the 'class'...”


Words she hadn’t been able to say to me all this time.


Those words were exactly what I wanted to hear at this moment.


Overjoyed, truly overjoyed.


“Got it, Mei.”


For the first time, I spoke her name


With a smile, in the softly burning light.




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Comments

  1. Nevermind her arm is gone.
    Anyway yes MC get together with the class president instead of the two other MC in the original story

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not quite “together” yet I’d say, pretty sure this was a confirmation between them that they aren’t just awkward classmates who talk to each other every now and then anymore but full on friends who feel safe with each other, but hey who knows, maybe they do get together later on.

      Delete
  2. I kinda expected Sylvia to visit but i guess she didnt ?

    Thanks for the chapter !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yay, finally MC let someone in for real.
    Since MC was part of an experiment, maybe a common person's arm could work.
    Whatever has been done on that body must not be something temporal after all.
    Maybe something on an hormonal level or the blood.
    Having a normal human body with a tweak on those would explain why the healing is not good but MC still has powers.
    I'm a bit surprised that the man didn't appear, i mean the one from the experiment.
    I suppose he ain't on MC's list to call for emergencies.
    I'm sure that one could help better in this sense.
    I hope the prosthetic is good so MC can still get stronger.
    Because it looks like that's going to be a must.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thx for the chapter

    ReplyDelete
  5. dropping the "class" in "classmate" feels like a translation error, lol.

    ReplyDelete

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