“Ugh…”
After expelling what was coming up from inside, I rested on the nearby bench.
“Hmm… I’ll clean this up, so you all can go ahead.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Philia bundled up the debris from the broken training room’s floor and walls, along with the traces of my vomit on the concrete floor.
While heading somewhere with that in hand, Yoon Si-woo handed me something.
“Do you want to drink this?”
“···· Yes.”
What I held in my hand was chocolate milk. Since Yoon Si-woo had the same product in his hand, it seemed he bought it from a nearby convenience store.
As I gulped it down, a sweet scent enveloped me. It had a different taste than regular chocolate, but it was still enjoyable in its own way.
“It’s from my favorite company.”
“Oh… really?”
I should remember this company. It’s quite similar to the chocolate drink I liked in my previous life.
“So, what do you want to say?”
“Ah, for now… putting other things aside, you were the one who was in the archive back then, right? That’s you, isn’t it?”
“···· Haa.”
Well, there’s no helping it at this point.
Avoiding this any further in a situation where certainty already exists is meaningless.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then… are you somehow connected to that person you threw something at back then?”
“Connected… I suppose.”
Seeing Yoon Si-woo’s expression suddenly change to a troubled one, I added a word.
“Yes, if we say it’s a bad connection, then yes.”
In the game from my previous life, there were always characters that showed up to interfere whenever I tried to clear something.
I don’t know how many characters I lost due to those guys after spending dozens of hours on them.
In the Dreaming World, there’s no saving, so if you die, you have to start over with a new character from the beginning.
Moreover, even if I attempt the next round, information superiority given in regular games can’t be utilized in this one.
The reactions and personalities of those around change every time.
“··· That’s a relief.”
“What do you mean?”
“I brought that person to where the professors were having a meeting, and they said he was a criminal.”
“····.”
Oh my, they brought that man to where the professors were?
“Was the headmaster there too, by any chance?”
“Isn’t that right?”
“Ah.”
Hearing that made me sigh. Knowing the bad connection between the headmaster and the doomsayers, I couldn’t help it.
That woman must be incredibly furious.
But considering I brought him to the headmaster, it seems like she doesn’t know much about the doomsayers.
Then what was that she mentioned before?
“Why…?”
“Oh no, so is that the end of what you wanted to say?”
“Not exactly… I was saying something but stopped, about that strange word I mentioned back then.”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I see something a bit different with my eyes.”
“Something different?”
This might be a story about a trait.
So, while staring into the air, I began to focus on Yoon Si-woo’s story with my ears.
“But when I saw you at the mart that time, there was something strange attached behind you.”
“Something strange, as in a spirit?”
“No, I also hadn’t seen it before, but at that time, I just thought it felt like the end…”
“··· Is that… still attached to my back?”
“···.”
Yoon Si-woo glanced momentarily above my head and nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Ah.”
Something attached to the back of my head.
And if the first word that came to mind was “end”… does that mean I caught something while hanging around the doomsayers?
But there wasn’t any specific anomaly in my status window.
In reality, my body didn’t particularly hurt either.
If it was a kind of eye that could see the invisible, several traits come to mind.
Commonly related to vision abilities.
From the typical concept of [Spirit Eye] to the highest rank, which allows seeing all that is invisible, [Everything].
However, without knowing what that something is that seems attached above my head, I can’t precisely identify the trait.
“But what’s a bit strange is… it looks dangerous, but it’s like it has a face that dislikes you.”
“Huh?”
“It’s like… it looks bound to you.”
Yoon Si-woo’s gaze slowly traveled up from my neck to the top of my head.
As if he was looking at something I was holding onto.
Since I hadn’t experienced such a situation in the game either, I was at a loss about what to do.
Should I perform some sort of ritual?
No, it might be better to delegate it to the [Mystique] side instead.
“So, can I touch that thing above you…?”
“··· Um, yes.”
I wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed he was trying to detach something from above my head, so I willingly allowed it.
Though it felt like a cult’s method, he didn’t seem foolish enough to do just that.
In my financially strapped state, I’d be grateful if it could be taken care of.
“Your hair is super soft.”
“····?”
Then, for a moment, there was a sensation of him fiddling with my hair.
From afar, Professor Philia was approaching us and caught my gaze.
She waved her hand, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands, avoiding eye contact and turning to leave somewhere.
What on earth was she thinking?
But considering the misunderstanding, it was quite understandable.
To an outside observer, Yoon Si-woo’s actions looked no different from someone petting my head.
No, it was actually right to call it that.
“When will this end?”
“Uh… ah, that’s not good.”
Having someone touching my head was a rather rare experience, so I didn’t feel bad, but realizing the situation dictated that it wasn’t right, I immediately shook my head to remove his hand.
“Ah…”
Why does he look so disappointed?
“So, did you find out what it is?”
“No, I can see it, but I can’t touch it or anything.”
“Then please don’t put your hand back on.”
“Ah.”
Then what was the reason for messing with my head?
“Anyway, I still have many questions. So, why were you standing in front of Noah’s house back then?”
“Noah?”
“The original owner who lives where I ran into you that time.”
“Oh, that’s the same. It looked too dangerous, so I wanted to tell you about it.”
“Hmm…”
What is this? Could it actually be that he isn’t a bad person?
Is it possible that it was all just my misunderstanding?
I had already tentatively concluded that it could be, but I never expected it to be that way.
However, I still didn’t particularly feel any fondness for Yoon Si-woo.
I was inherently a bad person who felt jealous when looking at people who are naturally talented.
In the case of excellent individuals like Charlotte or Skolla, their narratives have negative and despairing aspects, but this guy was standing completely in the protagonist’s position.
Even Professor Philia didn’t seem to lack a dark past.
“But, you really had no idea about what’s behind you?”
“Yeah. I can’t see spirits or anything.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s a spirit.”
Talking about this repeatedly was starting to become annoying, so I shook my head once more, as if to dispel it.
It was like how acknowledging something like swallowing saliva or breathing suddenly becomes bothersome.
Thus, I decided to change the subject.
“Yoon Si-woo… are you participating in this tournament?”
“You can call me casually.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
“···· Okay.”
Looking a bit disappointed, Yoon Si-woo nodded.
Well, there wouldn’t be a reason for someone like him not to participate in the academy tournament.
Is there anyone among the first-year students who could beat him one-on-one?
I had no idea.
I couldn’t gauge Yoon Si-woo’s full power, making it impossible to compare it with character strengths I know.
“You?”
“I will.”
“Ah, then would you like to join the team tournament together?”
“Um… is there someone else doing it together now?”
“Ah, do you know Helisia? She’s one of the kids in our class…”
Yoon Si-woo listed the names of three people who would participate in the tournament with him, all of whom I knew well.
This was crucial information. I never planned to form a team with Yoon Si-woo from the beginning.
However, to counter his team, which is expected to be a likely winner in this tournament, I needed to gather information like this at least.
“That’s not going to work.”
“What, why…?”
“I already have people I’m going to do it with.”
“What…? Don’t tell me…”
Yoon Si-woo seemed to realize it belatedly and wore a flustered expression, but I just laughed it off.
“Weaklings like us have to do whatever it takes to beat strong people like you.”
“It would be better to just join us…”
“No, I will win this tournament. I will do it with people.”
“Aesha…”
Seeing my determination, Yoon Si-woo smiled at me.
“Okay, let’s have a good match.”
“Yes.”
From the front, I could finally understand why female students focused only on the academy were forming fan clubs.
Although the streetlight was shining on him, making him look a bit too good, even if you take that away, he was incredibly handsome. Damn.
I can’t imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t been a man in my previous life.
And as I left Yoon Si-woo and headed home.
I urgently revised my plans regarding the tournament.
“Ugh… stronger than I expected.”
At this rate, I concluded that winning the tournament was impossible.
