“Haaak! Haaak!”
“Hah!”
“Hup sseup hup sseup”
Lately, I was starting to wonder if it was really okay for my academy life to be this peaceful. Waking up at dawn and exercising with the refreshing air I couldn’t feel in the Forest of the Demon Realm was enhancing my quality of life.
‘I’m definitely getting stronger than my past life.’
Honestly, I’m confident I could put up a decent fight against my past self right now.
‘I’m sure I can kill him this time.’
Even when Rin became the owner of the army, I was on the verge of victory in our 1:1 duel. It was just that Rin’s unexpected face appeared while I was aiming to strike his helmet, throwing me off and causing me to lose.
‘Yeah, of course.’
I thought about killing him the moment I sensed Rin was about to become the army’s owner. But if I missed my timing and couldn’t stop Rin, there was no guarantee I’d win in another 1:1 fight, so I was training relentlessly.
After finishing my stamina training, I waved at the two girls stumbling like dogs drooling from a distance, just like they were panting.
“You’re almost there, don’t stop! Last sprint!”
“Haaak! Haaak!”
“Y-You bastard…!!!”
After struggling to arrive, Eve rolled on the ground and collapsed, while Tana attempted to throw a punch at me but only managed to weakly touch me without putting any force behind it.
“How’s it feel? Don’t you feel good waking up in the morning and exercising?”
“Very! I feel like crap!”
“Sseup, watch your mouth.”
“Haaak! Haaak! I-I need… medical help! Potions! Last words! Love! Parents!”
Tana, who was swearing, and Eve, mumbling as she rolled on the floor. The reason they were running with me was for the second exam.
Eve, who lost without being able to do anything in the second exam, and Tana, who was always weak in combat, heard that I train in the morning and decided to join.
Of course, they collapsed after just one day.
“I was supposed to do strength training next, but…”
“Get lost! You satan! Demon! Don’t act like you know me today! What kind of crazy person thinks about running 10km from dawn!”
You guys are struggling, and you even reduced the course halfway through.
“Daniel, Haaak! do you know? Haaak!”
Eve, who lay collapsed.
Her ample chest was shaped oddly under gravity, but I was way past the age of being excited about kid-level stuff.
“If you really want to kill someone! Haaak! unexpected strength comes out! Haaak! I just experienced it!”
“Got it. I won’t make you do more, so just stabilize your breath.”
I’m too scared to ask for more.
Looking at it, it seemed like they might just end it for today, but that couldn’t happen. It was the first time I had training partners, and surprisingly, it wasn’t bad.
“I’ll take it a bit easier tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Did you say tomorrow? That last workout just vanished from my dictionary!”
“I’m gonna die.”
“You’ve been snacking a lot lately, so you’re supposed to diet. I’ll really take it easy tomorrow, so come with me. What are you gonna do if you get all flabby like a pig?”
“Flabby, huh.”
“Pig.”
The two of them looked at me with suspicious faces and asked.
“You’re really going to go easy on us?”
“Of course. I just did things the way I usually do because I mentioned it suddenly yesterday. I’ll prepare something tailored for you tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to be a muscle queen; I just want to be slim.”
“I got it.”
I reached out to Eve, who was lying there chuckling, and helped her up, but she almost fell again, so I caught her.
“Oops.”
“S-Sorry! My strength just gave out.”
It was obvious she couldn’t walk, so I just carried her. Eve was flustered but silently accepted, thanking me.
Then Tana, with a bit of envy, licked her lips.
“I’m jealous. Can’t you carry me too?”
“Do you want to ride on Eve’s back?”
“N-No way!”
Eve immediately waved her hands in refusal. So, for now, we headed towards the dormitory.
“Hm? What’s this…?”
I paused for a moment, repeatedly getting up and sitting down, making Eve and Tana look at me in confusion.
With an utterly innocent expression, I asked Eve.
“How much do you weigh? This is a new kind of stimulation.”
“W-Whaat?!”
“Garbage…”
Eve suddenly started to pat my back, mumbling incoherently. I laughed it off, but considering the strength behind her touch, it felt like walking away would be fine.
As we chatted along the way, a group of male students started stirring up trouble with a guard at the entrance as they entered the academy.
It was Fenil Leiros and his gang, the ones who got a month-long suspension after crossing paths with me.
“Has it really been a month already?”
I was so busy that I felt like time was flying faster here than when I was in the Forest of the Demon Realm, and as I was sticking my tongue out in surprise, I locked eyes with Fenil.
If they were looking for trouble, I thought I’d use them to finish my leftover strength training. However…
“…….”
They pretended not to see me and intentionally changed their direction toward the academy instead of heading towards the dormitory.
It looked similar to how the magical beasts would flee when they encountered me back in the Forest of the Demon Realm, making me chuckle as I headed towards the dormitory.
*
“What did you say?”
It seems that Ares’s fish have recently gotten into the habit of coming to me. Just yesterday, Sen came and suddenly wanted to play a guessing game.
The day before yesterday, Adriana came and examined my face closely only to conclude that it wasn’t me, then just left.
And the day before that, Elise came and fiddled with her hair, asking me for my opinion on what style Ares would like.
Of course, I just told them to buzz off and leave me alone.
Isn’t it enough if I just share how to make secret pies from the village? I understand the young girls’ eagerness to gather intel on their crush, but I wish they’d leave me out of it.
And today, it was Hayun.
I thought she was a decent girl when we had lunch together last time, but she came rushing at me as I exited the restroom.
“Can you help me a bit?”
“Hey, don’t you have any communication in your tank? Didn’t you hear how it went when they came to me?”
“I heard.”
“But you still came? Just because we had one meal together doesn’t mean anything. It’s like a stray cat getting bread from me.”
I spoke somewhat bluntly out of irritation, and students passing by started glancing at us.
Worried that weird rumors would start, I told her to take off, but as I turned my body, Hayun grabbed my hand.
“Please! I’m going to confess to Ares.”
“……What?”
I was taken aback and asked again, thinking maybe she was just testing the waters. Her voice seemed a bit too loud, causing her face to flush bright red.
“Come here for a second.”
Since we still had free time left, I entered an empty classroom that I only used for moving lectures and asked.
“Why are you telling me about your confession? Just do it on your own.”
“You know Ares well. So I’m asking you as a favor.”
“Hey, didn’t I tell you I cut ties with him last time?”
“I know, I know that…”
Hayun bit her lips tightly.
With a truly pitiful expression as if she had no one else to turn to, she looked at me, but I wasn’t swayed.
So I decided to be upfront and cut her off entirely.
“If you confess now, you’ll get rejected.”
That’s obvious.
Arni Duratan, Elise, Sen, Adriana, Tana, May, and others.
The reason all the female students aren’t confessing to Ares isn’t because they enjoy the awkward situation like this.
They already know the truth.
They understand they’ll lose if they fight him.
They know someone already has Ares’s heart, and there’s no chance of winning unless that girl is removed.
But surprisingly, her answer came back.
“I know.”
“……What?”
“I’m doing it because I know.”
“What, is this a strategy to bother him by getting rejected?”
I’ve never experienced it myself.
I read it in a book…
Anyway.
I wondered if that was her strategy, but Hayun shook her head vigorously.
“No, that’s not it. I’m going to confess to Ares with all my strength, and I’m going to get rejected with all my strength. I want it to be absolutely clear.”
“……”
“To do that, I need your help. I… I…”
Hayun bit down on her lips and clenched her fists tightly.
“I want to end this damn first love quickly.”
*
Afterwards, Hayun explained everything to me.
She didn’t really like Ares; she was being pushed by her family to appeal to him without any option.
It suddenly reminded me of the words I had told her last time.
“Hey, what do you even like about him? Sure, he’s handsome, but honestly, do you want to be part of that mob of girls hanging around him?”
“Well, if you really like him, I’d support you, but still, think it through. As someone who’s known you for a while, I’d say you have the best chance.”
“Oops.”
It seemed like the words I had said over dinner became a sort of trigger for her.
“So I’m going to crash into him with all my might, and after I break, I’ll tell my uncle that I failed.”
“……But why do you need to ask me? Can’t you just dress up, go and get rejected, then tell me?”
Then Hayun tugged at her collar, revealing the dark tattoo-like mark on her shoulder.
“My uncle can use magic to determine the truth and lies from this mark.”
“Hmm?”
“If I say I got rejected, he’ll ask if I put my heart into it. If it turns out there’s a lie, it’s over. So I have to do my best to confess to him.”
“Wow.”
I felt pity for this girl living such a difficult life.
Somewhat sorry, I started thinking.
“Then let’s do this. Teach me your swordsmanship, and in return, I’ll tell you everything I know about Ares.”
Whatever I share about an old friend wouldn’t hurt me much.
However, her expression immediately darkened.
“My swordsmanship is the only heirloom my mother left for me. I can’t share everything with you.”
“It’s okay. Just showing me a few basics or techniques would be enough.”
I wasn’t looking to absorb all the swordsmanship; I just wanted to understand the theory behind it, so I answered casually, and Hayun nodded, agreeing it would be enough.
“Okay, deal.”
“Yep.”
We shook hands.
Since the atmosphere felt a bit heavy, I made a joke to lighten it.
“Shall we also come up with a team name? Something like ‘Heart-Pounding First Love Crush’? How about that?”
At that, Hayun shot me a piercing look, glaring at me coldly.
“The last time we had dinner, I felt it again—you really sometimes say things like an old man.”
Ouch.
My insides are 28; that’s why, kid.
I felt a bit regretful for having said that, so I scratched the back of my head and followed Hayun out.
‘But a spell that determines truth and lies, huh?’
That felt like some strange magic indeed.
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