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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 48
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It's truly strange how one's mood works.
Just this morning, when I was listening to the lecture, I thought I'd be down in the dumps all day, but now I feel as light and refreshed as if I could fly.
"It's a relief that the misunderstanding was resolved so well."
Sitting in the park after lunch, waiting for Glecia, I couldn't help but smile.
I had originally planned to bury myself in the training grounds every day after entering the academy, but not only had I made unexpected progress, but now that I was receiving support from Kali, I felt a sense of ease in my mind.
I even got to eat a delicious steak for the first time in a while, thanks to the gold Glecia gave me.
Both my body and mind were completely at peace.
Then, the moment I stretched widely to loosen up.
"..."
"..."
As Glecia entered the park and our eyes met by chance, I awkwardly lowered my arms.
Click. Clack.
After our eyes met, Glecia strode towards me and sat down right beside me. It seemed so natural that it was almost surprising.
"Glecia. Did you enjoy your lunch?"
"It was fine."
Her usual curt reply to my casual greeting. I found myself already accustomed to it, and my gaze drifted to her.
Glecia's A-Class white uniform looked truly beautiful, and it reminded me how much more beautiful a person could look depending on their clothes.
And I knew I had to be the one to speak to her first.
"So, how are you going to spend your time today?"
"What do you mean, 'how'?"
"No... yesterday you said you wanted to be with me. So, didn't you have something you wanted to do with me, or a plan for how we'd spend time together?"
I asked, half-doubting, and Glecia gave me a remarkably transparent look.
She met my gaze without the slightest hesitation or wavering. There was a natural confidence in those spotless blue eyes.
And I realized.
'She... really has no ulterior motives, does she?'
Her words about wanting to be with me, hard as they were to believe, held the literal meaning of the words themselves.
It wasn't about wanting to meet me today to do something, or having some other objective... it simply meant she wanted to be with me.
"Han Cheonseong. Does there have to be a reason for me to be with you?"
She countered by asking if that really had to be the case. For a moment, I was utterly speechless.
...I felt it again, Glecia's way of speaking was just too peculiar.
Was it even possible for her to throw such a blunt, straightforward statement that easily surpassed 150 km/h, all with such a calm face?
"No. Well... it doesn't necessarily have to have a reason."
"Then there's no reason. If I had to say, it's simply because I want to be with you."
Calmly, yet composedly.
But seeing Glecia casually utter words that anyone would misunderstand, now only a hollow laugh escaped me.
To be honest, I had been a little excited by Glecia's words last night. But now, that level of excitement was gone.
"I see. Alright, then how about we just go to the training grounds?"
It was funny to think that I was trying to take Glecia somewhere else when she clearly had no romantic feelings for me whatsoever.
When I made the casual suggestion, Glecia gave a subtle nod.
"Good."
"Alright. Let's go right away then."
I got up without hesitation.
Our destination was the A-Class training grounds. And I didn't think that was a bad idea at all.
'No, it's actually good.'
If I could enter the A-Class training grounds, I'd feel pretty good about it.
Not only could I train in better facilities and environment, but also,
'I hope I can see Leonhardt.'
In the past few days.
I was quite curious to see how much stronger he had become.
…
Click.
As Glecia entered the A-Class training grounds, I calmly matched her pace, feeling a renewed sense of emotion.
Compared to when I entered on the day of the entrance ceremony a few days ago, I felt quite confident now, and I was curious to see what kind of monsters were training there.
Whoosh!
CRACK!
A fierce gale swept through, and fiery red flames fiercely scorched the air.
In addition, shockwaves that made the air burst decorated one side of the training ground with intense energy. Seeing various displays, I thought, 'As expected.'
'This is A-Class.'
I hadn't visited the C-Class training ground much, but I could confidently say that the very density of the air felt different between the C-Class and A-Class.
The air in the A-Class training ground was heavier and stickier. Just walking through it, I felt a pressure as if my body was being weighed down.
And beyond that, the gazes of the students in the training ground felt distinctly different.
Despite being clearly superior to lower-class students, their dedication to training, however, radiated a powerful will.
The will to move forward and improve. It seemed that a winning mindset was fundamental for A-Class students.
"Han Cheonseong."
"Hmm."
As I met Glecia's gaze at the sound of her voice, she was staring intently at me.
"Would you... perhaps watch me train?"
When she suddenly spoke in a pleading tone, I blinked for a moment, then nodded.
What was so difficult about that?
"Alright. I will."
At my words, Glecia pressed her lips together and nodded, seemingly satisfied. Watching her, a soft laugh escaped me.
'Is this how human language evolves?'
As the time I spent with Glecia gradually increased, I was able to grasp what she was thinking to some extent, even from her curt replies or subtle gestures.
Unbeknownst to me, I was adapting to Glecia.
As I headed to a corner of the training ground with Glecia, I felt subtle gazes on me.
"..."
"..."
Glimpses of interest, curiosity, and even confusion.
It was as if the news of my duel with Leonhardt hadn't just spread within C-Class. Perhaps the gazes directed at me were only natural.
To an A-Class student, I was clearly an anomaly.
I had dueled with Leonhardt, the top student this year, and achieved a draw, so I understood how strange I must have appeared.
'Even if I were an A-Class student, I'd find it hard to believe.'
Just as I was dismissing their gazes as nothing significant.
"Han Cheonseong!"
At a bright voice calling my name, my head suddenly turned.
There was Leonhardt, looking at me as if he was truly glad to see me. Yumia was sticking close to him, and just by looking at them, I could feel a distinct difference.
'He's definitely gotten stronger.'
Just by meeting his gaze, I could feel his aura.
As he approached us, we naturally stopped walking.
"It's been a few days, Leonhardt."
"Yeah, it has. Han Cheonseong. Did you come to train with Glecia?"
"It just sort of happened that way. But I'm not, like, not allowed to be here, am I?"
I asked, knowing the answer, just to be sure, and Leonhardt shook his head as if it were obvious.
"It's fine. There's no problem with coming to the training grounds together. But it's good you came, because I was curious about how you were doing."
A laugh escaped me at his words.
It was almost as if we thought alike.
'Indeed.'
That duel wasn't just a great stroke of luck for me.
Leonhardt had instantly reached Level 3 through the duel, a level he would have originally taken several weeks to achieve.
The evolution of an ability is something everyone desires, after all.
"Hmm. Even seeing you again... you two really do look good together."
Then Yumia gave us a very peculiar look, and it hit me then.
'She saw us yesterday.'
The people who heard those words, which sounded strange to anyone, were Leonhardt and Yumia. Just those two.
"Yumia. Let me tell you first, that's a misunderstanding."
This time, I corrected her immediately.
I absolutely refused to have any more strange rumors circulating about me.
"Heh... I was just saying that Glecia and you look so~ good together."
Just as her feigned ignorance made me needlessly anxious.
"Han Cheonseong, don't worry about it. If you say it's a misunderstanding, then it surely is. Neither Yumia nor I are the type to easily spread such things around to just anyone. Right, Yumia?"
"...Oh, yeah. Right."
As Leonhardt helped me out just in time, I found myself looking at him anew.
'He really is so kind.'
Honestly, it's rare to feel so strongly that someone is kind. But how could this guy make me feel his kindness so strongly every time I saw him?
And often, kind people can be oblivious or frustratingly slow-witted. But he wasn't like that at all.
If a conflict was about to arise between others, he'd immediately notice and mediate it.
"Leonhardt, thank you."
"No problem, don't mention it. Anyway, you two are about to train, right? Then it might be pretty good if you trained with us. What do you think?"
"If you put it that way, I'd welcome it. To be honest, I'm also a little curious about how much stronger you've gotten."
Leonhardt and Yumia. They were indispensable beings in this world, destined to wield overwhelming influence in the future.
If I trained with them, it would definitely be more helpful...
"That won't do."
My thoughts were cut short by Glecia's resolute voice.
"Huh...?"
"Glecia?"
Even Leonhardt and Yumia looked at her in surprise, and Glecia suddenly looked at me.
And unlike before, it was with a gaze filled with clear resolve.
It was as if she was scolding me for trying to accept the offer without her consent, but I, in turn, couldn't understand Glecia.
'Did I say something wrong?'
Leonhardt, who approached with clear goodwill, and Yumia, who, despite her slightly skewed attitude, still knew her boundaries.
I naturally thought it would be good to get closer to them and train together.
"Han Cheonseong."
"...Huh, Glecia."
As I replied, I instinctively swallowed hard.
Why?
Facing her, an inexplicable unease enveloped my entire body. There was absolutely nothing to be anxious about, yet my body suddenly seemed to warn me.
It was as if some strange words were about to burst from Glecia's lips. That I had to stop her from speaking, even now.
...But I didn't know how.
At that moment.
Glecia's lips parted.
"Yesterday, you clearly said you'd be with me today. You promised to give your time to me... So why are you trying to be with someone else?"
Glecia, speaking at length for once, seemed both pure and unrestrained.
Every word she uttered was so direct that for a moment, I couldn't even think of what to say.
"..."
I instinctively parted my lips, but my thoughts abruptly cut off.
Where on earth should I even begin to refute her?
'I did say that, but...'
But I definitely didn't say I'd only be with her.
It was a situation where the slightest nuance in words could change everything... Glecia's way of speaking now was so peculiar that it would be strange if anyone *didn't* misunderstand.
"Um. Glecia?"
"...Speak."
Glecia's chilly reply, unlike before, made my head ache.
No, if you answer so coldly in this situation, everyone else is bound to misunderstand!
"Ahaha... Han Cheonseong, sorry. It seems we've interrupted your private training session."
"Yeah. You two should be having a sweet~ time together, but I guess we were too oblivious."
As the two of them quickly moved away,
"W-wait."
I thought I should at least try to stop them, even belatedly, but
Clasp.
At that moment, my arm was grabbed instead.