After the magic control class ended, they began cleaning up under Professor Neo’s supervision. While everyone moved busily, putting away the items they had used, Magnus approached Ruite and nudged him in the side with his elbow.
“Ruite, you did pretty well earlier, didn’t you? I never thought you’d actually land a hit on Chester.”
Hearing it phrased like that made Ruite feel a twinge of guilt. Physical contact was inevitable in sparring, but he had genuinely assumed Chester would dodge. He hadn’t even expected an opening like that to appear.
“Chester looked seriously shocked too. I’ve never seen him make that kind of face before. Guess he really is human after all.”
Then what had Magnus thought Chester was until now? Just then, Professor Neo walked over and lightly smacked Magnus on the top of the head with a rolled-up sheet of paper.
“Magnus, stop slacking off and go finish cleaning.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Ruite.”
A bad feeling crept over him, and he was just about to slip away when Neo’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Go to the infirmary for a bit.”
“I’m fine, though?”
“Not you. Chester went to get treated, so go check on him. That last hit—you increased your magic output too much. It probably landed properly.”
He added that, as classmates, Ruite should go personally and make sure he was alright. It seemed like an attempt to prevent any bad feelings from forming between students after incidents like this.
But even without this sparring match, Chester didn’t have any particularly good feelings toward him anyway.
“I’d go myself, but I have another class right after this. Check how bad it is. If there’s a problem, report back to me.”
“Yes, understood.”
He already felt guilty, so he had no choice. Ruite left the training ground, dragging his feet as he headed into the main building. Facilities accessible to all students, like the infirmary and library, were mostly located on the first or second floors.
Witmore Academy had two types of infirmaries. One was a general infirmary for illness and injuries, and the other specialized in handling suppressants and stabilizers for Alpha and Omega students.
Ruite stopped in front of the former—the First Infirmary—and scratched his head. Chester didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to him at all. But ignoring a professor’s instruction wasn’t a good idea. Besides, apologizing once more might ease his conscience.
Ruite pushed the infirmary door open.
Through the wide-open doorway, he saw Chester. He was holding what looked like a spray bottle of medicine, wearing only his shirt.
Looking around, Ruite didn’t see Professor Philia, the one in charge. The gentle professor who was always there to greet and treat students seemed to have stepped out for the moment.
“Want help?”
Ruite pointed at the spray in Chester’s hand.
“No. I don’t need it.”
Chester refused coldly.
“Well… still. It’s kind of my fault, so I feel bad.”
And he wanted to finish what Professor Neo had assigned him and leave quickly. If he said he had helped apply the medicine, that would probably be enough.
Ruite stepped closer and took the spray from Chester’s hand. He gestured toward him, ignoring the clear dissatisfaction on his face.
“What?”
“Do something about your shirt. If you keep it like that, the medicine will get on it.”
“What?”
Chester blinked rapidly, his lips parting slightly. He scanned Ruite up and down with a suspicious look.
Meanwhile, Ruite’s gaze had already shifted to the clock inside the infirmary. There wasn’t much time left before the next class. If he wanted even a short break, he needed to get back to the classroom quickly.
Unaware of Ruite’s thoughts, Chester slowly began unbuttoning his shirt, his suspicion and wariness fully apparent. Ruite quickly skimmed the instructions on the bottle. It said to spray for five seconds on the affected area. As he confirmed that, Chester suddenly removed his shirt entirely after undoing all the buttons.
“What are you doing? Why are you taking everything off?”
“……”
“You just need to lift it enough to expose your side. Why go through the trouble of taking it all off?”
Completely oblivious to the fact that Chester had frozen in that position, Ruite tilted his head. Without even glancing at the well-defined muscles or broad shoulders, he shook the spray bottle in his hand.
“Well, whatever. I’m spraying now, okay?”
He sprayed the medicine onto the slightly reddened area on Chester’s side—exactly five seconds.
While doing so, he checked the condition of the injury. Aside from the slight redness, it didn’t seem serious.
“All done. Sorry again, and take your time coming out.”
Like someone who had come purely to help with treatment, Ruite placed the spray back into Chester’s hand and left the infirmary.
Chester stood there blankly, alternating his gaze between the spot where Ruite had exited and the spray in his hand. Then his own upper body—still bare. He pulled his shirt back on, feeling strangely unsettled, when suddenly the door cracked open again and Ruite stuck his head in.
“Hey, um… if Professor Neo asks whether I came here, make sure to tell him I did. I only came because he told me to. Alright, I’m really going now.”
As soon as Ruite disappeared, his pale silver hair swaying behind him, a small crease formed between Chester’s brows.
“…What’s with him lately?”
His low voice echoed quietly through the infirmary.
***
Evenings at the academy were usually spent eating at the dorm cafeteria, but quite a few students opted for the small cafeteria instead. And today, Ruite had been dragged there by Dylan instead of going to the dorm cafeteria.
While dorm rooms were strictly separated by Alpha, Omega, and Beta, dining spaces like this were shared.
“The dorm cafeteria menu is so repetitive. I get tired of it sometimes.”
“You say that even though you eat two full servings every day?”
Dylan ignored him and cheerfully began picking out bread from the display. Ruite also chose his favorites and a few decent options, piling them into Dylan’s arms. Since Dylan had dragged him here, it was only fair that he paid—and he accepted it without complaint.
“By the way, Ruite, I heard you beat Chester in sparring during magic control class today?”
“That already reached the Department of Swordsmanship?”
“Of course. Those two departments are the ones that use the training ground the most.”
With their trays in hand, the two looked for a place to sit. The cafeteria was already full, so they had no choice but to move to the dorm lounge.
“I didn’t beat him. I just got lucky and landed a hit.”
“Still, it’s Chester. That’s impressive. Want to spar with me next time?”
“No thanks. If you hit me even once, I feel like I’d be bedridden for days.”
“Hey, you think I’d hit a friend that harshly?”
They sat down in an empty spot in the lounge. But the table next to them was noisy. As Ruite ate his bread, a strangely familiar face caught his eye.
“Lea. So, are you going to give it to him or not?”
At her friend’s question, the girl with neatly braided hair to one side stared at the envelope on the table, her cheeks flushed as she hesitated.
“Oh, Lea. You’re eating here too?”
Dylan suddenly spoke to the neighboring table.
“Oh, Dylan.”
“Hey, Sophie.”
It seemed the two students at the table were Dylan’s classmates. From their atmosphere, Ruite had assumed they were from the General Studies Department, but apparently they were from the Department of Swordsmanship. He absentmindedly chewed his bread while watching Dylan greet them.
“By the way, Lea, you still haven’t given that letter to Chester?”
At the unexpected name, Ruite’s ears perked up. Looking at Lea again, he finally remembered—she was the one who had confessed to Chester behind the Witmore grand hall on the day of the opening ceremony. The main figure of that seasonal event.
“I want to give it to him, but I’m too embarrassed.”
“Where did the Lea go who used to beat me senseless during sparring?”
“Be quiet, Dylan. People are always like this in front of someone they like.”
From Sophie’s comment, it seemed Lea hadn’t fully let go of her feelings for Chester.
“I want to give it to him without drawing attention.”
Well, it had practically been a public confession, so she was probably conscious of that.
“I also want to apologize for making him hear my confession in front of everyone because of my own selfishness…”
That guy wouldn’t care about something like that at all. Lea really did seem kind-hearted. While Dylan was too busy chatting to eat, Ruite quietly stole a piece of his bread and started eating it.
“That’s not all, right? You said you wanted to stay friends if possible. But how are you going to do that if you can’t even call him over?”
At Sophie’s teasing, Lea let out a deep sigh.
Ruite took another big bite of bread and studied her. Her glossy hair and clear skin gave her an objectively attractive face. Judging by her refined appearance, she was most likely the daughter of a noble family. After all, most of the students at Witmore Academy were from noble families.
If Chester ends up getting close to someone else… or develops feelings for someone… wouldn’t he ask for an annulment before graduation day? Then I wouldn’t have to wait until then.
“Hey, was it Lea?”
“Huh?”
“If it’s alright… want me to help?”