* * *
After the Mana Control class ended, we began tidying up under Professor Neo’s supervision.
While everyone was busy moving around and organizing their equipment, Magnus approached Ruite and nudged him in the ribs with his elbow.
“Ruite, you were pretty impressive back there. I never thought you’d actually land a hit on Chester.”
Hearing the word “hit” made my conscience prickle.
While physical contact is expected in a spar, I had honestly assumed Chester would dodge it.
I hadn’t expected him to leave an opening wide enough to actually get struck in the first place.
“Chester looked pretty flustered too. I’ve never seen him make a face like that. I guess even he’s human after all.”
‘What exactly had Magnus been viewing Chester as if not a human?’
Just then, Professor Neo walked over and lightly tapped the top of Magnus’s head with a rolled-up scroll.
“Magnus, stop slacking off and go finish cleaning up.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Ruite.”
I felt a bad omen and tried to slip away, but Neo’s voice caught me like a shackle.
“Go to the infirmary.”
“I’m perfectly fine, though?”
“Not for you. Chester went there for treatment, so go check on him. That last attack of yours—your mana output spiked, so it probably hit him pretty hard.”
Neo added that as a classmate, I should go see if he was alright out of basic courtesy.
It seemed he wanted to prevent any ill will from festering between students after an accident during a spar.
‘But even without this spar, it’s not like Chester has any ‘good’ feelings toward me anyway.’
“I’d go myself, but I have a lecture starting immediately. Go see if the injury is serious. If there’s a problem, let me know.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Feeling guilty about earlier, Ruite had no choice but to leave the training hall.
He trudged toward the main building with weary steps.
Facilities like the infirmary and the library, which were open to all grades, were mostly clustered on the first or second floors.
The Whitmore infirmaries were divided into two types: the “First Infirmary” for general illnesses or injuries, and the second for managing suppressants and stabilizers for Omegas and Alphas.
Ruite stood in front of the First Infirmary, scratching his head.
‘Chester probably doesn’t even want to speak to me.’
However, it was bad form to ignore a professor’s orders.
Besides, he figured he’d feel better if he apologized one more time.
Ruite swung the infirmary door open.
Beyond the wide-open door was Chester.
He was wearing only his shirt, holding a medicinal spray in his hand.
Looking around the room, Professor Philia, the person in charge, was nowhere to be seen.
The woman who usually sat there welcoming students with a gentle smile was, unfortunately, away for a moment.
“Need a hand?”
Ruite pointed to the spray in Chester’s hand.
“Forget it. I don’t need help,” Chester rejected him coldly.
“No… I mean, it’s just that I feel bad since it was my fault.”
And I wanted to finish the task Professor Neo gave me so I could go back sooner.
If I told the professor I helped him apply the medicine, he’d be satisfied.
Ruite stepped forward and snatched the medicine from Chester’s hand.
He gestured with his chin toward Chester’s face, which was still full of discontent.
“What?”
“Do something about the shirt. If you leave it like that, you’ll get medicine all over it.”
“What?”
Chester blinked rapidly, his lips quivering slightly.
He scanned Ruite up and down with eyes still full of distrust.
Ruite’s gaze, however, was fixed on the infirmary clock.
There wasn’t much time left until the next lecture.
If he wanted to rest even for a moment, he had to get back to the classroom quickly.
Chester, unaware of Ruite’s thoughts, slowly began to unbutton his shirt while burning with suspicion and wariness.
Ruite quickly scanned the instructions on the bottle.
He confirmed he needed to spray the area for five seconds.
While he was reading, Chester finished unbuttoning and proceeded to pull the shirt off entirely.
“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you taking the whole thing off?”
“……”
“You just had to lift it enough to show your side. Why go through the trouble of stripping?”
Ruite tilted his head, oblivious to the fact that Chester had frozen in place.
Without sparing a glance at the firm muscles or broad shoulders, Ruite shook the spray.
“Whatever, it’s fine. I’m spraying now, okay?”
He sprayed the medicine onto the slightly reddened area on Chester’s side.
Precisely for five seconds.
While doing so, he checked the injury; other than some slight redness, it didn’t look serious.
“All done. Sorry again. Take your time getting out.”
Like someone who had come purely to perform a clinical task, Ruite shoved the spray back into Chester’s hand and left the infirmary.
Chester stared blankly at the doorway where Ruite had vanished, then back at the medicine in his hand.
Then at his own shirtless reflection.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, he was putting his shirt back on when the door creaked open again and Ruite poked his head back in.
“Hey… if Professor Neo asks if I came to the infirmary, make sure to tell him I did. To be honest, I only came because he told me to. Okay, I’m really going now.”
As soon as Ruite disappeared with his silver hair fluttering, a small crease formed between Chester’s brows.
“……What is wrong with him lately?”
His low voice echoed through the empty infirmary.
For dinner at the academy, students usually frequented the dormitory cafeteria, but many also ate at the smaller café.
Today, Ruite had been dragged to the café by Dylan.
The dormitories were strictly divided between Alphas, Omegas, and Betas, but the dining areas were communal.
“The dorm food menu is so repetitive, I get sick of it sometimes.”
“Do you think someone who eats two bowls every single day has the right to say that?”
But Dylan, acting as if he couldn’t hear, excitedly began picking out bread from the display.
Ruite also picked out his favorite bread and some decent-looking items, stuffing them into Dylan’s arms.
He was silently signaling, ‘Since you dragged me here, you’re paying,’ and Dylan readily agreed.
“By the way, Ruite, I heard you landed a hit on Chester during the Mana Control spar today?”
“That rumor already reached the Swordsmanship Department?”
“Of course. Our two departments are the only ones that use the training halls regularly.”
The two of them grabbed their respective meals and looked for a place to sit.
Since the café was full, they had to head to the dormitory lounge.
“It wasn’t a ‘hit.’ It was just a lucky strike that happened to connect.”
“Still, it’s Chester we’re talking about. That’s impressive. How about it? Want to go a round with me next time?”
“Absolutely not. If I get hit by you once, I’ll be bedridden for days.”
“Hey, come on. Would I really hit a friend that mercilessly?”
Entering the lounge, the two sat down in some empty seats.
However, the neighboring table was a bit noisy.
As Ruite ate his bread, a strangely familiar face caught his eye.
“Rhea. So, are you going to give it to him or not?”
At the friend’s question, a female student with her hair elegantly braided to one side stared at a letter on the table with a blushing, hesitant face.
“Oh, Rhea. You guys eating here too?”
Suddenly, Dylan spoke up to the next table.
“Oh, it’s Dylan.”
“Hi, Sophie.”
It seemed the two students at the next table were Dylan’s classmates.
Based on their refined aura, Ruite had assumed they were from the General Department, but they were actually from the Swordsmanship Department.
Ruite chewed his bread, blankly watching Dylan exchange greetings.
“But Rhea, have you still not given that letter to Chester?”
When a familiar name came out of Dylan’s mouth, Ruite’s ears perked up.
Looking at the student named Rhea again, it finally clicked.
She was the protagonist of the seasonal event—the one who had confessed to Chester behind the auditorium on the first day of the spring semester.
“I want to, but I’m too shy.”
“Where’s the Rhea who beats me like a rug every time we spar?”
“Quiet, Dylan. Everyone gets like this in front of the person they like.”
Judging by Sophie’s words, it seemed Rhea hadn’t completely moved on from her feelings for Chester.
“I want to give it to him without drawing too much attention.”
Since it had practically been a public confession, she was likely conscious of the eyes on her.
“I also want to apologize for making him hear my confession in front of everyone because of my own greed…”
‘That guy Chester has such a personality that he probably wouldn’t care about that at all.’
Rhea was a girl with a very kind heart.
Ruite reached over and stole a piece of bread from Dylan, who was too busy chatting to eat.
“That’s not all. You said you want to stay friends if possible. But you can’t even call him out, so what are you going to do?”
As Sophie teased her, Rhea let out a deep sigh.
Ruite took another big bite of bread and observed Rhea.
With her glossy hair and clear skin, she was objectively beautiful.
Judging by her poised atmosphere, she was likely the daughter of a high-ranking noble family.
After all, the nobility made up the majority of Whitmore Academy.
‘If Chester ends up with someone else or develops feelings for her, wouldn’t he be more likely to ask for a breakup before graduation? Then I wouldn’t have to wait until the end of the year.’
“Hey, did you say your name was Rhea?”
“Huh?”
“If you’re okay with it, want me to help you?”
* * *
