NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27
“Ely?”
“U-uh…?”
The atmosphere in the room had turned as cold as Selian’s icy expression. The lifeless gaze of Selian was downright frightening.
“What do you think your life is worth, Ely?”
“Uh? What do you mean…?”
“If your life is in danger, you can just run away, right?”
Ah, was that what she meant? Selian was worried about me and was angry on my behalf. I felt sorry for causing her concern, but I truly had no choice at that moment.
“But Frecia was using magic, so I couldn’t escape.”
“You’re the one in danger! If one of you is bound to be in danger anyway, you could… just run away!”
Of course, if I had fled without Frecia, I might have managed to survive somehow. But then again, we weren’t strangers, and how could I abandon Frecia? Even if I could go back to the past, I would make the same choice.
“No, you were always that way.”
Selian let out a deep sigh. Her gaze regained focus. Okay, for now, we’ve passed the crisis, right?
“Sigh, fine. If you can’t do that, you need to have enough strength. I was being too naive. Once you’re fully healed, it’s training with me. Got it?”
I was already training with Selian. We often practiced swordsmanship, but given that Selian’s skills surpassed mine, she mostly went easy on me, though I didn’t think that gap was unbridgeable.
“By the way, I think you’re already fully healed…”
“Nope! No matter how healed the wounds are, you’re still a patient, so just lie down!”
Selian, having pushed me back down, stared at me for a moment while standing over me. Then, as if troubled, she frowned, gazed toward the door, stood up and sat back down, unable to stay still for a moment.
“Selian? What’s wrong?”
“Phew, it’s nothing. The others were really worried too, so I shouldn’t just be selfish. Just wait a moment.”
At my question, Selian stood up and disappeared outside the room. By the way, the private room was quite luxurious for a hospital. I briefly worried about the cost, but since this was the Academy’s ward and I got hurt while working for the Academy, they shouldn’t charge me. If they do ask for money… I guess I should pray that our manager manages to squeeze out more money!
Go, Frecia!
As I was caught up in this pointless thought, another guest entered the room.
Of course, it was the familiar faces I saw earlier—Selian, Anne, and Yuli. It seemed Selian had brought Anne and Yuli back after they had stepped out for a moment. I immediately propped myself up to welcome them.
“Ah, welcome.”
I spoke as if it were naturally my room, but since it was mine while I was using it, did it really matter?
Yuli entered with a fruit basket in her hands. What’s with the extra stuff?
“Are you really okay?”
Anne asked, but her question was directed not at me but at Selian.
“Yes. I’ve checked everything. You don’t have to worry.”
“Is that so?”
What kind of conversation had they shared? Hearing Selian’s response, Anne stepped boldly toward my side. I smiled lightly at Anne as she approached,
“Ouch!”
Anne pinched my cheek with both her hands.
“Ouch? Aah! Oww, really ow!”
I tried to call attention to my pain by holding her hands pinching my cheeks, but Anne showed no sign of letting go. She subtly increased the pressure until it really started to hurt, and only then did she finally let go.
“Anne?”
Holding back tears and rubbing my cheeks, I wanted to complain to Anne, but when I looked at her, I noticed tears streaming down her face, making me unable to say anything.
“You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried we were!”
Despite her shouting, there was no anger in Anne’s voice, just worry. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one they were concerned about—Frecia, Selian, Anne, and Yuli were all worried for me, far more than I had thought.
“Anne…”
“Seriously… I wanted to get even angrier, but… I can’t when you look at me like that.”
Anne was still sniffling. I reached out to wipe her tears and said,
“Why are you crying? If you’re really Anne, you should be here laughing and teasing me.”
“Ugh… What kind of idiot are you?”
“Hmm? Looking at the midterm exam grades, it wouldn’t be wrong to call someone an idiot…”
I held back my words at the glare from Anne, knowing I had conveyed my meaning. I didn’t want to open my mouth and get slapped again.
“Really… I’m only letting this slide because you’re a patient. Even if it hurts, just bear it! We suffered more than that.”
Looking back at Selian and Yuli, they both nodded in agreement.
There was no one on my side in this hospital room.
“Selian and Anne, geez… Ah! I got some fruit, do you want some?”
As my conversation with Anne ended, Yuli lifted the fruit basket she had been holding. Considering my current condition, it felt luxury to even accept such a basket of fruit.
“Sure. I guess I’m catching up on sleep, so I’m feeling a little hungry.”
Upon my words, my friends sat around me. Yuli, sitting closest to me, took out an apple from the fruit basket.
“I’ll peel it for you, so just wait a moment.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Yuli skillfully peeled the apple with a knife and started placing the slices on a tray one by one. Anne, taking a piece of apple with a fork, first shared it with Selian and then with herself, but they both only ate one slice and put the fork down.
Then the fork with the apple slice was handed to me. I reached out to take it, but—
Whoosh!
As I extended my hand, Yuli moved the fork back away.
I tried again, but Yuli’s hand just kept pulling back.
“Come on, since you’re a patient, just relax. I’ll feed you.”
Looking at her in confusion, Yuli brought the fork with the apple toward my mouth.
It felt a little embarrassing, but thinking about when I’d get to be cared for by such a beauty, I opened my mouth to eat the apple.
Nom nom nom.
After taking three bites, I finished the piece. It was a sweet apple, as expected from something that looked expensive. Just when I was enjoying the sweet flavor in my mouth—
Whoosh!
Another apple slice was offered to me.
Even though I still had a piece in my mouth, I couldn’t reject Yuli’s kindness, so I swallowed the remaining piece and accepted the new apple slice.
Nom nom nom.
Just like the previous piece, I savored the sweetness when—
Whoosh!
“Hey, Yuli? I still have an apple in my—”
Poke!
As I tried to say something, Yuli used the opportunity of my mouth being a bit open to push another apple piece in.
“Uh, Yuli? I think that’s enough…”
I had no choice but to chew and say it was okay. However—
Whoosh!
The apple slice was yet again offered to me.
For some reason, a warning siren was blaring in my head. Glancing at Selian and Anne, they were both pretending not to notice and looking away.
When I turned my gaze back to Yuli, she smiled sweetly at me.
Well, she smiled sweetly, but—
Poke!
Not opening my mouth, she began to gently push the apple toward my lips with the apple slice. Realizing that saying anything now would not end well for me, I decided to just eat. It wouldn’t hurt to eat one apple quickly.
Crunch crunch crunch.
Thus, I readily accepted each apple slice as it was offered, chewing and swallowing it without delay.
Crunch crunch.
Finally, the last apple piece. Having eaten in a hurry, I didn’t fully enjoy the flavor, but since it was the last piece, I savored it slowly.
Whoosh!
And yet again, the apple slice was pushed out in front of me.
Huh?
Looking at the tray, the apple pieces were all neatly arranged.
Wasn’t that supposed to be the last piece?
I looked at Yuli with a puzzled expression, but she only smiled at me without answering. It didn’t seem like Selian or Anne had cut them, so when did—
Poke!
Before I could respond, Yuli pressed another apple slice against my lips.
Crunch crunch.
As I realized that if things continued like this, I would really be in trouble. I eagerly accepted it. My mouth worked hard to chew and swallow the apple pieces while I eyed the fruit basket discreetly.
Looking expensive, the basket still had a mountain of fruit piled inside.
Heh, there’s no way I’m going to eat all of that right here. Right, Yuli?
I looked back and forth between the fruit basket and Yuli, but she just smiled at me silently while offering another apple piece.
…Wait, really?