NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20
I wasn’t quite sure what it meant to have a cold side.
In my past life, I had never had anyone next to me while I slept, and in my life as 호연, there hadn’t been a moment without someone by my side.
If someone asked whether I slept with others during military service or school trips, I wouldn’t consider that to be the same.
No. Those experiences were far worse.
Just the snoring alone would be a blessing compared to the villainous nighttime antics of pulling my blanket or pushing me away, the blatant liars who wouldn’t stop spinning tales, or the demons who hogged the food without regard for others’ sleep.
Anyway, to get back on track, I suppose I understood now.
The dawn air that should have been suitably cool and refreshing felt more like an unpleasant dampness and chill.
Even the warm blanket against my skin felt hot and suffocating. Though my side wasn’t really cold, it somehow felt perpetually empty.
My thin tail only emphasized the misery of having no one next to me. The fur clinging to my body didn’t help either.
Looking outside, the sun hadn’t risen yet, but the sky was just before dawn, making it awkward to fall back asleep. I couldn’t sleep properly, but if I did, I surely would oversleep.
So what should I do? My eyes wandered over to the diary spread out on my desk. Honestly, at this point, it felt like lingering attachment, but I figured there might be something different, so I turned on the lamp.
And there it was, my mother’s distinct handwriting.
So this works even here, I was briefly surprised but then felt a tingling at the tip of my nose.
It shouldn’t even be that touching. It’s just part of the daily routine, yet I felt such relief from it.
– I was delayed taking care of state affairs in your father’s place as he rushed off to the battlefield. I’m sorry if you waited.
No, Mother, you have nothing to be sorry about. I’m grateful just for your understanding.
– I saw what happened. For now, I’ll keep it a secret from your father. He tends to be overzealous whenever you’re involved. If I let him know what happened, he’d gather the military and rush to your side immediately.
I felt bad for my father, but I was relieved. It was certainly something he’d do without hesitation.
When I said I wanted to go to the 아카데미, my father’s anxious face flickered past my mind, making me chuckle.
He still treated me like a child; if he saw 도건, he might draw his sword at any stray bone touching his daughter.
– By the way, I’m relieved. I still vividly remember how confidently you declared you wouldn’t have any men around except for your father and the captain of the guard. Apparently, you weren’t completely uninterested after all. That kid named 도건. I respect your choice, but don’t cross the line. I have no desire to become a grandmother just yet.
Well… that’s… one can’t entirely say 도건 is the protagonist. I really wrote in my diary that there’s nothing happening between us, yet my mother seemed to think otherwise.
To think she’s already considering grandchildren. I was at a loss where to start explaining. It’s really just nothing at all.
I could share some bread with a hungry person, and a lost person could ask someone who knows the way!
…Though it was a bit much to have entered their room and woken them up, friends could do that, right?
Wait, but am I even friends with 도건?
“…Ugh.”
For now, I wrote that we weren’t at that level. I could be sure about that. I didn’t even see him as a male yet; I just wanted to build a good relationship and be nearby.
I came to the 아카데미 to see what kind of things I’d do and what heroines I would meet.
도건 and I are friends.
Even if I write this, I knew my mother wouldn’t change her mind, but this was also something I needed to tell myself.
도건 and I are friends.
…What he thinks of it is another matter.
– Regarding friendships, take your time to approach them. You’re a transfer student and it’s your first day, so it wouldn’t be strange if they found you awkward. If you try to get too close too quickly, it might create resistance, so there’s no need to rush it. Focus on blending naturally into their group for now.
Making friends slowly might mean I wouldn’t make a single one by the end of the semester; I really didn’t understand how to approach slowly.
Even if my mother said it, it didn’t make sense.
Besides, they probably grew close among themselves from a young age, so I had no clue how to naturally insert myself into those strong bonds.
Should I offer them a cup of tea like 스테파니아 did? But that doesn’t seem like a good method.
Was my mother implying I should figure that part out on my own?
I felt a bit disappointed, but I should be thankful she at least replied.
– As for magic, I don’t have any immediate means to assist. While it won’t solve the underlying issues, if you’re really desperate, you can take a small amount from the locker of the kid in the room next to yours. That’s fine, so take it comfortably.
Rather than wondering how she knew that, I first thought it sounded like stealing. And usually, lockers have some sort of locks, right?
Since it was my mother who said it, I shouldn’t doubt her. Questioning the words of 신님 is an impious act. Other than that, there wasn’t really any help.
Of course, just knowing my mother was concerned about me was already more than enough help.
Hmm, should I rummage through 도건’s locker first? I did feel a bit guilty, but thinking of it as payment for bread felt a little less guilty.
Honestly, replacing bread with just a name is quite the freebie mindset.
I didn’t know what exactly it was, but if it was too expensive, I wouldn’t touch it. But since my mother said I could take a little, maybe it’s something like bread or clay?
At this hour, who would be around? I threw on some kind of pajamas. The air was chilly, and I had no desire to wander the hallway in my underwear.
I was worried there might be some security devices that would beep if someone touched it, but that was just my imagination.
It seemed there was nothing of the sort, and the locker opened quietly. Inside, a clean magic energy flowed out.
After taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air, I realized this was undeniably theft, so I decided to only take a small amount.
But I wondered if I could even take it. It looked and felt like a green bowling ball, and I figured I couldn’t do anything with it by hand.
“…Don’t doubt, believe.”
Closing my eyes, I reached for the green bowling ball. No need to overthink it, just believe my mother’s words.
As I grasped the green ball, surprisingly, my hand slipped right in smoothly. I took a handful, and when I opened my eyes, I was holding a green ping pong ball.
The green bowling ball seemed somehow slightly smaller.
The magic energy pouring out was smaller compared to the bowling ball, but at least it should suffice for some breathing space.
How 도건 came by something like this and how my mother knew about it were mysteries, but isn’t this a win-win?
Ultimately, what I was doing right now was theft, so I quickly shut the locker and returned to my room.
I wondered if anyone saw me? It didn’t feel like I was being watched, but if there was, say, some kind of magical CCTV, wouldn’t that warrant punishment?
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I’d done something bad. Even if it was my mother’s words, bad deeds are bad deeds.
It was already done, so there was no point in worrying or regretting.
Right now, I’d just think about this strange ping pong ball. Breathing didn’t make me nauseous like before, but it was still uncomfortable.
If I had to compare it, I’d say it’s like enduring the summer rainy season and finally getting an old fan.
Much better than nothing. Still, I longed for air conditioning.
…I suppose I could nap a little. Normally, I didn’t intend to, but after rummaging through 도건’s locker, an unexpected tiredness overtook me.
I felt fairly certain nothing would go wrong, but on the flip side, I was extremely anxious. What if 도건 noticed or if I messed up what he was trying to do with that item?
I had no idea how to return it either.
I burrowed into my blanket in anxiety, and suddenly, breathing became much easier than before.
Then just a little more.
—–
The next day, just before class started, 호연 walked into the classroom.
I don’t know what happened, but she seemed in a much better mood than yesterday. She still looked a bit angry, but it felt like she had gone from “I’ll kill you if you talk to me” to “please don’t talk to me.”
I tried to say hello, but for some reason, she blatantly ignored me.
Thinking about why led nowhere, so I stopped trying.
Today, perhaps even more important than her mood, was the day to decide something essential.
A critical aspect of the 아카데미: clubs.