I Became the Academy's Pink Airhead - Chapter 29

 

It was a few months after I had come to the academy city. By then, wearing the girls' school uniform no longer felt embarrassing.

In a more student-like attire, after passing through numerous wildernesses and other schools overnight, I would find three seniors waiting for me at the school gate early in the morning.

I greeted them.

“I’m back―☆” “Welcome back―!”

When I returned from staying out all night, the three seniors would lead me to our old, nostalgic hideout. Sleeping together in that dusty space became a routine.

A once bustling classroom, now turned into the hideout of three girls. When we lay on the old blankets spread out there, we could see the cracked, shabby ceiling. And through the scratches that had witnessed many growths, new breaths of memories filled the space.

The breaths of the seniors lying next to me. The occasional laughter that burst out, slowly leading to sleep. The silent dreams passing like shadows behind closed eyelids.

The sweet nap time passed by.

I woke up again.

“…”

Time had flown by as if someone had hidden the minute and second hands of the clock.

The faint morning sunlight had already moved towards the noon finale. The midday wind blew, causing the faded curtains to flutter, urging the sleeping girls to wake up.

In the silent performance, shadows formed by the faded hand gestures. Turning my head in that cool shadow, there was peace.

Sss― Hoo…

“…”

Nina and Selma. The quiet breaths and murmuring lips of the two seniors sleeping beside me. Their white faces, with pink lips moving, tasting the sweetness of their dreams.

“Hehe, I can’t eat anymore…” “Hmm… The reincarnated lady pulled an SSS-grade sword… No, it’s bad…”

They seemed to be enjoying a writing and tea party in their dreams.

I watched them blankly.

‘…Frida-senpai is not here.’

And with a slight sense of grogginess in my head, I got up.

Leaving behind the warmth and silence of the empty classroom at noon. Walking in a corner of the overgrown schoolyard, not caring if my skirt got dirty, I found Frida-senpai sitting in the flowerbed.

I approached her quietly from behind.

She was sitting in the flowerbed, doing something, and she turned to look at me.

“…?” “Frida-senpai―♪” “Huhu, it’s Clara.”

In Frida-senpai’s hands were a small sketchbook and a pencil. In that small page, the images of many flowers blooming just before early summer were recorded.

The girl’s record, capturing the beauty of passing time and seasons.

Some lines were deliberately drawn crooked to show the rough thorns and stems, while others left faint traces to express the fleetingness of delicate petals. Even to someone like me, who knew nothing about drawing, it seemed like considerable skill and dedication were put into the drawings.

‘…She’s really good.’

I looked at the sketchbook carefully and spoke.

“Frida-senpai, is your dream to be a painter? It really suits you―☆ Or…?! Maybe you have the talent of a genius beautiful painter♪” “Hahaha… I’m still immature. I just drew a lot, so it turned out like this. If you see the drawings of truly talented people, you’d be surprised.” “Would they be surprised because they’re not as good as yours, Frida-senpai―♪” “What are you saying… Hahaha.”

But it seemed my compliment made her happy. Frida-senpai’s pencil movements became a bit more lively.

“...” “...”

Frida drew well. Selma stayed up all night writing novels. Nina liked eating and cooking.

‘…The seniors have their own lives.’

All three seniors were not just extras in a game but ordinary students with dreams they liked. Sometimes, I felt guilty that these three seniors were always conscious of and waiting for me.

‘…Why do they always wait for me?’

The three seniors didn’t disturb each other’s time when they were doing what they liked. But when I came back from wandering outside and growing stronger, they all took time to welcome me.

“…”

It was secretly distressing for me. Not because they were annoying… but because I felt like I was becoming a hindrance. I felt like I was disrupting their peace and daily life.

So in the quiet flowerbed, I gently expressed my thoughts to Frida-senpai. I didn’t want to be a disturbance to them anymore.

“…”

Frida-senpai stopped her hands when she heard me. Then she thought for a moment and drew a few lines in her sketchbook.

Sss—

One was a straight line across the sketchbook. The other was a spiral curving outward.

Frida-senpai pointed to them and spoke.

“…Yes. It’s true that since we started caring about you, Clara, we have less time alone. And sometimes, we can’t do everything we originally wanted to do.” “...” “Our daily lives, each moving toward what we liked, were like neat straight lines. But after meeting you, it changed into a spiral. The efficient and neat path of a straight line now takes a longer, winding way.” “...” “But…”

Frida-senpai added lines around the spiral while she spoke.

“Did you know, Clara?”

Sss—

“There isn’t a single beautiful flower in this world that blooms in a straight line.”

Sss—

“All flowers have petals overlapping in a spiral, blooming bit by bit.”

Frida-senpai showed me the finished drawing again.

The lines added around the spiral became petals. Twisted and irregular petals. But they bloomed into a flower bud, following a single spiral.

And the straight line crossing the screen became the stem that firmly supported the flower bud.

Past and present. What changes and what doesn’t. Everything combines into memories.

“…”

To me, that flower looked like… a beautiful rose.

Holding the rose drawing, Frida-senpai spoke.

“What do you think? Does this drawing look ugly or like the spiral is an obstacle to the straight line?”

I shook my head at her question. Then Frida-senpai smiled proudly.

“The time we turn and change is not inefficient or unnecessary. It becomes beautiful memories like a flower blooming when we meet you.” “...” “Looking back at each other’s faces leisurely while taking a longer, winding path… You can’t imagine how much joy that brings us.”

“…”

Frida-senpai’s smile. The memory-filled flowerbed. She smiled kindly and said,

“So Clara, if you treasure this memory, someday you too can become a senior who leaves beautiful memories and teachings like this spiral.”

＊

“…Senior?” “…Yes?”

I snapped out of my recollection.

Under the dark sky, in front of the ominous dungeon gate, Alvit was looking at me with worried eyes.

Kyaaah―!! Shaaa―!!

The sounds of many liquid chaos insects passing below the large rock we were hiding under. The three juniors seemed disturbed by the disgusting sounds of those maggots.

“…”

Bell, who was fondling her crimson dagger in the distance, glanced over and said,

“Don’t worry. This cute secretary will protect you juniors well.”

Maybe out of guilt for bragging about [Faded Spiral] in front of everyone earlier, Bell’s attitude had noticeably softened.

‘Or perhaps she’s still shaken from almost being grilled by Eid.’

I recalled Bell whining in her <Central Prism Academy> tracksuit and laughed quietly.

“Haha―☆” “What, what?! I’m being serious here!” “Yeah―♪ If our cute second-year junior Bell from <Central Prism Academy> protects the first-years, I’ll feel relieved too―☆” “Huh? What are you saying? Why would I be a junior of the pink-haired one?” “Hmm? Then who was claiming to be a student of <Central Prism Academy> in front of the furious Eid―♪” “Ugh?! T-That was…! Ugh…!”

Bell’s face turned bright red in an instant. If this were a comic, there would probably be a ‘Puff!’ sound effect. It was noticeable even in the dark of the night.

‘Just like Guan Yu.’

Was the true Guan Yu not Kara but Bell? Trying to save face in front of others, narrow-minded…

‘No, to be precise, it would be Wei Yan. The face of betrayal.’

I nodded, recalling Bell’s desperate claim to change her school affiliation.

『Look at this tracksuit!! I’m a student of <Central Prism Academy>―!!』

No matter how you look at it, it was a disgraceful black history. Remembering that pitiful memory, Bell lowered her head without saying anything.

“…I couldn’t help it.”

Bell, who always wanted to appear strong in front of others. That desperate struggle for survival must have been an unbearable humiliation for her. Hearing her, the three juniors, who had been tense, started chuckling quietly.

“Pft…” “Hehe…” “Pfft.”

“Don’t laugh―!! Don’t spread rumors about it, I won’t forgive you―!!” “Oh my―♪ That’s a perfect setup for spreading rumors―☆” “Stop―!! Please don’t spread it around―!!”

Bell, rubbing her hands together like a fly, caused the three juniors to burst into giggles.

“Pffft…! Seriously…!” “Hahaha…” “Snrk…!”

The juniors, barely holding onto their sanity, laughed quietly. The pressure from the abnormal situation they had been feeling seemed to have vanished into the distance.

Once the laughter died down, Bell and I returned to our spots in silence.

“...” “...”

I sent a grateful glance at Bell. Bell, slightly tilting her head, winked in response.

-Trust this cute secretary!

A tacit understanding. She really seemed like a competent secretary. I adjusted my assessment of Bell upward.

‘Her strength, not losing to the Five Colors, and her sense of tact. Considering her abilities, it’s clear why she’s an officer of the <United Student Council>.’

She had awareness, could lead those who followed her, and, most importantly, had a kind heart, deserving of high praise.

‘But her concept play and easily flustered personality…’

As I was adjusting my evaluation of Bell, A large crimson flame rose near the horizon in the distance.

Fwoosh―!

And another red ether signal from <Gallhorn> investigators, several kilometers away, glowed.

Fwoosh―!

Our agreed signal. Seeing that, I spoke.

“Yeah―♪ Looks like Eid and Sigrun have arrived too―☆” “Phew… It’s starting now.”

Rumble, rumble…

Alvit’s hand was trembling so much that the sheath she held hit the ground audibly.

“Alvit is so nervous―♪ If you’re scared, should this senior hug you―☆” “…”

I playfully extended my arms to Alvit. It was just a joke to ease the nervous junior’s mind.

But surprisingly…

“Oh my―♪” “…”

Poof

Alvit really hugged me. Her shoulders were trembling like a child’s, and cold sweat was dripping from her forehead and neck.

‘The first dungeon she encounters is such an abnormal situation; it must still be a great pressure.’

I patted Alvit’s back.

“…Can I do it?” “Yeah―♪” “…Is that something [Faded Spiral] knows?” “No―♪”

I held the cold hands of Kara and Rota, who had approached.

“I know because I’m your senior―☆” “...” “...” “Senior.” “We can do it♪”

The way to overcome fear together, something the [Pink Spiral] couldn’t teach alone. As [Faded Spiral], I held their hands and taught them that.

The method was endless trust in each other.

“...”

I recalled the words Frida-senpai had told me in the flowerbed.

‘I hope this becomes a memory and teaching like the spiral she mentioned.’