“…I have something to talk about, just the two of us, so could you step outside for a moment?”

When the person you like says something like that, isn’t it natural to get your hopes up, even if just a little?

As Yoon Si-woo watched Scarlett turn around and exit the classroom, that was what he thought.

She strode purposefully toward the back of the school building without a hint of hesitation, leaving him no time to catch up.

He shook his head vigorously to shake off the dreamy thoughts of what had occurred before and quickly followed after her.

“…What’s this about?”

He asked, his face flushed with anticipation.

“It’s nothing special, I just wanted to ask you something.”

However, she spoke with her usual emotionless façade, opening her mouth calmly.

Of course.

Feeling a bit embarrassed for being so flustered alone, he regained his composure and asked her what was on her mind.

“You know I was late yesterday, right? Did you happen to talk about anything with Sylvia before I got there?”

“…Did you hear anything from Sylvia?”

“I did hear something. That’s why I’m asking what you said.”

Her piercing gaze made his heart skip a beat.

He recalled what had happened with Sylvia the day before.

Like most of the girls he had met up to now, he suspected that Sylvia held some affection for him.

Being human, he didn’t treat those who liked him coldly, but perhaps due to having seen Scarlett just moments before, his head seemed to heat up and he ended up saying something hurtful to Sylvia.

It wasn’t uncommon for other girls to hold grudges because he chose to support one of them, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Sylvia had vented her frustrations towards Scarlett after what he said.

Perhaps she had said something awful, like calling her a “vulgar girl raised without proper home training” or a “loose woman who spreads her legs for anyone.”

If Scarlett had heard those kinds of things… it wouldn’t be surprising if she suspected he had said something to Sylvia about her.

But he really didn’t say anything like that.

There was no way he would demean someone he cared for.

Feeling unjust, he waved his hands dismissively and answered.

“I didn’t say anything bad! I simply told Sylvia to stop receiving macarons from you!”

At those words, he saw Scarlett’s face harden into a cold stare.

She listened to him and then asked in a small voice.

“…What did you just say?”

“…I told Sylvia to stop receiving macarons from you…”

She bit her lip and growled.

“Why… would you do something like that without telling me…”

Her expression twisted in anger.

From her perspective, he could understand why she would be upset.

But knowing the truth, he couldn’t just let it go.

He knew that Sylvia didn’t see her as a friend in receiving those macarons.

He also knew that she was going through those lengths just to earn money for them.

He couldn’t just stand by and let her continue that way.

“Buying macarons for Sylvia every day must really be a burden on you.”

He wanted to alleviate her burden.

He hoped she would stop doing that.

He wished she would value herself a little more.

“So who are you to judge that without my permission…”

There was something harsh about her words.

He didn’t want to raise his voice against her either.

He thought he was just looking out for her.

“I was just thinking about you—!”

“If you were really thinking about me—!!!!”

Her frustration erupted as she shouted what he had been thinking in silence.

It was the first time he had seen her yell like that,

And it was also the first time he watched her cry, her face contorted in pain.

Though he had braced himself for being hated, her reaction exceeded his imagination, causing a sharp ache in his heart.

She stepped forward and continued.

“Please…”

Her following plea was a voice so soft compared to her earlier shout that it struck him even deeper.

She took another step closer.

“Please…”

Even while tears streamed down her face, she looked him straight in the eye as she approached, prompting him to subconsciously take a step back.

But before he could retreat further, she seized his collar.

That slight resistance, which he could break with a little effort, felt overwhelmingly heavy.

Tears streaming down her cheeks dripped onto the collar she held.

The words that came from her mouth hurt him as much as those tears.

“Don’t worry about me anymore…”

It was the truth.

As she softly whispered this heartbreaking truth, she turned her back and fled somewhere.

That wasn’t the expression he wanted to see.

Yoon Si-woo stood frozen, unable to move until the tears on his collar dried.

—

The weather was clear, but Yoon Si-woo’s mood was the complete opposite—gloomy.

Even when Lucy offered soothing words, it didn’t help much.

He was enveloped in a blanket of melancholy.

But a ripple in his stagnant emotions came when he opened the classroom door and caught sight of Scarlett’s smile.

She, who usually bore an impassive face unless smiling in front of Sylvia, was smiling brightly since the morning.

The other kids were just curious about seeing her smile, but having witnessed her in tears the day before, he couldn’t accept her smile at face value.

A feeling of discomfort washed over him, yet he had no choice but to sit at his desk as her words from yesterday echoing in his mind: don’t worry about me.

There was a sparring class from the first period.

As others were called one by one, Yoon Si-woo grew increasingly anxious.

And just as he feared, he sighed when he heard Eve call his name.

It was uncomfortable just standing opposite her due to what had happened the day before, and of all people, he was up against Scarlett.

While putting on his protective gear, he glanced at her; she still smiled, as if nothing had happened yesterday.

He wondered if she really didn’t care, but when they stood face to face, he quickly realized that was not the case.

She avoided meeting his eyes, a slight gaze down toward the ground.

Considering how crucial it was to read an opponent’s gaze in a fight, it became clear she was heavily preoccupied with what had happened yesterday.

All he could do was finish the sparring as quickly as possible.

“Are you ready… Start!”

As the duel commenced, he lunged forward in an attempt to end it quickly.

She too seemed eager to finish, charging forward without hesitation.

She was fast, but he was faster.

Using his ability to summon the Sword of Humility at will, he grasped the sword that appeared in mid-air and swung it towards her.

She evaded the horizontal blow by crouching down.

He couldn’t help but admire her physical prowess as she narrowly dodged the attack, but it was a pattern he had seen in the last sparring class.

Knowing what to expect, he wouldn’t fall for it.

Putting the Sword of Humility away, he summoned the Sword of Protection to create a defensive barrier.

Her fiery attack was quite strong, but it wasn’t enough to shatter the defense of the Sword of Protection.

The moment her attack was blocked, he switched weapons again and swung toward her.

He thought it was over.

It was a strike intended to stop just before making contact with her.

He had never expected she would block the incoming sword with her hand.

Blood splattered.

By the time he realized what was happening and forced himself to stop the attack, the sword had already pierced her hand.

It was a moment where her entire hand could have easily been severed.

And yet, she was smiling without a trace of change in her expression, even in such a situation.

She was broken.

Seeing her casually wipe the blood from her face signaled to him that something was seriously wrong.

How much pain must she be accustomed to in order to act that way?

Suddenly, the image of her face twisted in tears from yesterday flooded back to him.

If she was so used to pain that she could cry like that, just how significant a wound must his actions—done under the pretense of caring for her—have inflicted on her?

What was for her sake?

He had only imposed his own thoughts on her.

As he prepared to apologize to her, she spoke as if she had read his mind.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry about me anymore…”

The words she had said with tears the day before.

As if saying he didn’t even have the right to apologize to her, she urged him not to worry about her, and Yoon Si-woo found himself speechless.