“…You really didn’t do anything?”

“I told you I didn’t!”

Siwoo complained to Amelia about the unfairness.

If he had done something, he would at least know the reason.

He did nothing, but Arte watched over him for hours.

And visited every day.

‘…Huh? Come to think of it, it’s not that different from usual, right?’

“…Nothing has changed.”

“What?”

“No, I was startled at first, but thinking about it, I realized it’s the same as always. If she stares at me every day, it’s not really different, right? I am a bit grateful for the hospital visit, though. It’s quite touching.”

‘We’re celebrating over nothing.”

He must have been a little flustered seeing Arte’s face right as he opened my eyes.

“…You, you. Are you okay with that?”

“Huh? What?”

“No, nothing… Right, if you’re fine with it, then whatever…”

“?”

Amelia looked at Siwoo dumbfounded, but he couldn’t understand why.

Arte had already watched over him from the beginning.

He’s gotten so used to seeing her wandering around his house every night before going to bed that it feels routine.

He did get chills for a moment from the fact that she was staring at me so closely this time, but nothing really changed except the distance.

It’s not something for Siwoo to be afraid of.

He was briefly flustered by the new situation, but there was nothing much to fear upon closer thought!

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Oh, well. Originally, we were planning to go to the beach…”

“The beach?”

“Yeah. You don’t remember? I mentioned it during the closing ceremony. That we should hang out together.”

“…Ah, right.”

He had completely forgotten about it since the incident happened right after the closing ceremony started.

Did we have that conversation?

The talk about hanging out after the closing ceremony disappeared, and only the part about going to the beach remained.

“But your leg…”

“Ah, it’s fine. It’ll heal in a week… But what about you?”

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t really work if you’re…”

Ah.

He realized why Amelia was trailing off.

She clearly thought there was no point if he couldn’t go.

There can’t be a date with only one person.

“Well, maybe this time…”

He was about to suggest they shouldn’t do it with the recent events.

But he suddenly shut his mouth.

To Amelia, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression after he abruptly stopped talking, he brought up the complete opposite of what he was going to say.

“My condition isn’t great, but I think I’ll be fine in a week too. I’ll probably be discharged by then.”

“Really? Then I should ask Arte if she wants–”

“I’m fine with it too.”

“?!”

Arte, who suddenly appeared, smiled at the startled Amelia.

“The beach sounds nice, doesn’t it? I can’t believe you were having this conversation behind my back.”

“Arte. When did you come…?”

“Just now. I thought something was up since it was taking a while. If it were this kind of talk, it would have been fine for me to listen in from the beginning.”

“Ah, ahaha… I-is that so…?”

Amelia glared as if asking why the hell he didn’t say anything.

She must have realized that Siwoo noticed Arte’s presence because he dodged the question.

‘Why is she so unnecessarily sharp.’

But what could he have done?

She was already within earshot by the time he noticed.

“Let’s invite Dorothy too, and all go together.”

“…Oh, Dorothy, too?”

“Yes. Isn’t it nice to go with friends? Leaving someone out is mean, you know.”

“Hmm. Okay.”

Amelia tilted her head as if it was different from what she thought.

She was probably thinking something weird again.

Something like Arte must have fallen hard for Siwoo, so she wouldn’t want to bring another girl.

Contrary to what she expected, Arte was the first to suggest bringing Dorothy, so she seemed flustered.

…But why is that?

Siwoo then sighed inwardly.

‘I must have been too influenced by Amelia.’

He couldn’t even imagine that Arte would suggest bringing Dorothy too.

Thinking that Arte might find them strange, he hurriedly changed the subject.

“…But it’s a shame. A week has already passed?”

“Huh? Yes, it has, why?”

“I wasted a precious week of vacation… Sigh…”

It was a topic he brought up hurriedly, wanting to change the subject, but he couldn’t help but sigh after saying it.

Vacation, vacation.

No matter how rewarding getting stronger is, repeating sparring, classes, and training every day is bound to get tiring.

Even if it was not a very long period, knowing you could rest well would help anyone’s mental stab.

But a week of precious time has disappeared.

Without doing anything.

Even if he could move freely right now, they’ll probably perform a thorough examination just in case.

If he were being generous, it would be at least a week long.

Half a month will disappear without doing anything.

“The vacation was already short…”

“Ah, I heard this vacation will be a bit longer.”

“What?”

“Ah, you don’t know. I forgot you just woke up.”

Siwoo didn’t know what she was talking about, but he could tell one thing.

She wasn’t smiling menacingly, so it couldn’t be bad.

“There was talk that the academy’s buildings are not operational.”

“Not operational?”

“The villains didn’t hold back in their destruction.”

“…Ah.”

Suddenly, that scene from before he fainted came to mind.

The main building was a mess after the villain with strange horns used her ability.

“Upon investigation, they found a room that appeared out of nowhere, and they had no idea where it came from.”

“…Room?”

“Yes. It seems someone made it long ago, but it hasn’t been revealed until now.”

“…”

That’s the Secret Room.

Arte probably thought they wouldn’t know and told us, but they did.

That there was a Secret Room.

…It was exposed.

“It’s presumed that they attacked the academy to find something within it, so the academy made a big decision.”

“…What does that have to do with vacation?”

“It’s related. They’re renovating the buildings.”

“What?”

“They’re going to remake them, basically. I heard they’ve started with the demolition.”

Amelia shared shocking news.

They’re renovating the buildings, really?

“For hundreds of years, they only did maintenance in the name of tradition, but issues have been revealed.”

“They were sturdy but also old, and the fact that there has been something hidden until now must have been a threat.”

“Yeah. This time, the villains came in to find the Secret Room blatantly, but what if there were secret passages?”

“…That’s terrible.”

“Intruders could rush in all at once without anyone knowing. The academy can’t just sit back and pray it wasn’t the case.”

Siwoo didn’t even consider it.

There was something they didn’t even know existed, hiding in their own backyard.

If there’s a Secret Room, there might be passages, too. It’s only natural to have that thought.

“There have been way too many incidents at the academy these days, so I heard they’re going to reconstruct it and improve various things.”

“There was talk that the vacation will be extended by about two weeks because of that.”

“…I see.”

For Siwoo, it was a blessing in disguise.

It might be strange to have this thought not long after the incident happened…

But on school days, he only takes classes and trains.

During the holidays, he can rest or train as he needs to.

They were very different.

“Let’s stop the gloomy talk and have a fun conversation… What are your plans for the trip?”

“We have a villa that my family owns. How about there?”

“That sounds great!”

‘…I keep forgetting her family is rich.’

She’s not the type to boast that her family is well-off, so Siwoo sometimes forgets that she’s the daughter of a wealthy family.

When he’s occasionally reminded of it, it just feels wrong.

No matter how he thinks about it, she doesn’t seem like a rich family’s lady but a lively neighborhood girl…

She also looks noble in dire situations, proving her righteous upbringing.

Then, she returns to her usual conduct.

‘Just how was Amelia raised to have this kind of personality…?’

“We’ll have to get swimsuits.”

“Huh? Come to think of it, you’re right.”

“Swimsuits? …Ah.”

Siwoo was about to suggest the ones the school gave.

But they were in the school lockers.

Demolition work must be in full swing by now.

Even if the swimsuits were fine after that villain’s wind attack, they must have been smashed to the point of being unusable by now.

“Okay. Then let’s push back the date and meet up once everyone feels better!”

“…Huh? W-wait.”

“It’ll be fun to go shopping together too. How about it?”

“Oh, well. I don’t mind.”

Seeing Arte and Amelia talking cheerfully, he felt uneasy.

The atmosphere is strangely shifting.

Come to think of it, this combination has considerable issues.

‘… I’m the only guy!’

It’s burdensome even with one guy and two girls, but it’ll be three if Dorothy joins.

He usually didn’t care, but wouldn’t the beach be a little dangerous?

No, even if they can somehow manage the beach, wouldn’t it be more of an issue for him to go along with three girls to buy swimsuits?

Alright, there’s no choice.

Here, I’ll run away like a man.

Amelia will understand.

“I, I…”

“You’re joining, right?”

“I’m sorry, but–

Before he could reject Amelia, Arte, who sneakily approached, whispered to me.

“Don’t you want to see pretty swimsuits?”

“…Huh?”

“Hoho, you can look forward to it.”

“…What? Huh?”

‘Are my ears working properly?’

…She asked if he wanted to see pretty swimsuits.

Why? With what intention?

Huh? Huh???

_____________________

Author’s Notes

A reader: This is unrealistic. From the description alone, the academy is huge. How is it being demolished and reconstructed in a month!!

Author-nim: People with abilities.

(Not exactly what went down, but basically that.)