“···Ah, did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

“They say there’s nothing planned for today, so why don’t we all relax together...”

“Sorry. I have a busy day ahead. I need to train.”

“Oh, I see…”

Training.

Given how much Siwoo and his friends struggled yesterday, I thought they might need a bit of rest.

Even though they’re the protagonists, a large-scale battle for the first time must have been exhausting.

Moreover, after talking with Amelia’s father, he seemed to be in a bad mood.

That's why I asked Hayul to prepare some snacks, but suddenly training?

I was taken aback but decided to try to persuade Siwoo one more time.

“We’ve prepared delicious snacks. You’ll regret missing out.”

“That sounds tempting, but I’m sorry. Today is a bit... maybe next time.”

“That’s a shame.”

Seeing Siwoo's polite refusal, I knew there was no point in pressing further. He wasn’t going to join us for the get-together.

I wanted to spend time with him.

It wasn’t for any other reason; he wanted to train. Persuading him to hang out felt wrong, like asking a friend to go to a PC cafe while they’re studying hard for exams.

Siwoo is the protagonist.

Since he’s determined to work hard, there was no need to hinder him.

“Then, please do your best.”

“Have fun.”

“…”

But, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Spending time with Amelia and Dorothy was good, but it would have been much more enjoyable if Siwoo was with us.

I absentmindedly stroked my bracelet.

I felt a bit lonely, but stroking the bracelet made me feel a little better.

···About two weeks passed.

By now, I’d gotten used to the front line accommodations. It was an ordinary day, fighting off third-class beasts attacking occasionally, nothing like the large-scale assault on the first day.

Today, as usual, I was eating with Amelia and Dorothy.

···Or rather, eating snacks with alcohol.

• Boom!

“Isn’t that too much?!”

“Calm down, Arte. You’re going to break the table.”

“I am calm!”

“You seem pretty angry though…”

Angry? That’s a misunderstanding.

I was perfectly fine.

I wasn’t angry at all.

“···Dorothy. What’s Arte’s boyfriend doing right now?”

“She’ll deny it if Arte hears you.”

“She won’t hear it, will she? Look, no reaction. She was already half-drunk before we even got here.”

My head was pounding, and Amelia’s hand waved in front of my face, snapping me back to reality.

Ugh, my head hurts.

Get that hand away.

“I’m still fine…”

“Yes, you look fine. So? You seem to know well. Siwoo calls you sometimes, doesn’t he?”

“That’s what bothers me. You don’t know how sharp Arte’s glares are. At first, I thought she’d kill me.”

“Just seeing that makes you look like a couple to everyone.”

···What are they saying? I can’t hear well.

My vision was spinning.

My heart started pounding, and my face had already been burning like it was on fire.

I touched my cheeks, feeling the heat, and quickly pressed my face against the cool glass of my cup.

Ah, that’s better.

“Gulp, gulp... Phew! Nothing weird happened, as Arte thinks. It was just part of the training.”

“Really?”

“After using my ability, I felt like I grasped something. A certainty that I could grow stronger. That’s what he said.”

“What’s that about? I’ve never experienced that.”

“Me neither. Siwoo must be a genius, or his enhanced intuition told him. One of the two.”

“···Hmm. Interesting.”

I stared blankly at the water droplets falling from the bottle.

Ah, this is more fun than I thought.

I laughed, touching the falling droplets with my fingers.

[Ahhh... reader. Please, stop...]

With my heart pounding faster than usual, I felt my blood being pumped through my body.

I could feel the position of my heart.

Feeling better, I took another drink.

Amelia, watching me, muttered something.

“That guy, he’s clearly inexperienced in relationships. Instead of comforting his upset girlfriend, he’s training again today?”

“But... it’s for Arte…”

“There’s a limit to that. At first, I thought he’d learned how to pull, but this is the result?”

“···.”

[Reader... Please stop drinking...!]

Hmph.

There’s no need to listen to the author’s words.

According to the author, I’m the reader!!!

Readers don’t listen to the author! From today on, I’ll become a problematic reader!

[Ahhhh... Stop! Please stop! It feels weird...]

“He’s so oblivious to his girlfriend being upset, huh.”

“···That is a bit true.”

“And he’s still drinking the supply alcohol without noticing Arte’s state.”

Amelia clicked her tongue, looking at me, now half-asleep.

I was lonely, wanting to spend time with Siwoo.

But Siwoo was training hard. He didn’t spend time with me.

So I didn’t say anything...

And then, boom.

I exploded, and yet he’s still focused on training.

He probably doesn’t even know this happened.

“I can’t believe I’m stuck taking care of these guys without a relationship of my own...”

“Ha ha...”

“Ugh, is this my fate?”

I thought everything would work out fine.

Maybe we’d understand each other’s feelings here. I thought so.

But instead of understanding, we grew a bit distant, making me furious.

These frustrating kids.

Just...

Kiss on the lips, huh? Do some of those unspeakable things together?

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Even though I’ve never been in a relationship, I can tell Arte only needs to push a bit more, and he’d fall.

What a frustrating guy.

I chewed out Siwoo, the handsome face not here.

“Ugh... Sniff... Why, whyyyy... Was it my fault?”

“Damn it.”

Feeling like my insides were burning, Amelia took another drink.

Seeing Arte like this, she wanted to say something to Siwoo.

But it was all for Arte’s sake, which made it harder.

He had resolved something, training like crazy, but...

It was obvious even without seeing it.

I was there when he made his resolution.

He probably thought, “I’m weak, but I’ll get stronger and protect Arte!”

Fine, fine, but...

Looking at the future, he’s missing the present.

“Then, how about this?”

“What is it?”

“If Siwoo can’t see Arte’s loneliness...”

“Phew...”

Dragging my exhausted body, I headed to the quarters.

I was on the brink of collapse from the continuous training, but I knew I wouldn’t fall.

My intuition told me exactly how far to push myself for the most effective training.

“It’s a shame Dorothy isn’t here.”

With her, the training efficiency skyrockets.

She enhances my abilities, adding strain to my body.

...Which, conversely, means it’s like temporarily increasing my muscles.

By getting used to the temporarily enhanced abilities, I felt myself growing faster.

“Didn’t Arte say she’d spend time with Amelia?”

They should’ve parted ways by now.

At this late hour, they’d probably be asleep.

Returning to the quarters, I quietly opened the door, careful not to wake Arte.

“Ugh, what’s this...”

A strong smell of alcohol filled the room.

...They’ve been drinking.

I knew there were a few bottles in the supplies. They must have had those.

It’s nice they cleaned up, but couldn’t they at least have ventilated...

“?!”

“Hehe, you’re back...”

Squelch.

Maybe because of my exhausted body, my intuition reacted too late.

Before I could avoid it, the drunken presence hugged me tightly.

“Arte, wait... wait. You’re drunk...”

“I was so lonelyyyy...”

Memories of Arte back-hugging me at the academy flashed, making my face blush as I tried to pull her away.

But hearing her whine, I hesitated.

“You never talk to me... Always busy...”

“That’s because...”

I just wanted to protect you.

I just wanted to help you.

I wanted to say those things, but I couldn’t.

They were excuses.

I realized I had left her so lonely she clung to me like this.

“Hehe. It’s okay. I’ll forgive you.”

“···.”

“Because you’ll stay with me eventually...”

Hearing her soft breathing, I tried to carry her to the bed.

She must have been asleep, but her grip was too tight to move her.

...Looks like I’ll have to sleep together.

With a sigh, I spoke into the air.

“You guys should sleep too. I won’t do anything weird.”

There was no response.

But I could tell they were startled and ran away.

Did they really think they wouldn’t get caught?

How much interest do they have in my relationship with Arte?

“Sorry, Arte. I didn’t take good care of you.”

With her face flushed red, I moved Arte to the bed.

In the past, this would have been awkward, keeping me awake all night.

Now, it feels quite familiar.

“···.”

After a moment of hesitation, I put my arm around Arte’s waist and closed my eyes.

This much indulgence is okay.

Through the smell of alcohol, I could feel the scent of someone I liked.