Chapter 13. Grecia’s Thoughts

***

ー People feel unfamiliar.

If interacting with people feels unfamiliar, naturally forming relationships with people would also be unfamiliar.

One becomes accustomed to interpersonal relationships by talking a lot and meeting different people frequently. But if approaching people feels strange, that premise isn’t established in the first place.

And the more introverted a person is, the more limited the people they seek out tend to be.

Relatively familiar people. People they can already talk to without much worry.

And now.
Grecia was like that too.

She knew no one at the Academy.

In fact, she didn’t often meet people even outside the Academy.

She was used to and comfortable being alone.

Even her hobbies, before her Talent was revealed, were mostly reading, preferring quiet spaces.

ー @#$%.

Watching people gather and move in groups after the entrance ceremony ended,

“……”

Grecia was a bit dazed.

‘How do they all become friends so quickly?’

Her sister had said in the past that she should get along well with various people, but that wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Approaching someone myself, or answering when someone approached and spoke to me, it all felt somewhat strange.

Just seeing so many people made me feel a bit uneasy.

‘Being with many people is definitely uncomfortable.’

So my gaze naturally went beyond.

Towards the C class area, quite far from the A class where I was.

Someone who was with me and didn’t feel awkward about my attitude, who responded confidently and calmly.

ー Han Chunsung.

Looking towards C class, I could easily find him, as his appearance stood out.

Black hair and black eyes, distinctive compared to others, making him easy to find.

I had only met him a few days ago, and an unusual relationship was established where I was to understand him.

As we talked, my heart was more at ease than I expected.

Even if I stayed quiet and didn’t say much, Han Chunsung didn’t feel awkward and calmly accepted it.

I could feel again how different that man was from others.

Well.

Looking at the man clinging to me now, I couldn’t help but feel that way.

“…Grecia. The entrance ceremony was quite boring, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”

I answer briefly and turn my gaze.

The first thing that catches my eye is the A class student uniform like mine, and his bright blonde hair and clearly handsome features stand out.

ー Leonhardt Loraiant.

He spoke to me frequently throughout the entrance ceremony.

I already knew this man’s name because of his Legendary Talent. And meeting him in person, he certainly felt extraordinary.

But. Strangely, the more we talked, the more I felt he fell short of my expectations.

He clearly has a Legendary Talent and an unusual aura, but…

‘Did I expect too much?’

While thinking that inwardly, my gaze wandered.

“Grecia, if you’re okay with it, shall we look around the Academy together? Since it’s our first day, I think it would be good to look around together.”

And now, his friendly attitude as he spoke to me felt especially strange.

His Talent and outstanding appearance. Everything was far from ordinary, but there was an indescribable feeling.

His voice is clearly full of confidence, and his gaze as he looks at me with deep blue eyes shows self-assurance.

“…”

As I silently meet his gaze, it felt too natural.

This man has confidence.

But.

That strangely made me think of the man named ‘Han Chunsung’.

The two men, Leonhardt and Han Chunsung. Both had confidence.

But the types of confidence were vastly different.

Leonhardt now had certainty about himself, and even pride could be felt.

Perhaps it was natural.

He has a Legendary Talent and extremely good looks. Even now, the gazes of other female students looking at him can be clearly felt, everyone feeling favorable towards him.

And Leonhardt also seemed to take it for granted.

No, he had no choice but to be confident.

Because everyone was looking at him that way.

‘I see.’

I realized unconsciously.

Why I feel no excitement, no feeling at all, looking at Leonhardt, a man who appears extraordinary and special in every outward aspect.

The reason was too simple.

‘It’s too obvious.’

There were ‘reasons’ that made Leonhardt’s actions and appearance inevitable.

He has confidence, and this man has clear grounds for that confidence in all aspects. To the extent that I could understand why he can show such a confident attitude even towards me now.

Yes.

To me, the man Leonhardt was too easy to understand.

That’s why I wasn’t interested.

“…Grecia?”

As I kept meeting his gaze without speaking, he asked awkwardly.

At that sight, I felt what little interest I had suddenly drop.

This man was just acting naturally in what was natural for him.

It was different from the various questions I felt looking at Han Chunsung.

“Sorry.”

I give a short answer.

“Ahaha. No, don’t be sorry. I was just a bit sudden. I think you can answer like that, Grecia.”

Looking at Leonhardt as he gently received my words, I started walking.

Following the crowd leaving for the exit, one by one.

Rustle.

As I lightly passed by Leonhardt, who seemed a bit surprised, I felt no reason to speak to this man.

Even seeing him up close like this, if I didn’t feel interested, that was the end of it.

‘Compared to my sister, this man is ordinary…’

Although Leonhardt’s Talent is Legendary, the same as my sister’s. It was just ‘the same’. Even with the same grade of Talent, people can be divided countless ways within that.

To reach the same level as my sister. I didn’t feel this man was particularly necessary.

“…”

So I found myself looking at Han Chunsung walking far away.

He already seemed to be chatting and laughing with someone he had become friends with, and my direction naturally changed from the exit towards where Han Chunsung was.

Despite having an insignificant Common grade Talent. A man so different.
And a man who casually said words I couldn’t understand.

A few days ago, I felt something special from that man, to the extent of feeling my sister’s shadow. I had a reason why I needed to understand that man now.

Rustle.
Rustle…

As I tried to catch up to Han Chunsung, my walking speed naturally increased.

***

Rustle.

Matching steps with Grecia, who had given me the ridiculous answer of “just because”, we naturally ended up looking around the Academy.

We stood out to people because we were wearing different student uniforms, but we had to look around the Academy.

Classes start from tomorrow, so we couldn’t not know where the classrooms were.

Step.

As I first stepped into the C1 class classroom, I was surprised above all by the enormous size of the classroom.

‘It’s even bigger than a university lecture hall?’

The Royal High Academy classroom I saw now was much larger than the university lecture halls I used to attend in reality.

Inside the classroom, there seemed to be various tools with unknown uses and equipment needed for classes. It was just amazing.

“The classroom is really spacious even though it’s C class.”
“It is.”

Glancing at Grecia as she answered following my words, I slowly looked around the classroom.

I saw some people wearing the same student uniform as me inside the classroom, but I felt like I was only now realizing it.

The place where I’ll be spending a lot of time from now on. Looking at this classroom, my heart swelled for no reason.

‘Now… I’m finally starting.’

Without knowing why, nearly 3 months after falling into this world.

It really felt like I was only starting now.

My true life in this world of Royal High Academy…

“…”

Thinking that with somewhat excited feelings. I felt people’s attention gradually focusing on us.

As the frequency of glances increased, I couldn’t help but be conscious of it.

And the main target of those gazes was not me.

The gazes pouring towards Grecia beside me.

‘Those curious gazes… will completely change once grades come out.’

For now, we’ve just been assigned to classes. They’re looking curiously, but I know those gazes will soon change to envy, jealousy, and awe.

ー The difference between classes.

As time passes and they feel the unbridgeable gap in Talents while receiving discriminatory benefits. It very naturally develops into conflicts between classes.

Royal High Academy was colder than one might think.

They don’t classify within classes based on grades from the start.

They evaluate comprehensively across classes classified from S to D and show it starkly as is.

In other words, ‘overall rankings’ come out as quarterly grades.

Among the thousand students in this class, you’re evaluated on where your position is every time.

“…”

Thinking about that, my excited feelings seemed to subside a bit.

Grecia calmly looking around inside despite receiving such gazes. I know how much she’ll be at the very top.

In fact, it wasn’t something I could consider someone else’s business either.

How my first grades will turn out… I should be worried too.

“Grecia. I think we’ve looked around the C class classroom enough. Shall we go to A class?”

As I spoke, bothered by the various gazes, Grecia nodded.

Rustle.

As I turned first and headed out of the classroom, matching steps with her, I steeled my heart.

ー A class.

Specifically, A1 class.

Just as C1 class students looked around the C1 classroom. A class students would be no different.

Then… I would naturally encounter them.

The students with all sorts of monstrous Talents, including Leonhardt, the protagonist of this world.

‘Don’t get intimidated.’

Even as I walked, I firmly made up my mind.

The moment I lose confidence in myself, everything is over.