***

“Instructor Kali is already bringing a student to the instructor’s cafeteria… this?”

“Wow, this is really. What a good-looking pair, isn’t it?”

“You mentioned about students like that, and finally you’ve extended your clutches…”

While filling our trays with enough food to eat, I paused at the words from an unknown instructor.

…It was awkward to laugh it off as a joke, and I didn’t know how to respond.

A C-class student talking back to an instructor could be seen as arrogant behavior. So I just smiled awkwardly like a mute who had eaten honey.

In contrast, Kali.

“Does it look that way?”

“Well, he’s quite a handsome face, so I don’t think it’s too bad.”

She countered the instructor’s mischievous teasing with light banter of her own.

And it looked strangely natural.

…Come to think of it, Kali’s true personality wasn’t cold or stiff as she had said. Rather, she was quite popular with her playful personality towards people in equal or similar positions.

In fact, there were several instructors who liked her without her knowing, so she was a woman who unknowingly scattered her charm here and there.

Clank.

As I sat across from Kali at a table by the window, I swallowed hard under the gaze of other instructors.

‘Freshly baked garlic bread with a large steak… soup full of meat and a delicious chunk of cheese.’

Although I only took as much as I could eat to avoid overeating, it really looked more appetizing than any food I had seen in this world, and even the aroma from the food was sweet.

“Student Han Chunsung, the instructors can be a bit mischievous. You don’t need to be so tense.”

“Ah, it’s fine. I’m not tense.”

“Really? To me, Han Chunsung looks extremely tense, though?”

As she asked with a bright smile, knowing that I was trying to answer more comfortably, I unconsciously avoided her gaze.

‘Really…’

How can a person approach so casually like this?

Moreover, with her being a beauty that anyone would recognize speaking so affectionately, there was a strange atmosphere that would make anyone, not just me, feel fluttered.

“See? Han Chunsung is avoiding my gaze again. Aren’t you tense now?”

…As she picked up her fork and asked as if misunderstanding this.

I couldn’t say I was fluttered ‘because of you’. I smiled awkwardly and picked up my fork and knife.

“Then let’s say I’m tense.”

“Really? Well. That’s not bad either. It’s better than a student who immediately lacks respect for an instructor.”

As she responded as if taking my words positively, honestly, while I felt fluttered, my heart was quite at ease.

I had expected a heavy, awkward meal where I’d worry about how to respond, but the reality wasn’t like that.

It was just good.

…Really just.

Just the fact that I was having a meal like this with the woman I liked from the novel. My heart was greatly fluttering and rejoicing. And as I clearly felt that she was being considerate of me, I too enjoyed this time.

Swish.

As I carefully cut the steak, I unconsciously glanced at Kali’s eating manner.

The amount of food she was eating was similar to mine.

Not too much, not too little. Just right, you could say.

The types of food she took also looked similar. Meat dishes along with a simple soup. The difference between what she and I took was just the cheese and garlic bread.

“Ah, and Student Han Chunsung. I’d like you to listen to me while eating comfortably.”

At the voice I heard, I nodded calmly.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Actually, it’s about yesterday’s duel… Honestly, there’s so much I want to ask Han Chunsung. I couldn’t understand it at all from what I heard.”

At these somewhat expected words, I met her gaze while bringing the cut steak to my mouth.

Meeting Kali’s eyes filled with curiosity, goodwill, favor, and strange questions, I could somewhat anticipate the various questions I would have to answer later.

“I heard quite detailed accounts of the duel, but I heard that you consistently launched offensives against student Leonhardt. And that was… possible because of the spear, right?”

At these words, I paused while enjoying the juices of the steak in my mouth.

Gulp.

After swallowing the delicious steak, I inwardly marveled.

In this world that looks down on the Common grade Spearmanship Talent.

Kali had now pinpointed the core of yesterday’s duel in a single sentence without even seeing it.

‘…As expected of a named character.’

She doesn’t even disregard weapon compatibility.

In fact, most of the main characters in this world were like that. When something happens, rather than trying to escape by saying it’s impossible, they think rationally about how it could be possible and consider the principles.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“I see. I thought so, but… Well. Still, Han Chunsung is quite amazing. I’m impressed that you even accepted a duel with student Leonhardt.”

As she smiled lightly and praised me, I became embarrassed and avoided her gaze.

“That… I just thought I couldn’t avoid it.”

And I ended up unconsciously expressing the emotion I felt.

Although the start of the duel was semi-forced due to Grecia, looking back now, I probably would have made the same choice.

Even if Grecia’s words weren’t the cause, if a similar situation had arisen later, I wouldn’t have avoided the duel.

ㅡIt’s okay to be broken.

Yes. It’s okay even if I lose. I had to clash. For me to become stronger, for my Talent to evolve and advance further. I believed it was important to face, not avoid, crises and what could be called direct walls of strong opponents.

Thinking carefully, I really feel that way.

So after proceeding with the duel, all the resentment I had towards Grecia disappeared, and I even felt grateful to her for creating such an opportunity.

Because that duel was like the most important turning point for me.

“…You say you couldn’t avoid it. You felt that way against student Leonhardt with his Legendary Talent?”

“Yes. Because I can’t avoid it if I want my Talent to evolve and become stronger. Even if it wasn’t Leonhardt, no matter who it was, my choice would have been the same.”

As I answered Kali who asked as if curious, my heart was clear.

No doubt, no hesitation, no wavering.

I just accept and acknowledge it.

The path I can advance on in this reality.

Because I know it’s right in front of me. Even if it’s a thorny path, even if just taking a step is difficult. I… could step onto that thorny path.

That’s why I entered this academy.

“……”

But was my answer unexpected?

Kali didn’t ask any questions while I ate several pieces of steak afterwards. Yet she kept her gaze fixed on me.

Feeling embarrassed to keep meeting that gaze, I avoided her eyes and continued eating.

Naturally, silence lingered.

But that silence wasn’t bad.

Because I knew she didn’t view me negatively. And because I knew she held goodwill towards me.

Now I naturally, really very naturally realized that I didn’t need to show a lack of confidence or a flustered appearance.

Rather, I wanted to show Kali more of who I truly am.

‘If it’s her.’

I can become even stronger than I am now.

Not stopping at my current growth.

I can achieve unbelievable growth like yesterday’s duel with Leonhardt. Because Kali will later become known among instructors as one who promotes students’ growth.

I could meet her gaze with a belief that felt like certainty.

“…”

Then my gaze unconsciously went to her lips. The red sauce from eating the steak had left a faint trace at the corner of her mouth. Seeing that, my heart wavered without me realizing.

Thump!

The heart I thought had calmed… began to beat wildly again, not knowing its place.

Even as I continued eating, I tried to calm my heart.

But it wasn’t as easy as I wanted.

‘This is why beautiful people are dangerous.’

Just nothing. Even small actions and words, and moments of defenselessness…

It wasn’t for nothing that appearance was important.

What was important was that even unintentionally, even if that person didn’t intend it, everything appeared charming to the other person.

“How should I put it…”

Then as her mouth opened, I flinched for a moment but didn’t avoid her gaze.

“Han Chunsung is strange.”

“I’m strange?”

“That too feels quite strange. Honestly… I didn’t think at all that Han Chunsung would answer like that. The impression I got during the entrance exam was certainly good. Confidence and effort are aspects I think well of. But still… to think you’d have such deep thoughts. To be honest, I’m really surprised.”

Kali, who continued speaking calmly, had now put down even the fork she was holding.

To that, I… didn’t open my mouth because it felt like anything I said would seem boastful.

Instead, I just smiled faintly and met her gaze.

To that, Kali also smiled softly.

“And saying you couldn’t avoid it. Hmm… That phrase, it seems like a really good one. Honestly, if someone else said they couldn’t avoid something, it would sound very irresponsible and almost like deception, but if that person themselves feels that way, it’s a phrase with a very significant meaning.”

“…Is it an irresponsible and deceptive phrase?”

“Yes. I want students to show me that they’re working harder and developing more than anyone else, but I can’t easily say ‘work hard’ to students. Because my position is different from the students’. To some, it might seem like all my Talents and abilities were innate. Actually… I think I have some of those too.”

Kali, who conveyed her words calmly, met my gaze with gentle eyes.

“…”

Under her gaze that seemed to say I was admirable and impressive, I couldn’t help but maintain eye contact.

Unlike the playful tone she had been using all along….

A soft and plain voice. At this moment, I could feel her sincerity. And as it resonated in my heart, I couldn’t bring myself to avoid her gaze.

Because one can’t turn away from a person’s sincerity.

‘Can one express goodwill just through eye contact like this…’

As our eyes met, I felt a tickling sensation in one corner of my heart.

To be able to say such things so casually… it’s really like Kali, I’d say. No wonder she was a character that people complained about not being a heroine in the original work.

‘No, not a character.’

…Now she was a living, breathing being in front of me.

Because I’ve come to live alongside them.

And I could understand very well what she was saying now.

Kali is one of the people who values effort more than anyone else in this world, but when it comes to students, she doesn’t easily say it.

She knows from the start how much her words could sound like deception.

And the reason I liked that novel’s world was because of the existence of such beings, including the protagonist.

“You can only move forward by facing reality…”

Before I realized it, I had uttered those words.

Words that someone had said in the original work.
Words that had been spoken by an ill-fated character who was no longer alive, whose light had faded on the battlefield.
Those words that had given Kali a major turning point….

I had unconsciously uttered them.

For a moment, as I saw Kali’s eyes widen, I felt a pang of regret, but I couldn’t take back the words I had spoken.

“Student Han Chunsung… Have we perhaps met somewhere before?”

Kali’s voice, asking carefully, was trembling.