Volume 4—Chapter 89: The First Surges (2)
It was strange how quickly my feelings shifted. Just this morning, I was grumbling about swimming class, thinking that was the worst thing I’d face today. Annoyance, embarrassment, a bit of dread… simple feelings. But now, those simple feelings had changed into something I couldn’t even name properly. Joy, fear, sadness, all stacked together until I couldn’t separate one from the other.
It almost felt like being tossed into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim. You try to paddle, but every stroke only makes the water heavier. That was me, drowning in emotions I can’t fully process.
“You two, get out of here. I’ll handle it from now,” Elizabeth-sensei said. The bitterness in her tone was impossible to miss.
I hesitated, glancing at Onee-chan lying weakly on the bed. “But… can I stay? Just until Onee-chan wakes up?” My voice cracked a little as I asked.
“I SAID GET OUT!” Elizabeth’s voice thundered through the infirmary, startling me so much I nearly flinched. Her composure cracked, anger spilling out in a way I rarely saw. “I don’t know what your father is thinking, giving such a task to a teenager…” she muttered, shaking her head as though the very thought disgusted her.
The words stung. I wanted to argue, to say something back, but the lump in my throat refused to let the words out. Instead, I bit down the urge, forcing myself to swallow it all.
I turned to Viola, who had gone quiet after Elizabeth’s outburst. With a small gesture, I signalled her to leave. Together, without another word, we stepped out of the infirmary, the door clicking shut behind us.
What exactly happened? I kept telling myself that Onee-chan only had a common cold, that it wasn’t anything serious. But Elizabeth-sensei’s reaction… it made me fear the worst. It didn’t feel like she was looking at someone sick, but at someone dangerous.
Also, this comes to my mind. When was the last time I truly spent time with Onee-chan? Not watching from afar, but actually together? Ever since we started middle school, I had been caught up with missions, training, tagging along with Viola… and somehow the distance between us grew without me realising.
“Viola…” I finally spoke, breaking the silence of the hallway.
But she didn’t answer. She just walked beside me, eyes straight ahead.
“I’m sorry…” The words slipped out before I could stop them. It wasn’t an excuse, just how I felt.
Viola glanced at me briefly. “It’s not your fault, so don’t be sorry.”
“It is my fault,” I insisted. “If I hadn’t pushed you to teleport us into the infirmary, Elly-sensei wouldn’t have…”
“She wasn’t angry about that,” Viola cut me off. Her voice was softer than before. “She was angry about yesterday. About what I did.”
“Yesterday… you mean Caroline? Sensei said she was following Onee-chan, and you let her escape.”
I turned to her, searching her face. “What exactly happened yesterday?”
Viola’s steps slowed. For a moment, she didn’t answer. Then, quietly, she said, “I was too cocky. I thought I could handle interrogating her alone.”
My heart skipped. “What? Why would you interrogate her alone?!”
But Viola didn’t respond. She just lowered her head, silent under my shouting.
“…Why?” My voice softened.
Her shoulders trembled. And then, I saw it. A tear slid down her cheek. She turned to me quickly, her face red, eyes glistening, and blurted out…
“Because… I was jealous, okay?!”
Before I could even react, she vanished.
“Jealous?” The word lingered in my mouth as I stood there, alone in the empty hall.
As I stood there, replaying Viola’s words in my head… Jealous of what?
“Seems like quite a drama is unfolding in your life.”
A voice suddenly came from behind me.
I spun around, startled, and there she was. Yukari-senpai, leaning casually against the wall as if she had been there all along.
“Y-Yukari-senpai…?” I blinked. “What are you doing here?”
Her lips curved into a knowing smile. “You look surprised. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten our last conversation.”
“You mean… about Kotori?” I asked cautiously.
“Bingo.” Yukari-senpai gave a playful snap of her fingers and then pushed herself off the wall, closing the distance between us with calm, deliberate steps.
I glanced away, uneasy. “Can we talk later? I still have class.”
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as if she could see right through me. “Do you really feel like going to class when your sister is lying sick in the infirmary?”
I mean, she’s got a point. I did want to stay with Onee-chan, but Elizabeth-sensei practically kicked me out. And honestly, I wasn’t in the mood for class in the first place.
I let out a long sigh and met Yukari-senpai’s gaze. “…Alright.”
She smirked faintly, clearly pleased. “That was easier than I expected.”
Turning gracefully, she gestured for me to follow. “Come with me, then.”
“Let me guess… the rooftop?” I asked.
“Same place, sure,” Yukari-senpai replied with a little shrug, as if there was no better option.
As we started walking, I decided to bring it up. “While we walk there… You already know I don’t have any recollection of this person named Minami Kotori, right?”
“That’s right,” she said without hesitation, “but you do have that faint feeling, don’t you? Like you know her from somewhere.”
“Yeah… It’s weird,” I admitted, scratching the back of my neck.
We didn’t say much after that. The hallway stretched on, our footsteps echoing lightly against the floor. Yukari-senpai seemed fine with the silence, just keeping a steady pace beside me. I kept sneaking glances at her, half wondering if she was going to tease me again, but she didn’t.
As the door to the rooftop opened, I froze. There was a familiar figure standing there.
Red-haired girl… It’s Ariana.
My body moved before I even thought. I conjured an ice blade, the cold forming sharp and fast in my hand. Frost spread out across the rooftop floor as I froze the area around us, preparing for any counter. Then I lunged forward, blade aimed straight for her.
But just before the edge could touch her, something curled around my arm. It was wet, sticky. My eyes dropped to it. A rope? No… it wasn’t rope. It shimmered dark red under the sunlight.
“Blood?” I muttered.
The source was clear. It came from Yukari-senpai.
“We agreed to talk…” she said flatly.
Before I could react, more of that blood-formed rope snaked around me, binding my arms and legs. The weight forced me down until my knees hit the cold rooftop floor.
Yukari-senpai leaned forward, close enough that I could see the sharpness in her eyes. Then she smiled, a smile that felt almost mocking.
“…Right?”
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