291 – A Stepping Stone Doesn’t Need a Great Opportunity.

Time scatters with the small stars.

What you want to hold onto, you cannot grasp.

Even if you want to turn it, you cannot.

Just as everyone has moments they wish to turn back, the girl lingering in the moment sighed while gazing at the brightly shining star.

“Huah…”

Sitting beneath the night sky, Yuria smiled faintly as she looked at the twinkling stars.

“…They’re beautiful.”

Thinking of the person she longed for.

“I want to have them so much.”

She whispered, filled with trivial desires.

For Yuria, the world was both difficult and joyful. One cannot experience only good things in life.

Her father, who had been with her during her childish days.

Friends who had stood by her during tough times.

And then.

– Are you alright?

There was always someone who protected her unchangingly, so she did not think of herself as unfortunate. Though there were hardships.

So many things had happened.

So many misunderstandings existed.

And she had committed many sins.

She had inflicted great wounds upon that person.

Under the starlight, Yuria looked up at the sky with dark eyes. The stars, embedded as if they were pouring down, evoked both admiration and a sense of regret.

“Really… beautiful.”

Sometimes she thought like that.

That she had not been any help to that person.

Even at the ball.

In the North.

And when facing the being known as the Apostle.

She had been of no help at all.

Hannah, younger than her, had boldly raised her sword against the Apostle. Mikhail had gritted his teeth and protected his friends, but,

—

The fact that I stood there, doing nothing, filled me with frustration.

After all, that person was shouldering all the burdens.

It was frustrating.

I felt like a fool, an idiot, for being of no help at all. The vague reality of not knowing how long I would remain a burden made my breath catch in my throat.

‘I want to be of help.’

Having received so much assistance and an overwhelming grace that I could hardly bear, I despised the powerless version of myself that could do nothing in return for Yuria.

Though no clear answer came to mind, compared to the love he had shown me, I felt I had given nothing in return.

Doubts piled up.

The answers that followed drifted further away.

My heart was not in that place, yet the words I easily uttered carried no weight of responsibility.

Yuria splashed water on her face with her dry hands, trying to soothe the sting. No matter how much he said he was okay, the burden wouldn’t just disappear.

– Clop, clop.

Had I been lost in complicated thoughts for too long? From afar, I heard the sound of a woman’s footsteps. Even at this late hour, they were strong and heavy.

– Ahem…!

The sound was coming from the hill.

Yuria peeked up to see the face of the approaching figure.

And then.

– Squeak!

She spotted a younger student, a year below her, carrying a black bundle on her back.

– Why are there so many hills in this dorm…!

– That Shuen… when she becomes the highest authority in the academy someday, she’ll have to fix this hill first…!

Shuen was sweating profusely as she made her way toward the dorm, a broad smile on her face.

– Hehe… but it’s okay! With this, I won’t have to worry about meals for three days! If the boss gets mad, there’s nothing I can do! If you’re a noble, you should embezzle! Bad habits are hard to shake off.

– I think Shuen is really smart and seems like a good wife! I wonder if commoners think the same!

– Oh ho ho… Hee… but it’s so heavy…

Seeing Shuen muttering to herself in a cheerful voice, Yuria smiled softly and waited for her to come closer.

“…”

She was cute.

It might seem strange to find a younger student cute, but after seeing Shuen working at the convenience store recently, it was hard not to think that way, so Yuria waited for Shuen to approach.

– Huh…? I was hiding this lunchbox to eat secretly…!

—

– Oh, is that so…?

– You must be the hidden master in Yuria-senpai’s treasure hunt!

– No, I can eat something else.

– I’m so touched! I will specially give you the leftovers!

– No…

– No way! This is a privilege for someone wearing this outfit! Just succumb to the power gracefully!

Yuria wanted to hear Shuen’s story.

Thinking that it might help ease her gloomy feelings even a little, Yuria smiled and waited for Shuen, and as Shuen, looking down at the ground, was about to pass by Yuria, she greeted her warmly.

“Oh! You’re… no way! Yuria-senpai?”

“It’s been a while. Shuen.”

“I’m so glad to see you!”

Shuen made a face as if she had met a savior and said to Yuria.

“Have you had dinner yet?”

“Huh?”

“I have some leftovers…!”

“No, I already ate…”

Shuen, who had placed her bundle on the ground, lightly ignored Yuria’s words and muttered, “This time, I’ll give you a lot!” as she focused intently on sharing.

Yuria watched Shuen with a pleased smile.

“No sushi, okay…?”

“…”

“And no tonkatsu either.”

“…”

“Spinach bento…! This will do!”

Yuria cautiously brought up a topic about Shuen’s treasure hunt, which seemed like it would never end.

“Hey, Shuen.”

“Just a moment! I’ll have a delicious bento ready soon…!”

“Is there someone you like?”

– A pause.

“You seem to be in a good mood these days, so I thought I’d ask.”

“Uh-huh…”

Shuen smiled, making an effort to hide the upward curve of her lips.

“Do I look happy these days?”

“Yeah… that’s right. You’ve always been smiling whenever I see you.”

“Uhuhuh… I see. Did you ask if I have someone I like?”

“Yeah. Do you?”

“Hehe.”

At the pleasant question, Shuen handed the katsu lunchbox from the top of her bundle to Yuria as she replied.

“I recently found someone.”

“Really?”

“Hehe… that’s true.”

“You seem so grown-up.”

“Hehe…!”

Lacking the talent to hide her emotions, Shuen nodded at Yuria’s compliment and gazed at the bench.

“Shall we eat together?”

“Should we?”

“Not because it’s too heavy… but because I was just looking for someone to eat with. There’s no one to eat with when I go back to the dorm.”

“Then that’s good for me.”

“But what are you doing here, Yuria-senpai? It’s so late.”

“Me…?”

Yuria answered softly, wearing an ambiguous smile in response to Shuen’s words.

“I just felt stuffy in the dorm, so I came out to get some fresh air.”

“Oh… is this the worry of a third-year student?”

“Ha ha ha! Not really, I just have a lot on my mind. I’m learning slower than the others.”

“Hmm… it is definitely tough.”

Shuen nodded while looking at Yuria, as if she understood the worries of a student struggling with her studies.

“I also get frustrated when my grades fall behind my peers… I mean, my classmates. Anyway! What were we talking about?”

Yuria silently expressed her gratitude for Shuen’s consideration and carefully continued the conversation.

“We were talking about someone you like.”

“That’s right. Someone I like…”

Every time the phrase “someone I like” brushed against her ears, Shuen’s lips curled up in a smile.

“Can I ask what kind of person he is…?”

It was a conversation among girls.

A conversation that girls of this age often have.

Shuen, who had never had the chance to say such things to anyone, wore an excited expression and shyly spoke.

“He’s really handsome. He’s the kind of person who can easily overlook the gap in status…”

“…”

“He’s incredibly kind and never says anything bad. And he’s really good at fighting.”

Shuen spoke in a shy voice, as if bragging about the man from her memories. After all, she had experienced something she could proudly share with someone.

“The guy I like, you know? He dressed up as a clown right in the middle of a busy street. He told me not to be sad… you know?”

“Wow…”

“And when I was crying, he just appeared and asked if I was okay… He made me laugh with boring jokes, telling me not to cry.”

“He’s really a great person.”

“Yeah… At first, I thought he was just a passing stone, but when I picked him up, he turned out to be a gem. He was incredibly, incredibly handsome…”

“Of course, it’s unrequited love, though.”

Excitedly bragging, Shuen lowered her head and timidly added her last words.

“But it’s okay. I believe that love, for me, is not something to wait for, but something to seize.”

“…”

“I think that while I’m hesitating, that guy might charm a new girl!”

“That’s impressive.”

“Of course! I’m the proud eldest daughter of the Tetra family…! I can easily overcome challenges like this!”

Yuria smiled softly as she watched Shuen. She didn’t know what kind of man he was, but it seemed that the man Shuen liked was someone remarkable. Just like the man she herself liked.

Kind.

So sweet it was almost foolish.

He reminded her of someone who was very considerate. Of course, he might not be as good as the man she liked… but she thought he was a good person nonetheless.

With a small smile, Yuria cautiously spoke to Shuen. If she had heard something, she should also share something in return.

“I have someone I like too.”

“Yuria-senpai?!”

“Shh! It’s a secret…”

“I love secrets! Even though I look like this, I can keep my mouth really shut.”

In a park where no one else was around, Shuen turned her head excitedly, and Yuria smiled shyly as she spoke carefully.

” The man I like is a good person, just like Shuen.”

“Oh wow…”

“He’s incredibly caring.”

“Yikes!”

“His voice is really nice too.”

“Eek!”

“He’s handsome.”

“Heehee!”

“And he’s super tall.”

“Is he a prince on a white horse?!”

“Haha! That could be true. To me, he was a prince on a white horse. He always showed up like a hero whenever I was struggling.”

“How romantic!”

Yuria nodded with a small smile at Shuen’s excited expression.

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely! Though he might not be as great as the person I like!”

“Hmm, really…? I don’t think the person I like would lose to the one you like, though?”

“I’m so curious now…”

Yuria continued to chat with Shuen for a long time, sharing thoughts she found hard to express to others. Under the starry night, they exchanged questions and answers, revealing words that had been stuck inside.

The last question seemed particularly striking. It wasn’t asked, but they both carried the same worries.

“I want to repay him.”

“Yeah?”

“He’s done so much for me. He stopped me from making wrong choices and saved me when I was in danger.”

“…Shuen.”

“So I want to earn money diligently…! I want to treat him to something delicious! Not just convenience store food, but at a really fancy restaurant!”

Yuria felt like all her distractions had vanished at Shuen’s words. She had thought it was all wrong from the very beginning.

It wasn’t about “how much can you sacrifice?” but rather that it could start with small things.

Yuria looked at Shuen’s face and smiled brightly.

“Thank you.”

The stars were shining so brightly.

And.

[‘Awakening’ begins.]

The moon was bright.