CH 40

How To Remember Someone (4)

I was at a loss for words at those unexpected words. When I first met Senior Jimbo, I had thought he strangely resembled Professor Hartz, but now that question was solved.

They were uncles and nephews. But what bothers me the most is that Senior Jimbo was nonchalant about this curse. Even though May 29th was only two days away, he simply studied without saying a word.

“Don’t tell Jimbo. He doesn’t like my brother that much.”

“Then why are you telling us this?”

At Leto’s question, Professor Hartz quietly stood up. His wet trousers clung to his skin. While the professor rose up, he continued to stare at the magic circle he had drawn.

“Because my brother wanted to…he wanted to see Jimbo again.”

Professor Hartz’s voice fell silent. I had never seen or heard Professor Hartz’s brother in person, but I could see how much Professor Hartz loved him. The professor’s eyes that were staring at the magic circle were filled with longing.

Leto and I glanced at each other. How should we deal with this situation? We shared each other’s opinions through our facial expressions without saying a word. Leto and I had different opinions. His fierce eyes were telling me so.

“I will report this. This is illegal.”

“…I agree with you, but wouldn’t it be fine if we report it after May 29th?”

Leto shook his head at my words. He abided by the laws and regulations. Leto had a different opinion than me, as he regarded this as an illegal act without getting his emotions involved. I, on the other hand, did not view Professor Hartz’s behaviour that badly. Even if it was unlawful, it was an act that did not harm other students or the school.

“What are you saying? Then why do you think laws exist? Does that mean it’s okay to break the laws as long as there’s no harm done?”

Leto said frustratedly. He was 100 times right, but I was unconsciously watching Professor Hartz. He stood there with a calm face, listening to us.

“Miss Arsene is right.”

“…….”

“But how about this? Clearly, there’s a weird guy chasing you guys. You keep losing him while trying to catch him. If you brush this off just once, I think I’ll be able to catch him for you.”

“So you want us to just watch you break the law?”

“It’s your decision. You have time until tomorrow anyway, so give it a thought.”

After briefly drying his clothes with magic, Professor Hartz gathered his belongings and slowly walked out of the basement. The professor’s suggestion made Leto angry for some reason, and his expression did not look good.

“Even without his help, we can catch him ourselves.”

Leto turned around after saying that.

“…Are you going to tell Senior Jimbo?”

“Probably.”

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“I’ve been looking for you.”

When I went up to the 5th floor, Senior Jimbo, who was standing in front of the stairs, grabbed me by the shoulder with a frown. Behind him were Vivian and Bona. When Leto and I disappeared, the three of them seemed to have stopped studying to look for us.

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s with the paint?”

The paint that was spilt on the floor was wiped clean. When I smiled awkwardly, senior suggested going back to the study room first. As I entered the room again, I was worried that Leto would really tell senior.

But contrary to my worries, Leto appeared unwilling to say anything. He remained still and opened his book again. I was inwardly relieved at the sight of Leto, who didn’t speak hastily. I was about to open my book, but Senior Jimbo turned the book closed behind me. When I raised my head in surprise, I noticed senior’s grim face. Oh, senior was angry.

“What on earth was that?”

“We were being followed.”

While I was contemplating what to say, Leto took the initiative.

“What?”

“There was a guy that has been following us since yesterday, so we tried to catch him. That’s why we prepared the paint.”

“So you caught him?”

Leto shook his head. Senior Jimbo finally removed his hand from my book and sat down.

“You should have told me earlier.”

“Sorry…”

When I apologised guiltily, senior stared at me. I stared at him back. His hair didn’t resemble the professor’s at all, but those eyes and personality were similar to Professor Hartz. Come to think of it, they had a lot of similarities. I was staring with that in mind, but senior began to frown slightly. Oh, did I stare at him too long?

“Did you get hurt?”

“Huh?”

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

I was wondering why he was looking at me, but turns out he was looking to see if I had any injuries. When I shook my head, senior breathed out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. I guess he was really worried.

“Did you inform the security?”

“It was useless.”

Leto turned the book over and said indifferently.

“I’ll help you. Maybe they can be of help too.”

Senior pointed to Vivian and Bona. Unlike Vivian, who smiled brightly at me, Bona had a face filled with dissatisfaction. I was grateful for their offer since it might be easier to catch the culprit with senior’s help. If the culprit was caught, Professor Hartz’s proposal would be futile.

Normally, I would have been against criminal and illegal acts just like Leto, but why was I so worried? Maybe it was my stubborn personality. Take my case for example when I first reincarnated here, I tried to block Leto’s path to murder.

I should probably throw away this personality somewhere.

“You don’t have to help us. Briseis and I are enough. Right?”

“Yes.”

Leto made a decision. I wasn’t sure if that decision was to be considerate of Professor Hartz or to protect his own pride.

＊  ＊  ＊

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“What are you going to do? Leah.”

Despite my question, Leto did not take his eyes off the book he was reading. We were now back at the dormitory after the study session was over. Even after the study session was over, Senior Jimbo was still worried about Leto and me and asked again if he could help.

Leto, who sharply rejected the offer, dragged me back to the dormitory and has been staring at the book without saying a word. I had no idea what was going on in Leto’s head. I placed my book down first and went to the bed to lie down.

A lot of things happened today, so I had a hard time falling asleep.

There was a lot of information that I learned today, so my mind was a mess. Unfortunately, tomorrow was a day where classes were packed without a break. My least favourite subjects  were both <Introduction to Formula of Magic> and Professor Hartz’s <Formula of Black Magic>.

I decided to put my thoughts aside and go to sleep first. Leto, who was sitting at his desk, got up and turned the lights off. He crawled to his bed and tucked himself in the blanket.

“You’re too soft.”

I was startled by his sharp remark. I can’t believe he was bringing up what he had been thinking in his mind earlier.

I smiled wryly and opened my eyes again. When I turned over, I could faintly see Leto’s face in the dark. I stared at him to see if he had anything to say to me.

“I don’t know if it’s because you’re kind, naive or just too emotional.”

“Can’t you regard me in a better way?”

“Okay, let’s hear it. What is your reason for protecting Professor Hartz, who violated the law?”

Even though he was talking like that, I realised that Leto was being very considerate of me. Maybe that’s why he didn’t tell Senior Jimbo the truth earlier.

“I don’t know. I know Professor Hartz’s behaviour is bad, but I feel guilty for some reason.”

“That’s even worse.”

Leto said curtly.

“I know. Just say I’m too empathetic and lenient.”

“No. I’ll just say that you’re a naive person.”

“But what’s the difference between the two? Isn’t that the same thing?”

When I asked, Leto turned his head forward and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“No, it’s different.”

“…….”

“The former means that the other person’s intentions aren’t bad, and the latter means they’re terrible.”

Leto’s murmur made me laugh.

＊  ＊  ＊

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May 29th was one day away. Leto and I thought we would feel the guy’s gaze today, but strangely, there were no signs of his presence. I wasn’t sure if he had come to his senses after being splashed by the paint yesterday or if he had quit his actions because he felt that it was wrong, but the outcome was odd.

For some reason, I couldn’t concentrate throughout the class.

“Miss Pierre! What are you doing?”

Furthermore, I was caught by the professor while I was scribbling on a book mindlessly. The professor stood in front of my desk and glared at me fiercely. I hurriedly turned the book over and began to take notes. When I smiled stiffly, the professor walked past me with a look that said she would let me go just this once. I almost got in trouble.

After slapping my cheeks, I began to focus on the class again. The next class was the same. As the day passed by smoothly, I couldn’t bear the anxiety anymore. Just like how there was a calm weather before the storm. It was that exact feeling.

“Focus.”

Unable to stand it, Leto eventually poked my cheek with his finger. I was drinking orange juice at a seat in the hallway. In two hours, it was Professor Hartz’s black magic class.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“It’s a rather good thing. That means he’s not following us around anymore.”

“What if he shows up again later?”

“Then, I’ll catch him—”

It was then. Leto and I instantly raised our heads when we felt the same presence as yesterday. The culprit did not disappear and was right behind us. It was a guy with long purple hair. He was wearing white clothes and was very tall.

The guy I saw for the first time appeared in front of us with a casual look and smiled shyly. I was wary of the guy. Leto was also ready to cast a spell at any moment.