CH 47

I’m only telling the truth, but why do I feel like I’m being scolded? As Leto finished his words and spun his arm passionately, several students who had been tested sat down. It was only the basic fitness test, but the student’s faces were soaked with sweat.

At that time, the students who were breathing roughly, either laid down in exhaustion or fanned themselves with their hands. Yeah, come to think of it, these students were all in the same condition. Not only were they kids who studied to enter the Lexley Academy, but they also grew up in high noble families.

On the other hand, although I can’t run, I have played various activities such as climbing trees and dodging waves since I was young.

“Pierre 35 and Arsene 37!”

After a while, our names were called. Leto and I headed to where the captain was. There were notebooks and pencils floating in the air to view and record our physical strength. At first glance, very few students scored more than 10 sit-ups. I laid down with a sudden burst of confidence and I saw a senior holding my feet firmly.

She clamped my legs together firmly, warning me not to do any weird tricks. As I was about to do my sit-ups, I heard a voice of admiration next to me. When I turned my head, I noticed Leto, who had already started doing sit-ups, raising his back at an incredible speed.

It must have been difficult to raise it at first, but he repeatedly raised his back and laid back to the ground with a nonchalant expression, not showing any signs of exhaustion.

“Aren’t you going to start?”

While I was looking around, the senior in front asked me. After coming back to my sense, I slowly began to raise my back. Before I started, I thought it would be easy to do more than 10, but that was a huge mistake. It was hard to even do the first set. My stiff back didn’t even want to move, and the pressure on my legs was getting tougher.

My head hurt and I felt suffocated. I was struggling to do five, but I heard someone say 40 from the side. Leto had already done forty sit-ups. Even so, he moved constantly, as though his stamina hadn’t run out yet. I couldn’t lose to him, so I squeezed out any strength I had to force my back up.

Leto seemed to have encouraged me because unlike before, the speed increased. Before I knew it, the eyes of the students were on me, not Leto. The senior who was holding me was also surprised and began to put more pressure on the hand that was holding my leg.

I managed more than ten. I was really lucky to reach 30 and started out with a good score. Of course, I couldn’t catch up with Leto, who easily passed 70. After completing all the sit-ups, a phenomenon occurred.

Several students who lacked basic stamina declared to give up. The competition rate has decreased. It was unfortunate for the Lexley Academy, but it was a good thing for me. The basic fitness test was then conducted in various ways from running to push-ups. Not only Leto, but even I managed to achieve good scores. And fortunately, I far surpassed the passing cut.

“I will announce the rejected candidates immediately!”

When the fitness test was over, the captain gathered the students and called their numbers. When the rejected numbers were called one by one, the students of those numbers could not hide their disappointment. They got up and left without saying a word.

The number of people, which used to reach a hundred at first, was now reduced by half. But this wasn’t the end. I thought we could head back to the dormitory now, but there was a simple training left. It was a training on how to catch cricket, running and catching the ball quickly. After sweating for the first time in a while, my body was exhausted. The caption then said that a test would be conducted to see if we had enough qualifications to play cricket tomorrow, and they will select those who pass the second round.

After that announcement, we were allowed to head back to the dorm.

“Here, water.”

The students who were too exhausted to head back to the dorm remained on the field. I was no exception. I was breathing roughly when Leto handed me a bottle of water. I hurriedly swallowed a large amount of water while thinking that studying was easier than stamina training.

“Aren’t you going back to the dorm?”

“W-Wait. Can we slow down and rest a bit? Okay?”

At my words, Leto sat down next to me, saying he had no choice. Before I knew it, the sky got dark. As the lights on the field went out one by one, the stars appeared. The sweaty students went back to the dorm to wash up. Unlike them, I was lying down on my back, gazing blankly at the stars while feeling the breeze.

I had no strength left in my body as it’s been a while since I used this much stamina. I had no clue how much muscle soreness I would get tomorrow.

“You did pretty well.”

Leto said curtly.

“I used to run all over the place when I was little. But you were a monster.”

Leto smiled at my words.

“So, what do you think?

“What?”

“I’m good at sports.”

…So, what did he want to hear?

“Yes, you were good.”

If he wanted a compliment, here you go. A compliment.

I praised him with all my heart, but Leto’s expression was dissatisfied, as though that wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Anything else?”

“You were really good.”

“So?”

“So what?”

The conversation was going nowhere. I was frustrated, but Leto seemed the same. After a moment of silence, Leto sighed as if it was futile and stood up.

“Let’s go now.”

Was he upset? I moved to head back to the dorm. Leto didn’t look at me, seeming as if he was really upset about something and walked with a sulky expression. But I really didn’t know what he wanted to hear. I shook my head, determined to come up with the words Leto wanted to hear before we reached our dorm somehow. Despite my efforts, nothing came to mind even as we reached our dorm.

I wondered if I was bound to fail at this rate, but Leto stopped walking.

“…What’s wrong?”

Leto frowned a little.

“I left my coat behind.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, Leto’s coat was nowhere to be seen.

“I think you left it at the field.”

“Sigh, damn it.”

Leto sighed in frustration and paused.

“Let’s go back to the field quickly.”

“You head back first. I’ll go alone.”

No, I’ll…”

“It’s fine.”

After saying that, Leto rushed towards the field. Still, how can you just walk away like that? I stopped and just stared at Leto’s back that quickly disappeared. I was embarrassed to just enter the dorm, so I waited for Leto to return.

A crisp wind blew in. Perhaps because of the previous stalker case, it became creepy for now reason and goosebumps ran down my spine. Come to think of it, this was the atmosphere when the stalker was staring at us last time. The difference from then was that I was alone now.

I thought of just going back to my dorm, but the road at the end was dark. Perhaps the magic of the light was broken, but the light in the air that covered the whole area kept flickering. I was scared of the brick ground that kept disappearing in the dark and appearing again. To go back to the dorm, I had to walk alone, but I couldn’t make my steps easily. Leto was about to return. He should be back soon since he ran pretty quickly. Contrary to my wishes, the surrounding was silent.

‘S-Should I sing a song?’

I thought of the academy’s anthem song because there was no proper song that came into mind. When I first attended the academy orientation, I was given a sheet of music paper to memorise. I threw it right away after singing a verse, but the academy occasionally played the school anthem in the cafeteria to imprint the school song on the students.

Back then, I heard the clear voices of the kids who hadn’t yet gone through puberty.

“Lexley, oh. Lexley. Our pride, oh. Lexley.”

The lyrics were simple. It was nothing else but the pride of Lexley Academy.

“Oh, Lexley. We are the prestigious Lexley. Lexley, always the top. Lexley, with brilliant students. Lexley, excels in every way. Lexley, superior to the spirit of the Lexley Mountains. Oh, Lexley. Our Lexley.”

“I didn’t know you were so proud of your school.”

“Ah! Lexley!”

As I kept singing, someone’s voice appeared. When I looked back in surprise, there were three men who appeared more surprised than I was. One of them was Senior Jimbo, and the other two were the people I met when I had lunch with Senior Jimbo at the cafeteria the other day. When familiar faces showed up, my racing heart slowly calmed down.

When I brushed my chest in relief, the three stunned guys finally laughed.

“Go ahead first.”

“Oh, right. Have a good time.”

“Yoo-hoo!”

When Senior Jimbo forced his friends to go back to the dorm, they laughed and teased him. Of course, senior and I were not bothered by it at all, but they kept watching us excitedly and made strange exclamations until they disappeared.

“It’s quiet now.”

When his friends disappeared, he muttered.

“Don’t get me wrong. I was just singing the school anthem because I was scared.”

“Why the school anthem?”

Senior Jimbo looked at me with an expression as though he couldn’t understand.

“I couldn’t think of any other songs…That’s the only song I memorised.”

“I see. So what were you doing?”

“I’m waiting for my friend. She went to the field because she left something.”

“I’m guessing that friend would be Leah Arsene.”

Senior then stroked my head randomly. I became dazed by senior’s gesture and then opened my mouth out of curiosity.

“I’ve been wondering this for a while. Why do you stroke my hair?”

“…Oh, sorry if I offended you.”

“No. It feels rather good, kind of like being praised by my parents.”

Senior Jimbo flinched at my honest words, before continuing to stroke my head with a faint smile. When senior’s big hand gently rubbed my head, I felt as if I became a cat. Perhaps my expression was too relaxed, senior tapped on my forehead. 

“Wake up.”

“Right, you’re also the vice-caption. I never knew that.”

I saw senior wearing a cricket training gear. The letter S was written on his chest as proof that he was the vice-captain. When I mentioned that, senior shrugged as if it was nothing.

“It’s no big deal.”

“It’s unexpected. I thought you’d find the cricket tournament rather bothersome.”

“I was forced to join during my first year……Even in my second year, I was forced to play.”

“I see.”

“What about you? Why are you joining?”

I thought he was simply asking me out of formality but looking at senior’s expression, it felt as though he was really curious. No matter how many times I was asked, this question was still difficult. I was always frustrated that I couldn’t answer honestly. 

Strangely, however, I had a strong desire to tell Senior Jimbo everything honestly. It was because I felt that senior would understand everything and relate to my inner concerns.