The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 321: Late Night Encounter [2]

Now that she had been discovered, there was no way to return to how things used to be.

Given her family's circumstances… she had to silence him.

Even thinking it made her chest tighten.

It hurt.

Doing something like this to him, of all people…

But—there was no choice.

"I'm sorry! Senior!"

…Huh?

"I didn't know there would be a senior showering at this hour!"

What… was he talking about?

Wait.

No way—did he… not know?

Did Rin really not recognize her?

When she thought about it, it wasn't impossible.

Anyone would be confused if a woman suddenly appeared in a dark hallway with barely any light.

It made far more sense for Rin to think she was some upperclassman he didn't know well…

than to assume his male friend had suddenly grown breasts.

And besides… the hallway really was dark.

He couldn't have seen her face clearly.

Judging by how quickly he turned around…

he really hadn't recognized her.

Relief washed over her—warm and strangely comforting.

And mixed inside it, barely noticeable but undeniably there… was a faint sting of disappointment.

A feeling she immediately brushed off as her imagination.

Would he recognize her if she spoke again?

…Probably not.

She'd always put on a tough front around him.

Always lowered her voice, tried to sound strong.

If she spoke normally, her real voice would be completely different.

"Ah, no, it's okay. It's my fault for showering at this hour."

Her voice came out soft—unrestrained—real.

It felt awkward hearing herself like this after so long.

Yet at the same time…

…it felt gentle.

It felt like breathing again.

Speaking without forcing anything—

without pretending—

was unexpectedly… nice.

Leona cleared her throat softly.

"I came to get something I left behind, and I made a mistake."

But the way Rin suddenly spun around, stiffening like he'd touched something hot, looked… strangely cute.

It wasn't the time to be thinking such things, and yet she felt a tiny spark of annoyance that he didn't recognize her immediately, even though they were friends. The thought slipped in—

Maybe I should tease him a little.

"Hey, why did you turn around like that?"

…Huh?

Why did she even ask that?

"Well, Senior's attire is a bit… stimulating…?"

Ah. So that was why.

"Huh? Really? I covered everything."

She had covered everything. She always wore compression bandages, so she wasn't wearing a bra, and while she was only in her underwear and a shirt, none of the important parts were actually visible, right?

And yet, she could understand why she was having thoughts she normally never would.

A strange warmth—happy, fluttery—kept rising inside her.

"I don't know who you are, Senior," Rin mumbled, still facing away, "but people don't usually say 'covered everything' when they see someone dressed like that…"

He looked so strangely cute—talking in that flustered, rambling way he always did when irritated or caught off guard, yet sounding like he was speaking to a total stranger.

Being seen as a woman by someone her age—almost for the first time in her life—

It wasn't bad.

No… if it had been anyone else, she would have been uncomfortable, even annoyed.

But being seen that way by Rin—Rin, who was always considerate, always attentive to others—

It wasn't bad at all.

In fact…

It was fun seeing him embarrassed like this.

Rin shifted on his feet, still stubbornly facing the wall, his shoulders tense like a cat trapped in a corner.

Leona watched him—watched the way his ears were turning red—

and for a moment, she forgot why she had come there in the first place.

Forgot the danger.

Forgot the decision she had been forcing herself toward.

All she saw was Rin.

Flustered, nervous, adorable Rin.

"…Senior?" Rin spoke again, voice low and uneasy. "Could you… maybe go first? I'll leave after."

He was that uncomfortable.

Leona almost burst into laughter—

not mocking, but bright, warm laughter she hadn't felt in ages.

She stopped herself just barely.

"No," she said instead, lifting her chin slightly. "I asked first. So you turn around."

"W–Why would I turn around?!"

"Because," she said, stepping closer, letting her voice drop into something playful, "I'm the one who's embarrassed."

That wasn't a lie.

Her face really was warm.

Her heart really was racing. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

But the reason wasn't because Rin had seen her in a state she had avoided for years—

It was because she liked how he reacted.

Liked how he was trying so hard to be respectful.

Liked how flustered he was getting because of her.

Rin shook his head violently.

"I—I don't know what's going on, but if I turn around now it'll definitely count as harassment!"

"…Harassment?" Leona blinked.

"Yes! I barely know you!" Rin protested, still not looking her way. "And you're dressed like—like that! If I accidentally see something I shouldn't, I'll get executed by the Disciplinary Committee!"

Leona pressed a hand to her mouth, holding back a laugh.

He really… had no clue.

"…I see," she murmured. "So you're that scared of getting in trouble?"

"I like my life, thank you."

Leona's chest squeezed—

half from affection, half from a completely different emotion that she didn't want to name.

He really didn't recognize her.

Not even a hint.

Not even when she spoke normally right behind him.

And despite herself—

despite the relief—

that same faint sting of disappointment returned again, sharper this time.

But at the same time she wanted to tease him more then before.

----

Rin's POV

Damn it, Leona!

You might think your voice is different now, but to other people, it sounds pretty much the same…! People usually don't recognize their own voice!

It was good that I came up with an excuse on the spot and successfully acted like I turned around in surprise because I thought she was a senior I didn't know since we weren't alone here, but after I pretended to not know her, Leona started doing something strange.

Stop acting like a heroine…!

No, there was no problem.

Whether there was actually a problem or not wasn't important.

Calming myself down was the priority.

Although it would be a disaster if someone else woke up while Leona was trying to play a silly prank on me after losing her reason, and though my mind wasn't working properly because I had just woken up, it would probably be fine, right?

Wait, there were only problems.

"Hey."

"…Yes?"

What is it now, Leona?

"How is it?"

"How is what?"

"I heard guys like this kind of situation. What do you think?"

What do I think about what, damn it?

Honestly, I knew what she was asking, but what was I supposed to answer here?

I couldn't say something like, "Uhyo… So you were hiding those breasts… This guy…" to a senior I didn't know…!

And what if I raised some strange flag here and it came back to bite me later…!

This was the first time anyone had ever looked at me like that.

Sure.

"…So, is it a turn-off because I look like a tomboy with breasts?"

Ah, damn it.

Stop with the double bind…!

It felt like karma finally caught up to me.

I should have kept a reasonable distance from Leona—no, from all the original victims of this world—but instead, I let myself get too close. I blurred the lines, softened the space that should have been there.