It was early morning, and the students were bustling about.
Some were visibly tired, while others chatted excitedly with friends they hadn't seen in a while.
It was the morning of the school's opening ceremony.
Summer had passed, and autumn's arrival painted the surrounding trees with rich hues of fall foliage.
The blue sky seemed higher than ever.
Among the busy students, one man stood out with a dark aura.
It was Evan.
His mood was notably gloomier than anyone else's, not a typical demeanor for a student.
Dark circles under his eyes and tightly shut lips added to his forbidding presence, making him seem unapproachable.
"There he is..."
"Ah... the former top student..."
The students whispered and cautiously avoided Evan.
He was used to such murmurs.
Since his admission, he had faced criticism for being a commoner who achieved the top rank.
Despite various slanders against his character, Evan remained stoic.
But now, his anger was hard to contain.
Evan had always been the top student, a position that had been a pillar of strength for him.
But now, that pillar had crumbled.
He was no longer the top student, but the second.
Though still a high rank, it felt like a weak support for Evan.
With a clenched fist, Evan walked forward, the whispers of those around him piercing his heart like daggers.
What might have been insignificant words to others were painful to Evan, who was already hurting.
'What did I do wrong....... I was just trying to live a normal life.......'
As he walked, Evan noticed a silver-haired woman moving cautiously, hiding against a wall and scanning her surroundings.
"Yeniel?"
He was surprised, almost in disbelief.
"Ah! Evan!"
"Yeniel... where have you been all this time?"
Yeniel had been the only other support for Evan besides his rank.
She had disappeared without a word for months, and he had waited for her, hoping for some contact.
Despite searching for rumors or any news of her, Evan found nothing.
It was as if she had never existed.
But now, here she was, in front of Evan, as if nothing had happened.
Yeniel approached Evan, who was standing there dazed, with a smile.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Evan, it's been a while."
"Yeniel, what happened? Where have you been all this time?"
"Ah... I had some... matters to attend to."
Yeniel said with an awkward smile.
"Matters? You mean with the Rebels...?"
Before Evan could finish saying 'Rebels,' Yeniel quickly moved to cover his mouth.
"Shh. You know you shouldn't talk about that so carelessly."
"Oh... Sorry."
"It was just some minor stuff. Nothing serious."
Yeniel smiled as if it was nothing.
Evan felt a bit uneasy.
"So, are you back for good now?"
"Looks like it. Unless something comes up, I plan to stay."
"That's good to hear..."
Evan let out a sigh of relief, glad that Yeniel wouldn't disappear again.
Yeniel, seeing Evan's reaction, looked slightly puzzled before clapping her hands.
"Oh, right. There's something I want to ask."
"What do you want to ask?"
"Who is the top student now? I heard you lost your position."
"Oh."
Hearing Yeniel's words, Evan's heart sank.
The comfort he felt upon seeing Yeniel was replaced with turmoil.
"Why do you ask?"
Yeniel stared intently at Evan, her eyes filled with suspicion.
But that look disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"Just curious, you know? I've been away from the academy for a while, so I'm wondering what's changed."
Yeniel said with an effortless smile.
'That look in her eyes just now...?'
Evan was slightly puzzled by Yeniel's expression but dismissed it, thinking he might have seen it wrong.
"So, who is the top student now?"
With Yeniel's gentle tone, Evan cautiously spoke.
"Rudy... Astria."
"Rudy Astria?"
Yeniel furrowed her brows and fell into thought.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Seeing Yeniel like this, Evan felt a surge of anxiety.
If Yeniel disappeared too, he would have nothing left.
He couldn't let this continue.
He had to... regain his top position.
That's the only way...
Evan bit his lip.
"Yeniel?"
"Hmm?"
Yeniel, lost in thought, looked up at Evan's call.
"I've been investigating something recently."
"Investigating something?"
Yeniel tilted her head, puzzled by Evan's abrupt statement.
"If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll share it with you."
Evan said with a kind smile.
Yeniel stared at Evan for a moment before mirroring his expression.
"Of course. What are you investigating?"
Evan looked around cautiously and then leaned in closer to Yeniel, whispering.
"Can you tell me about the Rebels?"
I found myself in an incredibly awkward situation.
"Let's get straight to the point."
Yuni's eyes were sharp as she glared at me.
Lately, she had become more sociable and her expressions softer, but right now, she was sharper than when I first met her.
Swallowing hard, I opened my mouth to speak.
"Alright."
Thump─
Yuni slammed her hand on the desk in front of me.
"What's your relationship with my sister?"
"...Yuni."
I looked at her with a troubled expression.
"Let's discuss this in the student council room or a lab, not here..."
We were in a second-year liberal arts classroom.
Everyone around us was staring intently.
It was no surprise that a first-year student raising her voice in a second-year classroom would draw attention, especially since I was the student council president and had just become the top student, talking about the Empire's first princess with the second princess...
I dreaded the kind of rumors that might spread.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"So, what is your relationship?"
"Haah..."
Yuni's discovery of my relationship with Rie dated back to a party before the school year.
I considered myself lucky it took this long for her to find out.
Rie's blatant actions had been numerous.
"Did everyone have a good break?"
The liberal arts professor entered the classroom.
He was puzzled to see the students looking elsewhere instead of at him.
"Students...?"
At the professor's words, Yuni turned her head.
"Oh, isn't that Yuni, a first-year student?"
"Yes, that's right."
Yuni responded with a nonchalant expression.
"We're about to start class. Shouldn't you be in your classroom?"
The professor tried to kindly suggest her departure.
Yuni, however, ignored his hint, looked around, and sat down near me.
"I'll audit the class."
The professor was baffled by Yuni's declaration.
"Isn't there a class for first-years now?"
"No, there isn't."
Of course, there was.
A first-period class on the first day of school for first-years.
Yuni brazenly gestured for the professor to proceed with the class.
"Ahem... Alright, let's begin the lesson."
The professor started the class.
Yuni didn't listen to a word he said, just kept glaring at me.
I was so distracted by her stare that I couldn't focus on the lesson.
Luckily, it was the first class, so not much progress was made.
After the class ended, I quickly packed my things.
And before Yuni could approach me...
"Whew...!"
Thud!
I started running.
How could I possibly explain things to her?
Running away seemed like the only option.
"Hey, hey!"
As I dashed out of the classroom, Yuni looked on in surprise.
"Senior!!!!!"
Yuni reacted faster than I expected and started chasing after me.
After a long chase, I finally managed to shake her off.
I thought she would give up after a bit of running, but she was surprisingly persistent.
"Haah... Haah..."
I hid in a corner of the academy and slowly caught my breath.
It seemed my stamina had dropped significantly since I hadn't been training lately.
"She shouldn't be following me anymore..."
"Who says I'm not following?"
"What the—!"
Startled by the voice beside me, I jumped.
There was Yeniel, squatting next to me.
"Yeniel?"
It was a welcome sight.
Rather than being surprised, I was relieved to see her.
I had heard she was severely injured by the Rebels and thought she might not be able to attend classes anymore.
Seeing her here, it probably wasn't as bad as I feared.
However, her expression was not very pleasant.
"Hmm..."
She looked at me with a furrowed brow and a suspicious gaze.
I opened my mouth, puzzled.
"It's you, Yeniel, right?"
"Yeah, can't you see?"
Yeniel responded with a prickly tone.
I was happy to see her, but I wondered why she was acting this way.
"Who's that girl you're hiding from? What's going on?"
"Ah... It's a complicated situation..."
I smiled awkwardly.
"Never mind that. I just have something to tell you."
"Something to tell me?"
As I looked at her quizzically, Yeniel spoke up.
"Evan is trying to make contact with The Rebels."
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