It was when Yuni was very young.
Back then, Yuni, still a child, made a big mistake in front of many people.
She really needed to use the bathroom, but with so many people waiting, she had to forcefully hold it in.
And eventually... she made a mistake.
At that time, Yuni was so young that the people around her didn't make a big deal of it, but the incident left her traumatized.
Whenever she felt nervous, she needed to use the bathroom, and it was the same no matter how many times she went.
"Ugh..."
Yuni stood in line with a frown on her face.
She was waiting for a physical examination.
Even if she felt unwell, she had to get the examination done.
Sitting in the bathroom for a long time wouldn't change much, so she was trying to get the examination done.
But...
'I just went a moment ago...'
Yuni was squirming.
It hadn't even been an hour since she last went to the bathroom, but she felt the urge to go again.
'No... it's not really that I need to go...'
Yuni repeated this to herself several times.
But that didn't make her body listen.
She just held on to her skirt, trying to endure.
"Hmm...? Yuni?"
At that moment, Luna approached Yuni.
"Oh... Luna."
"Yuni! Long time no see!"
Luna greeted Yuni with a bright face.
Then she stared intently at Yuni.
Yuni looked pale and was squirming.
Seeing this, Luna gasped.
"Um... Yuni."
Luna carefully approached Yuni and spoke.
"You can step out for a moment... They'll still do the examination even if you're a bit late."
Anyone could see that Yuni was uncomfortable.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Luna spoke quietly, considering Yuni's feelings, but Yuni shook her head.
"It's, it's not that... I'm just feeling a bit unwell..."
"Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?"
Yuni firmly replied to Luna's question.
"No, it's okay."
She was biting her lower lip.
"It's something I need to overcome."
Normally, Yuni didn't know what nervousness was.
With her nature of taking things lightly, there wasn't much that could make her nervous.
But this time was different.
She had to score well.
The score from the individual assessment would be reflected in the joint assessment.
Yuni wanted to do her best.
She didn't want to lose even a single point.
A mistake here could mean not being able to be with her sister, Rie, for one or two years.
A brief mistake could result in not being able to spend time with the sister she had just become close to.
Such pressure weighed heavily on Yuni.
Luna looked at Yuni with a worried expression.
Then, after a moment of contemplation, she spoke.
"Ah, this should do."
Luna removed her outer garment.
"Huh?"
Then, she bent over and tied her clothing around Yuni's waist.
"Keeping your stomach warm is important! Ah, if only I had a blanket or something..."
Luna clicked her tongue, seemingly dissatisfied with only being able to tie her clothes around Yuni.
Her face conveyed a desire to do more.
Yuni bowed her head in gratitude to Luna.
"...Thank you, Senior."
The fact that someone cared for her this much was deeply appreciated.
It was a warmth she hadn't felt before.
As Yuni bowed, Luna smiled warmly and gently stroked Yuni's head.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"It's natural for a senior to take care of a junior who is unwell!"
Luna's smile was comforting.
Just seeing it made Yuni feel reassured and warmed.
Luna stroked Yuni's head a few more times, then looked around.
Seeing no one nearby, she whispered to Yuni.
"Take care of yourself on those days. Keep warm. And here, take this."
Luna handed Yuni a small envelope.
It contained candy.
"Ena gave me this candy... it has pain-relieving effects. Eat this, it's grape-flavored so it should taste good!"
"Ah..."
Luna was slightly misunderstanding the situation.
She thought it was 'that time of the month' for girls.
Yuni quickly realized this misunderstanding.
"Ah, Senior... it's not that..."
"Luna! Come quickly!"
"Ah, okay! Yuni, do your best!! Good luck with your assessment!"
Before Yuni could clarify the misunderstanding, Luna was called away and quickly disappeared.
Yuni watched Luna leave, then looked down at her palm.
There was the candy Luna had given her.
It was a piece of candy, crumpled in paper.
Candy was a luxury item, difficult for commoners and lower nobility to afford.
As a royal, Yuni could have it anytime, but Luna probably couldn't.
Especially a medicinal candy like this was even more precious.
Yuni clenched the candy tightly in her fist.
'Luna took such care of me... I have to be strong too.'
Yuni clenched her teeth in determination.
Time passed.
"Yuni Von Ristonia, please come to the field and wait."
Having completed her examination and waited, it was now Yuni's turn.
She had to step out onto the field for her assessment.
Yuni started walking.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})As she approached the field, the pressure intensified.
'I just went to the bathroom a moment ago...'
Yuni's legs trembled.
She gripped Luna's clothing tightly.
Her senior had given her so much support.
She had to be strong.
'Ugh...'
Yuni walked forward, her legs trembling.
As she continued, she finally reached the vicinity of the field.
The assessment coordinator approached.
"Yuni Von Ristonia... you have arrived."
"Ah, student Yuni has come..."
The coordinator turned towards Yuni upon hearing her voice and immediately looked concerned.
Yuni's face was beyond pale, turning almost blue, and she seemed unable to control her trembling body.
Her legs shook as if she were a newborn fawn.
"Yuni, are you unwell?"
The coordinator, startled by Yuni's appearance, approached her with concern.
"No... I'm alright."
"Your condition doesn't seem good... Maybe you should go to the infirmary..."
"No, really... I'm fine."
Despite Yuni's assurances, her condition did not seem to improve.
'It's nothing. Just do it. Like you always do... just follow the practice...'
Yuni bit her lower lip.
She just needed to endure it for a bit longer.
Just a little longer...
But gradually, the pressure in her lower abdomen intensified.
She began to feel not just the urge to use the bathroom, but actual pain.
Yet, she tried to move forward.
Yuni looked towards the field she was supposed to enter.
There were many people around the field.
All those people were looking towards the center of the field.
The place where Yuni needed to be.
"Ah..."
She could feel their gazes.
Some were filled with anticipation, but among them, there were cold, judgmental stares.
Yuni only noticed the cold eyes, which triggered her trauma even more.
Usually, Yuni didn't care about her surroundings to avoid such feelings.
Paying attention to others made her body tense and triggered her past traumas.
When she didn't think about anything, her mind was at ease.
This was Yuni's way of surviving.
Ignoring those around her and maintaining her own pace.
But now, that was impossible.
She could see the eyes of the people outside, and inside, the bet she made with Rudy was pressuring her.
The tension wrapped around her body.
Yuni grimaced and bent over.
Her head started spinning.
The world seemed to shake, and everything around her blurred.
It was more than just wanting to use the bathroom; she was being pushed to a mental corner.
"Yuni! Student Yuni!"
The coordinator tried to support Yuni.
As they reached out to grab her, Yuni brushed their hand away.
"You look really unwell..."
"I'm fine... really, I'm okay..."
Yuni held her abdomen as she spoke.
If she missed her turn, she would receive a deduction in her score.
Even if it was a health issue, she would have to take the assessment with a deduction.
But the pain in her abdomen was growing.
Yuni grimaced with pain and then a thought crossed her mind.
"Ahh... that's right. The candy Luna gave me..."
Yuni reached into her pocket.
The candy Luna had given her earlier was now in her hand.
'It has pain-relieving effects...'
With her abdomen aching, she hoped the candy would provide some relief.
She unwrapped the paper around the candy and popped it into her mouth.
The sweet taste spread through her mouth.
However, there was no significant change.
Her abdomen continued to ache, and her legs trembled.
"Next student, please!"
Then the announcer's voice was heard.
The turn of the student in front of Yuni had ended.
It was now Yuni's turn to enter.
"First year student and the second princess of the empire! Yuni Von Ristonia!"
Upon hearing the announcer, Yuni lifted her bowed upper body.
Despite her pain and poor condition, she had to proceed with the assessment.
She couldn't run away.
But her legs were frozen.
She wanted to walk forward but couldn't move.
The gazes from outside were terrifying.
Her trembling legs wouldn't obey her commands.
"Why can't I..."
Yuni made a sad face and looked down at her legs.
Then she muttered to herself.
"You can do this... Yuni Von Ristonia..."
Yuni hit her legs with her fist.
It wasn't a strong punch.
Rather, it was a feeble attempt, lacking strength.
Even after hitting her legs a few times, they wouldn't move.
Yuni spoke in a desperate voice.
"You can do this..."
Thump─
She felt a touch on her head.
"Yes, you can do it."
A voice was heard.
Yuni turned around.
There stood Rudy.
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