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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
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'Haa.'
I swallowed a sigh.
When my heart gets ahead of me, I often act impulsively and only regret it afterwards.
And as I walked with Karitte, I was regretting it.
If I'd thought twice before acting, I wouldn't have done that, but when your heart races, you just don't think.
"..."
"..."
As soon as I met Karitte, an awkward atmosphere settled between us.
Looking back, I wondered why I'd done it.
Because I'd gone directly to Karitte's class to meet her.
Even now, watching Karitte furtively glance at me, a wave of embarrassment welled up inside me.
'I should have just waited quietly in the park until our appointed time.'
My impulsiveness had unnecessarily drawn the attention of other students.
Only then did I belatedly understand why David had assumed I had a date with a girl earlier. It was just how I acted from the start.
Most of the people I associated with were women.
My appointments just happened to be arranged that way, to the point where I wondered when the last time I met someone who wasn't a woman was.
The moment I faced Karitte, I definitely felt the strange gazes of the surrounding students.
Looks that seemed to misunderstand the relationship between Karitte and me.
Surely, such gazes must have felt burdensome to Karitte as well.
As we settled onto a bench in the park, the silence felt incredibly uncomfortable to me.
Realizing my actions might have burdened Karitte, it was hard to even start a conversation.
"Han Cheon-seong."
But when Karitte called my name first, I immediately replied.
"Karitte."
When our eyes met, Karitte was smiling awkwardly, obvious to anyone.
"I heard you found a clue about a skill. Congratulations, really."
"...Thank you."
I hesitated as I replied.
'Just how fast are rumors about me spreading?'
I knew that my appearance at the training ground last week had been seen by many.
But the fact that even Karitte knew about it felt different.
"I heard a lot of talk in class too. Everyone, from the other students to our instructor, was talking about you. Especially the instructor, he praised you. He said there are a lot of truly remarkable students this year... and he even mentioned your name."
At her words, it was my turn to smile awkwardly.
While receiving praise was genuinely pleasant, it was also relative. There were times when, considering the other person's circumstances, praise couldn't simply be accepted with pure joy.
Thinking of Karitte, who was still stuck at Attribute Level 1, I couldn't just be happy.
"In many ways... I was just lucky."
"You don't have to be so humble. You can't just stumble upon a clue about a skill just by being lucky. Besides, I couldn't say it during our last meeting, but I heard you even lost consciousness while training. I think this is the result of all that effort."
As Karitte spoke so calmly, I hesitated with my lips, but eventually accepted it.
"I'm just trying my best, as much as I can."
"As much as you can..."
"Still, I have a long way to go. It's a long road ahead."
Even as I spoke, I didn't boast about my growth.
Thinking of Karitte, the growth of an attribute wasn't a topic to be discussed so lightly.
"But it truly is amazing. My attribute is still at Level 1, but you're already at Level 4 and have even found a clue about a skill. Honestly, comparing myself to you is ridiculous, but Han Cheon-seong, you really are incredible."
"Karitte... you don't have to say all that."
As I replied, I felt a subtle strangeness.
'Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?'
Karitte had suddenly shifted her focus entirely onto me.
In our previous meetings, she usually talked about herself, confiding personal matters to me, but now, I was the subject of her conversation.
That change felt incredibly alien.
"I just... I'm grateful to you, Han Cheon-seong."
"...Grateful?"
"You're always the center of attention, drawing notice from so many people. And from what I hear, it's mostly good rumors: about your growth, your effort, your resolve. But now you're spending time with me like this. How could I not be grateful?"
At her words, I blinked blankly.
"Karitte."
Then I called her name in a slightly firm tone.
What she said just now wasn't good. Looking up to someone you should be comfortable with, or revering them, was really not good for the relationship between Karitte and me.
Meeting her gaze, I looked directly into her eyes and continued.
"You and I aren't that different."
"...Not different?"
"I truly appreciate you praising me and putting me on a pedestal like that. But I don't want you to feel grateful just because I'm spending time with you."
"Why...? I was just being honest. I'm truly so grateful that you're here with me. I genuinely feel that way. I'm so lacking compared to you."
I saw the negative emotions lingering in Karitte's eyes as she spoke with that consistent attitude.
A gloomy, dejected look.
At that gaze, which seemed to suggest we were vastly different... an uncontrollable sigh escaped me.
"Han Cheon-seong. Did I... say something wrong? I truly meant it in a good way..."
"Even if you mean it well, don't say it like that."
I firmly cut her off, feeling the need to re-establish our relationship.
In our previous meetings, I thought Karitte and I had become quite close. Close enough to call each other friends. We'd grown closer through a few encounters.
But Karitte was now arbitrarily defining our relationship.
As if I was in a higher place than her, and she was in such a low position that she should be grateful to me just for being with me.
She saw herself that way.
"..."
I reached out my hand to Karitte, who was hesitating with her lips, as if momentarily speechless.
I gently took her shoulder.
And carefully turned her body so she could properly face me.
"Um... Han Cheon-seong? Why suddenly..."
Seeing her so surprised by my actions, I spoke calmly.
"First off, I'm a commoner, and I have a Common attribute."
I deliberately stated what could be considered my weaknesses outwardly.
"Now, compared to someone like me, Karitte. What about you?"
I asked Karitte, who was in a completely opposite situation to mine.
"...That is."
"You come from a noble family that can't even be compared to mine, and even though your level is currently low, you have a Unique attribute. Isn't that right?"
I continued, as if giving Karitte the answer she was hesitating to give.
"Uh-huh..."
Watching her nod blankly, I emphasized my words again.
"But when I first met you, I never looked down on you or found you difficult. Why do you think that is?"
I asked her repeatedly.
Why she thought I acted that way.
And I believed Karitte would be able to answer correctly.
"Because we're both... students at the same academy."
"Exactly. And I believe that when it comes to fellow students, everyone should be treated equally, unless they're S-class."
In my heart, I wanted to say that even S-class students should be treated equally, but I couldn't bring myself to say that much.
The S-class had their lecture halls separated from the other classes even within the academy. They were, in essence, a class that had to be viewed entirely separately.
"..."
Watching Karitte stare blankly at me, I continued speaking.
"Karitte. What I mean is, you and I are on equal footing. You don't need to be grateful for being with me, and you don't need to put me on a pedestal like this. And I told you last time too, didn't I? I'm meeting you because I want to, because I care about you."
Even though I spoke with emotion, I truly felt that way.
I appreciated her praising me and looking up to me, but I wasn't meeting her because I wanted Karitte to feel that way.
"What I'm saying might sound a bit much, but I think we need to properly establish our relationship. I really want you to be comfortable with me. I want you to treat me like a close friend."
"...A close friend."
"And don't you think we're friends by now?"
I gently loosened my grip on her shoulder and smiled faintly.
I don't know why saying 'friend' felt so awkward, but it seemed necessary to tell Karitte directly like this.
And my words seemed to have conveyed their meaning.
The blank stare in her eyes had clearly changed from before.
The negative emotions. The gloomy expression had largely faded.
And filling the void left by those emotions were other feelings, like surprise.
"Right. We're friends... aren't we?"
And when Karitte mumbled that one word blankly, a small laugh escaped me.
"Karitte. If you think about it, how many times have we met already?"
"It'll be the third time."
"Exactly. We've already met three times, and we plan to meet many more, right? So aren't we already friends?"
The word 'friend' wasn't such a profoundly meaningful word, yet lately, I seemed to be emphasizing it constantly.
And what I considered a friend was truly nothing special.
Because if you spent time together, chatted idly, or just were together for any reason, you were already friends.
In that sense, Karitte was no different from a friend to me.
"You're right, Han Cheon-seong. You're right."
Seeing Karitte smile faintly, I felt a burden lift from my chest.
"So, don't be grateful for being with a friend. I truly want you to be comfortable with me."
Repeating my words, I wanted to imprint a kind of mark on Karitte.
The mark that she could be comfortable with me.
"Hearing you say all that, I guess I really was thinking something foolish."
When Karitte said that with a somewhat hollow laugh, I also let out a small chuckle.
And watching her laugh, I realized it once again.
...How difficult Karitte's reality was.
Thinking of Karitte, who couldn't help but feel so grateful to me for approaching her, I made up my mind again.
'I must save her.'
Two days from now, the world's first incident would unfold.
I wanted to prevent Karitte from going to the incident's location altogether, but I didn't have that right.
So, I'll do what I can.
I'll prepare for the upcoming incident by acquiring the strongest power I can.
Just as I solidified that resolve.
"...Han Cheon-seong."
Karitte looked at me with a slightly strange expression.
"Why?"
"That person. Aren't they looking at you?"
Then Karitte pointed to one side, and my gaze unconsciously followed.