Chapter 3: I Became the Last Place in the Academy

Being alone was comfortable. I didn't have to worry about anyone, nor did I need to match anyone's mood.

I only had to think about myself, my own feelings.

However, when I saw other people gathering together, talking happily, I somehow wanted to join them.

I could feel peace by only caring about myself, but it was difficult to feel joy. So, when I saw other people laughing happily, I wanted to feel that way too.

When was the last time I had friends?

The moment I graduated from school and jumped into society, I lost my friends.

As the time to contact each other decreased, and the time to meet decreased, it was inevitable that friends would disappear.

If this were a workplace, I could just do my job and go home, no matter what they were talking about.

But this place wasn't a workplace; it was an academy.

Everyone was a student, called a cadet, and it was natural for them to chat about trivial things rather than discuss work.

Perhaps that's why I felt envious when I saw it, and I wanted to join them.

Even though there was no place for me.

No one spoke to me, who was always last in both studies and training.

If I was an outcast in the classroom, there was no way I'd have a place in the cafeteria.

Although all the students ate there, they didn't make it too big since they could just eat in order.

So, me sitting alone was no different from an uninvited guest taking up a group's space.

In the end, I had to find my own place.

It's okay to be lonely, but to end up in this state after finally finding a place like this.

Even I thought it was utterly miserable.

Even in this secluded restroom, people eventually come.

Since it's the women's restroom, it seemed like they came more often to fix their makeup than to use the toilet.

Still, since they weren't coming to use the toilet, they wouldn't know that I was eating in the last stall with the door locked.

That was a real relief.

"...Sniff."

I felt more depressed today for some reason.

I thought I had made a friend, and I thought I would be eating in the cafeteria today, but that wasn't the case, so I guess my heart felt a little gloomy.

Carefully chewing so as not to make any noise, I could hear the voices of the girls who occasionally came in.

I was startled enough to make my heart pound every now and then, but of course, no one would think that someone would be eating here, so no one was looking for me.

Gulp. The moment I swallowed, my expression went blank.

I thought that knowing the future like this would allow me to deal with things flexibly, but I felt my mind go blank at the fact that it wasn't.

If my position was even a little higher.

If I had an intermediate grade that everyone would listen to, would they listen to me?

But I'm not good at studying.

I could read and converse, but the studies here were too difficult.

I had to remember completely different content from the history I knew, and I had to guess what they called common sense based only on what I had learned from reading novels.

Even my abilities were terrible, so it was impossible to score well in practical skills.

Really, I was an outcast.

I felt like I couldn't stop anything alone, and I was alone.

Was there anything I could do alone...?

I thought that knowing the future and acting in advance would be like cheating, but I couldn't feel that at all, and instead, I only felt a deep sense of helplessness.

What good would making a friend to eat with do?

It would only make my situation and mood a little better.

Thinking that, I put the empty milk carton in the trash can again today.

***

Today's afternoon class mainly consisted of using one's abilities, magic.

Each person had abilities that they could uniquely use, and magic that they could use even if it wasn't something they were born with.

Either be born with abilities, or cover it with magic.

It was a time to find out if that was possible, and if it could be used in actual combat.

"Today's class is about calculating the limits of your abilities. There are prepared scarecrows in front, and we will test how much damage you can do to them."

A plain, dry space unfolded.

Beyond the concrete, there were five stone dolls called scarecrows placed each.

With a class size of twenty-five, their determination to finish in five rounds was evident.

"There will be ways to increase the intensity, and ways to attack weaknesses. It doesn't necessarily have to be just high firepower. So, we will score each one."

The teacher tapped a pen and faced the students.

"Shall we begin?"

At that voice, five people rushed forward.

They each took their places on the line where the scarecrows were standing and looked beyond.

Perhaps to simulate a situation where they could never get close, the distance seemed a bit far, but the cadets here didn't really care about that and drew out the best power they could.

Some breathed fire, others shot water like bullets.

One guy who knew how to manipulate the wind sighed deeply, knowing he was terrible at this, and unfolded his magic.

There was even a guy who just ran up and punched them.

"Oh my, is there no one with ranged attacks?"

"Ah, I'm sorry... I'm just good at hitting things."

"Alright."

The cadet made an embarrassed expression and passed by.

The scarecrows were cracked, or at worst, half-destroyed.

The teacher seemed pleased with this fact and hummed as he brought the scarecrows back.

"Good. Keep going. Everyone's doing well."

Saying that, he called out the names in order, and my turn was really at the end.

I ended up standing with Yun Hamin and Orca.

How did this happen?

I was originally last place, and since I didn't have any friends, I never had a reason to step forward cheerfully like anyone else.

So, being in the back was always my daily life, but for some reason, Yun Hamin and Orca were also standing in the back row today.

It was something that passed by quickly, so I didn't remember it, but I seemed to be getting a little depressed.

"Let's start."

At that word, everyone unleashed their power.

Orca was a child of the earth, loved by the spirits.

As she narrowed her eyes and gestured, the scarecrow on her line trembled.

Crack, with that sound, it shattered from the bottom up, scattering into pieces, and received cheers from the kids watching from behind.

"Completely broke it! As expected!"

"Wow."

Most were exclamations, but with about twenty people, it became noise.

And soon, it changed to expectant eyes, wondering what Yun Hamin would do.

Actually, I should have quickly done it here and finished, but I couldn't even make a scratch on that thing, so I was standing there awkwardly.

Can I just go back? What if it looks like I'm rebelling?

I tried once when Orca broke the scarecrow, but my ability didn't even reach the scarecrow.

I couldn't even go up and hit it like that guy earlier.

While I was wondering what to do, light gathered in Hamin's hand.

In the moment that everyone was blankly watching, a straight line was drawn from his hand.

The extension of the line pierced the head, which could be called the scarecrow's weakness, and it soon led to an explosion.

"...Amazing. As expected of the top student! Weakness hit and explosion...!"

The teacher clapped and looked around at the surrounding kids.

The two guys who would have been praised as excellent if they had done it with the other kids seemed a little disappointed.

After all, they had only split the scarecrow in half, while the others had completely turned it to dust or left no trace.

The problem was me.

The four people were returning to their seats after their turns were over, but only I was standing there awkwardly, unable to make even a scratch on the scarecrow.

"Kanna yang? Haven't you done it yet?"

T/N: "양" (yang), a suffix used when addressing younger, unmarried women, similar to "miss"

"...Ah, uh, yes."

I answered that without thinking.

Was it because I was so embarrassed that everyone else had worked hard but I couldn't even make a scratch?

"You can do it when you're ready."

The teacher said that, but the kids in the back had already finished and started chatting.

It's all over, isn't it? I'm already destined to be last place anyway.

I already tried it once earlier, and it didn't work.

I reached out my hand.

I frowned and strained, wondering if this was how to use it.

But what came out was just a small streak of light.

Too small to be lightning, too small to be electricity.

It was okay to just call it static electricity.

I felt bitter at the sensation that just made the tip of my hand tingle.

While I was using my ability alone, the teacher, who couldn't have missed that slightly sparkling moment, was just nodding.

"...If you're not feeling well, you can do it next time."

The teacher was considerate like that.

It's because the teacher is nice, but I, as well as the kids in the back, already knew.

There was no way they couldn't know.

The moment I drooped my shoulders and turned around, I lowered my head, receiving that subtle gaze.

It was a story I wanted to brush off, saying, "It's not really me anyway, so who cares."

But in the end, it was me who was receiving that gaze, so it was inevitably too difficult.

Kanna Aurora.

I had never paid attention to her because she had never revealed her inner thoughts in the story, but I, for one, couldn't quite understand what emotions she had as she continued to fill this place.

Was it because no one was on her side?

Since she had no one on her side inside or outside the academy, was she trying to find a way out somehow even after graduating?

I could feel my heart getting worn out.

I could endure if I wanted to, but I was so exhausted that I was sure I would be completely worn out by then.

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