The Academy's Doomed Side Character-Chapter 203: Calm Before The Storm [4]

The rest of the class passed without incident, the kind that just fades into memory like the blur between dreams and waking up.

As we filed out, Professor Draken caught up to me near the doorway.

"Here," she said, tossing a small candy in my direction.

I caught it instinctively.

"You dropped this."

I looked at it, confused. "I didn’t—"

"I gave it to you," she said, already smiling. "You should know that, you sly fox."

I tried to hand it back, but she pushed my hand away, her eyes softening for just a moment.

"I don’t know what’s going on with you today," she said, lowering her voice, "but whatever it is... talk to someone. You cadets like to act like you’ve got it all figured out. But no one expects you to. Not really. You’re still learning how to stand."

I didn’t say anything at first. Just pocketed the candy, unsure what to do with it.

"Guess my expression really is off today, huh?" I murmured.

"It’s not your face," she said, tilting her head again. "It’s just... something else. You’re usually sharp in your own weird way. But today? You’re... different."

"Different how?"

She studied me for a second, like she was trying to see past the surface.

"Like you’ve already made a choice. And you’re just pretending nothing changed."

I didn’t answer that. Mostly because I couldn’t.

"Be careful, Rin," she said, tapping her staff against the floor once before turning away. "Whatever you’re walking into... make sure you’re not walking alone."

And with that, she was gone, blending into the crowd of faculty and noise.

I stood there a moment longer, the candy still warm in my hand.

---

"Hmm. Good," Professor Lena said, arms folded as she watched me reset my stance. "Your form’s cleaner. Looks like your stamina’s improved a lot."

This was my last class of the day.

Combat Training under Professor Lena always demanded focus, but today... things felt different. My body felt lighter, sharper—like the fog that usually dulled my reflexes had cleared.

My punches landed clean. My kicks hit exactly where I aimed. It wasn’t power. It was precision. And right now, that was enough.

She called my name again.

"Rin."

I blinked, pausing mid-pose. "...Yes?"

Her voice was quieter this time—not the usual clipped, professional tone she used in front of the others. Just my name. No title. No formalities.

That alone made me straighten up.

Professor Lena didn’t drop formality. Not here. Not ever. Especially not in front of cadets. But the space between us now... it was just enough for our exchange to go unnoticed by the others.

"Do you remember what you promised me?"

I knew exactly what she meant.

That I’d tell her if something was wrong.

I had nodded at the time. Said the words because I had to. Because she meant well, and I didn’t want to push her away.

But promises like that... they were hard to keep when the truth wasn’t something you could just say out loud.

My gaze dropped slightly, but I didn’t answer right away.

The distant thuds of sparring cadets echoed behind us. Grunts. Shouts. The smell of sweat and mana in the air.

I cleared my throat. "I remember."

Her eyes didn’t leave mine. "And?"

"I’m fine," I said, the way people say they’re fine when they’re trying to be.

She didn’t push—not immediately. She just gave a small nod, but I could see it in her face. She didn’t buy it. Not really.

"Still... you know you can tell me if something’s bothering you, right?"

I didn’t say anything. Just gave a small nod, hoping that would be enough.

Professor Lena watched me for a moment, then let out a soft, tired sigh—the kind that carried more understanding than frustration.

"I think that promise we made... it’s become a bit of a burden for you, hasn’t it?"

"...What—"

"You can break it," she said, cutting me off gently before I could finish.

I looked up, startled.

"I don’t know what’s going on," she continued, her voice calm, "and I can see you’re not ready to talk about it. That’s fine. Sometimes... boys get that look in their eyes."

"What kind of look?" I asked, quieter than before.

She reached over and placed a hand on my head, just lightly enough that no one else in the room could notice. Her touch was warm—gentle, even.

"It’s the look of someone carrying something alone. Forcing themselves to keep moving. And more than anything... it’s the look of someone who’s already made up their mind, even if no one else knows it."

I couldn’t argue. She was right.

I didn’t want her to be, but... she was.

"I won’t be offended," she said, removing her hand. "But let’s make a new promise instead."

I raised an eyebrow. "...Another one?"

"Yeah," she said with a faint smile. "Come back safe. No heroics. No sacrifices. Just come back in one piece."

I let out a small breath of laughter, though my chest felt tight.

"Hey... what do you think I’m about to do?"

"I don’t know," she said, shrugging. "But that’s exactly why I’m worried."

I didn’t reply. There wasn’t anything I could say that wouldn’t sound like a lie.

"Don’t let the weight of the world crush you before you’ve even lived," she added, standing up and brushing her coat straight. "You’re allowed to be young a little longer, Rin."

She ...walked away before I could respond.

No lingering glance. No dramatic exit. Just a quiet, steady stride as she called the next pair of cadets up for sparring like nothing had happened.

The moment passed like breath on glass—there for a second, then gone.

I stood still in the middle of the mats, my posture loose now, the tension in my shoulders unraveling slowly.

Come back safe.

It shouldn’t have felt as heavy as it did.

I clenched my hand once, twice. The warm echo of her touch still lingered, and weirdly, it calmed me more than any meditation exercise we’d done in class. I didn’t think she’d notice. I didn’t think anyone would.

But they had.

Professor Alice. Professor Lena.

And the worst part was... they weren’t wrong.