Yoon Ha-min's promise to believe me unconditionally came with discretion. No matter what I told him, he would either stop at hearing it or act on it based on trust—nothing could be better than that.
Even Orca beside me was tight-lipped, making both of them perfect confidants for sharing secrets.
But driven by my desire to do my best, I went as far as revealing information to the teacher. And now that decision had turned a blade toward me.
I stood out because I thought what no one else had.
I was the one who said the Wall, which everyone thought impenetrable, would soon collapse.
I was the one who warned that monsters would invade the Academy when no one thought it possible.
I was the one who offered solutions when everyone else was stuck in frustration.
It was impossible not to be suspicious. The source of my information had to be questioned.
So the teacher asked me directly.
Who was behind me?
Either answer was problematic. If someone was behind me, it meant there was an influential figure unknown to the Academy and heroes. If not, then I myself—Kanna—might be considered dangerous.
As I hesitated, the teacher quietly continued.
"...I'm not trying to blame you. I'm just curious."
I looked up with wide eyes at the teacher's voice.
"Of course, there are many reasons to be suspicious. But I don't intend to harm someone who took such a risk to share this information."
My gaze wavered.
I never dreamed she would say something like this.
"...Mrs. Lucia."
"You don't have to tell me if it's too difficult... is what I'd like to say, but I still want to know. However, if there's nothing specific, I want to protect you. Because I'm your teacher."
I swallowed the laugh that nearly burst out.
As the Bottom Rank at the Academy, all I could expect was the most basic kindness. I received that much from teachers, while fellow students only offered contempt and mockery.
But perhaps because of my heroic actions? Or because I had saved countless lives?
The teacher was showing interest in me.
I considered my response carefully.
Having realized that lies would eventually be discovered and lead to irreparable misunderstandings, I gathered my courage and quietly spoke to the teacher.
"I thought no one would believe me if I said it was just me..."
"I see."
The teacher's eyes seemed to waver momentarily.
She probably recalled what she had said before.
I understood her perspective—even I might have thought the Bottom Rank was just making excuses to avoid exams.
"Mrs. Lucia, it seems like time is up..."
"Ah, class..."
The bell rang, and the teacher hurriedly checked her watch before sending me back. Even as I left, she reiterated her message.
"Kanna, please tell me if you need help. If you can't clearly state your source, I'll be your source. I'm sure it will help."
I understood what she meant.
The teachers, fitting into this ranking system like a survival of the fittest, had simple reasons for dividing their affection.
Whether one becomes a hero or not.
The teachers, being heroes themselves, were heavily influenced by this fact. That's why they paid more attention to talented students like Yoon Ha-min and Orca.
In other words, Mrs. Lucia was telling me that my information was deemed helpful to heroes and humanity right now.
If my predictions continued to be accurate, regardless of their unclear source, they would save lives and bring stability, peace, and tranquility.
Despite suspicions, they would treat me as befitting a hero who protected people.
After all, in this society with Awakened Beings and abilities, there were plenty of things with unclear origins, so that's probably how she made her judgment.
"...I understand."
I answered as I returned to the classroom.
I probably wouldn't need to rely on the teacher.
I already had enough support, and besides, I didn't have much more information to share.
And if I moved too conspicuously, the Mysterious Person might take me away again, so I didn't plan to be too active.
Still, I was deeply grateful.
She didn't report me to the authorities as suspicious or try to take me away for questioning.
Moreover, she offered to help me, and even if it was just empty words, I couldn't help but feel grateful.
Of course, my fear hadn't disappeared.
If the source of information wasn't an ability,
I worried that when I stopped providing information, or if the situation worsened, the blade of blame would turn toward me.
I feared they might label me as a spy for the Mysterious Person.
*
"...Ugh."
A challenge immediately confronted me when class began.
No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, I was overwhelmed by unfamiliar content.
With dark circles under my eyes, I tried to write everything down in my notebook, but that wasn't so easy.
When break time came, Yoon Ha-min approached and asked:
"Kanna, how's the studying going?"
"...Not at all."
I glared at him, thinking it was a ridiculous question since I'd missed several days.
Yoon Ha-min brushed off my look with a refreshing smile.
"I figured. Want me to help if it's too hard?"
"No, I'll try on my own."
It was difficult, but that wasn't something someone else could help solve.
Having someone shove notes in my face telling me to memorize wouldn't make me remember.
What frustrated me was having to cram two weeks' worth of lessons into my head in one week.
And understanding everything taught before that.
"...Miss Kanna?"
"Huh? What?"
This time it was Orca.
She carefully approached and looked at me.
"Since you missed last week's combat training, I thought you might be struggling to keep up. Would you like to come to my house this weekend for training... together?"
My eyes widened at her words.
It was clear I'd gained some favor from the recent incident.
Feeling relieved and thinking I should make the most of this opportunity, I immediately nodded.
"Yes, yes! Please!"
Orca smiled in response.
"Great. Let's work hard to catch up on what you missed."
To me, always at the Bottom Rank, she extended a hand to help me escape that position.
She, who had always been loftily at the top with other high-ranked students, was now trying to help me with different intentions.
There was no reason to refuse, so I gladly accepted.
"...This is all I can do for you..."
"It's, it's more than enough."
As I answered with a grin, Yoon Ha-min smiled wryly.
"Then how about we discuss weekend plans over lunch?"
"Um... I'm not hungry, so..."
I raised my hand slightly in response.
I had almost headed to the cafeteria but quickly composed myself.
After receiving my stipend, I'd spent quite a bit on dress shirts.
As a result, I didn't have enough money for the rather expensive school meals.
Of course, it might seem strange if I continued not spending money or skipping meals.
So I had seriously considered a plan.
It was something I'd thought about for two days before returning to school.
It was unavoidable from the moment I bought those shirts.
As I spoke, both Yoon Ha-min and Orca's gazes suddenly focused on me.
"...Ah."
Sighing at their looks, Yoon Ha-min hesitated before nodding.
"Really? Well, can't be helped then..."
With a disappointed expression and voice, he moved on to another topic.
The conversation turned to the weekly exams.
Having missed a week of classes and one exam, I was still firmly at the Bottom Rank.
I'd probably remain there next week too.
But I was happy to see Yoon Ha-min and Orca's determination to help me escape the Bottom Rank by the end of this semester, or at least this school year.
An hour after the bell rang again, the last morning class quickly passed.
Lunchtime arrived.
Everyone seemed to be heading to eat.
Yoon Ha-min and Orca asked me once more, but I insisted I wasn't hungry and successfully remained alone.
"...Hmm."
They weren't in the classroom or the hallway.
They must have really gone to the cafeteria.
Honestly, the school food was delicious. With my monthly stipend, I could normally enjoy it comfortably all month—it was one of the few pleasures I could indulge in.
Those damn dress shirts were the problem.
Still, thinking it couldn't be helped, I decided to save money by skipping one meal a day and bought bread at the school store instead.
The price difference between cafeteria food and bread was significant.
I stuffed the bread and milk into my blazer pocket and headed to the restroom, which was practically my home ground. I didn't particularly like doing this, but I had no choice. Without Yoon Ha-min and Orca, the only place I could think of to eat was here.
So I entered the last stall in the restroom, discarded the rustling wrapper, and took a bite of bread.
It had been a while since I'd tasted this or felt this way, but I didn't miss it.
It was just something I did to fill my stomach.
"...!"
While eating, I suddenly heard someone approaching.
Even though it was rarely used, as long as the restroom existed, it couldn't remain completely unused.
Thinking it was just someone coming to fix their makeup, I put my feet up on the toilet and placed my shoes at the back.
There was no way I'd be caught unless I coughed or made noise.
Even if I was discovered, I could just walk out nonchalantly...
Knock, knock.
My mind went blank when I heard knocking on my stall.
Huh? Wait, there are plenty of other stalls, so why knock on this one specifically?
As I was about to curse whoever was on the other side of the wall, the owner of the knock spoke.
"Miss Kanna. Please come out."
Please, just pretend you don't know. I'm going to die of embarrassment...
Having friends wasn't always a good thing, it seemed.
I appreciated the concern, but...
My face felt like it was burning up.