I rested for two more days after that.
During that time, all I did was take the monthly stipend and get my Academy uniform mended and cleaned.
The shop owner offered to clean and repair my uniform for free, thinking I'd been in a fierce fight during the recent attack, but my shirt was damaged beyond repair, so I had to buy a new one myself.
I was grateful, but buying a new Academy shirt was quite expensive, which stung a little.
Still, I was thankful that I could return to the Academy wearing a proper uniform again.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat as I looked in the mirror.
There, ivory hair and purple eyes stared back at me.
The sleeve of my blazer, which had previously been held together by my clumsy stitching that tore too easily, was now firmly reinforced with a sewing machine. It felt reassuringly sturdy.
Thanks to the proper cleaning, not a single bloodstain remained, and the white fabric looked pristine.
The feel of the new shirt was quite nice. As I adjusted the collar and tied the ribbon, I couldn't help but let out a satisfied breath.
I smoothed down the blazer with a few pats and made sure I could move comfortably.
Fighting for today too.
With that self-encouragement to the mirror, I left the bathroom.
*
Thursday is typically considered a tiring day, but for someone who had rested for three out of five days, it wasn't particularly exhausting or difficult.
I grabbed only my Device and headed out.
I figured my bag would be somewhere in the Academy, though I hadn't found it yet, so I entered the classroom empty-handed.
The moment the door opened, everyone's eyes turned toward me. Normally, they would have ignored me and returned to their business, but instead, there was a stir.
Isn't this a bit too obvious? I thought, but these people weren't the type to be considerate of the Bottom Rank's feelings, so they apparently didn't care about such things.
I kept my lips tightly sealed and fixed my gaze directly on where I needed to go.
Telling myself I didn't need to look anywhere else, I tried to move forward without turning my head, when a hand extended into my field of vision.
My eyes widened at the sight.
I naturally turned my head.
Though I'd thought there was no need to look elsewhere, the person waving at me caught my attention.
"Kanna, hi!"
I felt my lips twitch at the sight of Yoon Ha-min greeting me with such energy.
With hair as dark as the night sky and golden eyes that shone like stars—much like his ability—it wasn't unreasonable to have such a reaction.
If Yoon Ha-min greeted someone so warmly, anyone would feel momentarily overwhelmed.
After his greeting, Orca, who was sitting next to him, turned to me with a smile.
Then she stood up slightly.
"Hello. I'm glad you're safe..."
Seeing her relieved expression, it didn't seem like she had any intention of harming me. Receiving greetings from both the Top Rank and Second Rank students, I responded with an awkward smile.
"Hi, hello."
After greeting both Yoon Ha-min and Orca in turn, I naturally headed to my seat.
When I reached my desk, my eyes widened in surprise to find my bag placed on top of it.
I was certain I had lost it when evacuating before even making it to the classroom. It was bewildering how it had found its way back to its owner, as if it had grown legs.
I turned my head in confusion. Yoon Ha-min grinned at me as if pleased that I'd found it.
He seemed to have a talent for finding things. Of course, there needed to be some connection to make the link, but this level of ability could definitely be called a talent.
He had found me when I was just released by the Mysterious Person, found my smartphone, and even found my bag.
"Well..."
I chuckled as I hung the bag beside my desk.
Now, what class did we have today?
I checked the schedule and took out my books, feeling overwhelmed.
...After missing almost a week, next week's exam is definitely a lost cause.
Of course, I deliberately rested until Wednesday because I didn't have the confidence to take the exam.
After experiencing something like that and missing school, studying was out of the question.
Since I'd left my bag here, I had no textbooks at home, so self-study wasn't really an option either.
Then, as homeroom period began.
"...Miss Kanna?"
Mrs. Lucia, our Homeroom Teacher who had entered to take attendance, unconsciously looked toward my seat and widened her eyes when she saw me.
Come to think of it, after missing so much school, perhaps I should have gone to the Teachers' Office first rather than coming straight to the classroom.
I gave a bitter smile and nodded.
"Hello."
The teacher hesitated, then after confirming there were no empty seats, gestured to me with a trembling voice.
"I'll mark everyone else as present. Miss Kanna, would you please come with me for a moment?"
"Yes."
I pushed my chair back with a scraping sound and stood up.
The hallway was enveloped in silence, as everyone else would be sitting quietly in their classrooms for attendance and announcements.
A silence that wouldn't reach the other classrooms.
The teacher brought me to the stairwell and immediately began examining my body.
Then she reached for my hand and pulled it toward herself to check it.
"...T-teacher?"
I stepped back in alarm, and the teacher, seemingly embarrassed, carefully released my hand.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I just wanted to check if you were injured anywhere... There was no way to contact you, and when you didn't come to the Academy after that day, I was worried something might have happened."
I gulped.
The reason I couldn't be contacted was because I had lost my Device, and Yoon Ha-min had been holding it.
It seemed that Yoon Ha-min's mention of having my Device had disrupted the communication network.
I could explain that part somehow, but I couldn't answer what had happened and how I had returned.
Because I knew Yoon Ha-min well, I had confidence in believing him if he said he trusted me.
So while there were things I could tell Yoon Ha-min, those were stories I couldn't share with the teacher.
"...I was a bit hurt by the monster, but I'm fine now."
I spoke lightly, as if I hadn't experienced anything severe.
The teacher nodded after examining my condition.
Since there was no visible problem, she had no choice but to believe me when I said so.
Is this something teachers have to ask? Before I could express my doubt, the teacher carefully looked around and asked me a question.
"...By the way, Miss Kanna. Did you go around telling people about how to defeat the monster during the last attack?"
Even though heroes were spreading throughout the world, they were still a closed group as professionals.
Especially considering that the Academy was where heroes were produced.
As such, if one wanted to obtain information within that circle, most of it could be easily acquired, so it seemed that my talking about it had been completely exposed.
In this situation, there was no way I could deny it.
"Yes, I did."
Hearing my confirmation, the teacher sighed as if verifying it was true.
Her deep exhalation seemed filled with worry.
"...You said before that monsters would soon attack the Academy too."
The teacher asked me in a serious voice.
"Think about it. Who could possibly predict that?"
This could be considered my mistake.
I regretted not having asked the teacher for help if I had known it would come to this.
Looking back, it was simple. Not everyone would take my side just because I shared such information, so I berated myself for having disclosed it so easily.
"Normally, monsters come on foot, but to reach here quickly, they would at least need to fly. But at the moment you mentioned it, monsters appeared from nowhere. It's an unprecedented event, so how did you anticipate it, Miss Kanna?"
The teacher's eyes pierced through me.
"...Come to think of it, you were also the one who said the Wall would break."
I hung my head low, like someone being scolded.
My lips trembled. It was particularly frustrating because I couldn't gauge what to say or how to say it.
"Miss Kanna. Your words saved countless lives. It's definitely praiseworthy, and furthermore, it wouldn't be strange if you received the title of hero for it. It was enough to have averted what could have been recorded as a historical disaster."
The teacher continued with a troubled expression.
"...But where did that information come from? I heard from other heroes that they heard it from another teacher, but who is this other teacher? Miss Kanna."
There was a hint of suspicion in the teacher's eyes.
"...May I ask who is behind you, Miss Kanna?"
At that question, my heart was racing uncontrollably.