They say the appropriate amount of sleep for humans is between six and eight hours.
So originally, my goal was to fall asleep around 11 or 12 and wake up around 7—a good habit to improve my quality of life.
That doesn't mean I absolutely needed to get that full amount of sleep.
Some people can function normally on just four hours of sleep, so I knew it wasn't really about how long you sleep but how well you sleep that determines its quality.
In other words, even if I had trouble falling asleep at first, as long as I slept well during those few hours, I wouldn't feel tired.
The problem was that such good fortune didn't happen to me.
No matter how large the bed was, just thinking about Kanna sleeping in the same bed made my heart race.
My consciousness kept drifting in one direction, and with no way to stop it, I found myself in trouble—unable to sleep properly even with my eyes tightly shut.
As a result, I woke up in the morning with dark circles under my eyes.
I was completely ruined. That was the only thought left in my mind.
The reason I didn't need to study late into the night was because I focused on what was taught in class and reviewed it afterward.
But now my head was throbbing so badly that I couldn't possibly concentrate during class.
It was already problematic enough that Kanna was sleeping defenseless next to my bed, but sharing the same blanket was simply unthinkable.
The problem with Kanna was that she was too carefree. Just completely defenseless.
Having to sleep in the same bed, under the same blanket—seeing Kanna sleeping so comfortably unlike me created a strange disconnect.
Am I the only one conscious of this?
Is Kanna feeling nothing while I'm getting unnecessarily excited?
But even if she had no feelings about it, how could anyone sleep so defensively, in such unguarded clothing, with someone of the opposite sex lying right next to them?
I groaned softly and glanced at Orca sitting beside me.
She was looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"You don't look well. Is something wrong?"
"...I just didn't sleep well, I guess."
I brushed it off casually.
No matter how innocent my intentions were, I couldn't mention a situation that might seem strange to others.
I was worried that the moment rumors spread that "Yoon Ha-min and Kanna live in the same house," even the teachers would give us strange looks.
Perhaps that's why I felt it would be troublesome if Kanna casually mentioned to others that she slept next to me without any concern or sense of danger.
When I turned my head to glance behind where Kanna was, I saw her looking at me with bright eyes, apparently having slept well without any trouble.
When our eyes met, she tilted her head curiously, and I quickly turned back to face forward.
Orca let out a sigh beside me.
"The previous incident was treated as an accident caused by monsters. The Ramiris family promised to provide support funds to the families of those who died. I haven't had a chance to ask how Kanna has been doing since then."
Orca clutched her device and expressed her regret.
Even with a device and contact information, the fact that she couldn't reach out probably meant she had her own busy circumstances.
Being a child of a good family was quite exhausting.
"She seems to be having a hard time."
I did tell Orca the truth, but I couldn't reveal the fact that the Mysterious Person could find Kanna.
So when explaining Kanna's trauma, I had no choice but to downplay it.
Not trauma from the fact that the Mysterious Person could come and take Kanna away at any time,
but trauma from the shock of being involved with the Mysterious Person twice.
What Kanna wanted was peace.
She could only find stability if the Wall didn't collapse again.
But humanity within this Wall didn't yet possess the technology and power for that.
The monsters controlled by the Mysterious People were numerous, and both the Mysterious People and the monsters possessed tremendous power.
"I see. I'll ask her during the break later."
Orca murmured in a careful voice, genuinely concerned about Kanna.
I simply nodded in response.
*
I was afraid of being alone in dark spaces.
When the Mysterious Person held me captive in the cave for days before releasing me, I didn't feel such fear, but after realizing that even inside the Wall wasn't safe, this terror kept grabbing me and pulling me down.
The fact that the Wall could collapse again at any time, and that the Mysterious Person could slip through the cracks and find me again—that's what frightened me.
The things I would have to endure if I were dragged back to that cave kept coming back to me.
Though I didn't feel physical pain right now, remembering that time filled me with such dread that I wanted to say I never wanted to go back.
I thought I was safe, that it would never happen again.
I thought I would be safe now, that things would be peaceful.
That's why the trauma that hadn't appeared before was now triggered and raging.
In bright places, crowded places, I didn't feel it at all, but the moment I became aware of being alone in a dark space, those red eyes that might appear behind me sent chills down my spine.
After arriving at the Academy, I felt somewhat sorry toward Yoon Ha-min.
It was already generous of him to give me a room, and now I was asking him to share his bed—how selfish of me.
But I wanted to alleviate my trauma, my fear, even if it meant doing that.
That was my selfishness too.
Thanks to him, I could sleep well.
I didn't have to tremble in fear of being alone.
But the problem was today.
Yesterday I was able to fall asleep that way, but I felt a bit guilty about doing it again today.
It would be nice if Yoon Ha-min said it was okay, but I tried not to expect it, knowing that having an outsider intrude on a comfortable bed probably wouldn't be pleasant.
"Alright, time for morning assembly~"
Our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Lucia, opened the door and came in.
After calling out the names listed in the attendance book one by one, she began to announce the notices.
"As you all probably know already, the Wall collapsed once more this weekend. Because of that, the top-ranked students were called for practical training."
Some students nodded at the teacher's words.
It was precisely the top-ranked students who were nodding.
After scanning their faces one by one, the teacher continued.
"According to the curriculum, only top-ranked first-year students would normally be given practical training privileges, but after seeing the Wall break again within a week, the heroes and teachers have decided to completely revise the first-year curriculum. Given the situation, we need to adapt."
The teacher turned around after saying this.
Then she picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard.
"From now on, all education related to interpersonal skills directed at people will be suspended. It has been determined that protecting oneself from monsters and fighting them is more important than dealing with sudden protests by citizens or unpredictable behaviors during monster confrontations."
Click, tap. A white path extended across the black board.
Wait, what?
All education related to interpersonal skills will be suspended?
I turned pale.
Physical combat was what I had just been practicing, and suddenly there was no use for it—I couldn't believe it, and my expression froze.
So what would be removed and what would be added? Seeing that they were looking for ways to respond to monsters, I sighed deeply, thinking I might be completely out of luck.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, the teacher continued speaking smoothly.
"Going forward, we will reduce history classes and insert geography lessons in their place. Physical combat classes will be eliminated and replaced with field training. From now on, grades for practical training will be divided into ability and magic categories, with the rest calculated along with evaluations of field participation."
W-wait a minute. Just a moment, please.
I wanted to stop the teacher in my mind.
But the situation had already unfolded, and I knew the teacher was simply conveying the results of the meeting, so all I could do was despair.
I wanted to be rewarded for all the effort I put in with Yoon Ha-min and Orca over the weekend.
If everyone who worked hard could be rewarded, no one would suffer.
I just felt regretful. I even felt guilty for taking the time of Yoon Ha-min and Orca who had worked hard to help me.
I didn't expect this.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
What should I work on now, when I can't even predict the immediate future?
Putting aside my regretful feelings and my disappointment, I carefully studied the blackboard.
I looked closely at what was removed, what was added, and what was adjusted, then swallowed a dejected sigh.
I desperately hoped that next time, my efforts would amount to something.
That they wouldn't disappear in vain.