8. Chess

Irasion Academy had no such thing as being late.

No—it simply didn't allow for it.

"Get out here."

A voice soaked in murderous intent, accompanied by two light but door-threatening knocks.

The reason was simple: for students who failed to emerge after three alarm cycles, the dormitory supervisor was kind enough to come find them personally.

Thud. Thud.

"I said hurry up."

Anyone listening would think he'd come to kill someone.

"… Yes."

I'd half-expected this, given that I'd been hunched over a chessboard until the early hours of the morning—and sure enough, I'd overslept.

The result was a very kind dormitory supervisor gently tapping at my door as though he meant to break it down.

I stretched out my stiff body and got up.

"… I'm exhausted."

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The ominous knocking continued.

"You up?"

Please don't say something like that in a voice like that. It gives me chills.

I dragged myself into my clothes and opened the door. Sure enough, a powerfully built man stood there with his arms crossed, looking down at me.

"Rutess, it's been a while since I've had to give you a morning call. First year, I was doing this all the time."

The dormitory supervisor, Yulian.

True to his background as a knight who'd served in the north, he carried a formidably solid frame even years after retirement.

He was kind and good-natured, but… that face and that build were frightening no matter how many times I saw them.

Perhaps because those fists and hands had once split the skulls of northern tribesmen in battle—somehow, I always felt like there was blood on his hands.

"I'm sorry."

"Ha, sorry for what. You're up now, that's what matters."

As I said before, our academy had no such thing as tardiness.

You either arrived on time,

or you were marked absent.

And if you were marked absent, you'd be having a sincere heart-to-heart with the dormitory supervisor—which naturally made anyone inclined toward lateness reconsider.

"Get moving, you don't have time."

"Yes."

His rough hand clapped me on the back, and I found myself propelled forward almost involuntarily.

I descended the stairs and glanced out the window.

*Lunch.*

The time I'd promised Elline for chess.

Among the Alpha Class students, Balrod had been the only one I'd played chess with—and even he was a formidable opponent who'd given me quite a hard time.

And now Elline.

Just how good would she be?

I at least didn't want to embarrass myself.

"Be out in five minutes! Move it!"

Yulian's booming voice rang out from behind me, and my feet picked up the pace on their own.

When I arrived at the lecture hall, I felt even more eyes on me than the day before.

Whether the rumors had truly begun to spread in earnest, I couldn't say—but students were constantly stealing glances at me. If only one or two had been looking, I might have felt self-conscious enough to look away, but with most of the room watching, some were bold enough to meet my gaze outright.

"You're a proper celebrity now. Makes me nervous just sitting next to you."

Edgar dropped his bag into the seat beside me with a thud and said it with that easy, sly grin of his.

"Then sit somewhere else."

"Joking, joking."

Wearing the face of someone who absolutely was joking, Edgar settled into his seat and let out a low whistle.

"Look at all those stares—isn't that a bit much?"

He swept the room with those characteristically sharp eyes of his, and a few students quietly averted their gazes.

"Can't even hold eye contact."

"Have you seen your own eyes? Who wouldn't look away?"

Vivid red hair and a scar carved across his cheek—the very picture of a delinquent.

That distinctive sharp look of his had earned him no shortage of misunderstandings.

Once you actually got to know him, though, he turned out to be a comedy act…

"Look at those stares. People can date, you know—what's so fascinating about it?"

"… I don't think that's something you get to say, considering you were twisting my arm and interrogating me not long ago."

"Was I?"

Edgar pulled his hands lazily from his pockets and ran his fingers through his red hair.

"I was surprised, honestly. I figured you'd get turned down for sure."

Same.

"Well, it worked out. What can you do. Gotta cheer you on."

His face was pure delinquent, but that soft, warm heart underneath was what made him worth knowing.

When he said something like that, it was hard not to feel a little moved.

"Ross's expression lately has been absolutely priceless, by the way—come see for yourself at lunch."

"At lunch?"

"What, you've got plans again?"

"Yeah."

I nodded, and Edgar let out a small sigh.

"You're really going all in."

He gave my shoulder a couple of approving pats.

"Hey, don't go completely forgetting about us though, alright? We'll get our feelings hurt."

He chuckled and opened his book.