Chapter 27: Budding Feelings

“Huff… puff….”

Early in the morning, Juju was running on the track along the edge of the artificial island.

She was supposed to be running with Ruah, but Ruah hadn’t shown up today, presumably due to a hangover. Himari hadn’t come either, for the same reason.

“Huff… puff….”

Her short hair fluttered in the wind, and beads of sweat glistened like jewels in the sunlight.

Her body was warmed up from an hour of running. This was Juju’s favorite time.

Because when she exercised, she could clear her mind of all thoughts.

From trivial things like grades and assignments to heavier things like her financial situation and the faces of her deceased family, she could forget everything.

—Dash!

“Phew.”

After a final sprint, Juju gradually slowed down and stopped.

Wiping her sweat with a towel and taking a sip of water was part of her routine.

Feeling refreshed, Juju took a deep breath.

—Juju, you’re our party’s dependable tank… and in charge of cuteness.

“Huh?!”

The memory suddenly resurfaced. It was something the drunk Ruah had said.

‘Am I cute?’

It was the first time someone had said that to her.

She had always considered herself far from cute.

Since childhood, she had enjoyed playing with boys and preferred games like soccer and basketball. Many adults had mistaken her for a boy when she was younger.

Even after her family died and she decided to become a Hunter, not much changed. Rather, she focused on improving her physical abilities and athleticism, neglecting her appearance.

Until now, she hadn’t thought much about living that way—

‘It was a shock….’

Himari mistaking her for a boy. It had triggered a sense of crisis in Juju.

A crisis that she couldn’t stay like this.

A crisis that if she continued living the way she was, she might grow old without experiencing the joys of love or marriage.

So she had impulsively asked Ruah for help.

Even though she didn’t have anyone she particularly liked or wanted to date, she was just desperate.

She had bought perfume, bath bombs, and clothes. Thanks to Suah, she even had a cute outfit.

But still, something felt empty. She felt like something was missing, and her confidence, which she had thought would fill up quickly, hadn’t increased much—

Not until she heard those words from Ruah.

—In charge of cuteness.

“……!”

—Flush.

Blood rushed to Juju’s face. Not from exercise, but from embarrassment and shyness.

After holding a water bottle to her face for a while, Juju finally realized.

That dressing up only had meaning when there was someone you wanted to show it to.

‘I want to hear the teacher call me cute again.’

Lunchtime

behind the deserted school building.

A boy and a girl stood facing each other.

The boy spoke in a trembling voice,

“S-Suah, I-I like you. Please go out with me!”

“I’m sorry, Hyun-seong.”

The answer came immediately.

“You’re a really great guy, too good for me.”

“But.”

“Let’s just be good friends, okay?”

“Okay….”

Suah said apologetically. Dejected, the boy slumped his shoulders and walked back into the school building.

“Sigh.”

Suah let out a deep sigh.

This was the fourth time this month. Boys from all classes, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and even special, would approach her.

‘It hurts to reject them every time.’

Although Suah was stylish, she had no intention of dating a boy. Her friends wondered why someone as pretty and kind as her didn’t have a boyfriend, but Suah would just laugh it off.

‘I can’t tell them I like girls….’

But that wasn’t the only problem.

Although she had long been aware of her sexual orientation, there wasn’t a single girl who made her heart flutter.

‘I want to date, but… I can’t be in a relationship with someone I don’t like.’

It was a difficult situation.

“Hey, class president! The swordsmanship teacher said thank you!”

“Suah, want to have lunch together?”

“Han Suah! Thank you for helping me earlier! This isn’t much, but…!”

Back in the classroom, her friends called out to her. Suah responded with a smile, as always.

Her school life was fulfilling. As a model student, she excelled in both academics and social life.

‘But still, I’m lonely.’

She wanted to be in love.

She wanted to experience the kind of love where her heart raced and she longed for the other person.

“…….”

For the rest of lunchtime, Suah rested her chin on her hand and stared blankly out the window.

The faces that flashed through her mind were those of the people she had met recently.

‘Hoshikawa Himari….’

Pretty and cute. The expression Himari had made when she first tried coffee had made Suah laugh genuinely for the first time in a while.

‘Yoo Juju.’

A bright-eyed and energetic junior.

Having enjoyed their time together, they had exchanged numbers and even created a group chat.

‘But.’

Whenever she saw Himari and Juju being close with her sister—she felt strange.

When Ruah was alone with Himari in the nurse’s office, or when she heard that Ruah was exercising with Juju in the morning, Suah felt an inexplicable sense of urgency.

‘I shouldn’t feel this way.’

To correct her feelings, she treated both Himari and Juju kindly. She even told Juju to take good care of Ruah.

Despite that, she felt a slight resentment towards her sister when she was drunk.

Because when Ruah rubbed her cheek against Himari’s and stroked Juju’s hair, Suah felt a suppressed emotion surfacing.

It was strange.

Why did she miss the days when Ruah relied only on her?

Why was she jealous?

‘And why—’

Did her heart race every time she saw Ruah smile?

“It’s difficult ….”

Late at night, Hoshikawa Himari was struggling with some equipment in her room.

She had managed to set up the roll screen in a corner of her room, but she was stuck with the projector and camera.

“Hmm….”

After carefully reading the manual like a textbook, Himari finally managed to get the devices working.

It was already 30 minutes past the appointed time.

—Tap, tap.

She quickly typed on the keyboard with her index finger, and a video call screen appeared on the roll screen.

On the screen was an elderly man with a beard. Dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, he had an imposing figure despite his age.

“Phew.”

Himari took a deep breath, sat in a formal posture, and turned on the camera.

“You’re late, Himari.”

“I apologize, Father.”

Himari bowed, placing her hands on the floor.

The man on the screen was Himari’s father and the head of the Hoshikawa family, Hoshikawa Toshio.

“You look well. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Father. I’m healthy and doing well.”

“I received your report card. First place. Well done.”

“Thank you.”

Although her father praised her, Himari hid her joy. Suppressing her emotions was the way of the [Hoshikawa-style Swordsmanship] successor.

“How is school life?”

“I’m doing well without any problems.”

“Is that so? I heard there was an accident at a Gate recently.”

Her father narrowed his eyes disapprovingly.

“It was resolved peacefully.”

“Tsk, tsk, such an incident at an educational institution.”

“…….”

“I was thinking of bringing you back immediately if anything happened to you.”

Himari bit her lip slightly.

Her father, Hoshikawa Toshio, still disapproved of her studying abroad. He wanted her to stay at the Hoshikawa residence and continuously train in swordsmanship as his successor.

Although Himari had passed the exam and obtained permission to study abroad, he was still waiting for her to return to Japan.

“The agreement was that I wouldn’t return until I quit or the school expelled me, Father.”

“Tsk, I know.”

Himari lowered her gaze silently.

“I can’t do anything about it since it’s a promise, but after graduation, you’ll do as I say.”

Hoshikawa Toshio on the screen crossed his arms and looked at Himari.

“When you return after completing the three-year program, I’ll have found someone for you to serve as a ‘moon’.”

“Yes?”

“The head of the Naruse family. I’ve spoken to him, so you can learn under him—”

“—I apologize, Father.”

Hoshikawa Toshio raised an eyebrow as his daughter interrupted him.

“I already have a master I serve as a ‘moon’ here.”

“What?!”

Her father roared.

“I allowed you to study abroad, not to fulfill your duty as a moon! What makes you think you have the right to choose your own master?!”

“She is someone I respect.”

Himari thought of Ruah.

Childlike and not very reliable, but somewhere within that small body was a firm will.

—Just like I trust you, trust me too.

Ruah’s serious expression. There was definitely more to this school nurse than met the eye. Perhaps she was hiding something incredible beneath her unassuming and frail exterior.

“I won’t change my mind.”

“Remember that you are the heir to the Hoshikawa family, Himari!”

“I apologize. But—”

Himari lifted her gaze and looked directly at her father on the screen.

“—I like the teacher.”

“You ungrateful child! You’re being so selfish!”

“…….”

“Fine! Do as you please! I have my own plans!”

The screen went black. Hoshikawa Toshio had abruptly ended the call.

“…….”

In the darkened room, Himari sat with her eyes closed.

‘I like the teacher.’

Himari repeated the words she had just spoken.

Having spent almost her entire life in the Hoshikawa residence, Himari lacked common sense. She didn’t know the right words to express human emotions.

So, her feelings for Ruah were simply ‘like’.

‘But, it’s different.’

Just like ‘liking’ blooming cherry blossoms or a cool breeze was different from ‘liking’ delicious food or a refreshing bath,

Her ‘like’ for Ruah was different from other ‘likes’.

As Himari pondered how to express this special, affectionate, and heart-wrenching ‘like’—

She picked up the book Ruah had lent her, Whae? Puberty and s*x, which she had already read several times.

“Will I… find the answer here, teacher?”