Chapter 8: A Gate Outing Earned Through Tears

“You should at least look at the students’ faces when treating them, shouldn’t you?”

“I’m sorry….”

The vice-principal stood with his hands on his hips, scolding Ruah.

Ruah sat on a chair, head bowed, hands clasped in her lap.

“Even though [Healing] is convenient, some students might have stomachaches, or might find it difficult to speak. Is your convenience all that matters, Nurse Han?”

“I’m so sorry…”

Ruah’s shoulders slumped, and she clenched her fists tighter.

‘Of all times, he had to catch me right after I built it….’

Tears welled up in Ruah’s eyes.

In the past, she would have just tuned out lectures and scoldings, but now, it was difficult.

Even though the vice-principal was older, he was still an adult male. If he used force, Ruah, with her child-like physique, wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps Ruah subconsciously understood this difference in strength.

“S-sniffle…”

“Why are you crying? Honestly.”

The vice-principal cleared his throat, seeming flustered.

“S-sorry, sniffle.”

“Oh, Nurse Han….”

Clicking his tongue, the vice-principal softened his demeanor and offered Ruah a tissue.

‘Huh?’

Taking the tissue, Ruah realized something.

In the past, crying never changed anything. She often got scolded even more, with people asking why she was crying.

But now, it was different. Ruah’s tears evoked guilt and a sense of remorse in the other person.

‘A woman’s tears are a weapon!’

“Waaaah…”

“Oh, dear!”

Ruah started bawling. Her prediction was correct. The vice-principal, who had been angry just moments ago, was now flustered and trying to calm her down.

‘This could be useful…!’

Ruah quickly schemed about how to use her tears to her advantage. What could she achieve with this?

—Ring, ring, ring!

Just then, the vice-principal’s phone rang.

“Oh, dear me.”

The vice-principal took out his smartphone, checked the caller ID, hurriedly stuffed the tissue into Ruah’s hand, cleared his throat, and answered the call.

“Oh, yes! Hello!”

“……?”

Ruah wiped her tears and subtly eavesdropped. It was definitely an important call.

[Vice-principal, the Gate is ready. Will the thing we discussed be possible?]

“Yes! Of course. I’ll get the students ready right away.”

[Thank you. Then we’ll select a raid party and dispatch them to the site.]

“Thanks to the Olympus Guild, the first-year special class students will be able to rapidly improve their skills.”

Ruah’s eyes widened at the name.

‘The main story!’

She had been wondering when it would start, and she had stumbled upon this information by chance. The vice-principal’s visit to the infirmary had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

‘It’s a Gate observation trip for the first-year special class.’

The Olympus Guild was one of the large guilds that had a partnership with Felix Academy. They provided educational support to the academy in exchange for the right to scout graduating students.

This time, as part of their external education program and guild promotion, they were offering all first-year special class students the opportunity to witness a Gate raid by professional Hunters.

‘Originally, the protagonist shines here, but now I have to go.’

Ruah’s goal was to keep the main story on track with as few changes as possible. That way, she could maximize her advantage of knowing the future.

‘So, this field trip has to end the same way as in the main story.’

Ruah quickly thought about how she could join the special class on the field trip—

—Click!

The vice-principal hung up the phone.

“Phew, so where were we—”

“Waaaah!”

Ruah threw herself onto the desk and wailed. The startled vice-principal frantically shook Ruah’s shoulders, but Ruah only cried louder.

“Waaah! Sniffle! Sniffle!”

“N-Nurse Han! Stop crying! You’re a grown… well, an older adult! This is unbecoming!”

“Sniffle! Sob!”

“I-I’m sorry! Okay? Please look up….”

Ruah subtly lifted her head and pretended to wipe her face with her sleeve. Since her tears had already dried, she discreetly dabbed some saliva on her face.

“S-sniffle, I-I’m sorry, Vice-principal… I did wrong….”

“No, no, it’s my fault. I didn’t consider your introverted personality, Nurse Han.”

“Sniffle, then… c-could you do me a favor?”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Ruah suppressed a smile and got to the point.

“I want to accompany the first-year special class students on their field trip.”

Early Tuesday morning, the first-year special class students boarded the bus parked at the academy’s main gate. Having rushed to prepare early in the morning to meet the schedule, they were all yawning.

“What kind of field trip requires us to leave this early?”

“… I barely slept last night.”

“Whatever it is, it’s fine. We’re basically skipping all our classes today.”

The students had only been told to be prepared; they had no idea where they were going or what the field trip was about.

“Huh? It’s the school nurse.”

A student boarding the bus spotted Ruah sitting in a corner at the back and called out.

“The school nurse is going too? That’s unusual.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her face.”

As attention turned to her, Ruah shrank back and hid behind the back of a seat. The “Safety Officer” armband on her arm felt cumbersome.

“If it weren’t for the main story, I’d be in bed right now…”

Grumbling, Ruah turned her head at a sudden presence. Someone had sat down next to her.

“Oh?”

It was Himari. As Ruah looked at her, she gave a slight, yet polite bow.

“You can sit with your friends…”

“It’s alright.”

“What is…?”

“I am alone too.”

At her words, Ruah looked around. The special class students were already sitting together in small groups, seemingly having become close. While there were only ten of them, Himari seemed to be alone because of the three students sitting at the very back.

“Are you not close with the other students…?”

“……”

Himari nodded slightly. Ruah glanced back at the three students in the back, including Yoo Juju. They were sociable and outgoing, the quintessential popular kids.

“Why don’t you try getting to know them?”

“…No. I cannot be friends with… rude people.”

Himari frowned as she looked back at Yoo Juju. Ruah tilted her head.

‘Did something happen between them?’

“Of course, if you are uncomfortable, I will move.”

“Oh, no. Stay.”

Himari’s expression softened, and she gave Ruah a faint smile. She even reached out and fastened Ruah’s seatbelt for her.

“Thank you.”

“You can speak informally to me.”

Himari said as she fastened her own seatbelt.

“I heard that in Korea, older people speak informally to younger people.”

“But… in Japan, you only do that with close friends, right?”

At Ruah’s words, Himari smiled a bit wider.

“Then I want to be… close to you.”

“W-why?”

“Even though I was rude, you healed me.”

Himari said, holding up her left ring finger.

“I thought you were… a wonderful person.”

“Oh, um…”

Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, Ruah instinctively touched her flushed cheeks and turned her head. she felt her blood rush.

“O-okay, if you say so.”

“Thank you.”

Soon, the bus started moving.

It passed the academy gates and entered the highway connecting the artificial island to the mainland. Since it was early, the students were either dozing off or silently fiddling with their smartphones. Ruah, too, was nodding off against the window, drifting in and out of sleep.

As if to break the silence, a man sitting in the front row stood up and took the microphone.

“Hello, everyone!”

A cheerful voice.

The students scattered throughout the bus looked up at her. Ruah and Himari did the same.

“I’m Kim Jaehyun from the Olympus Guild, head of Raid Division 1. I’ll be in charge of today’s Gate raid and your observation.”

—Clap, clap, clap.

The students’ sleepiness vanished, and their eyes sparkled.

Olympus was one of Korea’s top ten guilds. The head of Raid Division 1 would be considered a core member of the guild. Kim Jaehyun must have been ranked within the top 300 Hunters. In short, he was a successful senior.

“It must be tough getting up so early, right? I feel the same way.”

Laughter rippled through the bus.

“But the world of Hunters is harsh. Once you get your licenses and start working as professionals, you’ll realize that drowsiness is the easiest trial you’ll face.”

“……”

“Now! Enough chit-chat, let me explain today’s observation.”

Kim Jaehyun used a remote control to lower a screen and project an image.

“About 20 hours ago, a Gate appeared near Jamsil in Seoul. The infiltration scale is a three-story underground shopping mall, so it’s small. It’s a C-rank Gate.”

A picture of the entrance to an underground shopping mall, shrouded in darkness, appeared on the screen.

Gates manifested as infiltrations of real-world spaces. If cleared within three days, the space would return to normal. If not, an overflow would occur. A disaster where monsters would pour out, and the infiltrated space would be permanently altered.

“Based on wavelength analysis, the monsters within have been identified as undead, in other words, living corpses.”

“Ugh.”

The girls’ faces paled. Except for Himari.

“You will observe the entire process, from our raid party’s initial entry into the Gate to defeating the boss. Of course, we will ensure your safety to the best of our ability—”

Kim Jaehyun paused, seemingly enjoying the students’ reactions.

Of course, Ruah knew what she was going to say next.

“—But unexpected situations can always arise.”