I got into school for nothing-147
I got into school for nothing (147)
Lesson 30. Final Exams - 2
"He's still not back."
No matter how much I thought about it, this was too much.
As Light looked around the empty dorm room, he thought.
'When is this guy planning to come back? It's exam period, and how many days has it been now...?'
It was already half past eight in the evening.
After finishing his special training with Aire, he'd tried calling Ban Yuwon to see if they could eat dinner together, but he didn't pick up. So, he had no choice but to eat with Rucell and Dokgo Yeon, and even after returning, it was the same situation.
He'd just finished showering, worrying pointlessly that Ban Yuwon might have returned and seen him.
Ban Yuwon still hadn't returned.
He felt like a fool for even briefly considering whether it would be okay to step out just in a bath towel.
No, he *was* a fool.
Whether he wore a gown or nothing at all, he was still in a man's body, so why would Ban Yuwon pay him any attention?
It was probably because he hadn't spent much time with Ban Yuwon lately, making him feel a little... yes, a little lonely, leading to such foolish thoughts.
'Solo Exploration or whatever it is, why is it taking so long?'
Today was Thursday of the Academy's 13th week.
Ban Yuwon had started his Solo Exploration, leaving alone, since Tuesday of the 12th week, meaning it had already been over a week.
Of course, they had explored the Tower together for three days in between, but a seizure had unfortunately struck then, and instead of strengthening his friendship with Ban Yuwon, he'd only managed to instill more anxiety.
He had hoped to show the results of his special training and receive praise, but one way or another, it had been completely ruined.
He was even more hurt by the way his teammates, seeing it, seemed to take it as nothing new.
He knew that he was currently the party's weak point, but if he got used to being treated like a liability, it would be over for him.
That's why he wanted to spend some one-on-one time with Ban Yuwon, talk calmly, and clear up any misunderstandings... but he hadn't even been able to properly see his face for days.
It was truly depressing.
'During special training, it was really fine. In fact, I was getting better and better.'
The special training to awaken the dragon blood and soul dwelling within him.
Aire, who had grown up as a perfect Dragonoid in a blessed environment, was the ideal teacher for Light, who couldn't tell front from back.
Aire had said that the power of a dragon bowed to nothing.
Indeed, when he delved into himself with the help of the energy she drew out, he could hear something akin to a faint roaring cry within.
And the clearer that cry became, the more he felt the Holy Sword's coercive power weaken.
On the other hand, Light's innate powers... things like his physical abilities and magic, were slowly but surely amplified.
Naturally, his mind became clearer, and his spear-fighting skills, learned from Dokgo Yeon, also showed progress.
The Holy Sword remained quiet, as if fearful of the energy he was drawing out.
If things continued like this, could he truly, someday—someday not too far off—control the Holy Sword's power and become a hero who wielded it perfectly, just like his ancestors?
Such fantasies were beginning to feel real.
However, when he actually acted with the party... that is, with Ban Yuwon, the Holy Sword would begin to rage wildly.
Was it because it was a real battle and not training? Because Aire, the Dragonoid, wasn't by his side?
Or because he was getting better, as he'd told himself?
All wrong. In truth, Light knew the reason.
The Holy Sword was wary of Light growing closer to Ban Yuwon more than anything else, even more than him gaining the power of a Dragonoid.
To be precise.
It was wary of Light changing in the process of growing closer to Ban Yuwon.
'As if I might, because of Ban, throw off his necklace...'
But he couldn't even take it off himself anymore.
But the Holy Sword's will had always been a one-way street until now.
And it would continue to rage like this in the future, without any regard for Light's circumstances.
At this rate, it was no different from a curse, just as Ban Yuwon had once said.
His friends, including Ban Yuwon, showed an attitude of not understanding his reliance on the Holy Sword, but Light, more than anyone else, knew perfectly well that the Holy Sword was not something to rely on.
It was simply that all the circumstances surrounding him until now had led him to be tamed by the Holy Sword.
'But it's different now. ...I can overcome this.'
Just a little more, just a little more effort is all it takes.
If he continued to awaken his dragon blood like this.
And if Ban Yuwon watched over him from his side.
It was definitely possible.
'But this bad guy isn't coming.'
His fisted hand trembled.
No matter how important exploring the Tower was, shouldn't there be a limit?
It was exam period now, so he needed to study, and there were practical evaluations too, so if anything went wrong with his body due to excessive exploration...
No, forget all that nonsense!
Shouldn't that guy be spending more time with his roommate?
At this rate, what was the point of receiving Rucell's resentful glares for sharing a room with Ban Yuwon...!
"Of course, it wasn't like he planned to *do* anything, and he couldn't even if he wanted to... Rucell misunderstands me. This is purely out of a desire to deepen our friendship..."
"A desire for what?"
"Fugya!"
At the sound from behind him, Light let out a cat-like yelp and spun around, only to see Ban Yuwon opening the door and entering.
Then, seeing Light still clad only in his bath towel, he flinched.
"Light, you..."
"Kyaaaaaah!"
Light belatedly realized the situation, let out a shriek that would impress even Kshana, and dove onto his bed.
Then, he pulled the blanket over himself, only his face peeking out, and glared at Ban Yuwon.
"W-when did you get here?!"
From Ban Yuwon's perspective, having just returned to rest after a strenuous Solo Exploration, it was utterly unfair.
"I just came in. Why are you glaring like that?"
He almost added, 'You're a man, after all,' but stopped himself because it was becoming increasingly difficult to pretend not to know Light's true identity.
Looking at Light now, clad only in a bath towel, he could definitively say that his physique was undeniably becoming more feminine.
Light was probably the only one who didn't know.
If he knew and was still doing that, then...
What should I do?
"I wasn't glaring, I just got a little startled...!"
Light, too, realized he had overreacted, and awkwardly fumbled under the blanket, eventually emerging dressed.
Girls used to change clothes like that during high school gym class. Could it be an instinct ingrained in his genes? Ban Yuwon wondered.
"Ahem, are you done now?"
"Solo Exploration? Not yet. This wave just finished a bit faster."
"What?"
Light's expression crumpled at Ban Yuwon's words, which were different from what he expected.
"Are you going to keep doing that until the end of exams?"
"My exam preparations are certainly solid. ...Are you perhaps worried?"
At that, Light was startled again.
"What?! Why, why would I be worried because you're not here?!"
"If there's any part you don't understand, just tell me."
"...Huh."
Only then did Light realize he'd misunderstood again, and he sagged on the spot, but fortunately, Ban Yuwon didn't notice and continued speaking.
"Are you anxious about the exams? Study Talismans aren't omnipotent, after all... I have some free time today, so I can even tutor you."
"Oh? Oh..."
"Shishit, shishishit."
Instead of Ban Yuwon, who spoke casually as he put away his equipment, Eve flew over and coiled around Light's arm, as if comforting him.
"First, I'll go wash up. In the meantime, you can drink some hot chocolate or something."
"...No, I want to drink it with you."
"Then do that."
Ban Yuwon entered the bathroom.
A dispirited Light obediently began preparing to study.
Truthfully, he had been anxious too.
"...Well, this isn't bad either. Right?"
"Shishit."
Eve stretched out her tail and patted his shoulder, as if she understood his feelings perfectly.
Ban Yuwon's special tutoring session, which began that night, continued until the next day, but fortunately, no seizures occurred.
* * *
The Academy's final week, Week 14, dawned.
It was exam week, with serious practical and written evaluations underway.
As the week to conclude the semester, the entire Academy felt subtly invigorated.
The same was true for the training room where the members of the Union Journey Club gathered.
"I messed up――!!"
Stonemason screamed, rolling on the floor like a pebble.
"I completely messed up!"
"I didn't expect much. So, how badly did you mess up?"
"Cough! You didn't! Kahak! Expect anything! Agh! Why are you hitting me!"
"I didn't expect anything, but punishment is still necessary."
"Guaaah!"
"Leader, stop."
Perhaps unable to stand the pathetic sight of Stonemason rolling on the floor any longer, one of his fourth-year peers stepped forward and stopped Ban Yuwon.
"That guy's lying about messing up his exams. He won three out of four comprehensive evaluation duels today. He was just overreacting to brag about it."
"..."
Ban Yuwon looked down at Stonemason with the gaze one might reserve for a disgusting insect.
"I agree Stonemason is like an insect, but isn't that naked gaze a bit too much?"
"You're more over the top! You are!"
"Leaving this one aside, everyone, report your grades."
The results were as expected.
If even Stonemason, who had been in the most dire state, had achieved three wins in the combat evaluation, how much better would the others have fared?
Kshana, who had fully developed her unique abilities and even acquired a dedicated weapon, instantly soared to the top ranks of the second-year students, and most of the other seniors had also comfortably settled into the mid-tier of the practical evaluations.
Woohyeolrin, a third-year student who already excelled in practical scores, was, of course, beyond mention.
"Such a degree of change in just two months definitely shows clear results. Though, that also means the past few years were severely lacking."
Potential so great that they were selected from lower-ranked dimensions, where talent is rare, to attend Union Academy, a place where talents from all high-ranking dimensions gathered.
Even if it hadn't seen the light for years, that potential was firmly embedded within them.
Ban Yuwon had merely been with them, examining the concepts that formed them and guiding them in the right direction, yet such dramatic changes had occurred.
"That's not something just anyone can do! It's all thanks to Yuwon!"
"Well, that's true. It's all thanks to me."
At Kshana's cheering words, having achieved a clean sweep in today's duels, Ban Yuwon nodded without hesitation.
It was easy to say he'd "guided them in the right direction," but how easy was it to awaken talents that didn't appear in status windows and that people had never even realized they possessed their entire lives?
"That confident attitude is also coo— Hee-eek!"
Watching Kshana, who had once again crossed the line and was being subdued by Rucell and Mira, Ban Yuwon wore a faint smile.
He had changed their lives, so the price would certainly not be cheap, though he wondered if they truly realized that.
Since they'd even signed a contract, there was no backing out now.
"Still, everyone, don't let your guard down. It's only the first day. Your practical scores were certainly good, but you need to achieve much better results in the written exams than this. Understand?"
"Why are you saying that while glaring at me...?"
"Because Stonemason senior is the most unreliable."
However, to state the outcome upfront, that anxiety was unwarranted.
The effect of the Study Talisman was truly remarkable, helping even the blockhead Stonemason to achieve mid-tier scores in the written evaluations.
Throughout the exams, which continued on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, all members of the Union Journey Club achieved such excellent grades that they were suspected of cheating.
Union Academy's policy dictated that if cheating was not detected during an exam, it had to be overlooked even if it had truly occurred, so even the professors who looked down on them dared not challenge this.
"I can feel the atmosphere has changed. The way people look at us..."
Thursday afternoon, in front of the gymnasium where the comprehensive evaluation duels were held.
Almost all first-year students remained nearby, observing the Rebellion members, even though the duels were over.
"Once the grades are officially posted, even those who were unsure will definitely realize it."
As everyone knew who had spearheaded the miraculous comeback of the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions students, the gazes directed at Rebellion shifted once again.
Just as Mira had said when the club first launched, if things continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before they surpassed the influence of full professors.
Just then, Ban Yuwon's student ID card vibrated, signaling his turn.
—First-year, Class 11, Ban Yuwon, report to Duel Room 1.
"Oh, looks like it's finally the last one. I'll be back."
"We'll be rooting for you, Yuwon...!"
All other exams were already over, with only the final comprehensive evaluation duel remaining.
Ban Yuwon's party, who were drawing everyone's attention in front of the gymnasium, weren't solely doing so because of Rebellion's recognition.
It was because of Ban Yuwon's final opponent.
"...You've grown quite a bit, you worm."
"Indeed, you trash. I didn't expect to be fighting you this semester."
Ban Yuwon, from Earth, and Lusein Rown-Palomer Aquinas Ortima, from Ketiuses.
The two of them were about to compete in the 3rd and 4th place match.
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