Chapter 38 – Tilted Balance (1)
“Rope…”
Lena called me by name faintly as soon as she saw me. Under the red flash, the unexpected reunion moistened her eyes.
“Lope!”
But before that, Erica ran towards me. It seemed that she was so happy with my visit that she completely forgot that she was supporting Lena. As a result, Lena stumbled and fell to the floor, but she didn’t seem to care.
“Wow…You’ve come. Originally, I was going to go directly to where you are, but I’m at a loss when I try to find you, and I don’t even know where you are…”
“Calm down.”
“But I’m glad it came out well. As you said, I was gathering people who would be on my side… It’s too scary to go back to the academy, so…”
“So you started hanging out with people who had already escaped?”
“To be precise, they found me first. And I was trying to save the students trapped in the academy…I have only managed to save one, but still…”
Erica, who continued to speak gibberish, looked back at her as if she had just remembered it. Lena seemed to have lost strength in her legs, and she slumped in her seat as Erica had left her.
“But I brought Miss Lena today! I was watching the situation because it seemed like something unusual was happening, but Miss Lena suddenly fell from the top.”
“She fell from above?”
“Yes. I don’t know the details… Miss Lena? Are you okay?”
“…It’s okay. I can walk.”
Lena, who would normally have poured out her complaints, shook her head unexpectedly. Then, barely getting up on her wobbly legs, she started coming this way.
The last time I saw you was a while ago. Some of her memories were fuzzy. The last time she went to the academy, I hadn’t even met her, and all that time was focused on Roselia.
Maybe because of that, this sudden reunion was just embarrassing to me. However, Lena approached me with a very emotional expression.
“…Hello, Lope.”
“…”
“Long time no see.”
“Yes.”
It was very awkward to say goodbye after a long time. There were so many words that she held back, and this side couldn’t come up with anything to say, so the conversation didn’t progress. The tilted balance of emotions seemed to flow to one side, and it was just dangerous.
“Lena.”
“Yes?”
“What happened?
Then, I was the first to speak. Rather than thinking of what to say, it was because of the habit of grasping and seeing the situation. However, Lena’s answer to him was concise.
“I got out. Somehow.”
“So how?”
“It’s too long to talk about.”
“What about Roselia?”
“He has nothing to do with it.”
“Then how did you get out?”
“Rope.”
Lena came one step closer to me. Then she asked in a slightly daunted voice.
“Aren’t you asking if I’m okay?”
“…”
Yes.
There were so many things much more important than that. But before I could even say that one word, Haru spoke in a low voice.
“Senior. I don’t think you should stay here all the time.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Then come inside. It’s a bit cramped…But it’ll be fine.”
“I’m against it. It’s too dangerous here. And above all, it looks too much for all of us to get in.”
As Rebecca said, the basement warehouse was narrow enough for the people already there. Heavy loads that could not be moved. And it seemed that it would be difficult to stay for a short time because of the dust and mold.
While I was thinking about the sudden situation, the girl from earlier pulled my collar.
“Is that… Lope…?”
“Yes?”
“It’s really shameless, but do you have… Something to eat?”
“…”
At that, I shut my mouth and looked at the companions. The thought that everyone is probably thinking right now came to me as well, but I couldn’t bring it out easily. A cold formula called pay-and-go and love for humanity. And the sensibilities clashed fiercely with each other.
In fact, the answer may come easily if you look deeper. But at the time, my head was stiff and I couldn’t tell if that was right.
“There…”
In the end, it was Saya who saved us. Without realizing it, she put on a hood and in a kind voice gave us the answer we had to come up with.
“Does everyone like acorns?”
The crescent moon, devoured by the night sky, rose high in the sky. Animals too. The world too. It was a time when everyone should be asleep, but we closed the windows and carefully built a fire. As if that would fool the darkness.
In the false morning they visited, the girls chewed and swallowed the acorns we gave them. Even though they only opened one or two cans of food there, the girls expressed their gratitude over and over again. Some even showed tears.
Just then, the door opened slightly and there was the sound of footsteps clattering. Rebecca came up next to me and spoke in a quiet voice.
“No one followed or followed.”
“Thank you, Rebecca.”
“It’s something you have to do.”
She nodded her head nonchalantly and looked towards her table. A shadow fell on the look on his face.
“I probably can’t go on like this.”
“I know. But…”
“It’s not that the judgment I brought was wrong. I could definitely get help and I couldn’t leave it alone. It’s just that the stopwatch started running faster.”
“If there is no accident, it will be time for the ship to arrive. If it does not come, we will all die here anyway.”
“I’ll have to think fast.”
“I see.”
As Rebecca said, the academy’s clock started to run faster. It is because the things that have been piled up in the meantime have wound the spring more tightly.
The running minute hand was now tightening our necks. I also thought that I wouldn’t have much time left on this island.
“…Whoa. There are so many people, it’s so complicated. Hey, even if you don’t know who’s there, get out of the way. Don’t bother me.”
Then a familiar hand tapped her on the shoulder from behind. When she turned her head, there was a girl with her black cloth covering her eyes, covering her face.
“Don’t get out of the way? You know who I am now. If you come to someone else’s house, you have to figure out the rank.”
“Haru. It’s me.”
“…Everyone should know that our seniors are the best. Isn’t that right, seniors?”
“I did it on purpose as I smelled everything now. And where did you get that cloth again?”
“Saya unnie wrapped it up. Someone almost fainted at the sight of my scar earlier. Is it cute?”
I don’t know if it’s cute, but in fact, the one who has to cover her face is Saya. She was hiding her body in the corner of her house to see if she knew about it either. But it wasn’t how she could write very long.
“Yes, it’s cute. So please guide Rebecca and the girls. At least tonight, I think we should gather in the living room and sleep.”
“Hmm…Okay. I can’t just throw this out there, and they’ll soon become my subordinates, so I’ll have to take care of them.”
“No, not that…”
“Now, pay attention here! My name is Haru, the captain of the 1st Division of the Lope Division. From now on, I’ll introduce you to your sleeping quarters!”
“What… I’m going to talk.”
When Haru made a fuss, Rebecca was frightened and followed him. For some reason, I felt like I was seeing a mother with an immature child.
I sighed and approached Saya this time. She saw me coming and she lightly bit her lip.
“Sorry Lope. Did I do something wrong?”
“It’s not like that. Good job.”
“Thank you for saying it like that.”
After saying that, Saya cast her gaze toward the girls. I only saw ordinary victims thrown into destruction, but I didn’t know how they would look in the eyes of the elves. The gaze that stayed for a while soon returned to a complicated voice.
“Even those people we can’t save? There are even more people in the academy.”
“I guess so.”
“I know it can’t be helped. But I can’t help feeling uncomfortable. Is there anyone among them that is dear to you?”
“No. Most of them are new people.”
“Some say they know. You really only know women?”
“Well…”
At this point, there was no room for excuses. For some reason, Saya’s lips seemed to protrude slightly.
“It’s just a coincidence. Rather than that, buy it. I think it’d be better to cover your face as much as possible in front of those people. There’s nothing good about revealing your identity.”
“You mean I have to wear a hood like before?”
“Yeah. Especially, you can’t let Lena know.”
“So I guess I’ll have to hide in a closet or something?”
“No. Just…Stay by my side as much as possible. Then I won’t bother digging into your identity.”
“Are you sticking together even when you sleep?”
“Yes?”
In a moment of panic, his voice rose a little. Saya sometimes shortened his words too much.
“Uh…Yes. You should stay in my room as usual. For now…For now.”
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
Then, the corner of Saya’s mouth raised very slightly in response. I don’t know if it was her mistake, but her little hand seemed to be holding my finger.
Feeling strange, I looked around. A day that still leaves room for thought. Rebecca trying to dry it somehow. In the meantime, Erika and the other girls notice Haru. However, strangely, not one person was visible.
For some reason, I pulled back the curtains and looked out the window. Then, in the dim darkness, I saw the shape of a girl.
“…Saya.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to go to the room first? I’ll follow you soon.”
“Okay, I get it.”
As I spoke quietly, she walked towards the room unnoticed, as if she had read her intentions. I saw her go through her door, then I got up from her seat and headed outside her.
As I carefully opened the door, a cool breeze began to blow. The cold seeped in between the loosely tucked collars.
…
Bright red hair shattered in the windy landscape. If you look at the hair that keeps blowing to the east, it seems to be pointing to the place where the sun will rise in advance.
Of course, an illusion was just an illusion. She had never been the dawn of my world. I purposely slammed the door shut so that the other night would notice.
“…!”
“…”
“Rope…”
Lena turned and looked at me. It was then that I met her face to face for the first time.
“Lena.”
“Yes. Lope.”
When I called her name, Lena responded in a voice she had never heard before. Even when she went to the dormitory to wake me up every morning. Sometimes when I go for a walk in the woods. That day, when she went to the annex to get it, it was the kind of voice she didn’t give. It’s somewhere warm and soft, so if you’ve heard it before, you might have felt a special emotion.
But now, I don’t feel that way anymore. To be honest, no matter how much you mix cuteness and clear your throat…
…
Compared to Saya’s voice, I didn’t feel a single handful of specialness.
In the past, I compared Lena and Saya countless times. Is it human nature to compare when we find something similar? However, the two really don’t resemble each other as much as nails, but strangely, they kept putting them on the same scale. And that scale always tilted to one side.
Maybe that’s why the feeling of reunion cooled down so quickly. I scratched my head for nothing and slowly opened my mouth.
“Now I have to tell you, Lena. How did she get out of there?”
“I don’t want to remember that time. It’s so horrible and difficult.”
“I still have to listen. It’s important.”
“I heard earlier. I fell from above. I can’t remember if I bumped my head at that time. I’m sorry.”
When I showed signs of inquiring, Lena interrupted her conversation with a bizarre excuse. Then, step by step, they slowly approached me.
“By the way, you really haven’t changed at all. You’re frighteningly calm even in this situation.”
“Lena. Don’t talk back and answer. How did you get out? Roselia?”
“I’ll stop talking about that. I’m done with her.”
At the mention of Roselia’s name, Lena showed her cold attitude. But somehow I got the strong impression that she seemed deliberately rough.
“You must have more things to say than that. You… There must be many things you want to tell me.”
“Uh…There’s nothing in particular. More than that…”
“You’re very angry. I’m sure you are. I understand.”
She kept avoiding the conversation and approached me. I finally shook my head and changed her question.
“Then let me ask you something else. Why did you escape, Lena? You were doing well there.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Rogeria says so. She’s doing well, so don’t mind her. But why is she suddenly out of there, Lena?”
“That’s a mistake. I just…”
“Is there a purpose?”
“Lope!”
A sudden shriek pierced her ears. Lena must have been surprised even though she had shouted at herself, so she covered her mouth.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scream. I just…”
“Calm down.”
“Yes. I must have been so excited to finally meet you. I’m sorry.”
Lena conveyed her apology with her lies until the end. Then, as she calmed her shaking heart with her hands, she slowly opened her mouth.
“Yes, that’s right. There is a purpose…Of course not. I proudly left and came back now.”
“…”
“Actually, you already know it, right? You know, but you’re asking, right? I want to hear the answer from my mouth. Then I’ll tell you. My goal is of course…”
“As expected…”
“Of course it’s you, Lope.”
Lena suddenly burst in front of me. It was so close that I could see the tears forming in her eyes. A hot breath blew through my nose.
“I realized too late. I realized too late that there is no one like you in this world. No matter how much I can survive this destruction, it means nothing if I can’t be with the people I love.”
“…”
“I remember Lope. I always said I love you. You might think it was an empty word, but it’s not. Words always have a special power. It’s like magic. If you keep saying it out of your mouth, one day it will become reality.”
“Lena.”
“I’m sorry I realized so late. But I’m glad I found out now.”
She held her cheek with one hand before I could open my mouth. Then she said slowly tilting her head.
“I love you, Lope.”
“…”
An empty word echoed through the air. She lightly closed her lips as she spat out her confession, then started to walk towards me. Her hand was still holding my cheek.
And the other hand grabbed my shoulder and slowly flowed down. Shoulder. Eight. And wrist. A soft hand flowed like tears and gently ran over my left arm.
The fingers that had slid so far stopped at the edge of her glove. And when her thin index finger caressed the back of my hand, I clenched my fist.
