I Possessed the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 125

#The Heart of a Woman is Complex – 2

The indefinite suspension of Arcana had come to an end.

It was March, with winter passing and spring beginning.

Typically, third-years would graduate, and new first-years would enter around this time.

However, the prolonged break due to last year’s Avatarara incident had delayed this process significantly.

The conclusion reached was:

“So, we’ll promote to third year and make up for all the classes we were supposed to take in second year, right?”

“Yeah. I heard the professors will wrap things up with quick quizzes during the makeup classes.”

Well, that was to be expected.

At least we wouldn’t have to combine the midterms and finals like we did two years ago.

“So, what happens to the existing third-years?”

“I heard it’s a self-directed attendance option. For two years, they can attend classes at their convenience and take a graduation exam at the end.”

It was a plausible method.

Arcana could avoid the confusion in grade levels, and all third-years could graduate appropriately.

If there was one regret, it was the lack of a graduation ceremony.

Senior Andrew smiled brightly, saying it was fine, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

“By the way, Aike, are you okay?”

“Uh?”

As I expressed my confusion at that question, Leon scratched his head and continued.

“It might be a little tough for you to participate in practical classes with your condition. Wouldn’t it be better to apply for a leave of absence until your body is fully healed?”

“…Ah. It’s fine. Miss Sophia said that keeping my body active would be better for my rehab. Well, I can’t do as much as before, though.”

After the fight with Dait, my body was in a state that could only be described as a corpse.

Every muscle in my body had ruptured, there wasn’t a single unbroken bone, and my insides were twisted; it was truly a miracle I was alive.

Most of my magical pathways were nearly torn apart, and I couldn’t even use healing magic recklessly. Eventually, I was moved to the Martires Order’s healing facilities after protecting my body with only minimal magic.

“If it weren’t for the fact that Prince Aike trained even a little, things would have been really dangerous.”

Sophia had said something like that too.

Given that, to be able to move my body like this after being in such a state was impressive.

Magic sure is amazing.

But unfortunately, healing magic isn’t omnipotent, and I ended up with some lingering effects.

I couldn’t use Physical Enhancement Magic at full capacity anymore, and I got exhausted well before completing even 10% of my previous training.

Most troubling was that my left shoulder still occasionally creaked and sent excruciating pain shooting through me.

I had been told that it would all improve with time, but it would take at least ten years.

Initially, I wondered if my current state could all be resolved with healing magic.

But then I remembered—

“Healing magic ultimately relies on accepting the magic of others, and excessive use can cause magical conflicts. Not only does it put a strain on the pathways, but it could also lead to magic addiction.”

So, under Sophia’s silent pressure to just focus on rehab and return my body to its original state, I could only nod quietly.

“Well, that’s a relief then.”

“…By the way, Prince Aike, how are things going on that front?”

As Leon nodded, relieved, Atal, who had been quietly listening beside us, finally spoke up.

Atal didn’t specify what he meant by “that front,” but I understood immediately.

“…No.”

At my answer, both Leon and Atal sighed at the same time.

“Have you talked it out properly?”

“You said you didn’t do anything wrong, right?”

“…Yeah.”

It had already been over five months since I last spoke with Reina properly.

Why?

I didn’t understand.

What on earth had I done wrong?

“You said you were talking normally in your letters, right?”

“Yes. So I have no idea what the problem is.”

I’d even asked her to tell me if there was an issue, thinking maybe I had done something wrong, but the reply was just that there was no problem.

Did Reina want to kill me?

“When I gave you the ring back then, you were clearly happy, but you said the atmosphere changed the next day and we stopped talking.”

“…Maybe I kept her waiting too long.”

At that moment, even though I was just happy that she liked the ring, I thought forcing a three-month wait was a bit much.

“Well, I hope it’s not that you dislike me now.”

“There’s no way Reina would feel that way.”

“I think the same. It’s absolutely impossible.”

With that lamentation, both of them ended the meeting by comforting me.

I hoped things would improve starting tomorrow.

With that wish in mind, I quietly sighed and returned to my dorm room.

★

A week had passed since Arcana’s classes began.

And during that time, the number of times Aike and Reina conversed was few enough to be counted on one hand.

Of course, if exchanging letters counted as conversation, then it increased a little, but that wasn’t the point.

“…What are we supposed to do?”

In Sophia’s room, Reina sighed and poured out her worries.

Listening to this, Sophia, Helen, and Michelle thought today, too:

‘A woman in love is a pain.’

They swallowed those thoughts internally.

“Reina, no matter how you look at it, not talking properly for five months is…”

“Then it must be my fault, right?”

Michelle spoke awkwardly, managing a smile, and that made Reina’s eyes well up with tears.

With her eyes slightly lifted, looking at Michelle as if she were a mother figure, her expression was so powerful that it could evoke even maternal instincts.

“No, no! It’s not your fault, Senpai!”

“Is, is that so?”

“Yes, yes! People should live true to their emotions!”

In the end, Michelle had no choice but to let it slide once again.

“Still, if Prince Aike might misunderstand, wouldn’t it be better to talk a little?”

However, considering that it had already been five months, Sophia, thinking it was hard to watch any longer, was the first to voice her opinion.

“B-but, every time I see Aike’s face, my heart races…”

That’s right.

Reina wasn’t avoiding Aike because she was angry or had other issues.

Rather, she was avoiding him because just seeing his face made her heart race.

★

The day after receiving the ring from Aike.

“Ai, Aike…?”

Reina typically visited Arcadia, having tea in the reception room as she awaited Aike.

And the moment Aike opened the door to the Reception Room and walked in—

“Hello, Reina.”

“…Um.”

Just a simple greeting made Reina’s face flush bright red.

‘I love you. After we graduate from Arcana in two years, please marry me, Reina.’

‘I’m so foolish for making you wait three months for this promise. I didn’t need to go that far.’

‘So, do you dislike me?’

In that instant, memories of the previous day flooded back, bringing with them waves of embarrassment.

Of course, those memories were undeniably happy.

Just yesterday, she had boasted about her ring to Anna all day back in Heros.

But emotions, in the end, settle gradually.

‘No, the more I think about it, the more I like you. I look forward to our future together, Aike!’

Just recalling that she had embraced him as she enthusiastically expressed those sentiments made her realize—

‘What have I done?’

Overwhelming embarrassment washed over her.

Thirty minutes later.

“Aike, are you okay?”

Noticing that Reina was behaving differently than usual, Aike asked with a worried expression.

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

Reina tried to maintain as calm an atmosphere as possible while answering, but the reality was far from it.

Even now, if she let her guard down for a second, waves of embarrassment would crash over her.

On top of that, for some reason, Aike seemed to look even more handsome than usual, making her heart race.

Even—

‘D-does he notice I’m acting differently and is worried about me?’

Just that thought alone made her heart flutter.

Indeed, Reina was deeply troubled.

Ultimately, she had avoided talking to Aike to hide her embarrassment.

“Did I do something wrong…?”

“Haah. I’ve avoided him again. What should I do, Anna?”

“Miss…”

And thus, five months passed.

★

‘Ah, I understand. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely reach out to him first.’

With Sophia and Helen’s appeals that five months was too much, Reina nodded and resolved to do just that.

This time, I’ll definitely have a proper conversation with Aike.

After class ended, in Aike’s favorite café.

There, Reina managed to find a place with Aike, each ordering black tea and iced chocolate.

Aike looked pleased to be invited out by Reina after so long, while she struggled to keep her heart calm against the rising heat in her cheeks.

“A-Aike.”

“Yeah.”

“Um… h-how have you been?”

At her sudden inquiry about his well-being, Aike tilted his head, confused.

Reina felt just as flustered.

‘W-what did we usually talk about?!’

No matter how much she told herself to stay composed, Reina’s feelings were honest.

Just sitting across from Aike and having a conversation made her heart race, and memories of the previous day flooded back, causing another wave of embarrassment.

In short, she was unable to think rationally at that moment.

Eventually, an awkward silence fell over them.

“…Haah, Reina.”

It was Aike who broke the silence.

“Calling me like this suggests you have something to say. I might be a fool, but I know we haven’t spoken properly for over five months.”

It was quite a serious subject.

“I think it must be because I did something wrong. Like I mentioned before, I’ve had no friends since childhood, so I’m clueless about this stuff. I suspect my thoughtless actions might have hurt you somehow.”

“…Huh?”

As she listened to Aike’s words, Reina realized something.

“So if I did something wrong, could you tell me? I’ll definitely fix it.”

Aike—or rather, the person known as Ren Seolhwa—had never led a life intertwined with others. He had spent his time trapped in a healing facility in pursuit of healing from illness.

To have avoided him all this time out of embarrassment, knowing his past, felt completely wrong.

‘Still, Prince Aike might misunderstand, wouldn’t it be better to communicate a little?’

It wasn’t a matter of coincidence that Aike might have misunderstood; it was a necessity born from Reina’s own actions.

“I’m sorry, Reina.”

“That—That’s not it!”

Reina stood up immediately and waved her hands frantically at Aike, who bowed his head in apology.

“It’s my fault. I…I was embarrassed about getting that ring, and that’s why I avoided you! Aike, you haven’t done anything wrong!”

If not for the sound barrier I’d habitually set up, I’d probably have drawn all the attention with my raised voice, while Aike just quietly stared at me.

After laying all the truth bare, Aike asked Reina, whose face was red from embarrassment.

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s the truth. I was so happy back then, and just thinking about how I embraced you fills me with embarrassment. That’s why my heart races every time I see your face…”

“Thank goodness.”

Hearing Reina’s explanation, Aike sighed deeply, relieved.

“I thought I had done something really wrong and that you disliked me.”

“Of course not. It’s impossible for me to dislike you, Aike.”

If anything, Reina felt happier at this moment because Aike wasn’t blaming her.

“Reina.”

“Yeah?”

“Both of us are experiencing this for the first time, and we’ll continue to be together, right?”

“Right.”

“So, when misunderstandings arise, let’s communicate quickly to resolve them. If we let misunderstandings pile up, they can become a real problem.”

Aike’s words were right.

In the end, the reason Aike had been anxious for the past five months was ultimately due to their lack of conversation.

Thinking about that fact, Reina quietly nodded.

“…Okay. I understand.”

“Oh, but I’m really relieved. I thought I had seriously messed up.”

With that, Aike smiled, releasing a breath of relief.

“From now on, let’s get along well.”

“….”

‘I love you. After we graduate from Arcana in two years, please marry me, Reina.’

‘I’m so foolish for making you wait three months for this promise. I didn’t need to go that far.’

‘So, do you dislike me?’

‘No, the more I think about it, the more I like you. I look forward to our future together, Aike!’

Seeing that smile made Reina suddenly recall the memories of the previous day and the embarrassment surged back.

“Sorry!”

Ultimately, Reina shot up and fled the café.

“…The heart of a woman is complicated.”

Aike sighed quietly, gazing up at the ceiling.

And it would be two weeks later before Reina would again be able to talk to Aike normally.