Chapter 79: I'm Not Here to Comfort You Well, Akito can deal with Chika himself.
I should go congratulate Yukina on her victory.
When I arrived at the Black Dragon waiting area, I saw people already praising Yukina, who had won with overwhelming skill.
"Piss off."
"Relax, I didn't come to see you, Senior. Yukina~"
Ignoring Clyde, who scowled the moment he saw me, I ran over and hugged Yukina.
"Great job. You totally crushed her, didn't you?"
"She won't fall for it twice. If we fight again, it'll be a struggle."
Is that so...?
Yukina looked serious, so it didn't seem like she was just being humble.
To a combat novice like me, it looked like she just kept beating Chika down, but I guess things look different between experts.
"I'm the one who came up with that strategy."
Clyde puffed out his chest and pointed at himself with his thumb.
When I gave him a look that asked, 'Really?' Yukina nodded and said the whole team had helped.
Empowered by Yukina's acknowledgment, Clyde began to blabber even more arrogantly.
"Chika Fraser's strength is her explosive power. But if you shut that power down from the start, that's all there is to it. It was quite difficult, but I'll admit Yukina executed my strategy perfectly. To suppress that explosiveness, she had to push hard from the beginning and—"
"Senior, use that smart brain of yours to run your team properly. Third place? Seriously, third place?"
"You're in last place. You're the last person who should be talking."
"I'm on the Red Team, but I'm not really on the Red Team~ Just stay on your toes, because I'm going to keep wrecking everyone."
I guess he isn't in the Student Council just for show.
Anyway, it seemed like my chance to mess with the upbeat Black Team had passed, so I just showered Yukina with praise and left.
I wanted to hang out with her if the timing was right, but unfortunately, as a Black Dragon prospect, Yukina had to participate in many more matches.
If that bastard Clyde works our Yukina too hard, I won't let it slide.
As I wandered the main street alone, sampling all the street food, Akito caught my eye.
I didn't want to bother acknowledging him, so I turned around immediately, but he must have already spotted me because he came running over.
"Yeon-woo!"
"Uh... you're always so bright."
"By any chance... have you seen Chika?"
Why are you looking for Chika through me?
Come to think of it, shouldn't you be in the middle of comforting her right now?
When I stared at him blankly, Akito gave a bitter smile and spoke.
"I met Chika earlier... but I think I said the wrong thing."
"...What did you say?"
Without hesitation, Akito laid out exactly what had happened.
You praised Yukina in front of Chika after she got absolutely demolished?
I knew he was dense, but is he really that clueless?
And she even shed tears? I've never seen Chika cry in the game except for when she thought you were dead.
Listening to him tell the story from his perspective, it seemed like he still didn't realize what he'd done wrong.
"Hey, what do you think of Chika?"
"Huh? She's a good friend."
Right. This is the kind of guy who would say "she's a good friend" even while burying his cock inside her.
He probably screamed about how Shiori was a "good younger sister" while they were thrashing around in that hotel room.
I sighed and looked at him with pity.
"Does it make sense to praise the enemy to someone who just lost to them?"
"But they aren't really enemies. It was just a spar."
"You've watched Chika since you were kids. Don't you know how hard she worked to build her skills?"
"Yeon-woo, you really know a lot about Chika."
"Is that what's important right now?!!"
Aaaargh!! Is this guy trying to piss me off on purpose?
When I shouted, people nearby jumped and stared at us.
"Whether I know Chika well or not doesn't matter. Chika likes you, and thanks to you, she was able to endure that hellish training under her shitty father. But when you praise Yukina, what do you think Chika feels? Sure, you can praise her. You can. But in front of the girl who just lost miserably? There's such a thing as timing."
"..."
"You're smart. Shouldn't you at least make an effort to understand Chika's heart? Don't just assume she'll always be by your side."
Akito looked down, seemingly lost in thought for a moment, before raising his head.
"Thanks. I think I understand what the problem is now. You're right, I took it for granted because we're always together. Thanks, I'll go find Chika and talk to her."
He sure is quick to agree.
Akito disappeared into the crowd to find Chika, looking so relieved that I felt like an idiot for getting angry.
Dammit, don't make me worry about this stuff.
You go save the world; I'll take the heroines you discard.
But I can't let Chika be discarded.
Chika is a character who heavily influences the story, so she has to stay in Akito's party.
Even if he messes up this character event, she won't leave.
Instead, she becomes a massive pain in the ass.
A "darkened" Chika gains a trait that gives her a chance to attack allies, occasionally leading to a total party wipe.
For the record, since Chika is strong in one-on-one combat, she's often used to block paths, meaning she naturally accumulates XP and is usually the highest-level member of the party.
Then she suddenly goes dark.
And that's how you get a fucked-up party.
She'll put a hole in the fragile Angelica's side, flick Shiori's forehead, or have a duel to the death with the Samurai—it becomes a total shitshow.
Since this isn't a game, she probably won't literally attack her allies during combat... but reality has plenty of things that are even scarier.
Ah—I really don't want to get involved...
I scratched my head and started wandering around to find Chika.
He said he understood the problem? But knowing Akito, he's the type of guy who will give up on finding Chika and head to his next match once the time comes.
He's someone who reaches out to the person asking for help right in front of him rather than dealing with an invisible, important matter.
After searching secluded spots for a while, I remembered my God Sayoshi perk and stopped in my tracks.
Am I an idiot? I have the perk God Sayoshi gave me, so why am I acting like a fool?
I checked her location and started running, but then I stopped again.
It's annoying as hell, but the one who needs to step up here isn't me—it's Akito.
Ring, ring—
Please pick up. I'm about to give you a huge gift, so just pick up.
Click.
"Akito, where are you right now?"
"Hmm? Akito is currently pinned under me, moaning 'ah, ah'?"
"..."
Where did Akito go, and why are you the one answering, Park Yu-jeong?
"I don't have time for jokes. Put Akito on."
"I guess Yeon-woo doesn't like NTR?"
I'm not your lover, so whether you're moaning with Akito or not, it's not NTR.
Just as I was getting annoyed by Park Yu-jeong's cheerful voice as she kept joking around while I was busy, she continued.
"Unfortunately, you're too late. Akito just went into his match."
"Wow... that guy is really..."
"Why? Is something wrong? I'm heading in soon too. Want me to pass along some insults?"
"...Tell him to ask himself if the match is more important than Chika."
"Ooh? A love triangle? I like those. Can't you tell me more details?"
I asked her to pass the message to Akito and hung up.
Sigh... he really makes life exhausting.
With a heavy heart, I trudged along until I reached the place where Chika was.
As if reflecting Chika's current mood, it was a secluded spot hidden between buildings that only current students would know about.
The students were all busy with the tournament, and outsiders didn't stray far from the main street, so the area was silent and deserted.
Seeing Chika sitting there with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head buried low, she looked pitiful.
But I wasn't the one who should be comforting her. That job belonged to that other carefree bastard.
"Hey, you crying?"
Chika, her eyes red, lifted her head and looked up at me.
Her tear-filled golden eyes looked so fragile; there was no trace of the usual "mad dog."
I sat down heavily beside her as she stared blankly at me and handed her the smoothie I'd bought on the way.
"Drink up. You must've lost a lot of fluids from all that sobbing."
"...Did you come to mock me? Or to comfort me?"
"Neither. I'm just going to rest here. Take it, your hands are cold."
I forced the smoothie into Chika's motionless hands and took a sip of my own drink.
After staring at me silently for a while, Chika lowered her head again. Condensation from the smoothie bottle trickled down and gathered on her fingers.
"Hey, did someone die? You aren't the type to be all gloomy. You're the type to just~ charge in, pick a fight, and get angry."
"...Stop picking on me and go away."
"I don't want to. I'm going to rest here. If you want to leave, you go."
"Whew—"
"Wait, are you actually leaving just because I told you to?"
I grabbed Chika as she tried to stand up and pulled with all my might, but this mad dog's strength was no joke.
Even though I was pulling as hard as I could, she walked forward without being hindered at all, and I ended up dangling from her wrist like I'd been knocked out and was being dragged away.
How on earth did Yukina win?
Chika glanced back at me as I was being dragged, sighed in annoyance, and sat back down.
"I told you to get lost."
"Let's just stay together for a bit."
Lying on my side in the same position I'd been dragged in, I looked at Chika and lowered my voice.
"Do you desire power?"
"...What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? Did you watch some anime yesterday?"
"If you desire power, I can give it to you."
"..."
Since I was lying on my side with my head resting on my arm, the line didn't sound very serious, but Chika looked into my eyes and fell silent.
Because I really could give it to her.
If I put my mind to it right now, I could dump items on Chika and make her three times stronger than she is now.
I'm a man who's raised Akito six times. Since you're a fixed member, I've raised you six times too.
I even once raised Emma—whose efficiency is absolute garbage—into a peerless warrior.
Though that was thanks to following a walkthrough.
"I bet you're going to talk about 'the price' or some bullshit in that low voice."
"Oh? Please don't steal my lines."
"Phew—I feel like I'm becoming an idiot just talking to you."
"Let's get the facts straight. You're the idiot, and I'm smart and handsome."
After correcting her mistaken opinion, I took a sip of my drink and continued.
"You're an idiot, which is why you lost so easily."
"..."
Ooh, she's mad.
But that face suits you much better than burying your head in gloom.
"I went to the Black Dragon area after watching your match. Senior Clyde was spouting off so much about how he won because of his strategy. I couldn't stand to look at him, so I left."
"..."
"Don't make that face. It's not like it has nothing to do with you. It means the entire Black Team put their heads together just to beat you."
Enjoying Chika's silent stare, I spoke sarcastically.
"Why? Do you feel like you have no talent? If you really lacked talent, you wouldn't have even made it into Yggdrasil."
"..."
"Ah—there goes your face again. I told you, there's no need for that. I'm sure you worked hard; I have no intention of belittling your effort. But how many people here do you think don't work hard?"
The Comedy Duo probably don't, but this is Yggdrasil, where only the talented gather.
Even those who were considered big shots with magic in their hometowns are just ordinary extras once they get here.
They might feel frustrated or jealous because of the talented bastards right next to them, but in the end, the students grit their teeth and train to improve their skills.
"For the record, Yukina trains much more harshly than you do."
"Have you seen me train?"
Chika glared at me, scoffing as if it were ridiculous.
"No, I haven't. I've only seen what Yukina does. But do you also do training where you take hits until your mana barrier breaks?"
"..."
A mana barrier is a mage's lifeline.
Without a mana barrier, your body is no different from a normal person's; you'll die whether you're stabbed or shot.
This isn't a game where the mana barrier is displayed as a numerical value. You have to gauge it by feel, so getting injured during training is a daily occurrence.
The training itself is dangerous, and I can't even imagine the pain that comes when a mana barrier shatters.
Asking someone to repeatedly plunge a dagger into my arm for 'training'? Who the hell would do that?
Yukina does.
She says she's used to it because she's been doing that kind of training in the Organization since she was a child, so she won't die, but it breaks my heart sometimes when I see her with burns on her arms or her body wrapped in bandages.
Even when I tell her to do it in the Illusion Space, she insists on doing it in reality, saying it's also training to endure pain, and she always comes back injured.
"She does it at least once a day. And for the record, she does it in reality, not the Illusion Space. And she has several other similar training routines."
"She's crazy..."
"Yeah, I think it's excessive too. I'm sure you trained harshly as well. But I'd appreciate it if you didn't think Yukina got strong just through talent alone. It pisses you off when your own efforts are dismissed, doesn't it?"
Just like how you reacted to my words just now.
Chika looked at me with a dazed expression, then turned her gaze toward the distance, eventually looking down at the smoothie in her hand.
"I'm not telling you to work 'haaaaarder.' I'm saying there are people who work harder than you, people who work less, and people who get help—like how the entire Black Team put their heads together to deal with you. Thinking you lost simply because of a difference in talent, while ignoring the work others have built up in places you can't see... that is arrogance and stupidity. So there's no need to be depressed."
"If I could control my feelings that easily, I wouldn't be sitting here like this."
"Then go ahead and be depressed and frustrated like a loser. And while I don't really like lines like this... be as depressed as you want today, but shake it off and get up tomorrow. While you're sitting here, the others are moving forward."
Ugh, so cringey.
I accidentally ended up saying something in Akito's style.
But like someone who had been influenced by Akito, the light returned to Chika's eyes.
"I was going to beat you up eventually, but since Yukina did it for me, I guess it doesn't matter anymore."
"What? Want me to kill you right now?"
"Don't bother. I'm not interested in losers. Especially not a kid who cries over losing one match."
"I wasn't crying!!"
It was cute to see her getting angry, returning to her original self.
But my role was over now; it was time to pass the baton to the next person.
"I thought you were saying something nice for once, but you always have to be annoying."
"Because my role isn't to comfort you. The person who's supposed to comfort you is someone else."
I gestured with my chin, and Chika turned her head to see Akito approaching.
Right. It's pretty cool of him to give up an important match to come here.
You really do get all the good stuff, don't you?
"Akito! What about the match?!"
"I gave up and came out."
"Why? It's an important match."
"Because it's not more important than you."
Look at him, swooping in to say a cool line after I've already set the table.
Still, I guess Park Yu-jeong did her job and told Akito where Chika was.
Have a nice life, you two. This extra will be making his exit.
Chika was moved by the sight of Akito, who had even given up his match to find her.
She knew she shouldn't be happy about something like this, but she felt a surge of joy knowing he had prioritized her over the team.
She knew how selfish that was, but she couldn't help the happiness rising within her.
Akito apologized with a bitter smile, saying he'd said the wrong thing.
Seeing him apologize for not being able to understand her feelings made Chika's heart race.
Then, she suddenly realized Yeon-woo was gone.
He had vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind but the flattened grass where he had been lying.
She was happy Akito had come... she should be happy...
But the one who had caught her as she was falling into darkness wasn't Akito.
It was Yeon-woo, who had disappeared before she knew it, who had reached out his hand to her.
"Chika? Are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."
Chika answered awkwardly, glancing at the spot where Yeon-woo had been lying.
The place where he had vanished felt somehow empty.
Chika herself didn't know what that feeling was.
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