After Thanksgiving, the seasons changed quickly. Before long, the wind turned cold in the mornings and evenings, and the sun began to set earlier.

“Ugh, I should have brought a cloak!”

Aer, who was still spending time with Louis at their hideout after school, muttered while looking at the rapidly setting sun.

As she was rubbing her arms in the chilly air, Louis took off the jacket he was wearing and draped it over her shoulders.

“…It’s okay. You’ll be cold too.”

“No, I’m not cold.”

His baritone voice had become familiar now. Though she occasionally missed his former high-pitched voice, Louis was still Louis.

Aer slightly raised the corners of her mouth and slipped her arms into the jacket. The faint scent rising from it was his familiar fragrance.

Her heart still raced steeply for him, so Aer was not unaware of her feelings towards him.

“Aer.”

His voice calling her was strangely subdued, making her heart flutter unnecessarily.

“Hmm?”

“Can I hold your hand?”

While thinking it was odd for him to ask so formally when they held hands every day, she nodded.

Expecting him to gently envelop her hand from the back as usual, she felt her heart might jump out of her mouth when she saw him intertwining their fingers one by one.

It was only slightly different from usual, but could this really make her heart race so much?

‘That’s right! It is! It’s a big deal!’

While inwardly shouting vehemently, she bounced on her tiptoes.

“Aer.”

“…Hmm?”

“Can I hold your hand?”

“…We’re already holding hands.”

“Yes, can I hold it every day?”

“…”

Could Louis actually be an incredible fox? Otherwise, there’s no way he could make such ordinary words so thrilling.

Aer pressed her fingertips to her lips, afraid a smirk might escape. She slightly pressed her upper lip downward and rolled her eyes.

She was curious. She wanted to ask.

Ah, she desperately wanted to say it.

I think I like you. More than a friend.

…Do you like me too?

As the fiery red sunset disappeared, a purple sky spread out. It looked just like his eyes, making it impossible not to look up at the sky.

“Wow…”

Stars began to light up one by one across the sky that looked like a spread of purple silk.

Just like someone had staged it, the stars lit up one by one, and even the aurora flickered in the distance.

Was it because she had memories of her past life, even though this was where she was born?

It really hit home that this was indeed a fantasy world.

Forgetting to answer him, she was staring up at the sky intently when he called her again.

“Aer.”

“…Ah! Yes!”

“Can I be the only one to hold your hand every day? Is that okay?”

At his words filled with certainty, Aer’s gaze naturally turned to his eyes.

The glasses he only takes off when he’s with her.

No one else would know that such beautiful eyes lie beneath those glasses.

Only she knows his bare face.

“…Then, am I the only one who sees your bare face?”

“…If that’s what you want.”

“Then, you’ll only hold hands with me too, right?”

“Yes!”

Every time he nodded, his black hair fluttered, looking just like a puppy.

So Aer unconsciously reached out and stroked his hair.

Pat pat.

Every time her fingertips brushed him, Louis bit his lip hard. Contact other than hands was truly indescribably ecstatic and dizzying.

“…I like you, Aer.”

He thought it was fortunate that she was a healer, but that wasn’t the reason he liked her.

The girl he liked just happened to be a healer.

“…Me too.”

Even her softly whispered voice was so lovable that Louis hugged Aer tightly.

He wanted to protect and embrace her with his whole body so that she would no longer be hurt or sad.

Under the blackened sky, the two leaned on each other silently.

It was okay not to say anything.

*** 

The busy week ended with an activity class. Aer attended the class with an excited heart.

It wasn’t because it was a joint class with both the Awakened and Healer classes. Her mind was focused on her first date with Louis on the weekend.

“Alright, everyone understands now?”

At Professor Javier’s instruction, the students drew papers in unison.

Aer also drew a piece of paper with a number written on it and unfolded it.

“Louis, what group are you in?”

Aer asked, showing him the paper with the number 4 written on it.

“…I’m in group 3.”

Unfortunately, the two couldn’t be in the same group this time, so they reluctantly looked for who their group members were.

At that moment, Anna approached Aer and held out her paper, saying:

“We’re in the same group again today?”

Although she sensed some ulterior motive in the person who used to detest being in the same group now seeming somewhat welcoming, Aer didn’t think much of it.

Because she was no longer someone who could attract her attention.

Anna gritted her teeth at Aer’s indifferent reaction. Anna placed her hand on the bag around her waist with a triumphant smile.

She had something very important inside, so she wasn’t planning to make any mistakes.

Meanwhile, Ian and Kai approached them. The group, joined by Dylan and a few others, became groups 3 and 4.

“You should all be familiar with moving in groups by now. From this class on, we’ll be learning joint operations. In joint operations, each group attacks the same magical beast, and you need to quickly understand each other’s different abilities to capture the beast swiftly. Now, groups 1 and 2, groups 3 and 4…”

In other words, the professor meant that odd and even-numbered groups would form a team.

Aer was overjoyed to end up on the same team as Louis, but her expression quickly hardened. This was because she didn’t like any of the team members.

“Aer, it’s been a while.”

Kai approached with his usual friendly smile. Aer nodded vaguely in response.

“Yeah, it has.”

Then Louis stuck close to Aer’s side.

It was such an obviously protective stance that Aer covered her mouth with her hand to hide her uncontrollable smile.

‘Ah, really. He’s so cute, just like a puppy.’

She didn’t care whether he was a commoner or not. After all, wouldn’t she become a commoner too if her family fell from grace?

To her, the fact that Louis wasn’t an Awakened didn’t matter.

No, she actually preferred it.

She’d had enough of Awakened ones.

She had already prepared ways to avoid dying senselessly like in the original story. Having collected quite a few awakening stones, she was determined to manage her business well.

‘Should I suggest moving to the Floss Kingdom later? I need to earn a lot of money to give our Louis a comfortable life!’

Aer grinned at the thought of imagining a future together with him. Louis then whispered in her ear.

“Why are you smiling?”

“…It’s a secret.”

“Even from me?”

“Yes, it’s a secret even from you.”

Aer couldn’t help but laugh at Louis asserting himself so confidently, finding it too cute.

Their behavior was so obviously that of a couple in love that the expressions of those around them all twisted.

Especially Kai, who glared at Louis with cold eyes.

At that moment, Louis, who had been bending down to whisper in Aer’s ear, raised his eyes.

Kai, who had only seen thick glasses before, felt a chill run down his spine as he met the eyes above the glasses.

As a physical Awakened with superior senses and nerves, he recognized what his whole body was screaming.

Run away. Get away.

Kai’s expression sank at this unknown sensation, and just then, the assistant’s starting signal sounded.

Simultaneously, Anna stepped forward with an expression full of anticipation.

“Since two groups are working together today, we’ve prepared higher-grade magical beasts than usual! But they’re almost the lowest among the high-grade ones, so don’t be afraid.”

Ignoring Professor Javier’s shout, they entered the familiar forest of magical beasts.

Crunch, crunch, dry leaves crumbled underfoot. Groups 3 and 4 were naturally following Ian’s orders.

Roar!

Tremendous roars were heard from all around, but these students, about to enter their second year, showed no signs of agitation.

“Ian, there’s a strong scent of magical beasts coming from the east-west direction here.”

At Dylan’s explanation, Ian quickly gave instructions.

“Among the Awakened, physical and special types will take the rear. Prioritize protecting the healers and ordinary people, and in critical moments, save the healers first.”

Ian instructed as he had been taught, but strangely, his mouth tasted bitter.

Maybe it was because Aer’s words at the first semester’s closing ceremony had left such an impression.

‘As we were taught, we risked our lives to protect the healers. We felt pride in that.’

Before, he would have thought her words were right. But at some point, or rather for quite a while now, a small thorn had been moving around in his heart.

He couldn’t help but know that this thing poking here and there was his conscience.

“I see a high-grade magical beast over there!”

At Dylan’s shout, all the Awakened raised their energy, ready to use their abilities at any moment.

“First, evacuate the healers and ordinary people to a safe place.”

“Understood!”

Aer was impressed by how much the Awakened had changed since the beginning of their first year.

Although she didn’t particularly like these individuals, she had no intention of belittling their skills.

Separate from her admiration for their skills, Aer had no intention of healing the Awakened if they got into trouble.

She thought there was no need to reveal that she was a healer, especially since she might not even stay in the Empire if her family fell from grace.

Moreover, since she started dating Louis, she became even more determined to carefully hide her identity as a healer.

‘There’s nothing good that could come from revealing it.’

While the Awakened attacked in perfect unison behind her, Aer prioritized protecting the healers and moved them to a safe place.

As they climbed up a slope, her eyes met Anna’s.

The gaze was so suspiciously intense that Aer couldn’t even think of avoiding the eye contact.