I’m Just an Ordinary Academy Student

43 – Why am I not fitting in?

“It’s the last day of the festival, let’s take it easy today.”

I’m not an unscrupulous boss. And I’m not doing this to make money.

So, on the last day, I take a break. Normally, there’s no overtime or extra work on Fridays.

“Oh… take a break? You’re not doing business today?”

“Can’t I just take a break? This was fine in its own way.”

But why do they refuse to have fun even when told to go and enjoy?

When the boss said, ‘Today, we’ll only work in the morning,’ and the colleague next to me retorted, ‘No, I’ll leave on time,’ it seemed no different.

Baffled, I look at Selena, and even she seems perplexed.

She even mutters about showing diligence in unnecessary corners.

“Ah! I said take a break! If Karl takes a break, it means taking a break; why so many words!”

Meanwhile, Joahim, who seems quite harassed, is earnestly persuading the rest.

Yeah. I guess I won’t wear the fish-shaped bread outfit anymore. Let’s see, Joahim. Remember this.

I worked hard to make the clothes for you, and you’re embarrassed? Next time, it’s a hotteok outfit.

Of course, without a head… Oh, no. I mean, I should definitely get a rabbit ear and stick it in.

Leaving the cooking booth, not the spit. Why is this phrase still sticking around?

Anyway, I think I’ll take a nap, but Selena quietly follows me.

“Karl.”

“Hey, Selena. Do you have something to say?”

“Today is the last day of the festival. What are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to my room to get some sleep.”

At my response, Selena stops in her tracks and looks at me with a puzzled expression.

It must have sounded quite absurd to say that I’m going to take a nap on the last day of the festival.

But what can I do? I’m tired. As a military veteran returning to school, my physical fitness has deteriorated through the ranks!

“But still… even though it’s the last day of the festival, shouldn’t we enjoy it a bit more?”

“Hmm.”

There was no flaw in Selena’s words. I can sleep anytime, but it’s not the same for the festival.

Unless I’m an outsider. Right now, I’m an academy student. And even a returning one at that.

Every returning student’s primary task is to adapt and seamlessly integrate into school life. Otherwise, one might become a Schrödinger’s returning student, existing and yet not quite there.

In such situations, reveling in the festival without fleeing is perhaps a natural thing. Come to think of it, I’ve never even glimpsed my face in the booths managed by other juniors.

Since it’s the last day, it’s probably the right path to at least go and greet them.

“…Come to think of it, Selena was right.”

“Really?! Then, will you walk with me?”

“With Selena?”

“Yeah. Well, um, you know. Oh! This festival might be my last!”

Ugh. Just listening to it is heartbreaking. Academy graduation, huh?

Returning to the noble world after four years as an ordinary student… It feels quite regrettable.

Is it akin to graduating from university and leaping into the real society?

At least here, they don’t pressure you to get a job as a noble, which is fortunate.

“Rather, this feels strangely peculiar.”

At first, when I returned to school, I thought I wouldn’t have much to do with Selena. Even if we happened to meet, I thought we’d just exchange greetings and quickly go our separate ways.

After all, we had become quite embarrassing and had a history together.

But in reality, here we are strolling through the festival together.

“Yesterday, about that person, Lavrenti?”

“Lav went to see his family first, saying he was going to visit them. I heard he came to me right after being discharged.”

“Really. If he came right after discharge, it seems like he’s really determined.”

“…Well, no matter how much I think about it, I just can’t understand that part.”

Yeah. As Lav said, I did grab her and gave various pieces of advice. I praised her, saying she did well and encouraged her that she could do even better in the future.

The problem is, while saying all that, I, standing next to her, couldn’t hit a single target.

Lav definitely saw that pathetic sight. Criticizing me while doing nothing!

Yet, she says everything is thanks to me, her mentor!

“On the contrary, I find that even more incomprehensible. A sword?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Couldn’t you shoot? You were on the battlefield for three years, and you, a sharpshooter who achieved such remarkable feats, are now called a mentor for a sword.”

It seems like I have to show this to believe it. Where should we look? Ah, there’s a suitable place over there.

“Gun?”

The place Selena led me to was a shooting range. So, it was a place where you shoot model firearms, somewhat like real guns.

If you hit the target, it’s yours! It was a place that could be considered a classic game.

The operation was almost similar. Except for the fact that real bullets weren’t flying, and the power significantly decreased upon firing.

“I’ll show you. My shooting skills.”

Hmm. Saying something like this makes me feel like the protagonist in a cheesy story saying, “Show me. My strength.”

In reality, I’ve hit enough targets during the war to count on one hand.

I receive ten bullets from the student in charge of the booth.

The distance to the target is not far. The dolls are mostly larger than the target sheet.

I take aim. Just like before, I regulate my breathing, aim carefully, and pull the trigger.

Bang!—

“Ah! Missed by a little! Too bad!”

…Yeah, I was expecting that. One more time.

Bang!—

“Ah! It was right next to it! Too bad, Karl.”

“…”

No, seriously. Why? I aimed carefully and shot, why the hell isn’t it hitting?!

While passionately contemplating whether I should dismantle this gun-like thing right here, Selena, who seemed intrigued, asked, “Karl, can I try?”

Her eyes twinkled with curiosity.

Since it seemed unlikely that I would hit, I willingly handed her the gun.

“Uh, um… Do I hold it like this?”

“No, not like that. Like this. Ready?”

Certainly, there must be a natural difference in handling guns between someone with military experience and someone without.

The distance to the target is close from my perspective but far from Selena’s…

Bang! Thud!—

“Ah! I hit it! I hit it, Karl! Hehehe!”

“Uh, yeah… That’s right.”

What the hell. How am I supposed to deal with this if it’s so easy to hit?

“Congratulations! Here is the doll you hit!”

“Thank you. Oh, can I finish off the remaining rounds?”

“Of course! Feel free to use all the bullets you purchased!”

With that, Selena exclaims, “Great!” and readjusts her posture.

Hmm. But why does she keep adjusting her grip like that? It’s distracting, and my gun is hanging awkwardly from my shoulder.

“Selena, hold on a moment.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

Even though I can’t shoot a gun, I know how to hold a proper stance.

Is she not in the military? I can’t stand this discomfort! Ugh!

“Like this. Position it on your shoulder.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Place the gun against your face. Look at the target you want.”

I stand behind Selena and guide her through the finer points.

The stance is fine, but her slightly labored breathing bothers me.

“Do I… do I just shoot?”

I wanted to tell her to calm down a bit more before shooting, but Selena had already pulled the trigger.

It seems like the bullet is going to hit a strange spot this time—

Bang! Thud!—

“Oops! I hit it again!”

“Congratulations! Wow, this time it’s an even bigger doll!”

….

No, this can’t be right. I distinctly felt the gun shake because of her rough breathing!

Why is she hitting the target? Why?! Why can’t I hit it, but Selena can?

“Now it’s time for knives. Go on.”

“I… I think Selena can just do it all.”

“No, two knives for Selena, and two for me. We have to be fair. Go on.”

Conflicting feelings arise – the reluctance to accept and the pride of a military background.

I sense it. Even if she shoots all six remaining rounds, hitting the doll will be difficult.

But if I back down here and say, ‘Let’s stop,’ then… I’ll be losing to a high school girl in a shooting contest, even though I’m not in the military! Damn it, that’s something I can’t accept even if I die!

“Please. Just one shot. Please!”

In the battlefield, I even went so far as to try aiming a gun, something I’d never done before.

I’ve seen a colleague who’s good at hitting targets by doing it this way.

So, I thought I’d try kissing the blade of my sword, and when I swung it, it felt like it cut better than before.

I take aim at the target, the closest and largest one. The one I placed there for a real hit.

It’s a bit embarrassing, but no, it’s really embarrassingly crazy, but I have to do it for now.

Even if the first two shots were mistakes, if I can’t hit the next one, it’ll look too awkward.

“I never knew receiving a medal of honor would be this burdensome. Damn it.”

That’s right. It had to be me, who just received a medal of honor.

If a guy like me can’t shoot a gun better than a girl… I might as well go hide.

“Phew.”

I regulate my breathing, steady my breath, align the crosshair, and prepare to fire.

“Hey, hey, hold on! If you insert it like that!”

Suddenly, there’s a bang from the booth behind, and something explodes.

Others might have just heard that, but not me. The next one also buzzed in my ears.

Something was flying through the air, cutting through space. Selena is standing there.

As that thought reaches me, instinctively, I pull Selena towards me and fire the gun I was holding.

***

“Like this. Now, attach it to your shoulder.”

“Position your face properly. Look at the target you want.”

I thought my emotions were trembling to death. I was worried if this clicking sound would be audible to Karl.

When he stood behind me, adjusting my posture one by one. When his hands touched my shoulders and hands. When the warmth from behind tickled my nape.

Selena tightly bit her lower lip between her teeth, wondering if the wind would leak out.

‘Shooting… might not be bad, huh?!’

I wanted to be closer to Karl and the gun, but I already fired two shots. It’s Karl’s turn again.

So, handing him the gun, just as Selena was trying to calm down her embarrassing feelings.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, my body is pulled to the side, and I find myself in Karl’s embrace.

At the same time, Karl lifts the gun with one hand and pulls the trigger towards empty space.

Bang!

A test tube shatters into pieces right in front of where I was standing.

If he had continued to stand there, it could have been a big problem.

“Sorry, sorry! Are you okay?! Where are you hurt?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”

Selena, embraced in Carl’s arms, stared at him in a daze.

It seemed that she had a lot to regret for rejecting his confession in the past.

Meanwhile—

‘Why does this keep happening? Damn it.’

With a bewildered expression, Carl stared blankly at the gun in his hand.

The gun that couldn’t hit anything even with careful aiming had just hit its mark with a casual shot a moment ago.