#40
“You’re Noah Schwein, right?”
Noah’s eyes grew wider than ever as he alternately looked at the hand and face of the child standing in front of him.
An angel?
The angel he desperately wanted to see but had only appeared twice so far would show up like this just when Noah was about to forget.
On the day he met the Great Magician Chris, Noah had been reminded of the angel the moment he saw him.
He had thought that at first glance, but as he continued to meet and talk with Chris, Noah realized he felt that way because of Chris’s hair color and eye color.
The overall build, height, and feeling were similar, but upon closer inspection, Chris didn’t really resemble the angel that much. But this child looked like the angel had simply been shrunk down.
As the child extended his hand further toward Noah with a bright smile, seemingly wanting to shake hands, Noah quickly shook his head as brilliant light seemed to shatter behind the child. Self-illumination—that’s what described this child.
“Handshake.”
When Noah didn’t readily take his hand, the child grabbed Noah’s hand directly and only let go after completing the handshake.
“Is anyone sitting here?”
Though Noah was too flustered to even move his lips after seeing the child, the kind child continued to speak without losing his smile.
“N…no.”
“Then, I’ll sit here.”
“You…”
Noah watched as the child sat down beside him and took out his books and pencil case, trying to choose his words carefully to ask a question.
“Good morning!”
Just as his thoughts were about to become words, the professor entered, and Noah’s slightly parted lips closed tightly again.
[Why?]
Noah, who had been listening to the professor briefly explaining the semester’s curriculum, looked at the small note that appeared in front of him.
[What?]
Noah wrote under the note and subtly pushed the paper to the side.
[What were you going to say to me earlier?]
[Nothing. It’s not important.]
[What was it?]
Noah and the child were passing notes back and forth while sitting right in front of the professor—it’s darkest under the lamp.
Since it wasn’t anything important, Noah didn’t respond to the child’s note anymore. The longer the tail, the easier it is to catch—it was just a matter of time before they were discovered doing this at the front. He thought the child had introduced himself as Derik, but he wanted to ask if he had heard correctly or if his name was really Derik.
Derik is a common name anyone could have, but the moment Noah heard it, he thought of a dragon.
As various thoughts ran through his mind, when the name Derik and the face of an angel merged in his head, Noah clenched his molars. It didn’t match at all. How could such a kind, warm, and divinely handsome person share a name with the ultimate selfish dragon who only cared about himself and froze an entire region?
But soon Noah’s mind was filled with the face of the child he had just seen. He had thought Chris resembled the angel too, though only for about three seconds. But no matter how he looked at it, this child seemed like an exact miniature of the angel—the bright smile, the gentle voice.
[I’m curious about what you were going to say.]
Noah, who had been staring at the professor’s face while lost in thought, lowered his head when he felt something lightly tap his forearm. There was another note in neat handwriting.
It’s class time. We’ll get caught. This professor is known for being strict.
Let’s talk during break time.
[Noah.]
[Noah.]
Since he didn’t respond, the notes kept coming. As soon as the professor left the classroom, Noah turned his body sharply to look at Derik.
Before Noah could ask why Derik kept sending notes during class when he could have just waited for break time to talk, the child spoke faster.
“What were you going to say earlier? You were clearly about to say something to me.”
“Ah, I didn’t hear your name properly, so I was going to ask your name again.”
“Derik. Derik Howard.”
“By the way, Derik, haven’t you heard the rumors?”
Noah kept it simple, feeling uncomfortable bringing up the negative talk that followed him.
“I heard.”
“About the misfortune?”
Noah asked again to confirm, since if Derik had heard the rumors about misfortune, he wouldn’t approach him so easily or be so kind.
“Yes. Everyone said misfortune comes to those who are near you.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Of you? Why would I be scared of you?”
“Why? They say misfortune comes. You might get hit by a ball while walking and pass out, or you could get pooped on by a bird while resting on a bench.”
“That’s just bad luck.”
After this quick back-and-forth exchange, Noah tilted his head at Derik’s actions as he organized his books and pencil case while asking, “Can you show me where the math lecture hall is?”
Are you perhaps the ‘I do whatever I want, it’s my life’ type?
“Derik. Derik Howard, right?”
It’s not that difficult to show him the lecture hall. But if he gets mixed up with me and strange rumors start following him too, it would only hurt him. Should I still help him? Or should I just ignore him and leave? While Noah was thinking this, he nodded as he saw other children approaching Derik.
Of course. That makes sense.
The first thing children did at the start of a new semester was to find friends. They’d scan the unfamiliar faces as soon as they entered the classroom and sit in any available seat. They’d awkwardly greet the children sitting beside, in front, and behind them. Noah had also gone through this process of internally choosing which child to befriend, and if he had been an ordinary child, he would have wanted to be friends with the princely, handsome Derik.
You shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, but the first thing you notice is appearance—what can you do about that? Initially, people mostly got to know each other from being nearby, and only after getting closer did they learn about each other’s true personalities. That’s why at the beginning of the semester, children typically hung out with those sitting next to or around them, but after some time passed, it was common to become friends with someone other than the person they first befriended.
Anyway, as children approached Derik to talk to him and try to win his favor, Noah quickly gathered his books and pencil case.
Derik, the people you should be hanging out with aren’t me, but those children.
“Yes, that’s right. But why?”
“I’m Jack Spen. You seem to have sat there without knowing, but that’s a seat no one sits in. Would you like to sit next to me starting tomorrow?”
It seems like Jack is kindly trying to inform Derik who apparently doesn’t know about the rumors. Even though he knew Noah was right there, he directly spoke in a way that put Noah down and elevated himself, but Noah wasn’t the type to be hurt by such things.
The Spen family was one of the representative families boasting history and tradition established in Feyrn, the capital, so this child was speaking with confidence.
“No. I like this seat.”
“The seat by the window over there is better.”
Hmm. It looks like your conversation is going to get longer. Derik, they’ll probably show you where the math lecture hall is. They might even give you a school tour without you asking. Well then, I’ll be going now.
Noah didn’t bother voicing his thoughts and turned to leave the classroom, but then stopped.
“…”
Why are you suddenly grabbing my wrist like that? Noah turned around as his wrist was grabbed and made eye contact with Derik, who was looking up at him.
“You have to take me with you. Why are you going alone?”
“Huh?”
“I asked you to show me where the math lecture hall is.”
As he spoke, Derik organized his belongings with one hand.
Why don’t you let go of my wrist and make it easier?
Noah watched as Derik organized his things, and before he knew it, they were walking down the hallway holding hands. Feeling strange, Noah looked back over his shoulder and tried to wiggle his hand free from Derik’s grip.
“What?”
“Hands.”
“Do you dislike holding hands?”
It seems I dislike suddenly walking around holding hands with someone I just met today. Above all, isn’t your back burning? Most of the students we just had class with are standing behind us, watching.
Though Noah didn’t answer, he quickly pulled his hand away when he felt Derik’s grip loosen.
“The math lecture hall is at the end of this hallway, then to the right.”
“Okay.”
After giving Derik directions to the lecture hall, Noah was about to go left when this time his shoulder was grabbed.
“Where are you going?”
“To class.”
“You have math class now, don’t you? You said the math lecture hall is right over there at the end of this hallway on the right. So why are you going that way?”
“How did you know I have math class?”
“It was on your pencil case.”
Noah, who had planned to just give directions and keep his distance, couldn’t argue with Derik’s words and just walked forward.
“Derik, those kids are nice and good people. Getting close to them would benefit you a lot.”
“That’s okay.”
Walking down the hallway where many students were busily moving back and forth for their classes, Noah was having a conversation that seemed normal but was somehow strangely twisted.
“I… just… need…”
Derik seemed to have said something, but Noah didn’t hear it properly due to the surrounding noise. He asked what Derik had just said, but all he got in return was a beautiful smile.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
