#41
This isn’t right. This definitely isn’t right.
Somehow, Noah had ended up sitting in the front row next to Derik during math class, and now, even during lunch, he was sitting face to face with Derik.
“Here.”
Noah blankly watched as some aglio e olio pasta was placed next to his tomato spaghetti. Do people really share food so intimately when they’ve just met?
Actually, there were two types of spaghetti on today’s menu, and Noah had agonized over the choice for a long time. He wanted both but couldn’t have both, so he’d played rock-paper-scissors in his head until he thought his brain would explode.
The aglio e olio had called to him pitifully, but he’d chosen tomato spaghetti, thinking he would ask Elisa to make aglio e olio for dinner tonight. When Derik, who was selecting his menu right after Noah, chose aglio e olio, Noah had flinched slightly.
And when they sat facing each other, Noah admits his gaze briefly rested on Derik’s aglio e olio rather than on Derik himself. But when he saw Derik serving him some aglio e olio without even tasting it first, a sense of altruism suddenly blossomed within him.
So Noah promptly twirled his spaghetti around his fork until it was almost too much for the fork to handle, supporting it with a spoon to offer to Derik. It’s only natural to give when you receive. Although after twirling so much, his portion of spaghetti had diminished by about half, but that was fine.
“…”
This also isn’t what I wanted—so many things aren’t going as planned today.
Noah had intended to place the tomato spaghetti next to Derik’s aglio e olio, just as Derik had done for him. But why did it go into his mouth…
And anyway, that’s a lot of pasta—how does it all fit in his mouth? Noah blinked as he watched Derik’s cheeks puff up after accepting the spaghetti he’d offered.
He’s really a peculiar friend. He doesn’t seem to view me through colored lenses like the other children, and unlike Matthew, he doesn’t constantly say things like “you’re cute,” “you’re pretty,” or “what can I do for you?”
He doesn’t hug Noah without permission, doesn’t casually pat his head, and unlike James, who tries to help with everything because he’s older, Derik seemed refreshingly different.
“…How does all that fit in your mouth?”
Noah mumbled absently as he watched Derik’s cheeks move up and down as he chewed the spaghetti. Then, seeing Derik gesturing as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t because of the food in his mouth, Noah looked away and twirled some aglio e olio around his fork.
Noah had expected Matthew and James to come looking for him on the first day of the new semester, but he hadn’t seen them yet. He diligently moved his fork while looking around the cafeteria. People are creatures of adaptation—though he found their unexpected appearances annoying, now that they weren’t around, he couldn’t help but wonder about them.
“Is this seat taken?”
I’ve heard this line today. This morning.
Amid these thoughts, Noah’s gaze shifted toward the sudden voice. And he dropped the fork he’d been twirling to wrap around the spaghetti.
Oh my goodness.
I should have come to the academy earlier. Instead of stepping on an Alpha’s foot to a 3/4 beat of boom-clap-clap without knowing why, I should have been building friendships like this from childhood.
While there didn’t seem to be many characters at the ball, the future of the academy’s young sprouts looked truly bright.
A boy around Noah’s age with honey blonde hair and red—or more precisely, pink—eyes stood beside him holding a tray.
“Umm…”
“No.”
Different answers flowed from Noah’s and Derik’s mouths simultaneously. While Noah’s answer was accurate, a suspicious sound came from Derik, who had just finished chewing and swallowing the spaghetti in his mouth.
“Thanks.”
Noah watched as the boy who made eye contact with him smiled brightly and sat down beside him. Haven’t the new students heard the rumors about me? When the boy asked, “You have spaghetti, would you like some salad?” Noah couldn’t readily answer, but a portion of fresh salad was placed on his tray.
Is there some etiquette about sharing food with people you’ve just met? Though Noah had learned basic manners from his tutor and Loren, he’d never heard anything about this.
“Who said you could sit here?”
Noah, who had been looking down at his tray wondering if he should give something in return for the salad, quickly looked up at the unkind, irritated voice. Derik, who had maintained a generally expressionless face but would smile slightly when their eyes met and speak in a gentle voice, now had a scrunched-up face.
“It’s my choice. Noah said it was okay.”
“When did Noah say that?”
“Just now Noah said ‘no.’ That means it’s okay to sit down. Can’t you understand even that, idiot?”
“Idiot? This yellow lizard brat doesn’t miss a chance to talk big.”
“Look who’s talking, you pale-faced punk.”
“What did you say?”
Ah, so you two know each other? Right? Seeing the irritation and casual use of slurs, it seems like you’re actually quite close in your own way.
“Hello. I’m Ray Creiden. Derik and I have known each other since we were young, so please understand if we’re like this. We won’t kill each other.”
Noah found himself extending his hand when Ray, who had just been growling and having a power struggle with Derik, turned to him with a kind voice and offered his hand.
“Don’t hold hands with him!”
Just as Noah was about to shake Ray’s hand, his fingertips slightly withdrew at Derik’s sulky command, but somehow Noah ended up shaking hands with Ray anyway.
“Let’s be good friends from now on. By the way, what’s your class schedule like?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
Noah, who had unconsciously started smiling in response to Ray’s bright smile that created dimples in his cheeks, let out a small sigh when the irritated voice interrupted.
“I’m in the Liberal Arts Department. What department are you in?”
“Why do you need to know that?”
Ray consistently maintained eye contact with Noah and gently spoke while shaking their clasped hands, but even though Noah didn’t utter a word, answers to Ray’s questions kept coming from the side.
“Ray, please let go of Noah’s hand. Your spaghetti is getting cold.”
“Ah, sorry, Noah. By the way, what do you like?”
“Don’t ask things like that.”
After the chaotic lunch where it was hard to tell if the spaghetti was going into mouths or noses, Noah was finally able to part ways with Derik after attending a linguistics class together.
Only after the tumultuous and hectic time had passed did Noah realize something strange: he hadn’t seen Aeongi, who was undoubtedly intelligent and could understand human speech.
After being released from the one-month confinement imposed by the Dean during his early days at the academy, Aeongi had frequently come to see Noah. Somehow knowing which classroom Noah was in, Aeongi would sit in front of the classroom at the end of class time, and even when they were walking around together, Aeongi would leave when Noah entered a classroom for class.
But today, Noah hadn’t seen even a single strand of that soft, warm fur.
Wondering if Aeongi didn’t know his classes and classrooms since it was the first day of lectures, Noah ran into the dormitory upon realizing he hadn’t seen Aeongi.
“Elisa!”
“Did you attend your classes well today?”
“Where’s Aeongi?”
“Aeongi?”
“Yes. What did Aeongi do today?”
After tossing his bag onto the sofa, Noah went to the single-person sofa by the window, Aeongi’s favorite spot, but there was no trace of him.
“He went out with you this morning and hasn’t returned yet. He’s probably playing somewhere.”
Aeongi, who had seen Noah enter the classroom, seemed to wander around the academy. According to Elisa, sometimes Aeongi would drop Noah off and return to the dormitory, but most of the time, he would come back with Noah after his last class ended.
But today, Noah hadn’t seen Aeongi.
“Huh? I didn’t see Aeongi today. Where could he have gone?”
Noah looked out the window. In the vast academy garden, students were bustling back and forth, and some students with pets were walking around with their animals. During class hours, both students and pets were rarely seen, but after most classes ended, the academy garden was always filled with students and their pets.
“It’s not Aeongi’s first time at the academy, but since it’s a new semester, he might not know your schedule and is playing somewhere by himself. But he’ll come back before sunset, so don’t worry too much.”
Noah had been worried about Aeongi, who moved around the academy at the size of a small cat despite his actual enormous size. Even though Elisa said that, except for new students, everyone at the academy—students, professors, and staff—knew Aeongi, Noah paced anxiously by the window.
Knowing is one thing, and worrying is another. While Aeongi often disappeared and reappeared at Schwein Castle, this had never happened at the academy. Above all, Noah needed to tell Aeongi about the two new people he’d met today.
To Noah, Aeongi was a friend, family, and a confidant. When he was upset, he would cuddle in Aeongi’s embrace, stroke his fur, and pour out his heart. When happy, he would hold Aeongi’s front paws and waltz with him. Initially, Aeongi had tried to pull his paws away, but at some point, he began to waltz along with an expression that seemed to have given up on everything.
Sometimes, when Noah wanted to be sincere, he would speak Korean, but in any case, Noah wanted to tell Aeongi about Derik and Ray whom he’d met today. Unlike Matthew and James with their strong backgrounds, Noah didn’t know much about the backgrounds of these two new children, so he was worried they might be harmed because of him.
Both had exceptionally good looks and seemed to have decent personalities. On the surface, they appeared to be bickering and speaking rudely to each other, but Noah envied them. How close and comfortable with each other do you have to be to speak so freely?
He had thought he didn’t need friends. Though his mental age had decreased as he grew younger physically, he had often been flustered when talking with children his age. He knew too much to share in their purity and innocence.
But today, while having lunch with the two of them, Noah had a thought: perhaps having friends wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
