A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Dark History (4)

***

There is a term called “death by shame.” It literally means to die out of shame.

That perfectly describes my current situation. I showed everything I desperately wanted to hide.

And it wasn’t just to a mere acquaintance but to one of my closest friends. The shame is indescribable.

Knock, knock, knock.

While lying in bed with the blanket pulled over my head, Kara knocked on the door.

I wanted to open it as if nothing had happened, but I didn’t have the courage.

In the wild, it was no big deal to do my business in the open. But back then, no one was watching.

If there were people watching, it would look like I was gradually getting used to civilization. The problem is that I’m wild on the outside but civilized on the inside.

‘Of all times… I didn’t expect her to come so soon.’

I thought they would start looking for me on the third day at the earliest. I figured they’d be too busy fighting for at least two days.

Buht.

No matter how much of a student they were, everyone would have been mere shadows before Kara, who had real battle tactics and strategies.

[I’ll wait out here. Open the door when you feel calm.]

Since I didn’t open the door, Kara gave up. More accurately, she postponed.

Hearing her say she’d wait outside felt like she was planning to hold a sit-in.

I also needed to calm myself down, so I planned to go out after a while.

[Let’s go! Beyond this sea…]

Meanwhile, that orb is belting out songs unnecessarily. Judging by the language, it’s from the East.

Normally, I’d turn it off because it’s noisy, but the song is so good, and more than anything, I’m too lazy.

I just want to lie down and do nothing. I feel like all my willpower is drained.

[Faith has increased!]

Seriously. Shibal. Are you consoling me or mocking me?

Earlier, my faith increased significantly when I was dying of embarrassment.

Honestly, I don’t know anymore. I don’t understand the criteria for faith increase.

Chaos followers are all clowns, and this fits perfectly. If Chaos saw this, he’d be rolling on the floor laughing.

‘Can’t I turn back time?’

That thought crossed my mind. If I could, I’d go back ten minutes.

Of course, even Chaos can’t turn back time. Even gods can’t reverse time.

They can resist it to an extent, but that’s just resistance, not reversal.

‘Is it possible in the Soul World…? I don’t know.’

I sighed deeply. My mind was in turmoil with various worries.

Sensing Kara’s movements, it seemed she was wandering around outside. I felt sorry for leaving her like that.

Swish.

Quietly, I slipped out of the blanket. Leaving the overly cheerful Eastern music on, I walked towards the window.

Looking out, I saw Kara examining the wooden carvings I had made out of boredom.

There were carvings modeled after Ragnarok, figurines, and various tools. I had good craftsmanship, so they looked quite decent.

‘That’s Iron Man…’

Among them, the one I put the most effort into was Iron Man. I carved it from my now-faded memory.

It was natural that Kara didn’t recognize it and quickly lost interest. She probably thought it was just some armor.

Later, I might give it to Jane after the exam. I hope she gets inspired by it.

‘But there was someone else besides Kara.’

I looked away from Kara and scanned the surroundings. There had been another sound when Kara caught my hobby.

It was the sound of someone laughing at me. It was hard to identify because I had headphones on, but it was definitely a woman laughing.

Kara probably noticed it too but didn’t take any action.

Creak.

Resolving to face the situation, I opened the door. Hearing the door open, Kara stopped what she was doing and looked at me.

The atmosphere threatened to turn awkward again, but thankfully, her bright smile defused it.

Her distinctive, refreshing smile was always beautiful. It suited her image perfectly.

“Are you feeling better? You sing well…”

Clunk.

It would have been perfect if not for her mouth.

When Kara brought up my dark history again, I quietly closed the door. She urgently apologized.

After accepting her apology, I opened the door again and stepped out. My face was burning, and I couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Sorry. I was just teasing, but I guess it wasn’t funny to you. Can’t this be our little secret…?”

“…”

Kara diverted her gaze as she spoke. She knew someone else had seen it too.

I don’t know how long this secret will last, but I hope it stays buried quietly.

“By the way, when did you learn other languages? It didn’t sound like the common language.”

“I just mimicked it.”

“Mimicked and that good? Amazing.”

Not just that. I could understand the language despite hearing it for the first time.

I couldn’t speak it properly, but I could understand it all. I understood everything when I first met Luna and Ellie.

‘This is kind of strange. Is it a half-baked privilege?’

Still, I’m grateful. If I didn’t understand anything at all, I’d be extremely frustrated.

Thanks to this, I knew most of the song lyrics and could sing along. Though I had to pause occasionally.

When will I be able to speak fluently? I’ve nearly mastered the common language, but my speech still breaks.

‘I guess I’ll find out when I visit Byzantium.’

I spent time talking to Kara about the carvings. Surprisingly, she didn’t mention the contract at all.

She might have planned to present the contract when the other team arrived. Or maybe she came just to hang out with me.

“There are really various types of songs. It’s fascinating how Western, Eastern, and Santiago songs all have different characteristics.”

“What about Tatar?”

“Tatar only has songs related to rituals. Mostly filled with percussion instruments like drums.”

Time flew by as we talked about songs. She even looked around my room, making various remarks.

Kara jokingly said she could live here forever. The facilities were indeed good.

After about 30 minutes, it happened.

“Here you are, Sivar.”

“Grace…”

As expected, Grace found me, accompanied by her close friend, Lee Yeonju.

Kara, seeing Grace, looked like she had just remembered something. She had also come to make a contract with me.

While a subtle tension brewed between them, I noticed something strange. Specifically, Lee Yeonju.

“Pfft…”

“…”

As soon as she saw me, Lee Yeonju tried to suppress her laughter. Her cheeks puffed, her eyes narrowing in a smile.

I tilted my head at her reaction but soon realized. She was the one who laughed earlier.

The usually stoic person couldn’t hold back her laughter. I felt a wave of shame.

‘Look at that. She’s biting her lip to hold it in.’

To avoid breaking the mood, she bit her lip, making her expression look odd.

I should ask her to keep it a secret later. Otherwise, she’ll laugh every time she sees me.

“Kara, what terms did you offer Sivar? I hope it’s a good one, though I doubt it’s better than mine.”

“Confident, huh? So, what terms are you offering?”

“Fufufu…”

Grace laughed at Kara’s question, a hint of mischief in her tone.

She pulled a paper from her pocket, presumably the contract.

“Do you know? Revealing contract terms is prohibited. Tatars are sensitive about money, so you should know this.”

“Tch. I have nothing to say.”

“Then, Sivar? Here’s the contract. Please read it.”

I took the contract from Grace. As I did, I noticed her face gradually turning red.

She was clearly embarrassed. I hurried to read the contents, suspecting something strange.

I felt Kara subtly glancing over, but I ignored it. This should be fine.

‘Let’s see… the supplies are as expected. Cooking for me too?’

Not bad. Instead of just supplying, they’d cook for me.

Everyone knew I needed more food than others. Otherwise, I could break the contract.

was possible if needed.

They likely added this clause to prevent me from leaving immediately after fulfilling the conditions. This way, Kara couldn’t interfere.

“…What is this? Promising something sweeter than candy and softer than cake? Sivar can give that too? Are you kidding?”

Kara noticed the clause and couldn’t believe it.

I shared the sentiment, looking puzzled. Were they offering food or not?

“That’s the key point. I can’t say it here, but I assure you, if you sign, you’ll definitely get it.”

“Hey, don’t do this. People who mess around with contracts are the worst.”

“Kara, this is Sivar’s choice, not yours…”

“No.”

I answered firmly. Even without Kara’s advice, I planned to hold off signing.

Because it was too vague. Despite being a noble, Grace seemed too clueless.

“Wh-why? I assure you! On my honor!”

Grace was visibly flustered by my firm refusal. Offering her honor, the most valuable thing to a noble, proved she was serious.

I responded in my usual blunt tone.

“Standards.”

“Standards?”

“Yes. These are your standards. Mine are different. It’s not food.”

Our standards were too different. The contract was based on Grace’s perspective.

Considering her background, it made sense, but it was still a no from me.

Grace seemed to realize her mistake belatedly, her expression turning regretful.

“So, this is just a piece of paper now? Then…”

“A kiss!”

“?!”

Just as Kara was about to take her turn, Grace dropped a bombshell.

Both Kara and I looked at her, shocked.

Her eyes were full of determination, unwilling to lose. Her face was as red as a flame, her purple eyes trembling.

But she firmly revealed the contract’s hidden term.

“I’ll give you the honor of my kiss! I promise it’s sweeter than candy and softer than cake!”

“…”

“Don’t worry about rumors! You saved my chastity; this much is enough!”

Grace dropped bombshell after bombshell, hitting all the weak points.

I was dumbfounded, staring at her. Her face was so red it looked like she might faint.

Even Lee Yeonju beside her had her mouth hanging open, questioning if this was real. Thankfully, few people were listening.

“…A kiss?”

While I was in a daze, Kara mumbled in a chilling voice.

Then she grabbed my face with both hands, making me look at her.

Her expression was full of resolve, different from Grace’s. What was she planning?

Before I could react, Kara’s face moved closer, and I felt her lips on mine. It was sweet and soft.

Kara kissed me. It was more like a light peck, but still a kiss.

And it was a bold move, considering people were watching.

“This is what you mean?”

While I struggled to process the situation, Kara spoke. She then wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me close.

She seemed to be flaunting our relationship.

“I guess I took the first kiss. The contract is void now, right?”

Despite her words, her face was as red as it could get. Her dark skin just hid it well.

Grace, however, couldn’t hide her state.

Her face was red, but her eyes were dark as if she were dying inside.

“I-I…”

Grace began pointing at Kara, looking like she might faint.

“Redhead… tanning… barbarian…”

Thankfully, some sense remained.

“You ruffian!”

She couldn’t call her a barbarian before passing out.

[Faith has increased!]

End of Chapter

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