This Novel is not my Novel

"Professor! Please don't start turning a fun gathering into a lecture!"

"Hear, hear!"

Senior Blida and Senior Elska protested to Professor Radvisin.

Judging by how playful their tone was, they were probably acting that way on purpose to keep the atmosphere from dying down.

Then again, considering how terrible those two were at acting, I suspected there was at least some sincerity mixed into their complaints.

In any case, the seniors did an excellent job of keeping the mood alive.

Thanks to them, the lively atmosphere continued until every last piece of cake and snack had disappeared.

I've already filled up on snacks, and it's still too early for dinner... Once we clean up, will he start training me to master the sky-blue Ether ability?

Contrary to my expectations, Professor Radvisin chased me, Yor, and Skati out of the lecture room.

He claimed that, since the room was under his responsibility, he and the research students would handle the cleanup.

But that was obviously just an excuse.

Professor Radvisin had sent only the two of us away because he wanted Skati and me to have a proper conversation and improve our relationship as soon as possible.

It's not that I didn't understand his intentions, but...

Does he really have to go that far?

The question naturally came to mind.

I already had one-on-one training with Skati scheduled for Monday afternoon. I honestly wondered whether all this was necessary.

Had he decided that, unless he deliberately forced the issue, we'd simply maintain the current awkward distance until the semester ended?

If that was the case—

—He's sharper than usual...?

There really wasn't much time left before graduation.

Considering that one of those weeks would be consumed by exams, time would pass even faster.

My plan had been to remain awkward with Skati until then.

After all, just like Reisir, she wouldn't be at the academy next semester.

I only needed to stall a little longer.

"Umm... Karvaldr...? Would you mind sitting down somewhere and talking for a bit~?"

The word no reached the tip of my tongue.

But I couldn't bring myself to say it.

A why? would inevitably follow, and I couldn't very well answer, Because I don't want to improve my relationship with you.

Nor could I claim that I had urgent plans.

My Saturdays always followed the same schedule: training with Professor Radvisin, then dinner together afterward.

"...Very well."

In the end, I had no choice but to answer.

And so, a few minutes later—

We found ourselves in the dagger techniques lecture room.

"I'm sorry about the locationnn... If we could leave the academy, I would've bought you something to drink at a café while we talkeddd..."

As she spoke, Skati unfolded two folding chairs she'd brought from the storage room and offered me one.

Her expression and voice were so full of disappointment that it was obvious she genuinely meant what she said.

"It's fine. I'm used to this place. It's actually more comfortable."

"Reallly~? That's a relieeef~! I was wondering if we should use my professor's office in the combat building? But I haven't used it in so long that it's a complete messss~. Sooo..."

Whether she was trying to ease the awkward atmosphere,

or whether she was simply reluctant to get to the main topic,

Skati kept rambling about things I hadn't asked about.

I wish she'd just keep talking about trivial things until it gets late and then suggest we continue another day.

With that thought in mind, I quietly listened while stroking Yor.

Unfortunately, my wish did not come true.

The meaningless chatter suddenly stopped.

A heavy shadow fell across Skati's face.

"Umm... I'm sorryyy..."

Instead of asking whether I was still angry,

instead of asking whether that was why I kept putting up walls around her,

Skati simply apologized with a face weighed down by guilt.

It wasn't a completely unexpected development.

Still, a question arose.

Why?

If this is about what happened in the twelfth chapter, hasn't she already apologized? More than that, didn't she genuinely reflect on it afterward?

Does she think I'm still holding a grudge, and that's why she's asking for forgiveness again?

As all of you already know, I don't hold a grudge against Skati.

I did feel wronged back then.

But that feeling came entirely from thinking:

Why do I have to pay for the sins of the body I've possessed?

I don't believe Skati did anything particularly wrong to me.

If anything, I'm the one who understands how she felt.

And yet, I've been deliberately keeping my distance from her lately.

Without meaning to, I'm inflicting an unnecessary form of revenge.

On top of that, I'm taking up her time to learn whip techniques.

If you consider all that, then I'm the one who should be apologizing.

"Ah, was that too sudden...? I should've explained what I was apologizing for, but I was in such a hurryyy..."

As I hesitated, uncertain how to respond, Skati spoke again.

Apparently, she'd misunderstood my silence and assumed I couldn't guess the reason for her apology.

"That... Reisir, was it~? The black-haired boy who came here during the last exam perioddd...?"

"...Yes. That's correct."

At the sudden mention of the original protagonist's name, I almost froze.

To hide my tension, I immediately began finding faults with her wording.

He'll be nineteen next year. That's legally an adult. Why is she calling him a boy?

Naturally, it didn't help much.

"From what I saw back thenn~ and what I heard todayyy~... It doesn't seem like that child dislikes youuu? Nooo, maybe it's more accurate to say he likes youuu~??"

"...Why are you suddenly bringing him up?"

"That child—the victim—already forgave you a long time ago, didn't hee? More than that, he thinks of you as a precious friendrr~. But I, a complete outsider, brought up the past and criticized you and got angry at youuu. That's what I'm sorry forrr..."

For a moment, I considered explaining once again that Reisir and I were not friends.

But I let it pass.

Skati had said that he considered me a friend.

I couldn't deny Reisir's feelings on his behalf.

"If you're apologizing about that matter, you've already done so."

"I thought so toooo~. But after thinking about it again, I don't think I really diddd~."

"I distinctly remember hearing you apologize."

"But back then, I felt more grateful than sorryyy. I was focused on expressing my gratitudeaa... Even my apology was more like self-criticism for my shortcomings? It didn't really feel like I was reflecting on my actions themselvesss..."

Did she think I was keeping my distance because her apology hadn't been sincere enough?

The apology I'd received before had already been more than sufficient.

If she gave me another apology filled with even greater sincerity, then I'd only feel worse.

Because even now, I was the one treating her unfairly.

And yet I couldn't apologize.

Was it because I deliberately let my discomfort show as part of keeping my distance...?

Did that touch her guilt and end up coming back to me like this?

There was no excuse.

The guilt I felt now was entirely the result of my own actions.

"I understand. So please don't apologize to me anymore. It's already a thing of the distant past."

"B-But I think I need to apologize properlyyy...! Grandpa Rhavi said so toooo...!"

For the record, "Grandpa Rhavi" was Skati's personal nickname for Professor Radvisin.

One day she'd simply started calling him that.

Professor Radvisin seemed rather fond of the title as well.

I'd always wondered when those two had become so close.

Thinking about it now, it was probably while discussing matters related to me.

"Even if you apologize like this... my attitude toward you won't change, Professor."

"Mhm. That's only naturalll~?"

Despite my heartless remark, Skati answered with an awkward smile.

It wasn't the smile of someone who had given up.

It was the smile of someone who understood and accepted it anyway.

"Professor, don't you think I'm being unreasonable? I accept all the help you're willing to give me, yet I continue refusing to become emotionally closer."

"Soooo...? Do you feel sorry for meee?"

"N-No, that's not it... Normally, someone would become disappointed and distance themselves. But you don't seem to have any intention of doing that. I was simply wondering why."

"Ahaaa~! So that's what you meanttt~?"

Perhaps because Reisir had never indoctrinated her with the Karvaldr Is Actually A Tsundere Theory.

Unlike the original protagonist, this supporting character accepted my words at face value.

"I'm not disappointed at allll~. ...Well, I'd like to say that, but maybe I am a littleee~. Still, I don't think you're being unreasonablee."

"Why not?"

"Because you were criticized by me without any chance to prepare yourself mentallyyy, weren't youu? And it was over something you'd already resolved peacefully with the person involveddd. Of course it would've been hard to accepttt."

"..."

She was right.

It had been difficult to accept.

Especially because it wasn't even something I had done.

"Even so, why don't you think I'm being unreasonable?"

"Wellll... because you had your reasons too, Professor."

"Mhm. That's righttt."

Skati nodded.

"And that's exactly what's amazingyy~. You could've gotten angry and thought I was just attacking you for no reasonnn. But instead, you worried that I might have reasons of my ownnn. In the end, you even reached out a helping hand to meee..."

The only reason I'd understood Skati's circumstances was because I'd read the original novel.

I knew she wasn't the type of person who would unfairly attack and mistreat a student.

The contradiction between her actions and her character had been too obvious.

That contradiction had sparked a question stronger than my resentment, allowing me to act the way I did.

Which was why—

"I can't do things like thattt."

—what Skati said next was perfectly understandable.

I wouldn't have been able to do it either if I hadn't read the original novel.

And yet—

"But now I know your situation toooo, don't Iii~? You understood my wounds and my circumstances firstrr, so it's only right that I do the sameee...! That's what I'm going to dooo~!!"

...What was she talking about?

There was no way Skati could possibly know that I was someone who had possessed a villain from a novel.

As I sat there dumbfounded, she continued.

"From what I heard beforeee... Tricky-trick? Drock-drock? Some kid with a weird name like that betrayed youuu, righttt~?"

"I have no idea why you're bringing him up, but it's Tryggdrik."

"Anywaaay~. Not long after that happeneddd, I betrayed you toooo, didn't Iii? So it makes sense that you'd develop betrayal traumaaa and have trouble opening your hearttt~! Especially to me, the very person who hurt youuu?"

"...?"

I couldn't help feeling bewildered as the situation suddenly veered into misunderstanding-genre territory.

How in the world had Skati arrived at such an absurd conclusion?

"I was the one who broke your trust firstrr, so I'll keep tryingyy~! I can wait however long it takes for your emotional wounds to healll! Because I'm an adulttt—!!"

She couldn't.

Because once this semester ended, she'd be leaving the academy.

"This year's martial arts tournament is overrr, but you're still going to keep learning whip techniques from me, righttt~?"

"Ah... Well... As long as I'm still at the academy, if that's possible..."

"Twice a week, just like beforeee~?"

"Yes... If that's possible as well..."

"Greeeat~! Then we'll have lots and lots of chances to repair the trust between us and become closeee~! Karvaldr still has four whole years until graduation, after allll!"

"..."

Perhaps it's inappropriate to think this while someone is earnestly turning over a new leaf and speaking of a hopeful future, but—

At this moment, there are less than four weeks remaining until the graduation ceremony.

Faced with someone talking about a span of four years,

I genuinely had no idea how I was supposed to respond.