Reality Check
"Ughhh!! …Ah—fuck! Okay, yeah, that was a terrible idea."
I collapsed against the gym wall, gasping for air. Sweat clung to my skin like regret.
I knew it would hurt—I just didn't think it'd hurt this much.
But hey, at least I wasn't passed out on the floor. That had to count for something. Progress, right?
The thing is… enhancing muscle recovery didn't mean the soreness vanished into thin air. I still felt like I'd been steamrolled by a herd of horses.
And to see any actual results? I needed more than just effort—I needed protein, nutrients, calories. All the stuff my current noodle body couldn't scrounge up on its own.
God, why didn't I pay more attention during health class?
Everyone's got a plan… until that plan leaves them crumpled in a corner after a few dumbbell curls.
This wasn't even weightlifting. It was barely above waving at someone for too long.
The worst part? I'd already gone through this exact epiphany just days ago, crawling up that mountain trail. You'd think I'd learn.
For a second, I genuinely wondered if I was just… stupid.
But no. I was smart. People told me that all the time.
"You're quick on your feet."
"If you ever drowned, your tongue would float."
"What kind of drugs are you on to come up with ideas like that?"
Yeah, real encouraging stuff.
Since I was a kid, I had to rely on my brain just to get by. Cleverness was my only weapon. And yet, here I was, limping down a hallway like I'd just come back from war.
…Maybe I am an idiot.
Still, I gritted my teeth and dragged my aching legs toward the student cafeteria. Each step felt like a rebellion, but I refused to give in.
Just a few more steps. A little food. That's all I needed.
But then—
"…What the hell?"
Taped to the door in big, bold letters was a notice:
[The Student Cafeteria will be open starting March 20th.]
It was closed.
CLOSED.
After all that pain and effort, the one thing I was looking forward to was just… not happening.
Sure, it made sense. Most students hadn't arrived yet—why run a full cafeteria for five people?
But still!
Oh, right. Even if it was open, I wouldn't have been able to eat anyway.
To get food, you needed a Cafeteria Meal Ticket. Scholarship students got them for free.
Me? I had nothing.
No ticket. No money. No lunch.
"Ah… fuck!"
I wanted to scream. Or cry. Or both. Maybe even bark at the moon while I was at it.
I checked my pockets, hoping for something—anything. Nothing.
No coins. No snacks. Just lint and broken dreams.
My body ached. My stomach was a black hole. I didn't have a single damn penny.
Was this… despair?
I slumped down against the wall, letting the warm March sunlight fall over my face. It was oddly comforting, like a warm hug I didn't ask for.
And that's when I saw her.
"Oh my!"
Huh?
I turned my head. Standing there was the illusion—no, the vision—of Professor Lena.
Ah. So this was it. I'd finally snapped. Hallucinating the only person in this place who didn't look at me like I was a cockroach.
Was this how people in the desert felt when they saw an oasis?
But… wait. She was running toward me?
No, that wasn't right. I was supposed to be running toward her.
"Cadet Rin Evans!"
And then she was beside me, crouching down, checking my pulse, my forehead.
Her hand was warm. Real. Not a hallucination.
"Are you okay, Cadet?"
No illusion could fake concern like that.
"Are you… really Professor Lena?" I blinked up at her.
"Haa? Yes, of course I am."
The heavens hadn't forsaken me after all.
I was saved.
I didn't know why she was here, or how, or what divine lottery I'd just won—but who cared?
"I'm…"
"You're? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the infirmary!?"
"I'm… so hungry."
"…What?"
Yeah, I had no pride left. Survival came first.
---
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Actually, Lena had been following Rin since this morning.
She hadn't meant to—not at first. But after bumping into him, she couldn't stop thinking about what the Chairman had said.
"Does he resemble your late younger brother?"
She hadn't noticed it at first. But after hearing those words, something shifted.
His frail but determined figure, the way he tried too hard to act fine, even his favorite food—it all reminded her of someone she'd lost.
She knew it wasn't right. If anyone saw her lurking around campus like this, they'd probably call security.
But she wasn't even hiding.
And yet, Rin didn't notice a thing. Too focused on his training.
"One hundred thousand and seventeen!"
She chuckled quietly from her spot in the shadows. His ridiculous enthusiasm… it was charming, in a weird way.
But as she watched him struggle with dumbbells lighter than a school backpack, her heart ached a little.
Still, she didn't step in. Not yet.
She wanted to see how far he'd go.
When he finished and began wobbling toward the main building, she followed quietly.
And that's how she ended up watching him stop at the cafeteria.
"But the cafeteria isn't open until the 20th…" she mumbled.
Then, she saw him read the notice. The expression on his face made her heart twist.
Poor kid. He looked like someone had just told him Santa wasn't real.
He clutched his head, swayed a little—then his knees buckled.
"Oh my!"
She ran without thinking.
When he looked at her with that dazed expression and muttered, "I'm so hungry…" she nearly burst into tears and laughter at once.
Relieved it wasn't anything worse, she immediately pulled out her phone and ordered food from a nearby restaurant she trusted.
"Don't worry, Cadet Rin," she whispered. "You'll eat soon."
And in her heart, she added, 'I won't let you fall.'
...And just like that, Rin Evans was saved from death yet once again.