Chapter 25: Inevitably, the Heroine

I Hate the Club (6)

Tapping, Aisha shook the water off her hands and returned to the classroom, only to find Frey slumped over her desk, looking utterly drained.

“Frey?”

“…Yeah.”

Why was she so listless? Just moments ago, she was practically bursting with energy, shaking Aisha around. Now, seeing her like this, Aisha couldn't help but worry. She poked Frey's body with a finger, and it felt alarmingly dry. Usually, there should be a layer of slick mucus, but there was nothing, just dry skin.

“Frey, are you not feeling well?”

“The rain…”

“Rain?”

Why rain all of a sudden? Then Aisha remembered Frey’s Ability. Snail, so Snails liked humid conditions…

She was extremely vulnerable to dry weather. Come to think of it, the rain had stopped earlier. As time passed and even the lingering humidity disappeared, the air had become quite dry. Could that really affect her this much? Aisha couldn't help but be taken aback as she watched Frey spray herself with water, little by little, and dampen the surrounding area.

“...So, what did you talk about?”

“The practical exam, and club invitations, stuff like that.”

Her voice was weak, barely audible, as if she were burrowing into the ground. Aisha felt a pang of sympathy, but then Frey's antennae shot up at the mention of clubs.

“…Club?”

“Yeah, Professor Veronica and Professor Reisha recommended it.”

Whirr-

Her antennae spun in the air before forming a question mark.

“You got a recommendation from Professor Veronica?”

Her antennae turned into an exclamation point, and Frey suddenly lifted her head and shouted. All eyes turned to them. Professor Veronica's club was definitely treated specially within the academy.

Wasn't it practically a mandatory course for elite heroes? Receiving an invitation was bound to attract attention, but honestly, it felt a bit overwhelming.

“Frey…!”

Aisha frowned and put a finger to her lips, and Frey slapped her own mouth in apology.

“Ah, sorry. I was just surprised. So, are you going to join?”

“No, I’m just thinking about it.”

It wasn't particularly appealing, and she didn't place much importance on the hero profession. Aisha answered casually, and Frey narrowed her eyes, glaring at her.

“You…you’re not planning on joining, are you?”

“Huh? No, well…it’s just not that appealing.”

“You idiot, how can you even hesitate!”

“Still, it’s a club I’d be in for three years, I can’t just pick one randomly. And I can’t handle a hectic life.”

She was already spending a lot of time studying. And considering she was planning to face Hera Carmen in the future, she needed to prepare to develop her Ability further. She was busy enough with all these preparations, she didn't have the bandwidth to do club activities as well.

Well, the magic club was supposedly relaxed in terms of curriculum, but…did she really need to join?

Aisha simply stared at Frey as she launched into a passionate speech about how amazing the club she was invited to was, how it was absurd to even consider not joining, and how she should join immediately. It was amazing to see her so lively after being so listless just moments ago, and she was grateful that Frey was so concerned about her.

A sudden thought struck her, and she stroked Frey's head. Frey froze in place, her antennae still raised. Her gaze slowly moved up to Aisha’s hand, and finally, when their eyes met, Frey opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Petting you.”

Ah, this feels nice. Ignoring Frey's words, the sensation of petting her was quite pleasant. Her hair was nice, and unlike her slimy body, it felt like petting soft puppy fur. Aisha continued to pet her for a while, and then Frey suddenly lowered her head.

“…It’s too soon, Aisha. We’re just friends…”

“What are you talking about?”

She was imagining strange things again. It had happened so many times that Aisha could just laugh it off now. At first, it made her cheeks flush, but it happened so often that she was used to it.

“Anyway, can you tell me more about that club?”

Aisha asked about what she originally wanted to know, and Frey quietly nodded, still with her head down.

#

There were more types than she thought. Frey's explanation went on for quite a while, taking up the entire 20-minute break after class. She had mentioned dozens of club names, and Aisha had jotted down notes on them, but she needed time to sort through her thoughts.

“…But nothing really stands out.”

In the original story, club activities were only mentioned once, and after that, they disappeared entirely, except for the club Xenon was in. So even after hearing all this, nothing really grabbed her attention. If anything, Reisha's 'magic' club, which she thought was the strangest, was the most interesting.

If she wasn't going there, did she really need to join a club?

Tapping her desk, Aisha stared at the paper filled with club names when a large shadow fell over her.

“Aisha.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Aisha naturally looked up to see Xenon staring at her. His eyes were slightly swollen, probably from crying earlier. As she examined his eyes, Xenon pointed to a corner of the paper. It was where the magic club was listed.

“That, the magic club.”

“The one Professor Reisha mentioned?”

“Yeah, that…I’m going to join.”

Aisha thought she must look like Frey from earlier. Hearing Xenon's words, she froze, staring up at him. Why there, all of a sudden?

“And I hope you’ll join too.”

“Wait, hold on. Xenon, you need to give me a reason.”

Anyone would misunderstand. Pressing down on her fluttering eyelids in embarrassment, Aisha demanded an explanation from Xenon. Had he suddenly become interested in magic? No, he didn't seem particularly interested when he heard Reisha's story earlier. Narrowing her eyes as if interrogating him, Xenon tapped his Smartwatch and opened his mouth.

“Let’s talk outside first. It’s a little difficult to talk about it here.”

“…Okay.”

There was still some time left in the break. Frey glanced at Xenon and Aisha as they left the classroom, but Aisha simply waved in response and followed Xenon out. They headed to an empty classroom.

Aisha glared at him, asking why they had come all the way here. Xenon manipulated his Smartwatch to project a hologram of a person.

“Do you know this person?”

The person in the hologram was a woman. She had long, jet-black hair and a rather fierce expression. She was wearing a uniform, as if she had once been a soldier. Aisha stared at her, but she didn't recognize her.

“Who is it?”

“…Does the name Rei Meyer ring a bell?”

Rei Meyer, that name sounded familiar. As she thought about it, she recalled someone and wondered why Xenon was asking her about this person. There was no way he would ask about the 'Top Hero' before Edwin Carmen without a reason.

“Why are you suddenly asking about her?”

“Then you know who this person is, right?”

Ignoring her question, Xenon showed her another person, someone she knew well. She had met her today, so there was no way she would forget her face.

“That’s Professor Reisha…don’t tell me.”

A rather bizarre thought popped into her head. Showing her these two people and asking if she knew them. It was as if he was going to say that the two were…the same person.

Their faces were different. Unlike Rei, who had a fierce look, Reisha had a softer expression, and sometimes she seemed quite ditzy. She cried easily, didn't do her job properly. Thinking about Reisha's recent behavior, Rei Meyer and her were the same person?

…No way.

But as if to shatter her doubts, Xenon quietly nodded in response to her question.

“The Reisha we know is probably, no. She’s definitely Rei Meyer.”

“…How do you know that?”

There was nothing the same about them. Their faces, their personalities, even other parts of them were completely different. And Rei Meyer was someone from decades ago in the original story, how was she still alive?

“Their Ability is the same.”

Xenon said with a calm face. Their Ability was the same? What was Rei Meyer's Ability? The moment she recalled the Ability that was briefly mentioned in the original story, her face turned pale.

Rei Meyer's Ability was magic. Literally magic-like, a kind of miracle that realized supernatural phenomena. And the magic club. That ridiculous club and her Ability were a perfect match.

…This wasn't in the original story.

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