I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 85

 

There was no time to hesitate. 

 

I grabbed Dobby and sprinted frantically. I had to get to Carson as quickly as possible. It was the only thing that could save him now.

 

I made my way to Carson’s dormitory, not caring if anyone else noticed.

 

Normally, I wouldn’t have been able to figure out where he was staying.

 

Luckily, I had been here once before during an academic festival, so I was able to find him right away.

 

I slammed on his dorm door upon arrival.

 

“Carson!”

 

My voice was laced with sobs from all the tears I’d shed on the way in.

 

“Carson, I need you, please help me…”

 

I was exhausted from trying to do so much in such a short time.

 

My hands and overworked legs slowly gave out from holding Dobby.

 

In fact, I’m surprised I made it this far carrying Dobby, who’s about the size of a medium-sized dog.

 

No, I shouldn’t. I should never loosen up now.

 

“Leen!”

 

Carson, who had suddenly appeared in front of me, pulled me up from my knees.

 

“It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay.”

 

He covered my eyes with one hand and repeated that it was okay.

 

Even though he hadn’t heard what was happening yet. But why does Carson’s voice put me at ease?

 

It felt like everything was already resolved. I burst into tears, still blinded by him.

 

“Carson. Dobby, please, Dobby…”

 

The words didn’t come out right, even though I knew I should have asked him to cast a healing spell.

 

“It’s okay, don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay.”

 

What the hell do you mean it’s okay when Dobby was dying?

 

It’s at this point that I realize I need to pull myself together and try to pry his hand away.

 

“Leen. Can you just count to five?”

 

“I don’t have time for that…”

 

“Okay, you’re right, you don’t have time, so just two seconds.”

 

He said it as if he had just given me three seconds less time. I was dumbfounded beyond words, but my voice was too weak to protest.

 

“…It’s done. I’m sorry for covering your eyes, I know it must have been worrisome.”

 

He slowly removed his hand from covering my eyes.

 

Blinking—

 

Repeatedly, I closed and opened my eyes, wondering if something had happened to my eyes.

 

Dobby’s scar had disappeared, like a lie, without a trace. Even the blood that had drenched his black fur looked as fluffy as if it had just been washed and dried.

 

I ran a trembling hand through Dobby’s fur. It was smooth where there had been a gaping wound just moments before.

 

Dobby, who had been breathing so lightly that it sounded like he might die at any moment, was now breathing calmly and peacefully.

 

As I stared at him, Carson’s low voice reached my ears.

 

“Leen.”

 

I tore my gaze away from Dobby and lifted my head. His eyes locked with mine, and he was smiling bitterly.

 

“…Are you okay now?”

 

Upon closer inspection, he looked a little unsteady. His blue eyes, as deep and clear as the ocean, seemed to wander around before I spoke apologetically.

 

“Sorry. I was afraid the commotion would attract other kids, so I brought him here in a hurry.”

 

“Oh.”

 

I suddenly realize that I’m not in a dorm hallway.

 

The landscape was both familiar and yet strange. I was in Carson and Fjord’s dorm room.

 

In that short time, we had teleported.

 

Silence descended on the room, and it was Carson’s voice that broke it.

 

“Leen. I know you don’t want to deal with me, but I think it would be best if you travel by teleport on your way back.”

 

He stood there, unsure of what to do. 

 

Then he batted his eyelashes down at her, looking terrified…

 

“I’m sorry I showed up in front of you again.”

 

I’m the one who came looking for you. I thought you’d be offended that I’d come to you when I needed you, when I told you to stay out of my life.

 

If not, I expected you to use Dobby’s healing to beg for forgiveness.

 

But Carson defied all expectations.

 

My emotions swirled. His response, his heartfelt apology, melted the old me.

 

There was no longer anything stopping me from reconciling with him.

 

Suddenly, a vague fear surfaced.

 

‘…Will I be able to give up on him after graduation?’

 

Even now, I still like you so much.

 

“Caon.”

 

Carson flinched, as if he’d noticed that I’d used his nickname again.

 

“Thank you. For saving Dobby.”

 

‘For not turning away from me when I needed help. For not forcing me to forgive.’

 

I reached out and placed my hand on Carson’s cheek, just like last time.

 

“I forgive you for what you did, for everything.”

 

I laughed, almost tearfully, as I watched those eyes widen.

 

Before saying, “Let me hit you once, Caon.”

 

I mean, you deserve a slap for what you did, right?

 

🍃

 

I arrived at the dormitory with Carson’s help and examined Dobby’s condition more closely.

 

He had lost a lot of blood and was anemic, but other than that, he was fine.

 

Knowing that I was worried, Dobby licked my hand.

 

“How could anyone be so heartless to this sweet boy…”

 

I wondered who had sent the note. In the message that tried to incriminate Jane, I thought the sender might have had good intentions.

 

But this made me realize. I realized that the sender of that message had bad intentions for me.

 

A pretty bad one.

 

I decided to think about it later, and after tucking Dobby in, I went to Jane’s room.

 

It had been a long time since I had forgiven her in my heart. I just couldn’t bring myself to say it because I still hadn’t forgiven Carson.

 

At the Arena Academy, you could be assigned to a different room if you submitted an excuse.

 

Since the dormitories were supposed to be two people per room, roommate fights often occurred.

 

At first glance, it might seem easy to get a different room, but not every fight was approved.

 

Unless the perpetrator and victim were separated from one another clearly.

 

A couple of knocks later, I was relaxing and waiting when I heard a familiar voice from inside the door,

 

“…Who is it?”

 

“Leen.”

 

As soon as I finished speaking, there was a loud bang. Soon after, the door swung open.

 

Jane stood in the doorway, looking extremely nervous. She purses her lips as if she doesn’t know what to say.

 

I wasted no time getting to the point.

 

“You’re a bastard for selling out your friends.”

 

There was no denying it. It was the truth as it was, and it was the words she’d spit out.

 

Jane’s eyes flickered. But then she composes herself and admits.

 

“You’re right, I did make money selling you.”

 

But she can’t control her emotions, even if she hides them, and a trace of moisture forms at the corners of her eyes.

 

“But I’m going to try to trust you one last time.”

 

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

 

“You…forgive… me?”

 

I didn’t answer her question right away.

 

“Someone told me that I used to be very kind, but I think it’s just because I’m stupid.”

 

Silly, right?

 

Then I pulled Jane, who was standing in the distance, into a warm hug.

 

“I forgive you. Now come back to our room, Jane.”

 

With those words, Jane’s loud sobs echoed down the dorm hallway. She cried for the world to end and repeated her apologies and thanks to me over again.

 

I hugged her tightly without words.

 

🍃

 

After recognizing his feelings, Kun was experiencing the phenomenon of seeing new things.

 

For example…

 

Yeah, like what’s unfolding in front of him right now.

 

Carson’s eyes drooped as soon as he made eye contact with Leen.

 

“Leen. Do you mind if I pick you up in front of your dorm in the morning?”

 

“Nonsense. There are a few minutes between the dorm and the academy.”

 

“I’d love to walk those minutes with you.”

 

“Why not, when we’ll meet after school? Also, Caon, I heard you can teleport to school in a second.”

 

“Who told you that?”

 

“From whom, I don’t know, maybe from your snooty roommate.”

 

Carson’s piercing gaze landed on Fjord.

 

“Oh, why do you make a fuss when I tell the truth?”

 

Fjord mumbled a low curse under his breath as his brows furrowed.

 

Carson tore his gaze away from Fjord, cursing or not, and turned back to Leen with a smirk.

 

“Then why don’t we wake up in the morning with a telegram? Leen is a light sleeper, it would help.”

 

“I have Jane, I don’t need it.”

 

Carson’s shoulders sagged at the quick, firm refusal.

 

Kun felt a faint twinge of displeasure as he watched, for somehow the act seemed abominable.

 

Surely it hadn’t occurred to him before.

 

The good news was that Leen’s iron wall against Carson had grown thicker since the last time.

 

What Kun had overlooked, though, was that Carson was more immune to Leen shoving than embracing them.

 

Carson didn’t seem to mind, and spoke without a pause.

 

“By the way, Leen has really cute little hands. Can I play with them?”

 

Kun felt his fists tighten involuntarily.

 

That had to be one of Carson’s tricks.

 

‘Why would he compare the size of his hand to Leen’s?’

 

Kun tried not to show his seething frustration.

 

Leen pushed Carson aside in annoyance.

 

“If it’s hands, Fjord’s hands are small for his height, so you can play with him.”

 

Fjord jumped to his feet and shouted, “It’s not small!!!”

 

Leen stammered, surprised by his vehement reaction.

 

“What, what’s the matter with you?”

 

“I’m not small!”

 

Fjord’s whole face reddened like an apple, how badly he wanted to deny that his hands were small.

 

Seeing that he was getting too worked up, Leen shrugged and took a step back.

 

“I didn’t mean you’re small, I just meant that compared to your height, it seems a bit small.”

 

“It’s not small! I said it’s not!”

 

“Oh, okay, fine, you’re big.”

 

Carson watched Fjord leisurely, one corner of his mouth twitching upward.

 

It was a victor’s smile. Fjord met that smile head-on and lunged in a frenzy, aiming for Carson’s shin.

 

“You’re the one who’s causing humanity’s balance to collapse, damn you!”

 

But Fjord’s blow was ineffective, and Carson flew through the air and dodged.

 

“Where. My shin belongs to Leen.”

 

Carson stroked his shin fondly.

 

Leen’s eyes clouded over in an instant.

 

“I don’t need that.”

 

‘If I’d known, I would have slapped him with all the emotion I could muster so he’d never say that again.’

 

Leen flopped down on the couch, feeling a sudden rush of exhaustion at the amount of work Carson was putting in.

 

Kun saw this and saw an opportunity, so he grabbed the pink blanket and went over to Leen.

 

Like last time, it was just enough to cover her. He still felt a pleasant flutter in his chest when he thought of the way she had spoken of him.

 

But as it turned out, there was a gatekeeper standing firmly in front of Leen.

 

“What is it?”

 

Carson stopped Kun and snatched the blanket away with ease.

 

“Who are you to touch Leen’s blanket?”

 

He tossed the pink blanket back into the subspace, as if to say that Leen shouldn’t be touched by Kun.

 

Instead, Carson takes a light blue blanket from the clubroom and drapes it over Leen.

 

Kun decided to settle for the light blue blanket, which became the blanket of the day. He had actually picked out the pink blanket because he knew Carson would turn out like this.

 

‘As long as it wasn’t a pink blanket.’

 

It was the kind of childish jealousy you don’t say to anyone else.