The Gacha Addict of the Academy

After that, we managed to keep the conversation going.

Most of the time, I initiated the talks, and Luna responded to me. Even so, I found the exchange satisfying. It had always been difficult to have a conversation with Luna, so even this much felt like progress. That said, she still seemed a bit uneasy around me.

I had no intention of making her uncomfortable, so I carefully kept my questions light and avoided anything that might upset her.

“Um… it’s okay to call you Luna, right?”

“…Yeah.”

She had told me to call her Luna before, so I did, but I often found myself second-guessing. Was it really okay to call her by her name so casually? I didn’t feel this way with others, but for some reason, I became overly cautious when talking to Luna.

Maybe it was because every time I saw that innocent, slightly lost look of hers, I couldn’t help but worry. I felt like I couldn’t just leave her alone. It reminded me of having a younger sister, though I didn’t actually have one.

We were the same age, yet she felt so different.

“…That’s a lot.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

I hadn’t been certain at first, but as soon as I saw the amount of chicken she was carrying, I knew. There was no way Luna could eat even one whole chicken by herself, let alone that much. It had to be for a group.

It seemed like she and the others were planning some kind of gathering.

I wondered if they had any particular reason for sending Luna out. I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy, but it wasn’t my place to pry too much. I barely knew her, after all.

The conversation continued, with me doing most of the talking.

Luna didn’t seem to dislike talking to me, though her answers were usually brief. Most of the time, she just gave one-word responses, but even that was enough to make me happy. Normally, it was hard to have any kind of casual conversation with her.

“How’s life at the academy? Are you settling in okay?”

“…Yeah.”

That was a relief.

I knew her personality made it hard to adapt to new environments, so the fact that she had made some friends was a good sign. Still, I couldn’t exactly congratulate her or show how glad I was—that might come off as patronizing.

I nodded silently, letting the moment pass.

A slightly awkward silence lingered.

It wasn’t like I was usually this bad at keeping a conversation going. I had plenty of friends, and I’d even talked to girls before. For some reason, though, Luna was different.

Talking to her made me feel hesitant, like I was shrinking back, too.

“Uh… earlier, you and the others seemed like you were up to something…”

“…We’re at Reina’s dorm.”

Oh, I see.

It was surprising that Reina allowed it. Given her personality, I’d have expected her to complain about why they were coming to her dorm.

“Oh… so you’re all hanging out at the dorm? Is this for a midnight snack?”

“…Yeah.”

I figured as much.

Chicken as a late-night snack, huh?

I glanced at her briefly—not in a weird way, but just to observe her build. She was noticeably smaller than others and looked a bit frail, as if a single push could send her tumbling.

…

Come to think of it, she didn’t eat much during meals, either. I’d noticed her leaving food behind more than once, even with small portions. Was she the picky type? Or maybe she just didn’t have much of an appetite. Did she actually like chicken?

While I was lost in thought about what kind of food she might enjoy, she suddenly spoke.

“What about you? Why are you here?”

I blinked, surprised.

I had expected the conversation to end with me asking questions, not the other way around. The fact that she initiated a question genuinely caught me off guard.

I thought of Lee Cheon-kyung. Initially, I’d been annoyed at being asked to get chicken, but now I felt oddly grateful.

Then again, there was no way he could have known Luna would show up here.

This was just pure luck.

Still, it made me happy that she asked me something. Other than when she’d asked my name, this was the first time she’d shown interest. Of course, I didn’t want to appear overly pleased and risk making her uncomfortable, so I suppressed my emotions and responded casually.

“Oh… Someone I know wanted chicken, so I came to get some.”

After my answer, Luna seemed to think about something for a moment before nodding. I had been half-forced into coming here to get chicken, but she was likely on a mission to fetch it for her group’s party. Maybe she lost some kind of bet?

Curious, I decided to ask.

“So, did you…”

Before I could finish, Luna’s eyes trembled slightly.

Did I say something wrong? Could it be that she didn’t lose a bet but was instead forced into doing this errand? I knew her friends weren’t the type to make her do something like that, but for some reason, the thought crossed my mind.

As I wrestled with unnecessary thoughts, Luna finally responded hesitantly.

“I… lost at rock-paper-scissors…”

“Ah…”

…

I hated myself for jumping to conclusions.

I knew her friends weren’t like that, yet I had let my imagination run wild. What was I even thinking? I felt so guilty that I even started feeling apologetic toward her friends.

Clearly, something was wrong with me.

Now that I think about it, Luna didn’t seem to have much experience interacting with others. Her innocent, awkward demeanor and slow actions made me wonder if she might get teased by her friends. Not the malicious kind of bullying, but more like losing bets or games often.

Honestly, that kind of teasing didn’t even count as bullying. In fact, part of me was tempted to join in on the fun.

I couldn’t help but be curious about how she’d react.

I still vividly remembered the last time I’d seen her trembling while delivering a message from the PE teacher. She had looked like a frightened little animal.

I wasn’t the type to have any particular inclination for such things, but seeing her like that made me want to tease her. Then I immediately felt guilty—what kind of hero thinks like that? I scolded myself for even entertaining the idea and pushed it aside.

…But now, those thoughts were creeping back.

Not that I’d ever actually bully her.

If anything, she felt like a younger sister I wanted to protect. If I had to explain it, it was the kind of fondness that made you want to tease someone because they’re so endearing.

Admittedly, it sounded a bit weird, but that’s how I felt.

She looked like someone who’d had a tough life. If she spent enough time with her friends, I suspected the teasing might escalate. For now, though, it seemed like Reina, Flost, and Hyeon-ah treated her more as someone they wanted to protect than as a target for teasing.

I just didn’t know how long that dynamic would last.

“…Luna.”

“…?”

“Uh… um… never mind. Stay strong, okay?”

“…Huh?”

She tilted her head in confusion, not quite understanding what I meant.

Someday, she’d understand. The sad truth is that as people spend more time together, they tend to drop their guard and reveal their true selves. If her personality grew brighter, and if she started feeling comfortable around us, it would be worth it—even if it meant she got teased a little more often.

…What am I even saying?

“Ah, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Oh, okay.”

At that moment, the chicken was ready. I quickly grabbed the bag and bolted out of the shop.

“Hah…”

“What’s with the sigh?”

As soon as I returned with the chicken, I let out a deep sigh.

The teacher, curious about my reaction, paused from tearing into a piece of chicken and approached me.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Is that so?”

He didn’t seem particularly interested and went back to his spot.

How am I supposed to face her tomorrow?

I couldn’t stop worrying about whether Luna had noticed my strange thoughts or figured out that I had been tempted to tease her.

While I was lost in thought, unable to touch the chicken, the teacher suddenly called out to me.

“…What now?”

“I’ve got something to say.”

“…?”

What now?

“Be careful during next week’s practical training. They haven’t made any major moves yet, but that’ll likely be their best chance.”

…

It was an important warning.

I pushed aside my self-recriminations and looked at him with serious eyes. I had asked him to investigate for me, and I intended to do everything I could to protect what mattered.

“By the way, what’s driving you to protect this academy so much?”

“…Isn’t that something a hero should say?”

“Yeah, yeah, but it’s weird. You didn’t even want to be here at first. So why the change? You didn’t exactly jump at the chance to join the academy.”

“…Who knows.”

At first, I was just eager to take down those monster bastards as soon as possible.

I had been told that coming here would make me stronger, more skilled, but deep down, I didn’t feel like I really needed to be here.

Now, though… things were a little different.

“Maybe it’s because there’s something I want to protect,” I said with a small smile.