The Damn Family Is Back Again

343. Family (13)

Time passed so quickly.

There were many times when a day felt so slow, but recently, time has been passing quickly.

So very quickly.

In the blink of an eye, class time disappears, and after a few glances during break time, the next period begins busily.

Even though it hasn’t been long since the class started, the bell rings. Others yawn or stretch out of boredom, but I felt the opposite, wondering how time had passed so quickly.

And so the next period. And the next. Time did not discriminate by place.

Whether it was indoor classes or moving classes tailored to different levels, it was the same.

Even if the location changed to outdoors, it was the same.

Music room. Auditorium. Gymnasium. Playground. Science lab. Even if we left the classroom, it was no different.

Even during self-study or physical education, which students preferred, time passed equally.

Even if it wasn’t class time, it was the same.

Short breaks, and even lunch breaks, pass by like bullets.

Why is it so fast?

School is not supposed to be a place where time flies by like this.

When I was being severely bullied, I used to count every second of this time passing by.

When I was unfairly scolded by the teacher, it felt even longer.

Now, I open my eyes and the day is just gone, a week is the minimum, and a month passes by, and then the semester is gone.

They say that when people are having fun, time passes endlessly fast, and when they are bored or having a bad experience, they face endlessly slow time.

According to that theory… am I having a good time now?

…

…I think I vaguely know the reason.

It would be stranger if I didn’t know.

It’s a bit embarrassing to say this. I would never, ever tell anyone else or the person involved!

It was because of one person.

Watching every day, I gradually came to know.

When they first shared their umbrella with me, I just thought they were a strange person, but if you keep watching, they were not like that at all.

At school, they have all sorts of nicknames and labels, and they have a bad image, so they don’t hear good things, but in reality, they were a completely different person.

They make excuses saying it’s for their own purposes, but there’s no doubt there’s kindness in it.

They are coldly calculating, but their nature cannot be hidden.

They are a good person. A kind person.

Inside that cold and hard exterior, they had a warm and gentle heart.

So I kept glancing over. Because I knew that person wasn’t a villain.

I wanted to see more of what kind of person they were, so I couldn’t take my eyes off them from some point on.

Looking back, the reason time passed so quickly was all because of this.

When I came to my senses, I was engrossed in what was happening to that kid.

After we broke the ice once, we started meeting often. When we became targets to avoid each other at school, we ended up sitting next to each other or being in the same group, spending time together like that.

So, it seemed like time was passing so quickly.

…But. Thinking about it now, it feels uneasy.

Because it felt too selfish.

Even with the umbrella. I’ve received quite a bit of help in other ways too. On the other hand, all I did was take care of the notebook they asked me to hold as a trade…

…

Let’s go a bit further.

Yeah. How about giving a gift?

As a token of gratitude, if I cook something and bring it over… wouldn’t that be nice?

*

I thought it would be nice to do something, so I started cooking.

But cooking was harder than I imagined.

Watching the kitchen lady do it, I thought I could just follow along, but… it was difficult.

Why is handling raw ingredients so hard? Wasn’t it just about holding the knife and slicing through?

I thought I could just cut with scissors and add seasoning as I saw fit.

Why does it taste different? The seasoning is off. The shape is distorted. How do I keep this up?

Do I need to adjust the boiling time or the intensity of the fire? Was it different for the oven, microwave, and air fryer?

Difficult. It was too difficult.

For someone learning to cook for the first time, there was just too much to think about.

In the end, nothing was successful.

My body and mind just wouldn’t cooperate, so what I made didn’t even look like food… At the very least, I needed practice to make it look good.

As a result, the day passed by even faster.

Sometimes, when I had to sneak into my room under the watchful eyes of my family, I couldn’t practice cooking.

Cooking was one thing, but I couldn’t neglect my studies either. If I compromised on time, it would endlessly decrease.

At school, time passed as it did at school. At home, time passed as it did at home.

Then, on a day I thought was no different from any other, a major crisis struck.

I didn’t realize it as time passed.

But now I knew it was a time of anxiety.

The cooking hours I had spent aimlessly, thinking I would succeed someday, were not the problem.

“Everyone, come out in order and draw your numbers.”

The homeroom teacher called the students in order, holding a box with the class numbers.

All the classmates responded with a “Yes” and giggled excitedly.

“Since today is the last day, make sure to say goodbye to your classmates.”

“Oh, teacher. What goodbye?”

“It’s so cringy!”

Yes. Now I realized this time was… the time for class assignments.

The time when the school year changes.

From 2nd year to 3rd year.

This was the time… when classes were split.

“Finally, I’m getting away from this ugly kid.”

“What are you talking about? Take care of your own ugly face.”

“Both of you are ugly, wouldn’t it be better if you stayed in the same class?”

““Bullshit.””

“Freedom from suffering. Honestly, our class was terrible at soccer.”

“It’s really annoying that the worst player is saying that?”

“There are no basketball talents here. I hope we get some physically strong kids in the next class.”

These were the people who were looking forward to being assigned to a new class.

For various reasons, they mixed jokes and sincerity, hoping to be separated from their classmates.

“I don’t want to be separated from you. Boohoo.”

“I don’t want to be separated either… Can’t we stay together?”

“Couples are really making a fuss.”

“Are you rubbing it in? Ugh. When asked if you were dating, you always denied it.”

““That was then!””

“I liked that there were many good students… If I get noisy kids in the next class… Ugh.”

“Me too. There were many quiet kids, so it was good for studying.”

“I’m worried. In many ways.”

These are the people who are satisfied with the current class.

Rather than getting tired of it, they hoped to stay in the same class because they didn’t want to be separated from certain individuals.

Inside the classroom, the reactions were clearly divided into two…

I was scared.

There was no small amount of fear.

I wished it would just lean to one side.

My eyes, filled with anxiety, rolled on their own.

That kid, with an expressionless face, drew a number and came back, then opened his notebook again.

The number ticket, thrown carelessly as if it didn’t matter, was seen by all the classmates who passed by.

There were people who were annoyed that they ended up in the same class as that kid.

On the other hand, there were people who were satisfied that they avoided a landmine.

There were people who teased those who ended up in the same class.

There were people who prayed that they wouldn’t end up sitting next to that kid.

In the midst of that, I saw it.

The class number written on that piece of paper.

Watching with a trembling heart, my turn was approaching.

“Next. Number 15. Come and draw.”

At the call of my number, I pushed my chair and went forward.

My hands are shaking.

Out of so many classes, can I draw just one correctly?

…If I pressed the pen down, it would leave a mark. Couldn’t I figure out the class number from that?

If I gently unfold it and feel it with my fingers…

“Aren’t you taking too long to choose? There are people waiting behind you, so hurry up.”

I wanted to try some trick, but with the teacher urging me and the line of people still waiting, I couldn’t.

Suddenly, a vague sense of regret started to wash over me.

I should have gotten closer.

If it was going to be like this, I should have tried to become better friends.

I should have secretly gone to talk more about this and that.

No, there were even more things I could have done.

Why did I waste my time like this?

…

My vision becomes blurry.

I hope nothing changes.

In the same class. In this seat. I hope I can see that person the same way.

Please.

Please let us be in the same class.

If there is a god, please assign me to the same class as that person.

With my eyes closed, I drew the number…

Fortunately, the number written was the same as the one on the paper I had casually thrown for anyone to see.

Only then did my anxiety finally subside.

I get to see you for another year. We can meet in the same class.

There’s no chance of being separated into different classes.

I don’t know what others might think, but this moment was the happiest moment.

And, it was also the moment when I made a certain resolution.

What was needed was to move forward.

▶The Hidden Memorial has ended.◀

*

I secured what was needed in the study.

I obtained the second treasure, the Dawn Jade of Karn Bagland, and then had to go up to the third-floor lighting platform to acquire the next treasure.

Near the study, all the knights had left because Claire had expressed her dissatisfaction.

But it wasn’t the same when going up to the next floor. There were still many knights who hadn’t gone down. The deployment area was even tighter, and unlike the study, I had to be more cautious.

I could move because I had obtained information in advance.

I could move because I knew the purpose behind the current deployment.

Thus, I was able to enter the third-floor lighting platform.

The mission in the study was to find notes. The status window displayed within the lighting platform was not much different. Having experienced it once, similar puzzles or missions appeared, and I found the next note through hints.

It didn’t take long to find all the notes.

The content was simple this time as well. Along with the message to move towards the next note, it included the handling and usage methods of each treasure.

But this time too, the Hidden Memorial appeared without exception.

…As before, I still can’t grasp the true meaning of these memorials.

This time too, most of the information about the memorial was blocked, including visual and olfactory information.

Two memorials that come up twice. The first time, time just flew by, and all I did was cook. The second time, it was inside the school, but it was during the class assignment period.

What on earth does that mean?

‘No matter how much I think about it, I just can’t figure it out.’

Is my memory correct?

Now, even that question started to arise.

“Karsein.”

At that moment, when I was deeply immersed in the puzzlement of the memorial, Harnie glanced around and called me with concern.

I could tell just by looking at her expression.

“It seems the security is quite tight.”

“…It seems so, considering the place we have to go.”

I agree.

The next place I have to go is…

-Ding!

▶You need to move to the Duchess’s room.◀

Because it was none other than Isabella’s room.

‘It’s certainly troublesome.’

Isn’t it the place where the master I serve stays? It’s the place that should be guarded most securely in the duchy.

It seems like an outrageous demand to enter such a place, but… my eyes are also telling me that there’s a note there.

There was no choice but to somehow get in.

“What should we do?”

“…I’ll draw their attention from afar. Let’s dive in then.”

“Yes, yes?”

“We have no other options anyway. Waiting around won’t give us any answers. Instead, it’s better to draw the knights ahead away all at once and then make our move.”

The plan was to draw attention from one side, diverting as many knights as possible, and then make our entry. There might be a chase event, but it would be better than waiting and getting caught at the Duke’s mansion.

Anyway, there are windows in the Duchess’s room, so we can jump out if needed. It might hurt a bit, though.

After roughly explaining the plan to Harnié, we were about to proceed when a familiar voice rang out again.

“Hey, how many times do I have to tell you to get down because you’re in the way?!”

It was Claire, with her eyebrows raised in anger.

“Miss. But here…”

“Hey! Even if mom collapsed, would she like this?! If this isn’t surveillance, then what is it?”

…Collapsed? Isabella?

-Ding!

▶Information acquired!◀