Chapter 34
06. First Time as Friends
After telling senior Noah and Father Cesario that I was going to the hospital, I went around the school locking all the doors.
It was too late to attend classes anyway.
After bustling about all day like that and returning to the dorm room, Erica was already asleep.
With a troubled mind, I organized my bag, finished preparing for school, and went to bed.
🐈⬛
Saint Gloria Private School Student Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board for Continental Year 902, September 4th
Hey guys. The ghost in the girls’ dormitory elevator has disappeared.
⌎Was that even real?
⌎It was a pretty famous rumor in the girls’ dorm.
⌎Were there really that many students breaking curfew?
⌎This isn’t a convent, so it’s possible.
⌎Why do you sound so proud about breaking the rules?
Saint Gloria Private School Student Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board for Continental Year 902, September 4th Board
The transfer student missed class today.
⌎I saw them heading to the hospital with a nosebleed.
⌎Melo-nosebleed again?
⌎What does that mean?
⌎Why do new students abbreviate everything?
⌎I’m a 4th-year student.
⌎There’s a rumor she skipped class to be alone with the student council president on the hill behind the school. There’s an eyewitness.
⌎Don’t talk nonsense. The student council president is fair to everyone. He doesn’t give special treatment to anyone.
⌎To the person above, why say that? It’s out of context.
⌎Leave it. They’re just jealous of the transfer student.
Saint Gloria Private School Student Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board for Continental Year 902, September 5th
Has anyone seen the transfer student in the annex? She was going around closing every open door, what’s up with her?
⌎I saw her too. I saw her in Johannes Castle, she was very diligent about closing doors.
⌎I saw her at the hospital. I was using the bathroom on the 2nd floor when she came into the men’s room and startled me.
⌎Was that you? The jerk who left the second stall on the 2nd floor without cleaning up.
⌎Looks like the transfer student wants attention. She’s been doing all sorts of weird things since transferring.
🐈⬛
The next day, I ended up writing about 10 pages of reflections sitting in the faculty office.
It was punishment for skipping a day of classes.
What was a bit unfair was that when they heard the student council president skipped, all the teachers just laughed and said, “It happens,” and let it go.
It’s clearly because the student council president is the heir to the Eglinton ducal family. The teachers are quite materialistic.
Crack.
I was a bit heated and unknowingly gripped my fountain pen tightly, but it seems I gripped it too hard and broke a finger bone.
It hurt terribly.
‘What? How did my bone break just from gripping a fountain pen?’
It was bewildering, but it hurt so much I couldn’t even scream. I don’t know why my body has become so weak like a sunfish.
Drip drip drip.
As I silently screamed, clutching my hand, blood dripped onto my reflection paper. I quickly covered my nose with my sleeve.
I’ve been having nosebleeds frequently these days, probably because I’m tired.
“Oh my, Hastings, what’s wrong?”
My homeroom teacher discovered me having a nosebleed and looked surprised. She quickly brought a handkerchief and helped cover my nose.
At that moment, someone knocked on the faculty office door.
The door opened, and the person who appeared was none other than the student council president, Noah Eugene Eglinton.
“Oh my, what brings the president here?”
The teacher’s voice changes immediately.
‘What a dirty world.’
Senior Noah politely bowed to the teacher and stated his business.
“I have something to discuss with Melody.”
Something to discuss with me…? I tilted my head at the homeroom teacher with my nose still covered.
“I came to repay a debt.”
“Ah, I see.”
There was no need to repay that debt. Actually, it was a bit bothersome.
“Teacher, may I take Melody to the hospital?”
“Oh, of course. Actually, her nosebleed wouldn’t stop, so I was about to take her to the hospital myself. It’s perfect timing.”
Suddenly, the homeroom teacher handed my nose-holding hand over to Senior Noah. Huh?
The senior made me hold my own nose, then swiftly lifted me up in his arms.
He’s become quite natural at carrying me around now.
Wait, is it really necessary to be carried like this just for a nosebleed when my legs are fine?
In a daze, I was transferred from the teacher to Senior Noah and found myself leaving the faculty office in confusion.
“Why is your hand so swollen? Did you hurt it?”
Even though the teacher didn’t notice, Senior Noah immediately spotted that my hand was injured too.
“I think I broke a bone. From gripping the fountain pen too hard.”
“You broke a bone from gripping a fountain pen?”
Senior Noah looked at me with disbelief. I was equally bewildered, so I had nothing to say.
“More importantly, why did you come here, senior?”
I asked in a nasal voice, still pinching my bleeding nose.
Noah glanced down at me as he walked through the corridor.
“Melody, you didn’t go to the hospital. You’re still having nosebleeds and you didn’t go? You really…”
Senior Noah started to lecture but then sighed.
“It’s a wonder you haven’t fainted from anemia.”
“No, yesterday’s nosebleed stopped, of course. Today’s is just because I’m tired…”
Senior Noah seemed to barely listen to my words. He probably thought I was making feeble excuses.
“I did go to the hospital yesterday!”
“I know you didn’t. I checked with the doctor.”
I closed my mouth in surprise.
Even if my ability to see ghosts and being the only one who can eliminate them has some merit, still…
‘Is this level of obsession really necessary…?’
When Senior Noah appeared, all the ghosts floating around disappeared from sight.
Senior Noah can’t see them, but they seem to be afraid of him nonetheless.
Why are they so scared?
“How do you know, senior?”
“My uncle is the president of the medical association. He manages Saint Gloria Private School’s main hospital and all its branches. He’s also acquainted with the doctor at our school.”
I felt a chill at the student council president’s explanation. This can’t be. I can’t even lie carelessly.
“I’m really fine, though.”
“If something goes wrong later, don’t blame me. Just get examined.”
The student council president replied.
So it seems he wasn’t worried about me, but rather making sure I wouldn’t blame him later.
Actually, I felt it would be quite burdensome if he was genuinely worried about me, so I thought this was better.
“I can walk by myself.”
“Just come with me.”
“I’ll really go this time, so please put me down.”
“I can’t trust you.”
In the end, the student council president carried me like that all the way to the hospital.
Needless to say, all the passing students’ shocked gazes were focused on me.
I was so embarrassed that I wanted to hide in a mouse hole if there was one.
🐈⬛
I ended up following the student council president to the hospital and had to undergo all sorts of tests.
The conclusion was that there was nothing wrong.
Of course, there was something wrong with my finger joint bone. It wasn’t broken, but cracked.
A finger joint cracked from gripping a fountain pen too hard. Even the doctor looked at me with a perplexed expression.
“This is really strange.”
Senior Noah said, looking down at me sitting on the hospital bed with his arms crossed.
I shrugged and replied.
“See, Senior? I told you I’m fine except for my finger.”
“That’s just it. It’s strange that you’re fine. With all that blood loss.”
I closed my mouth, having no response to the senior’s words. I had no other way to explain that point either.
It seems my body has become strange due to coming back to the past, but how could I possibly explain that?
“Your identity is still suspicious, but I need you, you see.”
Senior Noah seemed to be pondering something with his chin in his hand, then spoke in a low voice.
“I have a proposal for you.”
🐈⬛
Thank you for reading! ♡
