I sat next to Kanna, staring blankly into space for a while.
Since Kanna was the only one who had ever called me a "star," I felt even more dazed by her words.
I hadn't told anyone about that, so how did she know?
No, it must just be a coincidence.
But even knowing it was probably coincidental, just something that happened by chance, hearing the word "star" made my heart race.
She had been struggling through a nightmare with hazy eyes before finding someone at the end who gave her relief. I couldn't say for certain she was specifically referring to me, but the possibility made me nervous.
The time was 10:30.
I had put Kanna to bed after the sun had completely set, but it was still too early for me to sleep.
Going to bed too early would disrupt my daily routine, so I wasn't sure what to do.
"Nngh..."
Kanna seemed to be groaning uncomfortably, sweating as she squirmed.
I flinched when I saw her body twisting.
Thinking she might be hot, I pulled back the blanket.
But she continued to squirm, and it seemed like her blazer was constricting her.
Come to think of it, Kanna usually took off her blazer as soon as she got home.
While it was fine to wear outside, it wasn't something comfortable to relax in at home.
I naturally reached out, but as I went to grab her blazer, I remembered her voice from before.
"...I didn't think you'd touch me there."
I could almost see her glaring at me with those sharp eyes.
But that was a different situation, and right now I needed to make her comfortable. I gently lifted the still-sleeping Kanna and removed her blazer.
I couldn't touch her white shirt or uniform skirt, so I left those alone and wiped away the cold sweat on her face again.
I didn't know if the absorbed totem was the problem, or if it was trauma too terrifying for her to handle. Either way, all I wanted now was for her to wake up okay.
Apparently I had fallen asleep at some point, because when I opened my bleary eyes, bright light was tapping against my eyelids.
As I groaned and lifted my head to clear my foggy mind, I felt a hand stroking my hair.
"Are you awake?"
At Kanna's voice, I opened my eyes wide and looked at her face.
Her eyes looked sad, as if she might cry, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward as if she was happy to see me.
It seemed I had fallen asleep while trying to stay up a bit longer to take care of her.
Since I hadn't slept comfortably in bed, my body felt stiff.
"Oh, yeah... Are you okay?"
"Me? Thanks to you."
Kanna answered and then placed her hand firmly on her chest.
After checking her condition, she made a bitter expression that concerned me.
"You passed out yesterday, so I brought you here. And, well, you seemed uncomfortable, so I hung your blazer over there."
I pointed to the clothes rack behind us.
Kanna's blazer was hanging there.
Kanna glanced where I was pointing and nodded.
"Thank you, I've caused you trouble again. You didn't sleep well, did you?"
"No, I'm fine sleeping like this."
"You should rest a bit more."
"I need to prepare lunch boxes and get going soon."
"Will we even need lunch boxes today since it's practical training day?"
Ah, that's right.
I'd forgotten because everything had been so hectic.
I took out the device from my pocket and tapped it a few times to look inside.
I sighed as I remembered that instead of exams, we were supposed to choose agencies and go for practical training.
As the top student, many agencies would want me, but the choice was still mine...
When I glanced at Kanna, she was pulling back the blanket on the opposite side from where I was sitting.
"Ugh, I look terrible."
She shook her head a few times and then glanced at me cautiously.
Then, carefully:
"I-I'm going to wash up in the morning...!"
She shouted and dashed out of the room.
I watched her silently and then let out a small chuckle.
Then, trying to shake off the fatigue in my body, I buried my face where Kanna had been lying and closed my eyes.
I figured even if I fell back asleep, Kanna would wake me up.
Kanna smelled fragrant after her shower.
Even though we used the same shampoo, it somehow smelled different on her.
Following that scent in a daze, I found myself at the Academy, just in time for morning assembly.
On Wednesdays, we usually had exams instead of classes, so our subject teachers didn't come.
Only our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Lucia, had an extended assembly time.
"Today, you'll be going for field training. Your attitude and ability evaluations there will count as one of your exam subjects, so make sure you show them that you're the next generation of heroes."
The teacher said this while looking at the file in her hand and writing something on the blackboard.
The white lines appearing on the black background caught my eye.
I soon realized they were agency names.
Most agencies were located near the Wall.
Not all of them were like that; some agencies were completely inside the Wall.
The heroes there seemed more like office workers who handled paperwork and support rather than fieldwork.
Anyway, since we were first-years and they needed to assess whether we could fight monsters, it was obvious we'd all be assigned to hero agencies near the Wall.
"Students who rank at the top of the school have the right to choose their agencies. Since every agency wants top students, you can go wherever you want."
Mrs. Lucia said this while looking directly at me.
I had expected this, but being put on the spot to choose first made me feel a bit overwhelmed.
I wanted to turn my head away, but that would have been too obvious, so I forced myself to stay still.
As I hesitated with mixed feelings, Orca glanced at me from the side and raised her hand.
"Teacher, since Yoon Ha-min seems undecided, may I choose first?"
"Ah, Orca, yes, yes. That's fine."
"I'd like to choose Helden Agency."
"I see. Hmm, hmm. Alright, I'll put that down."
The teacher tapped her large device as if sending a message after hearing Orca's choice.
Then she gave Orca her answer.
"Yes, Orca, I've put you down for Helden Agency!"
It was a name I vaguely remembered from geography class.
The Wall was supposed to form an even circle, but since it couldn't be built that way perfectly, there were certain recessed areas.
Looking from above, it was a section of the wall that appeared concave. While it was difficult to repair if breached, the narrow gap made it hard for monsters to rush in all at once if the Wall broke.
It was a place with advantages to balance its disadvantages.
From what I knew, it was related to managing other sections of the Wall under the Ramiris family, but since skill was what mattered most, no one would object to her choice.
"What about you, Yoon Ha-min? Aren't you going to choose first?"
Snapping back to reality, I raised my head.
Not having slept properly for days, my mind kept wandering.
After repeating thoughts accompanied by a headache, I nodded.
"I'll choose after everyone else has made their selections."
"...Then the good agencies might not be left. Well, it's your decision. Even the best agency might give a poor evaluation, and even the toughest place might give a generous one, so think carefully."
"Yes."
I calmly answered and waited for my turn.
Orca glanced at me, sighed, and shook her head.
She must have realized I was planning to follow Kanna, and it felt like she was treating me like a stalker.
My previous attempt to use my ability to find Kanna eating in the bathroom must have left a bad impression.
And now it seemed like I was going to follow Kanna again, which made her look at me with cold eyes, hurting my feelings a bit.
I wanted to explain everything, but I couldn't, which was frustrating.
After the top-ranked students made their choices,
the mid-ranked students negotiated with agencies to reach agreements.
Finally, the agencies selected lower-ranked students they wanted to develop.
This was where you could truly see the meritocracy in action.
The top-ranked chose, the mid-ranked negotiated, and the lower-ranked had to be chosen.
As we moved down the list to students with poorer grades, the agencies seemed less enthusiastic.
They had been more active earlier when negotiating with the mid-ranked students.
When it was finally Kanna's turn to be selected, she sat quietly with a half-resigned expression, ready to accept whatever outcome came her way.
Seeing her like that made my heart ache, and I unconsciously clenched my teeth.
"Kanna, how about Larden Agency? They've expressed interest in you."
It was an agency that didn't seem particularly good.
An agency that hadn't been chosen by top students and had reached agreements with few mid-ranked students now seemed to be reluctantly trying to take Kanna.
Kanna nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, anywhere is fine with me."
"I see. Then finally..."
The teacher manipulated her device a few times and then shifted her gaze.
Her eyes moved from Kanna to me.
Meeting her gaze, I raised my head and answered:
"Teacher, I'll also go to Larden."