Chapter 78: Observation Class (4)

Valhalla City, which encircled the Hero Academy, was bustling with people from across the three nations, all gathered for the observation class visitations. Though the actual heroes participating in the observation sessions had entered the school since morning, the city was still filled with people who had no intention of attending the classes.

They ranged from personal attendants of high-ranking heroes to those only interested in the post-lesson social gathering, and of course, to the curious onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the continent’s finest all in one place. Adding to that were the merchants capitalizing on the crowd. More people were roaming the streets of Valhalla City than parents walking inside the academy, where the actual lessons were taking place.

Strolling along the streets with Yuren, I realized that wearing school uniforms in the middle of the weekday made us stand out way too much. So, I turned to him. “We should probably change clothes first.”

“Yeah.”

I picked a random clothing shop off the street. “Let’s try that store over there.”

This clothing shop, which we had entered without much thought, turned out to be quite high-end. It was packed with clothes in dozens, no, hundreds, of different styles.

“There are a lot of clothes in here,” Yuren said.

I headed toward the men’s section. “Let’s just grab something quick and get out.”

I had just started browsing the clothes when something hit me. I immediately turned around, but Yuren was nowhere to be seen. “Huh? Where did he go?”

It seemed odd to me since I had assumed Yuren was following me. Backtracking a few steps, I found him standing frozen in place, staring blankly ahead. His gaze was fixed on a mannequin in the women’s section, dressed in a flowy skirt and off-shoulder blouse, an outfit that had recently become popular among female cadets.

“What are you doing over there?” I asked.

Yuren laughed awkwardly. “Oh, uh. Sorry! I got distracted.”

He finally made his way to the men’s section. Then we picked out some casual clothes, changed, and headed back into the streets of Valhalla City.

As I walked ahead, a thought came to mind: Why is it that even though the weather isn’t anything out of the ordinary, it always feels exceptionally clearer and brighter when we are out of school playing hooky?

“Man, what a day for skipping class,” I muttered and turned to Yuren. “So, what now?”

“Hmm!”

“Anything you want to do?”

“I… don’t really know. This is the first time I’ve done something like this.” Yuren looked around nervously as if he were a lost kid separated from his parents, unsure of what to do next.

I couldn’t help but smile. The strongest swordsman in human history was looking like he was about to cry because he ditched one class. It was unreal—a fresh, unguarded side of him, one I had never seen in my past life.

“Well, want to just walk around and see what we find?” I said.

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

I took him to Republic Town, the district in Valhalla City where most of the Republic’s immigrants lived. This was my second time here, the first being with Iris to watch a movie. It was packed with Republic-style restaurants, cultural centers, and more.

Yuren’s eyes sparkled as he looked around, like a villager seeing the capital for the first time. “Wow! So, this is Republic Town.”

“First time here?”

“Yeah. I rarely leave the academy, and even when I do, I’ve never come this way.”

“Yeah, well, considering your mother, I’m not surprised.”

“Ack

! I-I don’t think people from the Republic are mongrels or anything!”

“I know, man.”

We wandered through Republic Town, taking in the sights. Eventually, our stomachs started growling.

“Getting hungry? Want to grab lunch?” I asked.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Anything in particular you want to eat?”

“Hmm! Something I want to eat…” Yuren paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “I want to try ramen!”

“Ramen? We came all the way out here for that?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “Yup!”

“Well, sure. If that’s what you want.”

We started looking around for a shop that served ramen when Yuren called out to me. “Uh, Dale.”

“Yeah?”

“Instead of buying it… Could you make it for me?”

“You want me to cook it?”

What kind of person walks to such a place and asks someone else to make ramen? I thought.

“Let’s just buy it. It’ll taste better that way,” I said.

He pouted. “You made it for Iris…”

His voice trailed off as he looked down, sullen. That hit me harder than expected.

“Fine! I’ll make it for you,” I said.

Yuren beamed as if I had just handed him the world. “Hehe! Thanks, Dale!”

It made me sigh. This guy! You really can’t tell what’s going on in his head.There are restaurants everywhere, and yet he insists on ramen made by me?Now then, where could we even cook ramen outdoors…

There was no way I could just walk into a random shop and offer to pay to use their stove. However, I remembered reading on my Hero Watch that there was a riverside spot near Republic Town where you could cook your own ramen.

So, I said, “Let’s go, Yuren.”

“Where to?”

“Just follow me.”

Like I had seen online, there was a small establishment by the river where you could cook ramen and eat it at outdoor tables.

“Grab us a spot. I’ll go make the ramen,” I said.

“Okay!”

I went inside, cooked up some ramen, and brought it out to the outdoor table where Yuren was waiting. Then came his verdict on ramen, which he tasted for the very first time in his noble young life.

He smiled awkwardly, clearly not used to the sharp flavors. “W-whoa! It’s so intense!”

It was definitely a stark contrast to Iris, who devoured it like it was the best thing ever. Yeah, this was the normal reaction. If ramen suited everyone’s taste, it wouldn’t be something mostly consumed only in the Republic. For most foreigners, it was just too spicy and too strong.

“Not to your liking?” I asked.

“Ah, no! It’s good!”

I chuckled. “Right. That’s why you’re sweating buckets.”

I pulled out a slice of cheese I had bought just in case. “Try it with this. It’ll be way better.”

Yuren frowned like I had just proposed a crime against cuisine. “Cheese? In ramen?”

“Just try it, man.”

“Ugh! Okay.” He placed the slice of cheese on top. The leftover heat from the broth slowly melted it into a gooey layer. “Huh?”

Yuren cautiously brought a bite of cheese ramen to his mouth, and his eyes widened. “It’s… It’s delicious!”

“Way better than before, right?”

“Yeah!”

With a huge smile plastered across his face, he happily slurped up the cheesy ramen. I joined him, and soon, we had both polished off our bowls. Sitting at the outdoor table, we watched the river flowing calmly by, the events of the morning already feeling like a distant dream. The peaceful quiet felt unreal.

I turned toward Yuren, who was silently staring into the water. “Yuren.”

“Yeah?”

“Has it always been like that with your mom?”

He went quiet. Then, a bitter smile curled at his lips as he slowly shook his head. “She wasn’t always like that. When I was little… She used to be really kind.”

“She didn’t seem like that at all to me.”

Yuren forced a smile and tried to defend her. “Haha! She has to shoulder the entire family on her own now. It must be hard on her, too.”

I frowned. “Even if that’s true, that doesn’t mean she should treat you like that. Let’s be honest. You’re basically the Helios family’s last hope.”

“Hope, huh!”

“Anyway, if something bothers you, just say it. You don’t have to live like her puppet.”

For some reason, his expression turned cold. He clenched his fists tightly, his whole body trembling. “I can’t…”

His voice came out barely above a whisper, like something squeezed from deep inside. “I don’t deserve to.”

“Deserve what?” I asked curiously.

He immediately stood up with his empty bowl and said, “We should go back, Dale. The dorm gates will close if we’re late.”

He had changed the subject quickly, a little too quickly. I narrowed my eyes as I watched him. His trembling hands, his pale face, and his shaky breathing. I hadn’t seen this side of Yuren before, a side of him frozen in fear.

Why? The question echoed in my mind. The Yuren I knew was braver than anyone. Even when everyone else ran in terror, he stood tall, drew his sword, and refused to back down even in front of the Demon God. So then why was he acting like this? What on earth could’ve scared him like this?

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Ah, yeah.”

Before I could find an answer, I simply followed Yuren as we headed back toward the academy.

Yuren turned back to face me. “Oh, and Dale. Thanks!”

“Thanks? For what?”

He smiled gently. “For taking me out today.”

***

After parting ways with Dale, I headed back to the dormitory. The academy was eerily quiet now that all the classes had ended. I thought back on the day, walking the streets with Dale, seeing things I had never seen before, eating things I had never tried. It was fun. More than that, it made me happy in a way I didn’t even know was possible.

But as I reached my door and stood before it, I bit my lip. That moment of happiness was over. It was time to return to the reality I had always known. With trembling hands, I opened the dorm door.

Inside sat my mother, with her legs crossed, her gaze cold and sharp. “You’re finally back.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t bother asking why she was here when the observation classes had already ended. She wouldn’t leave so easily, I knew that.

I knelt before her and bowed my head. “I’m sorry.”

She rose from her seat without a word and walked toward me. I braced myself, thinking she would slap me.

However, a gentle hand stroked my cheek instead. “Yuren, no, Yurina.”

“Mo-m?” I couldn’t even say the word properly from sheer shock.

“You must’ve been so tired. If you were spending time with someone like that, you must’ve really been struggling.”

“N-No, it wasn’t like that…”

“Don’t worry. I know better than anyone how hard you’ve worked until now.” A gentle hand stroked my cheek, and she smiled as she patted my back. “You did well, Yurina. You’ve been through so much.”

“Ah!” A jolt like lightning ran down my spine, and then the tears came. Rolling down both cheeks, unstoppable. “M-mom…”

“Yes, yes.”

“M-mom!”

The tears didn’t stop. I didn’t know why her demeanor had suddenly flipped so drastically. All I knew was that the thing I had longed for most in the world was finally happening. Was there ever a happier moment in my life?

“Yurina, can I ask you one thing?” she said.

Wiping my tears on the back of my hand, I nodded eagerly. “Y-yes. Anything… Anything you want…”

“Be Yuren for me,” she said.

“What?”

She wants me to become Yuren? Then, what have I been doing all this time? I thought.

“I’m not talking about a sloppy impersonation,” she replied.

“Then what do you mean?”

She gripped my shoulders tightly, her voice trembling with excitement. “If we overwrite your soul stigmata with Yuren’s, you’ll become the true Yuren, the radiant sun itself.”

As I looked into her eyes, I could see they were twisted with madness.

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