Chapter 7: “The Crossroads of Assignments and Unspoken Feelings”
Chapter 7: “The Crossroads of Assignments and Unspoken Feelings”
Spring arrived at the Gifted Academy. …That said, spring here was never leisurely. Before the season could even bloom, the flood of assignments was already upon us. That seemed to be the academy’s way.
During lunch break, on the grassy lawn behind the school building, a group of girls spread out their JAPAN-style bento boxes from the cafeteria. I was only passing by, but their voices carried loudly.
“Did you hear? Oliver got another perfect score.”
“Apparently he let Hachikō sniff the samples and measured the color changes. Genius, right?”
“He’s so quiet but still radiates presence—it’s unfair.”
…Seriously. All I want is some peace and quiet.
Then I sensed it. I turned my head, and there she was—sitting under the shade of a tree. Ririka.
Her gaze was fixed, straight at us.
By “us,” I mean Maharaja, Emil, Rafaela, Katie, and me.
We were gathered as usual around a terrace table, eating lunch. Nothing particularly special. Yet for a moment, I felt it—someone’s eyes watching.
⸻
That afternoon, it was time for assignment announcements.
“This time’s assignment: ‘Field Exploration and Teamwork in a Virtual Environment.’ Students will form into teams of five and accomplish the missions assigned to them.”
As soon as the teacher said it in the briefing room, the air tightened. One by one, our names appeared in holographic text.
“Oliver Jones, Emil Monarch, Katie Bird, Rafaela Bird, Maharaja Hassan Al-Jalil Skywalker.”
I heard someone mutter, “Them again?”
“It’s based on grades. Quit complaining,” Maharaja grumbled, adjusting his hat.
Katie laughed, Rafaela shrugged, and I gave a wry smile with a nod. Honestly, being paired with people I could trust was a relief.
⸻
Our mission: Reboot the transfer device in the North Block.
It was set inside a virtual re-creation of alien ruins, riddled with gravitational distortions, energy barriers, and endless annoying contraptions.
“The magnetic field’s unstable here. Compass readings are useless,” I said.
“When a handsome guy says that kind of line, it really pisses me off,” Emil shot back.
“The plant distribution is uneven,” Rafaela added, raising her scanner. “There’s likely something beneath the ground.”
“Then let’s dig it out!” Katie’s eyes sparkled. “Hachikō, I’m borrowing you!”
I took the front lines. Maharaja slipped around to disable the jamming device from the rear.
“Understood, General,” he replied.
Our teamwork was flawless. No—perfect.
Three long weeks of tedious tasks and unfair gimmicks, and finally, we broke through.
⸻
Elsewhere, another assignment was underway for the medical unit.
I only heard about it later. Their task had been rescuing and treating the severely wounded within the virtual space—a brutally difficult scenario.
Emil told me that Ririka’s performance was extraordinary. He’d watched the replay footage.
Airway management, injections, transfusions with artificial blood… her speed and precision left even the medical instructors astonished.
I hadn’t been there myself. But knowing her, I believed it.
Her eyes always faced forward. Always unwavering.
⸻
Another team tackled something different: a “locked-room murder mystery” in the lecture hall simulation.
Maharaja told me about it afterward—he’d watched the replay, since he’s fascinated by criminal psychology.
A group of prodigies had done what even the AI couldn’t: uncover the so-called “sixth hand.”
The supposed culprit wasn’t dead after all, but a hidden second assailant. The twist was so brilliant that even the teachers applauded in shock.
At the Gifted Academy, events like this were so common, boredom was impossible.
⸻
Finally, presentation day. The stage was set up in the arena. Our team was called to the front.
“First Place: Team B. Transfer device successfully reactivated, simulation accuracy 100%.”
The five of us stood quietly on stage, receiving the applause. Rafaela and Katie exchanged smiles, Emil shrugged, Maharaja tipped his hat. And me—I only kept my eyes straight ahead.
That’s when I noticed it.
On the right side of the stage, the medical team was presenting. Ririka stood there.
For a single heartbeat, our eyes met.
She quickly lowered her gaze, but just for that instant—I could swear she had noticed me.
Beside me, Emil whispered under his breath.
“…Ririka was incredible. The way she handled herself—you’d never guess she’s only twelve.”
I said nothing. Just watched his profile, while a small feeling lingered quietly in my chest.
Maharaja spoke.
“Everyone shines in different places. But we all fought our battles—didn’t we?”
Yeah. That felt true.
⸻
After school.
Someone told me later that Ririka had gone to the back of the building, beneath the cherry trees, after finishing cleanup in the infirmary.
Those trees still held a few blossoms.
“Oliver… your assignment today was amazing,” she had murmured softly.
Of course, I hadn’t heard it. But if she really had said that—
…Maybe I would’ve smiled. Just a little.
⸻
And then, in the hallway.
When Emil passed by the benches of the school corridor, he happened to glance back.
And in that fleeting moment—he smiled quietly, thinking of Ririka.
I only know this because he told me later.
(…Ririka. I see how hard you’re trying.)
Yeah… that was just like him.
⸻
(To be continued in Chapter 8)
