The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 320: Late Night Encounter [1]

I didn't even know how long we stood there staring at each other.

Time felt warped — stretching and collapsing all at once — because neither of us could speak.

Both of us were too stunned.

I had to think.

If I didn't come up with something normal to say in the next few seconds, I had no idea what impulsive reaction she might have.

Leona.

The academy's cross-dressing heroine — and originally, a character meant to become the protagonist's roommate.

She always kept her hair tied, carefully maintaining it even though it was far too long for any boy. She made desperate efforts to dress like a man despite her soft, unmistakably feminine features.

Of course, those efforts were pointless, but since she insisted she was a boy, no one questioned it — at least early in the academy storyline.

But anyone who saw her like this, right after she'd finished bathing, would never mistake her for a man.

Because the elegant curves of her body — usually hidden under compression bandages and a perception-altering relic — were exposed.

I tried to stay calm. I really did.

But the two round mounds pushing against the thin fabric of her clothes were making rational thought nearly impossible.

Shut the fuck up…!

My brain screamed at itself.

This was the worst possible situation to lose composure.

Simply put, they were big.

"Uh—"

Even in the dim lighting, I could tell Leona's face was turning red. Maybe from embarrassment. Maybe from anger. Maybe both.

"I'm sorry…!"

Damn it.

The apology shot out of me before I had a chance to think, pure reflex—a stupid, useless reflex.

"Senior…!"

And as if my mouth had decided to betray me completely, an excuse tumbled out right after.

In my own honest judgment?

It was the worst excuse possible.

"…Huh?"

Leona let out a stunned little sound, blinking at me like she wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

----

Leona pov

This was bad.

Really bad.

Leona had completely let her guard down, and I had just walked straight into the consequences.

Not that she didn't have an excuse—she definitely did.

She'd been excited about the trip, practically bouncing the whole way here. And since it was only one night, she must've figured she could endure skipping a shower, even if it felt a little gross.

It was a little disappointing to give up the rose-scented bath that had been part of the trip itinerary.

Leona had been looking forward to it all week, but since they were in the middle of a dungeon expedition — and proper showers weren't exactly guaranteed — she told herself she could endure it.

But the real problem was Rin, who lay right next to her before they went to sleep.

She had taken the very edge of the makeshift bedding, claiming the corner spot… yet Rin naturally settled beside her, as if it were the most normal thing in the world — almost like he was keeping guard.

And that was when she caught it: a faint, soft floral fragrance coming from him.

It was subtle, barely there, but it calmed her thoughts for a moment.

Then another thought hit her.

Do I… smell like sweat?

She had been running around all day.

It was her first trip with friends, and she had been excited — too excited, probably — sprinting here and there without a second thought. And on top of that, they had unexpectedly fallen into a dungeon. With all that, there was no way she didn't smell at least a little sweaty.

Meanwhile, the friend lying beside her was the type who valued cleanliness to an almost obsessive degree. He showered thoroughly every single day, taking his time as if it were a ritual.

Of course, Rin still thought of her as a guy, so it shouldn't matter.

She had heard plenty of times that some men didn't even bother showering for a day if they didn't feel like it.

But still… she didn't like the idea.

It was a feeling she couldn't quite describe — uncomfortable, restless, a little embarrassed.

If Rin were to say something like, "Hey, you smelled like sweat while you were sleeping," tomorrow morning…

Leona knew she would want to disappear on the spot.

Everyone in the dorm was already fast asleep, but this wasn't about convenience — it was about her pride.

Yes.

Leona absolutely refused to be remembered as an unclean roommate by Rin, someone she would be sharing a room with for the foreseeable future.

No one would know if she slipped out for a quick bath while the whole dorm was dead quiet.

With that thought bolstering her, she hurried to the bathroom.

Of course, since it was this late, the hot water was already gone.

Still, she washed herself as best she could, shivering slightly as the chill soaked into her skin.

Just as she finished drying off and reached for her clothes, a sudden realization hit her.

She'd forgotten her compression bandages.

Wearing the ones she had taken off felt wrong — the pressure wouldn't be the same, and worse, they smelled like her sweat.

The idea of putting that back on after a shower made her cringe.

In the end, she pulled on only her top and underwear and rushed out quietly to retrieve the fresh bandages.

Everyone was asleep.

As long as she moved carefully, no one would—

"…Water…"

A soft, sleepy mumble echoed from the dim hallway.

Leona froze.

"Huh…?"

Out of the darkness, someone shuffled toward her, rubbing his eyes, hair messy, expression dazed in a way she never imagined she'd see.

"…Oh."

Rin.

Of all the people she could have run into — it had to be her roommate, half-awake and adorably confused, standing there while she was barely dressed, clutching only a towel and shame.

Leona's mind went blank.

She was screwed.

She should have just put on the used bandages.

No, she shouldn't have showered in the first place.

She shouldn't have even come on this trip.

Countless regrets flooded her at once, but it was too late.