Chapter 25
“It’s Not Working So Well”
When I returned after stepping away briefly, the woman was already gone.
After that, Roitz began looking for her—but first, he decided to find someone named Serdin Bibi.
It wasn’t hard to do.
‘I thought I’d heard that name before.’
There were several letters in his overflowing inbox signed Serdin Bibi.
“13th, 1 PM. Tritta Island entrance. If you don’t show again, watch your back at night. –Serdin Bibi.”
And when he went to the location mentioned in the letter—
“Hello, senior.”
Roitz couldn’t help but smile.
“You’re Serdin Bibi?”
Though there was no trace of the longing gaze from that drunken night, the straightforward, captivating eyes remained the same.
Yes, those eyes. Distant, yet somehow affectionate.
They were now fixed on him with a feigned dissatisfaction.
“What if I am?”
“Then what do I need to do?”
This was Serdin’s first memory of meeting him—but for Roitz, it was the second.
He remembered the night of the masquerade. Serdin could not.
But what neither of them knew—Roitz especially—was that there was more to this than met the eye.
He would only discover that truth much later.
The long semester ended.
Winter deepened. Fluffy snow began to fall more frequently.
Ever since their field trip to Elche, Roitz had been busy.
“I’m going to Yudelln’s 3rd training field today.”
“I’ll be in the central park—are you free?”
He had sent a few letters, but her replies always said she was busy.
‘Is she doing okay?’
They used to meet during classes to train or eat together, but that stopped when the term ended.
Last break, they had practically spent every day together.
Time marched steadily on.
Snow now quietly blanketed the training ground where they once practiced in the summer, and the plaza where they spent autumn.
Looking back, Roitz had come to the dorm often.
He visited for friends like Simon or Enia, and often to see me.
But I realized—I had never visited the Velkirente estate.
I hadn’t even thought about doing that.
As I trudged uphill toward the dorm, leaving footprints in the snow, that realization struck me.
I hadn’t seen him for days before this dawned on me.
Roitz finally reappeared near the end of winter.
“Hey, first-year. Want to spar?”
“No. I already promised someone else.”
Even though I hadn’t seen him, I hadn’t trained with anyone else.
It just didn’t feel right.
Maybe it was because we had never officially ended our exclusive sparring arrangement.
‘If he showed up sooner, I might’ve gone up against someone else.’
As I trained alone, I felt a strange sense of emptiness over and over again.
‘What is this? Why do I feel so hollow?’
It felt like someone should be tossing comments at me from the side.
Like he’d invite me to eat after practice.
Like I’d see him smiling under the dappled sunlight beneath the trees.
‘What is this feeling?’
It was just… weird.
One day, as winter was ending, I decided to train with a scarecrow instead of Roitz.
I borrowed a wooden sword and headed to the outdoor training field.
I stood at the entrance, staring blankly at the grounds before approaching the scarecrow.
Just then, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“You should be practicing with me, Serdin.”
That familiar low voice carried a teasing tone.
I spun around immediately.
There he was—Roitz, after nearly two months—smiling at me casually.
Hearing his voice startled me.
Not because it had been a long time.
But because the way he grabbed my shoulder, the height of his voice—
It was all so familiar that I recognized him before he even spoke.
That tiny realization alone was what surprised me.
“What took you so long?”
“I was really busy.”
“But you said you’d always make time.”
I was startled again—this time at how I was whining like a child.
Roitz began training me in that playful, relaxed way he always did.
As I moved my body and lunged at him, the emptiness I’d felt began to fade.
“You’re doing well. Looks like you can handle it on your own now, Serdin.”
“On my own?”
Roitz replied as if it was the most obvious thing.
“I’m graduating soon.”
It was true.
Spring was just around the corner, and graduation was approaching fast.
“Yeah… I guess that’s true.”
But still…
‘So what happens after that?’
I had never really thought about after Roitz graduated.
I had assumed we’d get what we could out of this bond before then—and that’d be the end of it.
When he graduated, the relationship would naturally fade.
“Shall we head out now, Serdin?”
“Aren’t we getting food?”
“You want to?”
“We always do.”
Strangely, Roitz tried to leave right after training.
We always ate together. That had become normal.
So I insisted, almost childishly, and dragged him to a lasagna place—the one he had taken me to early on.
As we ate, Roitz stared at me the whole time.
He did that often, but today, it was different.
It was like he was trying to commit me to memory.
‘Is it because we won’t see each other much after graduation?’
I, too, kept watching him, thinking.
About his graduation… no, more about after that.
And after some thought, I finally asked him—
“Even after you graduate… we’ll still see each other, right?”
It was a carefully considered question.
For me, it meant acknowledging I didn’t want to end things here.
It meant recognizing that Roitz was an important friend to me.
Roitz didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled gently and asked:
“Want to take a walk around Yudelln?”
We walked together and paused under a large willow tree.
As I leaned against it, I bumped the trunk—causing snow from the branches to fall onto my head.
“Ack!”
Roitz reflexively reached out a hand toward my head.
But he hesitated, then pulled back.
“Ah, right. You said you don’t like that.”
“I didn’t say I don’t like it. I just didn’t want to get spoiled.”
“Got it. I’ll be careful.”
He didn’t reach out again. I brushed the snow off myself.
Meanwhile, Roitz just stood there, staring.
He seemed… just a bit different today.
‘Why do I think that?’
His voice was the same. He wasn’t being unusually quiet.
Then I realized—it was the distance.
He was standing a little farther away from me than usual.
Even at the restaurant, he’d leaned back slightly, keeping his distance.
So I stepped toward him.
“This is where I gave you a piggyback ride, remember?”
Roitz, still composed, stepped back.
When I closed the gap again, he suddenly started walking around the tree.
I followed him as he continued circling it.
“How long are you going to keep walking around this tree, senior?”
“We’re taking a walk, right? Gotta walk properly.”
“Just around this tree?”
His strides grew longer. I had to run to catch up and block his path.
“Remember that day? You got me those performance tickets, and I gave you a piggyback ride?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded nonchalantly.
“Do you remember it?”
“I do. You looked so happy that day, Serdin.”
So he does remember.
That day, I really had been happy.
Even though I didn’t get to see Wilderness Era, and even though I got very sick afterward…
‘Still, that memory feels oddly good.’
Maybe it was because of the kindness Roitz had shown that day.
That sense of comfort, despite being unwell—that had all come from him.
“You probably never get sick since you’re so strong.”
“Yeah.”
“But if you ever feel sick, let me know.”
“I don’t get sick easily.”
“Still. If it ever happens…”
…Then I’d want to return the favor.
Everything he did without obligation—I’d want to do that for him.
“If that happens, I’ll stay by your side all night.”
I grinned brightly, as if being generous.
At that moment, Roitz’s relaxed expression briefly shifted.
His usually languid eyes flickered like someone caught off guard.
I blinked at him, and Roitz turned away.
“Senior?”
He covered his face with one hand, avoiding my gaze.
And I heard him murmur under his breath:
“…As I thought… it’s still not working.”
