Volume 1 Chapter 13 Sweet Life With Ran, Getting Found Out By Classmates
"Hey, Mobu."
"Yeah, teacher? What's up?" I answered.
"You and Ran live in the old dorm, right?"
"That's right," I confirmed.
"How do you even manage to sleep in that place? It looks like it's about to fall apart."
"Well... we fixed it a little," I said, shrugging.
The teacher frowned. "Why didn't you ask the academy to repair it?"
I glanced at Ran. She moved her chair closer and took my hand.
"We're orphans with no money," Ran explained quietly. "So, we said no to both the boys' and girls' dorms. Instead, we get the dorm fees as cash for living expenses. We chose the old dorm ourselves. It makes sense to fix it up."
"Ran's right," I added. "If we repair it, it'll be much better... but..."
She hesitated. "The bed is rotting."
"Oh?" The teacher tilted his head. "That bed's pretty big since it was made for several people. Back when I was a student, eight of us would sleep on one bed."
Wait, seriously? This old guy went to Hector? No way this crusty dude was an elite.
"Yeah," I said. "So, we try to find spots that aren't broken and sleep close together, or else we might fall off."
"Huh...?" Someone from the class whispered.
The classroom buzzed loudly.
"You share the same room? And even the same bed?" another student asked, surprised.
At the Royal Academy Hector, boys and girls usually live apart. Everyone was shocked.
Ran looked innocent. Why you gotta say stuff like that? In my old job at the black company, if you said something like that, people would envy you—and then bully you nonstop.
But the Z group looked too demotivated to bother bullying. Plus, Ran's an SS Class talent. Here, skill is everything. No way she'd get bullied. And no one dares mess with me either, since I'm always with her.
"I see, I see. It's good you get along so well," the teacher said with a smile.
I expected him to scold us for being unhealthy or something, but nope.
"What do you all think about this?" he asked.
"It's unfair," a voice called out.
"You should sleep in separate rooms. That's the academy's rule," another said.
"I'm jealous..." someone muttered.
People gave all sorts of opinions. The classroom, which had been quiet, suddenly became lively.
"Is that really the problem?" the teacher sighed, looking tired.
"Focus on fixing the dorm. That's what self-help means. Got it?"
"Well, it's hard to take that from a teacher who sleeps through class," someone joked.
The teacher laughed, patting his bald head.
"Fair enough. You guys are sharp, just like students at prestigious Hector."
Not really sharp, I thought. It's what everyone was thinking.
"...What about you, Mobu?" he asked, looking at me.
"How about fixing the floor?"
"Sounds good," I replied. "Way better than just reading textbooks."
This is what I wanted. Compared to my old life as a corporate slave, this is way easier. My body and mind are getting lazy. I never planned to be an adventurer, so studying textbooks feels pointless. I want to move.
"I'll help too," Ran said.
"Alright," the teacher nodded. "I'll talk to the principal so you two get paid for your work."
Oh. Not bad for an old man. He helped us without making it obvious that he knew we needed money.
Ran smiled beside me.
Still, I wondered. How can a teacher who's treated like a NEET because he's stuck with Z Class actually talk to the principal? The principal's a former adventurer respected even by the king. Sounds like a tall tale. Kind of funny.
"We'll get paid?" Ran tilted her head, pleased.
"Then I can buy pants for Mobu!" she said happily. "Mobu buys me underwear, but he's too modest to get more than one pair for himself."
"But Ran washes them every day, so I'm grateful," I said quickly.
She blushed, looking shy.
"It's fine," she said softly. "Mobu even washes my back in the bath..." Ran said, a little embarrassed.
"The bath...?" someone asked.
"What do you mean?" a voice nearby teased.
"Are you making him wash your pants?" someone joked loudly.
"W-washing together..." Another stammered.
The classroom instantly buzzed with excitement—the loudest it had been all day.
"Well, it would be unfair to have Ran wash them every day, so I'll buy pants with the pay," I promised.
"I'll pick out something for you at the store," Ran said with a smile.
"Thanks, Ran."
"Mobu, you look great in your underwear..." Ran teased, wrapping her arms around mine and shaking her head shyly. "Oh no! Just imagining that is cute!"
"Ah, maybe it's time to get going," the teacher said with a wry smile, stroking his mustache.
"Of course. Can we start now?"
"Please do. Say it in the janitor's room and workshop. The classroom floor has collapsed. That's my business."
"Yes, sir."
"Um... I will help too," a voice raised from the back.
"Now that I think about it, it is our classroom," another added.
"That's true. I'll help too."
"Then I'll join as well."
About five people stood up. If the school was going to fix it, that would be one thing, but since it's students from the same class, it would be weird not to help. Also... maybe some just wanted to be near Ran.
Ran's heart was fully focused on me—it was obvious she wasn't available. So, I gave up on trying to be with her. But just being able to breathe the same air as the most beautiful girl in school? That was enough for now. Even if I'm a dropout, I'm still a guy. It was a chance to have my name called.
"Then let's get started," the teacher declared.
"Students who aren't helping with repairs should move to another seat and read textbooks so they don't get in the way," he said. "If you don't want to deal with the noise, you can take a voluntary absence today. I'll mark you present."
"Oh, lucky!" someone muttered happily.
Taking advantage of this, a few students left the classroom. They probably planned to lounge around the dorm or explore nearby mountains.
The rest moved to different seats.
"What should we do, Mobu?" Ran asked.
"Well, Ran..." I looked around at the group of volunteers focused on me.
"I'll ask about three of you to come with me to the workshop. The rest should go with Ran to the janitor's room."
"Understood."
"Alright."
"Leave it to me."
But everyone kept gathering around Ran. I knew this would happen...
"Can't at least one person come with me?" I joked.
The maintenance team silently exchanged glances. Then they started rock-paper-scissors. The two who lost looked like they wanted to cry.
"Alright, Mobu. You take this," the teacher said, smiling tiredly. "I'm worn out from instructing. I'll take a short nap here."
He chuckled softly and collapsed onto the lectern.
Hey, old man, I thought. It's going to get noisy with wood chopping and hammering. You really think you can sleep through that? You're pretty thick-skinned for a bald guy.
Notes:
• Ran - Female. An orphan and a close friend of Mobu. She has long, dark hair and a gentle appearance. Ran is kind and trusting, often relying on Mobu for guidance. She survives the demon attack by hiding in the secret base with Mobu.
• Hector - A prestigious academy located in the kingdom, known for training adventurers. It is primarily for the children of nobles and wealthy merchants, with a few spots reserved for those with true ability. The entrance exam is practical rather than theoretical.
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