Staring at Emma who was indifferently staring at him from above, Kevin weakly smiled.
"Hey."
"You…"
Despite how hard Emma tried to keep a straight face, before long, her body trembled. She had a hard time formulating her words as her eyes grew blurry.
"W..why did you do that?"
Her voice was faint and weak, but Kevin was able to make out every single word that came out of her mouth.
"A...re you so desperate to breakthrough that you would reduce your body to that state?...Are you still not over...his death?"
Lifting his head up, and meeting Emma's eyes, Kevin shook his head.
"No, it's not that."
"Then why!"
She screamed, tears flowing down her cheek.
"Why would you do that to yourself? Do you not understand how worried everyone was when they saw you in that state in your room!?"
"You wouldn't understand."
Kevin replied.
He couldn't quite bring himself to tell her the truth. That he had done what he did to save Ren.
He wanted to, but he couldn't.
Who would believe him in the first place? Ren was dead, he'd only look crazy to Emma if he said those words.
"You…"
A hurt look appeared on Emma's face as she heard Kevin's words.
"Am I that untrustworthy to you?"
"No, it's not that."
Shaking his head, Kevin took out the wires that were attached to his body and weakly stood up.
"What are you doing!"
This obviously flustered Emma who rushed towards him and tried to put him back on the bed.
"Got you."
But just as Emma was about to grab him, extended his hand forward, Kevin grabbed Emma by the arm and pulled her towards the bed, helping himself up in the meantime.
"Hiak!"
Falling onto the bed, she screamed in panic.
Staring at Emma who was on the bed, Kevin teasingly smiled.
"Thanks for helping me up."
"You!"
An enraged looked appeared on Emma's face as she looked up towards Kevin.
Turning his back in Emma and walking towards the exit of the room, Kevin's smile faded.
Thinking back at all the things that had happened recently, Kevin felt this sense of urgency rise from within him.
From the synchronization episodes to the fact that the demon king was going to ascend in eight years' time, Kevin knew that he could no longer take things as easily as before. This recent event was a wake-up call to him.
He had to put in even more effort. He had been relying on his system too much.
Now that it wasn't grating him as many quests as before, he knew that he needed to make a change.
He needed to push himself even more than he ever pushed himself before.
"Hey Kevin, where are you going?"
Right as Kevin was about to leave the room, Emma's voice echoed from behind.
Turning around, Kevin briefly glanced at Emma before answering.
"I'm going back to the dorm."
"To do what?"
Halting his footsteps right at the door, Kevin extended his hand and pushed the door open.
"To train."
***
Eight months later.
the Lock as a large
[Lock third-year graduation ceremony.]
of people walked below the banner as agents and guild scouts appeared all over the academy campus. Their eyes,
It was a mess.
I finally manage to run away
outside of the academy building, in a rather secluded area,
arms on his knees,
recruiting him. This was understandable, being the top-ranked guy for three years in a row was without a
being harassed on the phone every day and night,
would somehow find out about his new
"About time you arrived."
area was Emma who was looking at him with her arms crossed. Her
her were Jin
too wore a similar attire
to take
walking up to
more time, Kevin had a nostalgic look on
leaving
was now finally time for him to leave. It'd be a
others from the corner of his eyes,
one that cared about leaving the least. In hindsight, she spent most of her time in the lab, therefore, she didn't have any attachment to
seem to care at all about
replied. "What are we even doing here
forget that she
replied from
behind her ear,
something about,
something, Emma suddenly turned her head towards her
timing. She's already
everyone saw the silhouette
body and legs, Amanda stepped out of the
"Thank you for waiting."
said, walking in their
I didn't make
you want
glasses up. Before even sharing any formalities, she quickly went straight to
to be said that she was quite comfortable with Amanda, which
to join
Amanda replied back.
those words, Melissa's face alongside the others froze
upon seeing the small
joke about that
said, pointing her finger in
"My offer still stands. If you're not planning on joining the Union, you can always join my
"No thank you."
kindly declined with
"That's too bad."
seem too
it. I mean, who wouldn't want
her hair behind her ear, she looked at Kevin and
you've made up your
"Yeah."
Kevin nodded.
knew that Ren was alive, he still
time, but more because he decided that this was the best course of
like they were planning on using him,
their own
should we
asked from
a little, she looked around
eat or anything? I'm kind
on her face, Amanda looked at Emma before she
place where we can all stay
good, cause I'm
waiting for Amanda to say anything else, she quickly headed in the direction of
got in, rolling the passenger
are you waiting
back in the
afar, everyone was left
know what to
"Shall we just go?"
only after Kevin said those
'It wasn't bad.'
last time before the car slowly
***
[Henlour, elder hall.]
in the middle of the semi-circular desk where all
further reports regarding the remains members
voice reached every corner
located a couple surviving members, but that's all. There are still quite a few at large, but let's be honest, they are nothing but cornered rats
a couple of seats away from
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