I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

Outside the open window, along with the early April breeze.

The voices of students trying to repair damaged things can be heard.

-Hey~ Stop, stop―!! That’s enough~ Put it down!!

-Looks like we’re missing a pillar here, who placed the order―!! Come out right now before we all get beaten―!!

-Eek?! So-Sorry… class president…!

-Hiyah―!! This new building seems too sturdy to burn easily.

-You crazy girl, why are you trying to burn it?

The scenery of the northern city, including , was miserable. Countless buildings and roads were filled with the sticky body fluids of chaos insects, and the smell of burning and smoke had been rising for days due to the aftermath of the intense flames set off throughout the night.

Even for , the ruler of the north, they were ultimately just a group that unified slums under sloppy governance. Though it was a desperate struggle that occurred in just one night, the rickety slum buildings collapsed all too easily in the aftermath of the fighting.

The urban center of the northern slums had become virtually equivalent to ruins. The fortunate thing was that the slum students living there were accustomed to infrastructure and living standards far inferior to the central area, so they were satisfied just to have a place to lay their bodies.

If it were just students, they would have been content living shabbily in tents and canopies.

But now this place was filled with the noisy sounds of construction.

A female student in a red uniform who had been busily moving luggage approached some tall girls and said:

-Hey! You lying beanpoles! Where should I put this box?

-Wh-What did you say?!

The tall girls narrowed their eyes at the rude tone that came while they were busily inspecting construction equipment.

-What the hell is this crazy commie saying?

-You seduced us first to fight together then pretended not to know! You tall flirts!

-That one’s really crazy. Why are you telling us that?

-Racial discrimination is not allowed there!

An elf student with dark skin came running, flapping her ears, having heard that petty argument. On the armband on her slender arm was written [Investigation Team Leader].

Her name was Sigrun.

The leader of investigation team and a troublemaker who had just finished her punishment period.

Sigrun, who had left her post at the garrison, was acknowledged for her contribution in resolving the academy city’s erosion crisis and ended with a light punishment. And upon returning to the field, she went around voluntarily mediating all sorts of petty disputes with the investigation team.

-There! Students! Racial discriminatory remarks are not allowed―!

-What are you saying, you crazy elf!!

-You guys go back to !

-Ugh, elf… how disgusting. Hey commie, come over here.

-Hiyah~!! The only good elf is a burnt elf~!!

-Oh, that’s a wise saying.

-Ah! Bad words!! 2 demerit points added―! And I’m no longer from but Gjallar…

-Don’t care…

The 10th day since full-scale restoration construction began.

’s restoration was taking place on an unprecedented scale.

This was because of the massive support from the and .

Eir, the representative of , would have originally refused help from the center.

Since ’s school ethos was to rebel against the hypocrisy and oppression of the center united around the World Tree, she judged that ordinary students wouldn’t readily accept their help.

-…Even if it were just me, I can’t allow it considering the position of the others.

One school intervened between those incompatible relationships. It was a school that had made a significant contribution to this erosion crisis and stepped up to help , which had no profit relationship.

This restoration construction was carried out solely in their name.

The condition was that the support from the and was solely for who stepped up to help . It was no different from covering one’s eyes and saying ‘peek-a-boo’, but and the residents of the northern slums accepted it very quickly just with that justification.

Alvit was staying in a makeshift tent erected at the construction site as the student council president of , the nominal responsible agency for this restoration operation.

In fact, there was a separate reason why she, who had no involvement in the construction, was staying at , but…

“Haah…”

Alvit hid her complicated feelings inside and was signing various documents inside the tent. Although she was just a representative in name only, she didn’t neglect it, judging that this fame would be of great help to .

The voices of numerous students reached Alvit’s ears.

–Sob sob… To think [Pink Spiral] would go so futilely…

-A girl who lived a life like a flame, burning all her strength… Ah! How can we not praise her!! Hiyaah―!! Everyone!! Chant the hero’s name―!!

-Clara!! Clara!!

-Clara!! Clara!!

-Clara!! Clara!!

Shouts like pseudo-religious fanatics.

Those shouts were overwhelmingly loud even amidst the noisy construction site.

-Are they at it again?

-Haah… I wonder how long they’ll keep this up.

Passersby grimaced seeing the ceremony of dozens of girls. Thanks to that fuss, there was no one passing through this city who didn’t know the story of [Faded Spiral] anymore.

But the girls with fiery hearts didn’t stop.

-Clara!! Clara!!

-Clara!! Clara!!

-Clara!! Clara!!

Dozens of girls wearing red uniforms with flames drawn on them were all waving pink flags. And they were shedding tears looking at the memorial photo placed in front of the tent with ’s name written on it.

Memorial letters piled high in front of the memorial photo.

Even now, many rough female students coming with gifts and bouquets. They were commemorating a girl who had burned her whole body to save them.

-From now on, anyone who says [Faded Spiral] in front of us will have a Molotov cocktail stuck in their mouth―!!

-Senior Clara was always the shining [Pink Spiral]―!!

-Commemorate the honorary vice president of ―!!

-Hiyah!! Who will be the sacrifice for her grave―!!

-Pink is the color of a hero who lived like a flame―!!

-Pink!! Lemon!! Sherbeeet―!!

Alvit couldn’t stand it anymore and came out of the tent shouting.

“Senior isn’t dead!! Please stop, it’s rather ominous!! And gathering in a group and shouting like that is a nuisance, so please stop that too!!”

“There!! There’s our Clara’s junior!!”

“Go and serve her!!”

The commemorating students rushed towards Alvit en masse.

They grabbed Alvit and started marching while carrying her on their shoulders, and Alvit’s face turned bright red from the unbearable embarrassment.

The commemorative(?) march repeating for 10 days.

In that endless shame, Alvit resented her classmates.

‘These guys…! Pretending to take on troublesome tasks while running away…!’

The airship of that recently started regular operations in the northern region of the academy city.

Rota and Kara had sneaked away on the pretext of taking care of Alvit’s luggage while commuting to on it. Thanks to that, Alvit, who always stayed in place, was selected as the protagonist of the commemorative procession.

Alvit shouted while grabbing the collars of the students who had started to run wild:

“Stop!! Stop it you blockheads!!”

“Clara’s junior is telling us to stop construction―!!”

“Retreat quickly―!!”

“Hiyah!! Burn everything―!!

“No, I mean you guys!!”

“…!”

“…!”

students momentarily pausing.

They soon start shouting in a solemn voice.

“Understood―!! Everyone!! Prepare for arson!! Pour fuel on your bodies!!”

“That’s not what I meant!! Why can’t this damn school understand words!!”

Even in that chaotic scene.

Hearing the voices of students shouting Clara’s name.

The bruise that had formed in a corner of Alvit’s heart ached and throbbed.

“…”

And Alvit quietly turned her head to look in the direction of dozens of aid tents where the injured were lying.

‘Senior…’

Clara was lying unconscious, most strictly protected in the place directly managed by the among them. It had already been 10 days of hearing only that she hadn’t woken up yet, even though she went to ask about her condition every day.

‘…Why is the United Student Council president personally in charge of protecting senior?’

The more she learned about Clara, the more incomprehensible senior she became.

But…

Though it had only been a month since they met, she had become a hero that was absolutely indispensable in her life.

Alvit wanted her to get up from her bed soon and make silly jokes as always.

‘Senior… please wake up… if you stay collapsed like that… I won’t be able to return anything to you.’

She still hadn’t apologized.

She still hadn’t repaid her.

-I’m sorry…!

What was she sorry for?

Even burying her past as [Faded Spiral].

She was a hero who had welcomed them so kindly.

-Watch… how [Spiral] advances…!

To protect powerless them.

Accepting numerous external ethers.

Senior who advanced even while forcibly breaking away from [Faded Spiral].

She couldn’t forget that flash at all.

‘Mother was… right… There was my most reliable comrade in that school.’

’s last senior.

She was such a noble hero shining brightly.

Why couldn’t Alvit have realized sooner?

‘I… didn’t recognize her.’

And she was… weak enough to hurt her.

Throb―

So…

Please…

Throb―

“…”

Alvit just earnestly gazed while embracing the gradually darkening bruise in her heart.

* * *

In an aid tent located far enough away that no commotion could be heard. There, only the breathing sounds of two girls could be heard.

To be precise, only the precarious breathing sound of one girl could be heard.

Suu―

Suu―

Though that precarious breathing brought guilt and pain.

At the same time, it was proof that Clara was still alive.

Brunhilde was listening to it in pain and relief.

“…”

Brunhilde was even refraining from breathing to fully feel Clara’s breathing. But it wasn’t painful, because compared to the value of this moment looking at her, nothing else mattered.

“…”

Brunhilde had been standing still looking at Clara for 10 days. The health department student who regularly came in for check-ups was startled by the clear footprints that had formed under the hospital bed.

But it didn’t matter.

She ignored the urgent summons of Vice President Sieglinde who had been constantly calling her for 10 days.

Just…

Everything…

Didn’t matter.

“…”

Feeling both pain and joy.

She was just looking.

“…”

“…Lara.”

Brunhilde was looking at Clara who had become pale to the point of transparency. Just hoping she would wake up hearing her call, she endlessly muttered.

“…Lara.”

Like a withering flower.

A girl no longer her original vivid pink color. No ether can be felt from her. Even using everything – wuji, the world of moments, and perception…

There was nothing.

That appearance made her recall the tinnitus that had entered Brunhilde’s ears for 2 years but was firmly dismissed.

[Faded Spiral].

“…Lara.”

Brunhilde now saw everything and came to know.

“…Lara.”

Now…

The academy city…

The mission of the Aesir warlords…

Being president of the …

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

Everything

…didn’t matter.

“…Lara.”

Brunhilde was still standing blankly.

“…Lara.”

The spring cherry blossoms she had waited for… were withering like that.

Spring had ended like that.

That was the story.

So… it didn’t matter.

* * *

In a hazy consciousness.

I heard a voice calling me.

“…Ugh.”

Eyes opened with difficulty.

What was seen through them.

Was a girl with pink hair.

“…Cla…ra?”

“Oh my? I can’t hear you―☆”

“…Clara?”

“Yay―☆”

A starry night sky.

In that mysterious space were three chairs.

‘Clara’ was sitting in the leftmost of those chairs.

I looked at the other ‘Clara’ sitting in front of me and said:

“Why…?”

Then that ‘Clara’ puffed out her cheeks and said:

“Boo boo―☆ Is that what you should say? Using a girl’s body so recklessly is too much♪ Do you know how anxiously☆anxiously I watched? Geez―☆”

“…”

One thought occurring in the confusing situation.

‘That way of speaking is really unpleasant to hear…’

I inwardly thought I should tell my juniors to tone down the Clara act. Looking at it objectively like this, it was disgusting no matter how cute the girl’s appearance.

“Woo―☆ How mean!!”