Johanne’s POV
It hit me out of nowhere, without any warning. A sharp, excruciating pain shot through my lower abdomen, so intense that it made standing almost impossible. This torment came every month, and I still had no idea why. I had seen good doctors, but none of them found anything wrong with me. Month after month, the pain returned, and even the doctors were baffled. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was some kind of incurable disease, or maybe something that hadn’t been discovered yet. All I knew was that it hurt like hell.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stand up. The evaluator was talking to me, and I could see his lips moving, asking if I was okay. But I couldn’t hear a thing. There was a loud ringing in my ears, drowning out everything else. I told him I was okay, that I could keep going. Though, I wasn’t even sure if those words actually left my mouth.
I forced myself to try again, determined to get it right this time. I straightened my posture, positioned my feet with precision, and swung my sword with every ounce of grace I could summon. But the pain in my lower abdomen was like a knife twisting inside me, making my movements sloppy and forced. Sweat drenched my skin, streaming down my face as my legs began to tremble, barely holding me up. The world around me was reduced to the high-pitched ringing in my ears, drowning out everything else as I gritted my teeth and tried to push through the relentless agony.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally stopped. The evaluators jotted down their notes, their faces unreadable. I couldn’t even focus on what they were writing; all I knew was that I’d completely fucked it up. The pain had blindsided me, leaving me powerless to perform at my best. Just as I thought I might be able to endure a little longer, my vision began to swim, and I felt myself tipping to the side.
Everything went dark as I fell unconscious.
***
Leon’s POV
After swordsmanship, we moved on to endurance and stamina. We had to run laps around a grueling, endless track field, pushing ourselves until we were completely out of breath. The evaluators would assess our speed and how long we could keep going before collapsing. However, since this was a test of endurance, speed wasn’t the main focus. Whether we ran slowly or fast, they only cared about how long we could last. A slower pace meant less endurance was used up, and this was noted. Running faster used up endurance more quickly, which was recorded separately.
I took a much-needed break after my turn. I had pushed myself for ten minutes at full speed—an average performance, by my reckoning. Many others were still out on the track, their faces twisted in effort. Raymond was one of them. Despite his limited stamina, he pushed himself beyond reasonable limits, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought against his own collapsing body. He eventually crumpled to the ground, completely spent. He probably overexerted himself trying to score higher, but unfortunately, it wouldn’t make much difference.
As I watched my girlfriend dash around the track, her massive jugs bouncing with every stride, I couldn’t help but think about Johanne. Her figure was a magnet for the gazes of young men all around, but my mind was somewhere else. She must have sensed my distraction because she pouted at me with a playful, teasing look before propelling herself forward at full speed again. I chuckled at her feisty reaction. Amid the scene, I could hear the disapproving clicks of tongues from those nearby.
“It should have been me, not him,” I heard someone mutter again.
I brushed off their complaints, my focus remaining solely on Johanne. After the physical exams wrapped up, I intended to head over to the academy’s sanatorium to check on Johanne’s condition.
After the third and final test, which pushed our strength by adding more weight every second while we carried it, I headed to the sanatorium. I’d only managed to hold up 70 kg for a mere four minutes, which felt like a standard performance in the grueling lineup. The highest score was a staggering 250 kg, a feat achieved by Duncan, who unsurprisingly took the top spot.
Titania, ever by my side, insisted on coming with me to the sanatorium. I had intended to go alone, just to check on Johanne, but her determination was clear.
“No, I want to go with you, Leon. Take me with you!” she pleaded, her large, earnest eyes looking up at me with an irresistible intensity. With that gaze, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
As we neared the sanatorium, the door creaked open and a woman stepped out, her presence catching my attention. She had bobbed brown hair that framed her face and thick, circular glasses that magnified her eyes to an almost comical degree. Her eyesight must have been horrendous. If I remembered correctly, she was a second-year silver class student and the daughter of a viscount. Her name was… Tristana, I think. She hesitated, her gaze shifting between us, before speaking.
“O-Oh, hello?” she stammered, her voice quivering slightly. “A-Are you here to visit Jo… Mr. Johanne?” she asked.
“Something like that, yeah,” I replied.
“Oh, okay then,” she said with a nervous smile. She gave a small, awkward wave before turning to leave. “Have fun.” Her voice trailed off as she walked away, her footsteps echoing softly in the hallway.
We watched her walk away, her figure gradually shrinking until it was out of sight.
“I wonder if she’s close to Mr. Johanne,” Titania mused, her tone tinged with curiosity. “It seems like they know each other pretty well.”
“Yeah, it does seem that way,” I replied, my eyes following the path she had taken.
We stepped into the sanatorium, where the atmosphere was a mix of sterile cleanliness and subdued energy. Johanne was stationed by a window, his gaze fixed on the ongoing strength test outside.
