THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

After five or so minutes of laughter, everyone has calmed down and sat somewhere. Only I and smith are standing up.

"Well, what can I say. You are an omega now so do try to not stain this cl…I mean, try your best to get stronger. We never know after all."

Smith has such a large smile on his face right now you wouldn't believe he was on the verge of crying before.

"Teacher, why are you so happy?"

"Yeah, this doesn't change the fact that he defeated Cordel."

"No, it changes everything. If his potential is sixty-three. Then that means his current strength is the most he can achieve.. Whereas Cordel, with his potential of 1856, can still grow by leaps and bounds!"

"Ah, I see!! Yeah, it makes sense now!"

"I didn't think of it like that."

"So, we can all beat him up if we keep training, then?"

Everyone seems ecstatic to hear that they will grow stronger than me. Well, at least, it confirms that I don't have my place here.

"And yet, you are asking me to grow stronger."

"Well, I told you to try."

"Is that so…" It seems all the teachers in this academy are rotten to the core.

"Teacher. I have some doubts about what you said." Farner, can't you just let it go?! Just a bit more and I could have requested to leave this place!!

"Eh?" Everyone looks at her like she is another person.

"W-what?"

"You just called him teacher. Not Smith or teach?"

"Huh, yeah, I did, why?"

"N-no, nothing."

"W-well, what are your doubts, Farner?"

"Well, could it be that your machine cannot fully measure the potential of somebody?"

"No, impossible. Everything is calibrated and perfectly synchronized with the body which gets on the platform."

"Then, if somebody is lacking something, like a sense, for example."

"Well, I never really thought about it. But even so…"

Wait, don't tell me… Farner stands up and comes to me. She stands right in front of me, her face so close to mine I can hear her breath. Then her hand reaches my own and she raises it.

"What are you doing?"

"Everyone, please look at this." She shows my ring finger to them. And it is broken, bent backward. It must have happened when I was thrown away by that fucking machine earlier.

"Wait, what?"

"He is not even crying or anything?"

While everybody is still perplexed, Farner grabs my finger and, with a quick movement, put my finger back in place.

"See. This guy can't feel anything. He must have lost his sense of touch."

"Oh!..."

"I see…That explains a lot, indeed."

And now, they all have that 'I understand' look on their face. Cordel, especially, seems relieved somehow. I wonder why.

"You are one busy body, you know that?" I remove Farner's hands on my own and get away from her.

"Yeah, I know that. That's why I am a hero."

"Tch." Then go and save someone else, I don't need your help!!

"You have died before, right?"

"What?"

***

Farner just asks me the most incredible and dumbest question I ever heard.

"If I had died, I wouldn't be here. What kind of-"

"Well, not died but almost, at least. The high priests told us once that when healing somebody who is close to death, it is not rare that he would lose some senses."

Shit, I should have simulated that I felt pain when she put my finger back in place earlier. What a blunder I just made.

"Wait, Farner, even if he really can't feel anything. That wouldn't explain-"

"Yes, it will. In case you haven't noticed, this machine forces you to rely on how you feel things and variations more than anything else. A real warrior can feel something before he can see it or hear it."

"Well, that's…That's true indeed."

"And so what?" I am tired of hearing you speculated on me like some mysterious being!! "I don't get your point. Does it change anything to the fact I am weak?"

"You are not weak."

"W-what?..." What was that just now? My heart just jolted in my chest. What happened?

"You are not weak. Even if the whole world says so, I can't believe something who broke my gauntlets and chipped my sword is weak. That's why I want to know. Have you died before?"

"Why will it matter?"

"Because we may be able to heal you. Though, it will be very difficult."

Heal me? what good would it bring? I have gotten used to this.

"No, I have never been on the verge of death before."

"You are lying. Look at me and tell me-"

"And why would it matter?!!! I don't want you to heal me!!! I don't want you to bother me!! Just fucking remove those chains and let me go!!!"

"It might not matter but I still want to know. So, please tell me so that I can save you."

"Save me?!! Save?!!! Me?!!!! Out of all the people who suffer every day, out of all the weaklings that need help around the world, you wish to save me?" Why does my heart beat so fast? What has she done to me?! "You can't save me. Because I don't need it!!!"

Let's just get out of here. I don't know why my heart is beating so fast but whatever she has done to me, I should get away from her first and calm down.

"And where are you going?"

"Somewhere away from you!!!"

I open the door but she just doesn't let me go. She grabs my hand right before I go out.

"Then, at least, tell me."

"Argh, fuck!! Why are you so nosy?!!" I shake off her hands and leave. Seriously, what is her problem?!