Despite it being the day before the practical exam, I found myself unnecessarily exhausted as I returned to the student dormitory.
Entering the old but quiet dorm, I felt a sense of relief. Truth be told, this place is called the "old dormitory," and its residents are few. When I first enrolled in the Magic Academy, they asked me to stay here temporarily because the main dorm was partially under renovation.
Probably, they asked me because someone from a rural, ordinary family like mine wouldn't complain, unlike those from prestigious lineages.
However, even after the renovations were complete, no one contacted me about moving. I guess they just forgot. I'd like to believe it wasn't intentional neglect.
Returning to my room, I finally felt at ease. Lying down on the bed, I idly gazed at the ceiling.
How long have I been staying in this room? Though referred to as the old dormitory in the academy, by general standards, it's quite a well-equipped facility.
To support magical training, every student gets a private room with an attached shower. As long as you don't cause significant problems, no one meddles with you.
This is a place where magical research takes precedence above all else.
That's why I absolutely must pass tomorrow's exam.
As I was lost in thought, I heard a knock on the door.
"Hey, Take-kun. You're in there, right? Open up."
"Hm? Is that Kirika? Come in if you want."
I got up from the bed and deactivated the warding spell on the door. My childhood friend, Amano Kirika, peeked in curiously as she entered the room.
She always calls me by my first name. Despite people often joking that my name doesn't suit me, she's called me this way ever since we were kids.
"Hmm, so this is what the old dormitory rooms are like. A bit dated, but it has a cozy, nostalgic feel to it."
"What's up? You didn't come all the way here just to tour the old dorm, did you?"
After glancing around the room, Kirika walked over and plopped herself down beside me. I felt the slight dip of the single-person bed under her weight.
"Hmm, Take-kun, I thought I'd ask how your preparations for the exam are going, but then you disappeared all of a sudden. So, I thought you might've already gone back to the dorm and decided to come check."
"I see, you went out of your way to come over."
Kirika, sitting next to me, leaned in as if trying to peer into my face, but I subtly averted my gaze as I replied.
She and I are from the same rural area and have been childhood friends since then.
Back in the day, she was skinny and had a boyish appearance, but now she's become completely feminine. Her slender figure, lively eyes, and twin-tail hairstyle suit her perfectly.
Even though I know her well, just being in the same room, sitting together on the bed, makes me a little tense.
"You seemed kind of preoccupied, Take-kun. If I remember right, your written exam results were pretty good, weren't they?"
"Yeah, but the thing about written exams is... anyone can do well, as long as they memorize. Even ordinary people without magical aptitude can score high. The real challenge is if you can't handle the practicals."
"Ah, so if you don't meet the baseline score for the practicals, the written results don't matter? Come to think of it, you've always struggled with the practicals, haven't you?"
I nodded to Kirika and let out a sigh.
Magic, as Kuzemiya Arika had said earlier, is determined by innate talent. Still, Kirika, like me, comes from a regular family, yet she's been doing reasonably well in the practicals. Even though I've been secretly working hard to catch up, there's still no sign of progress.
"Kirika, you've got an affinity for lightning magic, right?"
"Yeah, for some reason. I don't really get it, but apparently, that's the case. I think it's pretty normal, but it seems like it's considered a rare attribute."
"Must be nice. Lightning affinity is uncommon, and in this era of advanced electrical devices, you probably won't have trouble getting a job at a research institute or something."
"Getting a job, huh? You're surprisingly realistic, Take-kun. Hmm, but yeah, in this day and age, magicians can't just hole up in towers or mansions researching to make a living anymore."
"...If I fail this basic practical exam, I might have to start thinking about my future."
Maybe because I was talking to Kirika, I found myself voicing my anxieties. She tilted her head curiously.
"Your future? What do you mean?"
"...It means giving up on the path of magic and getting a normal job. In a world where science and technology have advanced so much, being able to use only basic magic is pretty much useless. People would just say smartphones and other electronics are more convenient."
"Eh? You don't need to stress about it so much, do you? Even though it's just the basic practical exam, I've heard it's not uncommon for people to fail. Even those from prominent families sometimes fail and have to retake it, so you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
Kirika looked at me with a flustered expression, but I averted my gaze from her determined clear eyes.
"Families like that have financial flexibility, don't they? But my family is ordinary, so I can't put too much strain on them. This academy provides financial aid to people with magical aptitude because it's meant to train magicians. But if you fail the exam and have to repeat the basic course, they won't provide any support."
"Eh? Really? But... isn't there some way around that? Um, I'm sure you'll be fine, Take-kun..."
Her voice trailed off as she said "Fine." She must've noticed the lack of confidence on my face.
An awkward silence filled the room. Looking at the reference book on my desk, I broke the silence.
"Haah, how pathetic... Sorry. Kirika, you came all this way to check on me, and I just ended up making you worry even more."
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I didn't realize how much this was weighing on you, Take-kun."
From beside me, Kirika's voice sounded unusually subdued. Seeing her, who's usually so full of energy, act like this made me feel even gloomier.
"I entered this academy because of the expectations of my parents and the people back home, but the level of my peers here is just on a completely different scale. I wasn't born into a prestigious family, but I was determined to prove myself. Yet, I haven't even been able to compete."
"It's not your fault. Most of the people who enroll in this academy come from families of magicians and have been training in magic even before they started school."
We were both born in ordinary families in the countryside and hadn't received any magical education before coming here. Still, I thought I could manage somehow.
"Was it 'a frog in a well'? I thought I had talent back in the countryside, but coming to this academy made me realize how arrogant that was. Even so, I thought if I worked hard enough, I could make it."
"Uh, um, isn't it still too soon to give up? I mean, I've managed to make some progress, and you, Take-kun, you could... ah—"
Kirika suddenly fell silent. It seemed I had made her overly conscious of my struggles again.
"It's not your fault, Kirika. I'm the one getting caught up in my feelings."
"I'm sorry... It's just since I somehow managed to use magic, I didn't fully understand how much you were struggling, Take-kun..."
Kirika's voice grew tinged with sadness. Wanting to lighten the mood, I deliberately raised my voice cheerfully.
"To be honest, I've been kind of jealous of you, Kirika."
"Eh? Um, ah, uh..."
"Ah, I don't mean anything weird or serious by it. It's just that, we're both from regular families, right? But you've made progress with magic and even awakened to a rare lightning attribute."
"Ugh, it really just happened somehow..."
"So, I wanted to catch up with you, or rather, I wanted to look cool in front of you. That's why I've been trying to show you my best side. I've been doing a lot on my own, but maybe that wasn't the right approach. I thought I didn't have time to waste playing around, so I studied by myself and barely interacted with my classmates. ...Hah, it's not very cool of me, is it?"
I had intended to change the atmosphere, but it turned into another round of self-pity.
"It's not uncool at all. I don't think you're uncool."
From right next to me, I heard Kirika's earnest voice.
I was about to turn to face her, but before I could, something soft touched my cheek.
"Eh? Was that...?"
Startled, I turned to see Kirika's embarrassed face right in front of me.
Her face was flushed red, and when our eyes almost met, she quickly looked down in a panic.