The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 69

Episode 69

Jasper’s casual declaration of liking her left Rose feeling confused.

‘Maybe he just means he likes me as a friend. I might be overreacting on my own…’

In retrospect, Jasper had occasionally acted surprisingly tender, despite his typically cold and stoic demeanor in his voice and expressions. He had mentioned not having many friends, so he might not be familiar with the usual boundaries in a friendship.

‘Of course, I don’t know either…’

For a while now, Rose had made a firm decision to keep a certain distance from Jasper. However, she had ended up acting awkwardly, and it had become a somewhat ambiguous situation.

Jasper didn’t add anything more and wore his usual expression, which left Rose feeling mentally overwhelmed. She felt a bit unjustly sensitive about his offhand remark.

‘No wonder misunderstandings happen like this…’

Rose remembered a time when she had mistakenly believed that Jasper liked her. She playfully stuck out her lower lip.

‘Come to think of it… Jasper did help treat the ankle of that unfamiliar girl…’

When Jasper healed her ankle in the carriage, her relationship with him was like any other. They hadn’t even exchanged a single word.

‘People can be so confusing.’

Rose silently resolved not to read too much into Jasper’s words or actions. With a slight sigh, she clutched her tutoring materials while leaning back on the couch, stealing a glance at Jasper.

“Let’s start the tutoring already.”

“Now?”

“If not now, when?”

“…Well, alright.”

Jasper spoke slowly, tilting his head slightly, and Rose made an effort to focus on the lesson immediately.

* * *

During the tutoring session, Rose forgot about the unjust feelings that had surfaced earlier.

“Why are you so good at this?!”

As their tutoring session came to an end, Rose exclaimed with a voice filled with amazement. Her large pupils sparkled, a mixture of happiness and excitement.

Jasper, holding a quill, twitched his hand slightly.

“I worked hard during the midterm.”

“Your speed in solving problems has improved so much! You could even start studying the material for the fall semester. Jasper, you worked hard…”

Rose clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest. She had suspected something was different since Jasper had scored a perfect score on the midterm, but his understanding of magic engineering had improved dramatically.

What was even more touching was that Jasper mentioned recent developments and the hottest topics in the field of magic engineering from time to time.

‘Jasper… seems to be interested in magic engineering!’

He even took the time to read newspaper articles related to magic engineering. It didn’t seem like the same Jasper who had failed the entrance exam.

Rose completely forgot about her fatigue. When discussing magic engineering with Jasper, she became so excited that it felt like stars were sparkling before her eyes, and her forehead grew warm.

Jasper chuckled modestly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Huh?”

“You’re staring at me so intensely.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m just so happy.”

“…Is it such a big deal that I’ve taken an interest in magic engineering?”

“Of course! Do you know how precious it is to have a friend to discuss magic engineering with? Whenever I bring up magic engineering with Briley and Rebecca, their faces turn pale.”

They had mentioned that when the conversation delved too deeply into academic matters, Briley and Rebecca would start feeling dizzy and their stomachs would churn. 

Rose had no intention of monopolizing the conversation with her favorite topic.

Jasper made a subtle expression and then spoke.

“Do you talk like this with Theo Lixton too?”

“Theo? You mean Senior Theo?”

Rose was puzzled by the sudden mention of Theo’s name. She hadn’t heard a single mention of Theo until now.

“We’ll probably talk a lot about magic engineering because we’re preparing for the contest together.”

“….”

“But sometimes, talking to Senior Theo gives me a headache. It feels more like work than a hobby.”

“Is that so? Well, then, it’s fine.”

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re interested in magic engineering! You used to hate it, remember?”

Rose’s face was flushed, and she spoke with fervor. Her cheeks felt hot, perhaps due to her excitement. She smiled with satisfaction.

“Let’s finish the tutoring here today. There’s not much time left until curfew. You did great, Jas…”

Rose’s words were abruptly cut off as she suddenly felt a stinging sensation around her eyes and a tingling sensation in her nasal cavity. 

Her vision swirled, and she felt herself losing balance. Just as she was about to stumble, Jasper reached out urgently from the opposite side, grabbing Rose to steady her.

“Rose Bell!”

“Huh…?”

Rose blinked slowly, trying to make sense of her situation. 

‘Why do I feel so dizzy?’

As Jasper pulled out a handkerchief and started dabbing her nose, Rose finally realized what was happening. She was having a nosebleed. 

She initially thought the warmth on her face was due to excitement, but it was due to her nosebleed. She felt her body weakening, and the metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth. 

Jasper’s face twisted with concern as he gently guided Rose back into her seat. She was feeling weak all over, and even inside her mouth, she could taste blood. 

Jasper cupped Rose’s head gently and instructed.

“Tilt your head forward.” 

“Uh… okay.” 

“I’ll stop the bleeding, so just breathe through your mouth.” 

Jasper pressed against Rose’s nostrils. She leaned on his support, her lips parted to allow her to breathe as best as she could in her condition. 

Jasper’s voice sounded distant as if it came from far away. 

“What did you do to yourself to get a nosebleed like this?” 

“It’s not really… like I pushed myself that hard…”

Rose replied with her congested voice, and Jasper retorted sharply.

“If you didn’t push yourself too hard, why do you have a nosebleed like this?” 

Rose shrugged her shoulders and decided to remain quiet until the bleeding stopped. 

Nosebleeds were not an uncommon occurrence for her, especially when she was busy or under stress. However, it was the first time she had experienced one in front of someone else.

Rose clenched her skirt tightly in her trembling hands, silently enduring her discomfort. Jasper’s large hand gently supported the back of her head, and she could feel the warmth seeping in from behind.

After a few minutes, the bleeding began to slow down. Jasper removed his hand from Rose’s nose and advised her.

“Stay still here for a moment.”

Before Rose could open her watery eyes, Jasper left the room. 

Rose sat there, still feeling a bit dazed, and waited for Jasper to return. She used the back of her hand to wipe away a trace of blood that had dripped onto her skin.

‘Probably a mess.’

She thought, annoyed at herself for showing such an unflattering side of herself in front of Jasper. It always seemed like she only displayed this kind of vulnerability when she was with him, especially during moments of weakness or distress.

Rose let out a sigh as she twitched her nose, and the door to the club room opened abruptly. 

Jasper, with disheveled hair, as if he had hurriedly come from somewhere, breathed heavily. He held a handkerchief in his hand.

Jasper approached and gestured for Rose to come closer.

“Look at me closely.”

“…Huh?”

“Wipe away the bloodstains.”

Jasper brought the wet handkerchief to Rose’s nose and mouth. The handkerchief, which had been soaked in blood earlier, was now partially drained.

“Jasper, I can do it.”

Rose tried to push Jasper away in embarrassment, but Jasper’s hand persisted.

“It’ll be faster if I do it. Just stay still.”

“Oh, no…”

Rose’s fingertips trembled vaguely in the air. Jasper’s tone was so firm that she couldn’t refuse.

Soon, Jasper began to wipe Rose’s face with the wet handkerchief. The moderately cold handkerchief cooled her heated skin.

With her eyes tightly closed in the cold, Rose accepted Jasper’s touch in silence. Resisting or squirming here would only prolong the time.

But she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Rose’s lips were getting drier, and her ears turned even redder.

‘To ask Jasper to do such… such a thing…’

In reality, it was more like being coerced than asked, but she felt both embarrassed and grateful. Jasper not only stopped her nosebleed but also wiped her face clean.

Gently, his fingers glided over her face, the touch careful and precise. If he wiped it more roughly, it would have been over much faster. Rose felt like she didn’t know what to do like he was crafting delicate glass artwork.

Under her closed eyelids, her round irises moved restlessly. Her thoughts were becoming increasingly chaotic.

‘Is it okay for friends to do this? Is this what friends normally do?’

Briley had always been careless about herself and would hug her without hesitation.

‘But… Briley is a girl, and Jasper is a guy. This doesn’t seem quite right!’

Although Rose was inexperienced in matters between men and women, she had a vague sense that the current atmosphere was not ordinary. Every time Jasper’s fingertips moved gently around her face, her breathing hitched, and she almost let out a whimper.

How much blood had she spilled for him to be wiping her face for so long? Her anxious eyelashes kept twitching.

Now the handkerchief was passing over her forehead after going around her nose.

‘Why is he wiping my forehead when it’s my nose bleeding?’

Unable to bear it any longer, Rose opened her eyes halfway and cautiously began to speak.

“Jasper, when will you…?”

Rose couldn’t finish her sentence and fell silent with her lips slightly parted.

Jasper’s face was closer than she had realized. His blue irises sparkled right in front of her, like a piece of frozen sea.

At that moment, Rose’s heart began to beat rapidly, like a drumroll.