Capítulo 6: Extra Short Chapter: Distrust and Mystery
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
— Kurt Vonnegut
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Yoo Yeonha slightly turned her head, her eyes fixed on Oreki Houtarou. Amidst the bustle of cadets around them, he was isolated, oblivious to the frenzy following the training. His nonchalant gaze and careless yawn made her press her lips together, feeling a subtle anger grow inside her. How could he be so indifferent? For someone like Yoo Yeonha, who meticulously strove to maintain an impeccable image, Oreki's attitude was an affront.
She couldn't help but observe him for a few more seconds. His hand rested on his cheek, his body relaxed, as if the world around him was an insignificant distraction. Something about him disturbed her deeply, a sense that he was hiding more than just that apparent calm. When he lazily waved, as if aware of her observation but uncaring, Yoo Yeonha felt a spark of frustration.
"Who does he think he is?" she thought, frowning slightly. The sudden change in his weapon wasn't intriguing but unsettling. She despised the way he seemed to control his presence, preventing any clear analysis of his intentions.
She quickly averted her gaze, regaining her composure. Chae Nayun, sitting nearby, was finishing her stretches. Yoo Yeonha knew she needed to stay in control, especially in front of her.
Yoo Yeonha held back her urge to blame someone. But this only heightened the sense of envy she felt towards Chae Nayun. She looked ahead and then at Chae Nayun's head. If she wouldn't get caught, she wanted to smack the back of her head.
Yoo Yeonha's hands trembled as she reached for Chae Nayun's head.
But instead of taking such an extreme action, she lightly touched Chae Nayun's shoulder.
"Nayun, how did it go?" Yoo Yeonha asked, trying to keep a casual tone.
Chae Nayun looked up. "Fourth place," she replied with a shrug. "I wanted to beat Shin Jonghak and Rachel, but they were faster. And you?"
"...Eighth," Yoo Yeonha said, maintaining a tense smile. She felt the weight of defeat but couldn't afford to show weakness.
Chae Nayun raised an eyebrow, a mix of surprise and disdain on her face. "Eighth? And with that weird shooter on your team?"
"Yes, we handled the Stone Wolf. We just needed to destroy its body," Yoo Yeonha replied, trying to hide the displeasure in her voice.
"And that's what you did, right?"
"Yes."
Chae Nayun shrugged and changed the subject. "By the way, what did you think of that shooter? He gives me the creeps. Seriously, that guy is nuts!"
Yoo Yeonha froze for a moment, surprised that Chae Nayun mentioned Oreki. "Why would she be interested in him?" She thought, trying to disguise her confusion. She cast a quick glance toward Oreki, who remained in the same relaxed and disinterested posture. "Yes, he's... peculiar. He recently switched weapons, which would hinder his performance," Yoo Yeonha responded, choosing her words carefully.
"True. And he has this distant attitude. I talked to him before, and it was... irritating. It's like he's always in his own world," Chae Nayun added, the disdain evident in her words.
"He definitely... has skills, but it's hard to understand what's going on in his head. And that's exactly what bothers me," Yoo Yeonha commented thoughtfully.
"Cautious is an understatement! I'm uncomfortable just thinking about him. I can't understand how someone so distant and strange can be a nuisance!" Chae Nayun exclaimed, her voice laden with frustration!
Yoo Yeonha maintained her serious demeanor, even though internally she resonated with Chae Nayun's sentiment. "It could be. But I'll keep watching," she said, more to herself than to Chae Nayun.
"You're always watching everyone," Chae Nayun joked, patting Yoo Yeonha on the shoulder.
"Yes, always observing... and never comfortable."
Yoo Yeonha just smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Well, speaking of observing, the training footage will be sent to our smartwatches. I'll analyze those recordings later in my room."
"Maybe I can discover something useful in the footage," Yoo Yeonha thought, already mentally mapping out a strategy to examine every detail of Oreki's behavior.
"That sounds interesting. Can I watch the recordings with you?" Chae Nayun asked, a curious sparkle in her eyes.
For the second time that day, Chae Nayun surprised Yoo Yeonha with something she normally wouldn't say.
"She rarely takes an interest in something like this..." Yoo Yeonha briefly pondered, calculating the potential advantages of having Chae Nayun as an ally in this analysis. After a short pause, she nodded, maintaining her composure. "Ah, sure. Why not?"
"Great! I'll meet you there then. It'll be interesting to see how everyone did," Chae Nayun replied.
"Interesting, huh?" Yoo Yeonha reflected, intrigued by Chae Nayun's sudden curiosity. "Maybe she's looking for a competitive edge... or perhaps something more personal." Either way, having Chae Nayun's perspective could be valuable. "Yes, of course," she replied, a bit puzzled but accepting the company.
She turned to look at the other cadets, while her mind still lingered on Oreki. Chae Nayun seemed genuinely interested in the recordings, which might, perhaps, result in an interesting discussion. "Does she also feel that something is off about him?"
***
Yoo Yeonha's room was almost twice the size and far more luxurious than those of cadets ranked below 10. The walls were adorned with a few elegant paintings, and there was a bookshelf full of books. In the center of the space, there was a rounded L-shaped marble desk, where she likely studied, with a laptop on top of it, impeccably organized. A clock on the wall completed the ambiance.
Yoo Yeonha sat in her leather chair, her posture perfect and her expression focused as she prepared to analyze the recordings. Chae Nayun arrived promptly and settled into the chair beside her, with a curious look and a smile that tried to hide her slight impatience. "She's more interested than usual," Yoo Yeonha noticed, observing her friend from the corner of her eye.
"Let's begin," Yoo Yeonha said, her voice cold and controlled. She clicked the mouse, and the screen changed to the training recordings. "Here's the footage from the battle against the Stone Wolf."
Chae Nayun leaned forward, watching closely. "Let's see how everyone did. I believe your team performed reasonably well, right?"
"Yes, and that's why we're analyzing. I need to understand where each one can improve," Yoo Yeonha replied, with a touch of impersonality in her voice. She began scrolling through the recordings, pausing at key moments to discuss actions and strategies.
The footage showed the battle against the Stone Wolf in detail. Yoo Yeonha observed each team member's interaction with the monster, but her main focus was on Oreki Houtarou. Although the footage didn't clearly show what Oreki was doing, his performance was undeniably intriguing.
"Notice how Oreki acts during the fight," Yoo Yeonha commented, pausing the recording. "Though we can't see clearly what he did, he makes a conscious effort to conceal his actions. He keeps most of his work out of sight while using Hazuki and Jin Hoseung to create distractions."
Chae Nayun frowned, trying to discern what was being shown. "Yes, it seems like he doesn't want us to clearly see what he's doing. But I noticed that when he got hit by the Wolf and was thrown among the rocks, he used something that caused an explosion."
"Exactly," Yoo Yeonha agreed. "She's more perceptive than she seems." "I think he used some kind of element. Although we don't have a clear view, the fact that he could explode the bullet so precisely suggests he might have knowledge of elements. That's not common for mere cadets."
Chae Nayun looked at Yoo Yeonha, noticing her growing discomfort. "You're bothered by him, aren't you? It seems like you're trying to figure out what he's hiding."
Yoo Yeonha hesitated, a slight unease manifesting on her face. "Yes, it's strange. He clearly tried to divert attention from any direct analysis. It's a technique to destabilize others' perception. And the fact that he might be using an element is even more intriguing."
Chae Nayun watched with interest. "It's not common to see such a young cadet using elements. It could be a considerable advantage. But, as you said, it's an unusual approach."
Yoo Yeonha leaned back in her chair, trying to hide the discomfort she felt while analyzing the recording more deeply. "I'm clearly underestimating this guy. And I hate it when that happens." "Yes, it's an advantage, but also a challenge. We need to understand how to deal with this for future competitions and strategies."
The discomfort Yoo Yeonha felt watching Oreki act so calculatedly and covertly was palpable. She wasn't used to feeling this kind of insecurity about her peers, especially someone who seemed so indifferent. Chae Nayun, on the other hand, was more focused on trying to grasp what she could from the skills displayed in the recording.
"I'll have to analyze more deeply," Yoo Yeonha finally said, adjusting the screen. "I need to understand better how he fits into the group dynamics and how we can prepare to face someone with these abilities."
Chae Nayun stood up, already preparing to leave. "That was an interesting analysis. Thanks for letting me join."
Yoo Yeonha nodded, maintaining her reserved smile. "It was a pleasure. Let's see how we can use this information to our advantage."
As Chae Nayun said her goodbyes and left the room, Yoo Yeonha remained seated, reflecting on the enigma that Oreki represented. The feeling of discomfort was taking over.
In a different setting, Oreki was in his room, absorbed in his meditation. The silence around him provided an atmosphere of peace and introspection. He breathed deeply, trying to keep his mind clear and focused.
Suddenly, an unexpected sneeze interrupted the moment of tranquility.
"Achoo!"
The unexpected sneeze broke his concentration, and Oreki looked up at the ceiling, a slight smile forming on his lips. "Seriously? I'm starting to think someone out there is talking about me. Isn't this an anime cliché?"
He blew his nose and leaned back, amused by the thought. "Sometimes, life really does imitate fiction. Or maybe I'm just getting paranoid."
Oreki returned to his meditation with a lighter heart, his mind already adjusting to the new state of tranquility.
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I'm realizing that I'm not able to capture the characters' personalities. And I still feel uncomfortable with the dialogues. If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, I'd appreciate your opinion.
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Nilloen
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