41ST GEAR - I GOT OUTSMARTED BY AN IDIOT

As commanded by her highness and ever-so-useless President Ericka, we focused the next two weeks on studying for the midterms. There were no guild activities at those point in time so we are forced to either go to the library to study or go home to… study. There is no escape.

So I was surprised when Flu suddenly asked me to have a study session for her. It was the end of our Monday classes, and the first thing she did was turn to me and pray.

“Hey, hey, Coach! I mean, Jon! Let’s have a study session at your place!” Flu excitedly pumped her fists.

“What has gotten you so worked up in studying?” I asked. “Normally, you would just squeal and go ‘I wanna practice! I wanna practice!’ but now you’re suddenly eager to study?”

“Jeez, are you an idiot?” Flu pouted adorably. The audacity of this idiot calling me an idiot is insane. “Club activities are banned until the end of midterms. We have to pass the exams, or else we cannot join the Regional Speedmage Tournament!”

“Oh, so that’s your motive.” I rubbed my chin. “Why not have a study circle with your female friends?”

“W-Well…” Flu blushed as she scratched her head. “My friends would be fine by themselves. I’m kind of worried about you because you seem to be always on your own.”

That hit the nail on the spot. I have no friends, and Flu was the only one who talks to me in this classroom, so it makes sense that she is worried about me. How thoughtful of her to feel sympathy for a class black sheep like me.

I have always studied on my own ever since I was a child. I never had any experience studying with friends since I do not have any. Having Flu as my study buddy would be a great experience for me.

I was flustered, so I turned away to hide it. I pretended to be looking at the windows and mumbled.

“I-If you really want to study with me, then so be it.”

“Awesome!” Flu pumped her fists and her blue eyes are shining! “Let’s buy some snacks in the grocery store first before going to your place!”

<>

Right after lunch, we borrowed books from the library and then went to the grocery store to buy some snacks. Flu even loaded our shopping cart with energy and protein drinks. I know Flu can be a little bit sleepy so she will need energy drinks to keep herself wide awake, but I do not know why she bought that many protein drinks. Is she building muscle?

Wait, she’s even buying lots of mana and stamina potions! What is she going to do, use magic to make her smarter?

After shopping at the grocery store, we rode the train to the Eastern Sector of the mainland. Just a hundred meters after the Eastern Beachfront was my three-story house. Flu had her jaws hanging and her eyes sparkling when she saw our house.

“Whoa! So this is coach’s house!” Flu said.

I led the way and opened the door.

“My parents are always out for work, so I often have this whole house to myself. Feel free to be as noisy as you want.”

“Coach! I have a question!” Flu raised her hand while being as loud as she could.

“What is it?”

“Are you born lonely!?”

“I have a little sister, but she’s living in a dormitory in a Magus High School.”

“That’s not what I meant! I mean, are you always this lonely ever since you were born!?” Flu continued to be as loud as she could.

I actually had a little thought about this. I was not that lonely when I was a kid. I remember I played with Vincent and Justine of Eaglecrest Guild. I also remembered playing with some other girl I vaguely remember before that horrifying incident that gave me a lifelong emotional and physical scar. So I guess I was never lonely at the start.

“No, I am not lonely. But I adapted to being alone because I like it that way.”

“Because you are magicless and you are afraid of being discriminated against?” Flu’s tone became a lot softer and more serious. She even erased her smile the moment she heard my answer.

“Well, you can say it is because of that. I fear being judged by mages. They can all go to hell.” I smiled menacingly, but then I immediately retracted my words. “E-Except you, of course. And also except Prez and Cruzo. I was grateful that you guys accepted me.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

It’s funny that I can be honest with Flu if we are talking all alone. I don’t even have to put up an attitude. Maybe I have grown fond of her and I was comfortable enough to share my honest feelings.

I suddenly remembered a question that has always been stuck on my tongue. I wanted to ask her this question ever since the day I met her, but I always forgot or not thought about it. Our minds are always on Speed Battles, so it is just pure luck that I remembered the question now.

“By the way, why are you so kind and friendly to a magicless human like me?” I asked.

Flu was silent, but she smiled wider. She averted my gaze and looked at the sofa behind me. I knew I had to expound my question or else there is just an awkward silence between us.

“You know the culture of magic that looked down on magicless people. Not even one of our classmates dare to talk to me. I’m not even safe from the discrimination of my old friend Vincent. Yes, we are friends, but if a mage like you always sticks to a magicless person like me, you will end up discriminated too. That is why I am wondering why you are friendly to me.”

“It is because…” Flu looked me in the eye. She gave a bright kind smile that gave off a comfortable warmth. “... I once had a friend who is magicless.”

Flu tilted her head and showed me the winged hairpin she was wearing every time. This is the same hairpin I looked for on the beach when we first met.

“See this? It is a memento from my old magicless friend. You see, I was a real crybaby back when I was four. He gave these hairpins to me so that I can draw out strength from them. I know it’s childish and seems like I’m a chuunibyou, but it works like magic! I feel like there’s nothing to fear as long as I have these wings!”

I feel glad that Flu has this certain something that she’s clinging to and draws mental strength. I never had that optimism she had, neither does my guildmates. If emotional strength is the real scale of strength, then Flu must be a divine being.

“That’s nice,” I commented. “Come on, let’s talk about it more once we finished studying.”

“Right!” Flu smiled brightly.

<>

It’s been thirty minutes in my study room, and it was silent. I’ve been rewriting my notes in my notebook, while Flu is overclocking her brain trying to solve a college algebra question. She has wide eyes and hanging jaws. After about five more minutes of just staring at the questionnaire, her face slammed into the table.

“I give up!” Flu cried. “I’m a failure after all. Uwuuuu.”

I sighed. “What’s the problem? Let me see.”

Flu gave the questionnaire without lifting her head on the table. I looked at the problem and saw some rookie mistakes in her formulas.

“Look, you mixed the whole operation of formulas here. Come, let me teach you.”

“Really!?” Flu immediately lifted her head with full excitement. “You will also be my coach in college algebra then!”

“Okay, okay.” I grabbed an extra pen and a scratch paper, then I went closer to her until our shoulders are sticking.

“Indulge me, Coach! For one second, pretend that I am an idiot!” Flu said.

“Okay, I’m there,” I answered almost immediately.

“So how will I start with this formula, Coach?” Flu pointed at the equation.

“Okay, let me explain to you. First, you have to-”

“You’ve lost me. Tahahaha.” Flu scratched her airhead with an apologetic smile.

This idiot! I don’t know if she’s really stupid or just playing tricks on me, but she can’t be this foolish! It makes it hard to teach her just because she is not interested in studying at all!

But I have to remain calm. Listen, Jonathan. This is for Merry Knights. This is for me too. She can’t become a Speedmage Champion if she failed midterms. I will have to let this go and be patient in teaching her.

“I’ll just solve the equation, and you watch how I do it. Okay?”

“Roger that, coach!” Flu energetically saluted.

And so, my pen moved as I created the solution for her college algebra problem. It is quite tricky, but with more practice, she will be able to solve it on her own.

“There. Finished. You think you can do it?” I asked Flu as I laid down my pen.

Meanwhile, Flu got this astounded facial expression. I think there’s even smoke coming out of her head. I can even hear the sound of the pressure cooker ready to explode! Is her brain overheating!? I thought there was only air inside her skull!

“Gah!” Flu showered the papers like confetti all around the study room. “Daaaaaah! I don’t want to study!”

“Hey!”

“I want to practice! I want to practice! I want to practice!” Flu hollered while flailing her limbs all around! What is she, eight?

“You know we can’t do that. It is study time, remember? Idiot.” I finally had a chance to get my revenge by calling her an idiot back.

Flu stood up and bent over to press her face towards mine! She pumped her fists and bounced!

“Hey, hey, coach! Let’s have a practice! I want to try out a new speed spell I read from your book!” Flu showed me the Speedmage Tactics guide I lent to her.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? Practice is banned for two weeks!” I said as I confiscated the guidebook from her hand. “You should be reading your textbooks, not this!”

“Uwuuuu!” Flu cried. “It’s been so long since I have done any speed spells!”

“We just practiced last night!” I cried. “We’ve been doing our nightly practice even on Saturdays and Sundays!”

“But still!” Flu energetically smiled with a teehee face. “I won’t be able to live if I don’t practice right now! I drink, eat, and breathe Speed Battles! It is in my blood!”

I cringed. I think she needs to get help.

Anyway, we won’t be able to move on and study if Flu is like this. At this rate, her cravings for practice will just worsen and she won’t be able to focus on her studies. I will have to balance the scale as her coach in both academics and extracurriculars.

“Fine then. Let’s have practice tonight. We can do it at the Eastern Beachfront as usual.”

“Really? Awesome!” Flu cried in victory!

“But first, you will have to study.”

“Roger that, coach!” Flu saluted.

That worked out well! Maybe we can use her Speed Battle addiction to boost her motivation in studying.

My eyes suddenly caught the glimpse of energy drinks, protein powders, and mana potions. I suddenly had a realization that Flu can be smart at times. She bought this absurd amount of drinks not for studying, but for burning calories and mana needed for practice. And she knew me well that I wouldn’t say no to her.

I’ve been played.