Chapter 6: Ch 6: A Gracioud Fall?

The ground came closer, and each passing second tested Noah’s reflexes and willpower. He almost slipped up when he heard Daniel’s voice calling out to him.

"Noah-! Darn it-!"

He blinked, and the power affecting him fizzled out, only for him to lock eyes with a familiar pair standing right below him. It was Alan, and if he wanted to, the Esper could break Noah’s fall.

Hope rose in Noah’s heart, only to be dashed the next second as his leg collided with the ground, causing it to break.

Alan had stepped aside at the last second, and he was now acting like a frightened kid. His wide eyes met Noah’s, and a curse escaped Noah’s lips.

"B-Bastard-!"

Alan was an SSS-Class Esper. He could have easily saved Noah from getting hurt if he had wanted to. But he had decided not to in order to keep up his appearance as a fragile person.

Luckily for Noah, his fall attracted more and more people. Daniel also rushed over to check on him and looked sick when he saw Noah’s broken leg and battered body.

"Someone, call for a doctor. Why is no one moving? Are your Esper powers just for show?"

Daniel’s cold words made many Espers frown. But they ultimately decided to comply with him because they suspected his guiding rank was exceptionally high.

No one wanted to get on the bad side of someone who could potentially save their lives one day.

A doctor quickly came over to check on Noah and examined his leg.

"The bone is broken. Luckily for you, it’s a clean break, so it should heal properly. Unfortunately, you will have to wait a while since the Esper in charge of the medical wing is out right now."

Noah nodded, and Daniel helped him up. Noah ended up leaning against Daniel with most of his weight resting on him.

Alan decided that now was the right time to let everyone know of his presence, and he stood up on shaky legs before calling out.

"E-Excuse me...I think I need to see a doctor as well..."

The SSS-Class Esper was good at making his legs appear shaky. Even Noah almost believed Alan was in shock because of how convincingly his legs trembled. But he also knew he had not imagined the smile Alan had given him when he stepped aside and let Noah get hurt.

Logically, Noah knew that Alan had no obligation to save him. Alan had no memories of their past, and even if he did, he was not obligated to act on them. But Noah’s feelings had never responded well to logic.

Unfortunately, the final decision rested with the doctor, and he decided to side with the Esper.

"Please follow us to the medical wing. As for everyone else, you may head back to class."

There was no mention of investigating what had happened.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Noah had been controlled by someone’s ability and forced to jump out of the window. But since the other party was a high-class Esper, the matter would simply be buried.

Daniel’s tightening grip told Noah that he felt just as frustrated about the situation as Noah did. But unfortunately, there was nothing either of them could do about it.

...

"I have put your leg in a cast. Try not to move it too much."

The doctor warned Noah, but he did not seem particularly concerned about his injury. Instead, half of his attention remained focused on Alan, who was complaining about his headache and trauma.

Noah had a feeling the doctor would not have even treated him first if it had not been for Daniel’s presence in the room.

The doctor went to attend to Alan, and Daniel immediately occupied the vacant chair.

"Hey, what happened? Don’t give me that crap about you jumping out of the window because you wanted to. I need you to tell me the truth."

Daniel wore an almost guilty expression as he asked the question. But out of everyone involved, Daniel was the last person who should have been apologizing. The other Guide was clearly becoming more and more stressed.

There was a lot Noah wanted to complain about, but Daniel was not the person who should be listening to it.

"I don’t know what happened. One second, I was leaving the room, and the next I was lying on the ground. Do you think someone used their ability on me as a prank?"

Of course, that was not the case. ℯℯ𝑙.

And Daniel clearly had no intention of accepting such a ridiculous excuse.

He immediately grabbed Noah’s shoulder, and his grip was so tight that it left bruises on Noah’s skin.

"Do you think this is a joking matter? You almost died! What’s more, that stupid Esper just stood aside and let it happen. Are his eyes just for decoration? He should have helped you instead of pretending to fall over."

Noah’s mouth fell open at Daniel’s anger. He had never seen Daniel this furious, not even in his visions, so he had no idea how to face this unfamiliar side of him.

And honestly...

He was just as angry at Alan as Daniel was.

[Warning: Relations between Subject E-001 and G-002 are worsening. Please take immediate action to ensure the proper course of events.]

The System’s message drained all the anger from Noah’s body, and every complaint he had got stuck in his throat.

’Hey, this is unfair! I almost died, and all you care about is making sure the relationship between the leads doesn’t get worse? What about my well-being?’

Noah complained, but the lack of a response told him that the System did not care.

Unfortunately, that also meant it was up to him to calm Daniel down and improve his impression of Alan.

"Hey, I don’t think it’s entirely his fault. He was just as shocked as everyone else. He might be a super-strong Esper, but that doesn’t mean he would have been able to react in time."

"But I would have if I had been in his position...you know what? Forget about it. You’re an idiot, so I doubt you’ll listen to me anyway. Just get better, and we’ll talk again once you’re back."

Somehow, Noah had managed to offend Daniel, and he had no clue why.