Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 748 171.1 - Catching up

Sylvie watched the scene unfold from her seat, her [Authority] pulsing faintly in the background, highlighting the emotional hues radiating from Irina. She had sensed the fiery energy from the moment Irina stepped forward to intervene, but now, the emotions were sharper, more defined, and impossible to ignore. 
At first, it was the familiar hues she associated with Irina—red, bright and blazing, her unmistakable anger. It burned fiercely, matching her sharp words and confident stride as she cut through the chatter surrounding Astron. But there was more, another color swirling just beneath the surface, faint yet vibrant. 
'Pink.' 
Sylvie's chest tightened as she recognized it. Love. Irina wasn't just irritated or protective—there was something deeper there, something undeniable. It wasn't fleeting or shallow; it was rooted, steady, and intense. And that wasn't all. 
'Purple.' 
A darker shade, not the calm and regal purple of confidence, but something heavier. It lingered in Irina's emotions like a shadow, twisting through her feelings with a sharp edge. Sylvie didn't need her [Authority] to tell her what it was. The moment Irina's gaze flickered toward the girls surrounding Astron, the answer became glaringly obvious. 
'Jealousy.' 
Sylvie's breath caught as the realization hit her. Irina wasn't just annoyed with the crowd vying for Astron's attention—she was jealous. The heat in her tone, the way her emotions flared as she spoke, the way she stepped forward to pull Astron out of the room as though to claim him—it all fit too perfectly. 
Irina loved Astron. 
No, it went beyond love. As Sylvie watched her, as she felt the weight of Irina's emotions through her [Authority], it became clear. This wasn't a new or fleeting feeling. This was deeply rooted, something that had grown over time, something that Irina herself couldn't hide even if she wanted to. 
Sylvie's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag as the truth settled heavily in her chest. She couldn't ignore it any longer. Irina didn't just like Astron. She loved him. Fiercely. Passionately. And now, that love was laid bare for anyone paying close enough attention to see. 
The scene before Sylvie blurred, the sounds of the classroom fading into the background as her thoughts spiraled. That strange, hollow sensation gnawed at her chest—a feeling she couldn't name or explain. It wasn't anger, nor was it sadness. It was something else entirely, a quiet void that seemed to expand with every second she sat there, watching Irina and Astron. 
'I don't understand this feeling…' she thought, gripping the strap of her bag tighter as if the physical sensation would ground her. But it didn't. The void lingered a quiet ache that made her chest feel tight and her thoughts feel far too loud. 
And then, like a whisper rising from the depths of her heart, another thought took shape—a thought she hadn't expected. 
'I was the one who noticed him first.' 
The words echoed in her mind, soft but insistent. Sylvie blinked, startled by the suddenness of it, the quiet weight it carried. She hadn't intended to think that, hadn't even realized it was something she felt. But now that the thought was there, it refused to leave. 

It wasn't because she was selfish, or because she wanted something from Astron. It wasn't that at all. But still… how could she forget? How could she forget the times when Astron wasn't like this—when he had been weak and struggling when he had carried the weight of his own burdens in silence? 
Where had Irina been then? 
The question struck like a shard of glass, sharp and cold. Sylvie's mind raced unbidden memories flooding back. Those early days at the academy, when Astron had been a shadow of who he was now. When he had sat quietly in class, unnoticed by most, his pale complexion and tired eyes betraying the struggles he refused to voice. 
Back then, Irina hadn't even glanced his way. Back then, it had been Sylvie who had noticed the way his hands trembled slightly after a grueling lesson, the way his breathing hitched when no one else was paying attention. It had been Sylvie who had seen him fight through the pain, who had felt the pull to help him even when she hadn't fully understood why. 
'Where was she then? What was she doing while he was struggling?' Sylvie thought, her heart tightening as she watched Irina now, standing so confidently beside Astron as if she had always been there. 
The memory of those days clashed painfully with the scene before her. The fiery determination in Irina's eyes, the way she had stepped in to intervene, the way her emotions blazed so brightly with love and jealousy—it all felt wrong. Out of place. Undeserved. 
'How am I supposed to ignore all of that and accept this?' Sylvie wondered, her nails digging into her palms. She couldn't ignore the history she shared with Astron, her own efforts and his silent ones. 
But now, it felt like all of that was being overshadowed, erased by Irina's boldness, by the way she claimed the spotlight so effortlessly. 
Sylvie looked down at her hands, her chest tightening with a mix of emotions she couldn't name. Was it bitterness? Frustration? That hollow void again, expanding to fill every corner of her heart? She didn't know. She only knew that it hurt. 
'This isn't fair,' she thought, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself grounded. But what wasn't fair? Irina's feelings? Astron's calm acceptance of her presence? The way everything seemed to be slipping away from Sylvie's grasp, no matter how hard she tried to hold on? 
"Sylvie." 
The voice cut through the haze of her thoughts like a sharp blade. Sylvie blinked, startled, her surroundings snapping back into focus. The vivid swirl of emotions she had been caught up in began to dim as she turned to see Jasmine standing beside her, arms crossed and an exasperated expression on her face. 
"Ah… Jasmine," Sylvie murmured, her voice shaky, her fingers still clenched tightly around the strap of her bag. 
"Go," Jasmine said, her tone firm yet quiet enough not to draw attention from the others in the room. 
"What?" Sylvie blinked again, confusion flickering in her pale blue eyes. 
"For the whole time, you've been staring at him." Jasmine tilted her head toward Astron and Irina, her tone softening just slightly. "Don't stay here on the sidelines, Sylvie. Go." 
Sylvie opened her mouth to argue, but the words didn't come. Her chest tightened again as her gaze flickered back toward the scene that had stirred such turmoil within her. She wanted to go—part of her ached to—but the courage required to act felt impossibly out of reach, like trying to grasp something in a dream. 
"I can't," Sylvie said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. Her fingers curled tighter around her bag strap, her knuckles white. "I… I can't just—" 
"Yes, you can." Jasmine interrupted her, stepping closer. Her voice was insistent, her golden aura bright with determination. "Sylvie, if you don't do it now, you'll just regret it later. And honestly? Watching you beat yourself up like this is exhausting." 
Sylvie's cheeks flushed faintly, but she didn't respond. She looked away, her thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess of doubt, fear, and that persistent ache in her chest. 
Jasmine wasn't having it. "Alright, if you're not going to do it for yourself…" she said, pulling her mana-powered communication device—a sleek, modern tablet—from her bag and tapping it with an exaggerated flourish. "Then I'll just post these pictures on the school forums." 
"What?" Sylvie's head snapped toward Jasmine, her eyes wide with shock. 
Jasmine held up the screen, and Sylvie's heart sank as she saw the images on display. It was a collage of candid shots Jasmine had taken over the past semester—her practicing with her blade, sitting under the trees lost in thought, and even one of her smiling faintly as she worked on a group project. There was even a shot from this morning, showing Sylvie looking contemplatively out the window during breakfast. 
"Jasmine!" Sylvie hissed, her voice rising slightly in panic. "You wouldn't dare!" 
"Oh, I would," Jasmine said, her grin mischievous but her eyes full of encouragement. "You think I'm above a little public humiliation if it gets you to stop doubting yourself? Guess again." 
Sylvie gaped at her friend, equal parts horrified and touched. "You're insane." 
"I'm the best friend you could ever ask for," Jasmine replied breezily. She tapped her tablet again, as if to emphasize her point. "Now, you can either sit here and let someone else take the chance you deserve, or you can stand up and make a move. Your choice." 
Sylvie's heart pounded in her chest, the weight of Jasmine's words settling heavily on her. She glanced back at Astron, who was now speaking to Irina in low, calm tones. That ache in her chest flared again, but this time it was joined by something else—a spark of resolve. 
'What am I waiting for?' she thought. The truth was, Jasmine was right. If she didn't act now, she might never find the courage again. 
Taking a shaky breath, Sylvie stood, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. Jasmine's grin widened, and she gave her a small, supportive push toward the scene. "That's more like it. Go get him, tiger." 
"Jasmine…" Sylvie muttered, but there was no anger in her voice, only gratitude. Her feet carried her forward before she could second-guess herself again. 
Sylvie's heart raced as she walked briskly down the corridor, her [Authority] pulsing faintly in the back of her mind, heightening her senses to every shift in emotion around her. The determination Jasmine had sparked within her burned steadily now, pushing her forward despite the nervous energy coursing through her veins. 
As she rounded the corner, her steps faltered slightly when she spotted them—Irina, Julia, and Lilia standing near the open doors to the next wing. They were deep in conversation, though the dynamics were unmistakable. Julia's teasing voice carried over the quiet murmur of the hallway, a playful lilt to her tone. 
"Julia," Irina muttered, her voice low and strained, though her expression betrayed her embarrassment. A faint blush dusted her cheeks, as vivid as the fiery reds of her aura that Sylvie could sense even without trying. "That's enough." 
"Oh, come on!" Lilia chimed in, her laughter ringing out softly. "She's not wrong. You were blushing, and let's be real—you don't exactly do subtle, Irina." 
Sylvie slowed her pace, staying just out of sight as she observed the scene. Irina's flustered state was a stark contrast to her usual confident demeanor, and for a moment, Sylvie felt an odd pang of sympathy. She could see the conflict swirling in Irina's emotions—the mix of pride, affection, and frustration as she tried to maintain her composure under Julia and Lilia's teasing. 
But then, something clicked. If Irina was here—standing in the hallway, fending off her friends' relentless jabs—then she wasn't with Astron. 
'Astron must be alone!' The thought hit her like a jolt of lightning, and her breath caught as her focus snapped back to the opportunity at hand. She couldn't let this moment slip away. Not after everything she'd felt, everything Jasmine had said. 
Gritting her teeth, Sylvie forced herself to move again, her steps quicker now. As she passed the trio, she caught Irina's eye. For a fleeting second, their gazes locked, and Sylvie felt the weight of Irina's emotions brush against her like a flicker of heat—curiosity, tinged with uncertainty and that ever-present blush of affection. 
But Irina didn't say anything. She simply held Sylvie's gaze for a moment longer before turning back to Julia with a muttered response, her focus still firmly on deflecting the teasing. Sylvie didn't linger. She pressed forward, her pulse pounding in her ears. 
'Don't think about it. Don't stop. Just go.' 
"Astron." 
And she saw him in the hallway, walking.