A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 25

Chapter 25   A Short Friendship

I didn’t intend to say that. But the fact remained that I had spoken, and Rachel, who was nearby, had heard my words.

“Did you just say something?”
“Huh? Oh, no, not really—”

Rachel’s smile vanished, and she looked at me with an unmistakably angry expression. Realizing my careless remark, I scrambled to find words to cover it up.

However, Rachel didn’t wait for my excuses. She spoke before I could even begin.

“You said it was pointless, didn’t you? After seeing what I did. What part of helping others do you find so meaningless? Is there something I haven’t considered?”

Her gaze, sharp and unwavering, made it clear that she wouldn’t let me off easily. She wouldn’t allow any dodging or deception. Reluctantly, I opened my mouth to answer.

“…Just because someone received the blessing of healing doesn’t mean they wished to help others or save lives. Maybe they just wanted the power to heal people for money.”

It’s not an impossible scenario. Sure, most people wouldn’t wish for healing powers just to make money, but it’s not completely out of the question. There’s no moral judgment in the way blessings are granted.

“Yet, people revere that power and celebrate receiving a skill, then go around helping others. Healing powers aren’t limitless. Sure, the people being healed might feel great, but all that’s left for the one who uses the power is exhaustion. Being swayed by someone’s selfish wish, using up your own energy for someone else… Isn’t that ridiculous?”

What I was saying wasn’t exactly the same as what I had been thinking earlier, and I certainly wasn’t about to reveal those thoughts. Especially not to Rachel, standing right in front of me. But even so, what I was saying now was still part of how I truly felt.

Even if you help someone until you collapse, will they genuinely care about the person who saved them? Will they be truly grateful? Sure, a few people might sincerely appreciate it, but that’s only a handful. Most people will forget within a few days or turn it into a funny story or a boast.

In a world where most people are ungrateful, continuing to act for the sake of a few—saving tens, hundreds, or thousands—that’s just absurd.

“You’re wrong. Yes, those who use the skill to heal will feel fatigued. But the one who received the blessing didn’t wish for it with any ulterior motive.”
“And how can someone who never met that person know that?”
“By using the skill, you come to understand what the one who originally received the blessing was feeling when they made their wish. The person who received this blessing had a heart full of genuine compassion.”

Rachel was probably just speaking from her own experience, saying exactly what she had come to understand. But as I listened to her words, it stirred something uneasy within me.

That uneasiness—it must have been because of the skill Rachel possessed.

“Really? Are you sure that’s not just your wish for it to be true? Is it really the case? The ability to heal those you touch could also mean that those beyond your reach don’t matter. And couldn’t it be that the person wanted this healing ability just to gain attention and praise?”

“That’s not true. Humans aren’t omnipotent. We’re not gods, so it’s inevitable that we can’t save everyone in the world. Even children understand that. But despite knowing such a reality, if someone still manifested this kind of blessing, it means they genuinely wished to help others. It’s not about ‘not saving those beyond reach’; it’s about wanting to save those within reach. That’s why this blessing exists.”

“…”

We both said our piece, but neither of us would budge.

It was no surprise that things turned out this way. Rachel—the Saint—and I ended up locked in a silent stare, glaring at one another.

It was the Saint who broke the stalemate first. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath without saying a word, then turned her back to me.

“I apologize, but I’d appreciate it if you could consider my earlier proposal to become friends as withdrawn.”

“No, I should be the one apologizing. I acted rashly without much thought. However, if not as friends, I hope we can at least continue to interact as classmates—moderately.”

“Yes, I understand.”

In a gesture of formality, I adopted a respectful tone, acknowledging her as someone above me. This seemed to satisfy Rachel, who accepted my proposal.

And so, our brief friendship came to an end.

“But before we part, just one more thing.”

Though our friendship was short-lived, we did once attempt to be friends. Fulfilling this one obligation seemed fair.

“That ability of yours… it’s not as remarkable as you think.”

“Is that so? I disagree, but thank you for your advice.”

Perhaps affected by the tense atmosphere between the Saint and me, or maybe because no one had the energy to speak anymore, we all waited in silence for the club president, the other members, and the police to arrive and handle the aftermath.

By the time everything was sorted, quite a bit of time had passed, and without any further discussion about the day’s activities, we disbanded.

What I gained from my first day in the club was a brief friendship, the discord left from that friendship, and a few warped souvenirs from the aftermath of the battle.