“What took you so long?”
“Uh, there were some weird guys outside.”
“Weird guys?”
“Nothing much.”
Tana and Eve seemed to struggle to understand what was going on, but they didn’t need to. Solving the violence situation wasn’t something they were planning to help with anyway.
‘They’ve already helped a lot.’
The fact that May’s gang came out so boldly was evidence of reliable backing, probably the Dean.
Since it was a situation that could potentially leave a bad impression on the Dean, I didn’t want to unnecessarily involve Tana and Eve.
“Wow, that looks delicious!”
“Right? Eve’s cooking skills are amazing!”
The delicious smell tickled my nose. It was just a warm-up, but moving around made my stomach feel empty, and a small celebration began as we took our seats.
Clink The cups filled with beverages collided as we started eating.
“It’s delicious.”
“Really tasty.”
“Hehe.”
I realized there was a reason Eve radiated that charming vibe. I didn’t know who would take her away, but I felt very envious.
“Charlie got expelled, right?”
“Yeah, all his potion-making traces were found in his room. He even collected Eve’s hair. Ugh, so creepy! What was he planning to do with it?”
“Was he trying to turn into Eve?”
Gag!
“I totally dislike that.”
Charlie Kura Ushu was not only expelled, but he was also being investigated for sexual harassment, and Eve had given a statement about it.
“Still, I’m glad you managed to pull through.”
“You were both there for me.”
Eve smiled at Tana and me. In the awkwardness that tickled our senses, Tana changed the topic.
“By the way, why do you keep wearing glasses? Last time you dressed up, the guys went crazy.”
“Well, it’s hard to dress up.”
“I’ll show you. It’s not that difficult.”
“Hm.”
Eve glanced at me for a moment, as if hoping I would say something, but I had no idea what answer she wanted, so I spoke honestly.
“Dressing up is something you do when necessary. I like this as it feels like it suits you right now. It’s like your desired look?”
“…That’s right.”
Was it the right answer?
Eve nodded while smiling, and Tana looked a bit disappointed but respected Eve’s opinion.
As we chatted about various things, we heard a knock from outside. I wondered if we had been too loud and stood up to give a warning.
“Hey, go hide up on the bed where you can’t be seen.”
“Why? The other guys will be jealous if they see me.”
“Just hide.”
Sometimes Tana was bold or just clueless. Anyway, Eve went with her and they both crouched against the wall on the bed.
I didn’t want rumors spreading about me, and it could get weird for Tana and Eve too.
‘Who could it be? Ares?’
The only person who could come looking for me was Ares, so I opened the door and found my childhood friend, Rin, with long black hair standing there.
“Rin?”
Just coming onto the Boys’ Floor drew all the attention from the other students. I could already see the whispering male students in my sight.
Rin seemed a bit awkward as she scratched the back of her head, likely from the surrounding attention.
“Um, are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“No, some weird seniors were looking for you, so I was worried you might have gotten hurt.”
“Oh! Where are those seniors?”
I was about to go and deal with them when Rin waved her hand.
“They all left. It doesn’t seem to be that important.”
“Eh? That’s a bit impatient.”
They were making such a fuss about their seniors coming, only to turn around when it got annoying.
“But you seem to be eating something good. It smells really nice…”
Rin’s expression stiffened as she stole a glance at the food inside. Just a moment ago, she was smiling sweetly, but now her smile slowly faded.
“There’s a girl’s scent too?”
“Uh?”
Rin pushed me aside and entered the room, locking the door behind her. I could hear the male students outside making a ruckus, but Rin didn’t seem to care.
“Step aside.”
“Wait a second. This is a boy’s room; coming in like this will spread weird rumors.”
“We’re childhood friends! We’re basically family. There’s no need to care about what others think.”
“Still…”
I tried to bar her way with my hands on either wall like a human barricade, but she skillfully brushed my hands aside and stepped inside.
She spotted the two girls huddled on my bed.
“Uh, hi?”
“Um, hello.”
“On the bed…?”
“Wait! Don’t misunderstand! We were just having a little party, and they climbed on the bed to hide when someone came!”
“…”
Rin locked eyes with me, seemingly trying to determine the truth of my words. I didn’t back down as I stared back, and after a moment, she took a deep breath and nodded.
“Okay. But letting two girls into a room is a bit reckless, don’t you think?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Honestly, she had a point, so I didn’t argue back, and surprisingly, Eve and Tana chimed in.
“We were the ones who suggested this! We thought it’d be casual, so we didn’t need to find another place.”
“Yeah, we were going to do it in our room, but it felt like the other girls would talk too much, so we came here instead.”
“Your room?”
That seemed to irk Rin; her eyes slightly twitched, but she slowly regained her smile and asked.
“If it’s okay, can I join too?”
“Um, well…”
“No.”
Eve seemed to be contemplating it, but Tana drew a clear line.
“This is a celebration party for Daniel’s expulsion reversal. I really don’t want an outsider joining.”
“I’m Daniel’s childhood friend! I have the right to celebrate too!”
“What did you do? We planned operations and took down traps together!”
“I did…!”
Rin seemed about to vent, but she clenched her fist and fell silent. Although she had sought help from her sibling for me, it didn’t amount to much.
“There’s nothing, right? So…”
Knock, knock, knock!
“Daniel? Rin!”
“Ares?”
Wondering what was going on, I opened the door to find Ares, flustered and sweating.
“I heard Rin entered your room, so I came to check… just in case.”
“Yeah, she came in, but she should be leaving soon.”
Was my revelation shocking?
Rin stared at me, mouth agape, but she tried to ignore it.
However, at this moment, the girl I thought was on my side pulled a betrayal.
“Ares? Come in! We’re having a party right now; want to join?”
Of all people, it was Tana, the one who just lambasted Rin. I tend to forget that she used to chase after Ares.
“A party? What kind of party?”
“We’re celebrating Daniel’s expulsion being canceled.”
“Oh. But I didn’t do anything…”
“You’re Daniel’s childhood friend! Just come in!”
“Is she really insane?”
I was dumbfounded by Tana, completely denying everything she had just said, pointing at her in disbelief as Eve shared the same exasperated look with me.
“Still, let’s celebrate together. It’s a good thing, and they’re Daniel’s friends.”
“Sigh.”
I scratched the back of my head, letting out a deep sigh as I nodded. I could now tolerate the slight unease of being with Rin.
“Don’t stay too long. Let’s wrap it up in about an hour.”
As I leaned back on the bed, Tana and Eve immediately took positions on either side of me. Tana seemed to have aimed to sit next to Ares naturally.
Rin looked surprised at Eve’s presence, but since Eve didn’t seem willing to budge, she sat down with an unhappy expression.
From there, the atmosphere flowed rather well.
Rin and Ares’ entrance was so impactful that I thought the vibe would get weird, but both of them naturally enjoyed mingling with people and quickly warmed up, chatting away.
I noticed brief moments of rivalry emphasizing their childhood friend status, but I simply ignored it.
“Right? Isn’t it funny?”
“…Yeah.”
I shot Tana a deadpan look as she nudged me with her elbow. She seemed intent on flirting with Ares but was clinging to me instead.
‘Did the spotlight make her nervous?’
That could be it.
Since Ares was right next to her, she might feel comfortable leaning on me instead.
An hour passed quickly, and I wielded my authority as the host to abruptly end the party.
“Tana, Eve, I’m sorry, but can you step out for a moment? I need to talk to these two.”
“Hmm?”
“Sure.”
As Tana and Eve stepped out, the two waiting behind looked at me curiously. I sighed before speaking.
“I think we need to reevaluate our relationship.”
Since I’m getting younger, let’s express this using the popular language of today’s youth.
Let’s cut ties.
*
Returning to her room, Tana sighed afterward.
‘Ares showed up.’
I didn’t expect Rin to come, but I certainly didn’t think Ares would show up either.
“He really is handsome.”
She squealed, kicking the bed in excitement. Starting from his flowing soft blonde hair to his prominent nose and fair skin.
His appearance was akin to a prince from a fairy tale. Plus, we were hanging out in the same room.
After being turned down for a date, there had been a hint of awkwardness, but that seemed to have melted away now.
Wow, he’s so cool.
Thus, Tana’s eyes slowly fluttered closed, and unknowingly, she fell asleep, dreaming of a certain boy.
The boy who saved her when being bullied on the rooftop.
The black-haired boy who had effortlessly sent May’s gang fleeing.
