Volume 4
Chapter 4
"So, Lisa-kun, what was it you needed from me?"
Tima
and I were facing Lisa-kun on the rooftop during lunch break, having been
called there by her. There was no one else on the rooftop. Only the warm spring
breeze caressed our cheeks, and the chirping of birds, along with the voices of
students happily enjoying their lunch break, could be heard.
"Sorry
for calling you out of the blue. ...Irisdina-san, I heard you've been hanging
out with that guy a lot recently, is that true?"
Lisa-kun's
question was, as expected, about him.
I
knew about her.
Lisa
Hounds.
A
woman with fiery red hair tied back, and mischievous eyes that left a strong
impression. Even to me, as a female, she was a charming girl, and indeed,
beautiful enough that I could say other boys wouldn't leave her alone.
She
was one of only five students in the 3rd year to reach A-rank, skillfully
wielding two sabers, one long and one short, with outstanding physical
abilities. She was one of the few students who could fight me on equal terms in
practical lessons.
It
was common knowledge that she was currently dating Ken Notice, who was also
A-rank in the same year, and how many other girls had shed tears over that...
She
looked at us with a serious expression. Her mischievous eyes were subdued, and
strong, unreadable emotions seemed to swirl within them.
"Yes,
we're friends. There's nothing strange about it, is there?"
The
moment I said we were friends, her face twisted as if she had bitten into a
bitter bug.
It
was an expression filled with hatred, unlike her usual self. Just that alone
showed how much she hated and loathed Nozomu.
"…………Irisdina-san,
you shouldn't be with him."
At
her sudden declaration, my eyebrow twitched, and Tima looked surprised.
Even
Tima must have never seen her direct such hatred towards someone before. This
was the first time I had seen her with such an expression, too.
Lisa-kun
was one of the top five most skilled students in our year, but she never
boasted about her abilities and treated everyone equally.
Once,
when I was helping Ms. Anri carry tools for a class, I saw a lower-ranked
female student from our year being harassed by an upperclassman below a window.
Later,
when I asked the harassed female student, it seemed the upperclassman was
looking for party members for a guild-sponsored job in the forest but couldn't
find any, and was trying to forcibly take students who weren't permitted to
enter the forest.
At
that time, I quickly excused myself to Ms. Anri and headed straight for the
scene, but since I was on an upper floor, it took a little time.
However,
by the time I arrived, Lisa-kun had already rushed there and settled the
situation.
She
had apparently stepped between the upperclassman and our classmate who was
being harassed, and she didn't back down an inch against the upperclassman.
"Ah,
um, Lisa-san..."
Perhaps
worried about her intervening, the female student had accidentally let slip her
name. The upperclassman, hearing Lisa-kun's name, ignored the female student
and tried to invite Lisa-kun instead.
However,
she instantly rejected the upperclassman's invitation. The enraged
upperclassman tried to draw his sword, but the moment he put his hand on his
sword, Lisa-kun had apparently pressed the blade of her saber against his
throat.
In
the end, that upperclassman was overwhelmed by her fierce demeanor and skill,
and fled in a state of utter disarray.
Even
if the opponent was an upperclassman, she was a woman who would confront
wrongdoings head-on and was capable of doing so.
At
least, that's how I felt about her.
"Irisdina-san,
you two know what he did, don't you? Take my advice. You should stop being with
him immediately."
Lisa-kun
told us to end our relationship with Nozomu, using words unlike the firm
attitude she had shown when confronting the upperclassman back then.
When
I heard Lisa-kun's words about Nozomu, I asked her a question that had lingered
in my heart.
"…………Is
that... because of what happened between you and Nozomu?"
Neither
Tima nor I knew what had happened between him and her. The rumor was that
Nozomu had betrayed her, leading to her leaving him. But when I actually met
him, he was quite different from the person described in the rumors.
The
questions I had felt ever since meeting Nozomu. The difference between the
person in the rumors and the person I actually saw, talked to, and interacted
with.
The
discrepancy between the alleged rumors and the actual truth. At the root of it
all was what had happened between Lisa-kun and Nozomu.
The
moment I asked about it, her face twisted even more.
Lisa-kun
was desperately trying to hide the emotions swirling within her, but she
couldn't. She seemed to be clenching her fists tightly and gritting her teeth.
"Since
it's a good opportunity, I'd like to ask. What exactly did he do to you?"
"We've
been with him for a while now, but he doesn't seem like the kind of person
described in the rumors."
"…………It
doesn't matter. Anyway, I've warned you. You should cut ties with him before
something terrible happens to you..."
With
that, she turned on her heel and left the rooftop.
Her
hasty retreat clearly indicated "there's nothing more to talk about"
and also seemed to say "I don't want to be asked any more."
***
"Oh,
they're here."
"You're
late."
Irisdina
and Tima arrived at the infirmary where Nozomu and the others were, after their
conversation with Lisa on the rooftop.
They
were late, but Nozomu and Mars's bentos hadn't been opened yet. It seemed they
had waited for the two to arrive.
"Ah,
yes. Sorry for being late."
"S-sorry,
both of you..."
"It's
fine. It was probably a sudden errand. There's not much time left of lunch
break, so let's eat quickly."
"Alright~!
Let's dig in~!"
When
Nozomu said that, Anri immediately opened her bento and started eating as if to
say, "I've been waiting for this!"
The
two, prompted by Nozomu, also sat down and began eating their bentos.
Everyone
focused on their meals for a while, but Irisdina, perhaps concerned about
Nozomu, glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Nozomu
noticed Irisdina's gaze and asked her.
"Hm,
Iris, is something wrong?"
"N-no,
nothing at all..."
"???"
Nozomu
tilted his head at Irisdina's unusual reticence, but since she returned to her
meal, Nozomu resumed eating as well.
"...Hey,
isn't Irisdina acting a little strange?"
Mars
spoke quietly to Tima so Nozomu and the others couldn't hear.
Tima
flinched at Mars's words and replied in a similarly quiet voice.
"D-do
you think so?"
"Yeah,
Nozomu seemed to feel something was off too. Did something happen?"
"Y-yes."
Tima
recalled the exchange between her friend and classmate earlier. She had been
completely intimidated by Lisa's menacing aura, but the incident was still
shocking.
At
the same time, she thought, "Mars might know something," and brought
up a certain topic.
"…………Mars-kun,
can we talk after school today?"
"...Ah,
yeah. Nozomu said he had something to do today, so it's fine. Is Ox Head Inn
okay for the location?"
Mars,
sensing Tima's serious atmosphere, straightened his expression and answered
Tima's question.
He
also felt from Irisdina's demeanor that it was about Nozomu, but it was
probably still difficult to ask him directly.
"Yes,
please. I'll tell Ai about it later too..."
The
two made that promise without Nozomu and the others noticing. Anri and Norn
watched the two as if keeping an eye on them.
***
After
Nozomu and the others returned to their classrooms when the bell for the start
of class rang, Anri and Norn, who remained in the infirmary, were talking about
Mars and the others.
"...Is
it okay? Not to tell him."
"?
What do you mean~?"
"About
Nozomu-kun, you know. When he was in his first year, there was only one person
who could spread that rumor."
"...I
don't think it's time to talk about it yet~. Nozomu-kun seems to be getting
better, but he still looks like he's at his limit~."
Anri
recalled seeing Nozomu in town before. Nozomu's lifeless figure, wandering
around just like a ghost.
At
least, telling Nozomu about this now would only make him suffer more.
Perhaps
Nozomu himself was unconsciously trying not to think about some parts of it.
"…Nozomu-kun
probably has too much on his mind~. He hasn't sorted things out within himself
yet. But it's the same for Irisdina-san and the others. Even if they go to talk
to Nozomu-kun now, I don't think Nozomu-kun will say anything~."
It
would be best for Irisdina and the others to talk to him and help Nozomu, but
they also seemed a bit impatient now. That impatience might push Nozomu even
further into a corner.
"However,
it won't stay like this forever. Irisdina and the others haven't realized it
yet, but if they learn Nozomu's true character, they'll eventually figure it
out."
"That's
right~. I think Irisdina-san will realize it soon~. The same goes for
Nozomu-kun, too."
Unlike
the Nozomu who was once withdrawn, his world was now expanding. If that
happened, he would also realize the truth. Perhaps he had already realized it.
"Then
all the more reason—" "But we're teachers~. We need to watch over
them too~." "...Well, that's true. If it comes down to it, we'll step
in..."
Anri
smiled and told Norn, "It's still time to keep an eye on them."
She
was worried about Irisdina and the others rushing ahead, but for now, the
situation wasn't that bad.
So,
they would trust them. They would only step in when the students couldn't
handle it anymore.
Norn
also shrugged, having heard Anri's opinion.
They
were teachers. The protagonists of this academy were, after all, the students.
Anri
felt a little lonely, but at the same time, she was happy that Nozomu had made
friends who cared about him so much.
(Nozomu-kun,
do your best~! You have friends who care about you~. I don't know what's
binding you, but... don't give up.)
***
After
school, Mars, Irisdina, and the others met at Ox Head Inn. Somia, wearing her
Ecros uniform, was also with Irisdina, having apparently joined them on the
way.
"Sorry,
we're late."
"Nah,
don't worry about it. We just got back ourselves."
"Please,
this way to your table."
Ena
led the three to a table in the back of the restaurant, which was shaded and
out of sight from the outside.
"So,
what is it you wanted to ask?"
"Ah,
yes. Mars-kun, you know about Nozomu's rumor, don't you?"
"Yeah,
I mean, is there anyone in the academy who doesn't know that rumor?"
"Indeed.
Actually, it's about that..."
Irisdina
began to tell Mars about what happened on the rooftop during lunch break.
Being
called out by Lisa, Lisa telling her to cut ties with Nozomu, asking about the
incident between Nozomu and Lisa that was the root of the rumor, and Lisa's
demeanor at the time.
Mars
listened to Irisdina's story with a serious expression.
When
Irisdina finished speaking, Mars slowly opened his mouth.
"…………Is
that what you wanted to ask about?"
"Yes,
we already know that rumor is off the mark. But we don't know why it
happened."
"...That's
right. I was curious about it myself... Sorry, I don't know either."
Mars
also didn't know what had happened to Nozomu back then. Asking him directly
would be the fastest way, but...
"…………I
see..."
Irisdina
let out a disappointed sound at Mars's words.
(But
something's strange. Something's bothering me. The rumors and the truth about
him. What exactly happened...? No, there's too little information!)
An
inexplicable impatience swirled in her chest ever since her encounter with
Lisa.
I know nothing about Nozomu.
That
fact gradually gnawed at her heart.
It
was the same for Mars. For him, Nozomu was the first friend he could truly open
up to.
Although
he didn't realize it himself, the fact that he had invited Nozomu to Ox Head
Inn, where he had never allowed his cronies to approach, showed that Mars
trusted Nozomu.
(…………I'll
ask him after all. And I should clear Nozomu-kun's suspicions at the academy.)
Irisdina
didn't think it was right for Nozomu to remain as he was in the academy. Since
she had invited Nozomu to lunch the other day, people around them, not just
students but even teachers, had offered advice to Irisdina.
You should not be with that
bottom-feeder.
Someone like that isn't suitable for
you, Irisdina-san.
We're saying this because we care
about you, Irisdina-san. Take our advice. Stop getting involved with that
inferior student.
Every
time she heard those words, her chest tightened.
She
wanted to shout, "That's not true! He's not that kind of person!!"
But
each time, Nozomu's face flickered in her mind.
She
was an intelligent girl. She quickly understood that even if she said
"that's not true" right then and there, the people around her
wouldn't believe it. When she looked into their eyes, she immediately knew that
they fully believed the rumor and had no doubt about it whatsoever.
His
reputation had been completely set, and anything she said alone wouldn't change
anything.
That
fact itself dug deeper into Irisdina's chest.
An
indescribable irritation and helplessness.
To
calm the raging passion in her chest, Irisdina suggested asking Nozomu
directly.
"…After
all, let's ask him directly."
"Yeah.
Then let's go to Nozomu's dorm tomorrow morning. He probably won't be back
until tomorrow morning anyway."
Mars
agreed with Irisdina's words. The two looked at each other and nodded, then
tried to stand up, but...
"…………W-wait,
both of you."
Tima
stopped the two.
"What
is it, Tima?" "Is there something else?"
"…………I
think it's better to wait..."
Hearing
that, Irisdina and Mars looked at Tima in surprise.
"But
Tima..."
Irisdina
tried to interject at Tima's words, but the two were stopped again by their
younger sisters.
"I'm
sorry, Onee-sama, but... I agree with Tima-chan."
"I
think so too."
"Even
Somia..."
"Why?"
For
Irisdina and Mars, these were natural questions. At least, it was certain that
nothing could be done if they didn't know what had happened between Nozomu and
Lisa back then.
"Nozomu-kun
would probably tell us if he could... And besides, Nozomu-kun has been alone
with that all this time, hasn't he?"
"That's
precisely why..."
"You
shouldn't rush... Ai and Mars-kun, you're asking Nozomu-kun to talk about
something very painful for him, aren't you? Can either of you suddenly talk
about such things to a friend? At least, we're not directly involved. We should
wait until Nozomu-kun is ready to talk."
"…………Onii-chan,
I think so too. ...Before, when Nozomu-san came to the store, he ran into that
Lisa person."
Ena
began to talk about when Nozomu had run into Lisa at the Ox Head Inn before.
Lisa
and a man had come into the store together and shared a table with Nozomu.
Lisa
had screamed and left the store, and Nozomu had simply hung his head.
He
had left money and gone before she could say anything.
"Nozomu-san
looked very distressed at that time. I wanted to say something to him... but
when I saw his face, I couldn't say anything..."
(At
that time, Nozomu-san was desperately trying to act as if nothing was wrong.
Afterwards, he even apologized for causing a disturbance in the store. Even
from the side, I could tell he wasn't okay at all…………)
"You
shouldn't force Nozomu-san to talk now. Onii-chan, we should wait a little
longer."
At
Ena's words, Irisdina and Mars fell silent. Indeed, as long as Nozomu wasn't
talking, all they could do was wait for him to speak. It was best for him to
speak of his own will, with his own words.
"…………I
understand."
Irisdina
agreed with a somber expression, and Mars also nodded slightly, his expression
still dark.
***
"…………Now
that I think of it, what about Nozomu? I heard he had something to do..."
"...Ah,
knowing him, he's probably gone to the forest. He sometimes goes into the
forest alone to train..."
""""What!?""""
Entering
a forest where magical beasts roam alone was insane. Even Irisdina and the
others were obligated to form parties when entering the forest.
They
never imagined that Nozomu would enter the forest alone.
"...Mars-kun,
is that true?"
"Yeah,
I've seen Nozomu go into the forest before. Well, he'll probably be fine. He's
been entering the forest since his first year. Though he's spoken ill of at
school, his judgment in mock battles is accurate and fast, and his combat
experience is probably at the top among our year."
When
she heard those words, the questions Irisdina had felt swelled even more.
(Why
hasn't he shown that ability until now? Solminati is a complete meritocracy. If
he had displayed that power, he wouldn't have been spoken of so terribly until
now...)
"…If
he has that much ability, why was he in the 10th rank?"
"...I
don't know. I only realized his ability late last year. At least before that,
he was a gloomy, introverted guy. He always looked down, and no matter what we
said, he just turned his back..."
Mars
pondered about Nozomu again.
(Come
to think of it, he started changing late last year too... We really don't know
anything about him, do we?)
Irisdina
and the others realized again that they knew nothing about Nozomu. In the end,
they couldn't decide what to do, and time simply passed.
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