Volume 7
Chapter 2
Arriving a step ahead of Irisdina and the others, Lisa had come to Nozomu's hospital room.
Lisa, like Irisdina
and Shina, was one of the people who had requested to nurse Nozomu.
In her hands, she held
a basin filled with water and a clean white towel.
Her crimson hair was
reminiscent of a twilight sky, and her body traced a slender curve.
Lisa's face, as she
looked down, could not be seen, but her small, well-proportioned face was
reflected on the surface of the water in the basin she held.
But Lisa's expression,
reflected on the rippling water, was clouded like a dark cloud covering the
sky.
With a tragic face,
the red-haired girl stood frozen in front of Nozomu's hospital room.
Lisa, who had stopped
in front of the thick, hard wooden door, slowly reached her hand for the
doorknob.
But just as her hand
was about to touch the doorknob, her body suddenly trembled.
Her lips were bitten,
and her cheeks were tense. A complete silence dominated the hallway, where
almost no one moved, for a brief moment.
A momentary pause. But
Lisa made up her mind and slowly reached for the doorknob.
As strength slowly
entered her outstretched right hand, the sound of the door creaking echoed in
the hallway.
What could be seen through
the square-cut gap was a simple room covered in white walls. On the bed placed
there, a young man was lying.
Lisa first placed the
water basin she was holding on a table, then began to take out replacement
sheets and other items from a nearby shelf.
Her job, like Irisdina
and Shina, was also miscellaneous tasks such as changing the sheets on Nozomu's
bed.
After taking out the
replacement sheets, Lisa came to the front of Nozomu's bed and reached for the
blanket covering him.
"!..."
However, the moment
her outstretched hand touched the blanket, she pulled her hand back.
Before him, Lisa's
outstretched hand hung limply.
Nozomu Bountis.
Her childhood friend,
with whom she had once chased a dream with.
And at the end of her
escape, the former object of her affection, whom she had continued to wound
deeply.
The sleeping face of
Nozomu was as still as a stone statue, and only his slightly rising and falling
chest allowed one to feel his breath.
Forgetting her work
for a moment, Lisa stood frozen.
At that moment, the
door to the hospital room was opened with a click.
Lisa turned around and
her eyes widened at the sight of the girls who had opened the door, and she
then slightly averted her face.
Irisdina Francilt and Shina
Juliel.
In a sense, they were
the people she least wanted to see.
The three of them
stood silent, their eyes wide. As if to intervene between them, the female
doctor stepped forward.
"I'm about to
begin the examination, are the preparations... not done yet? I need you to do
it properly..."
"I-I'm
sorry...!"
Lisa, who had been
admonished by the doctor, immediately bowed her head and tried to change the
sheets on the bed where Nozomu was sleeping.
But the moment Lisa
reached for the blanket covering Nozomu, her body froze as if it had turned to
stone.
"!"
Her outstretched hand
was trembling violently.
Lisa's breathing
became ragged at once, and sweat poured from her forehead like a waterfall. A
clear agitation and hesitation to touch Nozomu could be seen.
"...Irisdina-kun,
Shina-kun. Sorry, but could you take over for her? Lisa-kun, you will help with
the preparations over here."
"B-But..."
"It's impossible
for someone who hesitates to touch a patient every time. Just come over here
and help."
At the doctor's strong
tone, Lisa's shoulders slumped, and she retreated from the spot. In her place,
Irisdina and Shina began to change the sheets on Nozomu's bed.
Lisa, who had finally
become aware of the mistake she had made.
While being tormented
by guilt and regret, she had volunteered to nurse the unconscious Nozomu.
But the distance that
had opened up over two years was too great. So much so that she even hesitated
to touch his unconscious body.
Irisdina and Shina
glanced at her as she looked down, but they immediately began to do the work
they were asked to do.
Irisdina and Shina
efficiently changed Nozomu's sheets and massaged his body.
They moved his
stiffened joints, moving Nozomu's muscles even just a little.
This was to prevent
the muscles of the bedridden Nozomu from weakening as much as possible, and to
maintain the function of his circulatory system.
Lisa was staring
intently at the figures of Irisdina and Shina as they continued to massage
Nozomu.
"Come on, hurry
up."
"Y-Yes!"
But she was soon
admonished by the doctor.
While glancing at
Irisdina and Shina efficiently changing the sheets on the bed where Nozomu was
sleeping, Lisa arranged the cleaned instruments on the disinfection tray.
"Alright, let's
begin. I'll check his condition, so you all do as usual..."
"Understood."
"Y-Yes..."
After the sheets were
changed and the massage was over, the doctor began her examination of Nozomu.
Irisdina, Lisa, and the others began to do the other remaining minor chores.
But they were probably
still worried about Nozomu. Even while working, they would steal glances at the
examination.
At that moment, Lisa
and Irisdina's gazes met.
"Ah..."
"..."
It was Lisa who looked
away.
The figure of the boy
lying in bed was in the line of sight of Lisa, who had looked away awkwardly.
Irisdina was just
staring at her.
The black-haired girl
wore a mask-like expression. But contrary to her expressionless face, the
depths of her jet-black eyes were wavering.
***
After Nozomu's nursing
was finished, the three of them, Irisdina and Shina, were quickly kicked out of
the medical facility.
It probably meant that
once their business was done, they should quickly return to the academy.
The three of them, who
had come to the main gate of the Gloaurum Institute, turned their feet towards
the academy in silence.
"Lisa, are you
done with nursing Nozomu?"
Just as the three of
them passed through the main gate, someone called out to Lisa.
A female student
wearing a Solminati Academy uniform and carrying a simple staff. Lisa's best
friend, Camilla, was waiting for her in front of the main gate.
"Y-Yeah. They
said his condition is fine..."
"I see. So, did
Nozomu wake up?"
Lisa fell silent at
Camilla's question. Perhaps sensing Nozomu's condition from that, Camilla did
not press any further.
"W-Well, it's
okay! That guy has amazing guts, so I'm sure he'll wake up soon with a face
like nothing happened!"
Camilla tried her best
to cheer Lisa up, but Lisa could only reply to her words with a listless voice.
At the endlessly
depressed Lisa, Camilla was at a loss for words. Surprisingly, it was Shina who
spoke to the two of them.
"...Are you okay
yourself? You had a pretty deep wound on your leg at that time."
"Ah, well, yeah...
The wound itself has closed, but I still feel a little strange... I
guess?"
Camilla, who was
suddenly spoken to by Shina, replied with a bewildered tone.
During the recent
incident, Camilla had suffered a deep wound on her right calf from Ken's
"Icicle Dance."
Thanks to prompt
treatment, the wound itself was already gone, but a feeling as if lead were in
it still lingered.
More than that,
Camilla was worried sick about her best friend in front of her.
Unlike Camilla and Shina,
who were exchanging words, albeit somewhat haltingly, Irisdina and Lisa did not
speak a single word to each other.
Irisdina stared
straight ahead with a steely light in her jet-black eyes, while Lisa hung her
head and hunched her shoulders.
The silent space that
lay between the two was creating an even heavier atmosphere.
Perhaps the people of
the city were also starting to wake up, as the number of people walking on the
street was gradually increasing. And as they got closer to the academy, they
began to see a few students dressed in Solminati Academy uniforms.
"Hey, that
person..."
The voice reached
their ears when they were near the central park.
When Camilla glanced
over, she saw three students, who seemed to be underclassmen, observing them.
No, to be precise, the
target of the underclassmen's gaze was Lisa. A bad feeling crossed Camilla's
chest.
"Ah, she's the
girlfriend of the senior who attacked the Ecross students, right?"
The casual remark from
the underclassmen seized Lisa's heart.
The color drained from
Lisa's face, which had been looking down.
"Why would he do
something like that?"
"Who knows... but
it can't be anything good. The person that senior attacked was a girl of about
10, I heard."
"Ugh! That's the
worst..."
The recent incident
caused by Ken was difficult to completely cover up, as there had been previous
victims.
Therefore, the academy
had announced the details of the incident in a way that somewhat blurred the
truth.
The love triangle
between Nozomu Bountis, Ken Notice, and Lisa Hounds had become complicated,
resulting in Ken's rampage.
Ken had used an
ability called Water Mirror's Heart Mask to impersonate Nozomu, frame him for a
crime, and try to have him expelled from the academy.
However, Nozomu, the
academy, and the military police had cooperated to apprehend the culprit, Ken.
As a result, Ken, who
had caused the incident, was immediately expelled. He was now said to have been
sent to a detention center as a criminal.
Also, Nozomu had been
counterattacked while restraining the rampaging Ken and was now recuperating in
a hospital. This was the content of the explanation given to the students by
the teaching staff.
Furthermore, with Ken
having misused his ability, it was decided that the use of abilities at the
academy would be even stricter in the future, and the penalties for it would
also be strengthened.
"Wasn't that
senior also involved? I think I heard something like that..."
"Eh,
seriously!?"
One of the
underclassmen pointed at Lisa and raised a suspicious voice.
In fact, since the
culprit, Ken, had left the academy, all the interest and disgust regarding the
incident he had caused had been directed at Lisa.
Furthermore, the story
had been embellished with various additions, and it continued to change with
various speculations.
That Ken and Lisa had
conspired to frame Nozomu. That the fickle Lisa had tried to switch to Nozomu,
causing Ken to rampage, and so on.
"Is that true?
Then why is she still at this academy? I don't really get why Irisdina-senpai
is next to her either..."
"Idiot, she's
watching her, right? Knowing Irisdina-senpai, she's probably voluntarily
watching her so she doesn't do anything stupid."
A rumor with no
evidence or basis. But the sight of the isolated Lisa was a reenactment of the
scene when Nozomu had hit rock bottom two years ago.
For her, who had been
told the truth, all the malice directed at Nozomu had come back to her.
Not only words of
disgust but even words of curiosity were enough to gouge her weakened heart
now.
But what was piercing
her chest more than anything was...
"Come to think of
it, what happened to Ken-senpai?"
"I heard he was
expelled on the same day..."
"But in the end,
Nozomu-senpai has been going through a tough time because of Lisa-senpai,
right?"
She was being
confronted with the image of herself, who continued to make Nozomu unhappy.
"!... Sorry,
Camilla, I'm going on ahead."
"Ah! Lisa!?"
While biting her lip
so hard it was about to bleed, Lisa tried to head to the academy at a quick
pace. Camilla hurriedly chased after Lisa.
Irisdina and Shina
watched their backs with complicated expressions.
After the recent
incident, the matter of Abyss Grief and the fact that Nozomu was a dragonslayer
were thoroughly kept under wraps.
Especially the fact
that Nozomu was a dragonslayer was still only known to Irisdina and the others
who were present at the scene and had not lost consciousness, as well as Jihad
and Inda.
Yes, neither Lisa nor
Camilla knew that Nozomu was a dragonslayer.
It wasn't just because
of that, but it was clear as day that Irisdina and Shina held indescribable
feelings towards her.
Once, Irisdina and the
others had felt anger at the unreasonable treatment directed at Nozomu.
Neither Irisdina nor Shina
had been able to sort out their feelings for Lisa. And their feelings for
Nozomu as well.
Now that he was
asleep, something indescribable was rapidly swelling in the depths of their
chests.
***
Lisa ran away from
that place as if to escape. However, the gazes and voices from her surroundings
did not cease.
It was just the time
when students were heading to school, and the central park was overflowing with
students on their way to the academy.
"Ah, look, that's
her..."
"She's still
here. I thought she was expelled..."
In such a situation,
Lisa's figure was far too conspicuous.
She originally
possessed a beauty that was in no way inferior to Irisdina's, and she was also
an A-rank powerhouse, of which there were only five in the 3rd-grade.
But the credibility of
the rumor that Ken had originally spread had been waning, and then this
incident occurred.
As a result, the gazes
from her surroundings towards her had reversed at once.
"That was Ken's
doing, right? But wasn't the story that she didn't know anything?"
"Huh? Wasn't the
story that they were accomplices..."
"Idiot, if that
were the case, she would have been expelled long ago, right? Most likely, the
red-haired princess tried to get back with her ex, and Ken went berserk, or
something like that, don't you think?"
Perhaps because she
had originally been held in high esteem, the backlash was also great.
Nearly two weeks since
Ken's incident came to light.
The numerous gazes
directed at Lisa from her surroundings were almost all stained with a color of
disgust.
"Hahaha..."
With a dry,
self-deprecating smile, Lisa hugged herself.
It was cold.
A sense of loneliness
and desolation, as if she had been left all alone on a snowy mountain, and the
gazes and words directed at her from her surroundings pierced her heart like
cold arrows of ice.
A reversed world.
Of course, there were
some who looked at her with sympathetic eyes. But their number was small and
was drowned out by the other voices filled with disgust.
Lisa, tormented by a
self-destructive impulse to slit her own wrist and a sense of self-reproach,
did not notice their sympathetic gazes.
Unable to escape from
herself, who had not been able to believe in Nozomu, she continued to fall.
Trying to protect her
heart, which was being squeezed and on the verge of being crushed, Lisa
unconsciously began to numb her emotions.
Her body became as
cold as ice, and before she knew it, a blank, expressionless mask was covering
her face.
But in the depths of
her heart, a small light remained.
Lisa, I'm
sorry...
A calm voice like a
bell echoed in her heart.
What came to mind was
the figure of Nozomu, holding her hand and smiling somewhat apologetically.
I said it was
for your sake, but I just ran away into training and didn't try to face you. I
thought that if I kept training seriously, you would someday think that those
rumors were wrong.
It's a stupid
story, isn't it? There's no way you would look at me when I ran away and didn't
try to face you...
He could have directed
his hatred at Lisa. He had every right to.
But he had just been
concerned for Lisa's well-being. The warmth that had been transmitted through
Nozomu's hand at that time was shining in the depths of Lisa's chest.
"Nozomu..."
As if clinging to that
faint light, Lisa hugged her chest. So as not to let that warmth escape. So as
not to forget his face.
But when she thought
of Nozomu's face, their figures were always next to his.
Irisdina and Shina. They,
who stood next to Nozomu as if to support him, and Nozomu's current comrades.
At that sight, Lisa
couldn't help but feel a black emotion welling up.
Even though she knew
that there was no place for her by Nozomu's side, that she no longer had that
right.
"How filthy I
am..."
And every time she
became aware of that black emotion, her guilt towards Nozomu deepened even
further.
Jealousy, self-reproach,
and self-abuse. Her heart, lost in a loop with no exit, went round and round,
just continuing to fall.
But still, the figure
of Nozomu that flickered in her mind was her only salvation.
***
Mars and his group,
who had parted from Irisdina and Shina, passed through the central park and
headed for the academy's main gate.
The six of them,
including Mars, walked shoulder to shoulder along the tree-lined path of the
central park.
The trees lining the
park were lush and green, and the light of the morning sun was filtering
through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
"So, is Nozomu up
and about today?"
"Who knows...
They say they don't know for sure when he'll wake up..."
Tom, who had been
listening to him, casually reached into his bag.
"I looked it up
in the library, and I saw a story about a missing person on a snowy mountain
who was found after about a month and came back to life."
Tom took out a small
bundle of papers and ran his eyes over them as he flipped through them.
From the looks of it,
he too had been looking into Nozomu's condition.
According to Tom's
story, there were other cases of people who had fallen into a long-term sleep
just like Nozomu.
"Does that really
happen?"
"From what I've
heard, there have been a few cases. There are also about 10 cases where magic
was used. Nozomu-kun's situation is different, so I can't say for sure..."
Although there are
some cases of long-term sleep caused by magic, it seems there have been almost
no cases of this happening under natural conditions.
In the case of
long-term sleep caused by magic, there are cases where people have slept for
about as long as Nozomu, but even so, there are limits due to the need for
nutrition and water, and the weakening of the internal organs and circulatory
system.
"It might be a
different story if you could stop the patient's time, but there's no such
magic. Either way, there's a limit to what can be done..."
In the current study
of magic, it is not possible to control time.
Since there have been
cases of long-term sleep caused by magic, there are some measures that can be
taken for the bedridden Nozomu.
However, since it is
not a fundamental solution, it can only serve as a temporary comfort.
"Did the people
who were saved have any after-effects?"
Mars, with his hand on
his chin, threw a question at Tom.
The sound of Tom
flipping through the papers as he looked down at his notes again flowed.
"Let's see...
When they were found, most of their internal organs had stopped functioning,
but it seems they recovered later."
"Then is Nozomu
okay too...?"
"I wonder? The
human body isn't originally made to hibernate, and Nozomu-kun's case has many
special factors..."
Feo, with his hands
clasped behind his head and looking up at the sky, listened to Tom's story and
spoke to himself with a sigh.
"Dragonslayer...
No, I get the feeling there's something about Nozomu himself..."
A wrinkle formed on
Tom's forehead as he heard Feo's soliloquy.
For Tom as well, this
case had few confirmed examples, and medical matters were not his specialty.
"Tom, have you
asked Norn-sensei anything about Nozomu's condition? She's a medical
professional too, right?"
Indeed, Norn, the
academy's school nurse, had received a medical education.
Feo and the others'
hopes swelled, wondering if she might have noticed something. However, Tom
looked down and slowly shook his head.
"Sensei also said
she honestly can't make a judgment... Since Nozomu-kun's body itself is
healthy, I think it's due to a psychological factor, but whether that's the
influence of that demonic beast, or the 'one' inside Nozomu-kun is the
cause..."
It seemed Norn also
couldn't make a judgment about Nozomu's condition.
Even if it was a
psychological factor, everyone present understood that the burden that incident
had placed on Nozomu's heart was not light.
The deep connection
with his former childhood friends. Having to face the fate that had tormented
him for over two years head-on, and furthermore, the intrusion of Abyss Grief and
the release of Tiamat's power.
To be frank, it was
more than he could handle. There were too many factors that could have caused
Nozomu to fall asleep, making it impossible to judge.
Somia, who had been
looking down with a sad expression, looked up at Tom and the others with a
pleading face.
"Isn't there
anything we can do? With the contract magic that Shina-san can use..."
"Sorry, Somicchi.
According to Shina, the path to Nozomu-kun's heart isn't connecting properly.
Even if it does connect, it's blurry and she can't see well... She said
something like 'it's like there's a net in front of me'."
"I see..."
Hearing Mimuru's
story, Somia's expression became even more downcast.
Even Shina, who was
skilled in contract magic and had a far greater sensitivity than an ordinary
person, could not grasp Nozomu's condition.
At that moment, Tima
spoke up as if she had remembered something.
"H-Hey. I wonder
if that old man knows anything?"
"Old man... Ah!
That pervy old fortune-teller!?"
At Tima's words, Feo
clapped his hands.
Zonne was an old man
who made a living as a fortune-teller in the commercial district, and he was a
lecherous old geezer who, despite his age, hit on women all over the place.
Although he was a
person who had appeared before Nozomu and the others many times and caused
trouble, the figure of the old man they had seen that night was far removed
from the image of Zonne that Mars and the others had seen until then.
"That old man at
that time was seriously something else..."
"Yeah. I couldn't
believe it when I saw it. The formula was something I'd never seen before, and
he handled more magic power than I have as easily as cutting paper with
scissors..."
Zonne, who had rushed
in when Lisa was swallowed by the Abyss Grief that had merged with Ken, had
easily repelled Jihad and the others, who were trying to question him, with a
complex magic they had never seen before.
A mandala-patterned
magic circle with multiple layers. They had never seen such magic in this
Arcazam.
Even while using such
an outlandish magic, there was no sign of strain in the old man's atmosphere.
An attitude that
didn't find it strange to repel one of the continent's foremost heroes with one
hand.
In his playful tone,
Mars and the others had felt an indescribable sense of intimidation.
"But I haven't
heard any stories of seeing that old geezer in the commercial district after
that incident. I'm sure Jihad and the others know about it by now, but..."
Jihad and the others
had also witnessed the mysterious magic that Zonne had used on the day of the
incident. They were surely on his trail.
But they had never
heard that Zonne had been caught.
If Jihad had captured
Zonne, there might be some progress in Nozomu's condition.
However, the old man
who had left such a strong impression on everyone had disappeared as suddenly
as if he were mist.
Faced with the
uncertain situation once again, Mars and the others' words naturally became
fewer.
At that moment, a
figure suddenly jumped out from the side.
"Oops."
"!"
With a thud!, an
impact ran through the shoulder of Mars, who was walking in front.
Mars, who had a
well-built physique, only staggered a little, but the shadow that had bumped
into him fell spectacularly.
Even though it was
already close to summer, the person was wearing a cloak that completely
enveloped their body.
Their face was not
clearly visible under the deeply worn hood, but from the slender jawline
peeking from the cloak and their white, slender hands, they looked like a
woman.
Tima rushed over to
the fallen person in a panic.
"I-I'm sorry. Are
you okay?"
"Sorry, miss.
This guy's as inattentive as a bat in daytime."
"Hey, what do you
mean by that..."
"..."
Mars gave a sidelong
glance at Feo, who had suddenly started teasing him.
Tima let out a deep
sigh, her shoulders slumping, at the sight of Mars and Feo, who had just
apologized and then immediately started a comedy routine.
"Come on,
Mars-kun..."
"Ah, yeah. Right.
Sorry, are you okay?"
Returning to his
senses at Tima's admonishing voice, Mars reached out his hand to the fallen
hooded person.
The person's face,
which had been looking down, lifted slightly.
At that moment, the
hood that had been worn deeply fell off with a flutter.
"!"
"Whoaaa..."
At that moment, Mars
and the others' eyes widened.
A silver world like a
snowfield spread before them. Somia couldn't help but let out a cry of
admiration.
Pure white hair and
skin, reminiscent of fresh snow. Gem-like, round cobalt blue eyes.
She was probably
around 14 or 15 years old. At first glance, she was a beautiful girl like a
sculpture, with a coldness to her.
But a single lock of
hair hanging down from her right side was wrapped in a cute, light pink ribbon,
which, in contrast to her sharp beauty, also gave a somewhat childish
impression.
"Well now, you're
quite a beauty~. Did you have business at the academy?"
"..."
Perhaps excited by the
unexpected encounter, Feo spoke to the girl while snorting.
However, the
white-haired woman did not change her sculpture-like expression at all, and
silently brushed aside Mars's outstretched hand, stood up, and walked away.
"...She's
gone."
"Well now, she
was a rather cold person."
While looking at the
back of the girl who had left without a word, Somia let out a disappointed
voice.
On the other hand, Feo
was pouting with a bored expression, perhaps because he had not received a
response despite having spoken to her.
"Yeah. It wasn't
fun that there was no reaction. Isn't this the part where she says 'Insolent
fool!' and knocks Mars-kun down? Feo, who suddenly started hitting on her,
would be fine too."
"Mimuru..."
Perhaps reacting to
interesting material in the same way as Feo, Mimuru let out a slightly
off-topic remark.
Tom, who was next to
her, was so exasperated that he couldn't even speak.
"But she was a
really beautiful person!"
"You think so?
Her appearance aside, that attitude..."
Somia's eyes were
sparkling with pure admiration for the beauty of the girl from before.
Her appearance was
certainly not inferior to Irisdina's or Shina's.
But as for Mars, he
didn't want to get involved with such an unpleasant woman.
Although Mars was at
fault for not looking where he was going, the same was true for the woman from
before.
While feeling
unsatisfied, Mars looked at the back of the departing woman.
At that moment,
Mimuru's mouth, who was watching Mars from the side, curled into a grin.
"Huh? Could it be
that Mars-kun, your inner self aside, 'prefers' girls who look like that?"
"I never said
anything like that, did I!?"
At Mimuru's sudden
outrageous remark, Mars couldn't help but retort without a moment's pause.
For Mars, it was no
joke. Her appearance was certainly that of a breathtakingly beautiful girl, but
if he were to be with such an unpleasant woman, he would get a hole in his
stomach.
But the fact that his
voice came out louder than he had intended gave Mimuru even more of an opening
to exploit.
"It's kind of
suspicious how defensive you're getting~~"
With a grinning,
slack-jawed expression, Mimuru gave a mischievous smile. Her eyes were shining
as if she had found the perfect opportunity.
Incidentally, the elf
girl who usually stopped her rampages was not here.
By the time Mars
thought "this is bad," it was already too late, and a tragic voice
echoed from beside him.
"Mars-kun..."
Tima was looking up at
Mars from his side, her eyes full of tears.
Tima, who originally
had a delicate and weak impression, now looked so fleeting that she seemed as
if she would be blown away by the wind.
At the same time, it
stirred a fierce desire to protect her, but at this time, Mars was completely
panicking.
"Wait a minute!
It's a misunderstanding!"
His voice was more
strained than he had intended. That further fanned the unnecessary suspicion
that had been born in Tima's chest.
"Aww~. Poor
Tima-san~. And she helped with Mars-kun's training so much too~."
And on top of that, a
mischievous cat was gleefully stirring up the situation. She was accurately
driving a wedge between Mars's words as he tried to clear up the
misunderstanding.
"Mimuru,
you..."
"Oops, scary,
scary. Well then, I'll be going on ahead~~"
Mimuru, who had sensed
Mars's dangerous atmosphere, ran away at full speed. And she was firmly holding
her lover, Tom, under her arm.
The way she stirred up
the situation as much as she could and then abandoned it was perfectly
described by the expression "little devil."
But of course, Mars
had no intention of letting Mimuru escape either.
No matter how nimble a
member of the wildcat tribe was, she was holding Tom under her arm. Mars's legs
could easily catch up.
Thinking so, Mars put
strength into his legs and was about to start running.
"...Mars-kun, do
you like girls like that?"
"N-No, that's
not..."
However, his feet,
which were about to step forward, were stopped again by Tima's voice. The tears
that had filled her eyes were now on the verge of overflowing.
Mars, who was clumsy
and not good with words to begin with, didn't know what to say and hesitated.
"U-Uuh..."
What should he do?
Mars's gaze wandered here and there.
Tima was a modest and
innocent girl, both in appearance and in character.
On the other hand,
Mars was a large man who wore his uniform carelessly. Although he had been
behaving himself recently, he was originally a famous delinquent in the
commercial district, and he still gave others an unapproachable impression.
Since the two of them
were such a pair, the current situation would most likely be perceived by
onlookers as Mars having made Tima cry.
"Hey, Tima-san
looks like she's crying..."
"I wonder if that
man did something to her..."
Or rather, it was
already becoming that way. Some of the students on their way to school were
watching the two of them from a distance, wondering what was going on.
He had to clear up the
misunderstanding quickly, or it would be bad.
Making up his mind,
Mars opened his mouth to try and clear up Tima's misunderstanding.
But his words were drowned
out by Feo's deliberately loud voice.
"Well then, Mars!
We're going to the academy too! Come on, Somia-joucha-n!"
"Eh!? B-But
Tima-chan is..."
Mars, who had been cut
off for the third time, glared at Feo resentfully.
Feo glanced at the
glaring Mars with an amused look and pushed the worried Somia's back, heading
towards the academy.
"It's okay, it's
okay! That's a kind of communication. No problem if you don't mind it! And if
we don't hurry, we'll be late for school."
"H-Hey, Feo-san!?
Don't push me~!"
"Come on, come on!"
Before Mars could hurl
the insult, "Hey, you damn fox!", Feo had taken Somia and run away
like a scared rabbit.
What was left was
Mars, who had lost the target of his anger and was standing stunned, and the
academy's foremost mage, who was on the verge of tears.
"Hey! It's a
misunderstanding, you know!? You get that, right?"
"M-Maybe Mars-kun
prefers longer hair... Maybe you don’t like shorter hair..."
Tima originally had a
personality that tended to get stuck in negative thinking.
A flustered Mars, and
a depressed Tima who was on the verge of retreating into her shell.
It sounded like there
were a lot of implications in their words, but both of them had completely lost
their composure now, and neither seemed to notice what the other was saying.
Mars desperately tried
to clear up the misunderstanding, but with his persuasion being interrupted
multiple times by Mimuru and Feo, Tima's suspicion was no longer easily
dispelled.
And so, Mars ended up
struggling to clear up Tima's misunderstanding until just before the morning
assembly bell rang.
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