The professor was diligently giving a lecture up front, but unfortunately, the content of the lecture didn’t reach my ears at all.
‘Am I… wrong about this?’
Marriage. The ultimate relationship between a man and a woman.
The act of touching each other’s sexual parts was a privilege only for married couples, an expression of love, and a step toward adulthood.
That’s at least how I learned it.
But if what I learned was correct, then what on earth did I just see?
I’ve seen women arm in arm occasionally, but the thought of touching breasts was something I couldn’t even dream about.
Moreover, Iris wasn’t just touching; she was grabbing, shaking, and pinching…
Bang
My head turned red with the overly stimulating memory.
A lewd act that felt embarrassing to even imagine.
I simply couldn’t comprehend it.
So, I asked Lily.
– “If it’s okay for Iris, isn’t it okay?”
Her answer only added to my confusion.
‘Is Lily really not finding this strange?’
I didn’t know. I truly didn’t know. It felt like the common sense I had taken for granted was collapsing.
‘Alright..! Let’s stop thinking about it.’
Yeah.
After all, it wasn’t my business.
As Lily said, if Iris was happy, that was all that mattered. Whether they were dating or touching each other.
Everyone has different standards of happiness, after all. As long as Iris was happy, I had no reason to interfere.
I should focus on class.
There was no time to slouch like this.
My goal was the Great Sage. And more than that. To surpass his level, I had to strive harder every single minute.
With that thought in mind, I looked back to the front of the classroom, where two people stood at the podium that hadn’t been there before. One of them I recognized.
Darhan, one of the greatest powers of the Empire, seated as the chairman of Regis Academy.
With a face that showed he was bewildered, the chairman whispered something to the professor before pushing a girl toward him and walking elegantly out of the classroom.
The professor, after a moment of bewilderment, cleared his throat several times and opened his mouth.
“It’s a bit surprising, but we already have a transfer student. Please come forward.”
At his words, the class went into an uproar.
“Transfer student? Out of nowhere…?”
“Well, she must have taken the entrance exam, right?”
“Of course! The academy isn’t a soft place.”
“Wow, she’s really cute!”
While various reactions were flying around, the professor hit the podium a few times to regain attention.
“This is the chairman’s will, so everyone accept her. Now, transfer student, come out and introduce yourself.”
“Y-yes..!!”
The adorable reaction took her by surprise as she rushed to the podium. Apparently nervous, her eyes and body trembled visibly from the back of the classroom.
“Uh… hello… My name is Sera..! I’ve entered the martial arts class…”
A sweet voice flowed from her lips. She seemed quite embarrassed, then she bowed her head deeply, her face turning red.
I watched her for a moment.
A girl with neat brown hair and eyes.
Her hair color wasn’t flashy, but her cute face and the fresh vibe she emitted combined to create an image of a lovely girl.
‘…She’s really cute.’
Just looking at her made me feel good for some reason.
With her charm, I felt the urge to get to know her better.
Looking beside me, Iris was also staring intensely at the girl, an unusual expression on her face.
Did she feel something from the girl?
‘I should talk to her after class.’
Thinking about making a new friend caused my heart to flutter slightly.
Buzz-buzz
During break time, a crowd gathered in the middle of the classroom, making a racket.
“You’re really cute!! Where are you from?”
“Ah… um! Well…”
“More than that, you’re in the martial arts class?! You look too fragile for that!”
“Right? You don’t look like you could even lift a sword?”
“Look at how nervous she is… so cute!”
“Wow, your skin is so fair! Are you the type who doesn’t go outside much?”
“You smell nice! I feel like I could fall into you…”
“Eew…”
The girl caught in the bustling crowd was sweating and panicking.
‘…What are they doing? She’s clearly distressed.’
She didn’t seem like an outgoing person. Of course, she would dislike this crowding.
I jumped up from my seat and strode toward the crowd.
“Excuse me?”
As I cut through the mob and reached the girl, she let out a cute sound.
As I began to walk towards the classroom door, she hesitantly followed me from behind, as if she were being dragged along.
Once out in the hallway, the girl named Sera looked at my face, and with quivering eyes, she spoke.
“A-Ariel..?”
“Yeah?”
For a moment, I wondered how she knew my name, but realizing I had a name tag on my chest, I quickly dismissed the thought.
Extending my hand, I greeted the clearly flustered girl.
“Hi! As you saw on the name tag, my name is Ariel. Nice to meet you.”
Sera stared at my hand for a while, before breaking into a lovely smile and taking my hand.
“Okay. I’m Sera. Nice to meet you, Ariel.”
…Nice to meet you, she said.
Her words made me feel a little shy.
Having completed our introductions, I felt drawn to get closer to her.
“Do you have time after class? I’ll show you around the school.”
“Um….”
The girl hesitated, fidgeting.
Could it be she already had another appointment so soon?
But after a moment, she smiled brightly at me.
“Sure! Thanks, Ariel.”
For a moment, I stared blankly at her sunny and pretty smile.
‘…..She’s really cute.’
A pure smile that looked like it belonged in a fairy tale book.
If I were a guy, I might have fallen for her.
But since we were both girls, that couldn’t be the case.
.
.
.
Before I knew it, the time to leave school had arrived.
“This is the training ground, Sera. Since you’re in the martial arts class, you’ll probably be coming here often.”
“Okay. I got it.”
I introduced Sera to various places in the academy.
Somehow, seeing her follow me around like a puppy filled me with a sense of fulfillment.
Her expression was full of excitement as she looked at the academy.
Just looking at her made me smile uncontrollably.
“Well… I think we’ve seen most of it. Is there anywhere you want to go specifically?”
“N-no! Thank you for showing me around, Ariel!”
Sera grinned while holding my hand. My heart began to gently race.
“Um… okay…”
Beyond our clasped hands, I felt her warm temperature.
With a slightly dizzy feeling, I looked at Sera’s face.
Her hair was a dull brown but her bright, lively eyes shone vividly.
Her adorable nose and lips, and the slight blush on her cheeks made her look incredibly lovely.
“Uh…? Do you have something to say, Ariel?”
Maybe my staring had been too obvious, as Sera tilted her head and asked me.
“Ah… no! Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”
“What were you thinking? Are you having concerns?”
As she looked at me curiously, previous memories casually flashed through my mind.
“Umm… well, there is one thing I might be confused about.”
At my words, Sera’s eyes widened, and she came running to take my hands, looking up at me with sparkling eyes.
“Tell me! I want to help you!”
“Uh…”
Thump-thump
The beautiful atmosphere around her made my heart flutter pleasantly.
With unfamiliar feelings making my head feel slightly empty, my gaze shifted to our joined hands.
A desire to intertwine our fingers surged through me.
‘What… what am I doing, Ariel! She’s a girl too.’
No.
That isn’t it.
…Just holding hands should be okay, right?
After all, it’s just a common expression of closeness between girls.
It wouldn’t be strange at all.
Maybe I was overreacting because of Iris’s weird behavior yesterday.
With that in mind, I cautiously held my palm out, then gently intertwined my fingers between hers.
A deep sense of satisfaction spread through my heart.
“?”
For a moment, Sera stared wide-eyed at our hands. But it didn’t take long before she broke into a shy smile and squeezed my hand tightly in return.
‘Ugh…’
Boom boom
Her overwhelming femininity seemed capable of shattering my heart into pieces.
Sera… why are you so feminine!
I mean, it’s natural since you’re a girl but…
However, Sera was far more girly than any other girls I had ever seen.
Out of everyone I had seen up until now, none were this pretty and adorable.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a celestial beauty.
Even as a girl myself, I felt flustered. It was as though she was born to charm people.
‘Calm down, Ariel… Sera’s a girl. She is.’
I tried to suppress my racing heart, but it continued to beat loudly.
“What’s your worry? Hmm?”
“Ugh…!”
Under her deadly gaze, I had no choice but to open my mouth.
“What do you think about affection displayed between girls?”
“Huh? Affection?”
“Yeah. Like… kissing or touching…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say touching breasts.
What if she thought I was weird?
I didn’t want her looking at me like that.
‘…She’ll definitely think it’s strange.’
I didn’t understand why Lily thought it was okay, but Iris’s behavior was definitely wrong.
But…
“Umm… isn’t it natural for girls?”
“Uh…?”
For a moment, I blinked in disbelief at her response.
“Is… it really natural? For girls to touch each other?”
“Yeah? Isn’t that the usual?”
Sera looked at me as if I were a strange person.
Then she broke into a light smile and said,
“Ariel, seems like you’re a bit lacking in common sense.”
Smack
For some reason, her bright smile made me feel a little hot.
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