A being that appeared as a woman or a girl, yet possessed incomprehensible abilities and power. This was the definition of the existence people named a witch.
No one knows when or how they came into existence, but based on the historical materials that have not been lost, it has been confirmed that the first being called a witch emerged as the Witch of Arrogance about 600 years ago.
Although there are no detailed records, it is said that many powerful fighters known at that time lost their lives at her hands, and the Witch of Arrogance, who instilled fear in the world, was eventually defeated by a man who was called a hero for his achievement in subduing her.
Like the Witch of Jealousy and the Witch of Lust, no records remain of the Witch of Arrogance’s abilities, so current scholars are studying what powers she might have possessed—
Just as I was about to turn the page, the morning sunlight peeked through the blinds hung on the window.
I had been reading it overnight, but since I read the book more to kill time than out of interest, I closed it without regret and lifted my body from the bed.
A rustling sound came from the head of my bed.
It was the remnants of two empty wrappers, traces of the delightful things that had allowed me to forget about sleeping last night, but I couldn’t bear to look upon them fondly, so I crumpled them up and threw them into the trash bin.
It felt like about an hour had passed since the candy had melted and disappeared from my mouth, yet the sour aftertaste still clung stubbornly.
If my body weren’t recovering on its own, my tongue would probably be rough and prickly right now from the intense sourness.
If the sour candy I had eaten before was “Aisher,” then the special candy made by the health teacher was so reaction-inducing that an exclamation like “It’s so sour!” slipped out.
But what could I do?
I needed something, or else I might lose my sanity.
With a sigh, I prepared breakfast.
This morning consisted of fluffy rice, freshly stir-fried bean sprouts, and a warm fried egg.
It was a combination that, even when it became monotonous, could not help but taste good once eaten.
I carefully piled them onto my spoon and took a big bite.
After chewing my food a few times, I made a face as if I were about to cry.
…It was definitely rice, egg, and bean sprouts, but all I could taste was sourness.
*
As I fought against the overwhelming sourness, it felt like ages ago that I’d struggled. Now, as I kept sucking on the candy, I had become accustomed enough that I could hide any outward signs of my sour struggles.
So during the walk to school and even in class, I sneakily popped one candy at a time into my mouth, and the sourness didn’t fade.
I guessed that the health teacher who had given me the candy never thought I would overindulge this much.
But just like office workers clinging to coffee to fight off drowsiness, I too had to keep a candy in my mouth to stay alert.
Anyway, the powerful sourness that was almost tongue-numbing did help me stay awake more than any pain, but lurking behind its great effect was an unexpected side effect.
A saying I had heard long ago came to mind.
The law of equivalent exchange; everything has a price.
And the price for excessively sucking on candy to keep my mind awake was, in fact, my sense of taste.
No matter what I ate, the sourness lingering in my mouth overshadowed any craving I might have had.
Who would’ve thought there was such a side effect from candy?
In any case, without any appetite, I brought back only a small portion of lunch, and Jessie and Mei, waiting for me to get my meal, looked as shocked as if they had seen the sun rising from the west.
“Huh? Miss Scarlet, what’s with that serving? Are you sick or something?!”
“…This definitely looks problematic. You usually eat several times that amount. Is something up?”
…Was it that surprising that I was eating less?
Thinking they were being overly dramatic, I looked down at my plate, but comparing it to what I usually ate, their reaction suddenly made sense.
Since I usually ate a lot during lunch to relieve stress…
Even while feeling like I had lost one of life’s simple pleasures, I sighed internally and tried to answer the kids as calmly as possible.
“It’s nothing much. I just don’t feel like eating.”
“I’m glad if it’s nothing serious, but… Uh, Miss Scarlet eating that little is a major issue for me…”
However, Jessie’s reaction was a bit unexpected.
She looked at me with a very serious expression, claiming that my eating less was truly a big deal for her.
Confused, I tilted my head, only to have Jessie mutter with a disappointed face.
“Um, I’m the kind of person who gains weight just by eating a little, so I was living vicariously through how much you eat… If you’re only eating that little, how am I supposed to cope…?”
“…Wow, Jessie, you’re kind of breaking the mood.”
“Ugh… But Miss Scarlet, you eat a lot, and it looks so delicious! There are hardly any people who eat with such enthusiasm!”
“…It’s not that I don’t understand. I do feel happy when I see Scarlet enjoying the food I made…”
Seeing the two of them speaking earnestly, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Am I some kind of mukbang YouTuber?
As they were busy discussing how I eat, I finished my meal casually and pulled a candy from my pocket, tossing it into my mouth.
Then Jessie looked at me and asked.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“This…? Just candy…”
“Candy? If you have more, can I have one too? I think I need that to soothe my disappointed heart.”
Without much thought, I handed a candy to Jessie, who was extending her hand for it.
“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”
“…Wait a minute, Jessie…!”
Just before she put the candy in her mouth, I suddenly remembered that this was no ordinary candy and tried to stop her.
“…!!! Whoaaaaa!!!”
But it was too late; a shrill scream echoed throughout the dining hall immediately after.
Jessie quickly spat out the candy, but it seemed the hellish sourness had already invaded her mouth, leaving no chance for her to close her lips. Tears streamed down her face as she exclaimed at me.
“Eww…! Ewwwww! S-Scarlet! This is way too sour! Eeee… My saliva… I can’t stop it…!”
“S-Sorry, Jessie! I totally forgot to mention how sour it was!”
“Ugh, why would you even eat that…? Are you out of your mind?”
Look at her, staring at me with a look that was screaming, “Are you okay?” I was at a loss for words.
Out of my mind? Kind of, but…
I couldn’t just say that outright, so I pondered what I could say that would satisfy her understanding, when suddenly, an answer popped into my head, and I shouted.
“Um… I eat it to suppress my appetite. I’m on a diet…”
At my answer, Jessie’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she nodded in understanding.
“I-I see. This would definitely kill any cravings after eating it…”
After saying that, Jessie paused for a moment, then looked at me with a frustrated expression, muttering.
“…By the way, about that diet. Where could Miss Scarlet possibly lose weight? What’s the point of eating things like that to lose weight?”
“Uh, well, that’s…”
Since saying I was suppressing my appetite was a blatant lie, I was stuck on how to respond to Jessie’s probing questions when suddenly Marin, who had been eating nearby, muttered.
“Well? Maybe she’s trying to look good for some guy?”
At those words, everyone sitting nearby turned to stare at me in shock.
Mei, Jessie, and even Silvia, who had quietly been eating at the side.
“Is it true?!”
“Really?!”
“Miss Scarlet, therefore…?”
“Not at all…”
I desperately shook my head in denial, but it seemed to be too late.
In the midst of the girls’ wild imaginations, I had become the girl who was dieting to impress her crush.
Feeling frustrated, knowing they wouldn’t listen to any excuses, I noticed Florene, who was sitting next to Marin, grinning playfully at me.
“Hehe, I’m glad the cosmetics I gave you weren’t useless.”
Seeing her expression full of mischief gave me a deep sigh.
“…I’m not going to wear makeup, no way.”
“Eh, don’t be like that. I’ve noticed you look like you haven’t been sleeping well lately; the more so, you should take care of your appearance. Definitely try the makeup, okay?”
“…I said I’m not going to. Besides, you just…”
“Oh, what’s with that fiery stare? Are you falling for Florene with that boy you like? Well, I’m sorry for that boy, but I can’t help it. I’ll graciously accept you as my 70th girlfriend.”
“…Sorry, but I’ll have to decline that.”
After a moment of tension, I couldn’t help but chuckle at Florene’s usual nonchalant demeanor.
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