Chokugen Faction.
In fact, not much was known about them. They handle requests for money or equivalents.
However, reaching out to the Chokugen Faction was so difficult and costly that typically only nobles would request their services.
To them, there was no right or wrong.
They simply moved based on money.
“I had quite a connection with them in my past life.”
I remember meeting them twice.
The first was when I guided them to hunt a magical beast in the Forest of the Demon Realm to procure a unique poison needed for an assassination.
The second was a memory of a confrontation with the Chokugen Faction when a noble girl ran away and stumbled into the Forest of the Demon Realm.
“……”
It wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory.
Since almost no one knew of the existence of the Chokugen Faction, it seemed this girl was concealing her affiliation as well, but they had a distinct characteristic.
The kids they raised were injected with special drugs that bleached their hair white and likely had serious psychological issues.
This girl smiling at me looked like a perfectly normal beautiful girl, but I had no idea what kind of decay might lurk within.
Just then, the bell announcing break rang, and as I naturally tried to leave, she grabbed the hem of my clothing.
“How about a duel with me?”
“Not a chance.”
“Then how about an ambush? I can’t scratch my pride by just failing like this.”
I felt like it was her pride in the Chokugen that was hurt, but when I glanced at her, she didn’t seem the least bit bothered. Instead, it looked like she had another purpose in mind.
“What’s your name?”
“Huh? Out of nowhere? I’m Sen.”
As expected, a single name.
I had heard that all kids from the Chokugen were given single names, so I checked one last time.
“What are you curious about?”
Honestly, I didn’t have fond memories of my encounters with the Chokugen, but knowing just one person from them could create a connection, so I was willing to be a bit friendly.
There might come a time when I’d need them.
‘Will she ask how I sensed her presence? Or about self-defense techniques just now?’
Naturally, I expected her to ask about combat, but Sen threw me a curveball.
“What food does Ares like?”
“……Huh?”
“Someone said that to capture a man’s heart, you have to capture his taste. I’m curious about what Ares likes since I’m planning to learn to cook.”
“Hmm.”
Her slightly flushed face and curious expression were cuter than I’d expected.
She reminded me of a cat, making me chuckle as I pondered and eventually nodded.
“Pie. I remember he liked apple pie quite a bit.”
“Oh! Pie!”
As Sen nodded vigorously, she suddenly appeared to have thought of something and asked me with a strange expression.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Don’t believe me?”
“Not that, it’s just, last time we all went to the café, pie was on the menu, but we didn’t order it.”
“Oh.”
Right, that made sense.
“That’s because he prefers the special pie from our village. It’s hard to replicate that taste from other places.”
“Special pie?”
“Yeah, they only make it on special occasions like our village festival.”
I loved that pie so much that if I was ever reminded of it while inside the Forest of the Demon Realm, I’d whip up a batch myself.
“But I can’t make it.”
Sen’s face fell.
I’d heard that kids from the Chokugen usually didn’t show emotions, but I couldn’t figure out why she had such emotional fluctuations.
Seeing her sulking made me sigh. Ares has always been the type to attract attention from girls while hurting them along the way.
“I’ll teach you.”
“Really?”
“Sure, I know a recipe or two.”
“Thank you! So, what time…”
Her determination was impressive as she immediately arranged to meet and cheerfully hopped over the rooftop railing.
“I’ll reserve the practical room right now!”
“Hey!”
I ran to the railing in shock, but she landed effortlessly, almost like a cat.
“See you later!”
I stood there dumbfounded as I watched Sen wave goodbye after she landed gracefully on the ground. To think she would leap down from that height was crazier than I expected.
‘She makes it look so familiar.’
Her movements were so natural, it seemed like she had done it many times before.
“With those skills, she might be useful.”
The reason I wanted to help her was clear.
I had my own reasons for wanting her help. I figured if I taught her how to make pie, she’d be in my debt.
When I returned to the classroom, I found Elise and Tana waiting, waving at me as if they had been anticipating my arrival.
I worried for a moment that this might have given Elise another trauma, but luckily, she didn’t seem disturbed.
The atmosphere was rather cold.
‘Oh no.’
These two might be thinking I was enjoying my time with childhood friends while they were fighting off the “bad guy.”
“Got any notes from the last lecture? I could use a look.”
“Here you go.”
Elise handed me her notebook. Clearly, she read a lot, as her handwriting and sentence structure were impressive.
The tension in the air grew chillier.
I felt compelled to break the silence, but it was Tana who leaned in, resting her chin in her hand as she observed me.
“Did you have fun with your childhood friend?”
“I understand the misunderstanding, but…”
“While Elise and I were wrestling with that dirty bastard, you were just holding hands with your childhood friend, and you think you can make excuses?”
“I’m sorry. But I really have a reason.”
“What’s that?”
“Sigh, Rin thought I was dating Elise, and came to my room looking for trouble. That’s why it took a while.”
We did have conversations that were borderline confessions, but I didn’t want to bring that up. However, quick-witted Tana and romance novel enthusiast Elise seemed to catch on immediately.
“Popular, huh?”
“Uh…”
“Geez.”
Tana playfully poked my side while Elise gave me a slightly disappointed smile.
“Congratulations!”
“I know you’re misunderstanding. But it’s not like that.”
Just being around her made me feel nauseous — there was no way I’d ever date her.
‘If I were still the me from back then, I’d probably be ecstatic and ready to brag about it.’
Rin had been my first love for a long time. If it were back in the day, I’d have returned home and talked endlessly about it.
But now is different.
My first love had long since cooled down.
So much so that I doubted it ever existed.
‘Dating at this age is a bit…’
Even if I looked 18 on the outside, I was 28 inside.
Honestly, no matter how mature kids try to act, they’re still just kids.
“Wait, you’re not dating? She’s really popular, pretty, and kind.”
“But you don’t like her.”
I remembered Tana having said something about Rin not being her type, and when I asked her, there was no attempt to hide her agreement.
“Perfect girls aren’t my thing. Plus, it bugs me that she’s Ares’s childhood friend. The vibe when he talks to other girls versus when he talks to her is different. It feels way more relaxed, you know?”
“Is that so?”
I couldn’t grasp that perspective since I had always been around them.
Well, if Tana said it, it must be true.
Although it had been quiet lately, she used to rage with jealousy just because Ares spoke to another girl.
The chilly atmosphere lightened up and returned to casual conversation. Tana suggested throwing a party to celebrate capturing the sexual harasser and clearing my name, and Elise readily agreed with a bright smile.
“Oh, but I have plans today.”
“Plans?”
“Yeah, I’m helping someone.”
“Then we can do it tomorrow.”
With Tana cheerfully replying to Elise’s disappointment, I nodded in agreement, and finally, she brightened up. She even pointed out the advantages of doing it tomorrow as it would give us more time to prepare.
“Hey.”
The gazes of Class E students focused on me. The intimidating woman, likened to a fierce lion, was calling me from in front of my desk.
“Arni?”
The eldest daughter of the Duratan family, known for slaying the red dragon and one of Ares’s friends. Before Ares transferred in, she was ranked first in practical duels.
She casually deflected the stares of the surrounding students and questioned me.
“I hear you’re Ares’s childhood friend?”
“Well, sort of.”
I nodded dazedly, and unexpectedly, she started fidgeting with her hands as she asked.
“Do you happen to know what type of woman Ares likes?”
“……”
I thought I could guess who had fed her this information. The sound of the white-haired girl laughing on the rooftop echoed in my ears.
“Am I supposed to answer that?”
“……”
Arni silently pressured me.
As I sat there, calm in my demeanor, the bell rang, and Arni continued looking at me in silence before turning away again.
“Sigh.”
Just as I thought I had gotten dragged into an unnecessary headache, Tana curiously asked me from the side.
“Do you know?”
“……”
Damn fish in this fish tank.
What’s important is that this isn’t the end.
Arni’s persistence with her visits during every break wasn’t something to take lightly. She came by with no words, and even tried to enter the men’s restroom, forcing me to eventually wave the white flag.
“He likes pure and modest girls. Hmm, Rin once said that was her ideal type long ago. I’m not sure now, though.”
“Is that so? So it’s her.”
Arni seemed to have had the same thought, nodding and thanking me before returning to her class, but she turned slightly to meet my gaze.
“I apologize for thinking you were a sexual harasser. I honestly didn’t know you were being falsely accused.”
“You’re not the only one, so it’s fine.”
Acknowledging her, Arni coolly exited the classroom.
Honestly, I found it a bit surprising that she personally came to apologize to me like this.
Plus, she had never directly called me a sexual harasser in front of me.
‘She might not be such a bad girl after all.’
While her way of expressing herself might have been a bit rough, it seemed her heart was in the right place.
If only she hadn’t been one of those girls who approached me during lunchtime.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Word spread fast that Arni came to you. That hair color is hard to miss.”
With a dignified laugh, she stood where Ares had been just moments before and asked me cheerfully.
“Does Ares like sexy girls or cute girls?”
“Am I Ares’s psychiatrist? How would I know that?”
“Oh, but you’re childhood friends. I heard boys share all sorts of preferences among themselves.”
“……”
While there weren’t entirely incorrect assumptions about us back then, I couldn’t refute her.
A girl with shimmering blonde hair and jewel-like golden eyes made quite an impression. With her long eyelashes, she embodied the very definition of a ‘beauty.’
“What’s your name?”
“I didn’t expect there to be a student who doesn’t know my name. Just call me Elise.”
“……Alright, Elise. About Ares’s taste…”
If I didn’t answer now, I’d be bothered again later.
I was certain of it, so I racked my brain and replied.
“Between sexy or cute, it’d probably be sexy. But more than that, like I told Arni, he likes pure girls more. He’s always liked that type.”
“Oh my, how did you know I have an eye for purity?”
Are you kidding me?
“Thanks. And I heard about your false accusations. I can’t believe a person of your caliber was swayed by rumors and had such prejudices, I’m truly sorry.”
“……Right.”
What’s this?
I was starting to feel like these people were all working together to give me a hard time.
And then, the next break came.
“Hey, do you think Ares prefers girls with glasses…”
With her short and slim black hair, a girl asked shyly, forcing me to smack my forehead to stifle the rising headache.
And after school.
Just like I’d mentioned to Elise and Tana, I made my way to the academy’s home economics practical room, keeping my promise to Sen.
I found five girls in aprons.
All the fish from my little aquarium, each coming to ask me a question one by one.
“Haha, they all decided to tag along.”
“……”
Sen scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
It was the first day I truly wanted to hit a girl.
