“Daniel, you look down.”
“Yeah, I’m a bit gloomy.”
“It’s definitely depressing at the start of the semester. We were all feeling a bit off until last week.”
Not that it’s really because of that, but still.
As I’m twisting my pen around during the lecture, Eve stares at my hand and asks.
“I’ve been curious since last time, how do you do that?”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s fascinating.”
Eve tries to mimic with her own pen, but just keeps dropping it.
“Do you think it requires practice?”
“Well, sort of? I don’t really pay much attention in lectures, so I just do it until it works.”
Watching my hand spin the pen, she’s in awe, repeatedly trying but failing to keep hold of it.
“Hey, stop being such a distraction.”
Eventually, Professor Amanda scolds us, and Eve shyly lowers her head, muttering like a mosquito.
The lecture resumes, and just when I thought she would stop twirling her pen, I catch her diligently spinning it under the desk.
“Aren’t you overdoing it? You should be paying attention.”
“I’m fine, I’ve done my prep, eck.”
She sticks her tongue out and keeps trying, but now she looks like she’s about to cry from the cramp.
“Come on, I told you to be careful.”
“Ugh! Daniel! There’s a black dragon in my hand…!”
“What have you been reading during break?”
Sighing, I take her cramped hand and start massaging it underneath the desk.
“Ugh!”
Eve almost lets out a sound of pain, covering her mouth with one hand and glaring at me.
“Did that hurt too much? Sorry.”
Eve, with teary eyes, looks oddly cute, so I squeeze a bit harder, and she starts poking me with her shoulder.
“D-Daniel… ugh, ugh!”
“Gheh-heh.”
As I squeeze her like a button and enjoy her reactions, Tana, who was sitting across from us, gives me a look.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing, just bored in lecture.”
“Eve doesn’t seem like she’s having fun.”
With her head buried on the desk, breathing heavily with slightly reddened eyes.
Hah, hah.
Feeling guilty, I apologize, but Eve just says it’s fine.
‘Oh no.’
I felt like I might have gone a bit overboard, but honestly, I had some lifted spirits too.
Before the break, I subtly rejected her feelings, saying I was sorry that she liked someone.
I worried about how she would avoid me after the break.
But she treated me normally, as if she had shaken it all off, which made me really grateful.
‘But I know this feeling too well.’
Of course, I had been asked to confess again later, but after getting rejected by Eris, I couldn’t deny the deeper feelings of guilt towards those who had confessed to me.
Having experienced it myself, I understood how much they must have suffered, and seeing their unwavering spirit still amazed me.
After a moment, the never-ending lecture continued.
Spinning my pen had lost its charm, so I blankly stared at the ceiling when suddenly Eve nudged me.
The earlier demeanor was gone, and now she had a triumphant smile, twisting her fingers in a strange way.
“I’m going to show you magic from the heart, Daniel.”
“Were you that bored?”
“Ahem, my friends love this! It’s a magic passed down from my father’s family.”
She then performs a trick where her thumb appears to detach.
Simple kid’s play. Even Michelle wouldn’t fall for this finger trick, yet Eve was performing it with a super satisfied expression.
“Hehe, how’s that? Isn’t it amazing?”
“Eve.”
“Yes?”
“Just keep being you, okay?”
“Umm? Is that a compliment?”
Of course it is.
Today, I get healing from my little Eve once again.
*
I told the two that I had a lunch appointment, but surprisingly, they both looked apologetic and mentioned they had one too.
I thought they might be meeting Hayun, but if it was Hayun, there would be no reason to leave me out.
‘Did they make friends separately?’
A bit disappointed, since they were my healing sources at the academy, but anyway, I had my own plans.
The place was an empty classroom.
During lunch, hardly any students came to the classroom, and as I headed there, a blond male student was already waiting.
Ares Helias.
He looked at me with a strange expression and asked, “It’s been a while since you sought me out.”
“Yeah, sorry for coming to you after saying we should cut ties. But I need a little help.”
“……!”
Ares looked surprised as I stepped closer and nodded lightly.
“Speak.”
Taking a breath, I opened my mouth.
“How did you manage to control them?”
“……Huh?”
“No, first off, right now Elize and Sen are the biggest issues. What did you do when those two liked you and started following you around?”
“……”
Ares shot me a glare that screamed annoyance, but I was serious.
These girls were making everyday life tough.
This morning, when I opened the door and saw Elize waiting in front with the collar I had given her, I felt a strong urge to escape the academy.
Not to mention, Sen was already in my room this morning…
“Daniel, I’ve finished. I watered the plants at the academy like you told me.”
Here we go again.
“Uh, good job.”
Nodding sluggishly, Sen gave me a strangely satisfied smile and came closer.
“What’s the next mission?”
“……Go to the store and buy bread to put on my desk.”
“Got it!”
Our Chokugen Faction bread-fetcher zoomed off.
“Didn’t even say hi.”
Ares glared at me after watching Sen leave without a word.
“So? Did you call me to brag about how popular you are with the girls? Like when I used to tease you?”
“Well, you’re not even hiding it anymore, huh? By the way, you did that on purpose back then, didn’t you?”
“……I wanted to look like a popular guy in front of Rin.”
It’s an easy way to feel superior by putting someone down, but it’s also a pretty dirty tactic.
I was annoyed, but still.
“Did you see what just happened? Thinking about how they’ll keep asking what you’re doing drives me crazy. How did you blend in with the girls so well?”
Of course, I knew the situation was a bit different now.
I knew Elize and Sen wouldn’t act like that around Ares, but still, Ares—
A blond hunk who had survived the catfights and girl obsessions since childhood.
He must have some kind of trick, and after thinking for a moment, Ares opened his mouth.
“I don’t know.”
“……What?”
“Girls just cling to me and tend not to bother me. So I don’t really know.”
“No way, there were girls that clung to you!”
There’s one I can think of from town!
“Those would talk together once, then go quiet, so it wasn’t a big deal. Oh, just go tell them coldly to back off, that you like someone else.”
“Do you think I haven’t tried that?”
“……”
“Ugh, why didn’t you take care of them better? Why can’t you do this well now?”
Honestly, this was more of a grumble due to stress, but Ares seemed to take it as a provoke.
“Hey, speak straight. You’re the one who seduced them, right?”
Staring at the growling Ares, I had lots to say, but kept quiet.
If you look closely, none of the girls actually liked Ares properly. In a way, I felt… kinda sorry for him.
“Ugh, whatever. What do I expect from you?”
“Wait a minute.”
Ares called out as I was about to leave the classroom.
He looked at me with an odd expression and answered with a deep thought.
“Just a single word can make girls stop obsessing over me and not bother me.”
“Is that a brag?”
I half-worried this was a bad habit of his coming back, but Ares continued with a tone of regret.
“That means they aren’t willing to easily give me up or have no desires for me.”
“……?”
“On the other hand, if someone wants to stay close to you even while causing trouble and doesn’t leave despite being treated harshly…”
Ares collected himself and clenched his fist as he spat out.
“That’s something valuable.”
“……”
His words, which had stirred many hearts, held certain persuasive power, but they only made my heart heavier.
Then suddenly, he blurted out.
“I’m going to confess to Rin.”
“What?”
“I think Rin likes you, but seeing you surrounded by so many girls might cool her feelings a bit.”
“Who’s he to say that?”
I wondered if he had forgotten who he had been until now, but Ares boldly nodded.
“I know, but I’m still going to do it. What I just said isn’t about girls or boys, it’s just about people.”
“……”
“It means I can’t easily give up, and even if rejected, my feelings remain— that’s how precious it is to me.”
With the look of someone who had just gained enlightenment, Ares left the room.
