Chapter 136

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A date? With whom? Lucia?

Eugene doubted his ears.

He seriously wondered if he had misheard.

But denying reality wouldn’t change anything.

“…With who?”

“Follow me first.”

Arin sighed bitterly as she looked at Eugene, who was in a state of confusion.

There were other students in the classroom.

It wasn’t the right place for a private conversation.

Since Lucia hadn’t arrived at school yet, Arin wanted to finish the conversation quickly.

She led Eugene to the staircase at the end of the right corridor.

This place was rarely frequented, making it suitable for avoiding prying eyes.

Still, just in case, Arin spread her senses to check the surroundings and lowered her voice.

“The person you’re dealing with is someone you’ve never met before. He’s from Class D.”

“Class D?”

Eugene frowned.

Class D was a special class made up of troublemakers.

What connection could Lucia have with a student from there?

Of course, Eugene knew.

Not everyone in Class D was a bad person.

Regina from Class D, whom he had met, was cynical but not a bad person.

Though he couldn’t be sure since their interaction was brief.

“What kind of guy is he?”

Truthfully, Eugene had no right to meddle in Lucia’s relationships.

He and Lucia weren’t dating; they were just friends.

They had met privately and had saved each other’s lives before.

But ultimately, that was all there was to it.

Who Lucia met or who she dated.

That was Lucia’s decision.

Eugene could offer advice, but he couldn’t interfere deeply.

But if the person in question was a bad influence, that was a different story.

There was always some basis for the rumors surrounding Class D and the reasons students were transferred there.

You shouldn’t judge someone you’ve never met based solely on rumors, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

“Carlos. Carlos from Class D.”

“…I think I’ve heard the rumors.”

A dangerous person you should never meet on a full moon night.

Carlos, the Grey Wolf.

He was said to be the most dangerous among the students in Class D.

There were even rumors that he had actually killed someone.

And Lucia was meeting him this weekend?

“Eugene, control your emotions. Someone of your caliber shouldn’t be leaking your abilities like this.”

“…Sorry.”

The temperature around them rose sharply.

Eugene’s heightened emotions caused some of his supernatural abilities to leak out.

Arin fanned herself with her hand to cool down from the sudden heat.

It seems he’s grown even more since I last saw him.

I thought I wasn’t lacking in talent, inheriting my parents’ abilities.

But instead of closing the gap, it’s only widening.

Is this what a true genius is like?

“I’ll explain everything that happened while you were hospitalized.”

Arin slowly recounted the events of the past.

As her story progressed, the serious expression on Eugene’s face was replaced by a more subtle emotion.

Because their meeting was more wholesome than he had expected.

Lucia had saved Carlos’ younger sister during the cherry blossom festival.

That became the reason the younger sister wanted to meet Lucia again.

Carlos had sought out Lucia to fulfill his sister’s wish.

“…So it’s not a date?”

When Arin finished her story, Eugene tilted his head in confusion.

Wasn’t the meeting this weekend to see Carlos’s younger sister?

What, it’s not as big a deal as I thought.

As the tension eased, Eugene’s shoulders relaxed.

“Are you serious?”

Arin spoke in a tone of disbelief.

Where should I even start pointing things out?

Being dense is one thing, but is your head full of flowers?

I wish even a fraction of your talent had gone into your awareness.

“Eugene, I’ll be blunt.”

Being subtle won’t work with this dense guy.

So, shock therapy it is.

Arin threw a straight pitch at Eugene’s chest.

“You like Lucia, don’t you?”

“Guh?!”

Eugene choked on his own breath.

‘How did you know?!’ He looked at Arin with a shocked expression.

Her expression only grew more incredulous.

‘You didn’t seriously think I wouldn’t notice, did you?’

‘You’re always staring at Lucia whenever you get the chance. If you don’t know, you’re just an idiot.’

“Ah, no, it’s just…”

“Am I wrong?”

“…”

He couldn’t bring himself to deny it.

Because it was true.

In the end, Eugene couldn’t meet Arin’s eyes and only nodded slightly.

“Then why do you like Lucia?”

“That’s…”

Eugene couldn’t answer easily.

It wasn’t because he was embarrassed to say it.

It was because he himself didn’t know the reason and couldn’t explain it properly.

What makes a person fall in love with another?

The first time he noticed Lucia was during the field training incident.

He had been interested in her before, but that interest was directed at Alice, who was always by Lucia’s side.

Even in a situation where everyone was terrified, she stepped forward confidently.

Even though she must have been scared herself, her unwavering demeanor was dazzling.

She was so different from him, who had trembled in fear and couldn’t even keep his oath.

Eugene began to admire Lucia.

As he continued to interact with her, he realized that he had started thinking only of her.

Why had he fallen for her?

Eugene couldn’t explain it in detail.

It was like getting soaked in a drizzle.

Little by little, he had been drawn to her.

“Eugene, no one can predict how relationships between men and women will turn out. You probably never dreamed you’d fall for Lucia, did you?”

“…”

“Even if there’s no initial interest, spending time together can lead to romantic feelings. Just like how you fell for Lucia.”

Right now, they’re meeting because of his younger sister, but who knows what the future holds.

The more they meet, the more they’ll get to know each other, and inevitably, they’ll discover sides of each other they didn’t know before.

They might drift apart if they don’t click.

Or they might grow even closer.

That’s how relationships work.

No one knows how they’ll turn out.

“Lucia is a good person. She’s so kind and gentle that it’s almost worrying to watch.”

It’s like watching a golden retriever.

Comparing a person to a dog might be a bit off, but it was true.

She wagged her tail and smiled brightly at everyone.

Whether she realized it or not, Lucia was quite popular.

She was beautiful, had a friendly personality, and excelled academically.

It would be more surprising if she wasn’t popular.

“Competitors can appear at any time. Lucia is attractive enough, isn’t she? Don’t you think so?”

“…You’re right.”

“If you really want to win her love, you need to be a little more proactive.”

Only then did Eugene understand Arin’s intention.

She was absolutely right.

He had been too optimistic.

If he had fallen for Lucia.

Others could fall for her too.

Moreover, Lucia could fall for someone else.

Eugene didn’t want to see that.

If she were to fall in love, he wanted to be the one.

“Thanks for the advice.”

“I only said it because it’s frustrating to watch.”

It wasn’t just lip service; half of it was sincere.

Despite his absurdly high talent in supernatural abilities, he often seemed clueless in other areas.

Eugene’s unrequited love was amusing to watch, but it was also as frustrating as forcing down a sweet potato.

Why was someone as capable as him so passive?

He was the top student at the academy, had a kind personality, and was good-looking.

If Eugene just made a move, there would be more than a few girls who’d fall for him.

If he had been more proactive in expressing himself, his relationship with Lucia might have progressed much further.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention this.”

Since I’ve helped this much, I might as well stoke the fire a little more.

Arin pushed up her glasses with her index and middle fingers and said,

“Eugene, have you ever carried Lucia in a princess carry?”

“…No, I haven’t?”

Why are you asking that all of a sudden?

Eugene blinked, completely baffled.

But Arin’s next words made his lake-blue eyes widen.

“Carlos has.”

“…Huh?”

“Twice, even.”

Lucia had even wrapped her arms around Carlos’s neck.

To an outsider, it wouldn’t be strange to think they were dating.

“Don’t get complacent just because you’re closer to Lucia right now. That guy is a tougher opponent than you think.”

He’s bold enough to carry a girl he just met in a princess carry without hesitation.

It’s hard to tell if he’s clueless or just daring.

But considering Lucia didn’t seem to mind, it’s probably the latter.

“…Thanks for telling me. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Yeah, good luck. I’ll be rooting for you.”

Eugene returned to the classroom with a complicated expression.

He seemed quite shocked, as his steps were unsteady.

He must have failed to control his emotions again, as his skin felt hot.

Arin couldn’t help but chuckle.

He was such an innocent boy.

He was similar to Lucia.

The kind of person you couldn’t help but worry about.

“I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to you.”

By the way, I’m kind of jealous of Lucia.

To be blindly loved by a guy like that.

Arin suddenly wondered what it would be like if Eugene liked her.

She immediately shook her head with a bitter smile.

That’s impossible.

She couldn’t imagine Eugene falling for anyone other than Lucia.

“It’s a little disappointing.”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Arin’s shocking statement.

Lucia is a golden retriever.

Originally, Arin was also supposed to be Eugene’s heroine, but the competition was too strong, so she couldn’t even get started.

You can’t beat a golden retriever.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
I wonder if we will see a ‘gomen Alice’

At least I think that’s how that meme went? 

Blue Archive thing by the way.