Chapter 115: Lete’s Love Hearing and Cognitive Trigger

Sepia Archipelago’s Chroma High School, 3rd-year girls.

The reason these girls came to Academy City was because of Lete, who had decided on Orion Academy as her future school.

Academy City was a place they all wanted to visit at least once, and now that they had a valid reason, there was no way they could resist.

Especially to forget the sadness of their approaching graduation, which was steadily drawing closer.

Demonstrating their characteristic boldness, the girls decided on a trip that coincided with the academy’s founding anniversary and a national holiday.

Although a disaster called a Dimensional Rift overlapped with the trip they thought they would enjoy smoothly, surprisingly, it had long since disappeared from the girls’ conversation topics, failing to even assert its presence.

Escorted back to their accommodation by the Peacekeepers, only one topic dominated their conversation.

“Lete! Did he reply?”

“We just exchanged names…”

“What did he say his name was?”

“…Rohan.”

The girl covered her mouth with the back of her hand to hide her blushing face. A moment when having short hair was a regret.

But still, she couldn’t take her eyes off her phone.

Seeing their usually cool and easygoing friend show such a cute reaction made the hearts of even those next to her flutter.

One of the girls, lying on the bed and tapping on her phone, open her eyes wide.

“He shows up right away when I look him up? He must be famous.”

“Really!? Show me!”

The girls, piled up on one bed like hamburgers, fixed their gazes on the online news article.

“Criminal Organization takedown…?”

“It’s like a story from a completely different world. It feels unreal.”

“Is this what Orion Academy Cadets are normally like?”

Only Lete, raised in a Martial Family, remained focused on the article, her eyes sparkling.

Curiosity flew towards Lete, savoring each and every word.

“So, Lete, you like strong people after all?”

“Not just that…”

“Huh? Then what?”

“He, He’s handsome… and cool…”

Silence fell over the once boisterous room.

The girls recalled their time at the shopping mall with serious expressions.

“Before I felt he was handsome, I thought he had a fierce impression… The student council president who confessed to Lete before was famous for being handsome, right?”

“He seemed like he’d break if I hit him once, so I didn’t like him.”

Lete’s straightforward judgment.

Her friends continued their chatter, seemingly accustomed to it.

“I still can’t figure out Lete’s taste.”

“But I agree with the cool part. He gives off a strong, reliable older guy vibe, right?”

“Ahh~ So our Lete is finally experiencing her first love. This mama was worried you’d finish your school days like this.”

“Who’s a mama! And don’t stick to me, get off!”

One of the girls was grabbed by Lete and thrown onto the opposite bed.

“Alright, let the Lete relationship inquiry begin.”

“Everyone, take your seats. Hurry!”

Watching the everyday scene unfold, the girls began to open their snacks.

A sign that the real chatter was about to start.

“I didn’t know Lete would be so forward. You never showed any interest in boys.”

Gazes gathered, as if urging her to answer quickly.

Lete fiddled with her short hair and replied.

“If we parted there, I might never see him again. I didn’t want to have any regrets…”

“Ooooh~ Bold~”

“It was so funny how you used formal language because you were nervous.”

“…”

“If you push it as a charm point, it might work. Isn’t it a winning character if it’s not forced?”

“I, Is that so? It’s a habit I picked up at the dojo…”

It must not be a mistake that the first useful advice finally appeared.

Lete joined the conversation, seemingly interested.

Detailed topics like attire and posture flew back and forth, lengthening the conversation.

One girl expressed a question in a different direction.

“Is he stronger than Lete?”

“Yeah. I definitely can’t beat him right now.”

“Hee, there are people in the world stronger than Lete.”

“There are tons, you know?”

Only Lete knew. Her friends didn’t even know that Rohan was the person who saved them from danger.

She was blocking the monsters all by herself, and everyone else was cowering in fear.

In the first place, it wasn’t a movement that could be analyzed with ordinary eyes.

…

It came to mind again.

The movements that gracefully dealt with multiple monsters and the situational awareness to prioritize saving people were the image of someone perfectly adapted to real combat.

It was a moment where Rohan’s values were clearly visible.

The more she thought back, the faster her heart beat.

“But there were so many pretty people around him. Were they just classmates?”

“Hey, if he had a girlfriend, he wouldn’t have given you his number.”

“It’s faster to just ask. Lete! Hurry up!”

As all eyes focused on her, Lete cried out.

“I, It’s rude to ask something like that suddenly…!”

“The moment you got his number, it’s okay to ask.”

“I don’t know! Do not disturb me! I’ll go at my own pace with this!”

Lete dove under the covers, escaping her mischievous friends.

Even if they tried to pull the covers off, Lete’s grip was too strong. And being a group of ordinary high school girls, they couldn’t do anything about it.

“…Anyway, the answer is the same for you.”

Lete, having finished her thoughts while huddled under her blanket like a little house, poked her head, the size of a fist, out and spoke.

“For me?”

“About being surrounded by pretty people and whether or not you have a boyfriend.”

The gazes of the girls in the room naturally converged on her.

“What if you don’t ask because you’ve made assumptions on your own, and later find out you were wrong? You’ll definitely regret it…”

Lete quietly revealed her inner thoughts to her friends.

It wasn’t her usual loud voice, but the message got across.

“You’ve grown up so much… I’m someone who rarely cries, but I’m tearing up…”

“If there’s a lot of competition, Lete is realistically at a disadvantage due to the distance. You’ll have to contact him as often as possible while you can’t see each other, right?”

“No, I don’t plan on being glued to my phone like that.”

“Huh?”

“It’s just… I have a feeling I’ll see him again soon. I’ll just focus on my training while checking in occasionally.”

They’d never heard of someone being so passive after getting someone’s number.

Yet, somehow, even this felt like Lete.

Her friends could only cheer for Lete’s first love, which had arrived like a sudden gust of wind, to go well.

“U-Unni…! Snap out of it…!”

“…”

Clara wanted to lose her mind and malfunction. Unfortunately, someone else beat her to it.

Shion had malfunctioned first.

Her face looked like it was filled with countless thoughts. Even her pointed ears drooped slightly.

She remained silent as she held the recovered shopping bag.

She continued walking towards the first floor where Rohan was waiting, but her steps lacked energy.

“Shion Unni…”

Clara, who was watching her worriedly, came to a reasonable deduction.

The girl’s eyes, content with the current state of their relationship, suddenly widened.

C-Could it be, because of this incident?!

Could this be the trigger for Shion to realize her romantic feelings for Rohan?

It was actually a miracle that she hadn’t realized it until now.

Thinking about it that way, this wasn’t the time to comfort others.

What position should Clara herself take? Unlike combat, she had no experience in this area, so it was a difficult problem with no clear answer.

And that person too, something’s…

Clara’s gaze shifted to Ichinose Yui.

Noa Frozenheart was her usual bubbly self, smiling brightly as she was happy to have her belongings back, but Ichinose Yui was clearly different.

After seeing the girl who actively showed interest in Rohan, cracks started to appear in her composure.

They finally reached the first floor with their slowed pace.

Rohan, who had finished talking with the Peacekeepers, approached them.

“You’re here? Is everything in your bags alright?”

“Yes…”

While Clara was contemplating whether she should ask about the girl she saw earlier,

Noa, who had maintained her clear mind, hopped over to them.

“Rohan!”

“Huh?”

“Let’s all go grab lunch together!”

Rohan took out his phone to check the time.

With all the commotion caused by the Dimensional Rift, time had slipped away, and it was already afternoon. If they missed this opportunity, it would definitely become awkward later.

“But I wonder if there are any open restaurants?”

He heard from the Peacekeepers that the situation outside had stabilized, but he wasn’t sure.

Moreover, his eyes were darting around, worried that Shion and Clara might feel uncomfortable.

“They probably are. It’s Academy City, after all.”

Was this common sense in this world?

Rohan stroked his chin and looked at Shion and Clara.

He was openly asking for their opinions, putting them in a difficult position to refuse. It would also be strange to say he’d go talk to them privately.

“Lady Noa. I apologize.”

“Huh?”

Shion, who seemed to be lost in thought, erased her troubled expression and walked towards Rohan, clicking her heels, before linking her arm with his right arm as if clinging to it.

Startled, Clara quickly scurried over and clung to his free left arm.

“We have an appointment to look at a house together.”

Having quietly listened from the side, Ichinose’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Oh, is that so? That’s a shame. I was going to treat you to Tigrova’s special dishes.”

“I am truly sorry as well. Therefore, I would like to make sure we make plans in advance next time.”

Flustered by the sudden, excessive closeness of the girls, Rohan didn’t miss the opportunity.

He concluded that this was a signal from them.

“Shion. Did you hear back from the person you were going to introduce me to?”

“Not yet. But it’s almost the appointed time. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”

“Right, even with everything that’s happened, it’s best to wait until the appointed time.”

“O-Oppa’s right…!”

As Rohan allowed himself to be led out of the shopping mall by Shion and Clara…

“Be careful, both of you! Let’s eat together next time!”

He turned his head, offered a farewell, and disappeared past the broken glass doors.

“Aww, what a shame. I wanted to hear about their relationship.”

Noa wagged her tail as if she had missed out on something interesting.

“L-Look at a house…!?”

A beat later, Ichinose finally snapped out of her daze as she grasped the context of the conversation.