Ch.199Chapter 199 (End)

Standing in front of the mirror, I adjusted my uniform and lifted my chin high. Pushing my chest forward in a proud posture and exhaling sharply through my nose, I felt somewhat grown-up.

Or rather than grown-up, it felt dignified.

But that dignity quickly diminishes when someone stands beside me. That’s how I learned dignity is relative.

“This necktie is difficult.”

Ouro was struggling with her own neck, fiddling with it. Since the Professor was wearing her own professional clothes, I couldn’t ask her for help. It seemed Ouro was trying to follow what I was doing by watching me.

But what should I do now? I’ve already finished tying mine.

I glanced at Ouro with narrowed eyes and a slight chuckle. She approached me and slightly bent her knees. Only then did our eyes meet at the same level, and she stared at me intently.

“What?”

“Tie it for me.”

So she hadn’t come to learn from watching me, but to ask for my help. I wondered why she suddenly lowered her posture.

In my surprised hands, she placed her bow tie. I don’t understand why she finds this complicated when it’s just a simple knot. It’s actually quite simple.

“I’ll show you how, but you need to learn to do it yourself from now on.”

“Can’t Ourr do it for me?”

“…I can’t do it for you every day.”

“Why not? We’ll be together anyway.”

Come to think of it, we won’t be apart.

Since I arranged Ouro’s schedule along with mine, there are times when we have to take different classes, but even though our schedules differ, we’ll still go to the Academy together.

It’s different now that we’re no longer living as inventory but are recognized by society and entering the Academy as students.

It’s a place we’ve always gone to, but somehow it feels different. Maybe what’s changed is my heart. Nevertheless, I couldn’t contain this fluttering feeling.

I gently tied the bow tie with both hands. The blue color suits us well.

Karen has moved on to the academy, and now it’s our turn to be first-year students at the Academy. All we had to do was follow the same path that Karen had walked when we first met her.

“All done!”

“Oh, nice.”

“Kids, did you pack everything? We should get going now.”

“Yes~”

I slung the bag I received as a new semester gift over my shoulder with a grin, but it felt strangely empty. It was partly because I didn’t have any major textbooks to put in it yet.

Since there are many machines, should I ask for a tablet? But then we’d have to get one for Ouro too, which might be burdensome. Maybe carrying books would be better.

“Let’s go.”

After leaving home, we took the warp at the point and headed to the Academy.

Though it was the same path I always took with the Professor, it was hard to calm my racing heart.

Since it was earlier than when other students arrived, we headed straight to the Professor’s research lab, but it felt different being here in a school uniform.

“Wow, I’m really a freshman now…!”

Unable to contain my excitement, I clenched my fists and trembled.

While I wondered if becoming an ordinary student should make me this happy, I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. The feeling that had been just ordinary when leaving home suddenly pounded in my chest as soon as I set foot in the Academy.

A surge of emotion. The exhilarating feeling made the familiar scenery appear more vivid.

The everyday scenes I’d always seen. But originally, it wasn’t like this.

I had been living life as an observer. The fact that I was now facing the scenery I had viewed from the perspective of someone who was neither professor nor student, but as a member of this community, made my heart race.

“So now I’ll go around with the Professor?”

“No, now you have to go to your classes separately. The Professor only teaches her classes.”

When I said this, Ouro’s eyes widened. As if she’d heard something absurd, she turned her head sharply and clenched her fist.

“Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’… That’s just how the Academy works. The Professor teaches three grades… and she’s busy looking after the academy too.”

“Huh?”

She responded as if she couldn’t understand, even though I’d answered her question.

It’s not that she doesn’t understand; she doesn’t want to understand. This girl who could pass the qualification exam with just a little studying always pretends to be slow like this.

Is she stupid? No, she’s not stupid. She’s just pretending to be.

“You dummy, you’re an adult now.”

I poked Ouro in the side as she sat next to me.

This might not resonate with Ouro, who used to be able to change her appearance at will. But now that she can’t do that anymore, shouldn’t she change her thinking?

Even if something went wrong and we had to go back, we needed to live as if we were humans who couldn’t return after death.

It might be hard to adapt to changing a lifestyle that had continued for hundreds of years, but she needed to start learning through experience from now on.

But then and now, in two years, she hasn’t learned anything besides school studies.

I glared at Ouro with narrowed eyes. Seeing this, the Professor peeked her head out from behind the monitor and chuckled.

“What are you two doing? Ouro, from now on you’ll have to go to different classes than the Professor. You’ll probably meet the Professor about twice a week?”

“Eh? Twice…? A week has seven days total.”

Ouro raised her hand with a dumbfounded voice. She spread her fingers this way and that, confirming that there were five days left, and tilted her head. She clearly couldn’t believe she had to be separated from the Professor.

From behind Ouro, I added to the Professor’s words.

“She means in class, dummy.”

“Stop calling me dummy.”

Ouro, who had been looking at the Professor, turned around sharply to look at me. Before, she seemed like a small child throwing a tantrum, but now she feels like a grown child, which gives me a strange feeling.

“Gaaack!”

“Ourr is the dummy for saying such mean things.”

I flailed my arms as she grabbed my temple. Before, when both our arms were short, all we could do was press our heads together and struggle, but now with the difference in arm length, only my arms flailed helplessly in the air.

That’s unfair.

If there was only a one-year difference, I might have been able to reach her somehow, but with a four-year body difference, it’s impossible.

As I looked up while huffing, Ouro slightly loosened her grip and looked at me.

“When will Ourr grow?”

“…I’m not sure about that. The Professor might know.”

Ouro suddenly seemed curious too and posed the question. I tilted my head slightly to look at the Professor, who was partially hidden by Ouro’s body. Ouro also looked at the Professor while keeping her hand on my head.

Meeting both pairs of eyes, the Professor hid her face behind the monitor, pretending not to see. It’s unlike the Professor to ignore our, or rather my, fervent gaze.

It’s a complaint I’ve always voiced, but considering how others at the Academy might see us, it’s a topic I can’t help but bring up.

But seeing the Professor avoiding the conversation, it seems I won’t get an answer. Swallowing a sigh and tidying my hair, I was able to calm down a bit.

As I adjusted my necktie, I raised my head with a fresh emotion.

I used to start my days here before, and I still start my days here now. Then and now. It’s natural that my feelings are different because so much has changed.

“What time is it now?”

“Um, 8:30.”

“Then it’s about time to go. Ouro, get ready too.”

“Okay.”

Ouro nodded and fumbled with her bag. Even just casually slinging it over her shoulder gave off a fresh, youthful vibe.

Although she’s wearing a uniform, she looks like a high school student in a unique school uniform.

“It really suits you well…”

“Does it suit me?”

Ouro seemed pleased with the compliment and moved her body this way and that with a grin. Watching her skirt flutter, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“You’ll end up showing everything if you do that.”

“Hmm, it’s okay since it’s in front of Ourr. I won’t do this elsewhere.”

“So you’re saying you’ll show me all the unseemly things. That doesn’t feel like a compliment.”

Heng. As I tilted my head to the side and smiled weakly, the Professor chuckled behind us.

“You two get along well. You two go ahead first.”

“Yes~”

Since we were students in the same department, and she was a professor, it wasn’t difficult to meet. Plus, with the freshman welcome ceremony, we’d probably be with the Professor until around noon before having lunch… but unfortunately, the Professor won’t be with just us, so we need to be mindful.

I don’t want to get caught up in rumors about getting better grades because of our relationship. If yesterday I could be comfortable, today I really need to study diligently.

Having observed by following the Professor around, I understand how classes flow, so it should feel simple.

“Then I’ll go ahead!”

The same day as always. The daily life that seemed like it would never change has slowly been dyed with something different, taking on a different color.

Ouro is by my side now, and I’ve changed from being an observer to a participant.

I could have lived a longer life, but regardless, I gave up everything to live a human life.

That was the life I chose.

“Let’s go, Ouro.”

“Professor, I’m going ahead!”

We’re going to live the life we’ve chosen, not the life the world has determined for us.

Perhaps that’s why my steps felt light.

<End of “I Became a Pet Demon God for Inventory”>