Ch.3535. Seniors, and Juniors (1)

Ahead of me stands the object of admiration for the entire Academy.

As always, the girl is beloved by people of all ages and genders, responding to them with smiles.

However… at this moment, she isn’t smiling.

When she grabbed my arm and led me somewhere, I simply thought she was being kind as usual.

“Now you can tell me why you lied to me, can’t you?”

“…”

Renias’s lips, which I thought would never open after going up and coming back down, remained firmly closed.

Her gaze was fixed in one place, as if she wouldn’t speak until she received the answer she wanted.

No matter how innocent she might appear, how lively and cheerful she might seem on the outside, she still had her wits about her.

For Renias, this was an issue she absolutely needed to address.

With no further questions following, only the sound of their breathing could be heard in this empty dining hall.

When Junon didn’t answer, Renias spoke first.

“Senior.”

Just one word.

That single term of address carried a stubborn determination to get the answer she wanted from Junon.

In short, it was urging him to answer her question quickly.

‘She must be talking about what happened at the banquet hall.’

An unexpected situation had arisen, but I couldn’t just sit here quietly.

I should obviously try to brush it off.

“You mean when I accidentally fell asleep during the lecture and couldn’t go? If that upset you, I’m sorry…”

“Senior!”

As if to say that’s not it. As if accusing him of taking her for a fool, Renias raised her voice.

She cut off Junon’s words abruptly, as if warning him that trying to dismiss it with convenient excuses would be useless.

She rarely got angry with others and didn’t harbor any particular ill feelings toward Junon.

But she felt like something unpleasant would rise up inside her if she didn’t address this. Right now.

“Senior… you didn’t miss it because you were sleeping. You knew there would be hazing of the lower classes and sent me there on purpose, didn’t you?”

She seemed to know most of the details already, and in truth, she wanted to hear the story from his lips.

There were various circumstances. Renias wanted to hear those words from Junon.

But her senior was a liar. Since he would certainly try to evade, Renias decided to eliminate any room for excuses.

“I asked everyone at the banquet hall. What they said was different from what you told me…”

“…”

Yes. Something had seemed off since then. Junon now vaguely understood Renias’s strange behavior.

When Renias suddenly changed during the end-of-term evaluation, trying to forcibly climb the rock wall before falling.

He couldn’t understand why, in a situation where she couldn’t even look down, she had tried so desperately to climb up rather than trembling in fear.

That reason was now revealed.

He had given her a vague explanation about dozing off during a lecture, but he hadn’t prepared for her natural sociability to reach those people.

‘I suppose it’s fair to say I was too careless.’

Moreover, by making excuses without proper preparation, Junon had essentially shot himself in the foot.

He now surrendered to Renias’s stubborn insistence that he answer truthfully.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm.”

“I know that much.”

“I see…”

Junon scratched his head and slightly averted his gaze.

Knowing full well that he wasn’t being forthright, he simply couldn’t look Renias in the eye while talking.

Renias then honestly shared her feelings.

“But I actually think it’s fortunate that I found out.”

“Renias…”

“Thanks to you, Senior, I finally realized that the Academy’s true nature is becoming blurred. Though I found out too late…”

Clunk, clatter.

“Ah! I-I’m sorry!”

When she said she found out too late, Renias’s hands had been gripping the teacup tightly.

She had squeezed the innocent teacup so hard that its contents spilled over.

While slowly wiping up the spilled tea, Renias continued the conversation.

“You wanted me to know about this, didn’t you, Senior Junon?”

“That’s right. Those guys, if they were left alone, I might not have been able to stand it.”

Wasn’t this essentially a confession after being caught using an innocent person for his own purposes?

He thought it wouldn’t be strange if this seemingly pure and innocent junior poured out resentment toward him.

But Renias gently took Junon’s hand—who had closed his eyes, prepared to accept any criticism—and spoke.

The hand that had been trembling with anger enough to spill the teacup.

That hand had returned to being the warm and gentle hand of the girl who was like a jewel of the Academy.

“I don’t think what you did was wrong, Senior. So please don’t feel guilty about it.”

“I don’t always do the right thing. It’s not good to overestimate me like that.”

“You’re someone who can predict rain just by looking at clouds. Do you think you would do something like that without any thought? I believe you had your reasons.”

“I’m… just an ordinary, untalented E-class student like them, you know?”

“Would such a person lie for my sake during the end-of-term evaluation?”

“No, that’s…”

Ordinary. Untalented. Dissatisfied with such words, Renias overlapped Junon’s hand with her other hand as well.

“At least, I don’t think so.”

Why did that single statement from Renias feel so heavy, as heavy as the weight of one hand being covered by two?

He could have told her it was a misunderstanding, but Junon could no longer argue with Renias.

As Junon’s silence continued, Renias returned to her usual self, flashing a bright smile as she withdrew her hands.

“Senior. Can I ask you for one more thing?”

“Well… let me hear it first. If it’s something strange, I won’t do it.”

“Ahaha. It’s nothing like that. Anyway, promise me you’ll do it first.”

She extended her pinky finger, as if asking him to hook his finger with hers.

It seemed like she was up to something, and he didn’t want to agree…

“Hmph. After deceiving and using me like that, you can’t even do this one little thing for me?”

“Ugh…”

Just look at those sparkling eyes.

He was trying to avoid agreeing while reading her expression, but she knew exactly how to pressure him.

Junon had no choice but to extend his finger, and Renias hooked her finger around her senior’s ring finger with a satisfied smile.

“See? You’re such a caring person, Senior, that you can’t even refuse such a simple request.”

“…Stop changing the subject. So, what do you want?”

“From now on, don’t hide things or lie to me, at least when we’re alone. Senior. That’s what this promise is for.”

A small promise between senior and junior.

It wasn’t something he couldn’t keep, but…

‘Sorry. That won’t be possible.’

For Junon, there were still far too many things he needed to keep hidden.

***

Today, one prejudice was shattered.

The prejudice that nobles only eat precious foods, and do so while maintaining etiquette and dignity.

Precisely today. This hour. Right before my eyes.

“…”

“What’s wrong, Senior? Don’t you like the menu? Should I order something else for you?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just unexpected.”

“Hm? Wha’ do you mean?” (with mouth full)

Even with her small mouth stuffed with food, she still manages to say what she wants to say.

“Nobles usually go to fancy restaurants, don’t they? But you don’t seem to be like that.”

After heartily swallowing the meat in her mouth, Renias answers.

“Ugh, Senior. Don’t you know eating like nobles gives you indigestion?”

“Indigestion? Why?”

Weren’t those people supposed to order expensive dishes at high-class restaurants?

I couldn’t imagine what would cause indigestion. At least, not until I heard Renias’s next words.

Nobles are so obsessed with dignity, class, and etiquette that eating with them turns your stomach.

“You can’t make any noise, and you have to cut steak into predetermined sizes and nibble at it. How can food go down like that?”

“Pfft… So that’s what it was? I understand now.”

“And you know what? I actually enjoy exploring good restaurants. Commoners’ food with its saltiness and spiciness is so much more delicious than nobles’ food.”

Judging by her expression, she seems thoroughly fed up with it. The dining etiquette that must be followed precisely and the manners that must be maintained even when unseen.

It seems truly unfortunate to not be able to eat properly as one wishes in the midst of all that.

Though I wonder how so much food fits into that delicate frame… Perhaps the nutrition is concentrated in certain areas?

Anyway, food is food as long as it’s eaten with enjoyment.

“Right, right. It all goes to the same place anyway. Might as well eat something that tastes better to feel good.”

“Oh! You and I speak the same language, Senior! With food, taste is all that matters!”

I was worried she might refuse if I ordered something expensive, but that wasn’t necessary.

My junior, contrary to expectations, had a normal sense of money.

We finished our satisfying lunch by ordering one fruit sherbet each for dessert.

“That was good. Now all my remaining debts are cleared.”

“Hmm… I think I’ll have to think about that? Deceiving someone is a bad thing to do, you know? Hehe.”

“Renias… give me a break.”

“Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was worried I ordered wrong when you weren’t eating at first.”

“How could that be? By the way, come here.”

“Huh? Why? Uwah.”

I took out a tissue and gently wiped the sauce from the corner of Renias’s mouth.

The spicy-sweet sauce was particularly red, creating too stark a contrast against Renias’s white skin for me to ignore.

“You eat so messily.”

She seems to be the type who’s meticulous but also a bit clumsy.

But… is it my imagination? Why does the area I wiped seem to be getting redder…?

“Ah… ahaha…! I’m sorry, hahaha… I, I didn’t realize… I’ll wipe the rest myself!”

Renias hurriedly turned her head, took out a hand mirror from her bag, and checked her face.

The sauce was quite noticeable, but was it really something to be so embarrassed about? Well, never mind. It happens.

I was about to get up and say I’d be leaving first.

“Where are you going? You need to register for courses, don’t you?”

Course registration. Now that the beginning-of-term evaluations are over, class assignments are also complete.

Now I just need to select courses according to my class, but…

“I won’t be able to register for at least three hours.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“It’s obvious. Course registration starts with the upper classes.”

The staff has to process each student’s course registration individually, which takes time.

Unfortunately, the upper classes take all the desirable courses, so lower class students have to wait.

“Ah, Senior hasn’t seen the results yet? Right?”

“Well, yes.”

I wouldn’t even make it to C-class, so why would I bother checking?

Thinking she would understand by now, I picked up my uniform coat that I had taken off and was about to leave when Renias grabbed my arm again.

“Senior, you’re in A-class with me. It’s almost time for course registration, so let’s go together.”

“What..? Did you see it wrong?”

“Come on, you think I asked you to lunch for no reason? I checked the course registration time and deliberately arranged to eat with you before then.”

…?

……What?

I’m in A-class???

What in the world???

“Senior? You’re listening to me properly, right?”

No matter how much Renias pouts and complains, I just can’t comprehend this.

But it doesn’t seem like she’s lying either. She’s not the type to joke about something like this, right?

So how could I possibly process what she just said???