chapter_0162

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
162

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
162

“I’m sorry, Lady Allen.”

Phoebe’s expression was
sorrowful, as if she were ready to offer her life to make amends. She
seemed deeply troubled by the inconvenience she had caused the person
who had comforted her.

“I tried my best to clear
things up with a friend I met on my way back, but I’m afraid my words
weren’t persuasive enough.”

So, this is how the rumour
started.

Phoebe, with her face a mess
from crying in my room, met a friend she was close to on her way
back.

Seeing Phoebe’s tear-streaked
face, the friend assumed something had happened and spread the story
within their circle.

Because the two main people
involved in the rumour—Phoebe and myself—are quite well-known in
the Academy, the story spread rapidly and became a situation too big
for just a couple of people to manage.

As the person involved, it
feels incredibly unfair. But if I put myself in someone else’s
shoes, it is quite an interesting rumour.

A capable yet nasty woman
bullies and makes the kindest, most virtuous person in the Academy
cry?

And in a private room where no
one can see?

That’s already great
material for gossip.

The content itself is
sensational, it clearly distinguishes good from evil, and there’s
plenty of room for variation in the story.

If I heard such a rumour and
wasn’t involved, I probably would have thought; Oh, how exciting!

Just like I used to think when
reading various bits of gossip.

But I am the person involved
in this rumour.

Sigh.
Damn it.

“So, I came to try and
fix things this way.”

Ultimately, the core of the
rumour circulating among people is that I bullied Phoebe. So, Phoebe
suggested that if we showed people we were friendly, it might
undermine the basis of the rumour.

I doubted such a widely spread
rumour would settle down so easily.

But seeing Phoebe genuinely
feeling sorry and trying to fix the situation, I couldn’t say
anything negative.

‘It’s okay, Phoebe. I
don’t care.’

“Pfft. Sloppy Saint. Who
are you worried about? Do you think I care if those trashy nobodies
over there bark?”

“Well, that’s a relief, but
still.”

‘Sit down. Let’s have a
meal together.’

“Take a seat. I’m so
generous, I’ll eat with you, even though you’re a sloppy crybaby.”

“Oh. Yes! Thank you.”

Hmm. In that case, should I
order another dish for Phoebe and me?

I already felt that just one
steak wasn’t enough, so this works out well.

Lately, I’ve been feeling
constantly hungry, no matter how much I eat. This started after I
began training with Grandpa in practice mode.

Given how active I am, it’s
not like I’m going to gain weight.

Maybe this is a sign I’m
going to grow taller?!

You know how during a growth
spurt, you get a bigger appetite!

Yes! That must be the case.

It has to be!

If my guess is right, eating
well when I can is the right thing to do.

That way, I’ll be able to grow
more actively.

I can’t stay a short and
stubby kid forever!

I want to look down from
above, just like Phoebe or Joy!

“Excuse me.”

As I was looking at the menu
with a burning appetite, I heard another voice.

I was so familiar with that
voice that I knew who it was even before looking up.

‘Joy?’

“What is it, Airhead
Lady?”

Joy was there, hiding her
slightly flushed face with a fan.

That morning, Joy had heard a
rumour about Phoebe and Lucy from another lady and was so astounded
she didn’t know how to respond.

‘Lucy bullying Phoebe?
That’s impossible!

Lucy holds Phoebe so dear that
she even wore a Bunny Girl Outfit to save her!

Why would someone like that
bully Phoebe to the point of making her cry?

Besides, is Phoebe even the
type to cry from a little bullying?

She’s the Saint who wandered
through all sorts of rough places without shedding a single tear!

It makes more sense that
Phoebe might have cried tears of joy from meeting Lucy.’

Convinced it was a ridiculous
rumour, Joy told the ladies around her not to discuss such nonsense.

However, the rumours about
Lucy and Phoebe spread rapidly within the Academy. The story was
sensational, and the characters involved were famous, so it was
inevitable.

Having frequently encountered
such situations in social circles, Joy sighed countless times at the
people spouting nonsense rumours.

‘How am I supposed to
resolve this?

Considering Lady Allen’s
personality, she wouldn’t be bothered at all, but Phoebe wouldn’t be
the same.

She would surely be distressed
at the thought that she had troubled someone who helped her.

So, I need to clear up these
rumours for Phoebe’s sake. Isn’t there a good way to handle this?’

As Joy entered the restaurant
with the other ladies, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Phoebe
sitting with Lucy at a table.

‘Why are those two
together?’

Seeing Phoebe’s apologetic
expression and Lucy’s look of disdain, Joy understood the situation.

‘Ah. So they’re trying to
show that they’re on good terms like this.

Yeah, that should help prevent
the rumours from getting worse, even if just a little.

While some people will still
badmouth Lady Allen, others might say; But the two seem close?

It’s a good decision.’

Joy logically concluded this,
but her emotions were telling her something else.

‘But having the first meal
with Lady Allen is a bit…

That seat should be mine! I’ve
been eyeing it for a long time! Phoebe! Even though you are my
friend, don’t you think it’s too much to take this from me?!’

Most of Joy’s relationships
are broad yet shallow.

Given her status as the Lady
of the Partan Duke’s Family, countless people vie for a spot next to
her, but few genuinely care about someone named Joy.

What they are usually aiming
for is to be friends with Lady Partan, not Joy herself.

Joy is well aware of this.
She’s not foolish enough to be swayed by sweet nothings from those
around her.

That’s why she doesn’t
consider them real friends.

How could she call those who
would scatter like withered petals the moment the name Lady Partan
disappears, leaving her a lonely stem, her friends?

The only people she could
truly call friends until now were a few like Arthur or Phoebe, who
didn’t care about her status.

And recently, she found one
more person she wanted to add to that circle.

Lucy Allen.

The person who had saved her
life twice.

The person who reached out to
her when she was trapped in her trauma, unable to move forward.

A candid yet perhaps rude and
mischievous person who didn’t hesitate to speak her mind, even
before the Duke’s Lady.

Yet, inside, she was someone
more considerate and noble than anyone.

Joy wanted to call Lucy a
friend. She wanted to see her laugh and have fun together with her.

She had even devised a plan
for this with her brother.

First, she would ask Lucy, who
always ate alone, if she could join her for meals. Lucy would
definitely grumble something like; Can’t you even eat alone? or
Typical Sloppy Airhead Lady, but she wouldn’t drive her away.

So, all she needed to do was
start from there.

Gradually become her meal
companion.

Start chatting familiarly,
then make plans to go out together.

They could go around eating
delicious food.

During the remaining break,
she could invite her to visit their estate and have a pyjama party!

Unlike Arthur, whose behaviour
made it hard to act like a friend because of gender and political
issues, or Phoebe, who was always too busy to hang out, Lucy had no
obligatory duties.

Before she entered the
Academy, she was known as the epitome of a hooligan. If she wanted,
she could make as much time as she pleased.

In other words, if Joy could
become friends with Lucy, she could fulfil the fantasies she had
about what a friend should be, something she had gleaned from reading
many books.

So, Joy was watching for the
right moment to suggest dining together when she was with Lucy. It
was the starting point of her plan.

However, up until now, she had
only been observing.

Whenever Joy spoke to her
brother, who had given her advice, he would look frustrated but there
was nothing she could do.

What if she got rejected!

If she heard something like;
Why should I eat with you? You’ll ruin my appetite!

Her heart would shatter into
pieces!

Despite her appearance and
behaviour, Joy was too timid to take the initiative, so she was
waiting for Lucy to bring up eating together first.

Naturally, because such a
thing had never happened, Joy’s plan had not even reached its first
stage.

But now, Phoebe was about to
steal the achievement of being the first person to have a meal with
Lucy away from Joy.

Joy knew that Phoebe had no
such intentions! How could she not understand that Phoebe’s heart
held only good intentions?

Nevertheless, it was
inevitable that Joy felt envious from her perspective.

Phoebe was about to realise
something that Joy had only imagined in her heart!

‘What should I do?!

At this rate, Phoebe would
steal Lady Allen away!

They’d eat together, go out
and have fun, become close, and during the break they’d play
together, then come back in the second semester of the first grade,
calling each other by name…

No way!

I knew Lady Allen first!

I became close to her first!

I was the one waiting for the
chance to be her friend!

Even if it’s Phoebe, I can’t
let her take this away!’

With the worst-case scenario
in mind, Joy took out her fan from her pocket and asked for
permission from the other ladies around her.

She said she would go speak to
Phoebe.

No one could stop Joy, who, at
least outwardly, perfectly embodied the Duke’s Lady.

With the consent of the other
ladies, Joy began to move.

Even though she set off
impulsively, her mind was in complete chaos.

Since she said she’d go over
there, she had to go. But what should she say when she gets there?!

‘Shall I say; I’ve heard the
rumours?

No! Such words would make the
mood unnecessarily gloomy; You’re having a hard time, aren’t you?

That won’t work either!

Just pretend you don’t know
anything! Joy, you fool!

So then, what’s the best
thing to say?!’

While she was worrying over
this, she had already arrived next to Phoebe and made eye contact
with her.

“Uh, excuse me.”

“Joy?”

“What’s this, Airhead
Lady?”

Now that she had opened her
mouth, she had to say something, anything.

‘But what?

Uh, um…’

“May I join you two for a
meal?”

In the end, the words that
spilled out of Joy’s mouth were the ones she had always held in her
heart.

“Of course, Joy.”

“What’s with you, Airhead
Lady? Are you so incapable that you can’t even eat alone now? Anyway,
what are you doing? Sit down. Don’t just stand there like a fool.”

The two people who heard her
naturally made room for Joy.

‘I did it!

I really did it!’

Joy cheered inwardly as she
sat down next to them, trying to look nonchalant.

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