episode_0003

The woman who came out to the terrace walked up to the railing and began to look at the scenery beyond.

Judging by their reaction, it seemed like they didn’t even notice I was there.

It wasn’t strange since the terrace was quite wide and I was standing in a corner… The existence of women became a source of concern for me.

Because the woman’s mood seemed too unusual to just ignore it.

Is it better to pretend to be popular, or is it better to avoid the place? A thought like this settled in my head.

“Ha… … .”

The woman sighed loudly.

A deep sigh and a wandering look in your eyes. It seemed clear that there was something troubling.

And at the same time, my concerns deepened with that action.

But in the end, it was a useless worry.

“Ah.”

Because they noticed me from over there.

“… … .”

“… … .”

An awkward silence filled the terrace.

Her reaction was somewhat static.

At first, my eyes dilated a little, but they soon returned to normal.

Instead, embarrassment and a little embarrassment took over her face.

On the other hand, I was equally embarrassed.

“… Hello.”

At that time, she spoke first.

Is this an effort of its own to break the awkwardness?

“Hello.”

Since I wasn’t the type of person to ignore a greeting from someone I met for the first time, I also greeted them face to face.

the problem is… … .

“… … .”

“… … .”

It could be said that since then, silence has come again.

What should I do?

Would it be better to find a plausible excuse and step down now?

No, I’ve been talking to you from the other side, but wouldn’t it be too rude to leave immediately?

As a soul born in the land of etiquette in the East, I couldn’t behave in a manner that went against etiquette, so I decided to continue the conversation for now.

“… I can see the stars clearly.”

… Although the words I spoke were not very good.

‘I should have just gone… … .’

I wish I had said something more correct, but I thought it was too random.

I closed my eyes tightly at my miserable conversational skills.

“… That’s right.”

Fortunately, the woman accepted my words.

He even made a gesture of raising his head and looking up at the sky.

That kindness almost brought tears to my eyes.

Anyway, the woman and I ended up looking up at the night sky together.

The sight of twinkling stars and soft moonlight decorating the night sky was certainly a beautiful sight… … .

“… … .”

“… … .”

That didn’t even erase the awkwardness that lingered on the terrace.

At this point, I just blanked out my mind.

I decided to just let it go.

Because I decided that it was impossible to resolve this awkward situation with my friendliness.

I lost my mind and looked blankly at the sky.

“… Why are you in a place like this? The banquet is in full swing.”

The other side spoke first.

I cautiously rolled my eyes and looked around, and it seemed like they had quite regained their composure.

As for me, it was still very awkward, but I couldn’t ignore the conversation that was taking place.

“I don’t really like crowds of people.”

There was no reason to hide it, so I answered honestly.

“… Are you coming to the academy to learn?”

“No. That’s not true.”

“Then… ?”

Her head, which was pointing towards the sky, turned this way.

What I saw at first glance in those eyes was puzzlement.

If you avoid the banquet on your own, I don’t think you came to the academy for networking purposes, but if it’s not for learning, I wonder which one it is.

“Hmm… I just happened to come here.”

“Does this mean you didn’t come because you wanted to?”

“Well, it’s similar.”

“… … .”

After hearing my answer, she looked at me quietly, then turned her head away from the terrace again.

Then, without saying a word, he just looked straight ahead.

How long had it been like that? When the still chilly night breeze blew across the terrace a couple of times, she opened her mouth again.

“I came here because I wanted to.”

“I see.”

If it’s obvious, it’s obvious. On the contrary, it would be extremely rare for someone like me to come to the academy even though they didn’t want to.

However, I thought she had her own reason for saying this, so I waited without saying anything.

“I was so frustrated with the situation I was in that I wanted to do something. I thought that if I came to the academy, I might see some possibility.”

“I see.”

“But… Now that I’m here, I’m not sure. I don’t know what to do specifically, and I don’t know if I really have the power to change this situation… I’m not sure.”

As she continued talking, her eyes gradually sank.

“Maybe everything is just a meaningless struggle. Maybe I just have no choice but to face the future that was planned for me. I often think like that.”

“… … .”

I don’t know why she was talking about her personal circumstances to me, whom I just met for the first time.

It could be because of the disappointment I encountered just before, or because of the drunkenness I drank in a fit of anger, or because I was trying to break up the awkward atmosphere and ended up unintentionally bringing up unnecessary things.

Maybe it’s all of that.

The woman who was talking with heavy eyes soon smiled shyly.

“I’m sorry. Even though it was our first meeting, I ended up saying something too heavy─”

“It could be so.”

“… … ?”

“Perhaps, as you just said, you may fail to achieve your goal.”

“… … .”

The woman’s expression darkened at the words I spat.

“But… Maybe not.”

“… … .”

The woman raised her head again. What was reflected in those eyes was puzzlement.

Instead of looking directly into his eyes, I continued talking with my head still facing out to the terrace.

“To be honest, I don’t know what the future will be like right now.”

To put it bluntly, I could say that I know the future, but that is only to a limited extent, and it can change as much as I want. Without going too far, my very existence is like a mass of variables.

“So, I don’t think there is any need to despair and fear a future that hasn’t arrived yet.”

There is no answer sheet in life.

That goes for everyone.

So, all humans can do is do their best to live in the present.

“If you give up just because the situation is difficult, you won’t really be able to change anything.”

Rather than getting scared, giving up, and later regretting that you should have tried, it is better to try, even if it seems reckless.

Even if it is nothing more than a meaningless struggle.

“Where I used to live, there is a saying that getting started is half the battle.”

“… … ?”

“It may change slightly depending on the interpretation, but roughly speaking, the meaning is that starting anything is the most difficult.”

I turn my gaze away from the outside and look at the woman.

He continues speaking while looking into eyes that emit a faint light.

“You entered the academy on your own in order to somehow change the situation. Now that you’ve taken the hardest step, the rest may surprisingly not be as difficult as you think.”

“… … .”

The woman looked at me quietly.

‘… ‘I guess I’m in too much form.’

It’s not that there was any other meaning.

Anyway, it was fate that we met like this, so I don’t know the details, but I thought it would be good to cheer her up, so I thought I would say something nice.

Because I didn’t talk much, the results weren’t very good.

I just hope that he won’t be seen as a ‘guy who pretends to be arrogant and gives advice when he doesn’t know anything.’

“… okay. Well begun is half done… … .”

She muttered as if she was thinking about it, then immediately raised her head.

“… thank you. I feel a little more at ease.”

Fortunately, the woman didn’t seem to listen too badly to what I said.

“Nothing to say.”

The woman smiled faintly, and I smiled back.

“… The banquet is coming to an end soon.”

“Oh, I guess so.”

Time passed like that before I knew it.

When the woman first came here, she was confused, but thanks to her, she seemed to lose track of time.

So, should I say that meeting a woman like this was a good thing?

“Well, thank you.”

“That’s me.”

Just like that, we parted ways, and the banquet and day came to an end.

***

I have said before that admission to the academy is like the signal that the original story begins.

However, just because the academy semester began did not mean dramatic events occurred immediately.

For now, the form of daily life has only changed slightly.

“So, have you decided on a club?”

About two weeks had passed since the semester started and I was getting used to the changed daily life.

While eating at a restaurant during lunch time, which was no different from usual, Jack suddenly said something like that.

“No, not yet. What about you?”

“I… Well, roughly.”

Jack’s expression darkened.

The club seemed to have been decided, but it didn’t seem to be in the direction I really wanted.

Since he didn’t come forward and say something, he didn’t seem to want to talk, so I decided not to ask any more questions.

“Why is it mandatory to join that damn club? I wish I could just leave it alone.”

“That’s right.”

In a rare occurrence, he expressed agreement with what Jack said.

There is a rule that students at the academy must join at least one club.

As someone who wanted to spend my time at the academy as leisurely as possible, it was an unpleasant rule.

“What do you mean, you don’t have to go in with your lady?”

Jack asked, as if something had occurred to him.

And I calmly shook my head.

“You don’t have to.”

At the Academy, people from all over the world gather, but just as the word ‘delay’ does not exist for nothing, people with the same background often come together.

This isn’t the case for everyone, but it’s safe to say that it applies to most nobles.

Well, it’s not that I don’t understand because it’s a relationship that is or will be intertwined somehow.

Anyway, if you look at her behavior, it doesn’t seem that way, but Mary is also a noblewoman, and there’s nothing she can do about that, and the club will be an extension of that, so I can’t get involved.

“Hmm. Is that so?”

Jack nodded calmly in response to my answer.

After taking in that sight, I concentrated on eating again.

***

One day a few days later.

I went to a building at the academy located in a fairly secluded area.

To solve problems related to the club.

Lately, I’ve been quite busy looking for clubs.

Of course, I had no intention of joining just any club.

My goal was to join a club with as few people and activities as possible.

However, it was unlikely that such a sweet club would be rolling around on the streets, so it was not easy to find a suitable club even if I wandered around.

Meanwhile, I came across information about a club.

The moment I saw the name ‘Historical Research Association’, I felt a certain emotion.

This club smells like honey.

There was no specific information such as number of people or composition, and the only information I could get was that there was a poor building in the old club building that was no longer in use, but even that part made my heart swell with anticipation.

That’s why I ran all the way here in just a month.

I entered the building, feeling the unique atmosphere of an old building, and after walking for a few minutes, referring to the guide map, I arrived at my destination.

In front of the door with the words ‘Historical Research Society’ written above.

I carefully knocked on the dark brown door that felt old.

Knock-

… I knocked and waited a bit, but there was no response.

I wondered if the sound was too small, so I knocked a few more times with a bit more intensity, but there was no response.

Is there no one inside?

In that case, I thought it might be better to go back, but I felt like it was a waste to come this far, so I decided to check inside at the risk of being rude.

I like it─

As the hinges that had worn out over time screamed, I took in the sight inside the room.

‘… There are a lot of books.’

That was my impression of the scene.

library… Even if it wasn’t that bad, most study rooms were lined with bookshelves so densely packed with books that you couldn’t even put out a business card.

And in the center of the room, a table and chairs that felt like time were neatly placed.

Lastly, there was a door inside the room.

“… … .”

Are there really no people?

Or should I check inside that door?

No, I still think it would be very rude to go that far.

After thinking about it for a while, I finally came to the conclusion that I should come back next time, and when I was about to turn around, the door inside suddenly opened.

“Oh my, a guest has arrived.”

The person who appeared from inside with a gentle voice was a beautiful woman with a soft appearance, with black hair that had grown down to her waist.

Judging by the color of his tie, he is a third grader.

Although I was a little surprised by his unusual appearance, I immediately opened my mouth.

“Oh, excuse me. I knocked, but there was no response… … .”

“No. Rather, it’s something I should apologize for. sorry. I guess I couldn’t hear it because I was inside.”

We bowed our heads to each other in a rather gentle atmosphere.

Just like my first impression, she seemed like a soft and gentle woman.

I said I had finished apologizing, and judging by the reaction, I thought I could get to the point, so I opened my mouth again.

“The reason why I came here is─”

“Like.”

“… Yes?”

The conversation took a turn in such an unexpected direction that I ended up asking myself a question reflexively.

“You came because of the club, right? You are welcome to join.”

“… It’s true that I came because of that, but… … .”

I was planning on going in if I liked the contents.

However, it was difficult to honestly react even when I heard such things without knowing anything about what kind of activities they were doing or what the rules were.

“Then shall we fill out the application? Did you bring it?”

“No. Before that─”

“It’s okay even if you forgot. Because I have extra applications.”

The woman continued talking without giving me a chance to speak.

Although her tone was gentle throughout, I felt a strange sense of pressure in the woman’s actions.

‘I don’t feel good.’

Thinking that it would be better to seriously think about joining here, I decided to leave for now.

“Then something urgent came up, so I’ll come back again later─”

“Oh, I am the only member of the club, and there is no specific activity content. Of course there is nothing you have to do.”

“… … .”

“Do you just need to show your face once every few days?”

After explaining this, the woman smiled softly.

“Would you like to join?”

“… Of course.”

The club I was looking for was right here.