episode_0011

After finishing the mock match practice and taking a shower, I returned to the podium, which transformed into a park during lunchtime.

As I sat down on a mat spread out in the shade of the trees planted here and there along the edge of the lawn, I soon saw a girl with cherry-colored twintails running towards me from the direction of the women’s dormitory.

“Hey♡”

Lucica, who had joined us under the shade, patted my head as I sat there with my back bent.

“Aha♡ You were waiting quietly like a puppy? You’re so kind, so kind♡”

“Woman, doesn’t it take a long time to shower? You came early?”

“Hoohoohoo, lunch time is short, you know♡”

“It would have been okay if you came slowly. Did you wash it properly?”

As I looked up at her with a suspicious look, Lucica smirked and knelt down next to me.

“If you’re curious, try it yourself?”

As she said that, she opened one armpit wide and slammed it into my face.

“Ugh.”

“Ahahaha♡ How is it, how is it? Does it smell? Hurry up and take a deep breath, you pervert♡”

“I was wrong.”

“You came earlier than me♡ Isn’t it dirtier for you? It’s disgusting♡”

She bit my armpit and this time she put her nose on the back of my neck.

“Go away!”

“Hmm, hmm, ahh♡ The smell of sweat♡ It’s so annoying♡”

“Then don’t take it on!”

It was truly an extremely evil act of harassment to come close to someone, smell them, and insult them.

“Erto, even showering seems sloppy♡”

“Sit down, you punk.”

“Keuhehe♡”

As I raised my index finger and pushed back her cherry-colored hair, Lucica finally took off her shoes and climbed onto the mat.

“Just as you asked, I came with my body♡”

“Yeah yeah, I worked out a lot today so I’m really hungry. Let’s eat quickly.”

As I spread out the packed lunch between the two of us, Lucica looked at each side dish with her pink eyes sparkling.

“Huh―? It’s pretty good for such a sloppy topic♡”

“It’s not that great. I just made it based on the things I eat every day.”

After finishing setting up, I handed the chopsticks to Lucica and held each other’s rice bowls in my hands.

“Okay, I’ll eat well♡”

“Eat a lot. And Lucica, we’ve known each other for a long time, but I’m sorry I couldn’t take better care of you.”

“That’s it♡ Don’t worry about me and just have a pretty love together♡”

Lucica happily savored the taste as she swept the side dishes one by one onto the rice and put them in her mouth.

“Huh, Mahiheo―♡”

“Why are you just praising me like that?”

“If you play with food, it’s useless♡ Lucy is a good girl♡”

“That’s a remark that can’t be ignored.”

I said that with a snort, but Lucica pretended not to hear me and just munched on her food.

“You did this to Tiring every day?”

“In fact, the food they eat at home is much more luxurious… but they eat it without complaint.”

“Ahahaha♡ Of course. Well, I tried my best, but if you want to date Tiring, that level of effort is a given. You know that, right?”

“That noise again? I’m sick of it.”

Lucica began her speech, waving her chopsticks like a baton.

“It’s impossible for an only daughter of a noble family, a perfect beauty with the highest ranking in the Academy, to date an ordinary, sloppy guy like Erto♡ So always be grateful and devoted, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah… ”

She’s been saying that all along, ever since I started dating Tirisia a year ago.

It’s an honor for a man of my class to date Tirisia.

Always try to repay Tirisia’s kindness.

I didn’t think it was particularly wrong, so up until now I just nodded my head.

Lucica is a childhood friend of mine and we have known each other for a long time, so we know each other very well.

This is something that could normally be laughed off.

But now that I hear those words again, I can’t help but feel somewhat complicated and bitter.

That’s… those words,

Because it felt so real.

Lucica, who had no way of knowing my true feelings, put her hand on her chest and chattered excitedly.

“I, Lucy, am truly rooting for you, so don’t disappoint me and be happy.”

“… Haha.”

“What, since Tiriring is a perfect superhuman, there’s no way he’d make a mistake, so we just have to do our best, right?”

It was completely wrong in the current situation, but since I hadn’t agreed on the timing with Tirisia yet and couldn’t reveal anything about their relationship, I could only laugh it off.

“I’ll try.”

“Be very nervous. Erto, you’re a good person, but what should I say… a manly charm? Maybe you lack numbers? There’s something like that.”

“Oh, really?”

Maybe it was because we were eating alone, but today he was the one who was nagging at me the most.

“Of course, a man who is kind and treats well is a good man… but sometimes women want a strong man who can control them and lead them roughly. Our Sseojeop is lacking in that area♡”

“Oh… That’s really helpful advice.”

“What if you act too loosely? You might get Tirriling snatched away by a handsome, tall man from another noble family?”

“Hey, hey, what are you talking about?”

“Khehehe♡ That was a bit much just now♡ Cancel♡”

A cold sweat ran down my spine at the sudden, sharp remark.

This guy, he pokes his wounds with a skewer and sprinkles salt on them?

Of course, Lucica didn’t know the inside story, so she probably didn’t say it intentionally, but every single thing she said was so true that it was laughable.

I stopped moving my chopsticks busily and asked Lucica.

“What kind of strong man is that? Tell me.”

At those words, her pink eyes rolled upwards, and her expression became one of a malicious prank.

“Huh? It’d be no fun if you just told me♡”

“What, do you want me to put a condition on it?”

“Think about it yourself♡ If you want, you can show it to me directly for practice♡”

“Oh, really?”

I immediately leaned forward and grabbed Lucica’s wrist.

“Is that what you mean?”

“in…?”

As I pushed her slender body with my other hand, her back hit the tree with a thud.

“Ah… ”

The playful face froze as if it had been splashed with cold water,

“Hey.”

Her pink eyes flinched at my low hum.

Bewilderment, fear, confusion. I looked down at the face that was a mixture of colors and said,

“Be quiet, eat something.”

He brought his lips close to Lucica’s ear, who was breathing heavily―

“Or should I just shut that mouth right now?”

In conclusion, he blurted out a line I’ve heard somewhere before.

After saying it, I thought to myself, isn’t this guy not strong, but rather, a man who melts and feels like butter?

“… ”

I raised my head to see the person’s reaction,

“… … ”

Lucica just stared blankly at me.

What are you doing with your mouth wide open like an idiot?

“Hey.”

“Ah.”

Lucica regained consciousness after being tapped on the shoulder, shook off the arm, and forced a smile.

“What, what! I’m surprised! I’m not a pervert♡ I’m just upset♡”

“…I guess this isn’t it. Well, that’s okay.”

Judging from the fact that he didn’t receive even a shred of praise, it seems like his acting was completely off the mark for a strong man.

I sat back down and resumed eating without saying a word.

“… … ”

“… … … ”

huh?

I thought it was too quiet, and Lucica was eating with her mouth tightly shut and looking at the floor.

“Hey, why did you suddenly stop talking?”

“… ”

“Hey, Mr. Lapis?”

As I waved the chopsticks in front of my face as if checking my consciousness, pink eyes glanced at me.

“Bar, go eat some rice… ”

“What?”

“, you said you were going to shut my mouth… ”

“… ”

After furrowing my brows, I smiled brightly and spoke to her.

“Will you do it?”

It was a really tiring lunch time.

*

After school,

“Heh, I had a good time today, huh♡”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

“By the way, I have a prior engagement tomorrow♡ So please give your packed lunch to someone else♡”

“I was thinking about that anyway. I was going to treat everyone I know to a meal.”

“A strong man should never show himself to others♡ Got it?”

“Are you going to do it!”

“Khehehe♡ Then bye~♡”

After saying goodbye to Lucica, who had returned to her original state of tension, I walked down the hallway to find the classroom where she was to go home with Tirisia.

The Academy’s theory classes were open to students who wanted to take them, so each student had their own schedule and the concept of having the same class did not exist.

“Let’s see… Today is Tirisia’s last lecture… ”

I was looking for a classroom, comparing the day of the week with the schedule of Tirisia in my head.

Gooong

“Huh?”

A strange sound was heard from somewhere.

… Togooo-ong

A dark, sinister, and haunting cry, as if coming from a deep, dry well.

I looked around to find the source of the sound,

“Erto Goong… ”

In the darkness of that far corner, I saw a dark woman waving her hand timidly.

A guy with an overwhelmingly large body but an infinitely small presence.

I roughly guessed at the size of her eyes hidden behind her bangs and greeted her.

“What are you doing so far away? Heidi.”

The girl with long black hair that stuck out of the ground smiled faintly as if she was amazed at her own actions and answered in a barely audible voice.

“, wouldn’t you be surprised if I greeted you up close? ”

Why doesn’t this one have a middle ground?