episode_0132

I am currently the happiest person in the academy… no, on the continent. The reason is the soft sensation at the back of my head and the slender fingers stroking my hair.

“…….Sleeping?”

Ah, that also includes the beautiful voice whispering in my ear.

If this isn’t heaven, then what else could be called heaven?

It feels like over a month has passed since I started using Johanna’s lap as my exclusive pillow, but I’ve never grown tired of it.

When I first saw Johanna. I never even imagined we’d become this close.

Before I came here, she was just my unilaterally admired favorite. When I first met her, it was so good to see her in person, and before I knew it, we had become close enough for me to comfortably lie on her lap like this.

I don’t know how to describe Johanna’s and my relationship right now either.

In the two months I’ve actually seen and talked with Johanna here, I’ve learned more about her than I did in ten years of playing the game.

While I was thinking about Johanna’s and my relationship, Johanna asked again.

“…….Sleeping?”

Lest I might have fallen asleep, she spoke in a quieter voice than before.

That small consideration made the corner of my lips curl up slightly.

“Not sleeping yet.”

After speaking, I realized it might have been fun to pretend to be asleep instead of answering Johanna.

“….Mm.”

It must be my imagination that I sensed a hint of disappointment in Johanna’s voice when she heard I wasn’t asleep yet.

With my eyes closed, my entire body surrendered to Johanna, I had many conversations with her.

“Senior~ How’s academy life these days?”

“Ordinary. You?”

“Mine’s ordinary too.”

“Ordinary is good.”

“That’s true. I also like it best when things are as ordinary and peaceful as they are now.”

“Later, when we’re on patrol, shall we buy a skewer and eat it while we walk around?”

“You shouldn’t eat during patrol…”

“Aw, don’t say such stiff things. If only Senior and I are quiet, no one will find out, right?”

“….. Just one, then.”

“One on the way there, one on the way back. How’s that?”

“…………..Mm.”

“………. So it was really a shame yesterday, you know. We could have reached Professor-nim, if only our teamwork hadn’t gotten messed up at the very end.”

“You’ll succeed next time.”

“Gasp! Is Senior cheering me on right now?”

“Mm.”

“I feel like I could fight Professor Alicia right now and win. Should I go find her at the faculty office right away?”

“No. This is time for you to lie with me.”

“Okay~.”

“But this posture right now, anyone would see that only I’m lying down, wouldn’t they?”

“…. I’m stretching my legs out too.”

“Is that so~?”

“It is.”

“A thought just occurred to me. Our current position is commonly called a lap pillow, right?”

“Mm.”

“But the part where my head is currently resting is closer to your thigh than your knee, so shouldn’t we call it a thigh pillow instead of a lap pillow?”

“…….. Pervert.”

“Why???”

As we talked about various topics, the conversation eventually turned to my hair.

Johanna took hold of my hair and opened her mouth.

“….. Your hair, it’s gotten much longer.”

“I thought so too. I checked last night, and my bangs were starting to poke my eyes.”

When training or attending classes, I wear a mask, so my bangs weren’t particularly bothersome.

But when I woke up and tried to wash, or when I was lying on Johanna’s lap without my mask, like now, my bangs were annoying.

‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t cut my hair since coming to the academy.’

A sudden curiosity struck me.

How had Johanna’s hair changed compared to when I first met her?

The way to satisfy my curiosity was simple.

I opened my closed eyes to relax more fully. And then.

As if she had been looking at me continuously, my eyes met Johanna’s.

I had opened my eyes to look at her hair, but my gaze became fixed on Johanna’s eyes.

“”……………………””

Both Johanna and I simply stared at each other without a word.

Johanna’s blue eyes were so clear that I could see myself in them.

Forgetting even the flow of time, Johanna and I gazed into each other’s eyes.

Johanna was the first to turn her head and avoid my gaze.

Only then did I shift my gaze to Johanna’s hair. Johanna’s hair was the same as when I first met her.

When I first met her… no, her platinum blonde hair was still as beautiful as when I first saw it in the game.

Even though I saw it every day, I found myself staring blankly for a moment.

“Senior, where do you get your hair cut?”

“They send someone from home.”

As expected, a ducal family is different.

I had only expected them to go to a famous place, but I never thought someone would come directly.

Or perhaps it’s more natural for someone to come if it’s a ducal family?

I should ask Clara a bit later.

She’ll probably ask why I’m curious about such a thing at first, but if I keep pressing her, she’ll obviously answer.

“And you?”

“I usually cut it myself.”

Perhaps surprised to hear that I cut my own hair, Johanna looked at me with slightly widened eyes.

“Yourself?”

“I cut it better than you’d think, right?”

“Mm.”

While ordinary people are more likely to mess up when they cut their own hair, I have a special ability.

It means I can simulate how it will turn out if I cut it a certain way.

“When it gets too long, it’s hard to cut, so I used to trim it once a week, but after coming to the academy, I’ve been busy with various things and forgot to cut it.”

“It suits you well even now.”

Johanna said, stroking my hair.

“Should I take this opportunity to grow it out?”

“That’s good too.”

“What about cutting it really short?”

“That’s good too.”

“Mohawk?”

“………That’s good too.”

At this point, isn’t that just a macro?

Johanna would probably say ‘that’s good’ no matter what I said.

“Bald?”

“……………..”

Looks like bald is not good.

“Senior, is there any hairstyle you’d like?”

“Will you do whatever I want?”

“Why not? Senior is the only one who’s seen my face anyway. You’re also the only one I can ask about a hairstyle that suits my face.”

“…………..”

Johanna turned her head, avoiding my gaze.

She seemed to be thinking deeply.

An awkward silence, neither short nor long, flowed, and Johanna opened her tightly closed lips.

“I like it best as it was when we first met.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm.”

“Then I just need to cut it to this length.”

“Can I watch when you cut your hair?”

“It doesn’t matter, but I don’t think it’ll be a very interesting spectacle.”

“I still want to watch.”

Even after this, I didn’t fall asleep and had many conversations with Johanna.

Although I knew in my head that I needed to sleep for rest, I couldn’t stop talking with Johanna.

.

.

‘Tomorrow, finally.’

Yesterday, I had Sepia learn all the patterns, and I finished my own preparations as well. I had also contacted them in advance, and I received the item I requested from Professor Idra a month ago, yesterday.

‘Ah, right. I forgot to tell Johanna.’

I had originally intended to tell her as soon as we met today, but talking was so enjoyable that I forgot.

“Senior.”

“Mm.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to train tomorrow.”

Tomorrow is the weekend, so I won’t be going to the academy, but even without going to the academy, I’ve continued my morning training.

“Why?”

Tomorrow is the day Sepia finally gets her revenge.

But I couldn’t tell Johanna this.

Even if it’s Johanna, I couldn’t carelessly reveal Sepia’s revenge.

But I also didn’t want to lie to Johanna.

In the end, all I could do was say something that wasn’t a lie, but was far from the truth.

“I probably have to go somewhere tomorrow morning.”

“I want to go too.”

Johanna said firmly, without the slightest hesitation.

If what I was doing tomorrow wasn’t just Sepia’s revenge, I would have gone with Johanna.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can go with Senior this time.”

At my firm voice, Johanna frowned her beautiful brows and spoke.

“What if I say I’m still going?”

If Johanna doesn’t listen to me and follows along…

‘Indeed, what *can* I do?’

Stop Johanna by force?

Winning aside, there’s no way I could wield a weapon against Johanna.

If Johanna didn’t listen to me and followed me, all I could do was…

“Then I’d be a little sad, wouldn’t I?”

Even I thought it was an idiotic answer, but.

The effect was tremendous.

“Then I won’t go.”

As I looked at her with slightly surprised eyes, Johanna gently stroked my hair.

“……Don’t get hurt.”

I never said anything about fighting, so how did she know?

“Heh heh heh.”

“Don’t even think about laughing it off. If it looks like you’re going to get hurt, I’ll follow you.”

I feel bad for Johanna, who’s worrying about me, but having someone worry about me like this is more pleasant than I thought.

“Don’t worry. My role this time isn’t an actor; it’s a director and an audience member.”

Avoiding Johanna’s gaze, who was tilting her head and looking at me as if she didn’t understand my words, I checked the clock and closed my eyes.

‘Now I really need to sleep.’

The morning training I do with Johanna is, in name, morning training, but it’s more accurate to call it dawn training.

A little later, when I wake up, I’ll do student council work with Johanna, wash up in the dormitory, and then go to the academy.

It’s very tough, but I have no intention of skipping the morning training I do now.

I’d rather skip academy classes.

“Sleep well.”

“Yes.”

With the red cloak as a blanket, Johanna’s lap as a pillow, and the occasional sound of her breathing as a lullaby, I fell asleep.