Chapter 2: The Intruder
Time passed, and it was after school.
While many students were heading to the arena for the ranking match, I was making my way to the student council room. On the way, I ran into a junior I wasn’t particularly eager to meet.
“Ah, Rourke-senpai.”
“Ugh.”
“That reaction hurts, senpai.”
I couldn’t help but grimace, and my junior, Tsukikage Akari, expressed her dissatisfaction, though her expression didn’t match her words. If anything, she seemed rather amused.
“I saw your last match. It was really interesting.”
“That’s not exactly a compliment I can take at face value.”
What do you mean by “interesting”?
I couldn’t tell if she was praising me or mocking me. Her choice of words left me with an indescribable expression.
“It’s a compliment, senpai.”
“Then make it clearer next time.”
I sighed as Akari chuckled teasingly. She tilted her head, looking at me with a hint of concern.
“By the way, senpai, you seem a bit down. Did something happen?”
“If I had to say, I’m worried you might go wild again like you did during the ranking match.”
“I just wanted to see how the academy would react. But honestly, I’ve been reflecting on it.”
It seemed that after that incident, Leia and the others had properly scolded her. Akari’s expression showed genuine remorse.
“That’s good. Just don’t do anything like that again. It gives me chills.”
“Okay, I’ll be careful.”
“Good. And get along with your friends, alright?”
Akari nodded obediently, and I quickly ended the conversation, walking briskly down the hallway. Among the first-year students, she was clearly an anomaly. The best course of action was to get away as fast as possible.
“…………”
“…………”
As I continued toward the student council room, I could hear footsteps following me at a steady distance.
“……Um.”
“What?”
I turned around to see Akari standing there, smiling cheerfully, not too far behind me.
“……Why are you following me?”
“You don’t seem to be heading to the arena, so I was wondering where you’re going.”
“……………”
Though she was smiling, her eyes were sharp, as if she wouldn’t let me escape. I couldn’t help but feel pressured.
“……Are you that curious?”
“Yeah, I’m really curious about you, Rourke-senpai.”
“……I’m going to the student council room.”
Her words could easily be misinterpreted, and I hesitated slightly. But if she followed me all the way to the student council room, it would be a hassle, so I decided to be honest about my destination.
“Is it the same reason the second-year students, third and fourth place, were summoned recently?”
“Maybe. I think it’s a bit different in my case.”
Considering that this was related to the Great Spirit Martial Arts Festival, they were probably summoned for positive reasons, while I felt like I was being summoned for something negative.
Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve rarely been called to the student council room for good reasons.
“Can I come with you?”
“No, of course not.”
What would you even do if you came? Do you want to see me get scolded by Misha?
“Aww.”
“Instead of following me, you should go watch the ranking match. That’s way more meaningful.”
“Not really.”
“Yes, it is. Come on, just go. Watching the ranking match is the most worthwhile thing you can do.”
The students’ serious battles are always fascinating to watch, and there’s a lot to learn. Especially for someone like me, who’s still figuring things out, watching the students strategize during the ranking match often gives me new ideas.
“Ehh, I want to go with you, senpai.”
“Enough. Just go.”
“Oh my, what an unusual pair.”
Just as I was trying to shoo Akari away, I heard the voice I least wanted to hear at that moment. Turning my gaze past Akari, I saw Misha standing there, holding some documents. She must have been on her way to the student council room as well.
“What were you two talking about?”
“I was just about to—”
“I was telling her to go watch the ranking match!”
“I see. That’s very like you, senpai, to give such good advice.”
I quickly cut Akari off before she could say anything unnecessary, and Misha nodded in agreement.
I excused myself to Misha and quickly grabbed Akari’s head, pulling her close to whisper.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll do anything you want later, but for now, just go back, okay? Seriously.”
“……! Alright. That’s fine.”
“Wait, I didn’t mean anything. Let’s set some conditions—”
“Student Council President, I’ll be going now. See you later, senpai.”
I had carelessly said “anything” in the heat of the moment, but dealing with her unconditionally was a bad idea.
I tried to backtrack and set some conditions, but by then, she had already left my side, walking past Misha with a cheerful smile.
She moved so quickly and quietly that I didn’t even have time to call out to her.
“…………”
“You look a bit pale. Are you okay?”
“Ahaha, I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Misha looked at me with concern, and I forced a smile to reassure her. In reality, I was far from fine…
“You’ve heard from Sena, right? I was planning to discuss this with you in the student council room, but if you’re not feeling well, we can do it another day.”
“I’m fine, totally fine. No problem.”
“……? Alright then.”
Misha gave me a puzzled look but seemed to accept my answer. She then said, “Let’s go,” and started walking.
I followed silently behind her.
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“Please, have a seat over there.”
“Thank you.”
Upon entering the student council room, I sat down on the guest sofa as Misha directed.
While Misha busied herself with something in the back, I took the opportunity to look around the room.
I’m no art expert, but the walls and shelves were adorned with what looked like high-end furnishings. Trophies and certificates from the Great Spirit Martial Arts Festival were also neatly displayed, adding to the room’s elegance.
Wait a minute, now that I think about it, this situation is just me and Misha alone in a confined space.
The realization hit me—being alone in a room with a beautiful girl, especially a princess, sent my tension skyrocketing.
“Here you go.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Misha returned with two cups of tea, placing one in front of me before taking a seat opposite me. I thanked her nervously, and Misha’s expression softened as if she found my stiffness amusing.
“Hehe, what’s wrong? Just act like you normally do.”
“Ah, haha… right.”
Wait, how do I usually act around Misha?
My brain short-circuited from the tension, and I momentarily forgot how I usually behaved. Besides, is it really okay for a princess to be alone in a room with a guy? Though, if I were to try anything untoward, Misha’s strength would ensure I’d be saying goodbye to this world.
My mind was in a state of mini-panic.
“……I’ve been thinking this since earlier, but are you feeling unwell?”
“No, no, I’m just trying to show my respect as a citizen.”
“That feels a bit late…”
Misha gave me a slightly exasperated look, but it seemed I managed to hide my inner turmoil.
“By the way, you were talking with Tsukikage-san earlier. What were you discussing?”
“Ah, that was… hmm, what was it again?”
“Hmm, it seems like something serious happened.”
“Well… actually, it’s more like something’s about to happen.”
“……?”
I muttered with a distant look, and Misha, unaware of the situation, tilted her head in confusion as she sipped her tea.
“Speaking of which, who is she? From what I saw during the ranking match, she’s no ordinary person, right?”
“She was recommended to the academy. As for the entrance exam, she actually in practical skills scored higher than Valhart-san, who’s the top of our class, in the practical portion.”
“Seriously…”
Leia is already a standout among the first-years, but to think Akari surpassed her in the practical exam…
But if she was recommended, does that mean she’s from a prominent family? I don’t know much about the eastern regions, so I’m not sure…
The topic of Akari helped me regain my composure, and I sipped the tea Misha had prepared. I’m not much of a tea connoisseur, but this one tasted good.
“How is it?”
“It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Misha smiled happily as she took another sip.
We sat in silence for a while, enjoying our tea, but Misha eventually set her cup down and turned serious.
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