Chapter 8

Beep-beep―beep-beep―

Thud!

“Gah…”

With the magical device blaring like a siren, my early morning began again today.

It’s been a week since I returned to the Academy.

In that time, nothing much had changed; just the same mundane days as always.

The only difference was my morning condition.

Thanks to the energizing supplements Seldienne gifted me, I woke up feeling fresher than before.

Besides, the little bottles packed in the box could last me three whole months.

This meant I could continue my lively life at the Academy for a while.

To express my gratitude properly, I’ve been raving about Seldienne’s kindness to everyone I’ve talked to for a few days now, but for some reason, I was commanded to stop my ecstatic boasting, so I did.

It’s ridiculous to go from being attacked to singing praises, right?

Still, I managed to convey my thanks, so I shouldn’t get in trouble later.

“Hup!”

I got off the bed and started preparing my lunch for two as part of my usual routine.

This had become a repeated action for so long that it was now second nature.

Even after parting with Tirisia, I stubbornly continued this relationship, almost obsessively.

But during this past week, I found myself questioning something.

Is this really okay?

When stripped of all emotions and looked at objectively, it didn’t quite make sense for someone who’s no longer her boyfriend to take responsibility for her meals every day.

Let alone having meals together as if we were on a date?

How does her current boyfriend see this situation?

While I didn’t need to worry about the feelings of the guy who took my girlfriend, I couldn’t deny that it was a bit strange.

Tirisia was now someone else’s girl.

No matter how much I wanted to deny it, that’s the reality. I had to accept it coldly.

So I needed to be clear about what I could and couldn’t do as a friend.

My desire was simply to maintain my original life intact, so I would quietly continue what I was doing.

But Tirisia’s position could change at any moment.

If she were to ask for a change in our relationship, I’d respect her wishes without a second thought.

That would be the path she chose for her happiness.

“For now… let’s just keep it like this.”

I zipped up the thermal bag containing the lunch and muttered to myself.

However, coincidentally―

Today was the last day for that.

“Erto, I… have something to apologize for.”

“Huh? What is it?”

On the way to the Academy that morning, Tirisia spoke those words as we walked down a quiet tree-lined road.

“Starting today… I think we should have our meals separately.”

“Huh…?”

My steps froze at that moment, and Tirisia stopped as well to face me.

Her jade-green eyes scanned the thermal bag I was carrying, and then she looked down, almost as if pressured by something.

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

“…It’s okay.”

As I answered stiffly, Tirisia brushed her arm and explained herself.

“Actually… um, this morning, a senior told me… that from today on, I should come to him during lunch.”

“I see.”

Honestly, it wasn’t that surprising.

I had suspected it was something I needed to consider.

I didn’t expect we could just continue on as if nothing had happened.

The only thing that felt bad was that it was happening sooner than I’d thought, and it ended with a sudden cut.

Aah, and I had a delicious lunch ready for today.

“I’m sorry…”

“Well, it can’t be helped. If they’re calling for you.”

I nodded with a calm smile.

Tirisia couldn’t meet my gaze, apologizing in a small voice.

“I was wondering if this was okay… It was such a great help that you prepared my lunch, Erto, but… keeping on receiving your kindness could just be me being selfish… I was confused.”

“…Yeah.”

“I hope we can still be friends going forward, and I want that to remain unchanged, but… I worry that the ease with which I accept those feelings may be making it harder for you…”

“…I understand.”

She lifted her face as she spoke earnestly.

“So maybe, this is a good thing for both of us. If it’s halted forcibly, it might be easier for both you and me to accept.”

Even while rationalizing things in her mind, Tirisia still bit her lip, looking troubled.

Sigh, isn’t that just sweet? Her overly soft nature was her downfall.

I smiled at Tirisia with genuine sincerity, free of any ill intentions.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m okay.”

Truthfully, I had nothing to lose in this situation.

Everything I was meant to lose had already been taken, and there was no heart left to get hurt.

It just meant I had one less task to do in the morning.

If someone insisted on stopping it due to compelling reasons, wouldn’t that actually be a good thing?

While it felt like our bonding time during lunch was evaporating, it didn’t mean our friendship was breaking apart.

It was just making the currently ambiguous boundaries between the two of us a bit clearer,

and it was part of the true process of us parting ways.

So it was really fine.

“I’m sorry for bringing this up suddenly… I wish I had a bit more leeway.”

“No, anyway, from today on, it’s okay to do our own thing during lunch, right?”

“Yeah… you don’t have to make lunch for me anymore, Erto.”

“Got it.”

“Thank you so, so much for everything… The food you made was always so tasty.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I chuckled and began walking toward the Academy again.

“Let’s go quickly now.”

“Uh, okay.”

Tirisia quietly walked beside me with her head down.

For a while, we didn’t say anything to each other.

Just like that, we walked down the path we always took, now a bit farther apart than yesterday.

*

Now, there remains one issue to tackle.

What to do with the two servings of food I had already prepared?

With the sudden change, I didn’t know who to call for help.

It was well-known in the Academy that I packed lunch for Tirisia every day.

In other words, it was a special deal meant only for the two of us, so suddenly sharing it with someone else would make things look suspicious.

Starting tomorrow, I could just make excuses and eat alone, but today, I needed a way to deal with it.

A spot where I wouldn’t be seen by others.

And a person who would be discreet enough to share a meal there.

These were my two conditions.

“Hmm…”

While pondering in front of the thermal bag just before lunchtime, one face popped into my head.

Yeah, that person would fit all the criteria perfectly.

Ding―ding―ding―ding―

Having made my decision, I headed towards the place where she usually appeared, as the bell signaling the start of lunch rang.

*

In this Academy where students lived, the rooftop was quite an underused spot that only a few cared for.

There were dedicated lounge buildings with well-decorated rooftops and terraces, while the rooftop of the academic building was simply an empty, barren space with nothing.

You couldn’t have a picnic with a mat there because the iron fence spoiled the views, and gardens or grassy platforms were far more suitable for nobles and commoners alike, so no one really sought out the rooftop.

But there’s always a rebel in every group.

I knew that there was a lone wolf in this Academy who preferred such secretive, tranquil spaces.

“Hey, are you up here?”

As I stepped onto the rooftop and called out to her, I glanced around.

What met my eyes was a square, flat area surrounded by anti-fall fences.

There were no signs of anyone around.

“Has she not come yet?”

“Well… should I wait?”

As I closed the door and walked towards the fence to enjoy the view,

whack―

something light and small hit me on the head.

“Huh?”

When I picked up what had fallen to the ground, it turned out to be an uncooked bean.

At that moment, a voice called down from the direction above my head.

“Hey, this isn’t a place for romance.”

As I turned my head, I saw a girl casually sitting with one leg crossed over the other on a small square platform where the door was located, above the rooftop.

“Ah, hello, senior.”

I bowed my head slightly and greeted her.

With her two-toned dark blue and sky-blue bob cut and piercings in her ears,

those sharp blue eyes seemed to glare at the world while her lips were curled in a grin that looked ready to unleash a torrent of curses,

all while she awkwardly stuffed her school jacket into her sleeves, presenting a very delinquent look.

She was none other than the second-ranked student in the Academy. The ‘Iron-Blooded Sword Mistress,’ Perjena.

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