Since I had attended the banquet hosted by the royal palace last time, I didn’t feel too uncomfortable wearing a suit this time.
Of course, this time I didn’t get it from Bertia; I bought something comfortable myself.
“Gray checkered? You chose something quite un-Daniel-like, didn’t you?”
“I thought you’d wear something black like last time.”
Eve and Tana scanned me up and down as if evaluating my appearance. I had asked them just in case there was anything weird, but being looked at so closely was a bit embarrassing.
“Anyway, there’s nothing odd about it, right?”
“Yes! You Are Perfect! Anyone who says Daniel is ugly deserves a smack on the head!”
Eve was cheerfully giving me a thumbs up. I felt bad for Tana, but honestly, she was the one whose opinion I really wanted.
Tana, who was quite interested in fashion, looked around and made a slightly disappointed face.
“How about we do something with your hair?”
“My hair?”
I held the ends of my hair, which was just down like usual, feeling like it was fine as it was.
“Sit here.”
Tana kicked my chair with her foot and pointed. Once I sat down, she left the room and came back with something in her hands.
“This is hair gel. Remember using it when we did the play last time?”
The memory of the makeup team slapping stuff on my hair came rushing back when I had the role of Gerry, where I had to slick all my hair back.
It had felt gross sticking to my head.
Tana, seeming to read my mind, smirked as she stood behind me.
“Don’t worry, it won’t be like last time where it was all goopy. Just a little touch, just a little.”
Then she started messing with my hair. Eve, who had been watching off to the side, suddenly jumped up and shouted.
“Can I try it too? It looks fun!”
This isn’t for fun!
*
“Is this really right?”
Looking at my forehead clearly reflected in the mirror, I felt a strange unease. This was the first time I was trying out a new hairstyle, and it felt like my feet wouldn’t leave the ground; I felt exposed.
Still, it was time for the commitment, so I headed toward the Dueling Arena where the 5th-grade graduation party was taking place.
Eve and Tana didn’t have any close friends in the 5th grade, so they wouldn’t be attending. I told them to come along, but they said they didn’t want to.
I didn’t get why they were just hanging out in my room then.
While walking, I spotted some 3rd graders waiting for me at the entrance of the Dueling Arena.
“Daniel!”
“Come on, hurry up.”
There were Rin in a black dress matching my hair color and May in a light brown dress.
“Did you do something with your hair?”
Ares, wearing a bright suit, arrived too.
The three had already come to wait for me and stared blankly as I approached. I was going to say something because their gaze was uncomfortable, but May jumped in first and crossed her arms.
“Really, what a joke.”
“What is it…”
Feeling uneasy, I asked May back, and she slightly opened her mouth, answering with an almost sticky tone.
“You look cool usually, but today… I want to pounce on you.”
“……”
“I want to eat you up.”
“I get it, you don’t need to explain!”
How am I supposed to react to this?
I tried to shake off May’s hand in annoyance, but then my other arm got grabbed.
“Tana did this, right? I need to learn this; you look really cool today.”
If it were the past, Rin would have rushed over to Tana instead of letting May cling to me, but today, she just went along with the atmosphere.
“What are you guys doing?”
“Let’s go! There’s a lot of good food.”
“Daniel, have you danced before? Should I teach you?”
May and Rin tried to drag me along, but after a few steps, I stiffened my legs and stopped. Naturally, both of their gazes turned to me.
“Are you rebelling?”
“I can’t do it by force.”
Whatever they said, I desperately refused.
“Walking in like this will draw too much attention. One of you should walk with Ares.”
“Do you want to die?”
“Are you kidding me?”
The atmosphere turned frosty all of a sudden. Everyone was entering in pairs—male and female partners—but just me with two girls was honestly a bit much.
“I’m not saying you have to be my partner. Just walk in together… Ah! That hurts!”
They pinched my sides simultaneously. Were they seriously angry? The biting pain from both was intense.
“Alright! I get it!”
Ultimately, I couldn’t withstand their two-pronged attack, and with a sigh, I reluctantly planned to go with them, but Ares, watching from the side, proposed a solution.
*
The decorated Dueling Arena looked pretty impressive.
I heard that it was tradition for 4th graders to decorate the banquet hall for the 5th graders, almost as if telling the 3rd graders to do the same for them next year.
And many students were entering the hall.
Couples were required to enter while arm in arm, creating an atmosphere of nervous excitement.
Another pair of partners entered, but this time, the duo was a bit different from the others.
“Ugh, this is so annoying.”
“I hate it too.”
Rin swaggered in beside me, with both girls openly showing their displeasure on their faces, making it impossible for anyone nearby to casually approach them.
However, the situation behind was even more ridiculous.
Though the front looked nice with two flowers side by side,
“Do you want to do this when you have a girlfriend?”
“I can do this because I have a girlfriend.”
I entered alongside Ares.
Ares proposed the solution of entering as a mixed group—pairs of girls and boys together. It was an outcome of Ares persuading me that I couldn’t afford to show such behavior at the graduation party, considering the bad rumors circulating about my relationships.
Since we were only entering together, I didn’t need to care too much, but still, the attention was unavoidable.
“Whoa!”
“Ah, nosebleed.”
I thought the two in front would attract all the spotlight, but surprisingly, it was the 4th and 5th-grade girls focusing on us.
Noticing this, Ares widened his stride and quickened his pace.
“Over here, this way.”
“Daniel, this place!”
May and Rin had already claimed a spot up front, conspicuously leaving a gap in the middle, and their eyes began practically threatening me to sit in between them.
Ares looked at me with pity. I never expected there would come a day when I’d receive such looks from them.
“Hey, let’s go eat.”
“Where could Diana be?”
The two clung to me almost desperately. I was being pressured from both sides until I curiously asked,
“Did you both plan this together?”
“……Huh?”
“W-what do you mean?”
What are they doing?
“I mean, usually you’d growl at each other, eager to devour one another, but today you seem so in sync?”
Seeing my question, the two awkwardly avoided my gaze. It seemed like they had come to a truce, deciding to fight against me as the common enemy.
“I’m sorry, but I feel pressured. I wish you would stop.”
……I’m feeling unsettled.
As I was calmly sorting my feelings for Eris, I unexpectedly realized my heart was racing when I looked at the two.
No matter how much I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t. The feelings oddly mirrored what I had felt for Eris in my past life.
I tried to push them away a bit more forcefully, but they only stared up at me blankly.
“……What’s wrong?”
What is it, are they shocked?
But haven’t I said this multiple times before?
I already have someone I like. So please, just give up. In the end, the ones who will be hurt are the two of you.
I tried to say this again.
But then, May and Rin exchanged glances.
“Did you feel that just now?”
“No, I felt it too. I’m certain of my childhood friend senses.”
Even Ares looked at me in slight surprise. What’s going on? What is this situation?
Thinking she was hurt, May suddenly beamed, stood up, and grabbed my cheeks, leaning in close.
I was going to say something in surprise, but then—
“You like me, don’t you?”
“W-what?”
“Got it, you finally realized my charm!”
Seeing May smile in satisfaction made me go blank, and I could barely cool my flushed face before Rin rushed over.
“Daniel, look at me.”
“……N-no.”
I turned my head up to the ceiling, but Rin grabbed my chin and pulled me close.
Then she widened her eyes at me initially, then smiled enchantingly and whispered,
“This is the look you used to give Eris, huh? Hmph, hogging all the good stuff for yourself.”
Wait, are these two mind readers?
I quickly tried to shove them away and escape, but—
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today!”
The voice of the 4th grader in charge of the graduation party echoed through the banquet hall.
