"Chiaki, just look around you. Are you even capable of perceiving that people are staring at us?!" (I)
Sometimes, I fear that she blends it out so thoroughly that she doesn't even notice anymore.
"Well, let them look. What do we care?" (C)
For a short moment, I stare at Chiaki, contemplating the implications of what she just said.
Then, I speak, but not before making absolutely sure that I won't be heard by anyone else but her.
"Okay, tell me honestly. This, just now... Was that just your general disinterest talking out of you, or that ancient priestess who doesn't care about the opinion of those beneath her?" (I)
Because, if it's the latter, then I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to take this.
Especially, as I don't want to be this kind of person.
Yes, maybe I should be a little bit more confident, but on the other side, I never want to become someone who's able to ignore other people and thinks of them as ants, just because I have a body that's bigger than several galaxies.
It's a rule I don't intend to cross, ever!
"You're serious about this, are you? Heck, how am I supposed to answer this? It's not like I get a notification on this. I think that it would do you good not to let others get under your skin as you usually do though. I mean, just take the sports day!" (C)
Uh, I actually have no retort for that.
That certainly didn't go great and was, in hindsight, maybe a slight overreaction of mine.
"Fine, I guess we can meet each other somewhere in between. You don't completely forget that other people matter, while I try not to rip a hole into the dimension whenever I'm slightly inconvenienced." (I)
Don't judge me!
You gotta start with baby steps!
"Alright, let's work hard on ourselves. Oh, and it might be mere chance, but it seems like our first challenge is already approaching!" (C)
I look in the direction she points and feel all my social anxiety rise up, along with other unmentionable stuff.
That group!
Those are my greatest nemeses... popular kids!
Konoe Ajanano, Tora Minozuke, and the worst of them all, Shiromi Hirana.
Our very school-assigned queen bee.
For all I know, they've been friends since long ago.
No idea how that came to pass.
Why is this group of social go-getters heading in our direction?
There are even some additional ones I don't know.
I wonder what's up with that.
"Ah, look who we got here. The dream pair the whole school is talking about." (Shiromi)
What!?
Who's talking?
And about what in particular?!
The way she said it, I doubt she meant a good old, purely platonic, sandbox friendship.
"Awh, that's so nice of you!" (C)
"That wasn't-... You know what? Sure! I mean, everyone saw it. Yet next time, you shouldn't make out together in front of the whole school." (Sh)
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
What in every dimension's hell!?
Since when did it turn into this?!
"I-it was just a single peck to the cheek!" (I)
"Ah, she can talk. I already assumed that she went mute." (Sh)
"Hey, can we stop here? That's not particularly fun." (K)
"No! First, I want an apology for the cheating and the public disturbance they caused with their debauchery!" (Sh)
Excuse me, what!?
Cheating?!
Debauchery!?!
"Awh, are you still going about this? You already went about this so long yesterday that I thought my ears might fall off." (C)
"You little... You know what you did! And even worse, what you did afterwards."(Sh)
"Ehm, may I know what this even is about?" (I)
"Ah, finally emerging from Chiaki's shadow? You are a hard-to-come-by girl, Iori Nomia." (Sh)
Why the heck would you want to come by me if you're not a cultist?!
"Yet that might just be because you fear the public even worse after this 'memorable finale' of our sports festival. Yet you were nowhere to be found." (Sh)
"Ehm, sorry? I tend to leave early after the last ring." (I)
Which sounds absolutely reasonable to me.
Who in their right mind sticks around at school?
Can this be over now?
Please?
"You better be. In the first place, it's unbecoming not to attend any clubs or social activities after school. Even Sora here is at least going somewhere." (Sh)
Oh, don't get at me with peer pressure.
Is there any way I could cut this talk short?
Well, mindmagic, obviously an option, but aside from that?
"If you were looking for Iori, is there anything you want from her?" (C)
Oh, great. Chiaki got involved. With some luck, now I can just hide myself behind her back.
"Oh, simply planned to send my congratulations. After all, she made quite the show last week, after you had to mock our whole sports day with your little display of public indecency." (Sh)
Yeah, you didn't even see a fragment of its true unholy depths.
"Ehm, thank you, I guess. Can we go now?" (I)
"We all were also dying to know if the rumors are true. You two, a couple, really?" (Sh)
"Could you please stop focusing on Iori? You should know she's no people person. Yet to answer you, I honestly don't know what that would matter to you," (C)
"Ah yeah, come to defend your little lover." (Sh)
LOVER!?!
What the heck!?
Oh, cool, no quake.
"Wha-wha-what are you talking about? We are friends! And I don't feel like discussing my relationships with people I barely know!" (I)
Especially, as I can't quite tell.
Neither confirm nor deny it.
Recently, Chiaki was a bit well, let's call it affectionate.
While I do believe she was also teasing me, she certainly crossed some borders that go beyond a mere prank.
And I don't mean in a negative way.
Rather, I think she went so far that it couldn't just have been that.
"Then I suppose I just fell for a rumor. Thinking about it, this makes the most sense. After all, it's quite unbelievable that she'd ever choose someone like you." (Sh)
"What are you talking about?! Iori is the best! She'd fight literal gods and worse for me!" (C)
"I fear you're using the word 'literal' wrong here, Chiaki." (Sh)
No.
No, she did not.
"Shiromi, please. That isn't necessary." (K)
"Aren't you as well upset about her? You complained the whole time how she stole your win." (Sh)
"I don't want to come across as a sore loser, so let's just stop it here." (K)
"Hey, why don't we all make up? Iori can apologize, and we're all friends again." (T)
Why would I have to apologize for winning?!
On the other side, actually, he might have a point, given how I won through not exactly rule-conforming means.
Yet it's not like I could admit to this here.
"Look, it was a big coincidence that I got the headband, and mostly because my team was literally carrying me. But can we please stop making this such a big thing?" (I)
"That's for sure! You're by far the least capable person I know if it's about body control! To think you even got till the finale!" (K)
"In any case, that you got such an indecent relationship with Chiaki is probably the far bigger thing. You can be glad the teachers didn't already call you out on this." (Sh)
"Wh-why would they? Nothing happened yet." (I)
"Yet... It would be too bad if someone would mention it to them. As well as all the things you two did in the storage room." (Sh)
Excuse me?
WHAT!?!
"S-storage room? Nothing happened in any storage room." (I)
"Oh, but I heard differently. At least, that's what I'm gonna tell." (Sh)
Th-this girl!
"Hey! We won, you lost. That you're ganging up on Iori like this only shows how petty you are!" (C)
"You bitch!" (Sh)
"Hey!" (I)
Oh shit, that was the wrong tone.
Time to bail out of this.
"We're going now, Chiaki." (I)
"Yeah, just take your power lesbian with you! I heard the broom closet is free right now!" (Sh)
Yeah, my patience got officially sucked into a black hole.
That last one got me a bit too hard.
By making use of the stunned silence, I manage to drag us two past them and in the direction of our classroom.
Though there's definitely one more thing I got to do.
- Occultism club! We are doing it this weekend! No more delay! It's time for a lesson!
This should do it.
Well, and quite a bit of mindmagic, to entice them.
I've simply had enough.
I won't feel bad about giving them the scare of their life.
After all, it's all for a good cause.
But for now, I definitely want to reach my seat before anything else comes up.
Yet once I reach it, who do I find at the other end of the room?
The demon who abandoned me with the water angel!