Chapter 21.2

I could actually tell them I was resigning at this very moment. Without the shared link of club activities between us, I would not have any reason to encounter Noah or Flora again. Then we would deviate naturally according to the contents of the prophetic book.

“Hm? What’s the matter?”

But as soon as I saw Flora’s face, all the scenes of bullying that she was to face flashed past my eyes.

And I felt terribly guilty.

Oh, Flora… Flora.

“W-wow, that’s great!”

Swallowing back tears on the inside, I smiled, even going as far as to give her a thumbs up.

“Right? I knew you would appreciate the news too.”

As expected, Flora smiled at me like she was the happiest person in the world. So bright, in fact, that I even wondered if she was doing that on purpose so that I couldn’t say anything else.

“Whoops, I better go in now. Bye, Kate.”

“Bye.”

Following behind Flora, Noah also said his goodbye and waved at me.

With a half-given-up expression, I waved goodbye to them, and when I could no longer see them, I sat down on the spot.

Gah, you nosy girl.

“Ugh…”

You fool.

Squatting on the floor, I ripped at my hair.

No, but honestly, if you had an idea that someone you knew was going to be bullied, only psychopaths would pretend not to be aware of it.

You have to keep an eye on them bit by bit, and if it gets really bad, you secretly help them avoid it.

No matter what I felt, I couldn’t just let Flora get bullied. No, that would be the end of humanity.

That’s right, let’s not hit ourselves over the head too much. It isn’t too late yet. If it really gets disgustingly bad, then let’s go ahead and resign.

“Oh.”

I’m going to be late for the opening ceremony.

After abruptly checking my watch in the midst of my passionate self-rationalization, I grabbed my bag and dashed into the main building.

“Why are you so late? Did you see how the professor was frowning at you?”

“No way, we haven’t even started yet.”

I slumped down on the chair that my friends had thankfully saved for me, giving them a smile.

“Your arm…” Mallory murmured, covering her mouth.

If my arm injury was this summer’s biggest news, how boring of a summer had you spent?

“As you can see, it’s fine.”

When I raised up my arm with the thin scar on it for her to see, Mallory nodded and continued speaking. “Echo said that monsters appeared in your fief, so Noah came to subdue them?”

Dora whipped her head around, her eyes lit up with interest. “What? You didn’t mention that.”

I waved my hands to tell her to calm down. “No, so what happened was….”

Ring. Ring. Ring.

As soon as the glass bell rang out clearly, the noisy students immediately shut their mouths like clams. Myself included.

“Welcome, everyone. Have you had a good time during your one month of vacation?”

The principal, coming up to the podium, began his speech with a kind face.

Perhaps because he couldn’t see the reproach within the eyes of his students, his speech went on and on for many more minutes.

About the time people’s eyes were starting to droop, I stretched out my body and hung loosely on my chair.

Sir, I’m not interested in what the future vision for this academy is.

I was looking around in search of a clock, wondering when we were going to eat lunch, when it happened.

“Shoot!”

Gloria’s icy blue eyes were looking at me, from a few rows ahead.

For a second, it felt like I’d been struck by lightning. Not even lying, I nearly screamed.

I only barely kept it in because I didn’t want to commit social suicide in front of the entire student body.

As soon as my eyes met Gloria’s, I immediately dropped my head. Strength rushed back into my once-loosened body.

When I raised my head back up again, Gloria had turned back to the front, but those blue eyes staring straight at me were still fresh in my mind.

I pressed at my pounding heart.

“… Why?”

Why, why? Why, when I don’t even know her? When we’d never even talked? No, this was the first time I even got a proper look at her face.

Chewing on my lips furiously, my entire body trembled.

Don’t tell me, had the rumor spread because of last semester? That Noah and I were together all the time?

I was dead.

I quietly grabbed my head.

To be honest, it did seem like I was overreacting from a single eye contact, but what could I do? I was scared.

“Ow, hmph.”

No wonder my lips were tingling for some reason. They were torn and now bleeding.

Fiddling with my torn lips, I frowned.

To think, I’d planned to help Flora with this weak of a mentality.

No, no, it would be fine as long as I didn’t overstep my boundaries. As long as I wasn’t too rude…

Still, being ostracized would be scary.

With a forlorn face, I looked at Dora.

“You guys won’t leave me, right…?”

“She’s crazy.”

I probably felt a little relieved at Dora’s as-per-usual response.

Gathering my two hands together, I repeated these words to myself.

Don’t be cowed, don’t be cowed.