Chapter 24.2

Flora smelled of roses, Noah had a jasmine scent, and Gloria had a cool water smell.

Why was it that all the seniors were fragrant and I was the only one living in reality?

Grumbling on the inside, I fiddled with the ends of my sleeves, dissatisfied.

“Kate is always here first! I’m so happy to see you work hard.” Flora, who’d opened the door and came in before I knew it, beamed at me and patted me on the back.

Responding with a small smile of my own, I bowed my head. “Hello.”

Seeing Noah standing next to Flora made my heart ache a little, but I tried not to think about it.

Gloria had her hand fisted on her chin and staring daggers at Noah with a cold smile.

Conscious of her presence there in the room with us, I awkwardly opened my mouth, looking at both Noah and Flora. “By the way, you two look dressed up as a couple today. Aww, you get along so well.”

Noah glanced down at his own clothes, then spoke with a puzzled face. “… This is the school uniform.”

“Aww c’mon now, Noah. Why are you being so nitpicky? I think Kate was joking.” Side-eyeing Noah once, Flora smiled at me.

But seeing how she didn’t mention it anymore, I could guess it wasn’t a really good one.

Yeah, it was better to be that kid with no sense of humor whatsoever than a kid who made strange moves on people.

Oh, why did I start meddling?

I looked over when I heard a muffled snort at the side, only to discover Gloria struggling to hold back her laughter.

“You and I look like a couple, too.”

“Yeah…” I murmured, trying to avoid her eyes.

“It’s just that the two of them are wearing their nameplates the same… way, so yeah.”

My attempt at excusing myself made the atmosphere a bit chilly again, so I gently closed my mouth once more.

Holding her tie, Gloria whispered to me. “And we have the same necktie, right?”

I shut my eyes tightly.

I get it, it wasn’t funny. So please stop.

***

“Kate, you forgot your notebook.”

“Oh…” I swallowed anxiously as Flora handed me a book with a red cover, smiling.

As expected, it seemed even Flora couldn’t see it. It was certain.

Though this was closer to being a romance novel faithful to the human desires rather than the pure literature mixed in with the old tongue that she so loved.

“Thank you.”

“Kate, just a moment.”

I was about to turn and leave with the book when Flora called out to me.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry I told you to think about leaving the club over vacation and then glossing over it afterward. To be honest, I don’t want to lose you.”

“Oh…”

Right, that had happened.

Looking slightly more unsure, Flora continued, “If you still want to quit now….”

“No, I plan to stay in.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The activities are fun and my literary score went up too,” I replied shyly in front of the quickly-brightened Flora.

Oh whatever, be it as it may. Even if I died, I probably wouldn’t be able to say anything unpleasant in front of that face.

“Is that so? Then I’m glad. Really.”

In the midst of blushing and smiling bashfully, Flora’s eyes wandered to someplace else and she hurriedly tucked back her hair.

“Oops, I’m being called.”

At the end of her gaze was a male student with a hazy impression, waving his hand.

Glancing in that direction, I murmured, “Right. You have a boyfriend.”

Flora was currently in a relationship.

Wasn’t she supposed to end up with Noah, you ask? But even at the beginning of the book, Flora had a lover. And she had a few before already. Noah had become jealous of this and he immediately began barging in when Flora broke up, which was when the events in question began happening.

Which meant, soon the plot was supposed to begin. And sadly enough, that cute couple would break up soon as well.

“Alright, then, I’ll be going!”

Patting me on my shoulder, Flora gave me a fluttery smile and ran out without looking back.

I was also beginning to move, when I saw Gloria standing right outside the door and sat down with an embarrassing scream.

“Gyah!”

Immediately standing back up from the embarrassment that rushed through me right after, I asked shakily, “That surprised me. H-how long have you been there?”

“Hey, are you afraid of me?”

Do you read minds?

My jaw dropped at the random words Gloria had thrown at me so suddenly.

“Even though I like you.”

The words that followed were even more shocking.

What in the world?

After you warned me not to approach Noah last time, so suddenly? Was she playing around with me? Like how a huge carnivore waves around and plays with a small herbivore before eating it?

“Oh, um…”

My eyes were darting around as I searched for an answer. Though what ended up coming out wasn’t that great.

“T-thank you?”

“What? Bahahaha.”

Bursting out in laughter at the clumsy words I’d offered, Gloria snuck out a hand to pat me on my head.

“You’re pretty cute.”

What?

In a good way… right?

By pretty cute, you mean you won’t steal my homework or drop it in the pond or lead me into ostracization or put the answer sheets of the test into my drawer so I get 0 points or anything… right?

“Thank you very much.” I immediately bowed my head.

Looking content, Gloria stroked my hair again. Feeling bewildered, I swallowed.

I did feel a little less scared of her now, but somehow… Wait, wasn’t this something she should be doing to the male lead?

Why was she doing nothing to Noah and trying to seduce random old me?