It's been a week since I started at this academy. I spent these days collecting information about some specific people and taking daily classes.
Also, a few days later I discovered a new thing; this academy has a cafeteria on its campus. Yeah, I found it out on the third day.
…and I ate nothing but cakes and creampuff for two days when I didn't know about this, since I was too lazy to cook my own food.
Anyway, right now I was hiding in a corner, behind the wall of a building. This was necessary since I'm in the middle of stalking someone. Who? It's Leon.
After I was done with Ellyn and knew her usual schedule of what she does every day, what places she goes to, and which person she talks to.
When I was done finding out all that I shifted to Leon and started keeping track of his daily schedule.
While I didn't like stalking, this was important for my plans since I was not in the same class as Leon and the rest of the main leads, stalking is my only option to get updated on what's going on with them.
'Hmm, I need someone who's close to Leon and can keep tabs on him while giving me the report. Basically a puppet spy, that's what I want. Though it's a far cry for now.'
And stalking Leon was easier than Ellyn actually, as I wasn't the only one doing this.
Several girls, who got head over heels for him at the first sight, were following him all day looking for an opportunity to do you-know-what.
Leon also knew and ignored this. Thanks to that I was able to blend in with the crowd and move smoothly.
Those girls, our reasons were different but our motive was the same. No wait, this doesn't sound right.
Ah, fuck it!
As I was busy with my internal thoughts I caught sight of Anya. I was in the main building right after today's lessons were over, and I saw Anya walking down the corridor, holding a couple of books in her hand.
'Am I the only one who's not taking notes?'
Then I looked at Leon—who was engaged in a conversation with Ellyn. Apparently, they were good friends or maybe a bit more than friends. The reason behind it? Well, I know it but that's not really important right now.
I was doing all this stalking and planning because I want to get Anya and Leon in a relationship. I don't feel good doing this but without it, what comes next will be ruined.
So, for now, I stopped following Leon and went where Anya was. Crossing the same corridor I made our encounter look like a coincidence.
"How's your day going?" asking this, I stepped beside her.
Seeing me pop up out of nowhere she was startled for a second but soon regained her composure.
"Oh? Zero, where did you come from? And my day is going good," she replied.
"Wanna walk to the dorms?"
"Sure."
On our way, we talked over normal things like asking how we are spending our days here at the academy, how many friends we made, what is taught to us in the classes, and things like that.
Having this type of conversation with Anya reminded me of how good of a family I have now. Even though they are based on the characters of a novel I don't care anymore, coz they are real, not some 1D character.
I got a family who loved me, a family whom I loved. And I'll do anything to protect it.
I don't mind playing dirty for it…I never did.
"Oh, that reminds me, you're in the same class as Leon, right? Have you talked to him," I interjected.
"Hmm, Leon huh," she mumbled. "I didn't actually. After that duel he had, his popularity is on another level, I can't talk to him even if I want to. He is so strong, even blessed with good looks but…he seems kind of out of reach to me. It's like he's sitting somewhere so high where I can't reach even if I try."
"Ah, I see. I should've known that. Sorry, it was a strange thing to ask."
"Don't worry about it. I don't know if you admire him or not but it's not your fault if you do, he really is that amazing," she commented.
"I guess…"
Don't know why but I more or less expected this kind of response. In the novel, she was able to befriend Leon and then began a romantic relationship with him only because he got to know him before he joined the academy.
Due to that, she came to know him before he his fame skyrocketed.
Now the situation's different, she is looking at him from an extra's point of view. Anya excels in sword arts—she's the best one I ever encountered, and her looks are also good, but I doubt Leon even knows about her.
This indeed was a problem for me. For Anya to get in a relationship with Leon, I first have to somehow close the mental distance between them.
At first, I thought I should just go up front and ask Anya to do the pretend-lover thing for me, but then I decided otherwise.
I already made a mess telling her that I'm a reincarnate, also, a brother asking her sister to pretend to be the girlfriend of some guy she doesn't even know will be super weird in itself.
Hence, I have to make her pretend to be Leon's friend, then girlfriend, without her realizing this.
Maybe I'll end up breaking the rules I set up for myself, rules to keep me under control. So that I won't end up repeating the same mistake I did in my former life.
But it's for the greater good.
…
Soon we reached the area with all the area where the dormitory buildings were located.
"Looks like we're here," I said.
"Yeah."
"Bye, take care."
"You too."
After that Anya went inside the class A dorm building while I waited outside it.
Obviously, I wasn't going to go in just now. I have to finish what I was doing. And so, when I made sure Anya is inside her room, I turned back and headed toward the main building.
***
A while later I found Leon again. Finding him wasn't that difficult since the guy attracted a hell lot of attention.
Right now, he was not in the main building but in the cafeteria. Sitting with Ellyn he was having lunch.
I didn't go inside as the chances of getting caught will be high then, and just watched from outside through the window.
'The same as always, I see.'
He did his everyday things; going to the cafeteria at this time was also a part of it.
As he wasn't doing anything unusual and I was pretty much done noting down his schedule, I decided to take my leave.
Backing off, I was going back but just then a stumbled upon an eye-catching sight.
Away from the cafeteria building, stood three girls and they were staring hard inside the cafeteria.
Judging by the looks they were good at best, and maybe from a higher-class noble family also. Their makeup told that much.
Though when I followed their line of sight I saw that what they were looking at, their gazes were directed toward none other than Leon and Ellyn—both of them were having lunch and chatting with each other.
I hid myself behind the trunk of a nearby tree as I observed the three girls.
"Tch! That bitch! Looks how happy she is there with Leon," one of the girls, with dark brown hair spoke.
"This is the fourth time, she sticks with him all day!" another one spoke, she had black hair.
"It's only due to her we never get a chance to talk to him," said the last one, she had blonde hair and an almost petite body.
It didn't take long to understand what was going on here; these girls liked Leon but were jealous of Ellyn since she stays with Leon pretty much all day. Seeing this must be irritating.
Also, they were stalking Leon just like me.
The girls stayed there for a while but when they saw that Ellyn had no plans to leave Leon's side anytime soon, they went back—all while cursing out a few kind words for Ellyn.
I was the one to leave at last.
'I got to witness something interesting today,' I thought as I walked in the direction of the bakery.