Up to Hera’s Perspective.
Time rewinds to a little over ten minutes ago.
I—Hera Dragonslay—couldn’t stop thinking about him. I managed to shake off the swarm of noble daughters and sons constantly hovering around me and left the classroom as soon as the chime signaling the end of classes rang.
I was heading toward Class C, where I knew he would be, when I spotted him in the hallway, walking with someone I recognized from several noble parties—the second son of the Windstorm family. They were glancing around suspiciously as they headed somewhere.
“What are they up to…?”
I hid behind a distant pillar, feeling a bit guilty, but nonetheless, I continued to watch the two from afar. It looked like they were talking about something, but I couldn’t hear anything from here.
Still… that Windstorm son is such a nuisance.
If only he weren’t here, I could go talk to him… and ask him about those strange feelings he directs toward me.
“Oh…”
While lost in thought, I noticed that the two were slowly moving away. I followed behind them carefully, trying not to get noticed.
Maybe because it was my first time doing something like this, the thrill of the situation added a layer of excitement I hadn’t felt before.
Normally, someone would always be near me, so I’d get caught right away, and doing something like this would be impossible. But this time, the two were walking down a path devoid of other students, making it easy to tail them.
As they entered the school’s wooded area, I finally got close enough to hear their conversation.
“From here, we can slip out of the academy without anyone noticing. I use this path every time I go to meet her,” said the Windstorm son.
“Wow, you’ve been seeing her for years without anyone in your noble family finding out. That’s impressive,” the other responded.
“I’m good at keeping secrets, you know,” the Windstorm son said smugly.
Ah, now I see why he’s shown no interest in me at all.
Well, I prefer it this way, but this little tidbit of information might be useful later.
Having overheard an intriguing conversation, I stepped out from behind the trees and called out to the two.
“——Good day. What are you two doing in a place like this?”
“!?!!?!”
“Oh, Lady Hera. It’s been a while,” the one I was after froze in shock, his eyes wide open.
His reaction amused me, and I couldn’t help but smile.
And just like last time, the same emotions came flowing from him, confirming that I hadn’t been mistaken.
Feeling pleased with this fact, for the first time in my life, I introduced myself to someone of my own accord.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hera Dragonslay. And you are?”
I smiled, consciously softening my expression.
And then—suddenly, a strange emotion, something like ‘awe,’ overflowed from him. The next moment, he rolled his eyes back and collapsed backward.
“!?!!?”
“Shin!? What’s wrong all of a sudden?!”
The Windstorm son, just as panicked as I was, tried to wake the boy—Shin—but got no response. He then turned toward me, flustered, with Shin slung over his shoulder.
“Would you like to come too, Lady Hera? It’s my girlfriend’s house, so no one will find out.”
“!?!? …Was it alright to tell me that?”
“You were already listening, right? I’m good with wind magic, so I could sense the air currents.”
Windstorm winked at me.
It seemed he had known I was following them all along.
Without saying a word, I followed him.
“…Oh.”
“…What?”
When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Hera’s beautiful face.
As soon as I regained consciousness, my head fell into chaos once again.
W-Why is Hera so close to me? And… where am I?
I looked around, but nothing seemed familiar. The only thing I could tell was that this wasn’t a noble’s residence.
I glanced at Hera.
She was watching me with concern, and when our eyes met, she tilted her head slightly.
So cute… Her face alone is enough to extend my lifespan.
“Uh, um… where are we?” I asked, my voice shaky.
“This is the house of Windstorm’s girlfriend, apparently,” she replied.
“O-Oh, I see…”
Right now, I was brimming with a sense of accomplishment.
It was as if fireworks were going off in my head, and I could imagine a crowd of me cheering, hoisting me into the air.
I… I actually talked to my idol! And it was just the two of us…! In this incredibly nerve-wracking situation…!
As I was savoring my happiness, I heard a creak, and Arthur and a beautiful girl I assumed to be Maria walked in, carrying what looked like a bucket.
“Oh, you’re awake. This is my girlfriend, Maria.”
“I-I’m Maria! Though I’m unworthy, I’m dating Arthur! Pleased to meet you!”
“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Shin, Arthur’s friend as of a few minutes ago.”
“N-Nice to meet you, Shin!”
We exchanged greetings cautiously. She seemed to be an introvert like me. I could sense it—she gave off the same vibe.
After saying hello, Maria excused herself, saying she would bring tea for everyone, and left. She probably felt awkward being here.
“So, Arthur. Can you come over here for a second?”
“Hm? What’s up?”
I pulled Arthur aside to the corner of the room and whispered.
“Why is Hera here? I’m so nervous I could die.”
“Wait… you didn’t faint from nervousness, did you?”
“No, no, that wasn’t it.”
“——What are Shin and Windstorm whispering about?”
“S-Shin!?!!”
Hearing my name from my idol… maybe I’m going to die today.
As I stood there frozen, my beloved idol tilted her head again, and I was left staring at her in a daze, pondering that thought.
