“Shut up…”
“Huh?”
Ah, I let my true feelings slip out…
Well, whatever.
This is unpleasant.
This kind of thing is unpleasant.
I may be a loner, an introvert, but I don’t want to do anything that would hurt or demean someone. Especially if they’re someone with a good heart who deserves respect.
“If everyone thinks that way, then I’ll team up with Amagi-san.”
“Huh?”
“Do you even understand?”
“Didn’t you hear what we just said?”
Everyone got heated up at my declaration.
Creak…
“Why? Listen to what we’re saying.”
“Yeah, seriously. She’s practically a monster.”
“Isn’t that girl who hurt Kaido a piece of trash?”
“Huh?”
“Ah… Amagi-san…”
The person who walked into the classroom was Amagi-san, and she caught part of our conversation before running out.
I tried to go after her…
“Hold up. We’re not done here…”
“Let me through!”
“Hey!”
One of the students blocked me as I tried to chase after her.
Was it Kise Yushin, I think? The guy who’s been calling Amagi-san a violent girl from the start. But I’m not stopping.
I slipped past him and out of the classroom, following Amagi-san. I saw her heading for the stairs.
Since we’re on the first floor, there’s no need to wonder whether she went up or down. I head upstairs.
But she’s completely out of sight… is she some kind of physical powerhouse?
It’s almost the end of lunch break; if I keep going, I’ll end up on the rooftop. Sorry, teacher.
But to me, an angel is more important.
Bang!
When I opened the door to the rooftop, standing there was a beautiful girl with straight chestnut hair.
“Sayamura-san?”
Her piercing glare felt like torture for a reclusive introvert like me, but I kept my focus on the angelic smile I saw yesterday and spoke up.
“…What?”
The tension between us was like a hot, stifling midsummer breeze, with a chilling gust cutting through.
Of course, she’s angry—I get it. I’m sorry.
I resist the urge to apologize, even though I haven’t done anything wrong yet.
“Did Amagi-san… not come here?”
“And if she did, so what?”
Ugh, this is painful.
Sayamura-san’s gaze on me only grew sharper as she stared me down.
The way she got angry in the classroom, she’s probably Amagi-san’s friend.
For such a good girl to have a friend like that, even if there’s the downside of mana leakage, it’s not strange that she’d have close friends even outside dungeon exploring.
In fact, I think it’s only natural.
Even someone like me, who’s only known her for a day and a half, gets irritated by such spiteful gossip. That angel definitely doesn’t deserve this, and honestly, if someone can’t endure mana leakage, that’s their own weakness to blame. Yeah, let’s go with that.
Right, they’re just weak.
I’ve already made up my mind.
Even if I can’t endure it… no, I will endure it.
I don’t want to see such a sweet girl cry.
“I don’t know if staying quiet is going to help…”
It’s strange, really.
In the past, I would have been crushed under pressure from a strong woman, but here I am—just a fragile, introverted guy—willing to fight for that angel’s smile.
Actually, it’s not just her smile.
Even after only a day and a half, I know she’s kind. She didn’t even have to go help a classmate who got hurt by an Arc Demon.
She had no obligation to go save them.
Yet, she acted without hesitation.
Even this morning, instead of avoiding the issue by going to the teacher to force a team decision, she came straight to me.
Soloing a dungeon isn’t a good look in class, and the teacher seemed worried too. But she didn’t do that.
She came directly to me.
Then she left, feeling crushed…
Could I say, “I hadn’t even rejected you yet?” Nah, better not; I might get punched by the beautiful girl in front of me.
“Hey…”
The pressure builds.
What is this?
It’s even stronger than facing down an Arc Demon…
No, I can’t back down.
I have to say it.
Like I declared in the classroom.
I’m going to team up with Amagi-san.
“Yumeno-kun, did you come after me?”
Despite my inner struggle, Amagi-san, who had been in the shadows, spoke to me.
Wait, hang on, I wasn’t ready for this…
This rooftop has a wide open space stretching from the right-hand side after you enter.
In other words, if I had declared “I’m teaming up with Amagi-san” to Sayamura-san, Amagi-san likely would have heard it as well…
“Yeah…”
You wimp! That’s it?! Say something more manly, like “I came to find you!”
“Why?”
Amagi-san looked at me with tear-filled eyes.
Her expression was so cute, so heartbreaking, so tragic… I couldn’t bear to look.
It’s my fault she looks this way, and I feel so guilty.
Say it! Just say it!
“The answer from earlier…”
“Earlier?”
“Yeah.”
Say it! Don’t hesitate! There’s no one here but an angel! No piercing glares from beautiful girls! So just say it!
I somehow force the words out.
I don’t need courage. I just need to say it!
“I’ll team up with you.”
