โShut upโฆโ
โHuh?โ
Ah, I let my true feelings slip outโฆ
Well, whatever.
This is unpleasant.
This kind of thing is unpleasant.
I may be a loner, an introvert, but I donโt want to do anything that would hurt or demean someone. Especially if theyโre someone with a good heart who deserves respect.
โIf everyone thinks that way, then Iโll team up with Amagi-san.โ
โHuh?โ
โDo you even understand?โ
โDidnโt you hear what we just said?โ
Everyone got heated up at my declaration.
Creakโฆ
โWhy? Listen to what weโre saying.โ
โYeah, seriously. Sheโs practically a monster.โ
โIsnโt that girl who hurt Kaido a piece of trash?โ
โHuh?โ
โAhโฆ Amagi-sanโฆโ
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 herโฆ
โHold up. Weโre not done hereโฆโ
โLet me through!โ
โHey!โ
One of the students blocked me as I tried to chase after her.
Was it Kise Yushin, I think? The guy whoโs been calling Amagi-san a violent girl from the start. But Iโm not stopping.
I slipped past him and out of the classroom, following Amagi-san. I saw her heading for the stairs.
Since weโre on the first floor, thereโs no need to wonder whether she went up or down. I head upstairs.
But sheโs completely out of sightโฆ is she some kind of physical powerhouse?
Itโs almost the end of lunch break; if I keep going, Iโll 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.
โSayamura-san?โ
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.
โโฆWhat?โ
The tension between us was like a hot, stifling midsummer breeze, with a chilling gust cutting through.
Of course, sheโs angryโI get it. Iโm sorry.
I resist the urge to apologize, even though I havenโt done anything wrong yet.
โDid Amagi-sanโฆ not come here?โ
โAnd if she did, so what?โ
Ugh, this is painful.
Sayamura-sanโs gaze on me only grew sharper as she stared me down.
The way she got angry in the classroom, sheโs probably Amagi-sanโs friend.
For such a good girl to have a friend like that, even if thereโs the downside of mana leakage, itโs not strange that sheโd have close friends even outside dungeon exploring.
In fact, I think itโs only natural.
Even someone like me, whoโs only known her for a day and a half, gets irritated by such spiteful gossip. That angel definitely doesnโt deserve this, and honestly, if someone canโt endure mana leakage, thatโs their own weakness to blame. Yeah, letโs go with that.
Right, theyโre just weak.
Iโve already made up my mind.
Even if I canโt endure itโฆ no, I will endure it.
I donโt want to see such a sweet girl cry.
โI donโt know if staying quiet is going to helpโฆโ
Itโs strange, really.
In the past, I would have been crushed under pressure from a strong woman, but here I amโjust a fragile, introverted guyโwilling to fight for that angelโs smile.
Actually, itโs not just her smile.
Even after only a day and a half, I know sheโs kind. She didnโt 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 isnโt a good look in class, and the teacher seemed worried too. But she didnโt do that.
She came directly to me.
Then she left, feeling crushedโฆ
Could I say, โI hadnโt even rejected you yet?โ Nah, better not; I might get punched by the beautiful girl in front of me.
โHeyโฆโ
The pressure builds.
What is this?
Itโs even stronger than facing down an Arc Demonโฆ
No, I canโt back down.
I have to say it.
Like I declared in the classroom.
Iโm going to team up with Amagi-san.
โYumeno-kun, did you come after me?โ
Despite my inner struggle, Amagi-san, who had been in the shadows, spoke to me.
Wait, hang on, I wasnโt ready for thisโฆ
This rooftop has a wide open space stretching from the right-hand side after you enter.
In other words, if I had declared โIโm teaming up with Amagi-sanโ to Sayamura-san, Amagi-san likely would have heard it as wellโฆ
โYeahโฆโ
You wimp! Thatโs it?! Say something more manly, like โI came to find you!โ
โWhy?โ
Amagi-san looked at me with tear-filled eyes.
Her expression was so cute, so heartbreaking, so tragicโฆ I couldnโt bear to look.
Itโs my fault she looks this way, and I feel so guilty.
Say it! Just say it!
โThe answer from earlierโฆโ
โEarlier?โ
โYeah.โ
Say it! Donโt hesitate! Thereโs no one here but an angel! No piercing glares from beautiful girls! So just say it!
I somehow force the words out.
I donโt need courage. I just need to say it!
โIโll team up with you.โ