Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 17

Ding-ding-ding~ Good morning~ Ding-ding-ding~ Ba-ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-ba~

I buried my face in the pillow and stretched my arm out to switch off the alarm.

It’s the kind of music that is specifically designed to make people angry every time it plays.

Every time I heard it, I felt more stressed and considered changing it a few times, but I forced myself to leave it as it was, worried that if I changed it, I’d forget the world I originally came from.

......I don’t want to go to school.

I just wanted to cocoon myself in bed, not think about anything, and zone out.

But still, I had to go to school.

Ignoring my bed’s desperate pleas not to leave me behind, I forced my body to rise.

I need to buy some macarons for Silvia.

*

“Hey, if you’re struggling, you can just sit and rest.”

As I stood there momentarily dazed with a broom in hand, the class president hesitantly spoke up.

“Did you stay up all night? You look tired.”

“......It’s nothing. I just didn’t sleep well.”

I had gone to bed early, but I didn’t really fall asleep until the crack of dawn.

Honestly, I felt more dazed than tired.

Did I hit my head too hard...?

When I slightly frowned, still feeling a little tingle where I bumped my head, the class president, looking at me with sympathetic eyes, pulled something from their pocket and offered it to me.

It was chocolate.

“If you’re struggling, eat this. Sweet things are the best in times like these.”

......It felt weird to be receiving something after always being the one giving.

My hand trembled as I accepted the chocolate; it was just that unfamiliar.

“......Okay, I’ll eat it later.”

“If you need help, definitely say something.”

I didn’t reply and just gave a small smile to the class president as they said this.

Sorry, but I don’t think I can tell you, president.

I quietly tucked the chocolate into my pocket.

*

Silvia, who had been showing me various expressions lately, was really good at hiding her feelings.

Maybe because she grew up with the family teaching her to always be composed, it was hard to tell what she was thinking unless it was an extreme case. But there was one exception.

When I watched Silvia, I sometimes noticed her ears twitch slightly.

It was such a subtle detail that you’d really have to pay attention to catch it, but since I always kept a close watch on her, I could sense it.

That was the signal that she was thinking about wanting to eat macarons.

Thanks to the efforts I’d put in over the past few days at school, I could even feel her gaze instinctively turning toward me when she wanted macarons.

I felt good, thinking that my plan to turn Silvia into a friend was gradually making progress.

As soon as our eyes met, I nodded and swiftly dashed to the cafeteria to buy some macarons.

Seeing me do that, Silvia looked both incredulous and resigned.

She wasn’t the type of child to show a lot of expressions, but seeing her reveal her feelings like this made me think we were gradually getting closer.

“Miss Scarlet, did I perhaps mutter something about wanting to eat macarons?”

With a curious look, Silvia eyed me.

I shook my head and replied.

“You didn’t say it, but... it seemed like you wanted to...”

“So how did you know?”

Uhh... because I watch you all day long?

If I said that literally, I’d definitely get treated like a stalker, so I decided to phrase it a bit more tactfully.

“Because we’re friends, I can tell.”

“Because we’re friends... I see. But you keep buying them for me; is there a reason?”

“...It’s just, because we’re friends...”

At my answer, Silvia’s expression seemed to become complicated.

She kept clenching and releasing her fists, as if trying to say something before stopping, ultimately taking the macaron I offered her with a sigh.

“...Okay, I’ll enjoy it. Miss Scarlet.”

The expression on Silvia’s face while putting the macaron in her mouth was much softer than before.

“Just so you know, this isn’t a cigarette. It’s a magical herb; it’s good for your health. It has calming effects, as long as you don’t overdo it.”

She said that as she rummaged through her pocket with her other hand to pull out a lighter.

She tried to light the herb, but it just made a clicking noise, and nothing happened.

Tsking, she put the lighter back in her pocket.

Watching this, I released just enough of the flames I’d been holding back to ignite her herb.

Wow, a human lighter!

“Oh, thanks. So you’re a flame user!”

She looked at me with slightly surprised eyes and took a puff from the herb, then blew the smoke in my direction.

What a way to return a favor!

I closed my eyes in shock but instead of the smell I anticipated, I detected something entirely different.

It wasn’t like tobacco; it was a fresh herbal scent.

When I blinked and stared at Leonore with a dazed face, she burst out laughing.

“Haha, so? Doesn’t it smell nice? Even if it looks like this, it’s quite expensive.”

The fact that it was expensive piqued my interest a bit.

I wondered what it tasted like.

As I continued to stare, Leonore offered me the herb she had been smoking.

“Wanna give it a try?”

I nodded and took the herb she extended.

The herb that Leonore had just smoked.

...Isn’t this like an indirect kiss?

Thinking about it made me slightly embarrassed, but I didn’t show it as I brought it to my mouth.

But how do you smoke this?

Having never smoked anything before, I had no idea.

I couldn’t just keep it in my mouth, so I took a deep breath and inhaled hard.

“Hey! If a newbie inhales all at once like that!”

“......Huh?”

My head felt dizzy.

What’s going on?

“Senpai... there are now two of you...”

“Oh dear... I’ll take you to the nurse’s office, so just stay calm.”

With what felt like the strength of two people, Leonore lifted me up like a princess.

Senpai is strong.

It felt like I was flying.

“Senpai... lift me higher...”

“Haah... I’m sorry about this.”

She sighed but continued to raise and lower me.

My body swayed up and down.

Wow, this is fun!

Eek! Hahaha!

While squirming, I ended up sinking into something soft.

A bed, it’s a bed.

It’s so fluffy.

I laid my head on the pillow and crawled under the covers.

I curled up like a pill bug.

So warm...

It’s so warm that I feel sleepy...

“When I heard your name earlier, it reminded me; you’re the one running errands for that Astra girl, right?”

“Uh-huh, I’m not like that... We’re friends.”

“If you don’t want to, I could tell her to stop. What do you think?”

“No... I want to do it... otherwise I won’t have friends...”

“...Is that so?”

I heard the sound of someone rushing past the door...

I didn’t care; I was so sleepy... time to sleep...