Author note: Volume two is on sale in Japan! Please look forward to it (*ă»Ïă»)
She tilted her head slightly and traced her cheek with her finger.
Her movement, the shape of her eyes, the shape of her mouth; every part of her was like a work of art. I was so enchanted by her beauty it took me some time to understand her words.
She said she wanted to meet me. She wanted to meet me.
Eh, why?
I have thought that I wanted to meet her before, but to her I should be a complete stranger. One among a sea of underclassmen. Iâm on the same level as villager C.
Did she hear about me from Cattleya-sama? She does value me too highly and kind of dotes on me for some reason.
They are in the same club and about as popular so they are probably friends⊠right? Club members are different from friends but I feel like they have some kind of solidarity. Is that just my preconception?
âAh, Iâm sorry. I havenât even introduced myself yet, how rude of me.â
âN-no, thatâs my lineâŠâ
âIâm Chris, Christine Reishia. I perform in the drama club.â
âI saw you perform as Red Riding Hood at the school excursion. It was very wonderful⊠My friends and I were completely absorbed in your performance.â
âOh thank you. It was a difficult role so when you say it like that it makes me happy.â
âUm⊠So, why do you know about meâŠâ
âCattleya said she asked an underclassman to help out. Before that I heard from her about a beautiful girl in school but⊠I didnât think it was you. Iâm glad, it saves me some trouble.â
âTroubleâŠ?â
âI have always wanted to speak to you.â
The corners of her beautiful mouth were raised so it looked like she was smiling. However, I had a feeling that she didnât have such welcoming feelings for me.
From my experiences up until now, when youâre called to in these kinds of settings, generally something bad is going to go down. I know from experience and Iâm used to unpleasantness.
I wanted to run away but the exit was behind Christine-sama⊠There have been many times where I have wanted to talk to someone face to face, but if I had the courage to do so, I wouldnât have avoided so many things in the first place.
âUmm⊠Do you need something?â
Getting into a quarrel with an upperclassman in the bathroom⊠If this were a shoujo manga then it would certainly be pointless bullying. It definitely feels like that kind of scene. Iâve done it before, back in the automode times.
But, this probably isnât anything like bullying, right? Surely.
I say this because of Christine-samaâs personality⊠if it were bullying, she wouldnât be speaking beautifully. Her behavior was too lukewarm for this to be an attack on me.
Itâs a one-on-one between me and Christine-sama. Considering that we are an upperclassmen and an underclassman, she needs at least three people. Better too big than too small. The majority has the edge over the minority. Moreover, the first impression is the most important. Of course, appearances are important but if you want to overpower the opponent quickly, then the more lackeys you bring the better.
If you canât bring enough people, then you shouldnât try a frontal attack. Itâs best to act quietly from the shadows or to pretend like you are a kind bystander. Supposing the bathroom is the stage, pouring water into a stall from above would be a basic procedure.
Why do I know so many details? Of course itâs from experience. A page from my black history.
âCould it be, there was something wrong with my help?â
âNo. About that, all of the club members are very grateful. Thank you.â
âIs that soâŠâ
Then I canât think of any other reasons⊠If she were here to complain, then I could have laughed it off like Francia-sama. These kinds of enigmatic opponents trouble me the most.
âUm, then whyâŠâ
âI came to ask Mariabell-sama⊠you, in a battle.â
âOh, thatâs itâŠâ
âŠ. Hm? A battle?
âA battle, eh⊠EH!?â
Whatâs with this sudden development? Today was our first time meeting, right? I remember saying ânice to meet you.â
Also, was Christine-sama a belligerent type of person, contrary to her appearance? I wonât be infatuated by that kind of gap so please fix this right now. [look up gap moe if youâre confused]
âU-um, why do you⊠what do you mean by battle?â
âThe Oz Contest.â
â⊠Ozcon?â
âI will be participating in it. And, I recommended you as a participant.â
âHAAHâŠ!?â
I let out a noise unbecoming of a young lady, but I think this much should be allowed this time. Itâs better than grabbing Chris-samaâs collar and yelling âYOUâRE FUCKING KIDDING MEâ right?
Why did she do such an unnecessary thing? I cried from the depths of my heart. I heard about the recommendation system for the Ozcon. From experience I knew that if I were recommended that there would be a strict examination. Itâs difficult to refuse. Thatâs why my friends were careful not to recommend me and refused any recommendations for me.
As I thought, this person came to attack me. Rather than using numbers or petty tricks, she used something that would critically damage me, something they knew I hated.
âAt Ozcon, I want to have a match with you.â
Donât say such selfish things. I really wanted to tell her offâit would be easy. My head was in a chaotic frenzy and I honestly couldnât think straight. Using the last of my reason, I tried to cool my head and think of a way to resolve this situation.