He thought Bradley handled it well without losing his temper.
If Renatus were in his position, he might have grabbed the opponent.
The study session was fun. Bradley seemed to have been having fun as well. It was a disastrous scene that felt as if such warm moments had been trampled upon.
Renatus suppressed the anger that was about to flood over him.
Because Bradley, the person who must have been the angriest, was able to endure it.
When he thought of that, he suddenly felt a chill in the pit of his stomach and in his head.
He calmly controlled his anger. Renatus, with the potential to become a villainous prime minister, was capable of doing so.
He let out a deep breath so as to expel the bad things that had accumulated from deep within him.
âOh, how terrible. My notebooks that I had left with Bradley. They were the notes for the exam.â
Renatus acted sad on purpose.
Renatus had promised to give it to Bradley, but todayâs study session wasnât over yet, so he could still say it belonged to him.
When the male student learned who owned the notebook, his face turned pale.
âI-Iâm sorry. Renatus-samaââ
The male student apologized with a trembling voice.
He had had that terrible attitude with Bradley, but now he had this opposite attitude with Renatus. Perhaps it was due to the memories of Renatusâ previous life that made him feel this way, but he was uncomfortable with those who humiliated or flattered people based on their status or origins.
Renatus overpowered the opponent by freeing his full villain potential.
âI will not excuse ridicule against my friends. Keep that in mind. I will report this matter to the appropriate authorities.â
ââŠâ
âGo.â
When he said that with a commanding tone, the male student ran away from the library like he was fleeing something terrifying.
Renatus let out a heavy breath and then looked back. Bradleyâs face was dark.
âIâm sorry. The notes are ruined.â
âDonât apologize. It isnât your fault, Bradley.â
Renatus was also saddened by Bradleyâs long face. He was not responsible for any of this. His birth or the matter of the notes getting ruined.
Renatus wanted to cheer up Bradley.
Renatusâ foster father and brother always gently hugged him during these kinds of downhearted times. Renatus was able to cheer up from that. Therefore, Renatus thought of doing the same for Bradley.
So, Renatus hugged Bradley.
Unlike my foster father and brother-in-law, I was not big, so it felt like I was holding on to him and was unreliable, but I supposed it was all right .
âRenaâŠtusâŠ?â
âMy dad and brother said that this makes them feel better.â
ââŠâ
Bradley stiffened in his arms.
Renatus gently patted him on the back, as his foster father had done for him. After patting and stroking for a while, the tension in his body gradually relaxed.
âRenatus, I was afraid that you would hate me when you saw all the commotionâŠâ
From over the top of his head, he could hear Bradleyâs emotionally shaken voice falling.
âWhy? I wonât hate you. I was worried about you though.â
âRenatus, you said you were ignorant of the ways of the world, right?⊠You might think Iâm dirty after hearing all that cursing and discovering the surroundingsâ perception of me.â
Bradley seemed to be distressed by needless worries. Even though Renatus would never think like that.
Canât I just tell him frankly that everything is going to be okay?
For now, since Bradleyâs chest is close by, I decided to bury my face in it before sniffing his scent.
Along with the smell of soap, he has some sort of an enchanting, nice smell. Perhaps that is his personal scent. Thatâs the protagonist for you, even this aspect of him is attractive.
âRenatus!?â
Bradley was flustered by Renatusâ sudden behavior.
Renatus looked up after having his fill of Bradleyâs scent.
âItâs fragrant. You have a nice soapy scent.â
Renatus told him with a smile to reassure him.
Upon hearing that, Bradleyâs cheeks turned red very quickly.
AhâŠ
Renatus realized when he saw Bradleyâs odd look, he had done something embarrassing.
I messed upâŠitâs strange for a man to sniff another manâs scent.
He hadnât thought it was strange because Clarence would often sniff him. But now, he realized it was definitely strange based on his past lifeâs standards.
ââŠIâm sorry. I did something strange.â
âNo, itâs okay.â
The mood between the two was awkward.
This is not good. I have to change the mood. Although he has indeed agreed to be my friend, his fondness for me might get exhausted if I am too eccentric.
Come to think of it, despite all that was done to him, Bradley endured it all with only the clenching of his fists.
Even though, according to Clarence, he seemed to fight back against those who had harassed him by beating them to a pulp.
This is similar to the novel version of Bradley. âThe Heroic Legend of the Wolf Kingâ is a rise to power type of war story that made the readers feel good. Therefore, fundamentally, if he gets screwed over, he will screw you back, with double the payback.
Such passive behavior right now is unlike Bradley of either reality or the novel.
If it isnât for his pride, then he might have put up with it for my sake. Even if we just became friends, we are still friends regardless now.
Thatâs why I should address that part of the matter. I have to properly express to him that I feel his friendship.
Renatus reached out and patted Bradley on the head.
âYou endured so well after being told all that. You are amazing.â
â⊠I didnât want to cause you any trouble, Renatus. Didnât you say you often come to the library?â
Renatus had accompanied him into the library, and if there was a disturbance, Renatus would naturally be asked about the situation.
He seemed to have thought that Renatus could be forbidden to enter as a collective responsibility for having caused trouble.
Bradley had surely been told a lot of nasty things up until Renatus came back. His chest heated up as many feelings welled within him.
âFor meâŠThank you.â
âBecause weâre âclose friendsâ.â
ââŠ!â
Bradley affirmed the word âclose friendâ, which Renatus had uttered in the spur of the moment and without his approval.
âYep.â
Renatus was so happy that he couldnât contain himself, and his mask slowly became wet.
TN: The updates will be slower this year as I finally found what I wanna do in my life. I plan to pursue a bachelorâs degree in Japanese studies in Japan. I need a full scholarship or 100% tuition fee reduction so I need to fill up lots of requirements. And I finally got a job at a Japanese company in my country to fund my study abroad. They are gonna take most of my time.
To be honest, I am 24 this year and my parents want me to get a full-time job and settle down. But I decided to be an unfilial daughter this once. I started translating in 2021 and my Japanese was around N4 level at that time. This year, I am studying N1 and my translation skills improved. And now, I want to do a professional translation. I realized I enjoyed doing it in the past 2 years. But, I donât have any skills or qualifications so I plan to get them. I am excited because I never had a goal in my life. I was never good at anything and I just go with the flow my entire life. Depending on when I finally get a scholarship or have enough money, I will be studying again at university in my mid or late twenties and start job hunting in my 30s. It sounds scary and full of uncertainties but I am gonna do it. If you are hesitant to start something, it is never too late to start. Just do what you can one step at a time. I am just starting now too. I wish all your wishes will realize.
Sorry for my long rambling. I just want to thank you all and tell my story. Thank you everyone for everything until now. Have a nice day.