“I was really surprised thinking you were a real teacher.”
Originally, this time was for taking potions.
Yuna seemed to be getting along quite well with her classmates while playing air games, so I felt relieved and went to the bathroom to wash the flask too.
However, after drinking this liquid like a smoker from an atomizer, I lost confidence in drinking it again.
It might have been a little late, but I thought I should care for my taste buds now, so I decided to use magic one more time.
Just then, the bathroom ventilation fan was working properly, and I planned to sneak out the smoke by climbing onto a chair. That way, the smell wouldn’t be too strong.
It was a perfect operation with no concern of being caught. Until a curious kid saw me.
“Isn’t that an electronic cigarette…? We shouldn’t be smoking at our age.”
Haru pointed at the item in my hand.
“Can’t you see this flask? It’s not a cigarette; it’s a potion I’m consuming.”
At first, I had clumsily made it with an empty pen Yuna handed me, but these days it looked quite like a real electronic cigarette.
I designed it so that I didn’t even need to connect it directly to the flask; just replenishing the solution was enough.
“Why are you drinking the potion like that?”
“Because the potion tastes awful.”
“Tastes awful?”
“Didn’t you see Yuna last time? This is much worse than expected.”
When I first drank it, I thought it was Pocari Sweat, but it was clear that there was something wrong with my taste buds.
Back then, everything tasted bland, so it seemed my body wasn’t normal.
Recently, I could smell things better, and I started to distinguish flavors other than sweetness, which was a good sign that my body was slowly recovering.
However, it came with the counteraction of the potion feeling increasingly nauseating.
But why is she shaking like that? The window is definitely open, letting in the cold outside air.
“Anyway, you won’t tell the teacher, right?”
“Yeah, I won’t tell, so can you let me go?”
“Really? Then sure.”
With a click, the bathroom door opened again.
“Want to talk for a bit in the hallway before going back to class?”
“Me? About what?”
“Just about various school life things. I’m a transfer student, so there are many things I don’t know about the academy. I heard you were class president last year. You’re running for class president again this time, right?”
“Yeah. Well… I guess so. You’re not going to run, right, Name…?”
“No? Why would I bother doing something like that?”
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
Haru let out a sigh of relief.
Especially since I dislike the role of group project leader; I certainly didn’t want such a bothersome position.
“But why is this class president election happening so late? I’ve never seen a school doing it in early April.”
Cherry blossoms were already blooming beautifully, and the branches had green leaves sprouting. The gentle breeze coming through the hallway windows tousled our hair and darted away.
“Instead, we get to make friends for a month before figuring out who would be suitable for class president. Just being good at studying doesn’t mean you have the responsibility.”
“It would be a bit weird if someone like Shii or Yuna became class president.”
“Right? You think so too! Seoyuna only thinks about herself! Last year, since I was in the same class, I tried to take care of her by talking to her, but she even hit me! I was really hurt to the point of having bruises for a week… You’re just a clueless transfer student, but Yuna seems to be pretending to be friendly with you, but being close to her isn’t good for you at all.”
“Hmm… you think so?”
“Yeah! Plus, you should have seen how intensely she was trying to win at that boring air game. Look at my knuckles; they’re all red!”
Haru held out her hands with the palms facing down.
If she was asking for sympathy for her pain, that was unfortunate.
“Haru, come over here. Let me see your cheek.”
“Why? Did something get on my cheek?”
“Yeah, maybe?”
Haru bent her knees slightly. It was the perfect height.
Did she think I was going to wipe something off her face?
Wiping it off is correct. I will wipe off the rudeness residing in her.
I pinched her little cheek hard.
“Ow, ow, ow! What are you doing?!”
“You shouldn’t gossip behind someone’s back unless you’re ready to say it to their face. Also, the air game was something I deliberately taught you, so it’s a bit upsetting to hear you say it’s boring.”
“Let go of me!”
“Huh? Aren’t you putting enough strength into your face, Iharu? It’ll hurt more if you tense up!”
Since I was small, I probably looked easy to mess with, right?
Once, even the three marquis of the empire crawled before me.
As Haru kept trying to escape from me, I used Aura to weaken her legs completely.
However, to avoid her falling hard and possibly getting hurt, I supported her under her armpit and carefully kneeled her in the hallway.
“The reason you shouldn’t gossip is also for your benefit. There may be parts of you that are annoyed with Yuna. But from my standpoint, someone like you, who gossips about anyone, might not be trusted.”
“Ugh.”
“If I end up getting close to you later, I might think, ‘Oh, this person gossips even over small things.’ Then I won’t be able to trust you, you should think about that.”
“I guess that makes sense…”
Haru replied with a gloomy expression.
“That’s strange. Our Yuna may have a slightly arrogant side, but she’s not the type to hit someone for no reason. Did Yuna really do that?”
“You too…”
“Huh?”
“You just called Yuna arrogant a moment ago!”
“I can confidently say that you’re a bit arrogant in front of Yuna.”
I’m sure Yuna would only smile that silly smile if I said that.
“So?”
“Actually… I don’t remember clearly.”
“Then I guess I’ll ask Yuna later. If you were at fault, will you apologize to her? Of course, I’ll definitely make Yuna apologize for hitting you.”
“No, don’t ask!”
Suddenly, Haru grabbed my wrist and pleaded desperately.
“Why?”
“Please. I’ll just apologize to Yuna right now.”
“Did you curse Yuna? Or did you get caught gossiping about her…?”
“No… no, it’s just…”
“Talking like that just makes me more curious.”
What could have happened that made a seven-year-old girl so angry that she swung a punch at her friend’s chest?
Is it impressive that Yuna hit her friend, or is it impressive that Haru got worked up to that extent…?
“In any case, it seems like I should hear both sides of the story. There must have been some misunderstanding between Yuna and Haru. I’ll talk to them properly, so don’t worry too much. And I’m really sorry for pinching your cheek.”
Hearing just one side won’t allow me to understand what really happened.
The perpetrator might forget, but the victim will remember that moment for a lifetime.
Just like Haru keeps chewing over the fact that she was hit by Yuna, Yuna must have her own experiences too.
Looking at Haru’s red cheek as well as her knuckles, my heart sank.
“Why are you doing this again…!”
“Just keep your hand over your face. I’ll make it not hurt.”
[Spell: Organ Regeneration]
So, what I used again was the Organ Regeneration magic. I seem to be using it a lot lately.
At this rate, I thought I might as well get a scroll for it too.
The red skin returned to its original color. Haru looked fascinated and kept glancing at her hands alternately.
“Won’t you go back to class?”
It was around the time class was ending, and if I wasn’t in the classroom by then, the teacher might come looking for me, so I had to show my face.
But Haru remained kneeling in the hallway without moving at all.
I walked back to ask her reasons.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
“Is she a dramatic kid? I didn’t think I pinched that hard.”
“I’m sorry… I actually… said something really bad about Yuna.”
“Why are you suddenly crying?”
“I said she was a loner with no dad… I wanted to be best friends with Name, but if she hears that, you’ll dislike me too… and Name… she was adopted, after all…”
Haru bit her lower lip tightly as she confessed. It seemed she was trying hard to hold back tears.
How does she know I’m adopted?
It was clear that Yuna, who hardly spoke to the class, wasn’t the one. Even kids have sharper information networks than you might expect.
“Yuna had every reason to be angry. But if Haru sincerely apologizes, Yuna will definitely accept it.”
“Aren’t you angry…? You’re not upset?”
“If I heard such things, I’d be angry too. But didn’t Haru want to be friends with me?”
“Yeah…”
“Then it’s simple. You apologize, and I’ll accept that apology. I would really love to have a popular friend like Haru.”
It’s a simple matter.
When thinking of those who can’t handle such an easy thing, the frustration boiled inside me.
“Get up quickly; you’ll catch a cold kneeling on the floor.”
I reached out to help her up, but Haru instead clung to my legs and buried her face.
“I… I really regret saying that… My mom passed away in an accident last winter, and I realized how harsh my words were, sob…! Am I being punished by saying something like that to Yuna?”
Your mother passed away? This was the first I was hearing of it.
“I barely talked behind anyone’s back…! Last year, I was the only girl taking care of Seoyuna. It’s so unfair; why is this happening to me?”
“Haru must have been through a lot. Did you endure all this by yourself?”
Haru nodded her head. Sniffling, she spoke in a muffled voice.
“I miss my mom so much…”
As I gently patted her back in silence, she seemed like she had more to say.
“When you pinched my cheek, it hurt a lot. I’ve never even been hit by my mom or dad. Yuna was the first one, and you also…”
“I’m sorry for making you feel hurt. I’ll sincerely apologize again.”
“Apologize for scaring me in the bathroom, too…”
“Okay, I’ll apologize for that too.”
It seems she’s the type to hold onto grievances and then let them burst out.
In the end, I had no choice but to console her until the class ended in the hallway, and as soon as the bells rang, I grabbed her hand and hurried back to class.
