After handing over the bear to Klaus, I returned to the academy.
Once back at the dormitory, I parted ways with the two and headed back to my own room at home.
However, to my surprise, Toko was there, reading a manga on my bed.
“Welcome back!”
“I’m home. What are you doing? Do you want to sleep with Big Brother? I’ll refuse that.”
That was only until elementary school.
“Of course not! Anyway, I noticed you were by the lake today too.”
It seems Toko had also noticed.
“I got permission, so Frank and Cedric took me there. It’s where they first guided me.”
“Ah, I see. I was told the same by Ilmera and she took me there too. It’s beautiful, so it’s worth seeing at least once.”
It is the kind of place girls would like. Would she go there with a guy someday as well?
“Did you hear we’re supposed to go there on Sunday evening?”
“I heard. Absolutely not going.”
Right?
“Toko, don’t go so soon after today. It’ll overlap.”
“Exactly. That’s what I was waiting to say. Overlapping isn’t good. I don’t want to bump into anyone by accident. There’s a high chance someone would say, ‘Let’s go together, then.’”
You’re absolutely right about that. But if we react too strongly to avoiding it, it would be obviously odd and unnatural.
“Let me know when you’re going. We can avoid overlapping.”
“We’re planning to go on one of the next weekends. How about you?”
“Saturday is as usual, and on Sunday, I have plans to be shown around town, so I won’t be going either weekend.”
It’s busy.
“Girls for study sessions, girls for dates. You lead a fine life.”
“Are you jealous? They’re beautiful, you know.”
And kind.
“Of course, I know. The president, isn’t it? Has caramel macchiato been achieved yet?”
“It’s more complex and difficult than that.”
“Ah, I get it. Well, if something simpler comes up, that’s fine too.”
Toko definitely said that half-heartedly.
“I said it was fine if it’s impossible, but instead, you seem to have taken it as a challenge. Apparently, ‘I accept your challenge.'”
“You’re so competitive… The president must really like alchemy, huh?”
“Apparently so.”
“Hmm… Anyway, since we’re talking, any weekend is fine for me. Did you just see the lake today?”
“That’s right. What about Big Brother and the others?”
“We entered the forest and defeated a wolf and a bear.”
“Another bear? Big Brother seems to like bears.”
“I don’t like them.
I guess the bears like me instead.
“Hearing that, bears seem to sell well. Though Mom and Dad don’t know, it looks like a good amount of money will come in.”
“Serious? How much?”
“Roughly estimated around 300,000.”
“Wow! I want to hunt too!”
Yui and Toko might start fighting over it. And Ilmera is involved as well.
“Ah, by the way, I remembered something. The person I handed the bear to knew Frank. Apparently, he used to be a teacher. At the time, I heard that you knew that Mom and Dad were academy graduates?”
“Eh? The academy here? I haven’t heard that.”
“It seems that way.”
“Really… When I think about it, we haven’t even heard about how they met, in a different country or anything. But I don’t care much about it.”
Me neither.
“Alright, let’s share this unpleasant information then. That man called them a ‘love-struck couple.'”
“Ugh… I didn’t want to hear that…”
“Gross… Wait, if Dad and Mom are 34 years old…”
“Stop.”
“Don’t calculate backward!”
“Alright, let’s throw that memory into the garbage.”
I’ll do the same.
“Ah, there’s something else I want to ask. Do you know Senpai Andy and Senpai Joan?”
“No. Who are they?”
“They’re second-years from D class. I heard they were attacked by a bear in the forest today.”
“Ah, interesting… But, I don’t know any seniors anyway.”
“Don’t you talk about them in the dorm?”
“Like, when would I? I occasionally talk with Ilmera from my class, but I basically go straight home…”
“Don’t you socialize? I barely talk to anyone too, just Frank and Cedric, but I thought you had many friends.”
“I don’t really socialize much—though I did in elementary and middle school.”
“You don’t socialize much. While I only talk with Frank and Cedric, you used to have many friends, right?”
“Really, I avoid it much of the time. The school is all about families and factions, and it’s such a hassle. Well, recently, there was some awkwardness with my biggest rival, but she’s in the room next door.”
“Sharl…?”
“How’s it going? I laughed when I saw you two pass each other the other day.”
Both of you were staring off in completely different directions without meeting each other’s eyes.
“Damn, it’s so awkward. Honestly, to me, she’s normal, and I even think the president is a good person. But when she switches to La Folle mode, I see her as an enemy. And when I think about Big Brother being expelled and becoming a NEET… I can’t say anything or even glare at her… Yeah, it’s Big Brother’s fault.”
Sorry about that…
My incompetence as an older brother…
“I’ve been wondering for a long time now, why are you using the name La Folle? Even if you were adopted by La Folle, you could’ve stayed as Nagase, right?”
But then our sibling relationship would be exposed…
“When I said I was becoming a wizard of La Folle, my grandma told me I had to adopt the last name.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. When I complained that ‘Toko La Folle’ sounded strange, she gave me five thousand yen. Now I think it might be cool actually.”
Money, huh…
“What if I adopted it too?”
“Tsukasa La Folle” sounds lame, but if they gave me five thousand yen too…
“Unlikely. Didn’t grandma make fun of names like chocolate or wine? She was mad. Also, Big Brother, I think you absolutely shouldn’t adopt the name.”
“Why? Because it sounds lame?”
“Pretty much everything, yeah. But you absolutely shouldn’t.”
Hmm…Why?
It’s not clear, but I decided not to adopt the name since it’s still pretty lame.
Then, dinner time arrived, but neither Toko nor I saw our parents.
—
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