I’m Not Becoming a Graduate Student! – Chapter 33

Right after Bariyes’ class ended.

Sion stepped out of the classroom with someone other than Patrick and Geivolg.

The top student of the Byzantium Academy, Serenne Camileya.

“Shall we go to a cafe and chat?”

“Before that, let’s grab something to eat. We need to eat before afternoon classes, right?”

“Yeah, good point.”

Serenne nodded sleepily.

She’s truly a woman I can’t figure out.

Not that she’s emotionless or anything.

Sion and Serenne walked side by side towards the academy shopping district.

‘The shopping district is definitely thriving.’

Thanks to his good studying in his past life, Sion had gotten into a prestigious university in Seoul.

Fortunately, the area around the university had a pretty good shopping district.

Restaurants, pubs, cafes, clothing stores—everything was crammed together.

For Sion, who had never really enjoyed the college district in his previous life, it felt like a whole new world.

“There’s so many people.”

“Yeah, it’s the Byzantium Academy, after all.”

The shopping area of Byzantium Academy could hold its own against the college districts from his past life.

Buildings lined up in two or three stories, with crowds bustling along the main street.

Truly, it is the best academy in the empire, so many people around.

Suddenly.

“?”

While walking absentmindedly, someone grabbed Sion’s hand.

Serenne was looking at him with an indifferent expression.

Her hand was connected to Sion’s.

“Uh, uh…?”

“If we keep this up, we’ll get swept away by the crowd. Let’s hurry and go into any place.”

“A, right! Got it.”

Even though there were tons of people, Serenne was small and petite.

She held onto Sion’s hand to avoid getting swept away by the crowd.

Even knowing that, the fact that they were holding hands made his heart race for no reason.

‘Get a grip. Serenne isn’t even bothered about it!’

In a friendzone between guys and girls, the most important thing is ‘not to misunderstand.’

If one starts to think the other has feelings for them, it’s hard to stay just friends.

…That’s what Sion learned from social media and such.

Before Serenne got swept away in the crowd, Sion quickly entered any shop.

“Phew… okay, let’s eat here for now.”

“Yeah.”

“Are there two seats here…?”

As soon as he checked inside the shop, Sion’s movement suddenly halted.

A pink maid outfit, heart-shaped decorations in pink, countless couples eating away inside.

Sion turned his neck like a machine to check the name of the shop.

– BlingBling Restaurant

– Couple Event in Progress! Couples get a 10% discount with verification! Plus, get a free lovey-dovey commemorative photo using magical tools~!

– Byzantium Academy students get a 10% discount! Student ID check required

– Shine and grow your love at BlingBling Restaurant~♡

As soon as he read the notice under the shop name, a drop of sweat rolled down Sion’s forehead.

It was a restaurant for eating, but he had picked a spot that was way off target.

“Um… should we go to another place…?”

“I want to eat this though.”

“…Huh?”

Serenne pointed to the menu at the counter with her finger.

Under a phrase that read ‘Best!’, he saw a hamburger steak.

Somehow, there was a heart-shaped sauce on top of the steak.

“Can’t we try another place?”

“No, I want this.”

“Ugh, um… still….”

“Oh~ You must be a student of the academy! Hello, hohoho!”

“Ah.”

While Sion was trying to convince Serenne, a staff member approached the counter.

She was a very friendly-looking lady, dressed in all pink, from her hair to her eyelashes to her outfit and shoes.

If Sion had come alone, he would have fled right away saying ‘sorry’ at first glance.

Serenne, expressionless, held up two fingers.

“Two, please.”

“Yes, two people. Hoho, but you look great together. What a handsome couple~.”

“Ah, we’re not like that— huh.”

Serenne stood on her tiptoes and covered Sion’s mouth with her hand.

Sion glanced down at her in surprise.

She responded matter-of-factly.

Wrapping her arms around Sion’s frozen body.

“We are a couple.”

“Hohoho, I see. The sparks are flying. If your tie is red, you must be freshmen, already dating… Oh my, I’m being so nosy. Please, sit wherever you’d like~.”

“Thank you.”

Serenne bowed her head and expressed her thanks.

The staff left, chuckling, to take orders from other customers.

Sion could only blink.

‘…T-this must be a misunderstanding, right?’

She had held his hand earlier, and now she was wrapped around his arm, and boldly declaring they’re a couple.

It was an experience he had never had in his past life, and he was still dazed by it.

Of course, that concerned Sion alone.

“Hey Sion, what are you doing? Sit down already.”

“Uh? Uh…”

“I’m hungry. Let’s order already.”

Serenne had planted herself firmly in a chair and was calling for Sion.

He sat across from her, and Serenne was seriously looking through the menu.

“Um… are you okay?”

“What’s that?”

“People might think we’re a couple… They might get the wrong idea…”

“I don’t care. And… look at this.”

Swish!

Serenne showed Sion the first page of the menu.

With her tiny finger, she pointed to a certain phrase.

It was something he had noticed when entering the shop.

– Couple Event in Progress! Couples get a 10% discount with verification!

“…10% discount for couple verification?”

“If we can get a discount, we’d be rude not to take it.”

“So you’re pretending to be a couple because of that…?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

Serenne nodded as she said that.

‘That’s not exactly wrong, but… Isn’t it embarrassing…?’

Sion awkwardly looked around.

Couples feeding each other parfaits, slicing hamburger steaks together, or sipping one drink with two straws and such…

Wherever he looked, couples were overflowing with sweet interactions.

Just glancing at the surroundings made him feel even more withdrawn.

Whether Serenne noticed Sion’s feelings or not, she suddenly shoved the menu at him.

“I’m done choosing. Order.”

“Eh? Oh, got it.”

Amidst the menu items all adorned with hearts, Sion settled on what seemed like a safe pasta.

…Even if it was called ‘Love-Pouring Rosé Pasta.’

“Here’s the order.”

“Hohoho, have you both made your choices?”

The cheerful lady from earlier reappeared at their table.

“…I’d like Rosé Pasta and Hamburger Steak, please.”

“Yes~! A Love-Pouring Rosé Pasta and, a Heart-Making Hamburger Steak! Your order is complete. Would you like any drinks?”

“Let’s get this. It looks delicious.”

Serenne pointed to a blue Hawaiian-themed drink with gradation.

“Beach of Youth! Your drink order is also good. Please wait a moment, hoho~.”

The staff chuckled and immediately went to another table.

Maybe due to its popularity, the shop was bustling with customers.

Yet, the major issue was that all the customers were couples casually engaged in skinship.

“Hamburger steak looks delicious.”

“….”

Of course, Serenne was completely unbothered, staring intently at another table.

Sion glanced over and saw a couple sharing a hamburger steak.

…Was it just his imagination, or did it seem like a transparent liquid was dripping from Serenne’s mouth?

‘Ha… this is awkward.’

Sion fidgeted with his fingers.

Serenne was her usual self, carefree as she was…but from Sion’s perspective, it felt like he was on a date with a female friend he barely spoke to.

Not talking in a place like this felt even more uncomfortable, so Sion forced himself to start a conversation.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned having a special eye. How did you get it?”

Her half-closed eyes blinked drowsily toward Sion.

With a voice as drawn out as a yawn, she replied.

As if telling a story of a dream she had long ago.

“I had it since I was born.”

Like clouds moving with the wind.

Her sky-blue eyes were constantly shifting even now.

“Have you heard about the Camileya family?”

“…No.”

“Yeah, I figured. It’s just an ordinary count family… plus, it’s a knight family too.”

“A knight family?”

Sion’s eyes widened in surprise.

She had confidently enrolled as the top student in the world’s best—no, the empire’s best—Byzantium Academy.

If she was the top student from the Magic Department, surely she’d be from a prestigious magical family, at least one of the ‘three great magical families’ of the empire…

But to think she was from a knight family.

“I explained about my special eye. A magical eye that allows me to see the flow of mana.”

“R-right…?”

“Seeing the flow of mana is a blessing. At the same time, it’s a curse.”

“A curse?”

“Yeah. It’s like cramming the information of mana into the brain of a child who doesn’t understand the world yet.”

“……”

Sion imagined it.

An eye that sees the flow of all mana in the world.

If a newborn possessed it, could that vast amount of information really be bearable?

The fact that she hadn’t become a broken person was already a miracle.

…Perhaps her laid-back personality and sleepy eyes were also a result of that ordeal.

Sion shifted in his seat and asked her.

“So how….”

“I cried.”

“….”

“I cried and cried and cried. I wanted to gouge my eyes out before the pain pierced my brain, but I couldn’t. You know? These eyes can easily see through even something as thin as an eyelid. Even if I close my eyes, I can still see the flow of mana. Even in the pitch dark.”

Serenne’s words left Sion speechless.

As if she were telling someone else’s story, she casually shared only the facts, devoid of emotion.

Her feelings were as parched as sand on a beach.

“That must have been a pretty boring story. I mean, you probably lived a life similar to mine anyway.”

“…No, I’m not—”

Just as Sion was about to rebuke Serenne’s words.

“Hoho, your food is here~.”

The cheerful staff lady appeared and set the food down on the table.

The Rosé Pasta topped with heart-shaped cheese, the Hamburger Steak drizzled with a heart-shaped sauce…

And lastly, the crowning glory of ‘two straws stuck in one drink.’

“Enjoy your meal~! Oh, a commemorative photo will be taken when you leave, just so you know~. Hohohong!”

“….”

Sion stared blankly at the heart-covered table.

“Hamburger… steak… Yum, let’s eat.”

…Unlike during class, Serenne was now sparkling with excitement as she picked up her fork and knife.