Sword Art Online (21)
Sword Art Online (21)
Seojun headed to Yuna's classroom to walk home with her.
Asuna had gone ahead because she had other business.
"Ah, it's the handsome underclassman. Hello."
As he poked his face in, the upperclassmen in the room greeted him.
"Hello. Um, by the way, where did Yuna-sunbae go?"
Yuna, who should have been there, was missing.
The female upperclassman who greeted him replied.
"If you mean Yuna, she went somewhere with Nochizawa-gun for a bit."
"Nochizawa? Ah... I see."
Seojun bowed his head and left the classroom.
Nochizawa... His full name is Nochizawa Eiji. Yuna's childhood friend.
Why would he call her out separately? Seojun tilted his head. This had never happened before.
'Hmm, I'm curious, should I go look for them?'
He had a hunch that something interesting was about to happen.
He spread his magic. He felt Yuna's presence behind the school building. Seojun walked over there.
'Found you.'
Behind the school building.
In a secluded spot, Yuna was standing face-to-face with Eiji.
Seojun secretly pricked up his ears and observed the two. What on earth was about to happen?
It was a thrill, like the release date of a highly anticipated anime or light novel was just around the corner.
"Eiji, you said you had something to tell me, what is it?"
It was Yuna who opened the floor first.
At her question, Eiji hesitated, then answered as if he'd made up his mind.
"Yuna, the underclassmen you've been hanging out with lately, you know?"
"Huh? Why all of a sudden? Aha, Eiji~ are you jealous? You rascal! Are you trying to complain because this noona isn't hanging out with you?"
Yuna said playfully.
Eiji shook his head at that.
"No, that's not it. I just want to warn you, Yuna."
"...Eh? A warning?"
"Yeah. The underclassman you're hanging out with... the guy, I mean. Was his name Jun? The rumors about him aren't good."
".........What are you talking about."
Yuna narrowed her brows.
Her voice had also become slightly sharp, but Eiji seemed not to notice and continued speaking.
"Kids I know saw him hanging out with various girls on the weekend a few times. But every time, the girl he was with was different. He must be a bad guy who enjoys hopping between different girls."
"......Haa."
Yuna let out a deep sigh at Eiji's words.
Honestly, it didn't feel great, but from the perspective of a third party who didn't know the truth, it wasn't strange for them to have such a misunderstanding.
'I can't even explain this.'
Yuna was reluctant to tell the truth.
No, even if she liked the guy, dating multiple girls at once? It would definitely look strange.
Since he was a childhood friend she'd spent a long time with, she didn't want to be seen like that.
Yuna decided to put that fact aside for now.
"Eiji-gun. It's not good to judge others just based on what you hear from others. A person should be judged after meeting them in person."
"Yuna. You can know a person without necessarily meeting them. Like criminals on TV."
"......Eiji-gun. Did you just treat the underclassman-gun like a criminal?"
"No... I'm just saying that as an example."
As Yuna's expression soured, Eiji hurriedly spat out an excuse.
However, words are like water. Once spilled, they cannot be gathered back up.
"I didn't mean to insult that underclassman. I just said this because I'm worried about you, Yuna. That guy might be targeting you......"
"......."
Yuna quietly examined Eiji.
If it was the childhood friend she knew well, there would be no lies in those words.
However, she felt really bad. Originally, she would have accepted it with a smile, but her childhood friend... badmouthed the Seojun she liked.
Even for someone as good-natured as her, it was natural to be angry.
However, because the person in front of her was her childhood friend, Yuna admonished him rather than getting annoyed.
"Haa, Eiji-gun. Before saying things like this to me, it would be better to meet the underclassman-gun in person and talk to him. Regardless of the rumors, he's a good person."
"Yuna! Why won't you listen when I tell you he might be a bad guy!"
"Haa...."
Even when she tried to admonish him, he wouldn't listen.
Eiji had always been introverted, but she couldn't understand why he was acting like this today of all days.
But that was separate from this. Since he badmouthed Seojun again, Yuna wouldn't just sit by and watch anymore.
"Eiji-gun. What does it matter to you who I meet or who I hang out with?"
"Th, that's......."
"Thanks for the advice. I know you said it because you're worried about me. But I don't want you to force it on me. Who I meet is entirely my decision. Now, I'm going."
"Yu, Yuna! Wait!"
Eiji grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave.
Yuna winced at the stronger-than-expected grip.
"Eiji-gun? Could you let go? I have plans, so I have to go."
"......You're going to that guy again, right? Then I can't let you go."
Yuna sighed.
Why is he acting like this today? It's incredibly frustrating.
"Let go of this."
"I don't want to."
"Eiji-gun! Why are you acting like this today of all days!"
Yuna shouted.
Eiji flinched at that. He had never seen Yuna shout like this even once.
However, he opened his mouth with a determined face soon after.
"...Do you want to know why I'm acting like this?"
"Yeah! Why on earth are you doing this!"
Eiji looked at Yuna.
Why is he acting like this? Obviously, it's because he likes her.
But Yuna, who didn't know that fact, looked frustrated. Eiji bit his lip and decided to let her know this fact.
'I didn't know I would end up confessing like this...'
It was an unavoidable choice to keep the woman he liked from being played by a bad guy.
Phew, Eiji took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"That's because I obviously li..."
Eiji's words did not continue.
Because an intruder had cut in.
"What do you think you're doing right now?"
It was Seojun who had cut in.
Yuna was flustered by his sudden appearance.
"Et, un, underclassman-gun? Why are you here...?"
But Seojun didn't give her a glance.
He just looked straight at Eiji and opened his mouth.
"Let go of that hand holding my girlfriend."
"...You."
Eiji's eyes sharpened.
The guy who's trying to do bad things by deceiving Yuna!
He gritted his teeth inwardly. Good timing. Saving Yuna from this guy...
Wait. What did he just say?
"...Uh? Gir, girlfriend?"
Seojun nodded.
Eiji's gaze turned to Yuna, who was next to him.
She also nodded in affirmation, looking embarrassed but happy.
......Ah.
The strength drained from Eiji's body.
The strength in the hand that was naturally holding Yuna loosened with a slide.
Yuna looked at Eiji with a worried gaze, but.
"Yuna-sunbae. Come over here."
"...Yeah."
She trotted over to his side at Seojun's call.
Seojun examined Yuna, who had approached his side, with worried eyes.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue after seeing Yuna's wrist.
Because there was a clear red handprint, perhaps because he had grabbed it too hard.
"Sunbae, are you okay?"
"Huh? Ah, y-yeah. I'm okay."
"Still, you never know, so let's go to the hospital once."
"Umm......."
Yuna glanced back.
Eiji's dazed face caught her eye.
However, she soon turned her head and shifted her gaze. It seemed like it would take time for the bad blood regarding today's events to clear up.
"Let's go."
"Yeah, okay."
Seojun led her by the hand.
Then he stopped walking and spoke toward Eiji, who was still standing there blankly.
"If you weren't Yuna-sunbae's childhood friend, I would have thrown a punch first. Please don't lay a hand on my girlfriend carelessly from now on."
"......."
For a long time after Seojun and Yuna, who had finished speaking, left, Eiji just stood there blankly.