Two Rabbits, One Dinner

The day after all our midterm exams ended, the report cards were issued almost immediately thanks to swift administrative processing. Students filed out one by one to check their rankings. Zernya hadn’t come to school today.

“Is this right?”

“I just guessed roughly, but it seems accurate.”

The era of rankings being publicly posted on the blackboard had ended, so we had no choice but to compare our places by asking each other directly. Continuing the tally, the list looked like this.

Gaps appeared here and there. Filling them in was part of the fun.

“Idel, Seti! Look at this!”

Rustila beamed as she proudly displayed her report card.

“Whoa.”

“That’s right on the edge of the honors scholarship, isn’t it?”

We couldn’t help but be impressed. The classmates who had overheard Seti’s words finally turned their heads in our direction.

“Tenth place! She got tenth!”

It was the moment Rustila’s name was added to everyone’s notes.

“That girl’s actually pretty good.”

There had been those who secretly looked down on her for coming from the lower class. Those gazes finally began to fade.

“The newspaper club’s going wild too.”

“What about?”

“Take a look.”

Seti tapped the school website on her device and showed it to me.

It was the usual corner introducing the school’s popular figures. The article detailed the match in which Rustila had defeated Zernya, complete with in-depth analysis.

“What’s poly-constellation sword energy?” Seti asked.

“It’s a technique that draws sword energy from multiple constellations at once.”

“But doesn’t Rustila only have one contracted constellation?”

“A nearby star must have lent her a hand for a moment.”

When Rustila had pulled out that dual sword energy like it was taffy, I thought I’d aged ten years on the spot. No—how was she using that technique already?

In truth, if I thought about it for even a second, the answer was obvious.

What on earth is this Outer Deity thinking?

“Ah, Idel!”

Just then Rustila raised her voice and called out to me.

“After school, want to go out for dinner together? Since things turned out this way, I’ll treat you.”

Rustila rarely offered to treat anyone. Since the three ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of us—me, her, and Seti—often ate together, the suggestion felt familiar.

I glanced at Seti, about to say it would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be nice if the three of us celebrated together, when—

Seti rubbed her lower back with a grimace and drooped her eyes.

“Ah, sorry, both of you. I have something urgent to take care of today.”

“Then I’ll…”

“Looks like you two will have to eat alone. Don’t worry about me—just enjoy yourselves.”

Seti patted both our shoulders and headed to the cafeteria first for lunch. Inside the noisy classroom still buzzing with exam results, only Rustila and I remained, staring at each other in silence.

“……”

“……”

For the record, I’m not so dense that I can’t read the board she just set up. Still, it was awkward. Suddenly being told to eat alone with her. We were close, but not exactly at the “completely comfortable” stage.

“…Idel.”

The moment Rustila quietly tried to speak—

Vrrrr.

“Sorry, just a second…”

Thanks to Rustila’s consideration, I paused our conversation and checked my phone. A new email had arrived via the school messenger.

Ah, damn it.

After reading the entire email, I slowly lifted my head.

“Something wrong?”

“No. Nothing important.”

“I’ll finish what I was saying earlier. Is there any food you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠especially like, or any restaurant you want to go to?”

Rustila asked with sparkling eyes.

Several places came to mind immediately, but it was hard to answer right away. I could only have dinner with one person tonight.

Rustila, or the professor?

In the long run, spending time with Rustila would be more beneficial. If I took good care of her, she would reach Omega grade before even graduating from college. Of course, I could congratulate her later. But there was such a thing as mood. Today was one of the days I could grow closest to her the fastest.

In truth, there weren’t many opportunities left to build a deep bond with Rustila. I planned to skip the second year of the academy and enter college early.

But at the same time—

If I met Professor Feynman, I could write my first thesis right away. No, it wasn’t even a matter of possibility. It was practically guaranteed. What physics student wouldn’t have their heart race at being assigned Feynman as their advisor?

Honestly, my heart leaned toward the professor. Moreover, every research topic I would tackle with him would lay the groundwork for discovering the graviton. It would be the signal flare for defeating the Outer Deities.

Delay or throw away this chance?

“……”

What a dilemma.

This wouldn’t do. I had no choice but to run my brain at full capacity.

***

Beneath a harmonious chandelier, a boy and a girl sat facing each other across a single white table. The girl wore the neat attire typical of a student. Yet the gaze that looked back at me was as beautiful as a clear gem, and her gently swaying platinum hair seemed intent on stealing the hearts of countless men. A beauty so captivating that staring too long might steal one’s soul.

“You’re really paying?”

“It’s a meaningful day for you. As your friend, I should treat you.”

“Friend…”

Rustila smiled softly. It was a smile that seemed both happy and sad, impossible to read.

Under the elegant lighting, dishes arrived one after another. Steak and a salad bar. Since we were still minors, grape juice instead of wine.

“So you like places like this, Idel.”

“It has mood, doesn’t it?”

Facing Rustila’s expression that shone like the sun beneath the lights, I sliced into my steak.

“Wow, this pumpkin porridge is delicious. It shouldn’t be an appetizer.”

“Then shall we order two more?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

After slicing all my steak and preparing to eat, I answered Rustila’s question while lowering my hand beneath the tablecloth again.

Tap tap tap.

“Here is the additional pumpkin porridge you ordered.”

“Wow, thank you.”

I took a spoonful of the extra pumpkin porridge. Rustila shivered first. Even a single small chunk carried such care that it was obvious how meticulously it had been prepared. Something this delicious was bound to be expensive.

It was about time to move on to the main course.

I dipped the pre-sliced steak into the deep sauce and ate it. Supreme pleasure pierced my taste buds and raced straight to my nervous system.

“Ah.”

After eating a couple of pieces, I noticed that Rustila’s knife work was more clumsy than I expected. That was strange.

“Didn’t you used to cut steak well?”

“Y-yeah. But this one isn’t cutting nicely… Weird…”

Whether she had lost her touch since last time or not, she was struggling with the thick meat. It was rather endearing. Before I knew it, the corner of my mouth had lifted into a smile.

“You’re terrible at this.”

“Hey. That’s too harsh.”

“Want me to do it for you?”

“…Can I really ask you to?”

When I nodded, Rustila’s face brightened noticeably. I took a fork and an unused knife to her steak and began the operation.

“All done.”

“Thank you!”

Rustila smiled brightly and picked up her knife. While she dipped the meat in sauce and took a big bite, I typed with my left hand.

Tap tap tap tap.

“Ah, it’s really delicious. It feels like my tongue is melting.”

She blinked, scratching her flushed cheek. Her fair, heated face was charming. She was far too good for someone like me.

Drinking in that excessive honor like wine, I dipped the meat deep in sauce and brought it to my mouth.

“Mmm.”

It melted like snowflakes on my hand. Anyway, I endured like this—using parallel processing—until the meal ended. That way, I could catch both rabbits: Rustila and Professor Feynman.

“Mmm, delicious!”

While eating steak with my right hand.

“Idel.”

“Are you even listening to me properly?”