Big Bro's Got a Date on the Books
The practical exam ended far more anticlimactically than I'd expected.
The test was simply reuniting with your scattered party members.
It wasn't a mission to hunt a set number of monsters dwelling in the dungeon, nor a treasure hunt for hidden caches. And even when surprises cropped up, Yupi would appear out of nowhere to rescue the students, so there was zero tension to speak of.
Anyway, our team got everyone together. Mission accomplished, textbook and clean.
"How is this not first place?"
Chloe grumbled on and on, her mouth jutting out in a pout. Deep disappointment was written all over her face.
"I worked so hard. I did my absolute best."
While I was locked in my clash with Ter, Chloe had already found Eva and secured her. She'd also been the one to spot me wandering around naked — a development far ahead of the original story. Call it luck or whatever you like, but most of the team had already linked up across this vast space by then.
First place was well within reach.
But alas, we failed. Second place — we missed the top spot by a single hair.
Second place. We missed the top spot by a single hair.
It's important, so I said it twice.
As Chloe heaved a sigh, Marin patted her on the shoulder and offered words of comfort.
"It's okay. There's a next time. You'll do better."
"Don't you think it'll just piss Chloe off more, coming from the person who caused it?"
"Grrrr!"
In that instant, sparks practically flew from Chloe's crimson eyes. Marin, the target of that withering glare, was busy biting into a cream bun she must have stashed away at some point, holding it in her tiny little hands and taking a big chomp.
Up until I'd rendezvoused with Chloe, the mood had been great. All we needed was to find Marin and we'd be done.
The problem was that she had no intention of looking for us — she'd burrowed into the deepest corner of the dungeon and was taking a nap. She couldn't exactly reveal herself, but hiding away all sneaky-like made her a pain to track down. Because of that, the first place we could've had handed to us went flying out the window.
Neither Eva nor I particularly cared about rankings, but for a girl who dreamed of graduating at the top of the academy with the best record in its history, it was disappointment enough to feel.
"No, get it together, Chloe. A teammate's mistake is my mistake. I can't go blaming others."
"Hm?"
But Chloe carved the character for endurance into her heart and smothered her anger.
"Marin, listen carefully. We're a party, all right?"
"Yes. I know. Party."
"I don't know what goes on in your head, but the moment we agreed to work as a team, going off on your own like that isn't right."
"Me? I went off alone?"
"I know you didn't mean any harm. So next time, let's not do that. I'll give you proper instructions, so you can follow them, can't you?"
"Yes. Understood."
Watching the two of them talk from the sidelines, I couldn't help but be impressed.
Not because Chloe had held back her temper — but because she'd grasped the nature of a person like Marin in a single stroke.
Well, she did carry the story on her shoulders in place of Eva early in the novel, after all.
By default, Marin wore a blank, empty expression and stayed passive most of the time. She'd do what she was told, but beyond that, she showed no initiative — no drive to think for herself and act.
That was Marin Rubellite.
Anyone who didn't know her would get irritated wondering why on earth she acted so infuriatingly. Her behavior was simply incomprehensible by normal standards of thinking.
Chloe, instead, understood the way that mind worked and, like a software developer writing code to build a program, explained things to Marin step by careful step.
"The party's gain is your gain. Burn that thought into your head. It'll be hard to put into practice right now, but it'll be a huge help later on."
"Understood."
When Marin nodded, Chloe immediately turned her gaze on me.
"Why are you suddenly staring at me?"
"You! Go change your clothes already! How long are you planning to strut around in nothing but your underwear?"
She jabbed a finger at me sitting in the waiting area wearing nothing but a single pair of trunks.
After giving my clothes to Ter, I'd roamed the entire dungeon in that state. There was nothing around worth covering up with, and I couldn't leave the dungeon until I found Marin, so I'd simply endured the discomfort. Now the party was fully assembled and I'd ridden the portal at the dungeon's exit back to the academy — only for a sudden broadcast to order anyone emerging from the dungeon to stand by where they were, leaving me stranded, unable to go anywhere.
"Hey, look at that guy. Is he… naked? Is he an exhibitionist?"
"Goodness, you scared me!"
"More importantly, I think he works out. Look at those forearms. Not even a joke."
"His body might actually be pretty nice too?"
Through no fault of my own, I monopolized the attention of the academy's students. Hot gazes from the female students rained down on me.
Buoyed by their fervent interest, I decided to show off my specialty — a party trick of mine from before I came to this world.
Pop — rippleripple!
Deliberately flexing and relaxing my muscles, I made them dance as if they were grooving to a beat. Chest, arms, legs — rippling in that order like I was riding a rhythm, gasps of admiration burst out from all around.
"Whoa!"
"What even is that?"
Behold me longer, everyone.
A technique forged by whittling away flesh and honing bone. Since Solis had carried a body fat percentage similar to mine, it was a feat I could pull off without a hitch.
Thwack!
"It's gross, so knock it off already!"
"Kghk!"
A punishing blow slammed into my leg — Chloe's kick landed dead-on, making my muscles seize up and wither.
Dammit, that hurt like hell.
"C-C-Chloe, don't be so harsh. We're party members… after all. Let's all get along…."
"Aww, our Eva's absolutely right. Maybe I was being too mean, just like she said."
"Hehe."
Those two have gotten really close, haven't they?
"Tell me about it."
Chloe with her arms wrapped around Eva, and Eva nestled snugly in her embrace, grinning ear to ear. Watching the happy pair, my face scrunched up all on its own.
Back on the walkway, it had felt like Chloe was blindly coddling Eva. But now, the two of them genuinely understood each other and looked out for one another in return.
"So the plan to snatch Eva first and protect her in Chloe's stead was a bust, huh."
Tell me about it.
In the original story, Chloe hadn't cared one whit about rankings. Her party had been Eva and Eva alone — she'd failed to fill her roster, so she couldn't even compete. But with the story reshaped and her heart truly in it, she'd pulled off second place despite Marin's trolling.
And as a bonus, this whole incident had deepened the tight-knit bond between them that I'd seen in the web novel one layer further. Great. Just great.
"All things considered, it might be best to excise the uterus before it's too late—"
I am begging you, even as a joke, please don't say things like that.
No worries, though.
There were countless ways to drive a wedge between Chloe and Eva, and with the whole academy term ahead of us, time was overflowing. No need to rush — I could simply take it slow and steady.
"Student Solis."
"Instructor Yupi. Good to see you."
"Indeed. I've just finished escorting the last of the students from the dungeon to safety."
Yupi strode toward us. Her mace was caked with dried blood — apparently she'd bludgeoned quite a few monsters into the ground inside the dungeon while protecting the students.
"Sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden, but would you mind coming with me for a moment?"
"Of course."
Her eyes were resolute. I nodded and trailed after her as she walked.
Our destination was the rear of the academy building. She glanced around, and once she confirmed no one was nearby, she bowed her head to me.
"I'm truly sorry. It seems these words are all I have to offer you."
"Why are you suddenly apologizing to me?"
"Ter. I know that child tried to do you harm. Consider this my own small act of atonement for it."
So she did notice, huh.
Forget everything else — I'd pulled out a Divine Artifact in broad daylight. There was no way Yupi could have missed it.
She'd wielded that weapon herself, after all.
"Did you see the two of us fight?"
"I didn't see the details. But I felt her manifest a Divine Artifact and rushed over in haste. By the time I arrived, the match had already been decided."
Phew. Thank goodness.
I let out a breath of relief. If she hadn't witnessed that battle firsthand, she'd never know I'd drawn the Halo.
"Next time I see that child, I'll give her a proper scolding as her older sister. So please, I ask that you don't hate her."
"It's fine. We already settled things with a conversation, so please don't trouble yourself over it."
At the sight of Yupi bowing her head again and again, I reached out and gripped her shoulders to stop her. Even if it was her sister's doing, Yupi herself bore no fault — this simply wasn't right.
"Thank you for saying that. But a wrong is still a wrong. I can't help it if it weighs on my heart."
With her noble character, Yupi was shouldering even her sister's misdeeds as her own. No matter what I said, she wouldn't easily shed the guilt she felt toward me.
So I hesitated a moment… then slipped the words out slyly.
"Then how about we call it even with one simple favor from me? We'll wipe the slate clean, you and I."
"A favor? Anything — name it."
Yupi said she'd gladly hear me out, and I, as if I'd been waiting for exactly that, brought up what I'd been saving.
"When the weekend rolls around, let's go on a date."
"A… a date?"
The tips of her ears flushed pink. At the sight of her flustered, I smiled and pressed on.
"We're lovers, and yet we haven't had much of anything between us, have we? Might as well take things a step forward, no?"
A fleeting silence.
In the stillness that settled over us, a moment later, her laughter — laced with a sigh — drifted over.
"Hohoho, you really are quite the one, aren't you…"
And just like that, the date for our first date was set.