The End of Jealousy
I woke up earlier than usual, about an hour ahead of schedule.
"……."
It felt like I'd snapped awake from a nightmare. I'd thought that once I got my revenge, a refreshing sense of catharsis would wash over me like a cleansing wave.
But surprisingly, I felt anything but refreshed.
"……."
The moment I opened my eyes, the image from last night flooded back: Marie in tears. Confessing to me, getting rejected by me. Her figure, grieving the cruelty of reality, lingered vividly before me.
Time to get ready….
I pulled myself together, washed up, and changed clothes. Even though it was a bit early, I finished preparing and left the dormitory, heading to the academy.
"Hoo…."
Breathing in the crisp morning air cleared my mind a little.
Why does it feel so stuffy?
This lump in my chest wouldn't dissolve, no matter how deeply I inhaled the fresh air. I'd believed that returning her feelings to her would neatly resolve it all.
But it wasn't as satisfying as I'd imagined. Why?
…Maybe because Marie had shown me her genuine heart.
…And that stirred pity in me for her.
As I pondered this while walking, a chime rang out.
Mental Healing has been activated!
A familiar sensation enveloped my entire body, like foul grime being thoroughly rinsed away.
Right…. There's no reason for me to be suffering.
My foolishly weakened heart recovered.
The stuffiness is simple…. I only took down one of them so far.
Just like that, all the nagging thoughts cluttering my head vanished.
I recalled the goal I'd felt when I first opened my eyes in this loop.
The women who'd brought me despair and death over the past five loops.
The ones who'd trampled my heart and betrayed me.
Even if this loop ended in a bad ending too, I would make them feel this in return.
"I had some stupid thoughts for a moment there."
Feeling refreshed, I grinned and savored the cool morning air.
With light steps, I headed to the academy.
There was no need to hesitate over anything.
What I had to do was set in stone.
。 。 。
After arriving at the academy, I attended classes as usual until lunchtime.
Meanwhile, my attention kept drifting to the classroom door.
She's not coming.
Honestly, I'd been half-expecting it.
After all, I'd confirmed the Despair Memory activation message before bed last night.
I was curious what attitude Marie would have toward me after recalling the first loop's memories.
But she never showed.
"……."
Lunchtime began, and even after sitting at my desk for a bit, waiting, she didn't appear.
Why not?
I had no idea. Maybe she'd just accepted it and gone back to Malcolm.
Doesn't matter either way.
I stood, grabbing my lunchbox.
At that moment.
Drag!
"Emil."
The classroom door I'd been waiting for finally burst open energetically.
But the one who entered wasn't the person I'd expected.
"Malcolm? What's up?"
"……."
It was Malcolm who'd come. It had been so long since the sword training accident that this was the first time we'd properly faced each other.
He spotted my seat and headed straight for me.
And then.
"……Should we move somewhere? I have something to say."
"……."
He glanced around at the puzzled students and said that.
Move spots? What for?
Whatever the reason.
"Sure, I know just the place."
Judging by his expression, it seemed like pretty heated business.
And that.
Was exactly what I wanted too.
。 。 。
I chose the spot: the rooftop.
A place loaded with memories for me—of Marie, and of Malcolm.
There was no better location for a serious talk with him.
"So, what's this about?"
"……."
After reaching the rooftop, I closed the door, turned, and asked Malcolm.
He stared at me with a stiff, somber face before cautiously opening his mouth.
"Marie didn't come to school today."
"……."
Hearing that, I realized why she hadn't shown up.
I see—she was still holed up in her dorm room, sorting out her thoughts.
I wondered what conclusion she'd reach.
As I imagined what Marie might be doing right now.
Malcolm asked me again.
"Any idea why?"
His face looked like he was saying, I already know everything, so spill it.
Like he'd resort to violence if I lied.
That vibe hung in the air.
Of course, regardless, I planned to answer honestly.
"Oh, yeah—Marie confessed to me yesterday."
"……What?"
"And…I turned her down."
"……."
When I laid out the honest truth to his question, Malcolm's expression darkened, as expected.
Veins bulged on his forehead like he'd been holding back a flood.
His pupils shrank, and he glared at me with a savage scowl.
And then.
Grab!
Malcolm seized my collar and slammed me against the wall.
"You bastard, what the hell did you do to Marie…!"
"……."
Growling low, he bared his teeth.
His face screamed he was about to rip out my throat any second.
Familiar.
Back in the first loop, I'd been on the receiving end of that exact look from him right here.
The situations were similar too.
Pinned against the wall, I'd been stomped mercilessly.
Malcolm's violent tendencies were all too familiar.
That's why.
I stared him down without flinching at his threatening actions.
And quietly told him.
"Why ask me? I told you—I just got confessed to by Marie and rejected her."
"Cut the bullshit!!"
Thud!
Malcolm slammed my body against the wall again.
Leaning in closer, he glared and spat.
"Answer honestly—you must've hurt her somehow. That's why she's shut in the dorm, right━!!"
"……."
Malcolm was so heated he could barely think straight.
His eyes had lost all reason.
No matter what I said, he'd probably swing at me.
What had pissed him off so much?
Marie hiding in her dorm?
Or assuming I'd done something awful to her?
In my mind, it was neither.
"Pfft."
"……Laughing?"
It was simple.
Malcolm was jealous.
"Malcolm."
"……."
Just like how first-loop me had charged at him after seeing him kiss Marie.
This Malcolm before me was burning with petty jealousy over the mere fact that she'd confessed to me.
The pathetic thrashing of a defeated male.
"You're looking pretty pathetic right now."
So I sneered at him with full mockery.
The words I'd wanted to say ever since I stole Marie from him in the first loop.
"You son of a━!!!"
As if grasping the implication, Malcolm's face flushed red, and he reared back his fist.
But.
The effect of Blossoming Talent has been activated! Your senses sharpen!
Whoosh━!!
Bam!!
"Guh, urk…!"
The one feeling pain wasn't me, the one grabbed by the collar—but Malcolm, fist raised.
"You were about to hit me, so you started it, right?"
"Hurk…!"
I slammed Malcolm face-first into the ground.
Dazed, he stared blankly at the sky, gasping for breath.
But I showed him a sliver of mercy.
Not crushing him pathetically like this, but giving him a moment to catch his breath and come at me properly.
"Huff, huff…. You bastard…."
"Haha, you fight with your mouth? You've been talking nonstop."
"Shut up━!!!"
Malcolm staggered to his feet, regained his senses, then lost them again to my taunt.
Eyes flashing like a beast, he lunged at me.
But unfortunately.
This wasn't the first loop's Hard Mode—it was the sixth loop's Easy Mode.
Whoosh!
Thud!
"Gahk…!!"
I easily subdued the charging Malcolm and drove my knee into his gut.
Pain exploded in his solar plexus, leaving him heaving.
"Haa, haa…."
The situation didn't change after that either.
Whether he was the original male lead or whatever, he had no buffs left.
Thud!
Bam!
"Grk…."
Every time Malcolm rushed in, I countered and beat him down.
This repeated several times.
By now, Malcolm must have realized.
He was getting wrecked not by bad luck.
But because there was simply this much of a gap between us.
"Huff, guhk…."
"Malcolm."
"……."
I looked down at him slumped against the wall and spoke.
"You… like Marie?"
"……Sh, ut up."
Pain twisted his face, but he spat back with disgust.
Loving the sight, I smiled.
And continued.
"Then take her."
"……What?"
"She confessed to me, but I'm not interested. So go make it work with Marie."
"You fucking bastard…. Haa, what the hell…."
It was petty payback.
For that shitty final moment of the first loop, getting beaten like a dog in front of Marie.
Of course, this wasn't enough.
He'd only been humiliated in front of me, after all.
Marie being here would have been ideal, but circumstances didn't allow, so I settled for this.
"Haa, cut the crap…, haa, even without you saying…, urk, Marie…."
Still, Malcolm's reaction was satisfying.
At my words to take Marie, he averted his eyes in humiliated shame.
Seeing that was enough.
"Guess I'll head out. Cool off that embarrassment, then take your time leaving. Nice air up here."
"……."
With a last glance at his clenched fists.
I turned and headed down the stairs.
As I walked away, I heard a low "Fuck…." from behind, followed by stifled sobs.
Crying? Over this?
I almost laughed.
Sure, charging in cocky on overconfidence only to get wrecked was embarrassing and humiliating.
But compared to what I'd endured, it was laughably trivial.
Feeling absurd, I left the rooftop.
。 。 。
Malcolm stopped his tears and stayed on the rooftop awhile longer.
No desire to return to class like this—he'd just get mocked.
"Fuck…, fuck…."
Instead, he sat there until dismissal, spewing curses.
The target: Emil, who'd reduced him to this.
"That damn nerd…."
Rage boiled up.
He'd never liked him before.
Monopolizing Marie's attention with his top-of-the-class title.
Butting into family matters with unwanted meddling.
And worst, Marie falling for him and giggling like an idiot.
None of it sat right.
"……."
Yet he'd lost to that guy.
"Fuck…."
The fight hadn't even been close.
Back in sword class, he hadn't been this strong.
"All an act, huh…. That bastard…."
Rage surged.
Malcolm lingered on the rooftop, staring blankly at the sky to cool his shame, as Emil had said.
Hours later, voices of students leaving drifted up.
"……."
But Malcolm didn't budge for a while.
Just waiting.
Until he could return to the dorm without running into anyone.
As he waited, the sun set.
Darkness soon blanketed everything.
"……Time to go."
Only then did Malcolm rise.
Pain had subsided; with a blank face, he descended the main building.
Still, Emil's face lingered in his mind.
That bastard…. I'll pay him back next time.
To restore his shattered pride, he'd need double revenge.
Vowing that, he left the academy behind.
Then.
"……Marie?"
Heading to the dorm, on a dark, deserted path.
A girl with pink hair—Marie—appeared.
"Ma, Marie…."
"……."
The girl stood silently.
No response to his call, just standing there.
Grip….
Seeing her like that stirred fresh rage in Malcolm.
"Marie, …I heard."
"……."
"…You skipped today because of Emil."
"……."
Marie still said nothing.
Normally, she'd pour out all her troubles to her childhood friend.
But she just stood there.
Her awkwardness hit him—how much she'd liked Emil.
Malcolm grimaced in frustration and bowed his head.
"I…."
"……."
"I'm here, Marie."
He forced the words out.
"Don't be so torn up over getting rejected by that jerk! I've always been the one by your side!"
"……."
"Not Damian, not Emil—me!"
Hoping to reach her silence, he shouted.
Yeah, Emil. …Just like you said, I'll take Marie.
In that moment, Malcolm resolved.
Might as well think of it as a good thing.
Rejected by Emil, now he could comfort her by his side and win her heart.
With that thought, he approached her.
Slide….
Placed both hands on her shoulders.
"So…. Let's go back. Back to normal starting tomorrow."
As gently as possible.
Words to soothe her heart.
The moment his words ended.
"Malcolm…."
Marie, silent till now, finally spoke.
"Ma, Marie. Yeah, it's me. I'll be by your side from now on."
Her response lit up his face with a grin.
Forgetting the rooftop humiliation in a wash.
Overjoyed at her voice, he gripped her shoulders tighter.
And then.
Whoosh!
Marie threw herself into his arms.
"Marie…."
Accepting him? Malcolm blushed at the thought.
Cautiously wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
Buried his face in her hair.
Hope bloomed.
No matter the humiliating loss to Emil or the wretched words.
If he ended up with Marie, he'd be the winner.
"Marie…."
"Malcolm."
But sadly.
It was Malcolm's grave miscalculation.
Squelch….
"……Huh?"
Marie hadn't embraced him out of acceptance.
"Malcolm."
Crunch….
Crack….
"Ma, rie…."
The reason was brutally simple.
She needed to be close.
Or she'd miss.
"Die. Right now…."
Malcolm looked down at the sharp pain in his gut.
There.
Empty pink eyes glared up at him, brimming with curse.