Chapter 23: Cafeteria 2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Cafeteria 2
"Loki! There’s a woman here to see you!"
Kuran’s voice was so booming that every student in the Special Class heard him. Heads turned instantly—some toward me, others toward Kuran.
I hadn't seen her yet, but I could already take a guess.
Aside from my classmates in the Special Class, very few people would come looking for me. If it were a professor, Kuran would have used their title.
Plus, he specifically said it was a "woman." That left only one person.
A face peeked into the classroom. Her platinum blonde hair was tied back neatly, and her sapphire-blue eyes scanned the room before locking onto mine.
"Senior Johanna!"
The moment I spotted her, I hurried over. She gave me a small, reserved wave.
"Hey."
"Hello, Senior. What brings you all the way here?"
"Lunch. We agreed to eat together."
As she said, we had made plans earlier. However, I had expected to meet her at the cafeteria; I didn't think she’d come to find me herself.
"Lady Freya?"
Aside from me, three other students in the Special Class recognized her immediately.
Lucas Leonhart of the Imperial Family.
Clara Adelian of the Ducal Family.
And Sepia Rivayden of the Marquis Household.
Since all three were high-ranking nobles, it was only natural they knew her. Sepia was the first to speak.
"Hey, Pushover. What’s the deal? You already have lunch plans with Lady Freya?"
Sepia had sidled up to me before I even realized it. She tried to sound nonchalant, but her expression and tone betrayed a clear sense of disappointment.
The spirits, which had been clinging to Sepia and refusing to budge, now swarmed me instead, acting cute as if begging me not to leave.
"Spirits..."
Johanna stared intently at the spirits clinging to me, seemingly seeing them for the first time.
Even if there were spiritists among the second and third years, seeing a manifested spirit wasn't common. Most spirits merely lent their power from the Spirit Realm. Spirits like Sepia’s, which could manifest in the physical world for long periods, were incredibly rare.
If the Spirit Realm was like a countryside home with fresh air, this world was like a stifling city choked with smog. The fact that Sepia’s spirits stayed here despite the discomfort meant they liked her enough to endure it.
The only reason they hadn't attacked Professor Elicia earlier was simply because it was their first time seeing a dragon. Given a bit more time, they would have attacked the professor the moment Sepia gave the command.
If a typical second or third-year spiritist ordered their spirit to attack Professor Elicia, the spirit would likely have attacked the spiritist instead and broken the contract out of pure terror.
"Senior? What are you doing?"
Johanna stood perfectly still, her hand reaching out toward me. No—looking closer, she was moving, just incredibly slowly.
"Don't tell me you're trying to pet the spirits?"
At my words, Johanna flinched as if caught red-handed, and the spirits instantly ducked behind my back. When they vanished from her sight, she glared at me reproachfully.
"Senior... no matter how you look at it, I don't think that was my fault."
Johanna was pouting because she couldn't touch the spirits, and Sepia was pouting because she’d been about to ask me to lunch only to find I already had plans.
As I pondered how to fix the mood, a thought struck me.
"How about we all eat together?"
That way, I could eat with Sepia, and Johanna could keep watching the spirits.
"No."
Before Sepia could even answer, Johanna shut the idea down. Offended by the blunt refusal, Sepia turned to leave the classroom.
"Fine! I prefer eating alone anyway!"
The spirits gave my cheeks one last affectionate rub before chasing after Sepia. Johanna watched their retreating backs for a long time.
Once they were out of sight, Johanna looked at me.
"Shall we go?"
I hadn't expected such a firm rejection from her, so I was momentarily taken aback, though I didn't let it show.
"Yes, let's!"
Before following Johanna out, I addressed the rest of the class.
"Enjoy your lunch, everyone!"
The students who didn't know Johanna’s identity just stared blankly. Lucas and Clara, who did know who she was, had very different reactions. Lucas watched us leave with an intrigued expression, while Clara simply put her head back down as if she couldn't care less.
* * *
"Senior~"
I called out to Johanna, who was walking ahead of me toward the cafeteria. Hearing my voice, she turned around and frowned.
"Where's your cloak?"
I wasn't wearing the red cloak I usually wore with my mask. Johanna probably noticed because I looked a bit "incomplete" without it.
"Ahaha, I felt like someone else needed it more than I do right now. Anyway, it's not important. Let's hurry to the cafeteria!"
In truth, I had draped the cloak over the sleeping Clara before leaving. The cloak was so light it felt weightless, yet it provided excellent insulation. Most importantly, it would keep her covered.
Since I’d done it secretly, Clara wouldn't notice until she woke up. For some reason, the look in Lucas’s eyes had grown even more amused when he saw me do it, but it wasn't a big deal.
Thinking about the cloak kept bringing back memories of Clara’s... proportions, so I walked as fast as I could to clear my head.
On the way to the cafeteria, a sudden curiosity struck me.
"By the way, Senior, why did you reject the suggestion to eat together?"
Johanna still looked a bit gloomy, seemingly sad about missing her chance to pet the spirits. She explained her reasoning.
"Jenna told me to talk to you where no one else was around."
"Pardon? Talk about what?"
Johanna stopped and turned to face me.
"Do you want to join the Disciplinary Committee?"
I had received the same offer before and turned it down. I intended to refuse immediately this time as well, but looking into Johanna’s sapphire eyes made the words catch in my throat. If I joined the Disciplinary Committee, I’d see her more often, and my academy life would certainly be easier.
"As I said before... I'm sorry."
Nevertheless, I steeled my heart and declined. To reach the ending I wanted, I couldn't join the Disciplinary Committee—or any existing club, for that matter.
"Are you really going to start your own club?"
"Yes! I'm not exactly the type of person who enjoys being under someone else's thumb!"
When I’d rejected her previous offer, I told her I was going to start my own club.
"You know how difficult it is to establish a new club, right?"
"Yes, I'm well aware! But if I want to live life on my own terms, I have to put in the effort."
"I'll help you. In exchange, join the Disciplinary Committee during the Club Experience Period."
Johanna had likely expected me to refuse the initial offer. This must have been her true goal all along. I finally understood why Jenna Suguro told her to speak with me in private.
The Club Experience Period was a time when freshmen acted as temporary members of a club to see what it was like before making a final choice. However, prestigious organizations like the Disciplinary Committee or the Student Council didn't usually offer experience periods because they were already flooded with applicants.
It wasn't exactly against the rules for me to do a solo experience period with them, but if word got out that I was the only one getting special treatment, it would become a hassle. That’s why Jenna Suguro told her to find a private spot.
"Alright. I'll join the Disciplinary Committee for the Club Experience Period."
If the Disciplinary Committee helped with the club establishment, it would be much easier than I’d anticipated.
"Okay."
Johanna’s expression brightened, satisfied with my answer. We continued chatting as we walked and arrived at the cafeteria in no time.
Once there, I picked out the food I wanted. As expected of the Empire’s top educational institution, everything looked delicious. I took my tray and sat down with Johanna, but I could feel every eye in the cafeteria on me.
"Senior Johanna, I know I'm handsome, but it's rare for people to stare this much. Why is that?"
"The mask."
Ah. I realized why everyone was watching. They thought I’d have to take off the mask to eat.
To reward their anticipation, I scooped up some warm soup with my spoon. Everyone in the cafeteria gulped, watching my every move with bated breath.
I brought the spoon to my mouth. Everyone expected the mask to come off at that exact moment.
However, the spoon passed right through the mask as if it were a ghost, and I hummed as I tasted the warm soup.
"As expected, the Academy food is delicious!"
I wasn't going to show them my face that easily.