The Second Pact
The second pact. “I can smell lots of different scents on Oppa’s body for the first time-yap.”
Derke, who had been burying her nose and sniffing around, muttered in a calm tone. She was still nestled in my arms like a baby kangaroo, only peeking her head up. Our eyes met in that instant. Her gaze was filled with suspicion. Her tone suddenly turned cold and stiff, nothing like her usual lively self. It was as if she were on high alert against me.
“…Cough?!”
All that escaped me was a dry, awkward cough. A wave of anxiety crashed over me again. I was honestly surprised by how sharp Derke’s senses were. She might smile and grin all the time, but when she got serious, her intuition was sharper than anyone else’s. And that keen nose and instinct didn’t make an exception for me.
“……”
Derke stared at me in silence. Her green eyes scanned my face. That gaze carried a pressure that didn’t match her tiny frame, as if reminding me not to forget that she was a Death Dragon.
“Hng? Why are you just coughing without saying anything-desu-yong? Don’t tell me you caught a cold-yap?”
“Kuh, khm…! Ah, right! I must’ve caught a cold while running from those monsters earlier. That’s why I’ve been coughing since a while ago… *cough, cough*!”
“Eung~? But it feels like this is the first time you coughed, though?”
“Th-that’s because I was holding it in until now, *cough*…!”
“Oppa’s way of speaking feels really awkward-desu-yong. That aside……”
—*Tududuk*…!
Ignoring my fake cough, Derke reached out with a nonchalant expression and started unbuttoning my coat. She was trying to stick her head inside to get a better sniff.
“Huh? Derke…? What are you doing right now……?”
“Just a quick excuse me-desu-yong!”
At the same time, her small, cold nose pressed against my abdomen. She seemed determined to bury her face against my skin and sniff more thoroughly to gather detailed information.
—*Sniff sniff sniff*…!!!
She took several deep breaths, moving her nose even more vigorously than before. Inhales and exhales brushed against my stomach, and with them came the warm, ticklish breath of a dragon. At first it only felt itchy, but that soft sensation didn’t last long. A dizzying sense of dread swept through my mind.
What if the scents from Eros and Sonya are still on me? Come to think of it, I didn’t even get to wash properly after what happened earlier. I really don’t want my soul to get ripped out like this……
The possibility that everything would be exposed flashed through my head. If that happened, Derke alone would be hard enough to handle, but Sofia and Raylin would definitely come charging in right after. The moment everything was laid bare, my life would……
“Huaaah……?!”
Suddenly, Derke let out a yelp and yanked her head back out of the coat. Her reaction made my heart drop. Had she really found out?
“Wh-why, why, why? What’s wrong, Derke……?!”
My mind went completely blank as I scrambled for an excuse.
“Kuuut…! My nose is frozen, so I can’t smell anything properly-desu-yong! *Sniff sniff sniff*!”
“Aaaah……?”
Claiming her nose was frozen, Derke shoved her face back in again.
“…*Sniff snorf sniff snorf*!”
She sniffed a few more times, but didn’t show any particular reaction. It really seemed like her sense of smell had gone numb from the cold.
I-I’m saved……
I had genuinely thought my heart was going to stop. Who would’ve guessed that this freezing environment would actually help me? If Derke’s nose had been working normally, my lie would’ve been exposed instantly.
“”Huaaah……””
It wasn’t just me who felt relieved at Derke’s words. From the corner, both Sonya and Eros let out small sighs at the same time. They must have been just as nervous. We had nearly ended up with a funeral on our hands. There was no other way to describe it except that the heavens had helped us.
“Tch, I can’t smell anything detailed at all-desu-yong…! By the way, Breeder Oppa?”
“Yeah?”
“Why aren’t you wearing anything underneath-desu-yong?”
“──?!”
“You said you caught a cold, but aren’t you cold-desu-yong?”
“Th-this…? My clothes got torn while I was being chased by the monsters earlier.”
“Huaaah? Is that really true-yap?!”
“Yeah. A magic bullet just grazed me and ripped them. And on top of that, I ended up catching both a cold and exhaustion.”
“B-Breeder? Did you just say exhaustion……?!”
Sofia, who had been standing a step back, reacted with a startled voice. The cold expression on her face had completely vanished. Instead, it was filled with worry and concern. Before I knew it, Sofia had stepped right up to me, checking if I was hurt anywhere.
“Ah, I’m fine now. Thanks to the Dragon Heart, I recovered quickly.”
“Haa, that’s such a relief. I knew giving you a Dragon Heart was the right choice.”
—*Squeeze*…!
Sofia let out a sigh of relief and hugged me, burying her arms against my chest. She pulled me closer again, her hands gently roaming over my body.
Khm…! This is making my conscience sting way too much.
Even though Sofia’s soft chest was pressed against my arm, what I felt more than happiness or comfort was still discomfort and anxiety. After all, I was still lying through my teeth. But it wasn’t entirely a lie, was it? It was true that the Dragon Heart had healed me. Just… not Sofia’s Dragon Heart, but Eros’s.
“Um, Senior? It’s still my turn-desu-yong. Could you step back, please-yap?”
“Ah… R-right. That’s how it was……”
Derke paid no mind to the atmosphere. She was still keeping a wary eye on the senior like a new student would. She demanded that the rules be followed since it was still her turn. In the end, Sofia had no choice but to step back again, looking at me with a regretful gaze from a distance. Of course, Raylin had been wearing a similar expression for a while now. Still, I felt a little relieved that the relationship between these three seemed properly established. The real problem was how I was going to get Sonya and Eros accepted in the future.
“Ah, right! Senior…?!”
“Hm? What is it, Derke? I already stepped back like you asked.”
“Since it’s come to this…! Teach me how to form the Love Pact like you promised earlier-desu-yong!”
*
“Since it’s come to this…! Teach me how to form the Love Pact like you promised earlier-desu-yong!”
“…Ah, right. I did make that promise earlier.”
Sofia responded calmly to Derke’s bold request. They had reached an agreement back in the night-duty room. They had decided to yield the next turn to Derke. And they had also agreed to teach her how to form the Love Pact.
“”L-Love Pact?!””
At Derke’s daring demand, both Sonya and Eros, who had been silently watching, let out exclamations. Eros looked simply surprised, but Sonya’s face was properly shocked.
A freshman trying to form a Love Pact with the teacher?! And even before me……?
Sonya racked her brain, but it felt like her turn would never come. Even if she somehow got lucky and her turn came later, the fact that her rank would be far below a first-year’s was an unchangeable truth. And if Derke were to form a Love Pact with Breeder right now……
Not only is she a first-year, but she’d be way ahead of Eros, who’s the same year as me?!
Th-that can’t be……?! I never thought Teacher already had someone. And not just one, but several seniors included……?!
—*Droop*…!
Sonya’s head slowly lowered. A dark shadow fell over her face. Having glimpsed her bleak future, Sonya couldn’t help but wear a gloomy expression.
Phew… I’m just glad I got to connect with Teacher before it was too late♡
On the other hand, Eros, who had already formed the Love Pact, looked much more at ease.
“Howawa~? Sonya? Why’s your face like that?”
“Ah? S-Senior……?”
“Earlier you said you didn’t have any feelings for the white puppy……. Don’t tell me that was a lie?”
Raylin, having noticed Sonya’s expression, slowly approached and asked, her sharp shark-like teeth flashing.
“N-no, it’s not…! That can’t be true!”
“Hmm~? I’ll be keeping an eye on you two. And if I catch even the slightest hint of any funny business with the white puppy, you’d better be ready for all the second-years to gather. Got it?”
“”Understood-!””
“Of course you do. I’m already annoyed enough that the order’s all messed up.”
“Aah? Does that mean… Senior hasn’t……?”
“Yeah. Derke was the very first one to form a pact with the white puppy. Way before me and Senior Sofia.”
Raylin grumbled with a face full of dissatisfaction.
“What? That freshman was the first…? Is that really true?!”
“Th-then what about the Love Pact you’re trying to form now? You said she formed a pact first!”
Sonya and Eros reacted respectively, their expressions showing they didn’t understand at all.
“Yeah. As you can see, the Love Pact hasn’t happened yet, but the Dragon Pact was formed with Derke first.”
“I-is that really true?!”
“Yeah. I never thought I’d end up watching a freshman’s mood like this while living. Ha! What the hell is this situation……?”
“S-Senior, I feel so sorry for you……!”
“Right? Whew, you two shouldn’t fall for the white puppy either. You’ll just end up with your hearts torn apart like me.”
Raylin, who had come to keep the second-years in check, ended up just venting her complaints instead of her original intent. Sonya silently shared a sense of camaraderie with Raylin, while Eros bit her lip, savoring the relief in her heart. She was having trouble controlling her expression from the satisfaction of having connected with Breeder before Senior Raylin.
It was while this chaotic situation continued.
—*Chuuuup*…♥
Suddenly, a sticky sound of saliva echoed.
“Ah? It’s started.”
Raylin spoke in a nonchalant voice as she looked ahead. There, Breeder and Derke were kneeling on one knee, lowering their postures as their lips met. While the others had been talking, Sofia had taught Derke the method. Specifically, how to materialize the Dragon Heart for the sake of the Love Pact.
“Howawa-? B-but……. That’s Derke’s Dragon Heart-?!”