The Price of Fame
A bustling crowd... How on earth did it come to this?
I broke into a cold sweat, racking my brain to figure out where things had gone wrong. I was supposed to have a nice, long rest after successfully soothing Orca yesterday, wasn't I?
Even though the prologue was over, the playable characters' main stories wouldn't start right away. The prologue was, quite literally, just a prologue—a mere device to give players a feel for the game. That was why I had planned to kick back, relax, and play some video games in the Counseling Room.
But starting this morning, the number of students visiting the Counseling Room suddenly spiked. If it were just one or two, I wouldn't even complain. But they kept barging in every single time I tried to take a breather. The student standing in front of me was one of them.
"...What should I do?"
"Well..."
A female student, decked out in flashy accessories, stared at me with sparkling, expectant eyes. 'The counselor will know the answer.' Was that what she was thinking? I was terribly sorry, but I had no choice but to tell her she had knocked on the wrong door. I've never even dated anyone, so how would I know? But saying that out loud would only disappoint her.
"I ended up snapping at him for hanging out with another girl... Do you think I'm being too obsessive...?"
"..."
I really wish you wouldn't ask me things like this... Suppressing the urge to say those words aloud, I repeated my mantra. I am a counselor... I am a counselor... I must not let something like this shake me...! ...Okay. I was calm now.
"Does this boy have someone he likes?"
"No. Probably not."
"I see. And he doesn't know that you like him?"
"...Yes."
"Then isn't it simple?"
I decided to just spout whatever came to mind. Who cared if it actually helped or not? They only had themselves to blame for seeking relationship advice from someone who had never even been in a relationship...! If she came back crying later because it failed, I could just use Hypnosis to force them together anyway!
"Do the exact opposite of what you've been doing so far."
"...Pardon? The opposite?"
"Yes. You've been acting like that because you're too embarrassed to let him find out how you feel, right?"
The girl gave a small nod, her face still flushed red. Coming to see me must have taken a massive amount of courage. Personally, I believed it was always better to just be honest and confess if you liked someone... but everyone was different. This girl simply didn't know how to express her feelings.
"Boys are simple creatures, you see. Just hearing that someone likes them is enough to make them jump for joy."
"...Really?"
"Of course. If a girl as cute as you confesses, he'll gladly accept."
"..."
The girl closed her eyes, lost in thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "I-I can't do it."
"Why not?"
"A c-confession is out of the question...! For a noble like me to confess to a mere commoner...!"
She liked him enough to desperately seek me out, yet she shrank back the moment a confession was mentioned. I could guess what she was feeling. She was terrified of being rejected. ...But love was something you had to fight for. Especially if there was a rival, you had to take the initiative.
"Now, look into my eyes."
"Pardon? Your... eyes...?"
"I'll cast a little spell on you. If you really want to confess but find yourself lacking courage, take a look at this."
"...?"
I picked up one of the small dolls hanging in the corner of the Counseling Room and handed it to her. As she instantly fell into hypnosis and stared blankly at me, I smiled and spoke.
"Look at this doll and remind yourself of your love. It will give you the courage you need."
"W-will that really be enough...?"
"Yes. That will be plenty. ...Now, go! Go claim your love!"
That should do it. After seeing off the girl, who bowed gratefully before leaving the Counseling Room, I let out a deep sigh.
"Haaaaah..."
I leaned back in my chair and squeezed my eyes shut. The exhaustion had piled up so much that I felt like I could fall asleep this very second.
"You look exhausted, Teach."
"Ah, Orca... When did you wake up...?"
"A while ago."
I thought I had kept my voice down since Orca was sleeping, but I guess it was still too noisy.
"...Does this place always get this many people?"
"Of course not... It used to be incredibly quiet..."
I missed the days when no one came and I could just play games all day. Back then, instead of listening to students' worries without a moment to breathe, I was so free that I did nothing but game. Of course, I felt a tiny bit of guilt back then, wondering if it was really okay to slack off like that, but that guilt only made it more thrilling. Ah, those were the days...
"Then why are there so many people now? You said it was quiet."
"...Are you really the one asking that, Orca?"
"Huh? Me?"
Yes, you. We became way too famous because of the scene you caused. I wanted to say that, but I quickly gave up on the idea. If I said the wrong thing, I might hurt Orca's feelings. She was a sensitive girl who got hurt by the smallest things.
"...No, it's nothing."
"Whatever. Boring."
As I mentioned before, Orca was quite famous. In a bad way. That was why everyone had fled when she threatened them. And that was why Leo had warned her without checking the details first... which, of course, had triggered a fight. Well, up to that point, everything had gone exactly as expected. It was the exact same scenario as the prologue. What I hadn't expected was the winner of that fight. Orca had won, not Leo. Systematically speaking, this was actually impossible. At this point in the game, Orca could never defeat Leo. Even if you set her as a playable character, it was the same, because the prologue was played from Leo's perspective. It was, so to speak, a scripted defeat. Naturally, Haze, the devil residing inside Orca, was supposed to run amok in the Academy. Though they would manage to subdue her, the situation would only worsen... and that was when the main story was supposed to begin. The problem was that this was reality, and because of a variable named 'me,' Orca had beaten Leo.
"Anyway, why are you staying in the Counseling Room all day?"
"I don't have any classes today."
"I see. I was planning to grab some lunch. Want to join? My treat."
"Sure. I don't care what it is, as long as it's seafood."
"You really love seafood, don't you...? Well, I don't dislike it either, so fine by me."
The students, who would have run for their lives if a real devil had appeared, had apparently stayed to watch the fight because the situation didn't seem as dire as they'd feared. I did wonder why on earth they were spectating in such a dangerous place, but well, they do say there are few things more entertaining than watching a fire or a fight. ...Anyway, it seemed the students watching the duel had witnessed me scolding Orca. Because of that, the Counseling Room's reputation had skyrocketed. There were even rumors circulating that Orca's recent diligence in attending classes was all thanks to me. I did want to be known as a competent counselor, but... having my reputation rise this much was a headache. As I was pondering what to eat for lunch with these thoughts in mind, a sudden knock echoed from the door. Again? Can't I at least eat first? I felt terribly sorry for whatever troubled student had come all this way, but my physical stamina was completely depleted. I had absolutely zero experience listening to other people's problems and helping them resolve them. It was much harder than I thought. Therefore, the Counseling Room was officially closed for the morning. No more.
"I'm terribly sorry, but we're about to head out for lunch. If you have business with me, please come back another time..."
"Ah, oh... I see. I'm sorry... Forgive the intrusion."
"...Leo?"
"Hello, Counselor Ophelia."
Just as I was about to turn away whoever it was, I froze at the sight of the face before me. What? Why is he here?
"I came to pay you a visit, but it seems you are busier than I anticipated. My apologies. I shall return when you have more time..."
"No, it's fine. Have you eaten lunch yet?"
"No, not yet."
"That's perfect, then. Would you like to join us for lunch? If there's something you wanted to discuss, we can talk over food..."
"It is quite alright. It is not an urgent matter."
"I see..."
Tsk. I was actually looking forward to eating with Leo. Despite his small stature, he had a 'glutton' trait, and the game often showed him eating massive amounts of food. I really wanted to see that with my own eyes, but I'd been politely rejected. What a shame.
As I stood there feeling slightly dejected by the rejection, Orca poked her head out from behind me.
"Who the hell is it? Let's just go eat already—oh, it's you."
"...Orca."
"Are you here to fight again, kid? I thought I told you I'd seriously kill—I mean, punish you next time."
Orca, who was about to spit out her usual harsh threats, suddenly caught herself, glanced at my expression, and quickly changed her wording. How adorable.
Leo, however, didn't react to her threat. He simply stared at her intently before turning to ask me a question.
"Counselor Ophelia. Are you, by any chance, having lunch with her?"
"...Ah, yes. That was the plan."
"In that case, would it be alright if I joined you?"
What brought this on? Since Leo had suddenly changed his mind, I nodded in agreement. ...Though Orca looked a bit displeased. Sorry, Orca. But I really wanted to eat with Leo at least once.