Under the Desk
[You seem to have a lot on your mind.]
Standing in a corner of the quiet, dimly lit room, I was still reflecting on what had just happened when Sierra’s gentle voice echoed in my mind from a short distance away.
I quietly turned my head toward her, taking in her translucent figure.
Before long, Sierra spoke again.
[Was it not to your liking?]
"Of course not. I enjoyed it. Very much so..."
I replied, a bittersweet smile playing on my lips.
Sierra had never been particularly fond of the idea of Eisel and me going on a date, but that was as far as her disapproval went.
When Eisel had shown up right on time for our meeting, Sierra had merely let out a soft, thoughtful hum.
[Hmm...]
Shortly after, she had retreated into the Demon Blade, telling me that since it was a "date," I should focus entirely on Eisel today instead of letting my mind wander.
It seemed Sierra believed her presence would only get in the way. Though, in truth, it wouldn't have mattered all that much to me.
My date with Eisel had been wonderful.
Even though all sorts of stray thoughts and worries had tried to distract me, I did my best to clear my head and focus solely on her, just as Sierra had advised.
Eisel was a regressor, after all.
She knew of a hidden restaurant within the academy that even I had been unaware of.
It was a restaurant that served modern-style food, a place I had never seen in the game. I couldn't fathom why such an establishment existed here, but perhaps it was some sort of unimplemented "Easter egg" brought to life.
The taste of the carbonated soda I had for the first time in ages... was satisfying beyond words.
On the whole, it had been a happy, delightful time.
...And that was precisely the problem.
My anxiety only ran deeper now.
In the game, there were no romantic elements or dating segments. Even if you raised an opposite-sex character's affection level, it remained strictly within the realm of "friendship." The process of those feelings developing into "love" simply did not exist.
The line was never crossed.
Of course, now that the game had become reality, such arbitrary boundaries had naturally vanished.
Still, I wasn't foolish enough to assume Eisel was deeply in love with me. Jumping to such a conclusion after a single date would be absurd.
Even so, it was hard to dismiss this date as mere friendship. Experiencing it firsthand had left me with a mountain of thoughts.
For instance, why would Eisel, a regressor, want to get so close to someone else—to me, of all people?
There were many other questions, but in the end, my duty remained unchanged.
The precious people I wanted to protect and save had simply become even more precious to me.
That was why I couldn't rejoice wholeheartedly. The nagging fear of whether I could bear the consequences if I failed kept creeping back into my mind.
A person's mind breaks far more easily than one might think.
Especially when the cause is "loss."
To break down, to stop in my tracks, to remain frozen in one place...
To me, that would be no different from death.
'What happens to them is none of my business. I matter more.'
I could have comforted myself with such thoughts, given up on everything, and gone into hiding. But I didn't want to do that. More accurately, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I had spent thousands of hours with them. To them, I might just be a strange outsider, but to me, every single one of them was an old friend I had grown deeply attached to.
Because I knew their stories.
Because I "understood" them.
I couldn't just turn a blind eye.
Even looking at the Hero alone, if I didn't move, if I didn't act, the probability of a "bad ending" was extremely high, no matter where I chose to hide in this world.
The driving force that kept my legs moving was, ultimately, my responsibility as a transmigrator and a player.
'Love is another matter entirely, though...'
Whatever the case, Eisel had looked happy, and that was enough.
In particular, the fireworks we watched from her favorite hill had been an absolute masterpiece.
'The scenery was beautiful, but...'
She had been so incredibly endearing as she tried her best to describe the fireworks to her "blind" companion, prompting me to express my appreciation as warmly as I could. In that fleeting moment, Eisel had been truly breathtaking.
Afterward, Sierra had hastily popped out of the Demon Blade and subtly nudged my head away from Eisel toward the exploding fireworks in the night sky, but all in all, the date had ended on a successful note.
As I stood in the middle of the room sorting through my thoughts, Sierra approached me.
[There you go, grinning like an idiot again... A swordsman who wields the blade must maintain composure at all times, yet you...]
Hiding her mouth behind her sleeve, she spoke in a huff before suddenly tossing Shady, whom she had been cradling, toward me.
Flying through the air, Shady landed softly right on top of my head.
[Show him what you're made of, Shady.]
"Kereung!"
Shady let out a cute squeak, immediately followed by the sensation of its tiny fangs sinking into my scalp.
Shady really did try to suck my blood at every given opportunity.
Sierra had claimed that it wouldn't do for me to bleed during my date, so she had offered to keep Shady with her. I had wondered where she would take the creature, but it turned out to be inside the Demon Blade.
Perhaps because she was a spiritual entity, she was able to bring Shady inside with her. After spending time together in the sword, Shady seemed to have grown incredibly close to Sierra, as if they had shared some deep, intimate conversation.
When I asked Sierra about it, she simply replied that she had "established the pecking order."
Perhaps because it hadn't fed all day, Shady was enthusiastically drinking my life force. Fortunately, it wasn't a torrent of blood; my Bracelet of Origin was still more than capable of keeping up with the drain.
I hadn't properly tested the creature's powers yet, but according to Magredo, the more power Shady exerted, the more life force it would demand. Therefore, it would be wise to look for elixirs or items that could boost my health regeneration before that time came.
As I wiped a stray drop of blood from my forehead, the sensory pulse I habitually released caught a presence.
While I could always feel the presence of other cadets in the neighboring rooms, the owner of this particular presence was someone who had absolutely no business being in the male dormitory.
'Well, not that I have any right to talk, considering how often I sneak into the girls' dorm...'
She quietly approached my door and came to a halt.
I waited to see what she would do, but nothing happened. She had clearly come to see me, yet she wasn't knocking.
So, I decided to open the door myself.
I masked my presence completely so she wouldn't hear me approach, and reached for the handle.
—Click.
I pulled the door open.
Immediately, the door collided with her forehead.
—Thump!
"...Ugh."
With a soft groan of pain, she clutched her forehead.
I looked down at her as she rubbed the sore spot and asked in a quiet voice,
"......What are you doing here, Miss Kaen?"
Earlier that afternoon, Kaen had witnessed Eisel and Zeto walking down the street hand-in-hand.
The moment she saw them, she had instinctively concealed her presence and followed them. She couldn't explain why she had done it; it was a purely subconscious, fluid reaction.
Watching them from amidst the crowd, they looked exactly like a couple on a date.
...They looked incredibly happy.
It wasn't entirely shocking to Kaen. She had already known the two of them were close. Yet, for some reason, a pang of sorrow pricked at her heart—a feeling akin to emptiness or loneliness.
Lately, Zeto hadn't been seeking her out. She had been hoping to go on another secret mission with him, but he hadn't brought it up at all.
Eventually, as dusk began to fall, Zeto and Eisel headed toward the outskirts of the academy where few people went, and Kaen had no choice but to give up her pursuit. She judged that following them any further carried too high a risk of being detected.
As Kaen trudged back down the street, a sudden display of fireworks began.
The bursts of light painted the ink-black night sky in dazzling, beautiful colors. Although the sudden fireworks were a mystery to the people on the street, everyone enjoyed them, assuming there was some sort of celebration taking place.
But Kaen couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. It felt as though the display was blessing the couple she had seen earlier.
Lately, Kaen's mind had been entirely consumed by thoughts of Zeto. There were various factors contributing to this, such as the words Sword Saint Chris had spoken to her, or the memory of Zeto's bare torso she had glimpsed through the ice sculpture.
Amidst her swirling thoughts, a memory of Eisel sneaking into the male dormitory after escorting Zeto back flashed vividly through her mind. It was, without a doubt, a "secret rendezvous."
'Could they be doing it again tonight...?'
It was a baseless suspicion, but Kaen felt compelled to confirm it.
'It's definitely not because I'm curious about what kind of sounds might be coming from Zeto's room...'
She lied to herself.
Sneaking into the dormitory at night was child's play for Kaen. However, she faced one minor obstacle: she didn't know which room was Zeto's. Fortunately, this was quickly resolved when she ran into a stout male cadet near the entrance of the male dorm.
It was Crank, whom she had met during their party's mission in the North.
'Excuse me, do you happen to know which room is Cadet Zeto's?'
At Kaen's cautious inquiry, Crank had simply given her a direct answer without asking any questions.
'Zeto's room... is 505.'
With that, Crank had given her a thumbs-up and walked into the dormitory, continuing to munch on his bread.
The dormitory hallway was pitch black, the lights already turned off for the night. Finding Zeto's room without being detected was incredibly easy for Kaen.
'Room 505.'
Standing before Zeto's door, having silenced her footsteps completely, Kaen hesitated for a moment.
'...Is it really okay for me to do this?'
She was just checking. She only wanted to see if Eisel had entered Zeto's room.
With that justification, Kaen pressed her ear against the door. Just as her face began to flush at the thought of hearing passionate groans from inside—
—Click.
The sound of the lock turning rang out.
—Thump!
Before she could even think of hiding, the door swung open and smacked her right on the forehead.
"...Ugh."
"......What are you doing here, Miss Kaen?"
As Zeto's question pierced through her like a dagger, Kaen rubbed her forehead, her mind racing to conjure up an excuse.
'I guess trying to eavesdrop on Zeto was impossible after all...'
She was certain she hadn't made a single sound, but Zeto's sensory abilities defied all common sense.
Unable to think of a plausible lie, Kaen kept her head bowed in silence. Finally, Zeto spoke again.
"...Come in for now. It's better than standing in the hallway."
Kaen's eyes widened at his invitation. She wondered if it was really alright for her to enter.
'Does this mean... Cadet Eisel isn't here...?'
Realizing she had made another highly disrespectful assumption about Zeto, Kaen kept her head low as she stepped into the room.
The interior of Zeto's room was shrouded in complete darkness, without a single light on. Kaen quickly realized that since Zeto was blind, he had no need for lights, and she gave a small nod of understanding.
She stood awkwardly in a corner of the room, fidgeting like a criminal awaiting sentencing.
Zeto closed the door, approached her, and spoke.
"...So, what brings you to see me at this late hour?"
"Th-that... I was wondering if any new information came in...?! Y-you know... for a job that requires... my body..."
"Ah."
Zeto stroked his chin and nodded at the excuse Kaen had barely managed to cobble together.
"No new information yet. But in a way, isn't no news good news?"
"...I suppose so."
Seeing that Zeto didn't seem to doubt her, Kaen wanted to let out a sigh of relief. Suppressing the urge, she let her eyes wander through the quiet room to break the silence.
Soon, the pristine white bed caught her eye.
'Zeto's bed...'
It was a neat, ordinary bed with the blankets tidily arranged. Yet, as Kaen stared at it, all sorts of scandalous scenarios began to play out in her mind.
This was the result of her pent-up desires combined with the shocking words Chris had spoken to her. Ever since Chris's remarks, Kaen had become hyper-aware of Zeto in a sexual way.
Though, truth be told, she had been that way for quite some time.
'Zeto's baby...'
Vigorously shaking her head to dispel the thoughts, Kaen spoke up to break the lingering silence.
"W-well then, Cadet Zeto... I should get going...? I'm sorry for dropping by so suddenly at this late hour."
She spoke quickly, taking a step toward the door. She felt as though she might lose her mind if she didn't escape this room immediately.
But then, Zeto reached out and grabbed her hand.
The unexpected physical contact caused a soft gasp to escape her lips.
"H-ah...?!"
Kaen's body was already flushed and sensitive from her wild imagination. As she squeezed her eyes shut in confusion, Zeto leaned in close and whispered into her ear.
"...Miss Kaen, I think you need to hide. We have a guest."
"A... guest?"
She was bewildered by the sudden mention of a guest, but Zeto had already sensed someone approaching the door. It certainly wouldn't look good for a female cadet to be caught in a male cadet's room at this hour.
Kaen decided to trust Zeto's judgment.
'Where should I hide...?'
Her mind was too chaotic to figure out a suitable hiding spot. Unlike her, Zeto remained perfectly calm. He quickly led her by the hand toward a desk pushed against the wall.
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently guided her downward.
Without any resistance, Kaen sank to the floor.
"...Would you mind hiding under here?" Zeto whispered softly once more.
"...Alright."
Still looking dazed by the rapid turn of events, Kaen nodded.
'How did I end up in this situation...?'
Just as Kaen tucked herself under the desk, filled with bewilderment—
—Knock, knock.
Just as Zeto had warned, a knock sounded at the door. The door opened, and the voices of Zeto and the "guest" drifted over to her.
As she listened, Kaen's eyes fell upon the open window across the room.
'...Should I have just jumped out the window?'
Just like Chris had done before. But it was too late for that now.
"Is that so? You're absolutely sure there's no girl in here?"
For some reason, the guest didn't leave immediately and stepped inside the room. The voice belonged to the dormitory guard.
Kaen clamped her hand over her mouth, terrified of making even the slightest breathing sound.
"...I told you, there's no one."
Zeto spoke smoothly as he walked over to the desk where Kaen was hiding and naturally sat down on the chair.
"Strange... I could've sworn I heard a woman's voice..." the guard muttered, clicking his tongue as he scanned the room.
"......"
Meanwhile, Kaen was losing her mind, her eyes fixed entirely on a certain *something* of Zeto's right in front of her face.