Peeping and a Bold Plan
After witnessing the guy enter a cafe with Cadet Eisel, I noticed a restaurant across the street selling chicken soup. I decided to order a bowl to pass the time while keeping a close eye on them.
"My, you certainly have a healthy appetite, young lady!"
"Slurp... This is... slurp... so delicious! Really!"
The shop owner stared at me eating with a slightly overwhelmed expression, but that wasn't important right now.
Why is he always flirting with girls every chance he gets? Is he just a womanizer?
Even when I ran into him at the academy, he was always hanging around that girl from the Clementine family.
Could it be... that the only reason he's hiding his true strength is to pick up girls...?
It was highly possible. Grandfather had once told me something like that.
'Kaen... men are beasts. Their heads are filled with nothing but thoughts of women. Pure beasts.'
'What about you, Grandfather?'
'I was the same in my prime. As you can see, I'm old now. But back in my youth, I was incredibly popular. There was even this one persistent woman who chased me to the ends of the earth because she loved me so much.'
'Well, you are very cool, Grandfather!'
Yes. If Grandfather's words were anything to go by, the possibility wasn't entirely zero.
Zeto, you absolute beast. Are you hiding your power for such a pathetic reason? Unlike you, I hide my strength out of 'pure' enjoyment.
I finished off the soup and waited in my seat for a moment.
"Would you like some complimentary side dishes, young lady?"
I wanted to accept the owner's kind offer of free food, but just then, I spotted them stepping out of the cafe. However, something looked off.
"No, thank you! I'll come back and eat again next time!"
I rushed out of the restaurant, trying to get a closer look at them.
Is Cadet Eisel supporting Zeto?
I wondered if a fight had broken out inside, but that was impossible. The cafe had been perfectly quiet.
Then what on earth did he drink in there to make him go completely limp like that?
Whatever the reason, I followed them. Zeto remained largely motionless, and Eisel silently supported him as they walked down the street.
Since it was late, there weren't many people roaming the streets. They moved in silence.
This place is...?
The place they eventually arrived at was the boys' dormitory. Supporting Zeto, Eisel walked right up to the entrance, where they crossed paths with the dormitory guard.
'Cadet Eisel! Girls are strictly forbidden from entering the boys' dormitory!'
After a brief exchange between the guard and Eisel, something utterly absurd happened. Eisel actually walked right into the boys' dormitory building, still supporting Zeto.
No way... No, wait. I don't know yet.
For a split second, my mind nearly drifted toward an incredibly scandalous scenario, but I shook the thought away.
...She probably just agreed to drop him off at his room and come right back out.
No matter how I thought about it, that made the most sense. The dormitory guard wasn't an idiot. He must have made her promise to leave immediately afterward.
Right on cue, Eisel emerged from the building alone.
See? I knew it. I almost jumped to a bizarre conclusion. Cadet Eisel... she looks so cold on the outside, but she's actually a much kinder and warmer person than she seems.
I didn't know what kind of relationship the "cool" Eisel—who had displayed such overwhelming power during the class placement exam—had with that guy, but seeing her leave the dormitory alone made me feel relieved.
Eisel walked out, spoke briefly with the guard again, and then headed down the path.
I guess that's it for today.
Even I wouldn't keep watching once he was inside his dormitory. There was nothing to gain from waiting around for a guy who was probably sleeping soundly in his room. Besides, I wasn't very good at staying up late.
Time to head back.
Just as I was about to wrap up today's surveillance and turn around...
Cadet Eisel...?
Eisel, who had been walking away, suddenly changed direction. She circled around the guard post, approached the dormitory wall, and scaled it in a single fluid motion.
"Huh...?"
My jaw dropped at the shocking sight.
Cadet Eisel sneaking back into the boys' dormitory... Is it because of that guy, Zeto?
I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe the bizarre situation unfolding before me.
What are a grown man and woman planning to do in a room together...? What on earth is she intending to do...? And why does that guard even exist...?
I felt like I knew the answer, but I desperately tried to ignore it.
He's a beast... I can't let everyone's attention be stolen by a beastly guy like him.
At that moment, my suspicion that Zeto was hiding his strength solely to seduce women solidified into absolute certainty.
"Phew..."
After slipping past the guard and scaling the wall surrounding the dormitory, I hurriedly made my way to the room where Zeto was waiting.
I had already unlocked the door using the key I took from Zeto's back pocket, leaving a small object wedged in the frame to keep it from latching shut.
Fortunately, because of the late hour, I managed to slip into Zeto's room without running into anyone in the boys' dormitory. It was a perfect crime.
Upon entering, I saw Zeto lying on the bed where I had left him earlier. He was fast asleep.
This was an impulsive act. Ever since I received Zeto's clothes last time, the faint scent lingering on them had left my mind in a complete daze.
But it wasn't like I could have refused his clothes back then. No, in truth, those were all just excuses. I was probably just rationalizing my actions, telling myself I had no other choice.
Staring at the 'crime' I had committed, I could barely keep my head straight.
But... the deed is already done...
In the previous turn, Zeto had also been incredibly weak to alcohol. Once he drank, he would fall into a deep sleep and wouldn't wake up for a long time.
Zeto hadn't changed. It was only because my actions had changed that his approach to me was being delayed.
I lay down beside Zeto, knowing he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. Then, I slowly edged closer to him.
I snuggled completely into his embrace. I rested my head on his sturdy arm as a pillow and buried my face in his chest.
"Inhale... Exhale..."
...The rich scent of his body, which I hadn't smelled this closely in so long, made my head spin with dizziness.
"Zeto..."
The blindfold that always covered his eyes caught my attention. A conversation I had shared with Zeto in the previous turn suddenly came to mind.
'The blindfold?'
'Isn't it uncomfortable wearing it all the time?'
'Haha... It was at first, but now it feels weird without it.'
'I'm just curious about what your eyes look like.'
At my casually tossed-out words, his face had stiffened instantly.
'I'm afraid I can't show you that, even if it's you, Miss Eisel.'
He had left me with those cold words. In that moment, he had felt like an entirely different person. He was a Zeto who was normally infinitely gentle with me... I wondered if he had some painful memory he didn't even want to recall.
And right before he died, when he dropped his usual formal tone—which he had never abandoned before—to speak to me... I was able to see Zeto's eyes for the first and last time.
They were blue. It was the color of the beautiful sea one could see at Veleshanas beach, a place I loved so dearly. It felt like destiny.
But because it was the last time, it was also the absolute worst.
I desperately wanted to untie the blindfold wrapped around his eyes right now and see his closed, sleeping eyes... but I couldn't.
With his sharp senses, even if I tied the blindfold back on, he would realize it had been tampered with. He would quickly figure out that I was the culprit.
I didn't want him to hate me. If Zeto ever came to hate me, I wouldn't be able to go on living. I would have no choice but to start the turn all over again.
So for now...
I could feel the warm heat radiating from Zeto's body. His soft, rhythmic breathing sounded right in front of my nose. His breath brushed against my face. I was the only one—the sole person—who could see Zeto like this.
...This was just the right amount. I hugged him tightly.
A kiss... Surely that much would be fine...
A scandalous thought crossed my mind. I recalled a previous conversation I had with Zeto.
'B-But... w-why... do I have no... clothes on...?'
'Well, that's because...'
He had trailed off, and for a moment, I had worried that Zeto and I had crossed 'the line'. I had been angry. I was furious that I had absolutely no memory of it. I desperately hoped it wasn't true. I didn't want my 'first time' to vanish without me even remembering it.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case. I wanted to erase that incident from my memory. Just thinking about it made my face flush with embarrassment.
"This is... yes, revenge."
Chu.
I gently pressed my lips against the sleeping Zeto's. His lips tasted sweet. Was it because of the coffee? It was my first time, so I didn't really know.
I lay there for a long time, burying my face in his chest.
"......"
When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling. To be precise, it was the ceiling of my own dormitory room.
"Ugh..."
As I sat up, a splitting headache assaulted me, forcing me to clutch my head.
What happened yesterday?
I was definitely drinking coffee with Eisel.
While we were drinking coffee...
Just as I was trying to piece my memories back together, a voice that shouldn't be here echoed from a corner of the room.
"You're awake. It feels like our roles have been reversed from last time, doesn't it?"
"Eisel...?"
Looking toward the source of the voice, I saw Eisel leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, wearing the same uniform as yesterday.
Why is Eisel here...? Ah.
There could only be one explanation.
"You brought me back."
"Yes. I didn't know where your key was, so I had quite a hard time searching your pockets."
Eisel wore her trademark indifferent expression.
I had lost consciousness in the middle of the night, and Eisel had carried me all the way back to my dormitory.
Isn't this an incredibly dangerous situation?
I had a lot of secrets to hide from her. However, I couldn't exactly question her suspiciously when she was maintaining such a perfect poker face.
"I was going to leave a note... but that would be useless to you, wouldn't it?"
Eisel raised her hands and shrugged.
"True..."
I deliberately scratched the back of my head as I assessed the situation. Touching the back of my head, the blindfold wrapped around my eyes felt perfectly fine. It was clear it hadn't been removed. Even if my senses were dulled by the alcohol, I could still recognize the feel of the knot.
Then, what would Eisel, a regressor, do in this room...?
...Nothing, really. The materials for the Demon Blade were naturally stored elsewhere, and I kept my room quite tidy.
My lips feel a bit moist... Did I drool?
I naturally wiped my lips. I could only hope Eisel hadn't witnessed such an embarrassing sight.
"Anyway, thank you. You must be tired... I'm quite weak to alcohol, so... next time, please let me know if there's alcohol in what we're drinking."
I said to the indifferent-looking Eisel. For some reason, Zeto's body seemed to have an incredibly low tolerance for alcohol. It appeared that leveling up didn't increase one's alcohol tolerance. Back in the real world, I had been extremely weak to alcohol too... I wasn't sure if there was any connection there.
"I'll keep that in mind. Now that you're awake, I'll be on my way."
"Yes, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
Only then did Eisel uncross her arms and leave the room.
"Haa..."
Once she left, I let out the sigh I had been holding back. That was a close call. Of all things, it had to be alcohol. Why on earth did that cafe sell coffee spiked with alcohol? Since the cadets were technically adults, there was no legal issue with selling it, but I never expected a cafe to serve alcohol.
I should have been more careful since it was my first time visiting that shop...
Still, I was glad the situation hadn't turned out too badly. Eisel probably didn't expect me to be this weak to alcohol either. Nothing out of the ordinary must have happened. Probably.
It ended up being delayed. The item filled with memories... and I wonder what Kaen, who was peeping at Eisel and me yesterday, is plotting now...
Given her meticulous and calculating nature, she wasn't the type to run around doing useless things.
Please, just don't cause any trouble.