Cecil's Jealousy
Eventually, I ended up eating the gimbap I’d made for dinner.
Cecil’s cooking certainly stirred up a strange, nostalgic emotion… but it was too accurate. Too perfectly accurate. The texture of bread pieces dissolving into mushy water. Meat that had swollen and melted into the broth like it was dissolving. Vegetables were supposedly added, but they’d melted away so thoroughly I couldn’t even find them. It wasn’t so much a dish as a furnace—a furnace that thoroughly melted and recast everything thrown into it.
And Cecil had the nerve to serve this as a special anniversary meal. If I hadn’t been stabbed that day, I might’ve reconsidered marriage.
“Mmm, delicious.”
Cecil stuffed two gimbap rolls into her mouth at once, chewing vigorously as if they suited her perfectly. How did she even fit two in her small mouth?
“What’s this called again?”
“Gimbap.”
“Is it Korean food?”
“Yeah.”
Since it was from Luke’s hometown of Korea, it must be Korean food, right? The student cafeteria’s Korean food stall treated it that way, so it was probably correct.
As I thought about it, Cecil’s eyes suddenly narrowed with a strange intensity.
“Who taught you?”
I paused, considering her question. The recipe’s source was Luke. I’d never met anyone from Korea, after all. But saying Luke taught me felt ambiguous. Luke took meals very seriously—seriously enough to be called obsessive. He was the one who abolished the imperial system and introduced the metric system to streamline cooking measurements. Before Ode and Eri arrived, he’d taught me countless recipes: stir-fried meat with seasoning, rice mixed with various vegetables and sauces, and dishes like this gimbap where fillings were wrapped in seaweed and rice. I could list that much off the top of my head. But that was all. He’d only passed on the knowledge. I couldn’t recreate the dishes from his explanations alone.
Still, I’d managed to make this gimbap thanks to a third party: Ode and Eri. They’d seen and tasted Luke’s cooking during their time in the hero’s party. Their advice had helped me complete the skeletal recipes. That’s how this gimbap was born. It would’ve been much easier if Luke had taught me directly, but… anyway. That’s why her question was tricky. Luke provided the foundation, but Ode and Eri completed it. How should I explain this?
Just as I was pondering, Cecil spoke with a frustrated expression.
“Then just tell me this. Was it a woman?”
A woman? I hesitated. One man and two women—closer to women, mathematically speaking. Though I wasn’t sure if this was a problem that could be solved with math.
“…Yeah.”
Cecil looked unsatisfied, no longer reaching for the gimbap she’d been eating so eagerly. She even set down her fork.
…Cecil putting down her fork while food was right in front of her? That Cecil?
“…Hmm.”
I shifted my posture slightly and looked down at her. This was serious—I needed to handle it carefully. Cecil setting down her fork mid-meal was a significant issue. First, response step one: conversation.
“Cecil.”
“What?”
“You’re not eating anymore?”
“Yeah. I’m full.”
Failure. The concept of “full” didn’t exist for Cecil. Not metaphorically—literally. She could eat until she wanted to stop, storing calories. But this was still manageable. Response step one often failed anyway, so I moved to step two: skin… ship…
…Rejected.
I silently patted Cecil’s stomach, which I was already hugging from behind. Normally, she’d allow it, but today she glared at me—maybe because she was in a bad mood, or because she’d just eaten. Still, I was already engaging in skinship, in a rather bold seated back-hug position. Step two failing outright was unusual. What should I do? Step three existed only in theory, like the 10th Realm granted to the Demon King, or a Carnot heat engine. What now?
I’d handled all of Cecil’s previous tantrums. I’d glossed over some, but never failed. Maybe today would be the first recorded failure. …No. It wouldn’t. It was too early to give up. I’d been beaten by Luke, rolled over by Ode, and disappointed Eri. Compared to that, this was manageable. First, let’s assess the situation. Cecil asked who taught me gimbap, and I hesitated between Luke and Ode/Eri, failing to answer in time. Frustrated, she asked, “Was it a woman?” I said yes. …That’s it? Was there really a reason to be upset?
But I didn’t have much time. Cecil’s head began to twitch, as if nearing her limit. …Kind of cute. But I couldn’t linger on that. Last time, I’d ended up in the infirmary after a belly punch.
“…!”
Memories of that moment surged back, and I tightly restrained Cecil to keep her from moving.
“?!?!!”
She only twitched, making no real attempt to harm me. …Did it work? I wasn’t sure, but thankfully, she wouldn’t punch my belly, skip dinner, or make me go out with Bail instead. Yes. Let’s add a new response method: step 2.5—stronger skinship.
Half of it was a joke. According to 108 Ways to Seduce a Man, push-and-pull was important. People tended to become complacent once they believed their partner was already theirs, so this technique prevented that while satisfying the desire born from scarcity. But this had already failed. I couldn’t push her away. Whether it was because Jeden wouldn’t let me push, or because I lacked the strength, I couldn’t do it. So, next: jealousy. Making her feel jealous was fine—even encouraged. I could act close to another man or praise a handsome adventurer’s appearance. It might be sensitive, but it would stir a little inferiority. However, given past issues… it was basically a bad idea. Stirring inferiority because I wanted her to pay more attention to me? If I truly cared, I shouldn’t do that. So, jealousy induction was rejected. …But what if I felt jealous? For example, if I showed jealousy toward the girl who was close to Jeden, or the person who taught him gimbap? Wouldn’t that be another form of charm? The novels I’d read often portrayed it that way, so it seemed believable. So I asked Jeden: Who taught you gimbap? If he said a man, I’d say “Oh, I see.” If a woman, I’d proceed with the plan. He wouldn’t really feel jealous, I thought. …But then.
“Hmm…”
Seeing Jeden hesitate for a long time, my thoughts changed. Why? Why won’t he tell me? Is it someone difficult to talk about? Could it be… an ex-girlfriend or something? …No way. There’s no way. I’ve spent ten years thinking only of you. Even after ten years, I could recognize you at a glance, thinking of you all day long. You were the meaning of my life. There’s no way. Right?
Ha, ha. …Ah. I never thought about this. I started this half-jokingly. I didn’t expect to feel genuine jealousy. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do this. But I keep pressing.
“Was it a woman?”
Tell me no. Tell me it’s not possible. Don’t make me feel ugly jealousy. But his answer was:
“Yeah.”
Casual. Indifferent. A voice that didn’t know what was wrong. Right. Nothing was wrong. The problem was that I happened to be someone with a lot of jealousy. Someone who’d been neglected for ten years. It’s not really your fault. The fault lies more on my side. But… but, please, just see it as a cute act. I’ve been struggling. I’ve lived for today. I’ve endured it. I’ve held back. So, please, see this as playful jealousy. This much is okay, right?
…Did he understand my thoughts?
“?!?!!”
Jeden tightened his arms around my waist. Ah. Wait. Just a moment. Just a real moment. Hey. Hey, let go. Ah, I’m… suffocating. You’re crazy. Seriously! Let go…! I can’t breathe. It’s tight. My face feels like it’s going to burst. Ugh. Can you see? Of course you can. My ears must be bright red. Uh, um. I… I ate, so my stomach’s probably sticking out… Ah, why are your arms so thick…! I didn’t feel them as muscular before, but wrapping around me like this… Ahhh… You’re bigger, too. I’m curled up, but I’m not short. You shouldn’t be able to fit me like this. Your legs are long, too. I’ve pulled my feet together to make a circle, but there’s still space for me inside. And, and… and!
“…….”
“……!”
Air. Air by my ear. Ee… Ah… I don’t know… I’m going crazy… …I love you.
The next day, Cecil couldn’t fall asleep early with so many thoughts on her mind. She’d stare blankly, then blush and pound her pillow. Then stare blankly at the ceiling again. Her roommate, who usually didn’t care about others, was also kept awake by her restlessness.
“Cecil…”
“Uh, ah. Sorry. I was a bit out of it yesterday, right?”
“Yeah. You’ll need to compensate for that.”
That’s why she’d demanded compensation. Her roommate, Heril, was from the North—a land of warriors with cold heads and hot hearts. In the North, where children were given weapons regardless of gender, what kind of compensation would she expect? Heril’s face hardened for a moment, then she spoke.
“Since it’s a guy, tell me the story later.”
“…Huh?”
The girl raised as a Northern warrior made a request that seemed more like a girl her age, contrasting with her cold expression and stoic demeanor.
“At least I should know why I had to stay up all night.”
“Uh, th… if, if Jeden allows it, I’ll tell you…”
“Jeden, huh. Got it.”
“Ah.”
Cecil, flustered, revealed more information than she’d intended.
“I, I’m leaving!”
“Make sure the story is interesting for the listener.”
Cecil fled the dormitory, escaping her roommate’s curious gaze. Outside, she saw Jeden waiting to pick her up. She felt happy, though a bit embarrassed about yesterday. Now, putting jealousy aside, they’d focus only on each other…
“Oh, I’m from the Production Department too. Magic Engineering, right? It’s beneficial to get close to the Alchemy Department.”
“I specialize in elemental magic, but do you need magical consultation?”
“Ahaha, thanks, but could you move? I can’t see in front of me.”
…Only each other? What were those people doing?
