A Suspiciously Happy Morning
The morning bell had just rung, and it was time to head to Luin Academy. I wasn’t about to waste the first hour of the day sprinting like an idiot just to work up a sweat, so I took my usual leisurely pace. The streets were still mostly quiet, perfect for enjoying the autumn air.
As I walked, I noticed that the trees lining the road had started to take on that beautiful, multicolored glow. Leaves the color of ripe cherries and glowing amber were drifting down in lazy spirals, painting the air with a gentle, almost hypnotic dance. I let myself take it in slowly, savoring the peaceful rhythm of the season.
That was when a voice suddenly popped up right behind me.
“Shion-ssi!”
“Ha ha, good morning, Shina. You seem… happier than usual today.”
“Um, really?”
“Yep. Your face is practically glowing. There’s no hiding it.”
Her voice was a little louder than usual, and that signature bright smile was already spread across her features.
“Eek! No way… Did you finally reach the 5-star stage?!”
I asked it lightly, putting on a show of surprise.
“W-well… How would you even know that, Shion-ssi?”
Shina froze the moment she heard it, her expression locking up like ice.
“Huh?”
I froze too, completely thrown.
Wait… seriously?
“R-really? You’re at the 5-star stage now?”
“Ye… yes.”
I let out a low chuckle. Shina had hit 5-star back in first year. In all the times I’d been playing this world, I’d barely seen that happen.
I was happy for her, of course. The faster she got stronger, the easier it would be to handle the threats that were sure to come her way eventually.
“You and I are the same age, right? Seventeen, and already 5-star? That makes you the youngest person to reach the stage.”
I spoke with genuine feeling, and I could see Shina’s lips twitch with a tiny, hidden smile.
“My brother also reached 5-star at seventeen, so it’s not the absolute first.”
“Even so, it’s amazing. Before you know it, you might just surpass your brother.”
“Th-that’s impossible! I’m still nowhere near being able to overtake my brother.”
She said it with a bashful little laugh, and her face looked even more beautiful than usual.
I stared at her for a second longer than I should have, lost in the sight. Then I snapped out of it and answered casually.
“Ah, so that’s why you’re so cheerful today. You hit 5-star yesterday, didn’t you? We should call your friends and make it a party!”
“My friends? Well… I guess it’d just be you and Cervantes, Shion-ssi…”
“Ho ho. I had no idea.”
Shina shot me a quick, annoyed glance, but I ignored it and kept walking.
“You’re right, Shion-ssi. I am a little excited. But there’s actually something even happier.”
“Oh? Tell me about it!”
“Um… well…”
As she walked forward, Shina suddenly made a very uncharacteristic mischievous face and turned to me.
“Secret.”
“Pfft.”
She was clearly trying to copy my usual teasing tone, but the way it came out only made her cuter. It was actually kind of adorable.
“Hey… what’s that laugh for?”
Shina narrowed her eyes at my flat response.
“I laughed because I was so curious after you told me.”
“…Normally people don’t laugh when they’re just curious.”
“I’m a weird guy, remember? Be a little more tolerant, Shina.”
“Your way of forcing people to understand you is wrong.”
“Oh, you finally noticed my flaw? You’ve grown a lot, huh?”
“Growing is good… but stop trying to sneak past it!”
Whoa. She’s all grown up now. She doesn’t just take it anymore; she fights back with style.
“Haha, busted. I’ll work on it slowly.”
“It suits you.”
That was the end of the conversation. We walked in silence for a bit.
I kept glancing sideways, and sure enough, every five seconds Shina was peeking at me out of the corner of her eye.
Ah.
*She said it was a secret, then got all restless the second I didn’t ask. I love it. Just a little more, I think.*
I held back the grin trying to stretch my lips and kept my face neutral as I walked straight ahead.
About two minutes passed.
“…Shion-ssi.”
“Hm? What is it, Shina?”
“Um… you don’t find it… strange at all?”
I let out a short grunt.
“I’m not sure I follow. Could you be a little more specific?”
“Ah… I mean… that thing I said was a secret…”
Shina’s cheeks flushed as she spoke carefully.
Oh! Delicious.
“Ah, that, right? Of course I’m curious. I was too busy guessing what you were hiding to say anything earlier.”
“Then why didn’t you ask?”
“You said it yourself. You called it a secret.”
“Ye… yes, but…”
“I was definitely curious, but I figured there must be a reason you said it was a secret, so I held back on purpose. Did you actually want me to ask you?”
“N-no! I-I mean…”
Shina was squirming, face bright red.
Part of me wanted to tease her a little longer, but she looked so pitiful I decided to stop.
“Since I can’t hold back any longer… I’ll ask anyway. What’s the secret?”
“Hmph! Since you’re so curious, I’ll tell you.”
She puffed out her chest proudly as she spoke, looking even more adorable.
“Yesterday night I got a letter.”
“A letter? Wait, is it a love letter?!”
“Eww, no. I get one every day. I don’t even treat it as a real letter anymore.”
Ah, daily letters, huh?
It really hit me that she lived in a completely different world from me.
“Anyway… back to the point. The letter was from my brother.”
“From your brother? You mean Megan Astorius?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re so happy about your brother’s letter? You really love your big brother, Shina.”
“N-no, it’s not that.”
Shina shook her head with an unusually serious expression.
“It’s not just that a letter came. The content of the letter made me happy.”
“Really? What did it say?”
“It said… my brother is coming to Luin Academy. He’s going to visit me after a long time and also do some sparring with the students to give them advice. Maybe my homeroom teacher will even get requests from students wanting to train with him.”
“…!”
The event of Megan Astorius visiting Luin Academy only happened about once every ten semesters. I hadn’t paid it much attention because it was so rare.
But now my head started spinning.
It wasn’t like having him here would directly hurt me. If anything, it might even be a plus—landing a good impression could earn me some serious achievement points.
But there was one thing I was worried about.
*…Right now there’s Eve here.*
Eve Cardena and Eva Cardena were moving around way more actively than in the original story. The fact that they enrolled Eve in Luin Academy at all was already proof of that.
If Eve and Eva find out Megan Astorius is coming to the academy…
I couldn’t guess how they’d react.
At best, they’d just watch quietly.
At worst…
*…They might see it as an opportunity to do something terrible.*
I was uneasy.
“……Shion-ssi.”
“H-huh? What is it?”
“It’s just… you looked really gloomy all of a sudden. Do you… not want your brother coming to Luin Academy?”
Shina asked hesitantly, worry clear on her face.
“No! Of course not. I’m talking to the great hero who single-handedly sealed the Third Chaos Period—how could I not be happy?”
“Then I’m glad. When my brother arrives, I’d like to introduce you to him. You’re my first friend, after all.”
“Haha, I’m looking forward to that.”
I forced a smile, trying to shake off the dark feeling in my chest as I kept walking.
But the black unease inside me didn’t fade even a little.