Is Spring Finally Coming to My Life?
Word of Wiyu Witchcraft's conquest of the Beginner League spread like wildfire in no time. "Of course she'd win," "If she lost, that'd be the real problem," and so on. No one had even considered the possibility of defeat, so there was no hurt pride to go around. Everyone's expectations for me were sky-high—it was almost burdensome how they took my victory as a given. I was already dreading the next league, but at least in the higher ones, I could let out Grand Duke (Change). That thought was my consolation as I climbed another step toward graduating from Pluwitch Academy.
"I'm still in the negatives with my grades."
"I'm in the negatives... I just want to reach zero...!!"
"And your nickname's Zero Witchcraft, right?"
And, as expected, winning the [Beginner League] did nothing to offset the rock-bottom scores dragging down the next heir of a duke's family. I was tempted to ask just how negative they were, but the divination professor's expression evoked an abyss one should never gaze into, so I kept my mouth shut. In their eyes, they probably saw not just my ranking but the negative points of repeat-year students too. Realizing that made for another gloomy day.
Did I spend the weekend productively? Nah, I wasted it sleeping on the train and car rides there and back for the league. On the bright side, I shared the souvenirs I picked up with Meru Lume and my friends. Wondering what tomorrow would bring, I started another day—struggling just to keep up with classes as usual.
With just one lecture left before lunch, I was mulling over what to eat, whether to hit the club or work out, when...
"Someone's here for you."
A classmate's words made me think it was a professor or Kaoru Ortokanna calling for me, so I stepped out of the classroom. But there stood an unexpected face I'd never seen before.
From under her skirt, between her legs, a massive centipede body writhed like a snake. Above hair covering one eye, centipede antennae and huge mandibles sprouted from her head. The girl smiled brightly at me.
"You're Wiyu Witchcraft, right?"
A single visible eye gleamed with terrifying killing intent. Or was "killing intent" the right term? It was the gaze of a predator spotting prey. I'd seen that look plenty from beasts in the forest—easy to compare. This girl saw me as food!
Was she here to hunt me? An assassin sent by Ephemera Flash...? I narrowed my eyes, staring, when...
"Here's the lunch I made! Please accept it!"
She beamed, handing me the bento. The twist was so out of left field, straight out of a manga, my eyes went wide. No way—wait, thinking about it, I'm kinda famous, from a duke's family, and I just won the [Beginner League]. Couldn't I be an object of admiration for girls my age? Heck, even more than that... student romance wasn't impossible. Just look at Revo, desperately crushing on Beatus.
So this girl liked me and made me a bento!!
"Uh, thanks... but what's your name...?"
"Kyaa~!"
She let out a cute squeal, spun on her heel, and bolted. Her massive centipede tail whipped my head hard on the way out, but it didn't hurt a bit. Talk about it—did the charming man I am just capture this young girl's pure heart...?
"Even as a woman, your irresistible charm can't be hidden?"
""
"Why say it like that?"
""
Anyway, I proudly showed off the prettily wrapped bento to the kids wondering why a girl from another class came looking for me. Sweeping back my hair, reveling in this uncontrollable popularity... My academy dream come true, happiness and dopamine exploding everywhere.
"Wasn't that girl a first-year?"
"Yeah, hard to forget with that striking look."
"But what does it mean when a girl gives a guy a bento?"
Beatus looked baffled, like first-years didn't do stuff like this. Admiration for a senior? Sure. Sucking up to nobility? Understandable. But to the academy's infamous troublemaker, the school's lowest scorer, the self-proclaimed male witch heir of a duke? No sane reason came to mind, so she worried.
"Ahh... I see... jealousy, huh... Women can't help it..."
"You can judge after checking the contents, y'know?"
Finally, a girl who saw through to the real man in me and fell for him. Beatus pitied my smug rattling but grumbled to just open it. She held back saying real affection would more likely mean the girl was gay. Probably just a letter from her family telling her to get friendly with the duke's kid.
'She half-disbelieves all my "I'm a guy" talk anyway.'
The beauty hands him a bento and he's grinning like a virgin teen in heat. Still, as a friend, she hoped it'd work out without heartbreak.
Then the lid flipped open, revealing the contents.
"Uh, um..."
It wasn't a bento—it was straight-up harassment. It looked like food, but some sticky, foul-smelling liquid was slathered everywhere.
"It's poison."
Kali wrinkled her nose at the scent alone, furious. And it got worse: razor blades, nails, and cutter blades mixed into the rice. No one would call this edible—it screamed curse.
""
Beatus and Kali nodded vigorously in agreement.
The target was a duchess by power alone, princess of witches. Sneaky harassment flies under radar, but boldly handing it over? That was a declaration of war!!
'Heehee, look at that shocked face...'
Peeking through the window with eyes gleaming mad and venomous was the bento girl from before. Her name: Zeke Giratina. A first-year "commoner" from the distant Chronicle Continent, a centipede suin. The "commoner" part hints at how insane her stunt was. Yet she did it without hesitation, ignoring the Witchcraft name!
'Yamucha Aranemu is mine...!'
Pure jealousy!! A yandere centipede girl so obsessed she stalked her crush across continents. She'd been waiting for a chance to get close, but then this bug clung to her beloved boy. Big tits, dumb as rocks, yet sharp enough to notice Yamucha's charm and flirt? The psycho girl went straight for the kill—centipede venom slathered on, a veiled threat to eat and drop dead!
She'd even used blood in a necromancy curse from class. He'd scream, freak out, fear her...
Our buggy miss cackled, watching Wiyu gape at the contents.
'Bullying after all.'
Beatus had figured no one would pull something this crazy—especially not on a Witchcraft. Shocked, she worried if Wiyu could handle it. If she cried, she'd comfort her.
'Oh no.'
Her mouth agape at the horror—must be traumatic. As Kali and she moved to console...
"Ooh, iron-rich."
Crunch—front teeth snapping a nail, molars grinding razor blades. Wiyu dug in.
"Back in the village, I ate tons of bugs. Great protein source."
Even the live larvae wriggling in the rice got chomped casually. Beatus and Kali's appetites plummeted.
""
"Sheesh, Grand Duke, c'mon~ It's cultural differences. Insects are the food of the future, y'know?"
""
Centipede venom dribbled from her mouth, down her chin, splatting on the desk in black smoke. Lethal enough for a dozen humans, yet Wiyu's face stayed unchanged as she ate.
"Damn, girl. That's a witch for ya."
"Guys show off to impress girls, but she hit a wall."
"Jealous? Too bad, it's mine—no sharing."
You'd get your own if you were popular. Offering comfort, Wiyu savored the beauty's bento with a grin.
"Hehehe, got a bento from a girl~"
Zeke watched, gnawing a handkerchief in rage.
"Next time, I'll make a proper one!"
"Hear that? More poison incoming."
"She practiced cooking just for me? Sigh, what a sinful guy I am..."
""
Spouting nonsense with a straight face—maybe it was genetic. Beatus and Kali realized worrying was pointless and headed for the cafe. No appetite after that.
"Should I fill the empty bento and return it...?"
Whatever—Wiyu basked in happy delusions. Maybe my first romance? Yeah...
""