Now That I Have a Girlfriend, Everyone is Acting Weird
I stood face-to-face with Sharin Sazaris. Isabel Luna was watching us, her eyes smoldering with an inexplicable fury. Looking at her, what was I supposed to do?
"...We weren't doing anything." I played dumb.
Currently, my right eye harbored the Dragon's Vestige. Sharin was the only one I could turn to for immediate help, which was why I had asked her. However, the fewer people who knew about the Dragon's Vestige, the better. When I played dumb, Isabel's brow furrowed slightly.
"I've been sensing this since a while ago..." Isabel looked between the two of us with a strange expression. "What exactly is the relationship between you two?"
Ever since I teamed up with Sharin during the group match, Isabel had harbored doubts about our relationship. Isabel was Sharin's best friend. Meanwhile, I was Isabel's rival. It was only natural that our closeness baffled her.
Hearing Isabel's question, Sharin and I looked at each other. If someone were to ask what our relationship was...
"We've promised our futures to each otherrr." Sharin beat me to the punch before I could even open my mouth.
Well, I did promise to reveal my true identity to her once everything at the academy was settled. So, technically, we did promise each other our futures. But phrasing it like that...
"W-What?!" See? Isabel was completely flabbergasted.
Isabel stared at us blankly. Sharin looked smug, as if she had just given a flawless explanation. What did she have to be so proud of? I seriously wanted to flick her forehead.
"B-But... I thought you were dating Hania..." Ah, so Isabel had heard the rumors too.
Supposedly dating Hania while promising his future to Sharin. There was no greater scoundrel on earth. For some reason, Isabel looked utterly dejected.
Sharin also observed the downcast Isabel with a peculiar gaze. Then, she glanced back at me. "Hanon, are you really dating Haniaaa?"
At that question, Isabel's shoulders flinched.
"What do you mean, 'really dating'?"
"Well, Hanon doesn't seem like the type to date anyone seriously."
Why did she have to treat me like some emotionless robot who didn't know what love was? Of course, I suspected that the Bandage of the Veil had eroded those emotions. It was just a vague guess, but considering how I felt absolutely nothing even when surrounded by beautiful women, it was highly likely.
To think I'm mentally impotent. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I could always fix it later. I didn't let it bother me too much. And Sharin seemed to be aware of this aspect of me. They say women are far more sensitive to a man's gaze than one might think. She must have noticed that my eyes held no romantic interest when looking at women.
"Yes, we are dating."
Isabel's shoulders stiffened once more. Her pupils trembled violently. Her reaction was much stronger than I had anticipated.
Sharin's brow creased slightly. Then, she tilted her head. It was a subconscious reaction.
"...Then, what was that about promising your future to Rin?" Isabel pointed out my previous statement. For some reason, she was looking at me with an incredibly cold expression.
"Isabel, I think there's a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? What part of this is a misunderstanding?!" Isabel shouted. Her eyes were filled with deep disappointment. It was the look of someone who had thought, I at least expected you to have some basic decency.
I stroked my chin. Come to think of it, I had neglected Isabel lately because I was too focused on Nikita's affairs. But Nikita's situation was mostly resolved. She had safely exited the main scenario, so I didn't need to worry about her for the time being. At least, not until Act 4 begins. I needed to focus more on Isabel.
"Fine." I decided to use this opportunity to stoke her competitive fire as a rival. "Think whatever you want."
Hania was one thing, but now her own best friend, Sharin, was involved. Isabel rushed forward and snatched Sharin's wrist. Her eyes burned with pure contempt. "Don't go putting bad ideas into my friend's head!"
"She was the one who said it. How is that me putting bad ideas in her head?"
"Rin is innocent!"
Sharin, innocent? I looked at Sharin as she was dragged away by Isabel. She was yawning lazily, apparently getting sleepy again. I couldn't agree with the claim that she was innocent in the slightest.
"I'm truly disappointed in you."
"I'm surprised you still had any expectations left to disappoint."
"...You're exactly like Card."
Oh, come on. I wanted to deny that comparison more than anything, but Isabel dragged Sharin away before I could. Sharin waved her hand, mouthing "see you later." Her carefree attitude was so typical of her.
...I'm exactly like Card? I couldn't recover from the shock of that statement. Sure, hanging around two girls made me look like a playboy, but being compared to Card felt like a direct assault on my soul.
"I heard the maids whispering about something strange, so I came to check. What are you doing?" Just then, Hania walked out. She must have overheard the maids gossiping while she was getting ready for school. Leave it to maids to spread rumors at lightning speed. Walking up to me, she glanced behind her.
"I saw Isabel and Sharin Sazaris running away. Did you try to punish them with a confession or something?"
"...If anyone's getting punished, it's me." Suddenly, I felt a surge of anger. I was definitely going to beat up Card when I saw him today.
"Anyway, Lady Iris will be coming out soon, so wait out front."
"Wait?"
She looked at me as if I had asked a stupid question. "A couple should walk to school together in the morning, shouldn't they?"
Since we were acting, we might as well be thorough. It was very like Hania.
On the way to school that morning, I walked amidst whispers that were far more intense than usual. There were two people walking ahead of me. On the far left was Iris, looking completely drained as she always did in the mornings. In the middle, Hania was clinging to Iris's arm. And finally, on the far right, I was holding hands with Hania.
Had I ever walked hand-in-hand with a girl like this in my entire life? No, I hadn't. It felt bizarre. Although Hania was holding my hand, she didn't spare me a single glance. Her entire focus was dedicated to the arm she had wrapped around Iris. There was absolutely no life in her right hand. Holding a tree root would probably feel more animated than this.
But the other students didn't know that. To their eyes, we looked like a perfect couple.
"...Did he catch her with some kind of blackmail?"
"Why on earth is Hania dating a guy like that?"
"Hania is way too good for that lightning bastard."
The students mostly directed their sympathy toward Hania and their contempt toward me. It seemed they were deeply offended that Hania, one of the academy's most popular figures, was dating someone like me.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived at the academy. The moment we stepped into the Martial Arts classroom, the eyes of the students who had arrived early snapped toward us. Every single one of them wore a look of utter shock. It was a natural reaction, considering the rumors they had doubted were now proven true.
Among them, one person showed the most dramatic reaction. It was Seron, who was sitting in her usual spot, staring at me with a look of sheer horror. Her jaw was practically on the floor, her eyes wide with disbelief. For some reason, that look of hers annoyed me.
As I instinctively tried to head toward Seron, Hania tugged on my hand.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To my seat."
"What are you talking about? Have you ever seen a couple sit apart?"
"Well..." I wouldn't know, since I'd never been in a relationship before.
But Hania's eyes were dead serious. "From now on, you will sit next to us."
She clearly had no intention of backing down. She was probably determined to completely ward off Assistant Professor Barcop. Left with no choice, I allowed myself to be dragged along by Hania.
By the time we sat down, Iris seemed to have shaken off her sleepiness, her face now clear and alert. As always, she maintained her noble and elegant demeanor in front of the other students. With Iris seated on the inside, Hania and I took our respective seats next to her.
Meanwhile, Seron was still staring at us with a shell-shocked expression. But beneath the shock, her eyes were trembling with anxiety. In the Martial Arts department, Seron didn't belong to any social circle. And now, I—her only companion—had suddenly become Hania's boyfriend. This meant Seron would have to spend her time alone from now on.
"Uh... Uh..." Like a lost puppy, Seron didn't know what to do with herself. Watching her for a moment, I whispered to Hania.
"Hania, can I call Seron over?"
"Seron?" Hania looked in Seron's direction. Quickly grasping the situation, she let out a sigh.
"Go ahead. Since you're the one helping me, I can't go around ruining your social life." Fortunately, Hania was broad-minded. "But while we are dating, please don't act too lovey-dovey with each other."
"What kind of crazy talk is that?"
"Weren't you two dating? You're always glued to each other's side."
Not even close. I wished she wouldn't say things that made my stomach churn.
"Seron," I called out, feeling a slight headache coming on. At my call, Seron's eyes widened, and she ran over with a bright, beaming face. It felt exactly like calling over a pet dog.
"Don't sit all the way over there by yourself. Come sit next to me."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah."
Seron's face lit up instantly. Thrilled, she sat down beside me and pulled her textbook out of her bag, humming a cheerful tune. She seemed to be in an incredibly good mood now.
"...Even after seeing that?" Hania whispered, but I ignored her.
A moment later, Professor Beganor of the Martial Arts department walked in, her face as hungover as ever. She scanned the room before speaking.
"I'm sure you are all aware of the incident that took place at the Demon Palace this summer."
The Demon Palace incident. The event where Vice President Nikita Cynthia had directly attacked the 3rd Princess. This single event had completely turned the Empire upside down.
The 3rd Princess's faction was cornering the Cynthia Marquis family, demanding to know how they would take responsibility. However, the 1st Prince's faction had no intention of letting the Cynthia family fall so easily. Instead, they used this incident as leverage, presenting evidence that the 3rd Princess's faction had orchestrated the assassination of Nia Cynthia. They pushed back hard, claiming that this was the very reason Nikita had targeted the 3rd Princess in the first place.
In the end, the 1st Prince's faction and the 3rd Princess's faction were currently tearing each other apart.
Thanks to that, the academy will be out of the spotlight for a while. Although Iris must have been bombarded with inquiries, she seemed to be ignoring all of them under the pretext of recovering from the aftereffects of the Demon Palace incident. Taking a stance now would mean declaring war on the 1st Prince's faction. Knowing this, she, the very person involved, was intentionally keeping quiet.
"The third-year, Nikita Cynthia, has been stripped of her position, and the office of Vice President is currently vacant." And just like that, the scenario began to unfold exactly as I knew it would. "After this summer break, we will be electing a new Vice President to fill the vacancy. Second-years are also eligible to run, so those interested should apply."
A vacant Vice President position. At those words, the eyes of several students gleamed. At Jerion Academy, a gathering place for the continent's greatest talents, the positions of Student Council President and Vice President carried immense weight. For nobles who valued honor above all else, it was a golden opportunity to elevate their family's name. Naturally, many could not hide their excitement.
"Vice President, huh? It might be a good idea for Lady Iris, who will eventually become the President, to take the position beforehand." Hania immediately put Iris forward as a candidate. Iris didn't look opposed to the idea either. In any case, she had likely already received the same command from Duke Robliaju—to claim the vacant Vice President seat.
As expected, things are moving along the official path. Following Duke Robliaju's orders, Iris would use this opportunity to shake up the entire student council. She would purge the existing members and replace them with her own people.
Is it finally Act 4? After the summer break, which served as the epilogue to Act 3, Act 4 would begin in earnest. This was the point where the conflict between the 1st Prince's faction and the 3rd Princess's faction would start directly impacting the academy.
And... It was also the scenario where the mad mage, Vinesha, would launch a massive terror attack on Jerion Academy.
"Vice President..." Seron muttered, slowly stroking her chin. I stared at her for a moment before giving her a piece of advice.
"It's better to give up on things that are out of your reach early on."
"...Who said I was going to run?" Seron grumbled, her face falling as her secret hopes were dashed. Give me a break. To become the Vice President, one needed both student votes and professor recommendations. Half-hearted attempts wouldn't even be acknowledged.
"More importantly, Hanon." Hania suddenly addressed me out of nowhere. "You do know you have to come with us during the summer break, right?"
...Excuse me? This is the first I'm hearing of this.