Chapter 120: Caught Red-Handed
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: Caught Red-Handed
Huh?
Wait a second.
This situation...
Muen felt his heart begin to race.
Generally speaking, in a quiet environment where two people are alone, if one party seemingly offhandedly asks, "Do you have someone you like?"—no matter how you looked at it, that was the sign.
That’s right, it was that—the legendary confession!
First, use casual small talk to probe whether the other person is already spoken for, and once confirmed, launch a fierce offensive to capture their heart in one fell swoop!
The hundreds of romance manga he’d read in his past life all started exactly like this!
Wait, but would Senior really...
Isn't this a bit too sudden?
Still, since Senior asked so sincerely, he could only offer his own sincerity in return and answer truthfully.
"No."
Muen straightened his back, resting his chin on his crossed hands, and responded with a dead-serious expression:
"Absolutely not."
"Is that so? That’s quite a pity," Anna sighed, resting a hand against her cheek.
"Eh?"
Muen froze.
What did she mean by "pity"?
Was it a pity for her that no one liked him?
Could it be that for Anna, a simple, straightforward offensive was no longer enough to satisfy her?
Did she prefer stealing someone else's heart over winning one that was unattached?
Was Senior also a member of the Minotaur Cult?
"Then... does anyone like you, Junior?"
While Muen’s brain was still buzzing, unable to process the turn the conversation had taken, Anna continued her leisurely questioning.
But this question made even less sense to Muen.
"I... I suppose there is," Muen answered.
With An around, no matter how much he wanted to lie, he couldn't take it that far.
"Really?"
Muen saw Anna’s eyes instantly light up.
"Then, can you call her out here?"
"Huh?"
Call her out?
Why?
In that instant, a hellish image flashed through Muen’s mind.
Senior Anna holding his hand, looking at An with a smug expression and saying:
"The person you like... he certainly tastes delicious~"
Aaaaaah!
No way!
An would go berserk!
She’d carry a mountain of blades and mince both me and Senior into fine bits!
"Th-that..."
Looking at Senior’s expectant expression, Muen couldn't help but ask:
"What’s the reason, Senior?"
Given her personality, she might just want to do something wicked, but Muen’s intuition told him she might have another motive.
"The reason?"
Anna looked away, twirling the end of one of her braids around her finger.
She seemed to be weighing her words, but just as she was about to speak, her gaze flickered to a bird perched on a branch outside the window.
Anna’s brow twitched slightly.
"Never mind."
"Eh?"
"It seems I was being too impatient."
"What?"
Muen was completely bewildered.
Since a moment ago, he felt like he couldn't keep up with her train of thought at all.
"Let’s call it a day," Anna said, standing up.
"Class is almost over. I need to make some preparations, otherwise I’ll be too busy to breathe later."
"Oh, okay."
Muen nodded blankly.
"Do you need my help, Senior?"
"Help?"
Anna gave Muen a flirtatious, sidelong glance.
"Junior, you’re skipping class just to come here and study with me. Do you really have time to help me?"
"Er..."
Muen scratched his head awkwardly.
"It’s not that I don’t have time, exactly. It’s just that for a certain reason, I have to pass the Magic Basic Theory exam in a month, so all my time and energy has to be focused on that."
"To pass?" Anna was slightly taken replace.
"The first-year exam?"
"Second-year," Muen said with a wry smile. "Is it hard, Senior?"
"Yes, it’s hard. Very hard."
Anna thought for a moment and said seriously:
"But it doesn't seem impossible."
*
After Muen left, Anna looked at the bird on the branch outside and gave a soft shout:
"Shoo!"
Startled, the bird flew away quickly.
She sighed softly. "That Green Hair from the News Club really does love to peek, doesn't he?"
Inside the empty library, Anna rolled up her sleeve.
Upon her fair skin, the faint trace of scales could be seen.
"Now that the Moon has been driven away, they’ve become a bit more well-behaved."
Staring at her wrist, Anna whispered to herself, as if offering comfort:
"Don't be impatient, Anna. Don't be impatient. There’s still time."
"Even if it really comes to that..."
Anna’s gaze drifted toward the library doors, as if chasing after someone’s retreating back.
*
"I feel like I’m one step closer to my goal of sixty points."
After walking out of the library, Muen couldn't help but stretch, feeling quite pleased.
Another productive morning.
"Now then..."
Muen thought for a bit and decided to grab lunch now.
Once the cafeteria got crowded, it would be a waste of time.
"Hmm?"
But before he had gone more than a few steps, Muen’s brow furrowed again.
A faint, indistinct gaze, like a sharp blade, was lightly scraping against his back, bringing a prickle of cold.
It was like a maggot on a bone, impossible to shake off.
"I guess ignoring it isn't an option."
Muen’s expression turned cold.
He didn't want some creep following him around all the time.
Relying on the sharp perception he had honed through countless deaths within the Black Book, Muen moved slowly, pinpointing the direction bit by bit.
Outside the library was a dense grove of trees.
As a hiding spot, it was more than sufficient.
As long as one knew even a little bit about concealment, it was easy to hide in a place like this.
However, there was no wind right now.
Therefore, even the slightest movement would cause a distinct rustling in the woods.
If they couldn't move, then no matter how well they were hidden, there would come a moment when they were found.
Besides, the other party’s hiding technique didn't seem particularly outstanding.
Muen’s hawk-like gaze swept across the area, quickly identifying a patch of bushes in the shadows.
Through the gaps in the shrubbery, he could vaguely see a small corner of a garment fluttering.
"If you like being a creep, you should at least polish your stalking skills before you try it."
Muen let out a cold, mocking laugh. With a grim face, he stepped toward the bushes and lunged, his hand darting inside.
"Come out here, you damn creep!"
"Waaaah! Don't grab me! I didn't mean it!"
"Eh?"
To his surprise, the person he dragged out of the bushes wasn't some muscular man with a scar on his face, but...
A little girl?
Muen looked at her, confused.
The girl was wearing the Academy uniform, and judging by the style, she was likely a second-year like him. Her thick, smooth black hair was tied into two large braids, and she wore a pair of oversized black-rimmed glasses that partially obscured the faint freckles on her face.
Overall, she looked like the kind of unremarkable girl who would disappear in a crowd.
But as Muen looked at her, she seemed incredibly familiar.
Like... he had seen her somewhere before?
*
PS: More coming in a bit.