Chapter 28

■ Chapter 27. Gathering (2) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

As Lina mentioned, the academy had posted an announcement about the freshmen gathering. They had put up a notice on the bulletin board in the hallway, so I was confident that no student would be unaware of it. I, too, read through the notice on the bulletin board, quickly confirming the detailed schedule and venue.

The gathering was scheduled for next Saturday, and the venue was the large auditorium where the opening ceremony had taken place. Attendance was optional, but I decided it would be beneficial to attend due to Lina's pressure.

“What? You're planning to attend the freshmen gathering?”

“Yeah.”

Time passed, and the weekend arrived.

After finishing my light exercise and writing, I headed to the training ground to meet Nicole. She, too, had just finished all her sparring sessions, as her entire body was drenched in sweat.

Nicole, wiping the sweat that was dripping down her face with a towel, asked in a slightly puzzled voice, “Suddenly? I thought you'd hate that kind of thing?”

“I ended up deciding to attend.”

“…Ended up?”

Nicole's voice suddenly turned a bit cold. At the same time, the golden eyes visible through the towel covering her face turned fierce. It seemed that as a doting older sister, she had sensed that something was wrong with me.

The moment I saw Nicole's intimidating gaze, I hurriedly spoke. I felt a renewed sense of my difficult situation, knowing I had to be careful with my words even with my older sister.

“Sis, there's nothing for you to worry about. I'm just going out of curiosity.”

Nicole didn't seem to fully believe my lie but responded as if she was willing to let it go.

“…Alright then. Was the reason you came to see me about the gathering? Did you want to ask about it?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm… the gathering…”

Nicole wiped the sweat off her face roughly and began to think deeply. I waited for her to speak.

“Hey~”

“Huh?”

While I was standing there waiting, a familiar voice reached my ears. It was a husky, boyish tone.

Turning my head, I saw Adelia, Nicole's friend, walking towards us from a distance. She, too, had just finished all her sparring sessions, as sweat was pouring down her body.

“What were you talking about? Let me in on it.”

“Eek.”

Adelia, who had finally approached, wrapped her arm around my neck in a friendly manner. I was more than just surprised by the sudden physical contact; I was bewildered.

Part of the reason was the physical contact, but Adelia's attire was also a problem. She was currently wearing a sleeveless top.

The soft touch of her bare skin was felt entirely, and the scent of her body, mixed with sweat, subtly stimulated my sense of smell. As someone who had had no contact with the opposite sex except for family, it was quite stimulating.

In my previous life, I had not interacted with anyone after the shock of my parents' passing, making the situation even more awkward.

“Hey! What are you doing? Get away from my brother right now!”

Nicole, who had not expected Adelia's physical contact, shouted and quickly pushed her away. Thanks to this, my neck was freed from Adelia's arm, but my face was still burning.

However, Adelia laughed and joked, despite Nicole's aggressive action.

“Are you worried I might do something to your brother? Don't worry. He's cute, but he's not my type.”

“Shut up. You're just a dangerous person to me. Don't tell me you've forgotten about the time you threw a ball at Isaac?”

“…That was a real mistake. I'm really sorry.”

When Nicole mentioned the incident that happened two weeks ago, Adelia, who had no real defense, immediately apologized.

Then, as Nicole continued to glare at her with a hostile look, Adelia, feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly changed the subject.

“So, what were you talking about? I was curious, so I came over.”

“…Nothing much. Isaac decided to attend the freshmen gathering.”

“Freshmen gathering?”

Adelia's eyes widened as she turned her gaze to me. Her blue eyes were filled with deep interest.

“Freshmen gathering… It brings back old memories. It was really fun back then.”

“I didn't know. It was the worst for me.”

It seemed that Nicole and Adelia had also attended the freshmen gathering in the past.

Moreover, Adelia seemed to have had a good time, as she was smiling, while Nicole looked thoroughly disgusted. It was a stark contrast.

“Anyway, the freshmen gathering is similar to a social event but not exactly the same. It's a chance for freshmen and seniors to gather, laugh, and have fun. It might be more enjoyable than you think, Isaac.”

“Is that all? There won't be any political talk like at a social event or a ball?”

“What do you know about politics? It's a gathering to build friendships, just as the name suggests.”

“Hmm…”

Does Nicole know? That Lina, the imperial princess with close ties to politics, was the one who talked me into attending. But I won't mention it to avoid unnecessary worry.

I listened to Nicole's explanation in silence and then started asking various questions.

“Are only freshmen attending?”

“Except for a few seniors and teaching assistants, only freshmen will be there.”

“What should I wear? It wasn't mentioned in the notice.”

“You can wear your school uniform, but it's better to dress up nicely. They say clothes are like wings, after all.”

“What about commoners? We're nobles, but what about them?”

“The clothes here are quite affordable. And Halo Academy provides scholarships to commoners.”

Nicole answered my questions one by one and then clapped her hands, saying it was a good opportunity.

“Right! This is a good chance to buy Isaac some clothes. We just finished sparring, so the timing is perfect.”

“I have some clothes from home.”

“You want to wear those? Absolutely not. I'll dress you up this time, so just follow me.”

Suddenly, the situation turned into a shopping trip. But it wasn't entirely bad, as I had been living a reclusive life and Nicole probably knew more about fashion.

Nicole, who had decided to go shopping, said with an excited look on her face.

“Wait here while I go take a shower. I'll be back quickly.”

“Okay.”

“Adelia, do you want to come?”

“I'll pass. I'm sleepy right now.”

Thus, Nicole and Adelia headed to take a shower. I watched them walk down the dark corridor and then sat on the floor. The cold sensation of the stone floor traveled up my buttocks.

While waiting, I thought about how the gathering might proceed.

‘Is it like a welcome party for freshmen?’

It probably won't be like a university welcome party where people perform talents. This world doesn't have a well-developed entertainment culture, and it might even seem vulgar.

Most likely, a host will start the event, and then there will be free time. They might invite musicians to play instruments to liven up the atmosphere.

Although I'm attending the gathering due to Lina's semi-coercion, I'm secretly looking forward to it. Maybe it will help ease my extremely limited social circle.

‘Thinking about it, all my acquaintances are girls?’

Cecily, Marie, Lina, Cindy, Adelia.

These five people are the ones I've met since entering the academy and have maintained a mild relationship with. They even approached me first, not the other way around.

In my previous life, I had almost completely cut off contact with my surroundings after my parents passed away, and even after reincarnation, that didn't change. My current parents were worried about my personality, but I've been managing well.

‘Looking at it this way, it seems like there might be something wrong with my personality…’

I prefer to have a few close friends rather than many acquaintances. I also prefer for the other person to approach me first.

I don't have the courage to approach strangers, and I don't have the charisma to become friends with someone after just a few seconds of meeting. Honestly, I'm grateful to those who have approached me.

They sometimes make me uncomfortable, but it's not a big deal. As long as it's not related to the Zane saga, it's manageable.

“Isaac?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you so spaced out? Let's go now.”

While I was lost in thought, Nicole had changed and returned. I got up when I heard her.

“Did Aunt Adelia leave first?”

“Yeah. She wanted to follow, but she said she was tired and went in first. By the way, when did you start calling Adelia 'Aunt'?”

“Adelia told me to. We talked when you went out for a sparring session.”

“Hmm… Is that so? Did she say anything unnecessary?”

“Not really. Except for pinching my cheek and asking about my ideal type.”

“You brat…”

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I could tell from Nicole's distorted expression that she was getting angry.

“Phew… Never mind. Let's think about that later. Isaac, do you have any specific outfit in mind?”

“Maybe a tuxedo?”

“A tuxedo…”

Nicole looked me up and down at the mention of a tuxedo. She then nodded and said, as if she had a good idea.

“Definitely. You're slim, so a tuxedo would suit you well. A simple, elegant style, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm… It would be good to have a pattern on the scarf. Choose a color similar to your hair.”

“Red? Wouldn't that be too noticeable?”

Even without the tuxedo, my hair is red, more specifically, a deep crimson, which is already quite noticeable from a distance. Not to mention, my eyes, which shine like a predator's, are golden, making it impossible to forget me once you've met me.

But despite my question, which contained a hint of refusal, Nicole wiggled her finger and said,

“Isaac, you're mistaken. You're noticeable anywhere just because of your red hair.”

“… …”

“Even Dave was known for his red hair before he became famous for his skills. There were people who knew Dave's name but didn't know his red hair.”

In that case, there's nothing to say. I had thought before that red hair is extremely rare in this world, almost non-existent.

“By the way, do you know what your brother is doing now?”

“I'm not sure. I sent a letter, but he's probably still in training. I don't know the details.”

“Do you plan to join the Navy Knights?”

“I'd like to if possible, but the Navy Knights aren't just anyone. The competition is 1 in 100, and many people transfer to other places because it's too tough.”

Hearing this, I can imagine how strong my father must have been. He wasn't just a regular knight but the commander of the knights, so he must have been treated as a tactical weapon in the Minerva Empire.

Moreover, the Navy Knights fight more with other races than humans. Although it's quiet now, in the past, they frequently clashed with the werewolves crossing the border and even fought the elves.

I thought my father might be a hidden master from a fantasy story and then moved on to another question.

“Did you attend the freshmen gathering?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you wear a dress?”

“It was the first time I wore a dress.”

“Did anything happen?”

It might be a bit awkward for me to say this, but my older sister, Nicole, inherited our mother's beauty and has a very attractive appearance. Additionally, thanks to the consistent training she received from our father since childhood, she has a healthy, athletic figure.

Such a beauty attending a gathering in a dress? She would have received countless glances and probably numerous advances from men.

And my guess was correct.

“…Not really. The men were so clingy that I couldn't enjoy it properly. I didn't attend any gatherings after that.”

Nicole's expression darkened slightly. Her voice was filled with annoyance and regret.

“Hmm. As expected. Is there anything else?”

“I don't want to talk about it, so mind your own business.”

“Got it.”

I decided to stop probing to avoid upsetting Nicole. Besides, I, as a man, can't fully understand the troubles of a beautiful woman like Nicole.

Nicole, seeing that I had stopped asking questions, smiled playfully and asked subtly,

“Why? Do you want to see me in a dress, Isaac?”

“No, not at all. It would just hurt my eyes.”

“Hahaha. Our Isaac is good at making jokes?”

“Ouch!”

In the end, my cheek was pinched. She probably thought she was pinching gently, but her grip was so strong that it hurt a lot.

Anyway, after our affectionate sibling conversation, we soon arrived at a clothing store. The store, located in the bustling area of Halo Academy, was quite large.

“Welcome. Can I help you with anything?”

When we entered the store, a salesperson greeted us with a business smile. I was a bit hesitant as it was my first time in a clothing store, but Nicole handled it smoothly.

“We want to have a men's tuxedo made. Where should we go?”

“Yes, the men's tuxedo section is over there.”

“Thank you. Let's go.”

“Okay.”

As we walked around, we eventually arrived at the men's tuxedo section. As the name suggests, various tuxedos were displayed.

It felt a bit like a department store, but I shrugged it off, thinking it was a fantasy world. Applying my previous life's common sense would be foolish.

“Sigh… This one is no good. Is there anything else?”

“I'm sorry, sir, but this is the last one.”

“What? Are you kidding me? That's all you have?”

When we entered the section, it seemed that someone had already been there. However, the situation was a bit strange.

“We have more clothes in our mansion! How can this be all you have?”

“I'm sorry, but these are all the clothes we have in our store.”

“Sorry isn't enough. You should bring more, right?!”

The customer, a man, was making a fuss, and the woman, presumably an employee, looked at a loss.

Nicole and I, curious about the situation, headed in the direction of the noise. We needed the employee's help to get a suit made anyway.

When we arrived at the source of the commotion, we couldn't help but widen our eyes.

‘That guy…’

In front of a full-length mirror, three people were standing. The man who was shouting, the flustered female employee next to him, and a man standing a bit away, holding clothes on his arm.

Moreover, the man who was shouting was wearing an incredibly elaborate tuxedo. Even I, who knew nothing about fashion in this world, could tell it was extremely expensive.

But more than that, the man's appearance caught my eye. He was quite handsome, but his expression was so fierce that it was hard to look at him favorably.

“Damn… I should have brought the ones from our mansion. I thought Halo Academy would be better, but it's not at all.”

“… …”

“…Huh?”

The man, who had been muttering awkwardly, seemed to notice our gaze and looked over.

When our eyes met, he widened his eyes and looked slightly surprised.

“You…?”

“… …”

The name of the man in the elaborate tuxedo was Jackson. He was the young master of a viscount's family who had tried to sabotage Cecily and Lina on the first day and was thoroughly defeated.

He also harbored a grudge against me because I received attention from Cecily and Lina. I could tell from the fierce glares he gave me during our classes.

I, on the other hand, had no interest in him. I was too busy to pay attention to just one person.

Anyway, in the suddenly quiet situation, I pondered what to say and then spoke quietly.

“Hi.”

“… …”

My calm greeting made Jackson's face suddenly contort.