Chapter 76

"Whatever."

When I asked Jack about the bullying of the heroine, he gave a rather indifferent answer.

"You're the student council president, so I guess you'd be concerned, but it doesn't matter to me."

"That's cold."

"Getting involved never ends well. I got drenched with water by chance that time, but I'm done with it. I felt more cold than she did."

That's right.

"I'm talking about the one who tries to interfere with my relationship with Silfa. That's how I see it. So, it doesn't matter to me, and I don't want to get involved."

Jack, who is usually tsundere and a bit sadistic, isn't giving an unexpected answer.

Yeah, there's no problem with Jack. Please stay the same.

I'd like to talk to Picard once... but he's tough!

There are always girls around him, so it's hard to catch him alone.

The place where two guys can be alone, a hidden social spot for gentlemen, is, of course, that place. So, I wait in the hallway to see if he comes.

"Hey, Shin-kun."

"Hi."

I stand next to Picard at the urinals in the toilet.

"...How's it going? Is the bullying of the pink princess still continuing?"

"It's Rinse-kun. I'm glad you care!"

Picard's voice brightens and his energy rises!

After finishing, Picard goes to wash his hands. There's nothing unusual about him.

"...Picard, you're surprisingly normal in the toilet."

"What do you think I am?"

"Well, I thought you might pee in a circle."

"That would be a big inconvenience... Besides, there are no ladies' galleries here."

If there were, would you do it?

"Um, a beautiful peeing pose! I've never thought of that! Shin-kun, that's a great idea! It's worth considering!"

"No, I don't want to be the one who suggested it, so please don't."

What kind of pose is that? The conversation isn't progressing at all. Sorry, it's my fault.

"Did the bullying of her start recently?"

"It doesn't seem to be the case."

We wash our hands and look at each other.

"I want to hear more about it. Can we talk more about it?"

"I'm glad! I appreciate the offer!"

He really seems happy, which is surprising. I thought he wouldn't find it interesting to be approached by a guy.

"I have a place I want to go in this school."

"Where?"

"The rooftop. You can see the whole school from there. I want to see the world with my own eyes. It's always locked, so I can't get in."

"Then let's go there after school. I'll borrow the key."

"I'm looking forward to it! See you then!"

He's an interesting guy. He has a childlike side.

After school, I made up an excuse to check if we could lower the banners during the school festival and borrowed the key from a teacher in the staff room. When I went to the rooftop entrance, Picard was already waiting, excited.

"This is the first time I've seen you without girls around."

"Yeah, it was tough to get rid of the ladies. Do you have the key?"

I threw the key from the bottom of the stairs, and Picard caught it.

"Here, the door to heaven is opening!"

Don't jump, okay? Picard unlocks the door and opens it, and the slanted sunlight shines through the dark corridor, blindingly bright.

This is my first time on the school rooftop.

"Ahahaha! Amazing! Look! This sky, this sunset, it's all mine! All to myself!"

Picard is spinning and playing on the rooftop.

"Since I'm here too, it's not all yours."

"Let's enjoy the view! This beautiful Rastelle city! To the fullest!"

Picard runs towards the railing. He might fall.

"Be careful!"

"I know. ...It's beautiful. The city viewed from this school is wonderful..."

We look at the capital illuminated by the sunset... It's a beautiful cityscape, like something from a fairy tale, our pride.

"Thank you, Shin-kun. My dream since entering the school has come true..."

"If this is enough for you."

"Um, what was the talk about again?"

"The pink princess."

"Oh, that."

Picard's energy suddenly drops. No, he seems to have calmed down.

"I have a special magic."

"Wow, that's amazing. What kind of magic?"

"A magic that senses Rinse-kun's tears, a maiden's tears magic... Is that a good way to put it?"

What's that?

"I get a strange feeling, and when I go to find her, she's crying for some reason. It's always like that. That's why I was always at the scene when she was being bullied."

That's some strong game mechanics. It affects even such things!

"Strange. It doesn't happen to other ladies. It must be a mission given by an angel to protect her..."

"That's quite a meddlesome ability."

"This ability isn't all-powerful. There have been times when nothing was happening, and I was relieved."

Isn't it just that you always go to check on the pink-haired girl?

What a cute guy, Picard.

"But recently, this magic doesn't seem to work as well..."

Picard, leaning on the railing, looks at the city.

His beautiful long blonde hair sways gently in the wind. Even as a guy, I think he's good-looking.

"The strange feeling has stopped... In the drama club, her attitude hasn't changed. There's nothing different. But I hear from the club members in her class that there are still troubles. She changes into the drama club's costumes because her uniform gets soaked, and even now, in her third year, she gets water thrown on her and her belongings hidden. I learned about the graffiti on her desk from a drama club member."

"...So the bullying is still going on?"

"Yes."

"That's a problem."

"It might mean she's gotten stronger. She's no longer crying. She no longer relies on me. It feels like the angel is saying, 'Good job.'"

Picard looks lonely.

"Who's doing the bullying?"

"I don't know. I've always found it strange that the actions are so childish."

"I talked to the student council, and they said that bullying among nobles has a purpose of establishing hierarchy. It means they have a higher rank. So, if they do it, they do it directly in front of the person, and they insult and mock them directly. It's strange that they hide and do it secretly."

"Indeed. I've always stopped such disputes among the ladies around me. My love can't be monopolized by rank. I've experienced a lot of jealousy myself. It's the fate of the beautiful..."

Picard is really something. He's impressive.

"So, they said it might not be bullying but personal grudges or revenge."

"...It's possible. Rinse-kun is easily misunderstood. It's understandable that people think she's monopolizing the school idol. I admit that you, I, Fried, Powell, and Hartis are around her. Jack is probably the only one who's cold to her."

"Stop including me as an idol."

"If I'm the prince in the drama club, you're the prince of the school. You need to be aware of that."

"Okay, okay."

"We, the knights, protect her. This makes the other ladies jealous. They bully her in secret. It's a vicious cycle..."

Picard, you see the essence of it. You're not just a fool, are you?

The sunset is beautiful. It's about to sink behind the outer walls.

"...Picard, you're always surrounded by girls. Do you have a fiancée or something?"

"I get a lot of offers. I'm waiting for their replies."

"What a luxurious situation."

"I want to love freely and be free while I'm in school. I'll have to choose a partner when I graduate."

"You're so relaxed... If you wait too long, you might miss out on a good one."

"Maybe the one who waits for me is the one suitable for me. That's what I think."

"There probably aren't many like that."

"I know you've been pouring your love into Cerea-kun since you were ten. I'm envious. I might recognize you as a rival because you have a better relationship than I do. There's something you have that I can't match. It's my complex..."

Ha ha ha. If I tell him I'm already married to Cerea, what face will he make?

"Anyway,"

After the sun sets, Picard moves away from the railing.

"She's gotten stronger. There's no longer a need for her to consult or rely on me. She doesn't need my help anymore. I think that's good, even if it's a bit sad."

That's surprising. I thought you were the closest to her in the club.

"I'm glad I could have this talk with you. I rarely get the chance to talk like this with other guys. Talking about love with a guy is a bit of a dream situation."

"Was this a love talk...?"

Hartis says the same kind of thing.

"Thank you for showing me this."

With a beautiful smile, Picard returned the key to me and left normally without spinning.

Is Picard also withdrawing from the hero race? This is an unexpected turn of events.

From what I heard, it seems the heroine is no longer approaching him. Has she given up, or is she focusing on another target?

"That's Picard's event, isn't it!"

Ha ha ha ha ha! When I told Cerea about it on the way home, she seemed angry!

"That's unfair, Mr. Shin. You knew about the rooftop love event between Picard and the heroine, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to take that from her?"

"Well, Picard is always surrounded by girls, so I thought I needed to lure him out."

"That's not right..."

Hmm, why is she angry?

"Mr. Shin is quite devious!"

"Whose side are you on, Cerea?"

"Of course, I'm on Mr. Shin's side, but as an antagonist, I don't want events to happen, and interfering with someone's love is not good..."

"Sorry, sorry, I won't do it again."

Yeah, I'll keep it a secret from Cerea from now on.

Next: "76. The Last Summer Vacation"