Chapter 17

17. Please Be My Friend (3)

"Zero, what's troubling you? Speak your heart."

Rodelin asked, her eyes sparkling.

I put on a sad expression and began to speak.

"Hehehe... A life without friends... is truly sad."

"Hmm? I see. You, with your appearance... it's not easy to break the preconceptions."

"You're right. I thought Andwood Academy would be different... but it's the same as outside."

"Ugh, uh...! But if you try hard, there will surely be a good result...!"

I covered my face with both hands and slightly bowed my head.

"It's too late. Just my presence makes people uncomfortable. I guess someone like me should leave the academy."

"Th, that's...! Stay calm, Zero!"

"Maybe I should just become twisted. Sob, sob, I'll become a black mage and make corpses my friends, and create skeletons to increase my friends..."

Unrestrained self-deprecation!

Befriending corpses and playing family with skeletons!

If there's a lack of materials, I can attack people to make new friends!

Was that what he was thinking?

Rodelin started to fluster.

"It's only been a day, hasn't it! Even I'm getting along well with you..."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Uh, yeah? Y-Yeah."

It's going according to plan. A smile naturally formed at the corners of my mouth.

I hope it's not visible through the gaps in my hands.

"Then we can call ourselves 'friends,' right?"

"Hmm?"

"Isn't that right, friend?"

"T-That's not it. I... I'm a senior, you know."

"Senior?"

"Yes. I'm a senior, you're a junior. We can't be friends."

What is this cliche dialogue?

It's not like 'I'm a teacher, and you're a student!'

'Self-deprecation isn't working. I can't let this continue.'

I slightly pushed Rodelin and cornered her against the wall.

I placed my left arm against the wall, blocking her escape.

The so-called wall cornering stance.

Think it's a strange position?

That's a misunderstanding. You guys are just full of dirty thoughts.

This is a very healthy (?) stance for making friends, isn't it?

"Can't you be my friend?"

"T-That's... "

"I just need a friend. Isn't that possible?"

"A-Ah... T-That's... "

Rodelin was visibly flustered.

Her cheeks were red, her lips were breathing, and her ponytail was slightly disheveled from hitting the wall.

Her eyes were even spinning.

I'm almost there. Just a little more.

Say it.

Say you'll be my friend!

"U-Unclean..."

"Huh?"

"Unclean Punch!!"

Punch!

My vision went blurry. I felt dizzy.

Did I get hit? That high-and-mighty Rodelin used violence?

It was a truly incomprehensible situation.

While I was groaning with my hands covering my face, I heard Rodelin's shout.

"As the vice president, I will give you one demerit point!"

She then quickly ran away.

All I saw was Rodelin's back, her ears red.

"...Hehe, making friends is really hard."

This is all because of that damn squint.

* * *

"Really, I'm so frustrated!"

Luna ran out of the cafeteria as if fleeing.

She was fuming.

She couldn't make a single friend.

She was falling behind Zero in the number of friends.

She was even misunderstood by the vice president as being in a romantic or friendly relationship with someone.

It was all so frustrating.

"Ah!"

Unable to contain her anger, Luna kicked the ground.

A clump of grass rolled away, unable to withstand the force.

"Ugh..."

She tried to ignore it, but it was impossible.

Luna was a kind-hearted girl.

Just a little (?) rough in her words and actions.

After moving the uprooted grass back to its original spot, she patted it down with both hands.

"Sorry... What did you do to deserve this?"

Thanks to Luna's efforts, the grass perfectly recovered its original state.

Seeing this, Luna felt a bit better.

'I shouldn't get so worked up. What's the big deal about a friend? I have something I must achieve.'

She realized she had gotten too excited.

She was so happy about entering the academy that she temporarily forgot her purpose.

Blood revenge.

That was the only reason and driving force for her existence.

Luna reminded herself of her goal.

Entering the academy was merely a means to an end.

Now, she needed to find a student who knew about the Lester family.

'No matter how much they try to keep it secret, it's hard to hide from their children.'

As future heads of their families, they would be educated about matters related to their families.

She needed to find a child who knew about the Lester family's downfall or who had been framed.

'So, I don't need friends. I've always been alone from the start.'

Sniff.

She shouldn't cry. Tears wouldn't help her revenge.

Besides, making friends was unrealistic.

'I have a terrible personality.'

She wanted to speak nicely, but it wasn't easy.

Luna had been a wanderer for five years since she was ten.

A traitor, a child, and a girl.

She had faced many hardships and learned one thing.

Those who give kindness without reason are the most dangerous.

That's why she acted rudely to those who greeted her first.

Her body reacted before her mind.

Luna was more broken than she realized.

'How did I end up like this?'

She sighed slightly.

"Devil! Help! Devil!"

Luna perked up her ears.

It was a human voice, but it had a distinctive, grating tone.

That wasn't all she heard.

"Ah, really noisy."

"Hehe, it's punishment for disrupting class."

"Let's pluck all its feathers."

The sound of children laughing maliciously could also be heard.

Was someone being bullied?

As soon as she turned the corner, Luna immediately understood the situation.

'A parrot?'

Three children were tormenting an old parrot.

They had already plucked a few feathers, and the parrot screamed each time a feather was pulled.

"Let's pluck another one."

They looked like new students like herself.

Luna kicked one of the laughing children in the back.

Punch!

"Ugh!"

"What, what is this!"

"Who are you!"

Their dialogue was so cliché, like a third-rate villain.

Luna smirked and felt angry at the same time.

Seeing bullies tormenting the weak made her feel nauseous.

"What are you doing to a creature that can't speak?"

"Huh? You should speak properly. Look, it's a talking animal."

"Devil! Devil!"

"...Sigh."

The parrot, unaware that it was being saved, kept shouting, which made Luna even angrier.

"What? You're a commoner. I'll show you mercy, so get lost."

"Next time, I won't let you off."

"From now on, bow your head and walk."

These were supposed to be nobles like herself?

They had no pride and no sense of honor.

Luna was appalled.

But she couldn't reveal her family.

The Lester family was currently branded as traitors.

Luna wiggled her fingers.

"Shut up and come at me. I was already stressed, so this is perfect."

"Looks like she's crazy. Just leave her. Getting involved with a crazy person is no good."

"Here, have this."

Luna flipped her middle finger.

The two high mountains on her hands were hard to look at.

A boy slowly approached.

"Looks like I need to teach you a lesson. I don't like hitting ladies, but... Uh!?"

As the boy swung his hand, Luna easily dodged and punched him.

"Ugh!"

Luna's punch hit his jaw, and he fell on his butt.

Seeing this, Luna smacked her lips.

'Tch, he didn't faint. Still, he is an academy student, after all.'

Luna was small.

It was uncertain whether she could take down three boys, especially academy students who had passed the entrance exam.

But she had no intention of losing to these thugs.

'Especially not to bullies!'

Luna charged, and the fight began.

She threw punches, kicked vital points, and bit.

But the size difference was significant.

Luna rolled on the ground after being kicked in the side.

"Ugh!"

"Man, she's really crazy. This is why commoners are no good."

"Who knows, she might be a peasant. That's why she doesn't know her place and charges at us. We're nobles, like the sky."

"Let's teach her today. What the sky is like."

A boy roughly grabbed Luna's hair.

Disgusting. These guys were supposed to be nobles like herself.

It was unbelievable.

These guys, who called themselves the sky, were not traitors, but her family was.

"Huff, huff... Lucky for you. If I had a sword, you'd all be dead."

"Ah, really? I'm shaking with fear."

"Ha ha! Let's send her off nicely!"

The boy raised his fist high.

Just as Luna braced herself for the impact, she heard a familiar laugh and voice.

"Hehe, what are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"Who are you?"

The familiar laugh and voice.

Luna's eyes widened, and she saw him.

A small boy with eyes so small they were almost invisible. Zero.

"Can't you see I'm playing? Get lost."

"Hehe, that's not possible. The one there is my friend."

"Your friend?"

"Hmm... It seems only I think so... but let's say yes for now."

Zero's unique tone and unusual calmness.

The other children also sensed something strange.

"What, why are you so calm?"

"Are you a skilled one? But we don't recognize you... Ah!"

"What? Do you know him?"

"That's him. He ranked third in the entrance exam..."

"What? Him?"

Third?

Luna couldn't understand.

Not only because the ranks below first and second were not publicly announced.

'Zero... third?'

Andwood Academy was the empire's top prestigious school.

While the average skill level of students was high, the top ranks were in a different league.

Zero being third?

She knew he was hiding his skills, but to this extent?

The boys huddled together and whispered.

"He's a target for recruitment. What should we do?"

"Let's let this crazy girl go. No need to create unnecessary bad feelings."

"Ch! Fine."

Thud!

As the boy released his grip, Luna fell to the ground.

The boys who left Luna's side stood in front of Zero.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Godner, the eldest son of the Jaeparin family."

"Nice to meet you. It's an honor to meet you."

"The top student of the year and the second son of the Bueren family, Teron, is looking for you. You know why, right?"

"Hehe, I'm not sure. I don't know."

Godner sighed deeply.

"What. I thought you'd be smart since you're third... I'll be direct. Join the Teron faction."