Chapter 54

### Chapter 54: A Chance Encounter (6)

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#12

I felt as if I were in a scene from a novel.

You know, the kind where just as a character is about to say something important, external pressure conveniently intervenes.

This is like a story that got cut off in the middle... The analogy might not be perfect for the situation with Stella, but it was certainly an unsettling development.

It wasn't even a loud noise, yet our movements froze instantly. Stella's pupils trembled as if there were an earthquake.

Knock, knock.

The knocking sound rang out again.

In the sudden silence, Stella, who looked slightly startled, let out a faint hiccup and got up.

Her slender legs walked across the marble floor. Then she suddenly turned to look at me, her eyes conveying the fear of being discovered.

I wasn't sure who could be knocking on Stella's door, but given her social circle, a few people came to mind.

Is this a big deal...?

I made a mouth gesture to Stella, indicating, "I'll hide," and then quietly got up and cautiously moved to a corner.

I squatted behind the wall like a beggar in a slum. This way, even if the door opened wide, no one outside would see me.

...What is this situation?

The tension was palpable, but objectively, it was a rather comical and bizarre situation.

I had entered a male dormitory late at night to study with a classmate of the opposite sex, and now I was about to be caught in this predicament.

I could explain the situation, but the real challenge would be making it sound natural.

They probably wouldn't just barge in, right?

If they just had some business, we could talk about it later. If it was a simple matter, we could handle it at the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

This time, three knocks.

...Creak.

It seemed Stella had made up her mind, and the sound of the door slowly opening was heard.

— Who is it...?

I kept my mouth shut and remained silent.

A moment later.

A sharp voice asked from a distance.

— Oh, you weren't sleeping? I was about to leave because you didn't open the door.

It was a familiar voice.

A voice I had heard just an hour and a half ago.

...Yuri?

Yuri von Artena. The blonde kid. One of the girls I now consider a younger sister. She dislikes being treated like a child, but every time I see her, I can't help but smile fondly.

What could she want at this late hour?

— No, I wasn't. I must have been so focused on studying that I didn't hear the knock. What's up?

— Oh, you were studying? I didn't mean to disturb you...

Yuri's nervousness was palpable even from here.

By the way, Stella had decided to use informal speech with me, but she hadn't yet done so with Yuri.

Well, if Stella suddenly started using informal speech, Yuri might find it a bit strange. I trust they'll handle it well.

— I just finished. It's fine.

— ...Really? That's a relief.

The sound of rustling and Yuri's voice again.

— It's nothing much. I bought some snacks and thought you might want to come out and have them with me.

...What? Is that it?

It was a midnight rendezvous.

— Snacks...?

— Yeah. If you're free, come out and have them with me. Rubya is out there too. I was just about to go to bed, but Rubya said she wanted to talk and play with you too. If you're too tired from studying, you can rest.

— I'm still okay, but...

Stella seemed hesitant. She must have been aware of my presence behind the wall.

She had called me here for a secret and urgent matter, and now an unexpected problem had arisen, making the situation quite awkward.

Listening to Yuri and Stella's conversation, I suddenly thought: If she invites me to come out and have snacks, where will we have our secret talk?

Since it's the same gender dormitory, we could just go into one of the rooms and talk, but why did she insist on going out?

There was only one place that came to mind.

The first-floor lobby of the dormitory.

...The lobby?

Oh no, I covered my forehead with my palm.

That won't work.

You can't meet in the lobby.

Even if Stella refuses Yuri's offer, a significant problem will arise.

...If that happens, I won't be able to leave, will I?

Am I in trouble?

— Really? Then can you come to the lobby in a bit? I'll tell Rubya you're coming.

— ...! A, ah, w, wait.

— Huh? Why?

Stella hesitated before responding.

She seemed to be thinking about what to do with me, and I was also seriously considering the situation.

...Even if Stella says she can't go, Yuri and Rubya will likely stay in the lobby and chat for a while.

If she agrees to go, the situation won't change much.

Instead, Stella will have to postpone the talk she wanted to have with me, and it might be a while before we get another chance like this.

‘Ezio, I——’

They say you should pull the thorn while it's still hot. It seemed to be a very important matter, but the timing was lost, making the situation quite awkward.

Anyway, I need to think about how to get out of here. Upon reflection, there was something I hadn't considered.

The Epic Class dormitory building is connected in a ∩ shape, with Building 1 and Building 3 connected to Building 2.

So, from Building 1, you can go through the right corridor to Building 3 and then to Building 2, and vice versa.

Stella's room is on the right corridor.

...Damn.

Is there no way out?

I thought I could sneak past without being seen, but the location was the problem.

To get from the right corridor where Stella's room is to the left corridor, I would inevitably have to pass through the lobby.

I was wrong... I'm in trouble...

In the end, do I have to accept the reality?

I was already a bit awkward with Yuri after the last incident... Not that I did anything wrong, but just being in the same room with Stella might make her look at me with suspicion and disdain...

Stella suggested it first, after all.

Stella is kind. Even if I told the truth, it would take a considerable amount of time to clear up the misunderstanding. Yuri would likely trust Stella, a fellow woman, much more than me.

Moreover, it wasn't just Yuri.

Rubya was out there too.

...Rubya, Rubya.

Hmm...

Is it really that bad?

I had a different thought this time.

After all, I barely knew Yuri, but I was already friends with Rubya.

...Of course, we've grown more distant compared to before, but she still knows I don't lie easily. She could be a reliable ally in this situation.

Thinking about it, I felt more at ease.

The only concern was Yuri, but things would likely work out. Despite her sharpness, she wasn't a bad person.

I lifted my head and looked straight ahead.

A purple curtain covered the window.

The window.

...Ah.

Right.

There was a window.

I had forgotten about it because it was hidden behind the curtain. Since the Epic Class dormitory has an outdoor terrace, I could open the window, step onto the railing, and jump down.

Someone outside might see me, but I could deal with that if it happened.

Ideally, I wouldn't be seen. The most important thing was to avoid being seen directly by Yuri and Rubya.

Good. I have an escape route.

I felt more at ease.

Now, I wanted to tell Stella, "Don't worry, go out and play with the kids," but she was still talking to Yuri.

— ...Yes, yes. I'm sorry. We'll definitely have them together next time.

— Okay, let's do that. Good night, Stella.

— Yes... Good night, Yuri.

I missed part of the conversation because I was deep in thought. How did it go? The sound of the door closing interrupted my thoughts.

The room, which had been briefly noisy, fell silent again.

Sigh. Stella's low sigh spread through the air. She must have been quite startled by Yuri's sudden visit.

Tap, tap.

"Ezio? Where are you...?"

Stella walked to the other side of the room, looking for me on the bed.

"Hi."

"..."

She saw me sitting hunched in the corner and widened her eyes.

"...Phew. Why are you like that?"

She smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Her natural demeanor was so different from the Stella I first met that I was genuinely surprised.

It wasn't in a negative way.

Somehow, this Stella seemed more attractive.

"I was trying to hide so I wouldn't be seen."

I felt a bit pathetic, but I straightened my legs and stretched my back, smiling at Stella.

"Yuri invited you to play outside, right?"

Stella nodded slightly.

"...Uh, how did you know it was Yuri?"

"Her voice is memorable. I almost didn't recognize it because it was much softer than when she talks to me."

She's so discriminatory. But my situation is still better than most of the boys in our class.

Yuri treats the other boys as less than air, being thoroughly hostile to them... Of course, that doesn't mean she's friendly to me.

"So, are you going out?"

"..."

At my question, Stella hesitated for a moment.

She slowly shook her head.

"...Why? You can go out and play. I know you must be tired from teaching me. You should relax and play with the kids."

"Uh, it's okay. I, I had a prior commitment with Ezio..."

...Oh, we can talk about it later.

I was going to leave through the window and suggest she go out and play. I felt a bit guilty that she might have refused because of me.

Just as I was about to voice my thoughts,

"I——"

"Ah, the conversation we were having."

"..."

Stella looked at me from close by and continued.

"I, I need to finish it."

"..."

It seemed she had decided to talk to me instead of going out.

Since she was going to this extent, I had no choice.

Stella, with her hands respectfully clasped over her chest, created a strange atmosphere.

"..."

"..."

Despite trying not to, I swallowed hard.

Stella stared at me in silence, then suddenly walked to the desk.

Swish. Stella picked up a hair tie from the desk, draped it over her fingers, and stretched it out.

She bit the hair tie with her rosy lips and, with a calm demeanor, began to tie her hair, brushing her silver hair like a flowing galaxy.

Thud. The hair tie fell from Stella's hand. Indeed, even the smallest actions exuded a refined elegance.

Her medium-length hair was tied into a short ponytail.

Stella's skin, pale as snow, seemed to glow with a subtle radiance. A few strands of silver hair clung to her graceful neck.

...What is this, suddenly?

Her noble and dignified beauty was indeed dazzling, but I couldn't understand why she was tying her hair.

After finishing, Stella slowly approached me.

She looked up at me, but not as high as Yuri. I was about a head shorter than Stella.

Gently, her lips parted.

"I'm sorry for calling you here. ...But, I didn't want to tell anyone else except you, Ezio."

I had no idea what she was talking about.

Stella seemed to understand everything.

"Even though our families and names are different now..."

Stella's medium-length hair, which had been gently brushing her delicate shoulders, was no longer visible. From the front, she looked like she had the same hair length as me.

A natural smile appeared on her face again.

A shy, beautiful smile that I had never seen in the Stella I knew, a smile that even seemed playful.

The shy princess was no longer there.

While her elegant demeanor was certainly part of Stella, the person in front of me now was showing a different side of herself, hidden within the Princess Stella de Feltre.

The perfect noblewoman I thought Stella was was slowly crumbling.

...No.

I was completely wrong.

My hasty assumption that Stella was naturally shy was also incorrect.

All my assumptions were gradually marked with an X.

A chill ran down my spine.

Stella said something unexpected.

"Ezio, you might not remember, but I——— I've known you from the beginning."

"..."

At those words.

I couldn't even utter a futile question, frozen like a solid statue, and could only listen to Stella's words.

"It's okay if you don't remember me."

She added softly, shaking her head slowly.

And, most importantly.

"I remember you."

...

She was right.

Nothing came to mind.

Even after quickly reviewing all the information I knew about Stella, I couldn't find a clear answer that matched her words. I was in a state of confusion, unable to process the situation.

"I was so shocked when I heard you were involved in an accident and lost consciousness. I wanted to come see you right away, but unfortunately, I had an urgent matter to attend to... I'm sorry."

Stella bowed her head.

A moment later.

When she lifted her head, her face had a shy smile with a slight blush, rather than the mischievous smile from before.

"Now, I know it's embarrassing to act this way, but I'm not Stella de Feltre right now——"

"..."

—Suddenly.

Stella suddenly spread her arms and hugged me.

Caught off guard, I almost fell over, but managed to catch myself. Her soft voice whispered in my ear.

"...As your friend, Alphen. So, I'm saying thank you for coming back safely, after all the worry."

—Alphen.

The moment I heard that name.

A flash of lightning pierced my tangled mind.

Before my family fell, when the Crainil family still maintained the appearance of a noble family.

Long before I met Rubya.

On the edge of a hill where stars fell, a friend showed me a small galaxy.

I couldn't remember anything before hearing the name.

But now, I had an idea of who Stella was talking about. Although the memory from over 10 years ago was still hazy, the fantastic scenery Alphen showed me was etched in my mind.

I had secretly left a boring social event and followed Alphen, who said he had something to show me, up a difficult hill. What I saw was an endless expanse of dark silk, dotted with colorful stars.

—When I turned to look at Alphen, his eyes were undoubtedly shining with the same silver light as the countless stars.

She called herself Alphen.

Knowing that she and I had met in the past and that she was my friend, there was no other reason for her to reveal such a secret.

Stella was truly Alphen.

However.

More than the joy of a chance reunion or the intense longing, I felt a sense of absurdity.

After all.

...Alphen was, definitely, a boy, right?