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Shīna's POV

"Anyway it was such a big fuss in the morning ~~"

Mimuru started talking about what happened at the main gate in a carefree manner different from mine.

After finishing the morning assembly, we, the second class’ students, were heading to the training ground for practical lessons.

We were talking about the quarrel between the 1st class Kevin Ardinal and the 10th class Mars Dickens in front of the main gate in the morning.

Originally, the quarrel was caused by Kevin Ardinal talking to the same 1st-class Irisdina Francilt, in which she was involved with "him" by her side.

"He"

A boy at the bottom of the grade who was wandering around the city in the middle of the night in a tattered appearance yesterday, the reason why he became tattered was because of his unreasonable behavior of entering the forest alone, and I still feel frustrated whenever I remember it.

Originally, I didn't have a good feeling for him, and I hated him ever since I found out that the cause of yesterday's injury was his own reckless deeds.

He was dying after doing something unreasonable. That act reminded me of what happened 10 years ago.

The Foskia Forest, where we elves lived, was one of the richest forests on the continent.

Ten years ago, before the invasion, the forest was overgrown with large trees that lived for hundreds of years, and the branches that grew powerfully into the sky had fresh fruits every season.

The animals living in the forest supported their lives in various ways, and under such a great current, their lives were blossoming.

My family was a family of four, my parents and my sister.

In the forest full of life, with gentle parents and sister, and all the elves of the same races were living a warm life, and when I think about it now, that was irreplaceable happiness.

However, it was suddenly robbed.

The forest that was our birthplace, and our home, was surrounded by flames. The trees that I used to play with my friends were burned down. The lives of the forest were eaten and defiled in front of me.

And that demon beast that appeared in front of me. A curse-like beast that has been filled with the filth of life.

I was in front of the demon beast ………….

"Shīna !!"

"……Ah"

"What's wrong? You scared me. We've already arrived at the training ground."

I had already arrived at the training ground when I noticed. Around me, my classmates are already divided into their respective groups and checking their specialized weapons.

I shook my head and tried to shake off the scene I remembered earlier. Because I remembered his recklessness, I seemed to remember my past.

"... I'm sorry Mimuru, I'm alright .... I'm just a little tired."

"... Really? It's fine then, but ... you shouldn't overdo it, alright?"

Mimuru looked at me with worried eyes. She is usually full of energy and has a rough personality, but when she saw that I wasn't paying attention until she spoke to me, she seemed to have thought about it quite deeply.

I have never talked about my past.

Sometimes I remember and feel depressed, but I don't really want to talk about it. I've never talked about it to anyone, including Mimuru and Tom, because I will remember things I don't want to remember.

"I know. I'm not overdoing it. By the way, Mimuru, it’s about yesterday's story. I'll get to the point, we are about to go to the forest, but...."

"Hey, do you have a little time?"

".. You ..."

Suddenly I was called out, and when I looked back at the voice, there was a male student with golden ears. It was Feo Rishitza, a student in the same class.

"Sorry for bothering you ~. I have something to ask, is it alright?"

"Well it's alright... do you need something?"

I didn't understand why he was talking to me. This student, Feo Rishitza, was always lazy and unmotivated, and had many conflicts with me, whether during class or breaks.

He always looked out the window casually during the lesson, and I couldn't feel his seriousness during practical class.

I didn't really think highly of him, and the teacher and I were giving him a warning many times, but he didn't seem to get any better.

Even so, he seems to have high capabilities, and his exams have decent grades, so he belongs to the second class, which is considered high class even in the third year, but I didn't have a good impression of him. I think that many things can be done if he is more motivated.

He might have thought that I was a troublesome person, so he never talked to me before.

But he started talking about his important matter as if he didn't care about my bafflement.

"Actually, it's about what happened this morning... You see, it's about the turmoil that occurred in front of the school gate. You were there at that time, right?"

"Yes, that's right"

"Actually, I was there too. I'd like to ask about Nozomu Bountis who was in that turmoil."

Nozomu Bountis.

When I heard that name, ripples struck my heart again.

No wonder. Because I was thinking about him just a while ago, I was reminded of the past.

"...Why are you asking me about him?"

"No, I thought you knew something about him since you seemed to be worried about him at that time."

(You seem worried)

When I heard that, my heart pounded *ba-dump*.

Certainly, at that time I was conscious of him. When I saw his face, I got angry remembering his reckless behavior yesterday.

However, the anger was countered by remembering the last time I saw him yesterday. I saw him awkwardly looking away.

The words I said to him yesterday.

(More importantly. No one willing to help you because you abandoned Lisa.) 

The moment he heard my words, his timid appearance so far completely changed. The next moment, I was grabbed by him.

The fierce bloodlust he struck me deprived me of my physical freedom in an instant, and I was completely petrified.

His face at that time was severely distorted by anger, and I couldn't say anything before such a bare violent emotion.

(!!! ………… Sorry ………………)

However, that was only for a moment.

He immediately took his hand off my clothes, thanked me for the treatment with an apologetic look, and went out of the room.

And the words he said as he left the room still remained in my ears.

(……….I didn't do that …………)

The words he squeezed out seemed to push something stuck in the depths of his chest as he suffered.

Those words got stuck in the depths of my chest, and because of that, I was struck by uncomfortable feelings and discomfort.

"... He's not a friend of mine ... I don't really know anything about him... "

(It would be bad if Feo finds out what I've done. I brought a male student to a girls' dormitory late at night... and also ...)

……………. I feel like I shouldn't have brought it up……. 

While telling myself such things many times in my chest, I straighten up my face so that he could not realize what's inside my chest, and I answered Feo's question while pretending to be calm, but at the end, the expression he showed flickers in my mind.

Feo seems to be interested in Nozomu for some reason. Considering that the boy who didn't pay attention to anything until now is finally interested to something. I'm afraid he would be asking for various things, so I have to hide it somehow ...

"......... Is that so? Sorry~. I've asked something strange suddenly."

"……Eh?"

However, contrary to my misery, Feo immediately withdrew. I have doubts about it, but Feo quickly turns his heels back and walks away.

"... What was that?"

"……Who knows"

"Oh, by the way, Shīna. Talking about going to the forest, what does Shīna want to hear, is it about when we are going to go?"

"Ah, that's right, yesterday I didn't ask about when we are going to go."

"Well, we are planning to go today. Tom is preparing what he needs for collecting now. Tomorrow, the school will be closed, so we are thinking of going after school today. Is it okay?"

"...Yeah, I think it's fine." 

Tomorrow is a holiday, so it's definitely a good time to enter the forest. The place to collect seems to be near the entrance of the forest, but I haven't heard the news that the Triclopes have been subdued, and considering that the spirits were noisy yesterday, I can't help but worry.

Our conversation was over, I remember about Feo earlier.

It looks like he doesn't know what I was thinking, but the way he looked before was like a child given a new toy, and I could see he wanted to play with it.

(I hope nothing bad will happen ...)

I felt anxious inside, but honestly, I didn't know what was going on, and I ended up welcoming the bell signaling the start of the lesson.

***

Mars' POV

"Damn! That dog bastard !!"

We moved to another class through the corridor after the morning meeting,

We are moving to another classroom through the corridor after the morning assembly, my anger hadn't subsided since the morning turmoil at the main gate.

"... Hey, isn't it about time for you to calm down already?"

"I can't stand it! More importantly Nozomu! Why are you so calm !! Why aren't you angry ?!"

"... Of course I don't feel good about it .... But you charged before me."

"Ugh ..."

"But ... Thank you ..."

"H, hmph!"

I remembered the disgraceful behavior I did earlier and was stuck in words.

I turned away from Nozomu because of embarrassment and a little awkwardness, and my legs heading to the classroom became a little faster.

My anger became unsettled, but ………… I was really happy to be thanked by him.

“…………………….”

“…………………….”

We continued walking silently for a while.

Being silent, I remember talking to Irisdina and the others yesterday. The gap between Nozomu, who was said to be the worst bastard, and the real Nozomu.

I felt something strange as I tried to relate the rumors this man in front of me got from his surroundings.

What happened to Nozomu? Why did such a divergence occur?

Come to think of it, we had never heard of it from Nozomu himself, and we have no idea what Nozomu was doing until the end of the second year.

I noticed that there was an unusual wall between Nozomu and us, and I felt a small strange feeling inside my chest.

Besides, the appearance of Nozomu today is also strange, and and it seems that he did something unreasonable.

It seems that Irisdina and others were aware of it, but in the end, we couldn't overcome the wall between us and Nozomu, and because of that dog bastard, it became unsettled.

“……………….Hey, Nozomu. You ……”

Whether it's because I want to shake off that strange feeling, or because I don't like Nozomu creating a wall between us, I open my mouth naturally trying to ask Nozomu about what happened two years ago.

(You're going to make Nozomu-kun telling you something very hard for him, right?)

" !! "

However, when I tried to say it, Tima's words crossed my mind, and I swallowed the words I was about to say. My mouth opened without being able to say anything.

I remember what I heard at Ushitotei yesterday. About what happened between him and his childhood friend.

According to the story I heard from Ena, that childhood friend, Lisa, struck Nozomu with hatred that she couldn't think of as a former lover.

(At least we weren't the parties involved. We should wait until Nozomu-kun ready to talk.)

“………….. What's wrong Mars?”

Nozomu talked to me when I was stuck, but I couldn't speak anything.

It may be exactly as Tima said. After I listened to Ena's story at that time, I could understand that it was something I shouldn't force Nozomu to talk about, and above all, I wanted him to speak directly from his mouth.

"... No, it's nothing"

"...?" 

I walked through the side of Nozomu, who was tilting his head, and walked toward the classroom. I felt that the weird feeling inside my chest, which had not been loosened, had grown slightly bigger.

***

Classroom for the 1st class, 3rd year.

The students here today were not moving, and the students were spending their time in the classroom until the teacher in charge came.

A pair of men and women were talking face to face in a corner of the classroom. Smiles were on their faces, and even from the side, everyone can feel the friendship between the two.

The two were human beings that everyone knew.

One is a beautiful girl with red hair and a charming smile. Lisa Hounds. The other one is a handsome blonde boy. Lisa's lover, one who has reached A rank, which is only five in 3rd year. It was Ken Notice.

"Lisa, would you like to go to the commercial district this holiday? "

"Yes, it's okay, but ... was something good happened? It seems like you are in a good mood since the morning ..."

Ken was inviting Lisa to go on a date.

He has the usual gentle smile, but to Lisa, he seems to have an unusual smile on his face.

"Well, yesterday my long-standing worries have disappeared. I think it's because of that."

His smile is slightly distorted.

(Finally, I got rid of Nozomu, and I'm sure he'll be gone ...)

Ken was floating from the feeling of freedom due to the disappearance of the shackles called Nozomu.

But his release from the shackles also meant that what was holding back his dark inner side had disappeared.

It is true that Ken's face is clear and, coupled with his neat appearance, he has a very attractive smile when viewed from the side, but after completely beats his former best friend, that smile began to become a distorted smile, which was created by spitting out the negative thoughts that have been stuck in the depths of his heart for many years.

"Is that so……"

"?? Lisa, what's wrong?"

"U, umm. It's nothing. It seems that it's because of my mind ..."

However, his smile, which was ugly and distorted, was naturally changed by his acting skills, which deceived his surroundings over the years. It also deceived his best friend and lover.

The discomfort within Lisa immediately disappeared.

No, she deliberately turned her eyes away.

(Now there's no one in my way anymore. I'm the only one next to Lisa ...)

Ken hasn't noticed yet. His smile, which has deceived his surroundings, is different from before and is gradually beginning to be distorted by the overflowing darkness inside.

Lisa hasn't noticed yet. The fact that she avoided the discomfort she was feeling and became anxious inside.

Both of them haven't noticed yet. Gradually, their gears are already starting to get out of order.