PHASE 21 - NOT MY BACON BURGER!

“Yo!” Helena waved at us.

Here at the cafeteria where all students gather to eat their lunch, there comes Helena to wreak havoc on Heushac’s reputation.

Five minutes ago, we, the nerd squad are happily eating our meals while teasing this ‘baby boy’ as a siscon. Heushac has been heavily bullied by his peers (I’m the leader of this indiscriminate bullying lol), and now, he’s up for some more.

“B-B-Big sis!” Heushac exclaimed. “Why are you here!?”

“Why is my baby boy upset?” Helena tilted her head.

“I’m a big boy now! Stop calling me that!” Heushac cried.

“Unfortunately, I’m not here for you. I am here for them.” Helena pointed at me who was busy chuckling in the corner of the table.

“Come here,” Jeannette said as she pointed on the other empty table. Is it again about confidential matters?

“Ooooh, looks like your sister does not love her ‘baby boy’ anymore. She now has a thing for Ric!” Ranley said with a malicious smirk.

“Aaaaaw.” Daughty acted as if he’s concerned. “You feel cheated by your own osoroshi sugoi onee-sama, huh?”

“Shut up!!!” Heushac yelled.

“Don’t worry, your sister is yours. NTR is not my genre. I don’t have any slight intention.” I smirked.

“Just get lost already!” Heushac shouted once again.

I moved my tray to the table where Tiara, Jeannette, and Helena were. Jeannette started to explain everything to us while we eat down our meals.

“I’m pretty sure that you know her. Helena Efilion is also a Gate Guardian like us.”

“Whoa! S-So cool!” Tiara exclaimed with her glittery eyes. Why am I not surprised like her?

“You must be Tiara Hikari from those shut-in shrine maidens.” Helena smiled and offered her hand. “Nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too, Helena-Senpai!” Tiara said as she shook the kendo champ’s hand intensively.

Helena turned to me. “Still, I’m surprised that a nerd like Alaric is also a Gate Guardian. Man, I have known you when you were a kid, but I never thought you’ll have a powerful Guardian Ability! Can you really see the future? Are you sure that this shrine maiden will die at the end of the day?”

Helena’s barrage of questions made it impossible for us to stop her from spoiling everything. Now that Tiara heard it, her eyes widened and she can’t close her mouth. Jeannette made a facepalm, and I… I had to force myself to smile.

Tiara glared at me. I feel that she’s so angry that she wanted to crush my skull with her fingers, but I still consider her face cute especially with a serious expression.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Rikkun…” Her eyes are on the verge of crying due to anger. “You are my precious friend, but you keep secrets from me. You told Nette-Senpai and Helena-Senpai, but not me… ”

“I-I didn’t tell you because I don’t want you to worry about what will happen...” I answered.

“I don’t care if I die today!” Tiara finally cried out loud. “Friendship means loyalty that can break the barriers of the living and the dead! As long as you stay truthful, I don’t care what happens to me! But you… You ruined my trust!”

Tiara then snatched my untouched bacon burger and then ran away, exiting the scene while covering her eyes. Then the whole table went silent. I lost my appetite... while Helena continued to eat. Jeannette was giving a quite disappointed face.

“I wish you choke on an expired bun, Helena,” Jeannette said.

Helena spits out her food and scratched her head. “Ahaha… My bad.”

<>

It was already our history class, which comes after the lunch break. Tiara is there beside me, but she didn’t bother to notice me. I think she’ll avoid me for the rest of her life since she’s going to die this afternoon anyway.

What am I thinking!? That’s not even funny! I need her to understand my side in order for her to avoid death!

I took the risk of whispering to my seatmate while my history teacher babbles about the subject.

“Um, Tiara… “

Tiara immediately looked away, pretending to watch the sky via the window beside her. As I thought, she wants to avoid me.

I started paying attention to the history teacher for half a minute, then I noticed in my peripheral vision that Tiara is staring at me. I looked at her, and immediately, she turned away and pretended to gaze at the window again!

I looked at the front, and then I noticed her staring at me again! When I turned to her, she looked away! It’s an unending cycle! I did it five times before I had an idea how to deal with this moody pup.

“Tiara-chaaaaan~” I tried hard to sound cute. “I’m sorry if have kept secrets from you. I have some crackers here!”

She had a glance at me and then she turned away. Well, lunch break just finished, so she must be stuffed. This won’t work!

I’m running out of ideas! I’m out of patience either! I lost all my cool and immediately shouted! “Why won’t you at least hear me out, you damn perverted pup!”

“I won’t talk to you, bleeeeeeeh!” She sticked her tongue out to annoy me more! This bitch!

Suddenly, flying erasers went straight to our face! The impact was so excruciating that both Tiara and I have this red rectangle tattoo on our foreheads.

“You two should consider flirting outside, and not in my class!” Our teacher Macho Steel shouted.

And that sermon made us two completely behaved until the classes ended.

<>

It’s about time to end the classes. I was leaning on my table staring blankly at the board, and I’m still feeling that Tiara’s staring at me. When the bell rang, I heavily sighed to have a clear mind. Then I looked at Tiara.

This damn shrine maiden is already halfway from eating my bacon burger! When she noticed me, she immediately packed her things and ran away!

“H-Hey!” I said. But she’s already outside the classroom.

“You guys are too cute.” Jeannette went to me and hit my stomach with her elbow. “Go get her, tiger.”

“I’m tired, geez.” I made a deep sigh once again. “She really doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Remember, Tiara’s life is in danger. I’ll go fetch Helena.”

“Fine.” I lazily packed my things and ran outside the classroom. Tiara must still be close.

<>

As I ran across the corridor, I noticed that there are a lot of students having hollow eyes. An Eidolon is nearby, but I won’t waste my time on small fries.

But as I draw near the ground floor of this building, the signs have become worse. Some students are already crying black blood, and some are bizarrely having these black fluid flowing out of their nose and their mouths.

I finally reached the main entrance of the building that leads to the school ground.

I was too late.

There was this six-footer man who had his whole body covered with a black hooded cloak. He was wearing a mask that resembles a skull of a canine, probably a wolf.

And there was Tiara, lying on the ground.