Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 3 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Selected Ones Are?

There are nine National Magic University-affiliated High Schools, nicknamed Magic High Schools, all over Japan. First High School in Kanto, Second High School in Kansai, Third High School in Hokuriku, Fourth High School in Tokai, Fifth High School in Tohoku, Sixth High School in San’in, Seventh High School in Shikoku, Eight High School in Hokkaido, and Ninth High School in Kyushu.

There are only these nine schools.

For sports that don’t use magic, practice matches can be organized with general education high schools and physical education high schools, and there are also clubs that are affiliated with national organizations and participate in official games.

However, in clubs for magic competitions, matches can only be arranged with other Magic High Schools. Also, despite the remarkable growth of the transportation system, from the perspective of a high school student, it is one thing to have to catch a plane for an official match, but they can’t freely go on a tour for a practice match.

Under these circumstances, there is a tendency to keep the times and opponents for practice matches of magic competitions the same. Particularly, periodic exhibition matches are held between First High and Third High in many magic competitions. Matches are actively held in almost every magic competition, with the exception of Mirage Bat and Monolith Code.

Martial Magic Arts, of course, was also not an exception to the rule.

◇ ◇ ◇

In early June of 2099, First High was filled with excitement from the much-talked-about official announcement of the Nine Schools Competition. This was probably not a phenomenon unique to First High. It can be assumed that the other Magic High Schools were exactly the same.

In 2096’s Nine School Competition, the competitions at the event were dramatically changed. All the new events in that year’s competition had heavy military focus, reflecting the situation at the time due to the large-scale military conflict with the Great Asian Union the previous year, though it incurred a lot of criticism.

This time, the events were almost completely turned back to what they were before 2095. Battle Board, which had a large number of accidents, had its comeback shelved, so the only event this year that is different from 2095 is Rower and Gunner. 

Though not everything has returned to the old days. The combination of singles and doubles matches, as well as the tournament and round robin formats will continue to be the same as the system in 2096. In addition, it was decided that the rules for Speed Shooting will be changed significantly. Aside from that, the students’ attention was on how to contend for positions in the Nine Schools Competition.

But for club members in preparation for approaching competitions, the matches in their near future have higher priority. For example, the members of the Martial Magic Arts Club were more worried about the upcoming exhibition match with Third High, held yearly in early July, than with the Nine Schools Competition.

Wednesday, 10th of June. After school.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, you all.”

Once the Magic Arts Club moved from the small gymnasium building to their clubroom for their post-practice meeting, the Club President of the women’s division, Kitahata Chika, looked around at the faces of the club members who were sitting in chairs, with a manly grin on her face.

The second and third-year members were filled with intense expectations as they stared back at Chika. Feeling satisfied by their perceptiveness, Chika’s smile deepened.

“That’s right. The schedule for the interleague matches has been settled. It’s next month on the 5th.”

“Just to make sure everyone’s on the same page, our opponent is Third High. In this club, we have practice matches with Third High every year around this time and in December.”

Adding that from her side was the Club President of the men’s division, Chigusa Tadashige. It’s an annual custom, but as the first-year students have no experience with it, the majority won’t know unless it is explained to them. His complementary explanation was taking that into consideration.

“—Also, the matches will be held at Third High this time.”

Chika continued the explanation with a nonchalant look. It seems that Chigusa’s addition was planned in advance. Maybe it was that, or maybe looks were deceiving and she simply forgot to say it. Given her personality, the latter was more likely.

“President!”

However, having absolutely no interest in that, a certain female club member raised her hand.

“What is it, Marika. Do you have a question?”

“Yes!”

The one to stand up, with her eyes noticeably sparkling from excitement, was Marika.— Within the women’s division, the way she is referred to had already changed from ‘Tookami(-san)’ to ‘Marika(-chan)’.

“How many people can participate in the matches!?”

Marika was especially looking forward to the competition, but she’s not acting as if she’s the only one. More than half the girls were clearly of the same mind. The boys, on the other hand, setting aside how they truly felt, were more reserved in their behavior.

It’s not the case that the boys are peaceful and the girls aggressive either. It’s more appropriate to say that in First High’s Magic Arts Club, the boys have more control, while the girls are wilder. This was a reflection of the differences in management policies between the two division presidents.

“The competition will have 5 boys and 5 girls. But don’t worry. Third High’s martial arts hall is huge. Even if you’re not selected, you can freely have practice spars, to some extent. We’ve set some time aside for that too.”

After Chika’s explanation, some members, mainly first-year students, loosened their stiffened lips.

“Members will be decided by an in-club qualification contest on the 19th. The plan is for selection to be made by order of results, with no regard for school year.”

But with those words from Chigusa, the mood in the clubroom became tense, becoming reminiscent of war preparations.

◇ ◇ ◇

“There was a request from the Student Council for us to take part in the Nine Schools Competition.”

At the same time, also in the preparations building, the Nine Schools Competition became the topic of discussion in the Crowd Ball Club’s clubroom.

“You probably already knew this was coming, but it looks like they want Hiyori-san and Alisa-san in the girl’s newcomers competition.”

In the voice of the Club President, Hattori Hatsune, there were no feelings of surprise. As Hatsune had said, this selection was expected.

“Right now, Hotta-san and I have been selected for the doubles section of the main competition. Singles is undecided.”

Hotta Kaho is the second best player after Hatsune, and they have been a doubles pair since last year. It can be said that choosing these two for doubles is reasonable.

The club members who weren’t selected were disappointed, but those feelings were not that strong. They didn’t have a bloated opinion of their own abilities, and they are both second-year students (there are six members in this club). It wasn’t definite, but they were sure that a third-year would be chosen.

“It isn’t final, and it’s not unusual that a substitute is needed for the actual event. Let’s practice even harder until the Nine Schools Competition.”

To Hatsune’s words, which could be taken as consolation to the two girls who didn’t get selected, the five of them replied with “Yes” in unison.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Are you looking forward to it that much?”

Alisa asked Marika, who didn’t even try to hide her excitement, in the Cabinet after leaving school. Naturally, her answer was evident.

“Yeah, I am!”

Marika’s reply was just as she expected. When she shows such a straightforward attitude, it’s impossible to get it wrong.

“But didn’t you say the bout against Ichijou-san was in late August?”

Ever since they joined up after club activities ended, Marika had been in an extremely good mood. As soon as they got inside the Cabinet and it was just the two of them, Alisa asked her for the reason. Marika immediately answered, with a radiant smile, “I might be able to have a bout against Ichijou Akane of Third High.”

However, Alisa remembered that she’d heard a determined declaration quite recently from Marika that she “must go through intensive training, aiming for the competition in late August.”

“That is an official competition, the national tournament. Next month will be a practice competition, a friendly competition with Third High, you see.”

“Umm, in other words, you had no idea about the friendly competition?”

“The President didn’t let me know before. I wonder why?”

“I don’t think there’s any deep meaning to it, but... wouldn’t it be because the schedule wasn’t finalized?”

“Is that really it... Well, whatever!”

Alisa’s answer didn’t seem to convince her, but Marika was no longer worried about it.

“More importantly, I have to do my best for the club’s qualification contest so I can make it to the competition.”

Marika was focused directly on the bout with Ichijou Akane. Even if she is successfully selected as a team member, it is possible that her bout won’t be against Akane, but the positive Marika was completely blind to that possibility.

“Come to think of it, didn’t something happen to you too, Asha?“

Marika asked Alisa right after getting off the Cabinet at the station closest to their homes.

“Uh, how did you know?”

“It just kind of looked like you had that sort of expression.”

Understanding the ‘kind of’ correctly must be a testament to the length and depth of their relationship.

“I see...”

Alisa also understood that, so she made no effort to dodge the issue. Besides, it is not something worth dodging anyway.

“You see, the Club President talked about the Nine Schools Competition at the meeting.”

“Is it settled that you’re going to participate?”

“She said there was an offer from the Student Council.”

“That’s great!”

Ever since the Student Council Secretary, their classmate Mei, brought them the news of the revival of Crowd Ball at the Nine Schools Competition the other day, she had been expecting Alisa to be chosen as a team member for the newcomer’s competition.

Therefore, she wasn’t surprised.

Even still, as far as Marika is concerned, it seemed to be something to be happy about, and her voice got excited.

“...You don’t seem happy about it at all, huh?”

But in Alisa’s face there was no joy to be found. It didn’t look like she was uncomfortable with it either, but even people other than Marika could probably understand that she wasn’t keen on the idea.

“Yeah... Honestly, I don’t want to go.”

“...I knew it, you still don’t like competing?”

Alisa isn’t good at competing with other people. Things like individual games where a score is set or academic exams, where she doesn’t directly compete with other people, aren’t that bad, but it is in her nature to, whenever possible, avoid games where she competes face-to-face with others, like with ball sports.

“I want to do something about this.”

“Hmm, I don’t think disliking conflict is a weakness, though. I don’t think you need to worry that much about it.”

Marika put her hand on top of Alisa’s, who was sitting next to her, and smiled pleasantly.

There are people like Marika who soothe Alisa’s worries by saying it’s simply her nature rather than of a flaw, and there are boys who would, if anything, praise it as a good quality for a girl.

“Yeah... I’m glad to hear you say that, but I also want to change a little.”

But Alisa herself wants to overcome this shortcoming. The joined the Crowd Ball Club mainly to improve her magic skills, but conquering her aversion to competitions was another reason.

“That’s why I won’t decline. It’s a chance for the club to get some accomplishments too...”

The Crowd Ball Club is a tiny club with six members. They aren’t even provided with a place to practice inside the school and the continued survival of the club is questionable.

However, if the club members have a good performance at the Nine Schools Competition, their evaluation by the school will also go up. There is no doubt that the student’s interest in the club will also increase.

“Just don’t force yourself, okay?”

Marika understands perfectly that Alisa is telling herself that ‘it’s for the club’ to hold back her feelings of wanting to avoid competition.

“Yeah, I’ll make sure to not force myself too much.”

From this answer, it is clear that Alisa was also aware that she was forcing herself.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next day, after school.

“Juumonji-san.”

In the corridor on the second floor of the experiments building, Alisa was called out from behind.

She and Marika were currently on patrol as members of the Public Morals Committee. There is heavy rainfall today, so they didn’t go outside, instead spending their time patrolling the main building and the experiments building, which they don’t usually look around in much.

That is when she was called out to.

From their voice, she knew it was a girl.

But even though she turned around and looked at her directly, it was a face she had no memories of.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am class 2-F’s Matsuzaki Akiko.”

It appears it wasn’t a mistake that she had no memories of her.

“Ah, okay. I am class 1-A’s...”

“Aah, I know, I know.”

The upperclasswoman called Matsuzaki Akiko waved her hand in a bothersome way, as if to say, ‘So you don’t have to introduce yourself.’

“Won’t you give me a bit of your time?”

Akiko asked Alisa with no preface and a manner of speaking that seemed rude.

“What kind of business do you have with Juumonji-san?”

Marika inserted herself into the conversation.

She understood without needing to be explained to her that ‘Won’t you give me your time’ = ‘Lend me your time’ = ‘I have something to tell you’. Marika calling Alisa ‘Juumonji-san’ instead of her nickname was a manifestation of her sense of caution.

“And you are?”

In Akiko’s question there were no hints that she was playing dumb and actually knew about Marika.

“I am Juumonji-san’s best friend, Tookami Marika.”

Marika gave her name, heavily emphasizing the ‘best friend’ part.

“Ah, I see. But I have no business with her friends. It’s a very personal thing, after all.”

It was hard to call Marika’s attitude friendly, but Akiko’s response was even more aggressive, to the point it was just cold.

“Is this business of yours something you don’t want other people to hear?”

“Mina.”

Thorns began growing in Marika’s tone of voice, to which Alisa restrained her with a tone of bewilderment.

“Matsuzaki-senpai. Right now, I’m in the middle of Public Morals Committee work, so if you don’t mind making this quick.”

Then, she turned to Akiko and answered like that.

“It won’t take that long.”

Without waiting for Alisa’s reply, Akiko turned around and walked towards where she had come from.

‘Follow me’, that must have meant. Alisa and Marika looked at each other, and after a short pause, followed after Akiko.

“You wait in the hall.”

Akiko stopped walking in front of an empty classroom and said that to Marika.

Marika asked Alisa something with a glance, to which she gave a small nod.

Akiko opened the door and immediately stepped inside.

Alisa followed right after, and immediately closed the door.

Right after stepping in, Alisa stopped moving.

Seeing that she wouldn’t move any more, Akiko’s face turned sour.

“You don’t need to be that cautious, I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m not stupid enough to pick a fight with someone stronger than me.”

Despite Akiko’s words, Alisa didn’t relax.

Ever since last year, First High has adopted a system where monthly practical skills exams are carried out and classes are changed in order of ability. Students are divided into class A, B, C... based on the ranking of the practical skills grades. Also, starting with the second year, the magic course is organized into six classes, from A to F, and the engineering course into two classes, I and J.

Alisa is in class A, the highest ranked, while Akiko, a second-year student, is in class F, the lowest ranked of the magic course. But even if that is stated, Akiko is one year over Alisa. Alisa didn’t have that much confidence in her abilities that she would take a one-year difference lightly.

Seeing that Alisa wasn’t going to lower her guard, Akiko’s face remained sour and she breathed a sigh.

“Juumonji-san, won’t you tell me that kind of relationship you have with Kagari-kun?”

Then she hit Alisa with a question that felt like it came out of nowhere.

The only ‘Kagari-kun’ that came to Alisa’s mind was Kagari Joui, who is in class 1-A like her. His entrance exam results were second only to Isori Mei and he remained in class A in both May and June.

“...If you’re asking about Kagari-kun, we’re just classmates.”

It’s not that she didn’t understand the point of the question. Alisa just didn’t understand why the question was targeted at her.

“So you’re not going out with him, right?”

“...I’m not.”

“I see. Then we’re good.”

Akiko walked up to Alisa.

While slipping past Alisa, who reflexively stiffened her body, Akiko told her “Sorry for making you come along with me, okay?”

She stopped just for the length of time needed to open the door and left the room just like that.

“Asha, did she do anything to you!?... Doesn’t look like you’re injured, huh.”

Marika rushed over to Alisa, who came out of the room looking depressed, gently stroked her body and sighed with relief.

“She didn’t do anything... We just talked.”

“About what?”

“What kind of relationship I have with Kagari-kun.”

Contrary to Alisa, who had an expression that showed she didn’t understand, Marika muttered “I see”, with the look of someone who understood. 

“So that person must be aiming for Kagari-kun.”

“Even I understand that much... But why did she come talk to me about it?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious that she suspected that you two are dating?”

“Why!?”

Alisa had no recollection of showing that kind of behavior.

Right after enrollment, the one with the seat next to Alisa was Joui. He was the first boy she had a conversation with in First High. Joui also sat next to her last month. This month, he is one seat diagonally behind her. Alisa acts friendly towards him because there is no need to intentionally make the classroom uncomfortable.

But it is no more than a relationship as classmates. At least on Alisa’s part.

— Maybe I have assumed a misleading attitude that invites misunderstandings and I didn’t realize it? If that is the case, I owe Kagari-kun an apology.

Alisa was assaulted by that kind of distress.

“It’s not your fault, Asha. Isn’t it because Kagari-kun is always looking at you?”

Marika immediately guessed why Alisa was feeling anxious and gave her a conjecture as a follow-up.

“He looks at me? Kagari-kun?”

“Yeah, he looks at you a lot. With a really intense look.”

Marika is in class A this month too. Her seat is a little far from Alisa’s, but that actually made it easier to understand Joui’s gaze towards Alisa.

“I never realized...”

It has become a well-established theory that women are sensitive of the looks of men. However, Alisa was dense when it comes to the looks from the opposite sex. She was forced to because she had received way too much attention when she was a child.

Not just from the young boys of the same age, but also adults of advanced age wouldn’t take their eyes off her. If she worried about those looks from the opposite sex, there would undoubtedly have no time to rest.

Naturally, it’s not like she is completely oblivious about the looks from others. Alisa is sensitive to the gazes from the same sex. In order to protect herself, what she should worry about was not the wicked thoughts of the opposite sex, but the malicious intentions of the same sex.

“I think people in our class can somewhat tell you don’t have that in mind from your attitude, but there’s plenty of people who are misunderstanding from just looking at the way he behaves.”

“That is a problem...”

Alisa looked down, speaking with a perplexed voice. As far as she is concerned, Kagari Joui is a classmate she is on good terms with. But if he wants her affection as a member of the opposite sex, their relationship cannot continue as it has until now.

“Asha, you can’t do anything about it, no matter how much you worry about it.”

Looking at Alisa’s face from below, Marika gave her a coldhearted remark.

“I don’t know what Kagari-kun is really thinking, and until he makes it clear with a confession, there really is nothing you can do.“

Maybe Joui is just staring at Alisa as one would admire an idol. And if Alisa changes her attitude, she’ll just become an embarrassing super self-conscious girl.

“It’s better for you to do nothing.”

Marika declared in a light tone, and Alisa replied with a barely audible “Yeah...”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Alisa, I heard you got involved with a second-year who’s aiming for Kagari-kun?”

Alisa was asked that by Mei during the lunch break of Friday, the 12th.

Abruptly being asked that during her meal almost made Alisa’s windpipe get clogged with salad. If her food was any denser, she would have certainly choked.

“...Why do you know about that?”

First, Alisa swallowed the lettuce passing through her throat, then she regained her breath, and finally asked Mei about it.

“I know about it too. It was Matsuzaki-san from class 2-F, right?”

Koharu chimed in.

“I didn’t know.”

Alisa turned her eyes that clearly were saying ‘No way’ to Hiyori, who lightly shook her head.

Feeling a glimpse of comfort, Alisa turned to Marika who was sitting next to her.

Marika violently shook her head left and right. She didn’t speak, but her claim of innocence ‘It wasn’t me’ couldn’t be any easier to understand.

“Mei, Koharu, who did you heard it from?”

“Alisa-san. Among female high schoolers, love gossip spreads faster than bad news.”

Koharu’s answer was a rearrangement of the proverb ‘Bad news travels fast’. She appeared to want to say, in other words, ‘It’s a rumor’.

“It was only yesterday. And yesterday after school there was almost nobody around?”

In Alisa’s face was written ‘I just can’t understand’ in a Gothic typeface.

“It’s true that it’s become a rumor. Look here.”

Koharu operated her portable terminal and showed Alisa the screen.

The results of her search on social media, which is said to currently have the most lenient of regulations, certainly showed that Alisa’s and Akiko’s meeting the day before had become a topic of discussion.

“Why...”

Feeling sorry for Alisa who was at a lack for words, Mei lowered her voice and revealed the answer to the puzzle.

“The source of the information appears to be Matsuzaki-senpai herself.”

“Eh...?”

“Really?”

Alisa wasn’t the only one surprised at this truth, Marika was as well.

“Though it doesn’t look like she was the one to spread it. It appears senpai let it slip in her friend group and someone from that group spread it on social media.”

“...Maybe that senpai is disliked even by her friends?”

Marika put forward that hypothesis, to which Mei replied, without grinning or sneering, “Maybe she is.”

◇ ◇ ◇

This should be obvious, but that the meeting between Alisa and Matsuzaki wasn’t just gossip within the first-year students.

“Alisa, you got really unlucky, huh.”

During club activities, Alisa’s senior Hotta Kaho called out to her. She is the second strongest player in this club after the Club President Hatsune, and is scheduled to participate in the doubles event at the upcoming Nine Schools Competition with Hatsune as her pair.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Alisa responded to her with a slight upwards look. Alisa is also tall for a girl, but Kaho is even taller than her. She should be 170cm tall according to the club’s data, but to Alisa she looks four, maybe five centimeters taller.

The data comes from the school’s body measurements taken in April, so they shouldn’t be wrong. Kaho’s slim and athletic physique is probably making her appear taller than she actually is.

“Good grief, Matsuzaki-san is hopeless.”

Hearing Kaho’s grumbling, Alisa felt ‘Apparently, Matsuzaki-senpai is someone I should be wary of’.

But she didn’t think of asking for more details. It’s not that she wasn’t curious, but above that, she thought ‘the spirit you do not approach will not curse you’. Or maybe ‘curiosity killed the cat’?

“I don’t think she means any harm, but getting involved with her sure is annoying.”

But despite what Alisa thought, Kaho continued to talk about Matsuzaki Akiko.

“The person she suspected you of having a relationship with was your classmate, wasn’t it? Matsuzaki-san will probably follow that boy around for a while, but as long as you don’t talk to him, you’ll be fine. She doesn’t have a good reputation, but she shouldn’t bother you by harassing you or anything.”

“Okay, I don’t intend to get in her way.”

“That’s fine then. I think this kind of thing will continue to happen occasionally to you, but unless they lay their hands on your own boyfriend, staying out of it is the right approach.”

As she said that, Kaho had an annoyed face. Alisa unintentionally scowled.

“I certainly don’t want to meddle with other people’s love lives for no reason, but... from what you said, this isn’t the first time? Did something similar happen before?”

“Yeah... Honestly, it’s not just Matsuzaki-san either.”

Kaho’s tone of voice suddenly became harder to understand.

Alisa had no intention of asking her for an excessively detailed explanation, so she tried to bring the conversation to an end.

“...I wonder if the bad effects of the classes being ordered by results are already appearing. It’s not unusual for girls with no hopes of making it to the upper classes to start approaching any upper-class boys they can find.”

But before Alisa could begin to say ‘I’ve heard enough’, Kaho continued talking.

“It’s not weird to think about finding a partner within the school while you still go to school, it’s that kind of relationship, after all. But what these girls are trying to do feels like they’re kind of locking them down for their future prospects, you know... Some girls are also revolting against these overly blatant ‘impure’ calculations, so it has been sparking petty conflicts. So if you handle these things poorly, you may end up burned.”

It appears that, in short, they can’t picture a future where they are successful as magicians, so they try their best at nailing down a successful partner.

A magician’s abilities are highly likely to be inherited by offspring. Therefore capable magicians are expected to marry early and quickly make children. This trend was created according to the government’s wishes for military strength in the form of magicians.

This isn’t limited to women giving birth to children. It is not as much as with female magicians, but high-level male magicians also suffer from societal pressure to get married early.

In other words, if you take your time and relax, you won’t be able to marry a magician that can be expected to have good working conditions and salary.

If you are a high-level magician yourself, your surroundings may set you up for success, but that kind of fate can’t be expected of low-level magicians.

‘Locking them down for their future prospects’, or getting a spouse at a magic high school where the first official magic education is carried out can be said to be a logical strategy, from the standpoint of students with poor grades who have planned their future.

So when Alisa heard Kaho’s story, she didn’t get a negative impression from ‘calculations’. If anything, ‘isn’t that fine?’ was the positive way she perceived it.

She thought ‘Isn’t it a bit too early?’, but it is a natural thing to consider someone’s future prospects when choosing a partner for life. Instead of separating from someone you came to love and using their lack of future as the reason, she felt it is more constructive to try and put effort into loving someone because they have a future.

That said, Alisa isn’t whimsical enough to jump into the minefield herself.

“I’ll be careful.”

Alisa’s reply to Kaho was what she truly intended to do.

◇ ◇ ◇

No matter how close they are, she can’t stay over every day. Marika, who lives alone, has no problem with it — she would actually prefer sharing an apartment — but Alisa is living with her family. Even if it’s a family she stumbled into without love connections.

Though it’s worth noting that ‘without love’ is just Marika’s opinion.

As a replacement for not being able to live together, the two girls talk via videocall every night. They are together at school, they are even together going to and from school. On top of that, they have a long phone call before going to bed. There is no doubt that some people who know their lifestyle will come to want to ask them ‘Don’t you get tired of this?’.

Though for those who know the two well, the answer to that question is obvious. There is no doubt that they would reply in unison ‘I won’t get tired of this’.

That being the case, Marika was enjoying talking with Alisa tonight as well.

The topics they talked about every night were primarily the events of that day.

Naturally, the topic for tonight was Akiko.

“That reminds me, my senpai at the club talked about Matsuzaki-senpai too.”

Alisa connected the conversation about what she heard from Mei and Koharu during lunch at the cafeteria with the conversation she had with Kaho.

Alisa didn’t talk just about Akiko, but also about the trend that is spreading among some of the girls.

“I see, I see...”

When Marika heard about ‘locking down for future prospects’, she nodded her head, looking like she understood. Not just once, but properly twice.

“The future prospects of your lover is important, don’t you think?”

Marika put the reason for her expression into words before she was asked.

“Your way of thinking is the same as mine, then.”

“You thought the same thing, Asha? Eheheh, we really are on the same wavelength, aren’t we?”

Marika smiled, looking delighted.

Alisa’s lips parted, not because she was enticed by Marika’s smile, but because she felt Marika’s way of speaking was pleasant, thinking it was ‘cute’.

— That Marika thinks the same thing about her, Alisa has no idea.

“...Anyway, if that’s the case, I don’t think you needed to be that vigilant?”

“I think I need to be careful to not get dragged into it though...”

Alisa was puzzled by Marika’s optimistic remark.

“I mean, Asha, you’re not interested in Kagari-kun in that way, right? Then it’s fine to just act normal. According to your senpai said, she’s not that dangerous of a person.”

Kaho did say ‘as long as you don’t talk to him, you’ll be fine’. In practice, he’s a classmate so it would be difficult to never talk with him, but it should be fine if it is just greetings and little more. But what if even that invites Akiko’s hatred?

“If she doesn’t even allow acting normal, then you’ll have to think how to deal with at that time.”

“...Yeah, you’re right.”

At this stage they don’t know what Akiko’s temperament is, so there’s no use worrying about it. On this point, Alisa felt the same way.

After enjoying the rest of their peaceful chat, Marika ended the video call.

Instead of leaving the desk where the Vidiphone stood, she leaned back on her chair and looked at the ceiling while stretching.

What she was thinking about was, of course, Alisa.

A second-year student named Matsuzaki Akiko was suspicious of the relationship between Alisa and Joui.

But if Marika was asked about it, she would say it was completely off the mark.

It’s true that Alisa and Joui are friendly with each other, but it’s not a relationship that develops into a relationship between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. They are friends, no matter what. Marika is convinced of that.

What Marika is concerned about is another boy.

Karatachibana Mamoru.

A boy that gives the impression of an intellectual and has been quickly getting closer to Alisa since last month.

He is in class B this month, and both Marika’s and Joui’s grades were higher.

But apart from his practical skills in magic, Mamoru’s intellect was probably far superior. Just from Alisa being taught by Mamoru, she understood it was true.

Judging at a glance from the perspective of an indoors kind of girl like Marika, he feels a little unreliable, but he seems like a decent match for Alisa.

(I wonder what Alisa thinks about him...)

Marika has a feeling that Alisa likes him. However, what kind of like it is, even Marika who spends so much time with her every day can’t clearly tell.

She can’t deny the possibility that it could develop into feelings of love.

(I really don’t like this, for some reason.)

Marika got up from her chair and dove into her bed.

Lying with her face down and pressing her face against the pillow, she sank into a swamp of self-loathing, a rare occurrence for her.

Alisa can get a lover.

She hated that in itself, and by thinking that she hated that Alisa could get a lover, she hated herself too.

(I wonder if I’m the kind of narrow-minded girl that can’t even congratulate her best friend on her love...)

It is possessiveness that occupies Marika’s heart, but she unconsciously avoided thinking about what kind of nature it had.