The sound of chalk tapping against the board echoed through the classroom. I sat at my desk, my eyes locked onto the neat rows of symbols and words the teacher was writing, but none of them made any sense to me.
The longer I stared, the more it felt like an indecipherable language—one I should understand but didn't.
Unfortunately, my memories hadn't returned overnight.
Even worse, I couldn't even piece together basic knowledge beyond common sense. The lectures so far had been manageable only because I relied on my base knowledge from my memoriees, logic, and a bit of deduction.
…At least no one had asked me any questions.
I peeked at the teacher through the corner of my eye, observing how she adjusted her glasses and continued her explanation with a stern expression. Her focus remained entirely on the board.
Good.
I slowly let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. If I got called on, I'd probably be exposed in an instant.
Though, thinking about it… maybe I wasn't just lucky. Maybe the teacher's attention was elsewhere.
I glanced across the room and saw the all-too-familiar sight.
Aeron and Emilia.
The 'couple' was sitting close together, whispering to each other as if the entire class didn't exist. The teacher didn't say anything, and neither did the students. It seemed everyone had gotten used to their… flirting by now.
Is it due to their roles? Or the world's will?
Well, on the other hand, I still wasn't immune to secondhand embarrassment. Even the Firm Mind wasn't helping me.
With a quiet sigh, I shifted my gaze back to the front, counting down the time.
Fortunately, I had found the class schedule in my notes earlier this morning, so I knew exactly how much longer I had to endure.
Four classes today.
Each class lasted an hour, with ten-minute breaks in between.
Right now, I was in the last class.
Only five minutes left.
Soon, I'd be free.
I planned to head straight to the library after lunch. I needed to do something, anything, to start fixing this mess. Sitting idly and waiting for my memories to return clearly wasn't working.
Ding!
I was startled for a moment.
Thankfully, it was just the bell.
The class was finally over!
The teacher adjusted her glasses again, setting down the chalk with a quiet thud. "Before you leave, complete the assignment on page thrity-four by next week. That will be all."
With that, she walked out of the room, leaving behind the usual hum of post-class chatter.
Chairs scraped against the floor as students stood, stretching and chatting as they gathered their things.
I did the same, standing up and slinging my bag over my shoulder.
But the moment I moved, I felt it.
A presence.
A shadow loomed beside me.
I turned my head slightly, already knowing who it was before I even saw them.
Aeron and Emilia.
They stood close, watching me with smiles that made me wary.
I raised a brow slightly. "…Is there something you need?"
Aeron grinned, looking as if he'd been waiting for me to ask. "We were waiting for you."
"…Why?"
"Huh?" Aeron blinked, then laughed lightly. "To have lunch together, obviously."
…Did we agree to this?
Did you even ask me?
I kept my face neutral, but my mind was already rejecting the idea.
No. Absolutely not. I didn't want to sit through another dose of their overly dramatic antics. It was already bad enough witnessing them in classes—I wasn't going to willingly subject myself to more.
I gave them a polite nod. "Thanks for the offer, but I prefer to eat alone."
Then, without another word, I walked away.
Or at least, I tried to.
Aeron, being the great friend he apparently thought he was, quickly caught up.
His voice dropped to a whisper as he walked beside me.
"Come on, dude, you're not seriously leaving me alone with two girls, right? You were fine yesterday."
Yesterday?
Oh. Right.
I had been forced to stick with them for the campus tour. And is the other girl Livia? She's joining again? Well, that should be obvious...
I gave him a sideways glance. "That was due to the tour. And like I said, I prefer being alone."
Aeron didn't give up.
He lowered his voice even further, his tone more serious this time.
"Actually, I'm worried about Leroy von Albrecht giving you trouble after what happened yesterday."
I frowned.
"…Who?"
Is it perhaps...
Aeron looked surprised. "You don't remember?"
I stayed silent.
Of course I remember the blonde arrogant third rate villian. But I don't know him.
He sighed. "Leroy's a noble from the Albrecht family. He was glaring daggers at us after what happened in kitchen yesterday, remember? And... he's the petty type, so he's definitely going to try something soon. So, it will be better if you are with us."
I squinted my eyes, mulling over Aeron's words and recalled yesterday's events.
...
Well, there was a bit of a conflict between us but I am sure it was overshadowed by his proposal and Emilia's rejection part.
But I can tell he's petty, arrogant, and incapable of letting even the smallest slight go unanswered.
Knowing how these type of guys' brain operates, he will probably target me as Aeron said. He must have suffered before too, since he knows this much.
Still…
"I can handle it," I said simply.
Aeron gave me a skeptical look. "Dude, I get that you're confident, but trust me, it's better to have numbers on your side."
"I don't need numbers."
Aeron groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You're really stubborn, huh?"
I didn't respond. There was no point in arguing. Besides, I wasn't going to rely on others for protection. If Leroy tried anything, I'd deal with it myself.
"At least let me know where you're going after lunch," Aeron pressed. "If something happens, we can step in."
I hesitated. It was annoying, but…
"Library," I finally said.
Aeron seemed satisfied enough with that answer. "Alright. Just be careful, yeah?"
"Mm."
With that, I finally managed to walk away.