The next day. When I had just finished lunch, Cliff called out to me.
Then, I was summoned behind the school building after school.
Cliff was angry. I didn't know what he was angry about. But he was making a difficult expression.
He might want to fight, huh? Or so I vaguely thought. I'd already activated my mystic eye. Whilst paying attention to my surroundings, I gathered mana to my right hand.
To pay back my kindness with evil... Turtles sure are cruel these days. Or so I was thinking.
"Alright. Here seems fine."
Making sure no one was nearby, Cliff turned around. His face was bright red.
I immediately understood. This wasn't a duel. He hadn't called me here for such a reason. On the contrary, it's a confession. That's basically how things are in a situation like this.
Oh man. No matter how many times I've failed with women, I don't recall ever becoming a Pants Wrestler.[3] Phew, it's tough being popular. Just kidding.
"T-, the truth is..."
"Aye."
I've decided on what to say. I'll answer him with dignity.
'Let's just start out as friends first, then after that, once we get to know each other better, we'll still stay as just friends.'
"There's someone I like."
"A-, aye..."
With shyness written all over his face, the completely blushing Cliff cast his eyes down. Am I going to reject this? My stomach hurts. I think about how it would be were this a girl. Though my sword is a holy sword, I don't have that sheathe either.
But Cliff raised his head and pointed to a certain place.
"It's her."
His finger is pointed to the school building. Some distance away, a person can be seen through the window. Even from here I can see their swaying, long, blonde hair. Beholding the scenery of the school dyed in the colour of the evening, with a languid expression she looks out the window.
"Today, I saw you. Talking to her. Is she an acquaintance? That's, um, could you introduce me?"
"...Aye."
The person who had appeared in the school building... That was a person I knew well. An oft-talked about problem child. A devilish woman who would 'eat up' her classmates like a succubus.
It was Elinalise Dragonroad.