Lunch was finally over.
I let out a satisfied sigh, leaning back slightly in my seat. For all the nonsense I'd endured, at least the food was decent. That was something.
Aeron, ever the protagonist, looked somewhat relieved that the whole ordeal with Rich Young Master had ended without violence. Emilia remained as unbothered as ever, calmly finishing her drink.
Livia, however, looked far too pleased with herself.
And I liked it even less when she suddenly turned to Emilia with a smug grin.
"Well, since we're all done eating, I suppose it falls on me to show you two around the academy."
Wait. When was that decided?
Ah, right. You already decided to join huh.
Emilia blinked at her. "Oh? I thought Aeron was in charge of that."
Livia flicked her hair dramatically. "Of course, but two is better than one, isn't it? And besides—" She shot Aeron a look. "There are certain places only we know about."
That subtle emphasis. That oh-so-casual flex.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
She was bragging. Hard.
Emilia, naturally, caught on.
"Oh?" she tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "You two must be very familiar with the academy, then."
Aeron looked like he wanted to disappear on the spot. "Livia, don't—"
But Livia was already off.
"Of course! Aeron and I know this place like the back of our hands!" she declared proudly. "There are even a few secret places only we know about. Isn't that right, Aeron?"
I turned to look at him.
So the protagonist wasn't as dense as I originally thought. He knew exactly what Livia was doing, and he had absolutely no idea how to stop it.
Emilia hummed, her expression unreadable. "I see. How impressive."
Was she actually impressed? No. Not at all. But her tone made Livia puff up even more.
Aeron, meanwhile, looked like he was regretting every life choice that had led him to this moment.
It was at least bearable to watch.
We left the cafeteria, Aeron quietly hoping the conversation would shift to literally anything else.
Unfortunately for him, Livia was not done yet.
"Oh, by the way, Emilia~" Livia drawled, a grin creeping onto her face. "Are you really not planning to attend the academy ball?"
Emilia raised an eyebrow. "That depends. What exactly is this ball?"
I internally winced. Oh no. Here we go.
Livia's eyes lit up as if she had been waiting for this. "It's only one of the biggest events of the year! Every student attends, and of course, everyone needs a partner." She flipped her hair again. "Which reminds me—guess who already has a partner?"
She was looking directly at Emilia.
He looked like a man facing execution.
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.
I had originally assumed he was your typical dense protagonist, blind to any and all female attention, but no.
Aeron was very aware.
And he was sweating bullets. Again.
"...Let me guess," Emilia said, sounding thoroughly unimpressed. "You're going with Aeron."
Livia beamed. "Correct!"
Aeron sighed. "Livia…"
"What? It's only natural! We're best friends, after all!"
Yeah, because best 'friends' always win in these types of stories.
Emilia, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected. "How wonderful. I hope you enjoy yourselves."
Livia blinked, as if she had expected… more of a reaction. Maybe jealousy. Or indignation.
I almost felt bad for her.
Despite all the cringe, we still did what we came here to do.
The tour itself was… actually useful.
Library? Found it. Cafeteria? Obviously. Staff rooms? Knew their locations. Dormitory? No longer need to wander like a lost child.
For all the noble drama, I at least wouldn't have to embarrass myself getting lost anymore.
That alone was a victory.
But just as I was about to celebrate that small win…
We had just reached the end of the tour when she suddenly turned to Emilia with a thoughtful look.
"You know," she mused, "you and he—" she gestured to me, "—are both transfer students, aren't you?"
I immediately didn't like where this was going.
"Yes," Emilia said slowly.
Livia clapped her hands together. "Then why not go to the ball together?"
Aeron blinked. Emilia blinked.
I stared at her like she had just suggested we jump off a cliff together.
"Think about it!" Livia continued, oblivious to the sheer chaos she had just unleashed. "It makes perfect sense. You're both new, so you can look out for each other. And since Aeron and I already know the academy well, we can help you!"
Oh, I saw what she was doing.
She was subtly pushing Emilia away from Aeron while making it seem like she was helping.
It was evil genius levels of manipulation.
Too bad I wanted no part in it.
"Ah, no thanks," I quickly said. "Not interested."
Or at least, I tried to.
Because right as I opened my mouth to reject the idea—
A familiar chime echoed in my mind.
[Event Triggered - "A Ball for Two."]
A proposal is made, seemingly harmless, yet woven into the fabric of fate. Some forces nudge events forward, steering them toward inevitable intersections.
[Scenario - "A Dance with Fate."]
"A choice stands before you—embrace the path laid out, or defy the unseen hand guiding your fate. But beware, for fate does not take kindly to resistance."
Objective: Accept the invitation or navigate a suitable alternative without breaking the flow of the event.
Failure Penalty: Undesirable Consequences.
Rewards: ??? (Dependent on outcome.)
I slowly closed my mouth.
Livia looked at me expectantly. Aeron looked awkward. Emilia just raised an eyebrow, waiting for my response.
I forced a neutral expression, but inwardly, I was screaming.
The world's will has already counterattacked, forcing me into the whatever this is.
It looked like I had no choice.