Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The first meeting between Iris, Lila and the other <Green Travelers> went off without a problem.
After the discussion, things went smoothly, and after confirming each other’s abilities through training, they decided to have a trial adventure two days later and decide whether to join or not based on the results.
”…… As expected, the party that had been on upper rank, desu. …….I’ll have to try my best to catch up, desu”
”Iris, you’ll catch up soon enough”
On the way home after training, Shinji and Iris were walking side by side.
Shinji decided to talk to Iris again, thinking that she would be calmer after a certain amount of time of training.
”Iris-chan, about this morning…….”
”Who is ……Senpai’s girlfriend……?”
Shinji fell silent at Iris’s words.
If he answered Renka, there was a good chance that Alvin would hear about it. As for the treatment, he can’t use it to keep her mouth shut because it would be a painful if Shinji’s affair and Iris’s danger of being exposed.
”……I was shocked. I wasn’t…… aware of it, enough to realize you were in love”
Shinji looked at Iris next to him, her cheeks flushed.
”……I thought I should give up on you because you rejected such a beautiful person like Lila. But when I saw …… Lila, I thought I’d try as much as I could before I gave up”
She muttered, and took a breath.
”……It’s not like me to push you like that, desu. …….I’m not going to bother Senpai with it…….”
Iris smiles as she thinks back to Shinji trying to dodge Lila’s push.
It is true that she was shocked to learn that he has a girlfriend, but when she thinks about it, she realizes that Shinji, who is in the middle of his career, is ready to marry a second wife. If so, it was not a bad idea to continue thinking about him.
From the exchange between Lila and Shinji, she can see that Shinji is not very good at being pursued. So, she decided that it would be better to stay close to him to make sure that the future would be better.
”The…… second lady is undecided, correct?”
”Ah……. No, But I have a girlfriend, and we’re not married yet”
Shinji nodded in confusion at Iris’s confirmation.
Shinji was relieved that Iris didn’t ask him about his girlfriend, but he couldn’t help but stare at her as she confirmed his second wife.
”…… I’ll keep what happened last night to myself, and I won’t ask too many questions right now…… In return, Senpai, I ask for your continued guidance”
”That is, of course…….”
Seeing Iris smiling at him as if she had blown her doubts away, Shinji felt a chill for some reason.
* * *
On the day after the meeting.
After finishing her preparations for tomorrow’s adventure, Iris finished her lunch at the party house and sat down on a chair in the dining room to rest.
Alvin comes in.
”Iris, you have an appointment with your teacher in less than a week, do you think you can make it?”
”……Yes. ……It’s fine, Alvin-senpai”
Alvin sits down next to Iris, and Iris answers with a smile on her face.
”I’m glad to hear it. That’s good. As a brother and kouhai, I pity my sister kouhai being taken back to her homeland. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to the teacher in secret if there was nothing I could do”
”…….Thank you. …….I think I’ll be able to give my Papa a good report. ……The party members are all women, and they all have ……backgrounds”
”That’s a lot of confidence! I’m glad you found some good friends”
Alvin and Iris laugh at each other.
It’s all thanks to Shinji, but she doesn’t have to tell him that.
But even if Shinji hadn’t helped, Iris felt a warmth in her chest, happy that her supposedly serious brother was willing to take her side.
Iris felt a similar feeling yesterday.
A feeling of warmth in her heart, a feeling of love. This is the feeling that Iris now has for Shinji.
After all this time, Iris has realized that she has feelings for Alvin. But for now, her feelings for Shinji were greater than her feelings for Alvin.
”……Alvin-senpai. ……I have something to ask you, desu”
With a blush, Iris looked away from Alvin.
Alvin stared in amazement at Iris as she played with the ends of her ribboned twin-tails and made an embarrassed gesture.
The Iris that Alvin knows is a kind and competitive girl, despite her harsh words and actions. Alvin had never seen her show her emotions so honestly before. He had never expected to see her face like a maiden in love.
”O, Ou. If I know it”
”Do you know what thing……Shinji-senpai likes……?”
Alvin’s eyes widened at the unexpected name.
”Shinji’s? That means that Iris …… might be…”
”…… It’s okay. ……He had helped me a lot …….It’s only natural for a person to thank you, desu”
When the surprise subsides, Alvin smirks at the thought that spring has finally arrived for Shinji, and Iris gives him a grimace.
”I see! As a brother, I have to support you!”
”……Brother, stop that smirk, desu”
Alvin saw Iris blushing and knew that she was really starting to be attracted to Shinji.
For that reason, he felt relieved that Iris, whom he thought of as his sister, would not have to worry about her if she was with someone he trusted.
Alvin felt a slight ache in his chest, but he chalked it up to the sadness of his sister leaving him.
”Sorry, sorry. I’m here to support you”
”……I’ll do it my way, desu. ……Brother ……I want you to keep silent and just watch, desu”
”I see. I understand. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. So, what does Shinji’s favorite thing is……?”
Alvin tells Iris a lot about Shinji. Alvin and Iris seemed like a brother and sister who were on good terms with each other.
Alvin and Iris.
There is a definite bond between the two of them. If they had taken the time to nurture them, there was a good chance that they would have eventually become man and woman.
But before that could happen, Shinji distorted it.
They talked happily, but they didn’t seem to notice that.
______________________________
Iris-chan also locked onto Shinji.
However, her stance is completely different from Lila.
She’s more interested in second chances than looting.
Iris is also a magic user and a scheming type, just like Shinji.
I wonder how she will act in the future.
Alvin is only interested in Milis, so he doesn’t have any ulterior motives.
Who knows if Alvin and Iris will settle down as brother and sister or if they will rekindle their relationship?