Inside the library, Claire looked at the rankings on her phone and carefully scanned it.
Ever since the new rankings were announced, she had been staring at it for the past few hours
or so.
"Claire."
She knew her performance had dropped ever since the Battle Royale.
But she couldn't help it.
Her mind was occupied with a lot of things.
"Claire?"
She had suffered a humiliating defeat against Brandon. It wasn't even close. Brandon Locke.
The younger brother of the current student council president.
A Deviant.
A Tri-Eleme-
No, a Penta-Elemental Mage.
And the man she had initially looked down upon.
And to add fuel to the fire, he was now the top ranking student of the first years. "Claire...?"
She had never cared about him in the first place. To her he was like an ant.
But that was before.
In other words, she was wrong about him.
Recently, she had been coming to terms with accepting the fact.
She knew Brandon didn't actually care. He probably didn't even know how she felt about him.
But for Claire the situation was awkward.
She wanted to accept him, to reconcile with him in her own way.
Not like Brandon actually knew.
But it was important for Claire. She had to let go of her pride and to stop looking down on people on first impressions.
"Earth to Claire?"
"Hm?"
Snapping her out of her thoughts was Amy, waving her hand in front of her face.
"Sorry..."
"Is it about your ranking again?"
"...Not really."
Amy sat back down and let out a sigh.
"Then... Is it about Brandon again?"
"..."
Claire couldn't respond. Amy was spot on.
Breathing out another sigh, Amy grabbed Claire on the shoulder.
She turned Claire around to face her.
Claire was taken aback as her eyes widened.
With a serious expression, Amy locked eyes with her. Both of her hands on Claire's shoulder.
"Like I said before, just go talk to him."
Amy had recently informed Claire about Brandon's involvement during her rescue.
As she did so, Claire had started to see Brandon in a new light.
He wasn't so bad.
Which is why when Brandon was the one in trouble, Claire decided to help him.
As if her thoughts were seemingly read, Rachel-who was reading a 'book' in front of her, chimed in.
"He's not so bad. Talk to him."
"...I can't take you seriously when you're trying to hide your manga by covering it with a traditional book."
That was exactly what Rachel was doing.
Rachel looked up to meet Claire's gaze as she put her 'book' down.
"This is actually a trick Brandon recently taught me."
So was that her basis on why Brandon isn't so bad?
But something caught Claire's attention.
"You."
"....?"
Rachel cocked her head, meeting Claire's gaze.
"You told him about that hobby of yours?"
"...Yes?"
As soon as Rachel confirmed, Claire and Amy's eyes shot wide open.
Amy turned around to face Rachel.
"I thought you were going to take that secret to the grave. Since when did you two become
close enough for you to tell him?"
"Ah, that. We're actually neighbors now."
Rachel nonchalantly replied.
Thump-!
"What?!'
"Eh?"
Amy abruptly stood up, smacking the table. While Claire tilted her head with widened eyes.
Amy leaned forward and grabbed Rachel's shoulder.
She waved her around.
"Since when did something like this happen?!"
Rachel's expressions remained blank while she was casually being waved around.
"Last week."
She nonchalantly replied.
"Has he done anything to you?!"
Before Rachel responded, she looked down and gave Amy a sad look.
Pursing her lips, she looked back up to meet Amy's gaze.
"Yes."
After Rachel's confirmation, Amy stiffened up and let go of Rachel.
Claire abruptly got up, smacking the table.
Thump!
Claire turned to look at Amy as she knitted her brow.
"Not that bad my foot. I knew I was right about him."
Amy cracked her knuckles as she agreed with Claire's statement.
"I mean... I knew he was quite casual with me, but I didn't expect this."
She then turned her head to look at Rachel.
"I know Brandon was one of the people to have saved me, but..."
She paused, clenching her teeth.
"That doesn't give him the excuse to mess with my sister."
"Agreed, let's go Amy."
"Right."
The two nodded at each other, seemingly about to leave.
But that was until...
"Pftt..."
A strange sound reached their ears.
The two turned around to trace the source.
Rachel's shoulders trembled as she lowered her head, covering her mouth.
Noticing, Amy immediately approached her.
"Rachel?"
Fearing the worst, Amy grabbed Rachel's shoulders.
"Rachel what's wrong?"
"Pff."
Pff...?
Claire approached them as well, standing behind Amy.
As Rachel continued to hold her mouth, a strange sound escaped her lips.
The two were taken aback.
With her hand on Rachel's shoulders, Amy spoke with a tinge of worry.
"Rachel, what's wrong?!"
"Amy, I think she's about to vomit..."
Was she?
Amy clenched her fist as she knitted her brow.
"Rachel... You should have told us. I can't believe he took it that far."
Claire was angered as well as she turned around, seemingly about to leave.
"That bastard. I bet he forced himself on y-"
Before Claire could finish, a strange sound echoed.
Turning around, she saw that Rachel's shoulders continued to tremble.
Then...
"Pfftt... Hahahaha."
A laugh escaped Rachel's lips.
Amy and Claire cocked their heads. Tears started to roll down Rachel's eyes.
Claire returned to Amy's side as she spoke,
"Rachel...?"
"Pfft... Yeah, he did something. He cleaned my place."
At Rachel's revelation, the two were taken aback. What the hell is wrong with her?
Growing up with Rachel, the two were used to this side of her.
They should have known.
The two breathed out a sigh.
"Hahaha-Ukeh!"
Amy smacked Rachel's head.
Smack!
Claire did so as well.
At the end of it, Amy and Claire sat back down.
Rachel turned towards Claire and pursed her lips.
"Like I said, Claire, he's not so bad. Just go talk to him.
Breathing out a sigh, Claire replied,
"Haa... I guess I will. But how can I approach him? He's always around Raven and Reinhard."
Before she got an answer, Rachel and Amy turned to look at each other.
Claire alternated her gaze between the two.
Then, the two of them simultaneously turned to look at Claire.
The first one to have spoken was Amy.
"You want to get back up the rankings, right?"
"Yes...?"
"Join his elective."
Rachel and Amy spoke at the same time.
Claire was taken aback as she widened her eyes.
"What do I have to do that for? Can't any of you just tell him that I had something to say?"
Amy shook her head and shot Claire down.
"No, no, Claire. If you want him to take you seriously, then you have to do at least this much."
Rachel chimed in as well.
"Agreed."
Pondering, Claire pinched her chin.
She then opened her mouth.
"But why do I have to join his-Oh, I see."
Amy nodded in approval.
"Right?"
Since Brandon was planning on joining Advanced Spellcasting, then it would give Claire the
excuse to speak privately with Brandon once she joins.
Advanced Spellcasting was a difficult elective for a first year.
No, it was even unheard of for a first year to join.
But if Claire wanted to improve and climb the ranks, then she had to to put in the same kind of
effort as the current top student.
She had never planned on joining the elective in the first place.
But after falling off the ranks, it was now something to consider.
With her thoughts gathered, she lifted her head up and alternated her gaze between the two.
"I guess I'll do that."