"Is that an insult ?"
What does this girl think I am ?
"No way. I wouldn't dare. It's actually a compliment! You were like a chivalrous Knight in shining armor protecting a lady."
"Whatever." I muttered, looking away. "I only shut them up because I don't like people talking behind each other's backs. And... your rank is something you achieved by your own effort."
"Aww... How chivalrous! I didn't know you were the tsundere type!"
"What is a tsundere now?" I asked about the unfamiliar word.
"It's someone who cares but does not show and denies it, too proud to accept." she explained, her eyes dancing with mischief. "I learned it from some novels. they are really trending these days."
"I see. You have a lot of useless knowledge." i said in a flat voice with a blank expression.
"Hey! No knowledge is useless! In fact, you should try reading some novels too. You'll like it."
I'm not even going to ask why she would think that i will like it.
"Hey" She called out to me weekly.
"What ?"
"Are you ...angry at me ?"
"For what ?" I asked her in a confused voice.
"For being the honor student. After all, this spot would've been yours if not for me." She sounded genuinely nervous for the first time.
"I am not angry."
Was she really worried about something trivial like that ? Does she think my ego is that fragile ?
"Really ?"
"Yes. Besides, I am going to take that spot back, anyways."
Just because i don't care Does not mean I don't want it.
"oh~ Is that a challenge, I hear ? Well! I'm not going to back down either!" Saying that With a playful toss of her pink hair, she vanished into the lecture hall ahead of me and I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty doorway.
Where does she even get that confidence from?
The entrance exam ranking is based on The national written exams.
But academy rankings are different. They are based on both written exam and practical exams. Even if she did beat me in Written exams, There's no way she can keep up with me, in the practical exams with her frail sick body.
Yes, that's what I thought But...
She proved me wrong. Very wrong.
Even in magic practices and combat classes, although not overwhelmingly good, she was still way better than average. Way past my expectations.
And the written exams ? No need to even mention that.
And that's how we became rivals.
In terms of practical sessions, i would always win. But in written exams and theories ?
Sometimes She would top and sometimes, it would be me.
And it's a secret that maybe even she did not know or realize and i hope she won't know in the future as well. So, don't tell anyone.
Sometimes, I would let her win.
Is it because i pitied her for her sickness that she has been suffering from her Childhood ? No.
Because I looked down on her ? Also no.
The truth is, i didn't quite know the answer myself. I also do not know exactly when did it even start.
When did it start ? Since when did I start to value the smile she gave me after winning, more than the joy or pride of being the first place.
I knew that it was, perhaps, a smile that was mocking me, A smile of taunt, but even then, I still found it to be beautiful.
How truly hopeless of Me.
I didn't know. And I didn't wish to know the reason for these feelings either.
I just wish... I just wish for things to keep going, as the way they are going.
And just like that our senior course years were coming to an end.
One night during the Last semester, when the Academy Garden was fully illuminated with both the artificial lights of Mana lamp and the natural light of the moon, we were together. We were alone, the curfew long since passed.
"Have you been here at night like this before ?" she asked, her voice hushed as if afraid to wake the sleeping flowers.
"I have. but not this late of a time." I answered, my hands clasped behind my back in a disciplined stance that felt increasingly out of place.
"I see. Did you come alone ?"
"No. I had company."
"Was it a girl ?"
I froze for a moment, normally I do not lie. I do not like lies, Whether it's giving or receiving, but at this moment ? I felt an inexplicable urge to lie to her for some unknown foreign reason.
"...No"
"That's a lie" She stopped and turned to me, her peach-pink eyes narrowing into a sharp, predatory look, "You know my skill [EYE OF TRUTH]. Lying to me is useless, a waste of your precious breath, Theo."
[EYE OF TRUTH], A very very rare skill and the Evolved Version of [EYE OF INSPECTION]. A skill that can detect if the target is lying or not. But it does have it's own limitations...
"Doesn't that skill only works when the target is Weaker than you ? It shouldn't work on me, though ?" I asked in a voice that had a hint of confusion in it.
Her smile froze for a second, as if she got caught while Doing something really bad. Which she actually did. And that is Lying to me, Bluffing.
"...I don't need a skill to read you. Now," she countered after regaining her composer, recovering her smirk. "Speak the truth, Dear Theo."
"Yes. Sorry" i apologized. Even though I don't know why I did that. Why do i feel guilty when didn't even do anything ?
"Good. So ? Who was it ? Was it Tina from the marquis family ?"
"...Yes" i answered in a low voice but then i quickly explained "but! It was all her idea. She insisted on discussing assignment!"
She let out a calm, serene laugh that sounded like wind chimes in a storm. "of course it was. After all, you're not the type to hang out with a girl in a moonlit night in the garden, on your own accord. You're like a Dense Log Protagonist."
Although it's the truth, why did it feel like a verbal attack ? And what does she mean by 'Dense Log Protagonist'.
"Anyways! Let's go there!" She said as she practically dragged me towards the pond, at the corner of the garden, before i could even give a reply.
She really just does whatever she wants huh...
The pond was not very large. its surface nearly choked by a carpet of broad leaves and stagnant flowers. Along with the flowers, the pond would have been an excellent scenery for the academy if not for one Flaw.
"...It's dirty" I remarked, looking at the dark, silt-heavy water.
"It indeed is." she confirmed, her voice losing its playful edge as she crouched down at the water's edge, her silk skirts pooling on the damp grass.
She stared into the murk, her reflection distorted by the mud.