Since Reina had told Rin to leave everything about Amelia to her, it became far easier for Rin to contact her.
Amelia did not come to school often, and even when she did, she looked sick and drained of energy. It was hard for Rin to connect this frail girl to the future medic of the MC's harem.
But Amelia's condition worked in his favor. It gave him an excuse to talk to Reina. And Rin took full advantage of the situation to try and get close to Reina.
His efforts were an open secret, and he didn't bother denying them when asked. Perhaps that's why a rumor about him liking Reina spread.
No one outright asked him about it, but he could read a predatory curiosity in their eyes.
Rin ignored all the looks he got and kept doing what he needed to. But it did not take long for Reina to call him out on his behavior either.
"Hey kid, your behavior is suspicious. You hang out with me too much, and sometimes, I feel like you contact me even when you don't have anything to deliver to Amelia. So tell me clearly—do you like me?"
That question came out of nowhere, and Rin felt taken aback. He had not expected someone like Reina to be curious or ask such a thing.
But he had nothing to hide from her, so he decided to tell her the truth.
"Well, I do like you. But more accurately, I'm interested in your abilities. I have a feeling that I would need them in a few years, so I am just trying to leave a good and lasting impression on you. Is it working?"
Rin had nothing to hide and nothing to fear at this moment. It didn't matter whether she believed him.
All she needed to do was remember this moment so when the apocalypse descended, she could remember this and come to him for guidance.
"Heh! Aren't you too young to be thinking about connections and all that? Besides, I can tell that you are not a 'low-born scum' like other people in this school. In fact, I looked you up. You're too rich to be here, and yet, there must be a reason you are in this school."
Reina questioned once more, and Rin gave her the same answer as before.
"Well, I just told you that I am here because I will need your talents in the future. In a few years, this world will face a disaster. It will be like the apocalypse descended, and humanity will gain powers. At that time, I will need your help. Ah, but don't worry about it. Your sister will be just fine, so you can follow me without worry."
Not a single hint of a lie left his lips. His serious tone almost made Reina believe him before she realized how ridiculous those words sounded.
The end of the world in a few years? What kind of novel nonsense was this kid spouting?
"Maybe having too much money is not a good thing, kid. You should come back to reality and focus on your studies. Or don't, because you have the money to live how you want anyway."
The sharp sound of the bell signaled the end of the break, and Reina reached for the door without hesitation.
But Rin had one last thing to tell her.
"I won't bring this topic up again. However, I want you to remember what we talked about today and seek me out once it's time. I promise you that it will be the best decision you can make."
Rin told Reina, and she left without looking back.
He wasn't worried about their relationship anymore. Her reaction had told Rin that even if Reina was uninterested in him, she was not totally against being friends with him. Otherwise, she would have voiced her complaints and made her intentions clear.
'That's one problem taken care of. Now, should I start working on others?'
Apart from Reina, Rin had two more companions he wanted to bring under his wing. He had a few in mind, and he would act once he knew more about where they were.
Rin's life was going smoothly…a little too smoothly.
So of course, it did not take long for it to start going off track quickly, and it started with a note in his locker.
'Don't get too close to Reina and Amelia Swan, or you might be in danger.'
The note was simple and printed out. It was nothing special, but it was concerning since it was very specific to his situation.
But he decided to chalk it up to jealousy. After all, there was no shortage of guys being jealous of him for being close to the two school beauties.
However, it did not take long for the pranks to shift from him to the two sisters. And it started with Reina.
Rin only found out what happened because of the rumors floating around.
"Did you hear? Someone said that Reina's locker was trashed so badly that all the books were torn apart."
"I saw it as well. It was as if someone had bashed it in with a bat. It looked bad. I wonder if the school will get it fixed."
"Reina did not look shocked by what happened, but who knows what she's thinking. Maybe she's too shocked to say anything. Do you think I should make my move on her now?"
'Tsk, as if Reina would fall for such cheap tricks and sympathy. She has far more class than to fall for you fools.'
Rin had a high opinion of Reina, but if she were to fall for these cheap tricks, then all that respect would evaporate.
However, Reina looked unbothered when they met up next time. She did not show any sign of worrying about what happened, nor did she bring up this topic.
Her silence forced Rin to choose his words carefully as well, but his curiosity was bubbling under the surface.
No other note came to Rin, but he kept hearing people talking about Reina and someone's grudge against her. So he could only assume that she was still being harassed by someone.
After a week of silence, Rin finally decided to offer his help.
"Hey, are you being harassed by people? Do you need my help? I can ask my people to look into this."
Rin told Reina, but she shook her head.
"I don't mind these petty tricks. I'm strong enough to handle them. However, it might become an issue if they come after Amelia. If it gets too much for her, then I might ask for your help."
It seemed like Reina had her pride. She wanted to handle things on her own, and Rin respected her for it.
Still, this was an opportunity to get close to her…
"Ask for my help if you want it. You have my number, so you can contact me."
Reina nodded, and Rin finished his lunch before heading back to his classroom.
As he walked through the corridor, he felt like someone was watching him. But when he looked around, he saw too many people staring at him and gossiping about him.
'Somehow, I don't think that sharp gaze belonged to these kids. Their curiosity felt too…normal…'
With one last look around, Rin finally left to go back to his classroom. After all, the next class was about to start.
What he did not notice was the hint of pink hair that was peeking out from under the hood and those sharp, violent eyes looking at him. The owner of those features turned to leave, but before she could, a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.
"Hey kid, I think we need to have a talk."