Chapter 11: Where She Goes on Saturdays [2]
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Arios had never been to the academy's pool auditorium before.
It wasn't exactly forbidden, just... off the usual path. Nestled at the edge of the dormitory district, the building was quiet, surrounded by low hedges and a sparse stone walkway. The sun was already setting, casting soft gold through the glass-paneled roof. From a distance, the structure looked like a greenhouse — all curved glass and steel frames — but inside, the echo of water gently lapping at tile gave it an oddly serene atmosphere.
He stepped through the entrance quietly, letting the automatic door slide closed behind him with a whisper.
The space was nearly empty. Just the soft hum of the ceiling lights, the faint smell of chlorine, and the stillness of a forgotten space.
Then he saw her.
Liza Garnet stood at the edge of the pool in a vibrant-blue one-piece swimsuit, her towel resting on the nearest bench. Her hair was tied up into a messy ponytail, a few strands falling across her cheek. She wasn't moving — just staring at her reflection in the rippling water, arms crossed, silent.
Arios didn't call out to her, not yet.
He just stood there, watching, remembering Greg's words.
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Earlier, outside the pool building...
Greg had lingered even after revealing the truth about Liza's past. Arios thought he'd said everything he needed to. But the boy kept fidgeting, tugging at his sleeves, looking like there was still something unsaid.
"Greg," Arios said calmly, "is there more?"
Greg bit his lip and nodded slowly.
"She goes swimming," he said. "Every Saturday."
Arios blinked. "Swimming?"
Greg gave a small shrug. "I think it helps her. Helps her feel in control. She used to swim a lot, even back in middle school. Before... everything. It's the only time she's ever truly alone, I think. Not performing. Not pretending."
A pause. Then, softer, "She never invites anyone."
There was weight in those words. Not a warning — a plea for Arios to understand just how delicate this moment was.
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Back in the present.
Arios stepped forward. The sound of his shoe against the tile made Liza jolt. She spun around, defensive.
He stopped, raising a hand. "It's just me."
She blinked. "Arios?" Her voice was guarded. "How did you...?"
"I heard this was your spot," he said, offering no more than that.
"Came to stalk a girl in a swimsuit, Pureheart?" She said, but she didn't tell him to leave either.
"That won't seem decent," Arios replied.
Then a silence between them stretched, not tense, but uncertain.
Finally, Liza turned away, gazing back at the water. "Did Greg tell you everything?"
Arios didn't answer. Instead, he walked forward until he stood beside her. Close, but not too close.
"He told me enough," he said.
Liza let out a breath — not quite a sigh, not quite relief.
"Do you know what it's like to be forgotten even while people are looking straight at you?"
"Never mind." She continued, "just go I don't want anyone to know. Not here. Not in this world where image is everything. Where the weak get trampled."
Arios looked at her, really looked. No makeup. No confident smile. No playful tilt to his voice.
Just her.
"You're not weak," he said.
She laughed bitterly. "You don't know me."
"I don't need to know your past to see your strength," he said, his voice quiet but unwavering. "You came to this academy after everything. You're still here."
She turned to him slowly, eyes narrowed. "Don't romanticize my pain, Arios. You think I'm strong because I put on a show?"
"No," he said. "I think you're strong because you survived when others would've given up. And you still show up."
She stared at him for a long time. No clever retort. No wall. Just silence.
Then, in a whisper, "I'm so tired of pretending."
Her voice cracked — the first crack in a facade built out of fear and lipstick and laughter.
Arios didn't offer empty words. He just nodded.
"Then maybe it's time to stop hiding there."
The moment hung in the air — fragile, weightless, and electric.
And then—
[Quest Completed: Bond with Liza Garnet]
[DING! Emotional Bond Created]
→ Liza Garnet added to Harem
→ Bond Log Unlocked
→ +5 STR
→ +3 INT
→ Skill Unlocked: Lean Edge Sword Art Manual (Accessible via System Menu)
→ +30 XP
A soft chime rang in Arios's mind. His body felt a new pulse of warmth, like a power awakening, stats shifting. He resisted the urge to smirk.
She didn't notice, she couldn't had notice.
But something had changed, Arios got stronger.
She exhaled shakily and sat down on the bench, wrapping her towel around her shoulders. "Thanks... for showing up."
Then suddenly, Liza stood up slowly, her towel slipping from her shoulders as she faced him. Her eyes searched his — not for answers, but for permission. And when she found no resistance, only that calm, unwavering patience he always carried, she stepped closer. No mask, no facade. Just raw, trembling honesty.
Then, without a word, she rose onto her toes and kissed him — not playfully, not desperately, but seriously. Like someone anchoring herself to something real. Her pink lips were soft but firm against his, and for a moment, the quiet ripples of the pool and the low hum of the lights vanished. All that existed was the stillness between them, the warmth of contact, and the silent agreement that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to fight alone anymore.
Arios at first was surprised, but then a grim smile marked his face, he had won the first battle, taken one of Kyousuke harem and now his stronger than before.
Liza lips left his— but her saliva still connected them both, like a strand of web. Her eyes gazed up at his, she was completely open to his will.
Arios glanced at her, and for once, saw no act, just Liza— a normal girl who just wanted someone to lean on, and this time it wasn't the protagonist— Kyousuke, it was Arios Pureheart, the extra.
In a place built on strength and status, maybe showing up was the bravest thing of all.