"Well… I was just wondering if…" She paused, then squared her shoulders. "Do you want to go out with me?"
Tasora, who was seated beside me, leaned over with an exaggerated grin."Congratulations," she said cheerfully. "I already knew from your weirdly high-pitched voice, but I didn't realize you were actually gay."
I let out a long, defeated sigh.
I turned my gaze back to Nagi and raised a finger at her.
"Phrasing," I emphasized carefully. "Learn how to do it, or else this unhinged girl will take advantage of everything you say and twist it completely out of context."
"Oh." Nagi blinked, clearly startled.
"I just meant that… um…" She hesitated, then spoke more carefully. "I've noticed I've been hanging out with a lot of people lately. And I kind of get the feeling you don't like large groups very much. So I thought maybe it would be nicer and it would work for you if it were just the two of us."
Behind me, Tasora made a sharp little sound.
Her ears perked up.
I did not even turn around. I simply reached back and covered her mouth with my hand like this was a practiced maneuver.
"Mmmph!"
Nagi continued, unaware of the emergency being actively contained behind her.
"And… you looked really down this morning. I thought maybe hanging out would cheer you up."
So that was the main reason, huh.
I looked at her, and something warm settled in my chest. Other than my family, she might have been the first person here who openly expressed concern about how I was doing.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Phwa!"
"Are you trying to kill me?" Tasora shouted, clutching her chest.
"Oh." I glanced at her. "My bad."
"I guess no practice for today, huh?" Tasora stood up, stretching.
"Works for me. Honestly, every practice we do is just an experiment I skip to those nerds anyway. But if I skip too often, I get reprimanded."
She headed toward the door, then suddenly stopped.
"Oh. Before I go."
She turned around and waved at us, smiling far too widely. Something about it made my skin crawl.
That smile.
That awful, mischievous smile.
She's going to do something impulsive again, isn't she?
"Hehe. Try using lube to loosen it up, works best for first timers," she said cheerfully, before slamming the door shut.
I ripped my notebook off the desk and hurled it at the door with everything I had.
"Never come back!"
Silence followed.
"Hah…" I slumped forward.
Nagi hesitated, then turned toward me slowly. "Um… lube?... what's lube??"
Smack!
I facepalmed hard enough to see stars. This was no longer embarrassing. This was a full existential crisis.
"I swear, someday, I'll return this favor tenfold, Tasora," I muttered into my hand.
Nagi moved closer, clearly worried now. "A-are you sure you're okay? You don't look okay."
"No, no. I'm fine." I straightened up far too quickly.
"Completely fine. Nothing is wrong with me. Where were we? Oh yes! Hanging out. Yes! Let's go hang out."
Her face lit up immediately. "Really? Alright! Then why don't we head back to the dorms, change, and go out?"
"Gladly," I replied with desperation.
Nagi looked genuinely happy about spending time with me.
As for me, honestly, I just wanted to escape whatever nightmare Tasora had dragged us into.
After a quick stop at the dorms, I changed into something suitable for the cold. A dark coat lined with soft fabric, a scarf wrapped snugly around my neck, practical but still presentable.
Nagi was already dressed when I came out, also in cold wear, though hers leaned unmistakably toward neutral tones. Clean lines, simple layers, nothing flashy. It suited her in a quiet, confident way.
We passed through the school gate together. The guard checked our class IDs, gave us a brief glance, then waved us through without comment.
As soon as we were outside, I cleared my throat.
"Just so you know, I didn't bring a single valis with me."
She stopped walking and proudly looked at me.
"Not because I chose not to, but I invested all of it into Maku's company." But I kept that comment to myself.
Nagi puffed out her chest proudly and slapped a hand against it.
"No worries. This big brother will take care of everything for you."
I returned a warm smile at her.
"Anywhere you want to go? Anything you want to eat? Any place you want to visit?" she asked cheerfully.
For a moment, I remembered the novel. An entire chapter is dedicated to characters doing nothing but eating. Pages and pages of lovingly described food. Back then, it felt excessive.
Now I wondered how it would taste in reality.
I nodded.
"I want to try grilled frul boar. Mint ice cream. Roasted seeds of limit. And the omelet rice everyone keeps buzzing about."
Nagi snapped her fingers.
"Your wish is my command, master."
We grabbed a cab, and the ride was short. When we arrived at the commercial district and stepped out, I stopped dead.
The view was overwhelming.
I had seen it before while traveling with Kaye toward the training grounds, but seeing it up close was completely different.
If I had to describe it, it looked like Switzerland stitched together with a futuristic city, layered over medieval foundations.
Alpine-style stone buildings lined the streets, their slanted rooftops glowing under floating screens filled with neon advertisements. Sleek metal reinforcements and luminous cables ran along the old architecture, and the air hummed with magic and technology working in perfect harmony.
It felt unreal.
Nagi glanced at me and smirked.
"Are you actually a country boy?"
"Not really," I replied honestly. "I'm just… sheltered. This feels like a whole new world to me."
"Well then," she said brightly, grabbing my sleeve, "let's explore this new world together. Oh, look over there."
She was already dragging me.
A food stall with a crackling grill sat on the corner, thick smoke curling into the air. A sign read: Grilled Frul Boar.
Before I could say anything, Nagi ran toward it.
"Twenty portions, please," she said without hesitation, handing over the money.
I walked up beside her, stunned.
"Isn't that a bit much?"
"We haven't eaten lunch yet," she replied casually. "No big deal."
The vendor laughed and handed us a large paper bag, grease already soaking through the bottom. The smell was incredible. Sweet and savory, with a hint of the rich aroma of roasted meat.
We moved aside, and Nagi passed me a skewer.
I stared at it.
Fantasy meat.
For some reason, biting into this made me nervous.
I took a careful bite.
The texture was tender, almost buttery, but with a satisfying chew. The outer layer was crisp, lightly charred, while the inside burst with juices that tasted faintly sweet, like roasted fruit blended into rich pork. Heat spread through my mouth, followed by a subtle tang that made me immediately want another bite.
My eyes widened. I had just discovered a new flavor and added it to my "must-learn" recipe list.
"Oh," I said quietly.
Nagi grinned. "Good, right?"
I nodded, already chewing again. "Very."
We stood there eating, steam rising from the skewers, my earlier tension slowly melting away with each bite.
We kept eating as we walked, the street alive with noise and movement.
Nagi suddenly slowed down, her eyes lighting up.
"Oh, there it is," she said, pointing excitedly.
Another stall stood just ahead, its display glowing a soft green. Mint ice cream. It radiated a sharp and refreshing scent even from a distance.
She did not hesitate and ordered four cups.
We found an empty bench nearby and sat down.
Or at least, it looked empty at first.
Only after sitting did I realize the truth. Every bench around us was occupied by couples. Leaning close. Sharing food. Laughing softly. Some were openly holding hands, others whispering things that were definitely not meant for public hearing.
I stiffened. "Are they out of their minds?"
Nagi, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. She happily dug her spoon into the ice cream, eyes sparkling as she took a bite.
"Oh wow, this is actually so good. This is my first time trying this flavor," she expressed.
I followed suit, cautiously tasting my own and doing my best to ignore the environment.
"nom....mmmhnnnn!!!"
The cold hit first, sharp and clean, then bloomed into a smooth sweetness that spread across my tongue. It was refreshing in a way I had never experienced before, almost calming, like a breeze through my head.
Another new "must-learn" recipe has just been added to the list.
I was just starting to relax when a scream cut through the air.
"Help! A burglar!"
I saw a middle-aged runing explosively fast and was trying to escape in the alleyway.
I set my cup down carefully on the bench, the spoon clinking softly against the rim.
I stood and rubbed my ring on my index finger.
"Laedingr," I muttered.
The ring responded instantly. Light particles spilled out, spiraling around my arm like glowing dust. They gathered, solidified, and formed the familiar glove, followed by chains that wrapped snugly around my forearms.
I flexed my fingers once, feeling the weight settle into place.
I sighed.
"Finally, something that is actually romantic."