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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Having attended a royal banquet before, I wasn’t particularly uncomfortable wearing a suit this time.
Of course, it helped that I had chosen a comfortable one myself instead of relying on Bertia to pick one out for me.
“A gray checkered suit? That’s an unexpected choice for you, Daniel,”
Eve commented, scrutinizing my outfit.
“Yeah, I thought you’d wear a black one like last time,”
Tana added, joining Eve in their impromptu fashion critique.
I had asked them to check if anything was amiss with my appearance, but their intense scrutiny made me a bit self-conscious.
“So, is anything out of place?”
“No! You look perfect! Anyone who calls you ugly needs to be smacked upside the head!”
Eve enthusiastically gave me a double thumbs-up.
Sorry, Eve, but Tana’s opinion was the one I actually cared about.
Tana, who had a keen eye for fashion and styling, finally spoke after carefully examining me.
Her expression was a mix of approval and slight disappointment.
“Maybe we should do something with your hair?”
“My hair?”
I wondered what was wrong with my usual hairstyle, just letting it fall naturally.
I fiddled with the ends, trying to understand her point.
“Sit here.”
Tana pointed to the chair in my room, urging me to take a seat.
Then, she left the room and returned with something in her hand.
“This is hair gel. Remember using it during the play?”
I recalled the thick gel the makeup team had slathered on my hair when I played the role of Gary, slicking it all back.
I hadn’t particularly enjoyed the feeling of my hair being plastered to my scalp.
Tana, seemingly reading my mind, smirked.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make it stiff like that. Just a light touch, okay?”
She stood behind me, her fingers gently working through my hair.
Eve, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly jumped up and down excitedly.
“Can I try too? It looks fun!”
This isn’t a game, Eve.
“Is this really okay?”
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my forehead exposed for the first time in my life.
The unfamiliar hairstyle made me feel self-conscious, as if I were walking around naked.
But I had a party to attend.
It was time to head to the training grounds where the 5th-year graduation celebration was taking place.
Eve and Tana weren’t going, as they weren’t close to any of the 5th-year students.
I had invited them, but they declined.
And yet, here they were, hanging out in my room.
Go figure.
As I walked towards the training grounds, I spotted my fellow 3rd-year classmates waiting for me near the entrance.
“Daniel!”
“Hurry up and come back!”
Rin, in a black dress that matched her hair color, and May, in a light brown dress, waved at me.
“Whoa, you styled your hair!”
Ares, who was wearing a light-colored suit, joined them in staring at me with wide eyes.
They had apparently arrived early and were waiting for me.
Their intense gaze made me uncomfortable, but before I could say anything, May linked arms with me.
“Damn, you look good.”
“What…?”
I felt a sense of foreboding as I asked, and May, her voice dripping with suggestive sweetness, replied,
“You’re usually just handsome, but today… I kinda wanna jump you.”
“……”
“I wanna have my way with you.”
“I got it! You don’t need to explain!”
How was I supposed to respond to that?
I tried to shake her off, but Rin immediately grabbed my other arm.
“Tana did your hair, right? I gotta learn how to do that. You look amazing today.”
In the past, Rin would have been the one clinging to me, telling May to back off.
But today, for some reason, she was letting May have her way while simultaneously making her own move.
“Are you two putting on a show?”
“Let’s just go. They have some pretty good food inside,” Ares said, trying to steer us towards the entrance.
“Daniel, have you ever danced? I can teach you,” May offered, her voice laced with mischief.
May and Rin were about to drag me away, but I dug my heels in, stopping abruptly.
They both looked at me, their expressions questioning.
“Are you resisting?” May asked, a playful glint in her eyes.
“You can’t win against us with brute force,” Rin added with a smug smirk.
Their words fell on deaf ears.
I adamantly refused to go in like this.
“We’ll draw too much attention if we walk in like this. One of you needs to go with Ares.”
“Are you trying to get us killed?”
“Are you kidding me?”
The atmosphere instantly turned icy.
Everyone else was entering in pairs, arm in arm.
Walking in with two girls by my side was a bit too much, wasn’t it?
“I’m not asking you to be my partners. Just walk in with… Ow! That hurts!”
May and Rin simultaneously pinched my sides.
They were clearly angry, their jaws clenched as they twisted the flesh.
“Okay! Okay, I get it!”
Overwhelmed by their combined assault, I sighed in defeat.
But before I could resign myself to my fate, Ares, who had been watching our exchange, offered a solution.
The training grounds had been transformed into a magnificent banquet hall.
It was tradition for the 4th-year students to decorate the venue for the 5th-year graduation party, and this year was no exception.
It felt like a message to the 3rd-years: “This is what you have to do for us next year.”
Students were streaming into the hall, each pair linked arm in arm.
It was a mandatory entrance requirement, designed to create a romantic atmosphere.
Another pair entered, but unlike the other couples, these two weren’t exactly thrilled about the arrangement.
“Ugh, this is so annoying.”
“I hate this too.”
May grumbled, walking alongside Rin.
Their blatant displeasure deterred anyone from approaching them, but…
The scene behind them was even more amusing.
At least the two girls walking in front looked like a pair of beautiful flowers.
“You have a girlfriend, why are you doing this?”
“That’s why I can do this.”
Ares and I walked in together, our arms linked.
This was the solution Ares had proposed, entering as same-sex couples.
He argued that I, already infamous for my supposed womanizing ways, shouldn’t fuel those rumors at the graduation party.
He was surprisingly persuasive.
It wasn’t a big deal since we were just walking in together, but we still drew a lot of attention.
“Kyaa!”
“Nosebleed!”
I thought the two girls in front would be the center of attention, but surprisingly, the 4th and 5th-year female students were more focused on us.
Sensing their gazes, Ares’s steps became stiff and hurried.
“Over here, over here.”
“Daniel, this way.”
May and Rin had already secured a table, leaving an empty space between them.
Their eyes, however, held a clear warning, so I had no choice but to sit between them.
Ares looked at me with pity.
I never thought I’d see the day when he’d pity me.
“Hey, let’s go get some of that food.”
“Where’s Diana?”
May and Rin leaned against me, their bodies pressed against mine.
I instinctively recoiled, overwhelmed by their sudden closeness.
“Did you two plan this?”
“…Huh?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
Look at them, acting all innocent.
“You’re usually at each other’s throats, but today you’re acting like best friends?”
They avoided my gaze, clearly guilty.
It seemed they had formed a temporary truce, deciding to focus their efforts on me, the common enemy.
“This is a bit overwhelming. Please stop.”
…I was wavering.
As I calmly sorted out my feelings for Eris, I found myself inexplicably flustered by May and Rin’s advances.
My heart was racing.
I couldn’t ignore it.
It felt eerily similar to the feelings I had for Eris in my past life.
I tried to push them away more forcefully, but they simply stared at me with blank expressions.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
Were they shocked?
But how many times had I told them?
I already had someone I liked.
I wanted them to give up.
The longer they persisted, the more hurt they would be in the end.
I was about to reiterate my feelings when…
May and Rin exchanged glances.
“Did you feel that too?”
“Yeah, I felt it. My childhood friend senses are tingling.”
Even Ares was looking at me with a surprised expression.
What was going on? What was this strange atmosphere?
May, who I thought was hurt by my rejection, suddenly broke into a wide smile.
She stood up, grabbed my face with both hands, and pressed her forehead against mine.
I was about to say something, but she beat me to it.
“You’re feeling it, aren’t you?”
“Wh-what?”
“I knew it! This bastard’s finally realized my charms!”
May pulled away, a satisfied smile on her face.
Before I could cool down my flushed cheeks, Rin moved in.
“Daniel, look at me.”
“…N-no.”
I stammered, desperately trying to avoid her gaze.
Rin gently lifted my chin with her finger, forcing me to face her.
Her eyes widened for a moment, then softened into a seductive smile.
“So this is the look you gave Eris. Hmm, you’ve been hoarding all the good stuff for yourself.”
Were they mind readers?
I pulled my hand away and tried to escape, but…
“Thank you all for coming tonight!”
The voice of the 4th-year student emceeing the party echoed through the hall.
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Go for it May! Break that damn fortress!!
Well i mean I don’t hate Eris, actually I’m quite like her, but my buas towards May just higher thab that.