Strange.

Why hasn't anyone come?

I lay on the soft bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

…Actually, it's not like I don't know the reason.

Instead of being on the first floor where people's eyes are focused, the counseling room is tucked away in a corner on the third floor where students don't frequent.

In the corner where classrooms like the music room and art room, which students aren't very interested in, are clustered.

The counseling room was there.

According to the principal, the counseling room has only been built for two weeks.

Right.

It's a facility that was created on the day I arrived.

A place where people don't usually pass by, and a counseling room that hasn't been around for long.

Of course, they wouldn't know such a facility existed.

Some students pass by occasionally...

But they don't seem to know that this is a counseling room.

Just as I was surprised when I first saw the interior, the students seemed to accept it as a new lounge.

Although there's a sign for the counseling room, it's not visible from a distance.

"This is a problem..."

I thought about promoting it to the students.

Since it's not easily accessible and the students don't know it exists, I’m just spending time idly.

But if I promote it, it would defeat the principal’s purpose of placing the counseling room in such a remote location.

Students who hear about a new facility might hover around out of curiosity.

Would students even come for counseling?

They might come after their curiosity wanes, but I can't use that method when I don't know when that will be.

What if playable characters don't come because of anxiety?

"I don't know..."

My head started to hurt, so I stopped thinking.

Judging by the quietness of the academy, it seems the main story hasn’t even started yet.

There are no students asking for help even though I want to work.

"…"

In the end, unable to overcome my boredom, I slightly opened the door of the counseling room and looked around.

Since it was still class time, the desolate corridor greeted me.

…Good, no one's around.

"Hehe..."

I turned on the laptop given to me as a counselor and clicked on the hidden icon on the desktop with natural movements.

When the transparent hidden icon was clicked, a familiar loading screen greeted me.

Some might say this.

Is it okay to play games during work hours?

I would like to answer those people.

I have no work!

There's nothing I can do right now.

As a counselor, my job is to care for and help the students who come for counseling and record it.

But I can't just grab any student and ask if they want counseling.

If I go to the playable characters and ask if they want counseling, they would think I’m crazy.

Even if I want to hypnotize them, playable characters are noticeable whether in a good or bad way.

In the end, for me to do my job, the students need to come here.

…So there’s nothing I can do without students coming for counseling.

If even one person comes, I could somehow spread the word.

I wasn’t worried about the main story.

Once it starts, rumors will spread whether I like it or not.

"Let's see, today…"

Just as I was about to start a game to relieve my boredom, the door of the counseling room suddenly opened with a creak.

"What, there’s someone here. I thought something had changed since my last visit."

"Oh, wh-what brings you here…?"

"…? Isn't this an empty classroom?"

Huff, huff...

I thought I was caught...

Maybe because of my quick reaction from secretly playing games during my childhood, or maybe because they had no interest in the laptop, the sudden intruder didn’t notice I had turned on a game and was leisurely looking around.

"No, this place has been turned into a counseling room."

"Counseling room? …Tch. No wonder people have been wandering around recently."

With a dissatisfied look, the student clicked their tongue and then smiled contentedly.

"Well, whatever. It's a bit annoying with someone else here, but… I like the facility. There, um…"

"I'm the counselor, Ophelia."

"Don’t know. Don't care."

"…"

"Even if someone comes, pretend you didn’t see me."

Right after saying that, she naturally went to the bed, drew the curtains, and lay down.

Seeing no further movement, she seemed to have fallen asleep.

How long had the unexpected intruder, who fell asleep in the counseling room as if it were her own bedroom, been sleeping?

Someone knocked on the counseling room door.

"Come in."

"Excuse me. …Have you seen a tall girl with black hair and red eyes?"

"Black hair, red eyes?"

"Yes. She has a very nasty personality."

I knew that without being told.

I experienced it firsthand.

I glanced at the bed where steady breathing indicated she had fallen asleep.

Black hair and red eyes.

A nasty personality that could be considered more than just rude.

I know it well. No, how could I not know?

We had just been face-to-face a moment ago.

Sensing my gaze, the student who had been bowing apologetically now had sharp eyes.

"Is she there? I'm sorry. I must be bothering you."

"Wait a minute."

"What's the matter? I’m sorry, but I need to take her back to class quickly. If it’s not urgent, could it wait…?"

"I'll take care of her."

"That’s impossible."

As if my words weren’t worth listening to, the student replied firmly.

"You must be new to the academy. I understand your intention to guide a delinquent student, but you should give up on her."

"Because she’s possessed by a demon?"

"…You knew?"

"Of course. How could I not?"

Right.

How could I not know?

At first, I was half-believing, but seeing such similar features, there was no doubt.

I was familiar with her behaving like a thug.

"She's famous, you know? The demon-possessed Orca."

One of the two playable characters featured in the prologue.

If not chosen by the player, she disappears from the academy and becomes a wanted criminal.

No one knows her better than I do.

Not even if you searched the entire world.

"Knowing that, do you still say you’ll handle her? She’s a demon-possessed! Dangerous…!"

"Lower your voice."

"…What?"

"Don’t raise your voice like that, student."

I whispered, bringing my finger to her mouth.

"She's fast asleep now. If she wakes up, she'll be very annoyed."

"…"

Waking up Orca and causing a commotion would be a problem.

As a playable character, she had abilities far superior to other students.

I could subdue her, but... avoiding troublesome situations was better.

The student seemed to understand this and lowered her voice.

"She's much more dangerous than you think. That’s reckless."

"No, it’s confidence."

"…Sorry. I can’t trust the words of someone I just met…"

Tsk.

I didn’t want to use hypnosis if I could avoid it.

Seeing her stubbornly following Orca, I had no choice but to use my ability.

I could roughly guess her identity.

She was probably the class president who sometimes appeared in side stories.

She was the only one mentioned as following Orca when others wanted nothing to do with her.

While her tenacity was admirable at times…

In situations like this, it was troublesome.

I sighed and spoke softly to her.

"You find the person in front of you trustworthy."

"Trustworthy…"

"Somehow, you think she can rehabilitate Orca…"

"Yes… I understand…"

"3, 2, 1…"

Clap!

Seeing she was still not fully conscious, I continued the conversation naturally.

"I’m more capable than I look."

"…Is that so? You certainly seem that way."

"So, it would be better to leave her to me and attend your class. You want to go to class, right?"

"…"

The class president didn’t skip classes by choice.

She couldn’t leave a delinquent student unattended because of her tenacity.

If someone appeared to take care of her, she would surely give up and return.

The class president nodded, as if agreeing with my thoughts.

…The suggestion worked.

I smiled at the class president.

"Don’t worry too much. She might become a bit more diligent."

"Please take care of her. I’ll wait without expectations."

"You can expect it."

"…Then."

She’s so stubborn.

Doesn’t understand a joke.

After the class president closed the door and left, I shut the laptop I had left open.

Something much more important than playing games had come up.