"Why do you look so disgusted, Sensei? If you look at me like that, I might get hurt."

"Oh. Sorry..."

"Just kidding. I know it’s annoying to be told that someone looks like you."

"..."

You're terrible at making jokes.

I thought I understood that Eilyn wasn’t used to interacting with people.

But it seems I was a bit arrogant.

Who even makes a joke that leaves you unsure how to react?

If I agree, it's awkward. If I disagree, it's still awkward.

This unsociable girl. I’m definitely going to fix that.

I made that resolve.

"What’s wrong? Was it not funny?"

"To be honest... yeah. It wasn’t funny at all."

"Oh, sorry, Sensei. I’m not very good at socializing."

Eilyn scratched her head awkwardly, smiling bitterly.

It seems she’s aware of it, at least.

She probably didn’t have many opportunities to interact with people when she was young.

...What about her family?

Her father was always on the move, and her mother died giving birth to her.

She had a nanny, but... maybe because she wasn’t her own child? I remember reading that she wasn’t very kind. She never really had a chance to develop her social skills.

This is perfect. We’re already talking about social skills.

"Don’t you think you’re underestimating yourself too much?"

"No. I know myself well, Sensei. I’m still talking to a teacher in informal speech, aren’t I?"

"Well, uh..."

...There are so many students who speak informally to me that I don’t even notice anymore. Stella does it, Orca does it too.

Even some of the arrogant noble kids naturally treat me that way...

But if I say it like this, things will just get awkward, right?

I decided to just stay quiet.

"You may not care because you seem kind, but everyone tells me to watch my tone."

"If you know that, why don’t you fix it?"

"It’s a hassle. I don’t want to."

"..."

Yeah, that’s the problem.

Among the playable characters, who needs counseling the most?

The number one would be Orca. Because of Haze, she’s like a dangerous bomb that’s impossible to compare to anyone else.

There’s no way she can be happy without forcefully suppressing Haze.

Then who’s number two?

I could answer that with certainty.

The girl in front of me. Eilyn. There’s no one else.

"...If you know the problem, why not try to fix it?"

"No. I’m fine as I am. I don’t want to interact with anyone anyway."

"But you’re talking to me right now."

"That’s... just a whim. You said earlier that we have a similar vibe. I can feel that you also don’t want to do anything."

"..."

How on earth does she notice things like that?

Honestly, I can’t argue with her.

I help the students because it’s something I want to do. Everything else is honestly a bit... no, very troublesome.

Once I’m sure everyone’s reached a happy ending, I’ll quit this academy, collect my severance pay from the headmaster, and live off that for the rest of my life.

I’m sure the headmaster would be generous with the severance.

"And besides, like I said, I know myself well. I don’t want to change, and even if I did, I’m not someone who could put in the effort to change."

She really knows herself well.

Leo will grow just fine with enough experiences. With Orca, as long as you suppress the demon and keep her from straying, that's enough.

Stella just needs to naturally interact with the students and start believing that others can be trusted.

Anastasia... she's already complete as a person, but she’s the type who developed problems due to her relationships with others.

If she can somehow come to terms with the reality that her family is gone, she can stand up on her own.

But Eilyn? She’s probably the most mentally cornered among the playable characters.

She’s had so few experiences interacting with people that she’s often criticized by others.

...But even though she knows herself well, she doesn’t want to change at all. Because it’s too much hassle.

And she knows better than anyone that she won’t change.

She’s caught in a state of helplessness, unable and unwilling to do anything.

She’s let go of everything... and just lives as life flows.

If you don’t choose her as a playable character, she’ll continue living as she does now, and at some random point in the story, when another character is advancing the plot, she’ll just die off-screen.

Even if she has the strength to get through things, she just passively accepts whatever happens, even if it’s her own death.

"You know, Eilyn. I’m a counselor."

"...? I know that."

"And, from what I see... it looks like you need some counseling."

"Are you telling me to get therapy? No thanks. It’s too much of a hassle."

"No, I’m proposing a contract."

"A contract?"

Haze and I made a contract.

The terms were that the victor would take everything from the loser.

But that wasn’t a contract. It was a bet disguised as a contract.

As a demon, she planned to take everything from me and toy with me, but instead, she lost her demonic nature.

This time, it’s a real contract.

Of course, it’s not a contract with a demon, so it’s more of a promise.

I used the term "contract" because if I called it a promise, she’d obviously not keep it.

"Honestly, Eilyn. Cutting through walls to hide in a space like this... it’s a hassle, right?"

"...Yeah, it is."

"It’s probably pretty cold in here. Looking around, it’s pretty dusty too. It’s also really dark. You can spend time here, but it’s definitely uncomfortable. And cutting and reattaching the wall every time you come in or out must be a hassle too."

"..."

"Well, I have a perfect excuse for you."

"An excuse...?"

Good. She’s hooked.

No matter how you look at it, this is a terrible place to rest.

It’s dirty, it’s not smelly, but it’s dark, uncomfortable, and echoes.

And since it’s between the walls, it’s also very cramped. It might be great for avoiding detection, but that doesn’t make it a good hiding spot.

I aimed for that point, and fortunately, it seems I was right because Eilyn was now listening to me intently.

"Yes, an excuse. A legitimate reason to skip... I mean, miss class."

"Is that the contract?"

"Exactly."

...Something feels off.

Using the word "contract" makes me feel like a strange adult trying to trick a student.

No, that’s not it.

This isn’t about tricking a student... it’s about guiding them to be a better person.

"So? What’s this contract about? Just so you know, I hate anything that’s a hassle."

"I know that well. But this contract will be perfect for you. I promise."

"Are you sure you should be saying that? What if I don’t like it?"

"Don’t worry. It’s a really good deal."

"...Sounds suspicious."

Ah, but it really is a good deal.

"The contract is simple. You’ll receive regular counseling from me. That’s it."

"What? Did you forget what I just said? I hate hassles."

"That’s why I’m suggesting it."

"...?"

"If you have me as an excuse, you can easily skip class, right?"

"...!"

Exactly.

Even if you want to skip class for no reason, the academy teachers wouldn’t let it slide easily.

Not just academy teachers, but even ordinary school teachers wouldn’t overlook that.

But what if you had a very good excuse?

Like... regularly missing class to receive mental health counseling from the academy’s counselor.

"I think you’ve heard the rumors, but the counseling room is quite... no, extremely comfortable."

"I-I’ve heard. Even the nobles were impressed..."

"There’s a bed, a game console, snacks, and drinks. You can find pretty much anything you need."

"...Gulp."

"No one can say anything if you’re going to the counseling room for therapy. Especially if you claim to have mental trauma from recent events. ...And given the recent incidents, no one would doubt you if you suddenly started showing signs of stress."

"...!"

"And how long will the counseling last...? Well, that’s something even I don’t know. Could it take ten hours? Thirty minutes? Ten minutes?"

Would she really let go of such a tempting offer?

No way.

If she hadn’t heard it, maybe. But now that she has, she won’t be able to stop imagining it.

Imagining herself lying on a comfortable, luxurious bed, leisurely eating snacks and taking a nap.

She’s probably already halfway convinced.

"Just one thing. Let me ask just one thing."

"As much as you want."

"This is all good for me. What do you, no, what does Sensei gain from making this offer?"

...A gain, huh?

Telling her that counseling her slowly and correcting her behavior is my gain probably wouldn’t convince her.

I should give her an answer that she would understand.

"I have something to gain too."

"...What’s that?"

"Like Eilyn said earlier, I also don’t want to do anything. With your counseling as an excuse, I can take it easy too."

Yeah.

If, because of the incident, the students start claiming to have mental trauma, I, as the counselor, would have to stay on duty.

Then, I wouldn’t have to run around hiding from the other teachers.

This is truly a win-win.

A plan where both Eilyn and I can be happy.

"What do you think? Good enough?"

"...Perfect. Alright, Sensei."

Eilyn and I smiled as we shook hands.

Thus, a truancy alliance was formed.