After the women’s martial arts class ended, it was lunchtime.

Just like yesterday, I intended to eat alone in a corner, but an unexpected guest arrived.

“Wow, you were really cool during the sparring earlier! Dodging all those incoming attacks and then countering during that brief opening? I couldn’t help but scream!”

In front of me, Yoon Si-woo was blabbering excitedly.

While it was nice to see Sylvia sitting next to him, she was munching away with a displeased look directed at me, which made my heart ache.

… No, I specifically sat in the corner so I wouldn’t interrupt their meal together, but that brat Yoon Si-woo just had to track me down, right?

With that thought, I shot a glare at Yoon Si-woo, but this oblivious guy kept grinning and chatting away.

I couldn’t be bothered to answer him properly, so I just nodded along.

“Did you learn that martial art from a young age?”

Nod

“That must’ve been really tough training.”

Nod

“… Want to be friends?”

“No.”

At my knife-like rejection, Yoon Si-woo looked deflated.

Sylvia started glaring at me with an even fiercer look.

Why?!

After finishing her meal, Sylvia slammed her plate down onto the table.

She stared at me while muttering to herself, “Ah, after sparring, I really want something sweet.”

Her gaze triggered my friendship sensor.

This means… it’s time to pay the friendship fee!

“W-Would macarons be okay?”

“Oh, are you going to buy those for me? Is that really okay?”

Seeing her sweet smile, I knew I had nailed the response.

Is it okay, you ask? Of course, it’s no problem!

I even skipped breakfast and dinner just for this!

“W-Well, it’s because we’re friends!”

“Since it’s a friend’s favor, I won’t refuse.”

Sylvia responded with that smile of hers.

Yoon Si-woo suddenly widened his eyes in surprise as he looked at Sylvia.

True enough, Sylvia was extremely beautiful.

But who is Sylvia’s friend now?

What’s her name?

Scarlet Evande.

Heh… then what’s her profession?

‘Sylvia’s friend.’

Because of that, I’m invincible; Sylvia is my goddess.

Yoon Si-woo looked at me with a complicated expression, but I couldn’t care less.

I excitedly dashed off toward the snack bar.

*

“Hey, Lucy, do I look a bit unpleasant?”

[Si-woo, you have no conscience. Apologize to the other boys.]

Lucy, the consciousness residing within the Holy Sword of Humility, responded incredulously.

Honestly, even Yoon Si-woo knew that.

He was a bit embarrassed to admit it, but he was aware he had the looks to attract the opposite sex.

Maybe that’s why he found it perplexing now.

Should I give her a ride? He remembered asking that to the emotionless girl with red hair and eyes who rejected his offer so fiercely.

Using the abilities of the Sword of Truth, he could tell that her refusal was genuine.

Could it be because he had never met a girl who responded negatively to him for no reason at all?

Yoon Si-woo naturally became intrigued by her.

Since they wore the same school uniform, he thought he might run into her again.

Pedaling his bike with such thoughts, Yoon Si-woo realized he had taken a wrong turn long after 8 a.m., when the school day had already begun.

Arriving late and opening the classroom door, he spotted the girl he had seen earlier on the way to school.

Unlike the noisy background, she sat expressionless like a doll.

With a seat empty in front of her, he quickly sat down and learned that her name was Scarlet Evande.

The girl didn’t even respond to his friendly invitation to be close.

Her attitude was strikingly different from that of the other girls in the class, further piquing his curiosity about what kind of person she was.

This is quite troublesome…

Seeing Scarlet deliberately sitting in the corner for lunch, Yoon Si-woo sighed.

After their abilities measurement class, where she’d struck him while she was nude under an illusion spell, she had been avoiding him.

It seemed she was convinced he had seen her in that embarrassing state.

He felt embarrassed for having thought she was pretty, so he finished his meal and went to wash his face with cold water.

Once back in class and chatting with Sylvia, someone approached and handed her what looked like macarons from the snack bar.

Yoon Si-woo was taken aback to see Scarlet smiling and chatting with Sylvia.

She could show that kind of expression too.

Enthralled by her smiling face, Yoon Si-woo suddenly wished she would smile at him like that someday.

It appeared Scarlet had given the macarons to Sylvia as a celebration of their friendship.

Did she give such smiles to those who became friends with her?

Wanting to see that smile, he wondered if there was one for him, but the moment their eyes met, she wiped her smile off, returning to her neutral expression, which slightly hurt his heart.

Back home, lying in bed, Scarlet’s smiling face kept dancing in his mind, making it hard to fall asleep.

[Isn’t it more than just her smile? Surely, her skin looked great, and she had a pretty body.]

Ugh… Lucy, I told you not to read my thoughts.

[Hehe, you’re just a typical teenage boy. What are you ashamed of? It’s completely natural at your age to have a crush on a girl you just met.]

It’s not a crush!

It’s just that I want to be friends with her!

[If you say so.]

Yoon Si-woo vigorously defended himself against Lucy’s teasing voice.

Yes, I just want to be friends.

Attempting to ignore the fluttering feelings inside me for the first time, he repeated that mantra to himself.

*

Arriving at the snack bar, I picked up a macaron.

That little treat cost ten times my daily allowance, but since it was for Sylvia, it didn’t feel like a waste at all!

I swiftly fished out my student ID for payment when suddenly yesterday’s events flashed in my mind.

Should I buy another one?

I recalled Sylvia’s glaring expression when I didn’t offer a macaron to Yoon Si-woo yesterday.

Thinking about it, I really should buy another one, but as I reached for it, my hand trembled.

After all, that single macaron cost ten times my daily allowance!

And this wasn’t for the friendship fee but for my personal spending!

Buying this would drop my daily allowance from 300 gold to 230 gold!

Damn… that’s so valuable.

Thinking about how I should buy this for Yoon Si-woo made the macaron feel like it was worth its weight in gold, but to avoid Sylvia’s ire, I gritted my teeth and grabbed a second macaron before checking out.

“Hey, wait a minute!”

Just as I was about to leave the snack bar, a voice called out and I turned to see the class representative standing there.

She looked somewhat flustered.

“I’m sorry!”

Without any preamble, she bowed her head and apologized to me.

What’s this? Is she pulling a YouTube-style “sorry for the black screen” act?

As I was stunned, she continued speaking.

“About yesterday… I talked about a sensitive subject without knowing, and today I scolded you for not having a weapon. I wanted to apologize for that…”

Oh my gosh.

“A person aspiring to be a hero shouldn’t speak so casually… I’m really sorry.”

My inner self was slapping me upside the head. How can a person be so honest and kind?!

Overwhelmed by her sincerity, I took both of her hands into mine and said,

“Thank you for apologizing.”

At my words, her body trembled as she was bowing her head.

Oh no, have I made it awkward by holding hands when we’re not that close?

Feeling embarrassed, I released her hands and she quickly turned her face away, visibly flushed.

“If you ever find yourself in trouble… let me know…”

The class representative said that and then dashed off, seeming to have urgent business.

Wait! I need to fulfill my duty as a friend!

I recalled my original purpose and returned to the classroom.

“Thank you, Scarlet.”

Seeing Sylvia accept the macaron with a smile moved me.

Ah, how wonderful it is to be able to buy this smile for just 3,000 gold.

While basking in that happiness, I noticed Yoon Si-woo staring at the macaron I had given to Sylvia.

Oh man… I really don’t want to do this.

Nervously, I fumbled in my pocket and pulled out another macaron, holding it out to Yoon Si-woo.

“Um… is this for me?”

Yoon Si-woo asked, and I glanced at Sylvia.

Is this… the right choice? Sylvia?!

Sylvia was glaring at me with a fierce look in her eyes.

I realized then that not giving the macaron to Yoon Si-woo would lead to a -3 favorability choice, but giving it to him would mean a -10 crushing failure selection!

Could I cancel this now?

I quickly shook my head and stuffed the macaron back into my pocket.

“Haha… sure, if I ever feel like giving it to you, I’ll do it then.”

Yoon Si-woo laughed awkwardly in response to my sudden withdrawal.

Who knows? Maybe I won’t ever feel like giving you a macaron.

I pondered that as I nodded my head.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Yoon Si-woo said with a heart-wrenching smile.

This jerk really knows how to pile on the pressure.

If you want macarons that badly, buy them with your own money, will you?!

I screamed that in my mind while fiddling with the macaron in my pocket.

… If I ration this macaron, I might be able to stretch it out for ten days.

crunch