A being that appeared as a woman or a girl, yet possessed incomprehensible abilities and power. This was the definition of what people called a witch.

No one knows when or how they were born, but based on historical records that have not been lost, the first entity that was called a witch emerged about 600 years ago, known as the Proud Witch.

Detailing the records are scarce, but it is said that many renowned strong individuals of the time lost their lives at her hands, and the Proud Witch, who plunged the world into fear, was later defeated by a man who was celebrated as a hero for her subjugation.

The Proud Witch, like the witches of jealousy and lust, left no record of her abilities, and current scholars are studying what powers she might have possessed.

Just as I was about to turn the page, the morning sunlight that spilled through the opened blinds twinkled brightly.

Though I had read through the night, the book was more of a time-killer than interesting, so I closed it without regret and lifted my body from the bed.

A rustling sound came from the head of my bed.

Two empty wrappers were discarded, remnants of the delightful things that had kept me oblivious to the night, but I couldn’t bring myself to view them positively, so I crumpled them up with slight irritation and tossed them into the trash.

It felt like an hour had passed since the candy melted in my mouth, but the sour taste lingering in my mouth showed no signs of fading.

If it weren’t for my body naturally recovering, my tongue would surely have felt all prickly from the intense sourness by now.

The sour candy I had tried before was “Aisher,” but the special candy made by the school nurse provoked an involuntary exclamation of “Oh, It’s Sharp!”

But what could I do?

At least I needed something to keep my mind alert.

Sighing, I prepared breakfast.

This morning’s meal consisted of fluffy rice, freshly stirred bean sprouts, and warm fried eggs.

Even if it sounds bland, once you actually eat, it’s a combination that’s undeniably delicious.

After piling those onto my spoon, I took a large scoop and placed it in my mouth.

After chewing the food a few times, I pouted.

…It was definitely the rice, eggs, and bean sprouts, but all I could taste was sourness.

*

Having struggled with the intense sourness to the point of almost losing consciousness seemed like a thing of the past; as I continued sucking on candy, I had become so accustomed that I could no longer show my distress outwardly.

So during the way to school and even during class, I secretly popped one candy after another, keeping the sourness at bay.

The school nurse who handed me the candy probably never imagined I would overindulge to this extent.

But like an office worker who clings to coffee to stave off fatigue, I had to keep candy nearby to maintain my wits.

Anyway, the intense sourness that made my tongue tingle was undoubtedly more helpful in keeping me awake than any ordinary pain, yet behind that amazing effect lay unexpected side effects.

A saying I once heard flashed through my mind.

The law of equivalent exchange; every action has a cost.

And the price I paid for excessively sucking on the candy to maintain my awareness was, of course, my sense of taste.

With the lingering sourness overshadowing anything I ate, how could I even feel tempted to eat?

Who would have thought candy could have such side effects?

In any case, since I had no appetite, I grabbed only a small portion for lunch, causing Jessie and Mei, who were waiting for me to fill my plate, to react as if they had seen the sun rise in the west.

“Whaat? Scarlet, what’s with that portion! Are you feeling alright?!”

“…This definitely seems like a problem. You usually eat several times that amount. Is something wrong?”

…Is it really that shocking that I’m eating less?

I thought they were overreacting, glancing down at my plate; but in comparison to what I usually eat, I could understand their reaction.

I typically indulged during lunch to relieve stress…

Feeling like a part of my joy in life had been stolen, I sighed inwardly and answered the kids as calmly as I could.

“It’s nothing. I just don’t feel like eating much.”

“I’m relieved if it’s no big deal… but, ahh! For me, the fact that Scarlet is eating less is a serious matter…”

However, Jessie’s response was somewhat unexpected.

She looked at me with a very serious expression, saying that my eating less was genuinely a big problem for her.

When I tilted my head in confusion, Jessie spoke in disappointment.

“Um, I was watching you eat because I’m prone to gaining weight easily, so seeing you eat was kind of satisfying for me… If you’re eating so little, how am I supposed to handle it…?”

“…Wow, Jessie, that’s quite the awakening.”

“Ugh… but you eat so deliciously!”

“…I can’t say I don’t understand. I feel good when I see Scarlet enjoying the food I made…”

With their serious expressions, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

What am I, some sort of food vlogger?

As they earnestly discussed my eating habits, I casually finished my meal and pulled out a piece of candy from my pocket, popping it into my mouth.

Jessie noticed and asked, “Huh? What’s that?”

“This? Just candy…”

“Candy? If you have more, can you give me one? I think I need something to soothe my mind.”

I handed her the candy without thinking much about it.

“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”

“…Wait, Jessie, that candy…”

Just as she was about to pop it into her mouth, I realized the candy wasn’t ordinary and tried to warn her.

“…!!! Hooowwwww!!”

But it was too late; her shriek echoed throughout the cafeteria.

Jessie immediately spat out the candy, but unable to close her mouth from the unbearable sourness that had already passed through, she was drooling and tearfully shouted at me.

“Thiiiiiis… thiiis is too sooooour! Ugh… I can’t stoooop spittttin’…!”

“S-Sorry Jessie! I completely forgot to mention how sour it is!”

“Wuuuh, why would you eat this… it’s ridiculous…?”

She looked at me as if I was out of my mind, making me at a loss for words.

Out of my mind? Maybe…

But I couldn’t respond that way; so I pondered how to enlighten her until suddenly, an idea struck me, and I shouted,

“W-Well, I’m eating it to suppress my appetite. I’m on a diet these days…”

Upon hearing my response, Jessie’s eyes widened in surprise, before she nodded in understanding.

“Is that so? That would definitely make you less likely to want to eat after having eaten this…”

After a moment of silence, Jessie looked at me with a somewhat heated expression and mumbled.

“…Speaking of diets, where on earth would you need to lose weight? What’s your reason for trying to lose weight enough to eat things like this?”

“Well, uh…”

As I struggled to find a response to Jessie’s probing question, Marie, who was dining nearby, suddenly chimed in.

“I wonder? Did a guy you want to impress pop up?”

Everyone around, including Mei, Jessie, and even Sylvia who had been quietly eating, gasped.

“Really?!”

“Is it true?!”

“S-Scarlet, so…?”

“That’s not it…”

I shook my head frantically, denying it, but it felt too late.

In the vivid imaginations of the girls, I had already become someone dieting to impress a crush.

Feeling frustrated that any excuses would simply go unheard, Florene, who was sitting beside Marie, smirked and teased me.

“Hehe, I’m glad the cosmetics I gifted you weren’t useless.”

With her expression looking fully ready to tease, I sighed in response.

“I’m never wearing makeup, no matter what.”

“Ehh, don’t say that! You’ve seemed like you’re not sleeping well recently; you should pay more attention to your appearance. You have to use that cosmetics, okay?”

“I said I won’t! Besides, you just…”

“Oh! That hot gaze… Are you falling for me now, since you have a crush on that boy? Sorry for him, but it can’t be helped. I’ll especially accept you as my 70th girlfriend.”

“…Sorry, but I’ll politely decline that offer.”

The tension I felt briefly was replaced with laughter at Florene’s usual nonchalant demeanor, shaking my head in amusement.