After finishing all their Monday exams, the girls from class A gathered not in their dormitory but at a cafe near the classroom building. While it would be more appropriate to return to the dorms and study, everyone huddled together at a table in the corner..
“She’s really crazy.”
Surprisingly, the one who said that was none other than Adelia. Liana, Harriet, and even Ellen were staring at Adelia, not expecting her to say something like that, as she was usually a bit timid.
“Um, did I say something too harsh…?”
Thinking she may have used too strong of an expression, Adelia scratched her blushing cheeks.
Liana took a sip of her lemonade with a straw and nodded her head.
“You’re not wrong, Adelia, well said. If you’re going for Miss Temple, you should just go, and why the hell would you come to a first year classroom and pick a fight, and what, no competition, it’s ridiculous!”
Liana used even stronger language. Harriet sat there, her arms crossed, looking unimpressed.
“I really don’t like her.”
Harriet confidently took a big bite of her biscuit. Lately, Olivia Lanze had been picking fights with Ellen over every little thing, and today was no exception.
It was a situation where even the levelheaded Ellen could honestly say she disliked someone.
Moreover, the way she dominated Ellen with her strength was enough to surprise anyone. Ellen, who everyone in their class understood from their time together, was a special existence..
Only two people in Royal Class first year received such treatment - Ellen and Reinhardt.
Ellen was Ellen.
Reinhardt was Reinhardt.
Both had something unique about them that earned them such treatment, though in Reinhardt’s case, it was not necessarily in a positive way.
Even if the opponent was a fifth grader, Ellen was still Ellen. That she was defeated in a contest of strength against that dainty upperclassman was something that still bewildered everyone.
Liana tilted her head in confusion.
“But, does that senior really like Reinhardt?”
A sudden question.
Upon hearing it, Harriet and Ellen stared at Liana intently.
“Likes him… I think so…? If not, there’s no reason for her to act that way.”
Adelia spoke up while subtly watching Harriet’s reaction.
“No, maybe she’s just teasing him for fun, even though it’s been going on for a while now. Honestly, what good would it do her to keep doing it?”
That’s true.
It may seem cute to some, but today’s behavior was not much different from causing a fuss for no reason.
It wouldn’t be good for Reinhardt, and it wouldn’t be good for her either.
“Teasing him?”
Ellen was the one to react to those words.
“I thought that bastard Reinhardt also liked her, but the more I see, the more it seems like he really dislikes her. If that senior really likes Reinhardt, shouldn’t she stop after he tells her he doesn’t like it? He’s already said it more than once.”
When you think about it, that’s true.
What’s the point of constantly doing things that the person you like hates? Reinhardt has actually been telling Olivia Lanze to stop doing these kinds of things.
Ellen was also unsure, but after hearing Liana’s words, it seemed to make sense.
Olivia Lanze keeps doing things that Reinhardt hates.
And Ellen knows some things that others don’t.
Olivia purified the cursed Tiamata, so she is Reinhardt’s benefactor.
That’s why he can’t treat Olivia any worse than he does.
Using that as an excuse, she keeps bothering Reinhardt.
Whether or not she has feelings for him.
It’s true that Olivia is bothering Reinhardt.
“….”
No matter how much she thinks about it.
It doesn’t seem right to leave Olivia Lanze alone like this.
She may have already been pushed back once, but she wouldn’t back down even in a tough spot.
Ellen had no hesitation.
Ellen did not head to the fifth year dormitory with any complex schemes. The words she wanted to relay were simple and easy to say. She had no intention of fighting.Not because she was afraid of losing, but because she was ashamed of the frivolity of her behavior in the classroom, regardless of the consequences.
She had no intention of fighting. She had only one thing to say.
Stop bothering Reinhardt.
If it was bothersome, why did she keep doing it? That was what she wanted to say. After returning to the dormitory, Ellen headed alone to the fifth Year Dormitory.
Until Olivia Lanze, who she called, came out smiling a little cheekily, as always, everything was fine. Even when Olivia asked her with a look of magnanimity, the atmosphere was not so bad.
Ellen’s business was simple. Don’t bother Reinhardt. He had already said that he didn’t like it, and it was rude to keep acting that way.
Please stop.
Ellen said that. Upon hearing those words, Olivia Lanze tilted her head.
“Haha… Reinhardt already told me something like that….”
Olivia Lanze was laughing without energy.
Did Reinhardt already have a talk with her? So that’s why he left the classroom a little earlier than usual.
“Did Reinhardt ask you to say that?”
“No.”
“Really? Then why are you speaking on his behalf?”
Olivia’s smiling expression froze coldly.
Then she said something that was like a bomb in this messy situation, which was already volatile enough.
“Who are you to Reinhardt?”
“…What?”
Olivia stepped closer to Ellen.
Ellen did not step back, but stared at Olivia with a stern expression.
“Who are you to Reinhardt? It’s like you think Reinhardt is only yours. You’re telling me to stop bothering ‘your’ Reinhardt.”
“….”
“It’s disgusting. Saying something like that as a third party.”
Olivia glared at Ellen with cold eyes.
A third party.
Those words touched Ellen’s heart. On top of that, Olivia implied those words more than once.
-Please take care of our Reinhardt!
-You shouldn’t be too close with Reinhardt, you know why?
-You’re good at fighting? Still, don’t harass our Reinhardt too much.
She’d been talking about Reinhardt like he was hers. Ellen glared at Olivia.
“You’re doing the same thing.”
“Yes, That’s true.”
Olivia smiled.
“I want Reinhardt to be mine. Do you feel the same way?”
“….”
Ellen couldn’t say anything.
Does she want Reinhardt to be hers?
She hadn’t thought deeply about such things. If she were to get an unwanted answer, it would lead to a chain of irreversible events. Olivia continued to coldly gaze at Ellen, who couldn’t answer.
“Why can’t you say anything? Can’t you speak your mind?”
“….”
“Why aren’t you saying anything, can’t you even tell me how you feel?”
“….”
” What’s Reinhart supposed to be to you?”
“…A friend.”
“Is that all?”
“….”
Ellen couldn’t say anything.
It felt like everything would end as soon as she said a word.
She was afraid that this strange senior, who wandered about carelessly while saying strange things, would destroy all of her relationships.
In the end, Ellen couldn’t say anything.
“If you’re nothing more than a friend, don’t you think you have no right to tell me not to approach Reinhardt?”
“….”
“That’s right. If you’re just a friend, and you don’t plan on becoming anything more with Reinhardt, why are you telling me to stop approaching him?”
Olivia seemed to be interrogating her.
It was like she was trying to forcefully open a heart that no one had opened or tried to open before.
“I think you’re being unfair…”
It was a phrase similar to what Harriet had said to her once.
“You don’t want to lose anything, you resist when those things are being taken away. Do you want to clumsily hold on to everything??”
Olivia placed her hand gently on Ellen’s shoulder and smiled.
It wasn’t her usual meaningless and gentle smile. It was clearly sarcastic.
“You’re really selfish.”
Not choosing is also a choice.
Delaying all answers and doing nothing is also a choice, and it inevitably brings about a certain future.
Everything you held onto will vanish.
Am I selfish?
Ellen felt like she had been hit on the head with a hammer after hearing Olivia’s words.
Why does this person hate me so much?
What does this person want by picking a fight with me?
The person who was called the Saint of the Eredian District is just someone Ellen dislikes.
Why does this person hate me?
Until now, she didn’t know, but now she thought she did.
She suddenly realized. Olivia Lanze’s reason. A realization more real than the knowledge that she was being selfish or what she was doing was wrong.
She didn’t want to lose that person.
She didn’t want to give up on Reinhardt.
Only then did Ellen realize she already knew why Olivia hated her.
It was for the same reason she hated this person.
She was afraid of being stolen from.
That’s why she hates her.
After realizing her own heart, Ellen realizes the emotions hidden in Olivia’s cold gaze.
It was fear.
“Are you scared of me?”
“…what?”
Just as she is afraid that this girl will take away Reinhardt, this girl is also afraid.
So she picks a fight, sneers, and thrashes about for no reason.
Olivia’s expression twisted at Ellen’s sudden words.
“Why would I be scared of you?”
The expression that lost its composure already says a lot.
Ellen realizes that she has hit the nail on the head.
She realizes that she does not hate her, but rather fears her.
“You’re graduating next year, senior.”
Time is against Olivia’s side. Olivia’s lips trembled in surprise at Ellen’s words.
“…I’m still going to attend Temple’s Graduate School though?”
“You still have to leave the dormitory.”
“….”
The face that she didn’t want to see won’t have to be seen from the year after next.
Meanwhile, she will continue to stay in the dorm with Reinhardt.
Olivia Lanze didn’t like that.
There was no need to get worked up. There was no need to take the other party’s provocations seriously.
Reinhardt has no choice but to stay by my side, not yours.
There’s no need to fight. I’ve already won, so why do I have to fight?
The one who wants to make me look ugly is you. There is no need to indulge in such behavior.
You can just watch from the sidelines..
I don’t know what you’re trying to make me acknowledge, but I don’t have to give in.
“A year is quite a long time, isn’t it?”
Olivia bites her lip, looking for something to say, and finally speaks in a trembling voice.
“Yes. Do your best.”
Ellen looks at Olivia with one corner of her mouth upturned.
It feels very satisfying.
But also, it feels like finally landing a punch after being punched repeatedly. No, it’s not just one punch, it’s realizing that the fight was one sided to begin with.
Olivia was finally losing her composure, her eyes were turning red.
She’s glaring at me while biting her lips.
She seemed angry.
No matter how much she scratches with words, she knows there’s an insurmountable gap.
What if Olivia Lanze was a classmate?
She couldn’t imagine it, but at least she was sure she couldn’t look at Olivia Lanze with this sense of superiority mixed with contempt that she was feeling right now.
Hypotheticals are meaningless.
Reinhardt will always be closer to her, even if he spends time with Olivia.
That won’t change.
“You do know that Reinhardt and I are in the same class?”
“Yes, but…”
A place where she can never enter.
A position she can only yearn for.
Since Ellen already had it, there’s no need to be angry at this person.
Just envy. Worthless jealousy.
Olivia glares at Ellen with bitten lips.
“If only you were born a little later.”
After leaving those words with a wry smile, Ellen passed by Olivia Lanze.
“You, you… you! You, really! You, really… really… this annoying…”
Olivia gaped her mouth and watched Ellen move further away.
After Ellen disappeared, Olivia’s eyes turned red, and she mumbled with her lips bitten.
“Oh no… I opened my mouth for no reason, and I couldn’t even say anything back…”
Olivia was so angry that she finally burst into tears.
Although she wondered why she had to have such an emotional fight, Ellen was feeling a type of refreshing satisfaction that she had never felt before. Even if she had hit Olivia Lanze with her fist, she would not have felt this way.
If only you were born a little later.
Olivia’s expression when she heard that was truly worth seeing. Not only did she feel like she had paid back everything she had received so far, but also she seemed like she wouldn’t care about anything that person said from now on.
Now that she knew why that person had been saying those things to her for no reason, it didn’t matter anymore.
It was all because she was too envious of her, and she could never take her place. It was all just a futile resistance.
Ellen, who had returned to the first year dormitory, walked down the hallway with light steps and met someone.
“Ellen. Did something good happen?”
“Ah, no… just…”
Ellen’s good mood sank again when she saw Harriet.
She didn’t want to let go of Harriett, and she didn’t want to let go of Reinhardt. So she clumsily tried to hold on to both.
You are selfish.
Olivia Lanze’s words resurfaced.
She didn’t want to ignore it because she wasn’t foolish enough to not understand it.
Harriet likes Reinhardt.
She didn’t want to think about it, but she knew it was true. Reinhardt always cared about Harriet.
If Reinhardt starts to like Harriet…
What should she do?
She didn’t want to be taken from like Olivia.
Likewise.
She didn’t want to take away from Harriet either.
It was too scary.
“Why are you like that, Ellen?”
Harriet asked kindly, tilting her head as if she was asking where it hurts.
“… No, nothing. I’m just a bit tired.”
“I’m going to study with Reinhardt, so you’ll head to your room then?”
Apparently, Harriet had a bunch of textbooks in her arms.
It seems like she was going to study for an exam. More precisely, she wants to see Reinhardt.
“What about the others?”
“They said they’re going to study their own majors, so if you don’t come, it’ll probably just be me and Reinhardt.”
Then they’ll be alone.
“I’ll go too.”
“Okay, bring your books. See you then.”
“Okay.”
Harriet walks towards the study hall, and Ellen watches her go.
She thought Olivia’s words wouldn’t affect her.
But thinking about Reinhardt being alone with her friend makes her feel uncomfortable.
“I…what should I do….”
Ellen realizes she’s already preparing to hate her friend.
Her steps back to the room to retrieve her textbooks were heavy.
Please report to us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!