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Chapter 62: Everyone's Acting Weird Now That I Have a Girlfriend

I found myself face-to-face with Sharin.

Isabel, who was watching us, had an inexplicable annoyance in her eyes.

What should I do in this situation?

"...I didn’t do anything special."

That’s my excuse.

Right now, my right eye carries the remnants of an ancient dragon.

Since I had no one else to ask for help, I approached Sharin.

But the fewer people who know about the remnants of the ancient dragon, the better.

So, as I made my excuse, Isabel's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"I’ve been wondering for a while now..."

Isabel looked at the two of us with a peculiar expression.

"What exactly is the relationship between you two?"

Ever since Sharin and I teamed up for a group event, Isabel had been harboring doubts about our relationship.

Isabel is Sharin’s close friend.

I, on the other hand, am Isabel’s rival.

So it’s natural for Isabel to question why Sharin and I are close.

When Isabel asked her question, Sharin and I looked at each other.

If you’re asking what our relationship is...

"We’re... a couple who’s promised a future together!"

Before I could respond, Sharin beat me to it.

Since I had already decided to reveal my identity after the academy affairs were settled, it’s true that we’ve promised a future of sorts.

But putting it like that...

"W-What?!"

See?

Isabel was utterly flustered.

She stared at the two of us in a daze.

Sharin, on the other hand, looked triumphant, as if she had explained everything perfectly.

What’s she so smug about?

She’s asking to get flicked on the forehead.

"But they said you’re dating Hania..."

So Isabel heard the rumors too.

I’m dating Hania, yet I’ve promised a future with Sharin.

Even the most notorious playboys would pale in comparison.

For some reason, Isabel’s expression looked deflated.

Sharin also observed Isabel with a peculiar gaze.

Then Sharin turned her glance toward me.

"Hannon, are you really dating Hania?"

At her next question, Isabel’s shoulders twitched.

"Really dating her??"

"Of course. It doesn’t seem like Hannon would genuinely date anyone."

Why do they treat me like someone incapable of love?

Well, I suspect the Veil Bandages might have dulled my emotions.

It’s just a vague guess, but considering I feel nothing even when surrounded by beautiful people, it seems likely.

‘Am I... emotionally impaired?’

It’s a bitter thought, but I can fix it later.

I wasn’t too concerned about it.

And it seemed Sharin was aware of this part of me.

They say women are more sensitive to how men look at them.

She must’ve noticed that my gaze lacked any romantic intent.

"I am dating her."

Isabel’s shoulders twitched again.

Her eyes wavered intensely.

Her reaction was bigger than expected.

Sharin furrowed her brows slightly, tilting her head as if unaware of her own response.

"Then what’s this about promising a future with Sharin?"

At that moment, Isabel sharply pointed out Sharin’s earlier comment.

For some reason, she was glaring at me with a cold expression.

"Isabel, I think you’ve misunderstood something."

"Misunderstood? What? What exactly did I misunderstand?!"

Isabel shouted.

Her eyes were filled with deep disappointment.

It was as if she had thought, I at least believed you were a decent person.

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

Come to think of it, I had been neglecting Isabel a bit while focusing on Nikita’s matter recently.

Well, Nikita’s issue has been settled.

She exited the scenario safely, so I don’t need to worry about her for now.

‘At least until Act 4 begins.’

It’s time to pay more attention to Isabel.

"Alright."

I decided to use this opportunity to stoke her competitive spirit as my rival.

"Think whatever you want."

When it comes to Hania, it might not matter, but since her friend Sharin is involved, Isabel stormed toward us and grabbed Sharin’s wrist.

Her eyes were full of disdain.

"Don’t you dare mess with my friend like that."

"How is it messing with her if she said it herself?"

"Sharin is pure and innocent!"

Sharin?

Innocent?

I glanced at Sharin, who was being dragged away by Isabel.

She yawned lazily, looking like she was getting sleepy again.

There’s no way I could agree with the notion that Sharin is innocent.

"You’ve really let me down."

"I’m surprised there was any room left for disappointment."

"...You’re just like Card."

Oh no.

Out of everything, this was the last thing I wanted to hear, but Isabel dragged Sharin away without hesitation.

Sharin waved her hand casually, saying we’d meet again.

How carefree.

That’s so like her.

"...Am I really just like Card?"

And so, I was left stunned by another blow.

Sure, being seen with two women might resemble a playboy’s behavior.

But being compared to Card?

That comment left me utterly dazed.

"The maids were saying something odd, so I came to see. What are you up to?"

At that moment, Hania appeared.

Apparently, she overheard the maids’ gossip while preparing for school.

The maids are notoriously quick with spreading news.

Hania glanced behind me.

"I saw Isabel and Sharin running off earlier. Did you confess and get rejected or something?"

"...If anything, I was the one who got scolded."

Suddenly, I felt irritated.

I should go beat Card later.

"Anyway, Iris and I will be coming out soon, so wait out front."

"Wait? For what?"

She gave me a look that said, What do you mean, for what?

"Couples should go to school together in the morning. Isn’t that obvious?"

If we’re going to act like a couple, we might as well do it properly.

That was so like Hania.

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* * *

Morning on the Way to School

As I walked to school that morning, I could hear even more whispers than usual.

In front of me were two people.

On the far left, Iris, who wasn’t a morning person, was slumping.

And in the center, Hania was hugging Iris’s arm.

Finally, on the far right...

I was holding hands with Hania.

Have I ever walked hand in hand with a girl like this in my life?

I don’t think so.

It feels... strange.

Hania was holding my hand but didn’t even glance in my direction.

Her entire focus was on the arm she had wrapped around Iris.

There was no life in her right hand, as if I were holding the root of a tree.

Honestly, even that might feel livelier.

But of course, no one else knew the full story.

So, to the other students, we looked unmistakably like a couple.

"Did she get blackmailed or something?"

"Why would Hania date someone like that?"

"She’s way too good for that thunder brat."

Most students sympathized with Hania while looking at me with scorn.

It seemed like they were upset that someone as popular as Hania was dating me.

After the long, long walk to school, we arrived at the martial arts class.

The eyes of the students who had arrived earlier turned to us instantly.

Each one of them had a shocked expression.

They had been skeptical, but now the rumors had turned into reality.

It was only natural for them to react that way.

One person had the most dramatic reaction.

Sitting in her usual seat, Seron stared at me with a face full of disbelief.

Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide with shock.

For some reason, that look was annoying.

As I instinctively started walking toward Seron, Hania pulled on my hand.

“Where are you going?”

“I was just going to my seat.”

“Why would you do that? Have you ever seen a couple sit separately?”

“Well...”

I wouldn’t know.

I’ve never been in a relationship.

But Hania’s eyes were dead serious.

“From now on, sit next to me.”

She wasn’t about to back down.

It seemed like she was determined to make Vice Professor Barkov quit once and for all.

In the end, I had no choice but to be dragged along by Hania.

Iris, now fully awake from our walk, had regained her usual composed and elegant demeanor.

With Iris sitting inside, Hania and I took seats on either side of her.

Meanwhile, Seron, still shocked, kept glancing over at us.

Her expression, however, had begun to falter.

Seron had been somewhat of a loner in the martial arts class.

And now, her only ally—me—was suddenly in a relationship with Hania.

In other words, she was left all alone.

“Uh, uh...”

Like a lost puppy, Seron looked utterly helpless.

I watched her for a moment before whispering to Hania.

“Hania, can I call Seron over?”

“Seron?”

Hania glanced at Seron and, after piecing things together, let out a sigh.

“Fine. We can’t ruin your relationships on top of everything else, especially since Hannon’s side is helping.”

Thankfully, Hania was quite understanding.

“But don’t act too lovey-dovey in front of everyone, okay?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Aren’t you two dating? You’re always together.”

Not at all.

I wish she wouldn’t say things that make my blood boil.

“Seron.”

I called Seron over, suppressing the mild headache building up.

Her eyes widened, and she ran toward us with a bright expression.

It felt like calling a pet dog and having it run to you.

“Don’t just sit by yourself. Come sit next to me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Seron’s face lit up as she cheerfully sat beside me, pulling out a book from her bag.

She even hummed a tune, clearly in a great mood.

“……Even like that?”

Hania whispered, but I ignored her.

Soon after, the martial arts professor, Vaga, entered the room with her usual hungover expression.

She looked around at the class and began to speak.

“By now, you’ve all heard about the Summer Demon Dungeon incident.”

The Summer Demon Dungeon Incident.

Vice President Nikita Cynthia had personally attacked the Third Princess.

The empire was turned upside down because of it.

The Third Princess’s faction was demanding accountability and trying to bring down House Cynthia.

But the First Prince’s faction wasn’t about to let that happen.

They countered by accusing the Third Princess’s faction of ordering the assassination of Nia Cynthia,

arguing that Nikita’s attack on the princess was retaliation for that.

The two factions were now biting each other’s throats.

“Because of this, Nikita Cynthia has been removed as Vice President, leaving the position vacant.”

And so, the scenario began unfolding as I had anticipated.

“After the summer break, we’ll elect a new Vice President. Even second-years can apply, so if you’re interested, make sure to submit your name.”

Several students' eyes gleamed with interest at the mention of a vacant Vice President seat.

The Vice President position at Zerion Academy carried significant weight, especially among the noble students, who valued prestige.

“Vice President, huh. Iris, wouldn’t it be great if you took the position ahead of becoming President?”

At that moment, Hania suggested Iris as a candidate.

Iris didn’t seem opposed to the idea.

She had likely already been encouraged by the Duke of Robliage to take the role.

‘As expected, things are progressing according to the main storyline.’

Iris would likely use this opportunity to shake up the Student Council, replacing its members with her own people.

“Vice President, huh.”

Seron rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Watching her, I remarked casually:

“You should give up before you embarrass yourself.”

“...Who said I was going to run?”

Her face fell slightly, betraying her expectations.

“More importantly, Hannon.”

Suddenly, Hania called out to me.

“You know you’re coming with us during the summer break, right?”

Wait, what?

I didn’t know that.

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