I’m Not Doing This With A Friend

When something bad happened to them, I wanted to clap my hands and congratulate them. However, thanks to this, bad rumors have sprung up to me.

A strange rumor has been spreading about me, that if someone touches me it would lead to ruin of their house.

I didn't have any friends, but because of the rumor, even those who sometimes talked to me out of curiosity have disappeared.

"I'm also here, Leen."

Hearing the voice calling my name, I shove aside what I was thinking.

Looking at Fjord, the owner of the voice, he looks so proud of what he had just said.

Yes, you were there, too.

"Thank you."

After hearing my innocent ‘thank you', Carsion's glances flared, and he began to stare at Fjord fiercely.

Like a child who lost his favorite toy.

"I don't need you, so shut up… No, just stick quietly in the corner."

"What? Why are you arguing all of a sudden? What did I do?’’

"Yes, you didn't do anything, so for Leen, your presence was as good as that of an ant."

Fjord was a little angry at Carsion's provocation, but he took the childish remark and replied with the same childishness.

“You were just giving Leen a gift she didn't need. What did you actually do? In fact, Leen also thinks of you like her 162nd hair?"

"If I were 162nd, you'd be the 10,000th."

"Then you're the 100,000th."

Carsion's eyebrows frowned.

"You are the 10-millionth."

“Then you're the 100 millionth time."

"The trillionth time."

"The second to the last."

"You're the fifth"

"Both of you stop!"

I intervened in a fight that was becoming as childish as the increasingly exponential number.

There can't be so many hairs on a person's head in the first place.

"…infinitely."

I told you to stop, Fjord.

"I told you to stop. What's the big deal about the order?"

"It's important."‘

It was Carsion that said it was important.

“It's an important issue for me, Leen.”

Carsion's serious expression was a little strange and unfamiliar because he was always shy or smiling in front of me.

Why are you getting serious about nothing?

"Leen. What am I to you?"

As I turned to look Carsion in the eyes, and said as if this was obvious.

"What are you? A ‘friend' of course."

"… It seems that there was too much emphasis on useless things."

Carsion lowered his eyebrows with a very sullen face.

"I'll change the question. On which number do I rank for you?"

I don't think it's a very promising ranking.

It was only me, the only one who seriously answered these questions. I have to play some jokes on him.

“If I had to rank you, wouldn't you be in a similar ranking to my 27th eyelash?”

"What?"

Carsion couldn't talk for a long time, as if he was shocked by my answer.

He just looks at me with his mouth wide open and surprised eyes.

You don't think I mean what I said.

"…Really, Leen?"

But strangely enough,

Really, strangely enough, Carsion's cheeks slowly began to glow pink.

"I didn't know you thought of me that way."

He smiled shyly, lowering his eyes as if he was embarrassed.

What? You're happy with this… ?

It's not even my 27th favorite, and if it's a ranking similar to my '27th eyelash', it doesn't even have a presence?

This was an unexpected reaction.

I winked at Fjord, who had been fighting with Carsion so far, asking him to do something with this situation.

But Fjord was so busy looking at Carsion in disgust that he couldn't recognize my wink.

Looking at him now, I could clearly see a goose bump on his arm.

I'm sorry I tried to ask you to do something when you're in shock, Fjord.

But wasn't it cute? You're having such a disgusted expression.

I playfully pulled up the corners of my lips.

"Are you just satisfied with that level, Caon? What I just said was a joke, obviously."

"What?"

He looked at me, blinking his eyes, as if asking me what I was talking about.

Look at that. How cute.

After a little while, I said something as a lip service.

"You are a friend who can't be ranked.'’

It wasn't really wrong because only Carsion and Fjord were the only ones who I could call as friends.

"Thank you, but…"

Carsion hesitated and avoided my gaze.

I didn't expect this kind of reaction from Carsion.

"Rather than a friend, that, uh…"

No,don't tell me…

"You don't mean, you want to be more than a friend, do you?"

"No ! I never wanted to date you, I didn't even think of marrying you at all!"

Aside from dating, marriage seems to have gone too far?

But soon I wiped out my embarrassment and made eye contact with him, drawing a smile on my face.

"You know you're the only ones I could call as friends. Would you keep being my friend, Caon?"

I wrapped it up like a saying, "Let's stay close to each in the future," but it was words to draw a line.

Carsion read that I drew a line and his expression hardened.

"…you could make another friend."

"But no one wants to be my friend, they don’t want to be close to me."

"It might happen soon."

"No way."

I had a feeling that Carsion's brain flicker ideas would be true for some reason, even if I spoke negative words.

And the next day. I found out that the feeling was correct.

* * *

After finishing regular classes and club activities, I came into the dormitory and saw someone was unpacking.

She was a girl who seemed a couple of years older than me.

I knew I'd have a roommate someday because the dorm was a room for two people, but…

Still, I didn't know it would happen suddenly like this. I know that freshmen and transfer students are not accepted during the semester.

Did she just change rooms? Not a new student?

"Oh, my God! You're more adorable than I thought, aren't you?"

As soon as she found me coming through the door, she started running around holding my hand. It was as if I had met a friend whom I haven't seen for ten years in a long time.

Her short, wheat-colored hair kept going up and down as she jumped in front of my eyes.

"You're so pretty!"

"…who?"

“Oh! I haven't introduced myself! Hello, I'm Jane, I'll be your roommate starting today!"

"Yes, hello Jane."

When she heard my greeting, she opened her eyes wide, letting go of my hand from her grip.

“Ah, just talk comfortably with me no worries!”

"Jane could also talk comfortably with me."

“How dare I!”

"Dare?"

“Well, it's… So, it's kind of like talking to someone I've never met before to talk comfortably, I'm a bit shy… ! haha."

As soon as she first saw me, this person who held my hands and jumped in front of me became shy… ?

Those words and her actions earlier didn't match at all, but I was glad that her personality wasn't bad.

In the future, whether we like it or not, we'll have to stay together for quite some time.

"It doesn't matter if you continue to be respectful, but if you keep it that way, I would continue to be respectful to you as well."

"Tha- that's"

"I'm going keep it, won't it be convenient to talk informally?"

"But…"

"Sometimes the informal way of talking looks more friendly."

"Huh."

Her eyes shook when she heard that the informal speech looked more friendly. It seemed to show her swaying heart.

"Maybe it's easier to get closer."

"I actually thought informal speech was good from the beginning, Leen."

Jane's attitude changed 180 degrees as if she was hit by a counter at the last word. She seems to be a person with thin ears.

(N: Thin Ears- idiomatic expression, to be easily influenced by other people’s opinions, to easily believe what others say)

Wait, did I ever tell you my name?

Oh, Did you see my name tag?

While I was thinking, I peeked at what Jane was wearing.

The name tag could distinguish the grade by color other than the name. But Jane was not wearing a school uniform, so I don't know what grade she was in.

"This may be rude, Jane. What grade are you in?"

"Excuse me! I'm in the same senior 1st grade as you."

"Really? You were in the same grade as me."

She looked mature, so I thought she would be in a higher grade than me.

I scratched my head and smiled at her, I was embarrassed for thinking she was older.

Jane smiled quietly at me like that. She seemed to notice what I was thinking.

"I went to the first semester of senior year and took a break from school for a while due to family circumstances. But I got a good chance to return to school. Oh yes? So I'm two years older than you.'’

"Good chance?"

“That's a secret!”

Jane grinned as she took her index finger to her lips.

"I thought that it was too late since the semester started, but I had already attended the first semester, so I got permission. What I haven't been able to attend for a few weeks after school started had been replaced by what I've attended before."

"Ahh…"

"Leen, how did you end up…’’

Jane suddenly stopped talking and began rolling her eyes with an open mouth. She seems to have said something she shouldn't. It looks like something was wrong with her.

"…I don't know if it happened, but let's get along anyway!"

"What?"

“Oh, it's nothing.”

"Have you heard rumors that if you touch me, your house would be ruined?"

"What? Who believes that crap?"

"Everyone seemed to believe it."

"Leen, they touched something they shouldn't have touched, not because of you. You didn't do anything wrong."

From what she said, Jane seemed to have heard the events and rumors surrounding me. She recently just entered the dormitory and when did you hear them?

But after all, she sided with me, so I wondered what she was like.

I felt like I had met a better person than I thought, so I laughed without realizing it.

"Yes. Thank you for telling me that. Take care of me, too, Jane."

* * *

From early in the morning, I heard some rustling sound and woke up. I got up from bed, yawning slowly.

Having a roommate wasn't always good.

"Oh, Leen, are you up? I'm sorry. I was a little noisy, wasn't I?

"It's okay. I just sleep all day on the weekend anyway."

As I looked at the clock, the hour hand was pointing to 11 o'clock. It's not even 12 o'clock yet, but she's very diligent.

As a result, I have to wake up in the afternoon on weekends.

Thinking so, I looked at Jane. What have you been doing since this early morning?

"…Well, uh, boss?"

"Yes, Leen!"

I lost the words to say at her bright reply.

Jane in my eyes, not the Jane I saw yesterday. She was the kind of person you'd run into in the dark back alley.

She opened her mouth carefully.

"…Are you already returning to the organization, brother?"