I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind

But one cannot simply give up without even trying.

I headed towards Raymon.

"Keke, Raymon. Are you feeling better from your injuries?"

"Ah... Yes. I'm, I'm much better now."

"That's good to hear."

Awkward silence.

The conversation hardly continued.

It seemed like he wanted to talk to me, but he just kept opening and closing his mouth without saying anything.

He really is extremely shy.

I would probably be rejected anyway, but if I keep trying, maybe he'll eventually become my friend?

"Keke, Raymon. Would you like to be my friend?"

"Ye... Yes? Su, Sure. Let's, let's be friends."

[You have satisfied the quest condition.]

[Make a Friend (1/3).]

What? Just like that, we're friends?

And this condition requires one to truly think of the other as a friend to clear it.

Raymon really accepted me as a real friend.

The system's judgment confirmed it.

Turns out, he’s quite a nice guy, isn’t he?

From now on, he's not just 'Your Raymon', he's 'Our Raymon'! (TL Note: Basically, he may be a piece of shit, but he's OUR piece of shit)

"Keke, maybe I was the one with the prejudice."

"Me, I don't have any such thing. We, well, it's true that Zero's face looks a bit strange, but...!"

"...?"

"Fi, Fight on! You can live just fine even with such an appearance!"

"..."

"Fi, Fighting!!"

Raymon, with his fists tightly clenched, was genuinely cheering me on.

Watching him, my eyes welled up involuntarily.

Forget what I said before.

This.

Your Raymon, indeed.

* * *

Before I knew it, lunchtime arrived.

After lightly reviewing what I learned today, I headed to the cafeteria for a somewhat late lunch.

By now, most students would have left, so there should be plenty of seats available.

‘No need to rush my meal. There are no classes this afternoon anyway.’

The teaching style at Annwood Academy was different from typical middle and high schools.

In the morning, the advanced class attended lessons together, but in the afternoon, students chose their own classes.

This autonomous approach to education was preferred.

Kind of like a college system, perhaps?

‘Well, it was a necessary choice for the progression of the game, I guess.’

The protagonists are busy saving the world, after all.

If they filled both morning and afternoon with classes, there would be no time to grow, let alone encounter the forces of evil.

That's why I didn't sign up for afternoon classes either.

Apart from the morning and the once or twice a week advanced class in the afternoon, I had a schedule as relaxed as a fourth-year college student.

‘Today's dish is an omelet. Excellent.’

Yellow egg perfectly enveloping the fried rice.

Homemade demi-glace sauce.

I marveled at the perfect appearance of the omelet, shining brilliantly.

Just as I was about to carefully taste a corner with my spoon, someone sat down in front of me. The person who chose the same omelet as me was... None other than Luna.

"Wasn't today's class fun? To find a class fun... Isn't it really different here at Annwood Academy?"

"..."

"Can you show me your timetable? Let's compare. I mean, I'm not trying to match classes, but you might have picked something I wanted to attend."

Luna chattered on as she pulled out her schedule.

She talked a lot even without a response.

"Luna."

"Huh?"

Luna looked at me with an innocent face.

I dug deeply into the center of the omelet with my spoon.

If this were a living creature, this might be where its heart is.

"Keke, you haven't made any friends yet, right?"

"...What, what did you say!?"

Luna, as if stabbed in the heart, suddenly stood up, flaring up.

From her reaction, it was clear that Luna hadn't made even a single friend today.

'Tsk, tsk, I wonder if there is anyone willing to put up with that prickly personality?'

Luna, who was actually quite tender-hearted on the inside, a classic tsundere.

But the ones around her are just fifteen-year-old kids.

From the first meeting, no one would want to be friends with a grumbling Luna.

"What about you! You don't have any friends either!"

"Keke, I have been friends with Raymon for a long time. We even became best friends in just one day."

"Best friends...? That's what you think!"

"Well, it could be. But Luna, don't you have not even one friend? Keke, oh dear. I guess I'm better off."

Luna trembled with rage.

A friend is a friend, even if it's just one. There was no denying my words.

'You should have agreed when I asked you to be friends this morning.'

Moreover, when I started to review instead of going to lunch, Luna pretended to be asleep and waited.

'As soon as I headed to the cafeteria, she followed me, trailing behind.'

If she showed her cute side outwardly, she would make friends in no time.

"My, my family values friends so much that we would give up everything for them! That's, that's why I'm just being cautious!"

"Oh, really?"

"If I set my mind to it, becoming friends with everyone is a piece of cake!"

"Is that so."

"Yes! Of course I can!"

"Yes, you keep saying that, don’t you? Let's continue eating then. Luna, who will soon have lots and lots of friends."

"Hey! I'm serious!!"

Luna's eyes welled up.

This is going according to plan. After the whipping, it's time for the carrot.

'In fact, I wanted to be friends with you before someone like Raymon. If I cajole you gently saying that...'

Hmph, just this once, I will honorably be your friend! Know your luck!

Wouldn't she agree to be friends if I said the same thing?

In this urgent situation, she would have no choice but to accept me as a friend in her heart.

Just when I was about to execute my final plan.

Beep-beep-beep! Beep!

"Unhealthy romantic relationships are grounds for demerits!"

Someone approached, blowing a whistle vigorously.

The disciplinary badge on their left arm.

Today, too, Rodelin, the vice-president of the student council, was in perfect attire with her immaculate ponytail and well-pressed uniform.

"Zero, it's nice to see you here."

"Keke, I'm glad to see you too."

"As a welcome to your enrollment, I'll award you 1 point of merit and 1 point of demerit."

Rodelin smiled faintly.

1-1=0. The miracle of balanced merits and demerits.

Well, for the trouble I caused, this is a small price to pay.

"Keke, wouldn't it be okay to waive the demerit? I mean, I am a junior, after all."

"It's fortunate I didn't give additional demerits. Unhealthy romantic relationships are sufficient grounds for demerits."

"Un, unhealthy romantic relationships! Me, with this guy!?"

Luna interjected, flaring up.

Hmm, this doesn't feel good.

"Hmm, weren’t you in a romantic relationship? My apologies. You seemed so close I misunderstood. Well, I'll correct it to close friends then."

"Who, who would be friends with this guy!!"

Bang!

Luna's punch sent the food on the tray flying.

She angrily tidied up her spot and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Darn, I never expected to be interrupted by Rodelin.

Rodelin tilted her head, watching her go.

Getting furious just because she said we were close friends.

For Rodelin, this must be an incomprehensible situation.

"Hmm... Did I make a mistake?"

"Keke, no, it's just that the child has a bit of a unique personality. Don't worry about it."

"But..."

Rodelin looked in the direction Luna had disappeared, ready to follow and clear up the misunderstanding.

But it would be problematic if the two got close.

That's my sl... no, my party member.

‘Cleanup.’

With a handkerchief in hand, I activated the [Cleanup] skill, and my body began to move on its own.

I collected the food scattered on the table and gathered it into one corner of the tray.

Then, I slightly dampened the handkerchief, wiped the table, and turned it over to absorb the moisture.

All these actions were part of a series of movements.

'This is convenient.'

When I activate the skill with the right tool, my body moves automatically.

Though if I tried, it was possible to do it bare-handed.

The difference was it took more time, and the results were less satisfying.

Anyway, the quickly tidied table was enough to catch Rodelin's attention.

It even shone brightly, enough to reflect our faces.

"Remarkable. Zero, would you like to take care of the cafeteria cleaning for a year? I will award you 1 point for that."

"Keke, just 1 point? That's rather stingy of you."

"If you do well, I might even promote you to head of sanitation. Using one's abilities to serve the academy, that's what a true student does!"

Rodelin's eyes blazed.

Yes, I politely decline. Just managing the party is headache enough for me.

It was at that moment.

"Demon! Demon!"

"Gaah!!"

"What, what's that!"

The students in the cafeteria cringed.

It was because a parrot, the size of an adult man's palm, had burst into the cafeteria.

What was peculiar was that about half of its body was black. Even one of its eyes was darkened.

The parrot circled the ceiling, continuously spouting strange words.

"Demon! Danger! Demon! Protect!"

"What, what is that?"

"Freshmen, don't worry about it and eat your food. You'll see it often from now on."

"Keke, say hello and eat. It's senior to you guys."

Looking closely, only the freshmen had shrunk back.

The older students ate their food as if nothing was amiss.

It meant they were familiar with this situation.

Well, I was no different.

"Zero, aren't you surprised? It's your first time seeing something like that, isn't it?"

"Keke, actually, I was quite surprised. It's my first time seeing a parrot that praises the devil."

"A parrot that praises the devil... Now that you mention it, it does seem that way."

Rodelin continued her explanation.

"It's both a mascot and a spirit of our academy."

It's been here even before I arrived, during the time of the seniors, and even before that.

"It seems it has been staying here for at least 20 years, according to the seniors."

"Wow, that's fascinating. It could have flown away, but it didn't."

"Exactly. And the average lifespan of that species is about 15 years. Yet it's still alive, so it rightly deserves to be called a spirit. Isn't that interesting?"

A spirit?

In truth, I could tell even from afar. The parrot wasn't in great condition.

Rough breathing, a slightly broken beak, feathers missing here and there, one eye bulging out.

It was evidence that its life was slowly fading away.

"There must be a reason for it. A reason it has to keep living."

Rodelin gazed at me thoughtfully.

Why is she looking at me like that? It makes my heart race.

"...Fascinating. I thought the same. One of my goals before graduating is to uncover that reason and set that spirit free."

I actually knew.

The reason why the parrot cried out like that, why it struggled to keep living.

And what it desired.

I knew all too well.

'But I can't tell her that.'

In fact, that parrot is a hidden piece.

It's even the key to one of the top three overpowered skills in 'Hero of the Academy'.

'Should I call it a guide bird?'

Anyway, as pitiful as it is, there's nothing I can do right now.

It's because it's a hidden piece that requires quite high specs.

A hidden piece that's only possible after Episode 3 at least.

So for now, I must be satisfied with just marking my territory.

"The freshmen often make a fuss, and I've seen them get bullied. They manage to avoid trouble on their own... But still, if they fall into a crisis, give them a hand."

"Keke, understood."

"Thanks. Now, I must be going. I have to patrol."

Huh? Wait, she's just leaving like this?

My prey... No, Luna, who will become my friend, just got chased away?

That won't do. At least you should become my friend.

"Keke, there was something I wanted to consult about... What a pity."

"Hm? What is it. Listening to a junior's concerns is also a senior's duty. Feel free to speak."

"It's not something to discuss here... Please follow me for a moment."

"Hmm! A confidential and important consultation, I see. That's my specialty."

After returning the tray, I stepped out of the cafeteria.

Leading the way, I guided Rodelin to a secluded spot.

The naive girl followed me, unaware of anything.

'This should be far enough.'

Behind the cafeteria. A deserted, shadowy, and secluded spot.

It was just the right place for a consultation(?).

--TL Notes--

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