“E-em, I am sorry”
Miss Charlotte shifted her eyes down in fear and apologised.
Seeing her apologise, the girls standing beside Miss Katrina knitted her brows.
“Charlotte-san, you did not even look at Katrina-sama when she was talking, that’s so rude.”
Her mole under her left eye, her wavy pale brown hair, her shapely nose coupled with her bewitching voice accentuated her appeal.
If I remember correctly, that attractive girl was Miss Sarome. She was also from the Gwyna.s.sus territory just like Miss Katrina and Miss Charlotte. She was the daughter of a Knight Earl and isn’t a mage, just a normal student like me.
In the one in ten thousand chance that I become friends with Miss Charlotte, if it is possible, I want to become closer to her during the fifth period when we are in a different cla.s.sroom.
I sent an intense glance to her stealthily.
“That will do, Sarome-san. It seems like she still has problem with the language, saying anything to her at this point is just futile. It is uncertain if she actually understands what we are saying.”
And then, Miss Katrina went on and on with her harsh words on Miss Charlotte.
Recently, Miss Katrina has been preoccupied with Miss Charlotte. She spoke at length with her during break time.
I wonder what her aim was. I think if she wanted to be her friend, she could have treated her more kindly but that’s coming from me who is stuck at level 1 in making friends. Perhaps, being that aggressive was the way to go.
As I pondered, my intense laser eyes were still being transmitted to them and finally, Miss Sarome caught sight of me.
Kya!
Miss Sarome flinched for some unknown reason and while holding onto Miss Katrina arm, she seemed to be whispering to her. Next, Miss Katrina looked at me.
Kya!
Our eyes met one another. Her clique was at the top of the hierarchy among the freshmen. Since I made eye-contact at her who has such exceptional people-relations skills, maybe a friend invitation would come right now!
As I continued to harbour expectations, Miss Katrina made a stoic expression and hand in hand with Miss Sarome, they walked to seats further away from me.
Why!?
While the reality that I did not even qualify for the preliminaries was hammering down in my head, I faced downwards and engaged in a staring contest with the desk.
Weird. It’s weird that my friend-making skills were unbelievably low. Adding up my previous lifespan, I easily exceed 20 years of age and yet I have yet to figure the way to make female friends.
Even when I was at Garigari village, when I was before girls, I became stiff and frozen. It appears that I somehow had become a precocious girl, and got cold feet.
As I sighed, I looked at Alan who was seating beside me. He was happily chatting with Ritz-kun. Even Alan had been able to make a friend and as for me……
However, Alan can be considered my friend, right? He is more of a stalker rather than a friend or more like, he is totally a stalker but, strictly speaking, he can be seen as my friend. Still, I think treating friends as sloppily like how Alan does is not good. They are girls after all.
I mean, up until now, to me, I have varied my way of interacting with people depending if they are of lower rank (Alan) or of higher rank (Cain-sama, Kou-okaasan, Boss, Irene-san and other adults). But if it was someone of equal standing, I am unclear on how to behave and act.
How does everybody make friends so easily I wonder? I regret dearly on neglecting relations with friends in my previous life.
*
“Don’t dwell so deeply into it, if you want some friends then just say so! It’s Ryou-chan’s bad habit to worry endlessly to yourself and making a.s.sumptions. Why are you indecisive about it huh~”
After cla.s.ses, I had managed to shake off Alan. Currently, I am having dinner as a family without any outsiders and opening my heart to Kou-okaasan about my predicament.
She ruthlessly replied to the cowardly me.
“But, I am not sure if it is okay to just talk to them like that”
I said while losing my nerve. Kou-okaasan let out a huge sigh.
“Anything is okay. Did you even try to properly greet them? Also, you could compliment their hairstyle or just talk about anything that comes to mind.”
Greetings huh……speaking of which, the only acquaintances I have are Alan and Cain-sama. B-but, I don’t know if I my greeting would sound strange and when I hesitate like that, I miss my timing to greet them…...
Says me who continue to find excuses.
If I really must say, so far, I have only been pa.s.sively trying to make friends and it seems impossible to make any friends at this rate so I began to seriously consider Kou-okaasan’s advice to start a conversation with others.
“I will try to talk to them this time. ……Still, it is very bizarre. That it is not proceeding as per planned. Under normal circ.u.mstances, most of the girls should be charmed by me and would form infinitely long queues from my seat, waiting for their turn. That should have happened. I was all ready to deal with them one by one, and judge them each with grace and refinement. That was the plan.”
“R,Ryou-chan, what made you think like that?”
“I mean, I took great care of my hair and made it dazzling and all. Upon seeing it, the other girls should all be flocking to me and asking me how I did it – as though they were ants pleading for sweets. Also, I am smart so they should also be asking me for help in studies, swarming me just like how the flies do too.”
“W-wha, you look down on girls who attend school! In fact, you casually made a fool of them with all those similes! Where have I gone wrong with your upbringing!”
Kou-okaasan grieved like the painting, “The Scream”.
“Hehe, I was joking. I will try harder. Thank you for hearing me out, Kou-okaasan.”
I said and laughed embarra.s.singly. Kou-okaasan was like, “This child really!” and stroked my head.
Well, that wasn’t completely a lie, but I had expected that with my potential, even if I stayed pa.s.sive, I should have been able to make many friends! Ehehehe!
“I think it won’t do any good to say too much but Ryou-chan entered school through special circ.u.mstances, and it could be that the other children are cautious of you. I believe once they know that Ryou-chan is a wonderful child, they would naturally make friends with you, so please, try to talk to them ok?”
I nodded with a great amount of effort, and enjoyed the rest of the dinner time with Kou-okaasan slowly.
After being satisfied with dinnertime, the sun had already set and it was about time to return to the dorm. Time to prepare for going back.
I really wished we were living together……it was now a problem of time before I could visit the library and not be able to go to Kou-okaasan’s place during then.
I shuddered as I held this thought while opening the door at the entranceway.
“Ah, Ryou, going back now? Let’s go together.”
From the dimly-lit and gloomy outside, the stalking boy Alan was on stand-by.
I quietly shut the door.
What was that, an illusion? I saw something like Alan but how could it be.
I-i-impossible.
If it wasn’t figure of Alan outside the door, then don’t tell me……Mary-san? A monster that was said to appear and vanish sporadically in my previous world.
There was a chance that Mary-san was delivering a letter which says, “I am right at the front of your house now!” to the mailbox! Still, Mary-san, using a letter won’t bring out that kind of realism y’know!?
“What is it? Ryou-chan?”
Just as soon as I opened the door, I shut the door. Kou-okaasan questioned my irrational actions.
“O-outside, there is a Mary-san……”
I muttered. Immediately after, from the door in question, “Donk donk” knocking sounds came!
No way! Creepy!
Leaving the jittering me by the side, Kou-okaasan placed her hand on the door k.n.o.b and opened it.
“Ara, you are from before……! You must be Alan-kun, am I right?”
She was a.s.suming an Onee tone for the first half but quickly changed back to a male style while confirming the person at the door.
“h.e.l.lo. I am here to pick Ryou up.”
Alan responded braggingly.
Darn, A-alan’s stalking level is dangerously high.
Had I been followed? Was he waiting outside the whole time?
Involuntarily, I thought about Mary-san who was most renowned in the stalking realm for a fleeting moment.
Rather than bothering about making friends and all, I need take care of this guy as soon as possible. I have a feeling that it would get too dangerous later.
No, wait, it has already gotten that dangerous!