I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

“I see…☆ Freya as temporary class representative… Hm? No~ I’m fine with it—☆ It’s not like I want them to be destroyed or anything…♪ Not everyone participated in the fight because they wanted to—☆”

I held the phone on the opposite side due to sweat forming on my face. As early summer passed, hot winds began to blow in earnest.

Sunlight heating up the ether receiving telephone as large as a public phone. The academy city’s summer, dry but with scorching sunlight.

Summer had finally come here too.

“Yes, mm…☆ I see… So all the noble faction children are going to the outside world… Yes, no. I understand… It can’t be helped… Yes. Rather, it must have been harder for the side—♪”

I was in the middle of using the wired ether telephone in the corner of a repair shop in the shopping district, alternating hands like that.

The bell on the door behind me rang as a customer entered.

Ding-a-ling~

Grandfather Hua Tuo, the repair shop owner sitting in a chair far away, got up indifferently. He tossed the newspaper he was reading into a corner, dusted off his apron, and greeted:

“…Welcome.”

“I’d like to leave another coat for cleaning like last time…”

“Hand it over.”

The customer who entered looked at me indifferently and said:

“Is that young lady on the phone here again? Is she perhaps a part-timer here?”

“What part-timer. She’s just a student from around here.”

“Ah… I see.”

Perception…

The customer’s identity was a dwarf resident who always comes around 1 PM to leave his coat. He runs a small office in the neighboring shopping district.

‘I just realized, you can roughly know people’s backgrounds just by overhearing them pass by…’

Having received calls here for so long, I even got to know the faces of customers coming and going like this. Of course, they also came to remember me as the totem in front of the telephone.

‘Since he came right after lunch, about an hour must have passed again…’

As I glanced to the side and hesitantly received the call, Hilde spoke worriedly from across the phone. Then I continue the conversation to resolve those numerous worries.

“Yes, yes…☆ I know too… Hm? Past life? No, not that—♪ Somehow it feels like that~ That kind of story—☆”

The endlessly prolonging call.

Grandfather Hua Tuo’s gaze looking at me grew increasingly sharp. But just when I think I should wrap up the conversation~, new topics keep popping up.

“…I see. Lara, don’t worry too much about gender or identity. I love you including all of that. I can wait until you’re fully certain of your feelings.”

“…Yes☆ Thank you.”

“Anyway, various May events including midterms were canceled. The new opinion from the representatives of each school this time is for the united representatives to gather and have a meeting…”

Moreover, since it’s about the aftermath of the recent commotion, I can’t just tune it out. Talking on the phone with Hilde like this every day wasn’t just for sweet lovey-dovey talk.

It was also to properly divide our roles now that we both knew about this academy city and … and knowledge of the original work.

Honestly, thinking about future matters too-

I really want to put an ether telephone in the school, but…

‘Even if we try to put an ether telephone in the school, we’d have to do construction from scratch due to communication lines and base station locations… doesn’t have that much money yet, so we can’t even dream of such a thing.’

…A month after the incident.

As the strengthened juniors are actively exploring dungeons, the school’s financial situation has improved a lot. But there still wasn’t enough money to freely do facility construction.

If I tell Hilde about this now, she’d probably pay the installation costs even if she has to use her personal funds…

‘…I don’t want to burden Hilde more.’

Hilde was already shouldering numerous problems of the academy city alone.

I felt I was already burdening her enough just by her consideration allowing me to focus on what the [Three Heroes] left behind…

This was something I had to solve someday as a senior of .

‘No matter how I think about it, if I start relying financially on my lover… it becomes endless, and that’s really not okay…’

I’m afraid of becoming insensitive to requests myself. I didn’t want to become someone who cunningly takes advantage of Hilde’s love and the pretty filter’s shamelessness.

The sensibility of a working adult resurfacing after a long time.

I stopped twirling the phone cord with my finger and organized my thoughts.

“…”

We’ve already shared enough stories to share. Continuing the call like this would also be troublesome for grandfather Hua Tuo at the repair shop.

I decided to wrap up today’s regular contact appropriately. Just as I was about to hang up the phone after asking about each other’s well-being one last time…

“…”

“…”

…Hilde on the other end of the phone remained silent without hanging up. Her breathing seemed to be faintly holding expectation and waiting.

Hmm.

No matter how I look at it, it’s that.

It’s been a month since we became partners in fate and officially something akin to lovers. By now I’ve come to know the signs of when she’s about to act spoiled.

‘I thought she was just cool, but she’s surprisingly clingy and childish… It’s even scarier that she doesn’t say it openly.’

If I had formed more diverse human relationships in my past life, I could have caught more signals, but this alone was quite an innovative development for me.

“…”

I glanced around before doing a light farewell skinship.

Perception…

No matter how much I’m wearing a pretty girl skin and getting help from the pretty filter… it’s still an embarrassing sight to show others.

“…”

Coat Man and grandfather Hua Tuo finished their conversation and dispersed to their own business. Now there’s no one watching my actions in this area.

“Then…☆”

I brought my mouth to the phone like a sparrow sipping water. And I planted a kiss like stamping with my lips.

Smooch—☆

“…Let’s talk again—☆”

“…Yes.”

Click—

“…”

Honestly… Hilde’s sensibility of actively requesting such cheesy acts even knowing I’m a man who lived a full life in my past life… was scary in a way.

But well…

It’s not like my lips will wear out, so what’s wrong with indulging her?

After wiping the phone thoroughly, I approached grandfather Hua Tuo and said thank you.

“…”

Then grandfather Hua Tuo glanced at me and said:

“Are you dating?”

“Ow—☆”

Ah, busted—☆

But I never openly said I love you or anything on the phone…?

I even did skinship after confirming no one was around with my perception ability… Above all, I wiped the phone’s saliva thoroughly.

Grandfather Hua Tuo glanced at me slightly surprised, then soon shook his head while clicking his tongue.

“It shows, you brat. It all shows.”

“Oh my☆ Did you eavesdrop on a lady’s entire conversation—♪ That’s what very bad adults do~☆”

“I’ve long since stopped paying attention because of your constant chatter.”

“Oh my…☆”

Grandfather Hua Tuo waved his mechanical palm as if shooing away flies and said:

“Kuku… Your face, girl. Your face is different.”

“F-Face…?”

“The girl who always grinned openly without hiding anything is suddenly smiling shyly while trying to hide it, and it shows that you’re trying not to show your grinning. Kukuku…”

“Ahaha…☆”

Is that so?

At grandfather  Hua Tuo’s words, I suddenly rubbed my face with my palm…

Indeed.

I realized my mouth corners were slightly raised.

“…”

As I stroked my face hesitantly, grandfather Hua Tuo spoke in an indifferent tone:

“It’s a good time. So don’t feel burdened, and enjoy the good times. Clara.”

“…Ahaha☆ Thank you—☆”

“You’re a student before being a senior, aren’t you.”

“Thank… you…”

Grandfather Hua Tuo at the repair shop waving his hand.

I bowed my head deeply and sat on Red Hare parked in front of the store. Then I returned to school along the hill road of .

Ching—☆

“…”

Grandfather Hua Tuo’s final words kept coming to mind even on the way back.

* * *

Temporary office of the .

The student council main building that had survived [Snake of Wisdom and Cycles]’s attack was opened as a shelter for those who lost their place in Golden Street.

The executives were handling administrative work in a small borrowed office nearby. But thunderous sounds suddenly began resounding from the student council president’s room next to the office.

Rumble—

Rumble—

Rumble—

“…”

Bell, who was organizing mountains of documents, plugged her ears with cotton balls. As if this wasn’t the first time it happened, there was not a single unnecessary movement in that gesture.

“…”

Rumble—

Rumble—

Rumble—

Sounds resounding endlessly like unseasonable monsoon thunder. And Sieglinde’s ghost-wailing muttering right next to her as she organized documents together.

“The president… for the president to make such… such a face… How could… That pink-hair is really…!”

“…”

Bell remained silent even hearing those words through the cotton balls.

Though she and Sieglinde were the same age, she couldn’t understand such endless admiration for the boss. Isn’t the boss just a girl in her prime after all?

‘What on earth does she think the student council president is…’

Bell recalled the only sane person dispatched to while looking at the still quivering black wolf ears.

‘Sister Erda… Why on earth did you throw the vice president position to such a muscle-brained wolf… Thanks to that, I’m the only one who can work.’

Bell sighed and recalled the situation in the eastern region, which had now been completely reorganized centered on .

‘When I was alone outside, it was leisurely and nice.’

More precisely, she was longing for the situation at the eastern garrison that had now completely passed under ’s jurisdiction. Being the head of the snake then was freer and better than being the tail of the dragon now.

“Haah…”

Bang—!

Matching Bell’s sigh, the student council president’s room in the temporary office opened. At that sound, even the general students handling administrative work stood up along with the executives.

Brunhilde the student council president was standing expressionlessly in front of the door.

“…!”

“…!”

Twitch!

As soon as Sieglinde saw that face, she loosened her deadpan expression and reported quickly in a soldier-like disciplined posture.

“No issues with work progress so far, President!”

“…Sieglinde.”

“Yes, President!”

“Have you… have you ever been in love?”

“Yes…?”

…?

What on earth is she saying?

For the ordinary students from who only learn command and obedience, that question was too difficult.

Regardless of their bewilderment, Brunhilde staggered into the office and slumped down in a chair. Then she muttered blankly while staring into space.

“Love, love is… a great thing.”

“…?”

“…?”

“To think the world could look this beautiful…”

“…”

“…”

“Haah… You all should find your fate soon too. To think love could be this helpful for morale boosting…!”

“Yes, understood!”

“Yes, understood!”

Amidst everyone reflexively moving their mouths to chorus in unison.

Bell silently just moved her lips, thinking desperately inside:

‘Sister Erda… Please come back…! There’s only fools here…!’

* * *

Back at school.

The juniors who had already returned from dungeon exploration were taking off their equipment and washing roughly at the water taps.

“Yahoo—☆ Welcome back~!”

“Oh, Senior!”

Alvit threw away the knee guards she was washing dirt off of and ran barefoot, then hurriedly returned to the water taps.

“Ow ow ow…!”

“Really… I told you not to go barefoot on that side because it’s heated by the sun.”

“Hehe, I thought it’d be fine since I wet it with water.”

“What are you saying…”

Meow—!

Matching Rota’s scolding, an orange cat appeared from somewhere carrying slippers in its mouth.

Alvit slipped her wet soles into the slippers and ran towards us again.

“Welcome back, Senior! Is your call finished?”

“Yeah☆ The academy city is peaceful today too, they say—☆”

“I still can’t believe Senior is in that kind of relationship with the United Student Council President. And you were recovering your power without us knowing…”

“Ahaha…☆ That’s why I told you to believe me~”

“No matter how I look at it, it’s not something I can believe.”

Alvit looking at me with a subtle expression.

“…”

I gave a bitter smile seeing that face.

Only Hilde had heard [Golden Witch]’s story, and I didn’t have the confidence to tell the full truth to my juniors myself. In the end, rather than conveying the complete truth to my juniors, I only let them know that the situation had improved.

I’m gradually becoming strong again.

[Faded Spiral] was a misrepresentation of the beast god’s story…

‘Actually, it’s just slightly off the point, not a complete lie.’

Even with just that, they believed my words for now.

‘Someday when everything is over, I want to tell you my story too.’

Not yet.

It didn’t seem to be time yet.

At least when all the armaments of the [Three Heroes] are gathered…

I felt I could share the story along with this world’s [Fate].

“…”

I looked at Alvit while thinking such thoughts.

She was already wearing the summer uniform with short sleeves due to the weather that had become hot. Her student council coat was put away in the closet.

Alvit moved her white arms exposed by the short sleeves this way and that while speaking:

“By the way, the summer uniform is all good, but it’s troublesome that dirt shows easily without the coat…”

“Is that so? I think it’s better because it’s easier to wash—☆”

“If you’re afraid of getting dirty in the first place, shouldn’t you just not wear clothes…?”

“Hey, do you think that makes sense?”

Rota, Kara, and I… we all changed into summer uniforms with short sleeves. Only Alvit as student council president was wearing an armband with the school emblem on her right forearm.

Our student council president.

Alvit suddenly looked at me and said:

“By the way, is Senior’s preparation for final exams going well?”

“Ahahahaha…☆”

Heroes don’t study~