I looked at Mari, who had handed me a cookie.
'What in the world is she doing…?'
Mari turned her head away shyly, then glanced at me.
And she smiled faintly.
—Just like that shy moment before she rejected me.
"Mari…"
I looked at Mari with an uneasy expression.
Next to me, I could feel Sierra and Lia glaring or peeking.
Amidst that.
*Slide.*
Mari approached me.
"Ugh…!"
"Huh, huh…?"
Mari, having approached, didn't stop and gently leaned her body against me.
A movement as if to embrace me.
At that movement, different voices were heard from beside me.
But Mari wasn't embracing me.
"She's also… that, isn't she…?"
"...…"
Mari leaned against me and gently whispered into my ear.
So that those beside us wouldn't hear.
"Hang in there…, I'm cheering you on. Emil."
"...…What is that supposed to mean?"
For a very short moment.
Mari, having only conveyed what she wanted to say, quickly pulled away from me.
And she shyly blushed and smiled.
"That cookie will definitely be delicious, so make sure to eat it…!"
As if the whisper just now hadn't happened, Mari said that and immediately ran off, disappearing from in front of us.
"...…"
What in the world was that?
'She's also… that, isn't she…?'
The words Mari had just whispered in my ear lingered.
'No way…, Mari….'
As I was watching Mari's receding figure disappear.
"Hmph!"
*Snatch!*
"Huh? What, what is it?"
Sierra suddenly snatched something from in front of me.
It was the cookie Mari had given me a moment ago.
"I'm Mari's friend too, so I can eat it, right? Wow, it's got chocolate chips in it? Mm~, delicious."
"...…"
"Here, Lia too! Let's eat together!"
"Oh, uh, oh? Th-this? Is that okay?"
"Of course, it is."
*She glanced.*
Sierra spoke boldly and arbitrarily, looking at me.
"Because the person concerned said before… that we weren't anything."
"...…"
It seemed she was referring to the time when Mari and I were in a study group.
Indeed, at that time, when Sierra asked about my relationship with Mari, I had denied her suspicions.
'It's a good thing I denied it…'
A chill ran down my spine.
If I hadn't denied it…?
It would have hurt my heart in many ways.
"It's okay to eat, right? Emil."
"...…You're already eating it."
"Hehe~, it's delicious~."
Honestly, the cookie didn't matter at all.
…No, actually, I was a little worried.
Because Mari might have done something to it.
'Seeing them eat it well, perhaps not.'
I took out one of the cookies Sierra handed me and tasted it.
As Sierra said, it was a plain cookie with chocolate chips.
'By the way…'
While eating the cookie, I looked at Lia.
She was currently talking with Sierra and sharing the cookie with her.
'So, just now…, Mari helped me…?'
Thinking about it, Chris's greeting a moment ago also felt unnatural.
Normally, she would have followed from a distance according to my instructions.
For some reason, today she approached me directly and even greeted me.
'If those two helped me…, why…?'
I pondered, but no answer came.
However.
I roughly grasped what their intentions were.
"Wow, wow~, this cookie is delicious, hee."
"...…"
Lia chewed on the cookie, munching, pretending to be calm but somewhere restless.
'It might have looked like I had other women…'
Still, I wasn't exactly dating them.
Perhaps it became a good stimulus.
'Somehow, it leaves a strange feeling.'
Everything was fine, but the fact that the girls who had rejected me helped me didn't feel comfortable at all.
***
"Haa…"
Lia finished the opening ceremony for the new school year and attended classes as usual.
She had completely returned to the academy's routine.
But her heart wasn't as comfortable as before.
The sweet taste remaining in her mouth.
…It was the cookie given to Emil by the pink-haired girl, presumed to like him.
The cookie's taste was undeniably homemade.
It was very delicious, made with care.
'Besides, Sierra…, she was incredibly jealous.'
Things she hadn't noticed during summer vacation began to become apparent.
Especially Sierra, who explicitly showed her jealousy, not caring at all if Emil noticed.
'Is that the confidence of a pretty girl…?'
Of course, she was aware of the objective fact that she herself was also pretty.
But….
Seeing such a pretty girl express her feelings so directly made her lose confidence.
'There was even one more person.'
The blonde girl who quickly greeted and left.
Including her, there were three.
Including herself, it meant four people liked Emil.
There were quite a few rivals.
Moreover, every single one of them was a beauty.
'Well…, Emil is cool, after all….'
Lia looked out the window.
Unlike her feelings, the sky was blue and serene.
As she gazed at the serenity, a thought suddenly came to mind.
'Should I give up…?'
And the moment she thought about giving up on Emil.
…A scene of him laughing with another woman flashed in her mind.
"Ugh…"
Then she felt a piercing pain in her chest.
It was tormenting.
It was slightly different from the anxiety she felt when Bran defrauded her before.
Yet, it was an unpleasant and unacceptable sensation to that extent.
"...…"
She definitely liked Emil.
Those three.
Especially compared to Sierra, she lacked confidence, but.
Still, her feelings of liking him were absolutely not inferior.
'Right…, do they think I haven't spent good times with Emil…?'
She didn't know what had happened between those three and Emil.
She and Emil had also shared many special and happy experiences.
Especially as summer vacation was ending.
Emil's kind demeanor, seeking her out and caring for her, gave Lia confidence.
'Okay, let's do it…!'
Lia strengthened her resolve with an uneasy heart.
And then.
'...…F-first, a date invitation, …right?'
The moment she thought about appealing to Emil, embarrassment washed over her, and she blushed, burying her face in her desk.
'Yes…, first, step by step. …Right, I just need to slowly make Emil mine.'
Lia tried her best to keep her heart calm.
First of all, Emil wasn't particularly in any relationship with those three.
That was clear.
If so, she also had a chance and time.
First, starting after school today, she decided to approach Emil and try.
And time flowed on.
The dismissal time Lia had been waiting for arrived.
"Bye~! I'm leaving first!"
"Ah! Lia!"
"Going already? Let's go together…!"
Her friends in the classroom called out to her with disappointed voices, but unfortunately, she didn't have time to hang out with them.
'Please…! Don't be late…!'
In the morning, she was late and Sierra got ahead of her.
This time, to avoid such a mistake, Lia ran diligently.
The direction she was heading was Emil's classroom.
And as she was running.
"Ah, E-Emil!"
"Hmm?"
Seeing Emil walking in the hallway ahead, Lia smiled brightly and called out to him.
"Emil! Haa, you haven't left yet…!"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Oh, oh? Ah, well…. N-nothing in particular, but…"
Suddenly having him right in front of her somehow made her speechless.
Her face was hot and her body froze.
'Was asking to go together this hard to say…?'
She had clearly talked well without getting nervous during summer vacation.
However.
It was a moment where she needed to be brave.
Because her rivals were three people, and every one of them was strong.
"E-Emil…!"
"Yes."
"Wanna… go together?"
"Okay. Let's go."
"Oh, r-really?!"
"Ahaha, you're too surprised. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Ah, haha, yeah, that's right."
I succeeded…!
Lia thought that and clenched one hand tightly.
'As expected…! I can do it….'
Her heart, which had been anxious all day today.
"So…, wanna play together next time? I know a fun game."
"A board game? Just the two of us?"
"Yeah, just the two of us. It's a game for two people."
As she talked with him and walked along the path, her anxious heart gradually faded.
And Lia's heart instantly became gentle and warm, just like that moment during summer vacation.
It felt as if the happy times with Emil would continue on like this forever.
As if, if there were a fairy tale, he and she would be the protagonists.
She felt that way.
"Ah…"
"Hmm? Why?"
However.
"...…"
That feeling soon scattered emptily.
"...…Are you two leaving now?"
"...…"
"Ah, yeah…"
"Ahaha, you two get along well. See you tomorrow then."
*Footsteps.*
Sierra, who was standing leaning against the wall in front of the academy's main building.
She, who clearly looked like she was waiting for someone, simply greeted them and then passed them, entering the main building.
"...…"
Emil hadn't said a word from the moment he encountered Sierra.
Lia looked at Emil's profile.
He wasn't saying anything, but.
Emil's gaze continued to follow her.
'Ah...'
And seeing Sierra disappear into the main building.
And seeing Emil subtly move to reach out his hand.
Lia ended up realizing something.
Perhaps.
Something she shouldn't have realized.
"...…"
"...…"
After that, the two walked along the path.
But the gentle and warm atmosphere from a moment ago was gone.
Both walked silently for a while.
And then.
"Haha, the game I mentioned earlier. What kind of game is it?"
"...…"
Emil opened his mouth first.
As if nothing had happened.
"...…"
"Hmm? What's wrong? Lia."
Lia continued to walk silently despite Emil's words.
Then she came to an abrupt stop.
"Emil."
"Yes?"
She lifted her bowed head and carefully looked at Emil.
Lia's eyes were trembling uneasily.
Would it be okay to say this?
Though she agonized.
'Because I already… found out…'
Lia let everything go.
"Emil…, you like Sierra, don't you?"
"...…Huh?"
Lia, having let go, smiled gently and said to him.
Then Emil looked flustered and his face stiffened, as if he hadn't expected it.
Without needing to hear an answer, his reaction revealed the truth.
"...…"
"S-sorry…! For asking something like this so suddenly. It's just that a little while ago, I somehow thought it might be that way…"
"...…"
Emil didn't reply.
Therefore.
Lia continued to speak as she pleased.
"Actually…"
The words she spoke next.
Perhaps her last lingering attachment.
"I like you too."
"What…?"
Because she had found out the true feelings of the man she liked.
Because she had found out that she couldn't win this anymore.
Lia let go of everything and simply confessed her last lingering attachment.
"I also… like Emil."
"...…"
She hadn't yet received an answer to her confession from the one she liked.
But… large tears welled up in Lia's eyes.