After I Stopped Sponsoring, the Female Leads Began Obsessing Over Me chapter 168

168 – Aria (1)

Dessert Research Club’s poor hallway.

I came back after only one day, but I don’t know why it feels like it’s been such a long time.

Now the brain completely recognizes it as home.

Anyway.

“Did you leave the light on?

The current time is 2 am.

Still, the hallway was bright.

Let’s open the door and go in.

“Oh!!! Brother is here!”

Elena greeted loudly.

Danya and Rina, who were sitting on the bed and chair at the same time, look back at me.

“… You guys are under curfew, are you still here?”

“The student council secretary solved the curfew! By the way, where have you been? Brother! You suddenly disappeared after just cooking a meal, so Sister Danya was really worried!”

“Nya, nya! Who!”

Danya’s eyes are puffy as she turns her head.

Rina slowly approached me and looked up at me. She said.

“I was really worried, Ian.”

Then Danya comes running to Pababat and stands next to Lina.

“I was worried too.”

… What are you doing? Are you taking pictures?

Anyway.

“Thank you for your concern.”

I stroked Danya and Lina’s heads without realizing it.

Somehow this seems to have become a habit.

Neither of them feel bad.

“Me! I’m the one who solved the curfew problem, brother!”

I gave Elena a piece of dessert I had brought from the imperial palace to her mouth.

He muttered and soon became quiet.

A club room filled with nothing but the sound of people stroking their heads.

It’s not a bad peace.

Sometimes this kind of everyday healing is important.

At that time.

— Sniff!

Suddenly Danya’s nose twitched.

Her eyes narrowed as she held the scent against my chest.

It was the moment when the genre changed from everyday healing to thriller.

“What did you do?”

“Huh?”

“Who did you do and what did you do?”

Where is ‘Nyan’ going? Danya’s eyes are infinitely cold.

Feeling cold, I quickly took out the imperial palace commemorative gifts.

◆

Lichten branch of the Church of Deus.

A confinement room called the residence of a candidate for sainthood.

The spacious, colorful, and dark room was filled with only the sound of lips licking.

The girl with thick black hair long enough to pierce her eyes is Aria, a candidate for sainthood.

It was early morning when everyone was asleep, but she was wandering in the darkness, unable to sleep.

How many days has it been since I couldn’t sleep?

Aria looked down at her hands blankly.

There is a miniature figure in the shape of a warrior.

These are words from the board game [Bioography of a Hero] That she enjoyed playing when she was young.

So, it must have been more than two days without sleep.

I received this two days ago.

— Kuuk.

Aria already gave strength to her numb palms.

My palms are no longer white and have started to turn blue.

Nevertheless, Aria could not relax her grip on her horse.

In this spacious and splendid space, this was the only object through which I could feel Ian.

“Hugh!”

And at the same time.

It was also an object that she had mercilessly thrown onto the street.

Aria arched her back like a shrimp, clutching her miniature with both hands. She regretted her actions so much that she could not bear to curl up in her arms.

“Mi… Me… I’m sorry…”

It was only after I crouched down like that around the miniature that the words finally started flowing. My breathing became easier, my eyes blinked, and tears began to flow. My head, which felt like everything had been ruined, began to spin and memories came to mind.

The memories contained in this miniature.

◆

“Now. In this game, you become a warrior party. You can choose one of the four professions. Hero, wizard…”

A house somewhat isolated from the city.

In this treehouse where only the family lived, Aria was the only one to guard the house when her parents left.

“So, what do you want to do, Gloomy?”

Her character was Aria, who never went out to meet her friends. I had already read the book at home dozens of times and had it memorized.

I was always bored.

When she could no longer handle the boredom, she became helpless.

When I was a child, I couldn’t even speak properly and just stared blankly at the wall.

It was a boy who began to reveal her dark life.

What the boy brought today was a board game called [Biography of a Hero].

Aria, who was worried about what words to choose, looked down on her face.

“No, I don’t know.”

“You just have to choose comfortably.”

“Well… Still. I’m not good at choosing.”

“Then what is better? Something strong. Something pretty. Something cool…”

Ian introduced the miniatures one by one.

It seems like Aria must choose. She explained with passion and sincerity.

And then I looked at Aria.

I explained it so well, so now you can choose, right? With the look in your eyes.

Is it a burden?

Or did I fall in love with the kindness of those eyes?

Aria’s heart was pounding.

‘Well, I have to answer something…!’

Aria closed her eyes tightly and let out whatever words were on her mind.

“I… I want to be the strongest person because I can’t speak and I’m stupid!”

Aria closed her eyes tightly and waited for her answer.

Warrior? Priests?

I hope Ian picks something for her.

But there was no answer from Ian.

Why?

Did I say something wrong?

Are you angry?

Did I look too pathetic?

I was afraid of silence.

She was afraid that Ian might be looking at her with disappointment.

After all her timid worries, Aria carefully opened her eyes.

As Aria expected, her Ian was looking at her.

…But it wasn’t her disappointed eyes.

With extremely kind and caring eyes, he opened his mouth.

“Gloomy. You are not stupid.”

“B-but you stutter.”

“I once heard from a person called the Great Sage who often visits my house. If people know too much, they end up having a hard time speaking.”

“I’m not that smart, am I?”

“Gloomy, how many times have you read the books in the house? I can’t even read a single book properly. I’m sure you’re smart too.”

Her heart suddenly beat rapidly as she heard Ian’s confident words.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Why is it like this?

She was too young to know the meaning of that heartbeat.

Should I say instead?

“Aria, then you can do this.”

A small doll from a board game that Ian handed over with a bright smile.

The miniature figure of a warrior holding a long sword became Aria’s favorite object.

Aria cherished it and held it in her arms.

For some reason, the miniature looked really cool.

The little warrior’s smile somehow resembled Ian’s.

Now that I think about it, what did Ian choose?

Aria raised her head and asked a question.

From Noble mtl dot com

“What do you like?”

“I like saints.”

“Why?”

“You have big breasts!”

“… Rice, perversion.”

“hehehehe!”

Aria took a slight step back at Ian’s foolish words.

‘Maybe it would be okay if you had breasts the size of mine.’

It was a day when she thought like that and her face blushed like a blush.

◆

Aria was able to come out even just a little bit.

It was thanks to her memories with Ian.

Aria entered a public school located in East Thane.

No matter how public it is, commoners cannot easily go to school.

— I asked my family for a favor! Aria, you’re smart, so you’ll adapt well!

This was possible thanks to Ian’s help.

She had negative thoughts, but Aria made up her mind.

‘I, too, will be able to do well!’

I didn’t want Ian’s help to be in vain.

I entered this school after making countless promises and practicing.

Surprisingly, Aria easily adapted to school.

Her words still stuttered a little, but that was because Aria’s effort and pure appearance appealed to her.

Although she had no close friends, there were many children who accepted her greetings.

She was happy enough for Aria.

She had a good dream.

‘Maybe I can make friends too.’

Said.

But Aria’s dream ended there.

It was then that her various tests and performance evaluations began in earnest.

Ian was right.

Aria was a genius. She excelled in most fields. Aria is so gifted that not only her classmates, but even those several grades above her, are no competition to Aria.

Except for one thing, her ability to manipulate mana, she showed off her overwhelming skills.

And that was the problem.

— …What is it? “Have you been acting stupid all this time?”

— The real dog is gloomy.

— Look at the dark bangs first. I’m sure people are laughing at me down there, right?

Envy, jealousy, and unreasonable criticism poured out.

Her stuttering and sullenness were seen as her sinister acting.

“Oh, hello?”

Now even if I say hello like this.

“Ah, hello? Uh, huh…Grug ugh! hahahahaha!”

That was the only answer that came back.

‘It must be an illusion.’

Aria held on to the warrior miniature to gain her courage.

And she tried again.

But the next day too.

The next day too.

Everyone made fun of Aria.

It was hopeless.

I wanted to quit.

The world was not like Ian.

Yes.

“… Ian.”

So, for her, there was only Ian.

Ian accepted Aria because she was the only child.

Her will for him sprouted.

The more everyone teases, the more.

Therefore, every moment without Ian was gloomy.

“Ian.”

Even when she lays her head on her desk during break time and pretends to sleep.

“Ian, Ian.”

Even when I secretly forget my lunch box during lunch time.

Aria only thought about Ian.

She had to endure drawing and drawing her Ian, who was being tutored by her in her family.

If she held on like that, she could meet.

One day.

Just one day a week.