79 – Bad Day (3)
Arden thought.
When is the best place and situation for her to tell her most important friend about her secret that she has been hiding so far?
At first, she wondered if she would go to Belle’s room at the right time since her dorm room was also nearby.
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But that alone wasn’t enough.
After all, this is a fact that should be known not only to Bell, but also to the cadets who will lead the life of this academy together.
That’s why she decided to use tonight’s moonlight festival as an opportunity.
This process took more effort than expected.
“… That’s how it happened. The president knows this too, right?”
“Yes, professor. I’m really sorry for deceiving you all this time.”
As soon as Aden decided on this, the person she went to was none other than Professor Seras.
She was also the one who decided to vote against the monthly unrestricted festival to be held tonight, and since she is the class’s homeroom professor anyway, she had to be the first to inform her of this so that she could receive aid.
Seeing Aden bowing deeply in the form of a woman, Seras stroked her chin for a moment before opening his mouth with his characteristic calm tone.
Even though the disciple she knew only as a man suddenly appeared as a woman, her poker face was still the same.
“Raise your head, Feltner. I know roughly the situation. More than anything else, it would be unsightly for me to point out that the President closed his eyes and moved on.”
In this academy, the authority of the president, Olberus, is enormous.
Since there is a faculty meeting nominally, most important issues are decided through meetings between deans and professors in key positions, but that is only nominal.
Olberus has been given great authority to do most things in this academy.
The fact that he went over Aden’s wrongdoing without accusing him means that it is not a category to be criticized by Seras Sun, who is already a mediocre professor.
Moreover, after hearing Aden’s story about her past with her father, Seras felt sorry rather than blaming her sins.
How hard it must have been for a young child who had to hide his gender and live a life of deceiving his identity in order to avenge his father.
She didn’t even want to say her light words because she couldn’t even fathom it.
“… Anyway, it must have been a lot of trouble. The new procedures will be prepared here, so don’t worry and do your duty as a cadet.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you. More than that, do you have anything else to ask of me?”
Seras, whose apprentice praised her for all the hard work she had done and offered words of consolation, expressed interest in the favor Aden had mentioned.
Promising that he would be happy to help with anything he could do for himself.
“Yes, actually, it is about the moonlight festival that will be held tonight….”
“Moonmu Festival?”
Seras’ head tilted to the side at the sudden word, but it quickly returned to its original state.
I thought that there must be something to ask about procedures or status, but suddenly, what kind of moonlight festival is it?
However, since his eyes were so serious, I thought there must be some reason, so I decided to listen to the story.
“Can I replace the girl who is going to be Belle’s partner, among the other girls who are going to represent our class tonight?”
“Hmm, is there a reason why you have to do that?”
This is not an interrogation tone.
She just wondered if there was a reason of her own that she had to take the position, even while changing the attendees of the already fixed monthly fee.
At this, Aden nodded firmly and touched the ring on her hand.
She was the ring she had to wear on her body when she lived disguised as her man.
“I cheated on a friend. Of course, I feel sorry for deceiving the professor and the people around me, but that friend is a bit more special.”
She is a friend who believed in her without good reason.
She is
She is and she is also the man who gave her a chance to get her revenge.
Although it was still hard for Aden to define exactly what this special meant, she really meant that she didn’t want to communicate it in plain words, at least to that boy.
“That’s why you want to show your true self through the Moon Festival. Understood.”
In response, Professor Seras also nodded as if he sincerely agreed with the opinion, not cutting it off, saying that it was useless childishness.
Sometimes a situation or atmosphere can highlight a person’s sincerity more than a word or two.
It seemed like a very efficient option for her.
However, if there is a problem, that is.
“… But apart from my opinion, given the symbolism of the Moon Festival, I don’t know if that child will easily let go of the class representative position. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Sure.”
Aden also has no intention of forcibly taking the authority when her party refuses. Because that’s bullying
It was just a statement made with the intention of saying that I would appreciate it if you would show me goodwill, if possible, under the assumption that an amicable negotiation can take place.
If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to find another way.
“For now, I will ask the cadet for his opinion. But even if the answer comes back quickly, there won’t be enough time to practice. Are you okay?”
“Yes, it doesn’t matter.”
Aden nodded her head with a refreshing look at Seras, who asked with her worried eyes.
That’s also true, since the partner she’s going to dance with has been unintentionally quite compatible for the past few days.
Every time we find time to dance together at night, holding hands, I remember her man’s face as he follows her step step by step, showing a disgruntled look in his eyes.
Aden couldn’t help but burst out laughing before she touched her fingertips, still feeling his touch.
Heart pounding.
For some reason, it felt as if my heart had just been beating wildly.
* * * *
Bell let out a sigh as she saw the neat woman standing in front of her.
Truly, from a man’s point of view, she is a beauty that is no different from a painting, but to him, she was like a nuisance.
Arden Feltner.
A man who was the protagonist of the original story and one of his few friends of the same s*x.
To say that he was actually a woman, not a man, is a laughable joke.
“Sorry, were you disappointed?”
“It’s not disappointing…. Phew. Well, that’s it.”
Her trademark azure hair tumbled as Arden tilted her head as she handed over her apology.
Normally, my hair was long, so it was the same as fluttering, but now that my hair has grown, the shaking is even greater.
Feeling a sense of alienation there, Bell let out another sigh without realizing it.
She has a lot to say, but it keeps getting stuck in her throat and she just can’t think of coming out.
Could this be saturation?
‘It was a cliché.’
She wasn’t just shocked by the fact that Belle Arden was a woman.
In a web novel like this, especially in a light novel-based genre, it’s like a cross-dressing woman.
The only reason he feels a strange sense of defeat is that he has not been able to see through that obvious cliché.
Even though I caught the clue of the Phantom’s operation and the incident, I couldn’t even figure out the gender of the character that was right next to me.
It can’t help but scratch your pride.
“I think it would be confusing. I’m not good with words….”
Looking at Belle, who couldn’t keep up with her words, Aden opened her mouth, assuming that he was still confused.
Before she could finish her words, her bell shook her head to stop Aden from moving.
“No, that’s enough of an explanation. Anyway, you were actually a woman, and she asked Benian to give up her class representative seat…. Is this?”
For reference, Benian refers to the last name of a female student in Class E who originally planned to partner with Bell.
“Yes. I thought this would be the best place to tell you this.”
“… You’ve prepared well for that. She thought she would be taken aback by that.”
Bell smiled bitterly as she stood on her balcony and looked out of her window at the dazzling moon.
To be honest, although it was shocking, it was rather lighthearted.
It felt like some of the doubts he had been harboring had finally been resolved.
‘That’s why it was weaker than the original. Like the fact that he acted strangely.’
It must have been too much for a woman’s body to continue the progress of her father, Dillard.
Everything Dillard achieved during his lifetime must have been tailored to fit the male body.
Besides, it was something that made me feel uncomfortable showing my skin.
Even when he changed clothes in the locker room, he looked strangely unfamiliar.
As the whole scene came to Bell’s mind, it was as if a puzzle was being put together in her head.
And there was one last piece of the puzzle that came together.
“Then, was this the reason she fought with Lorne?”
Dunn Lorne said that Aden was angry with her for doing her wrong first.
When Bell asked, remembering that, a bitter smile formed on her lips.
“Yes. Actually, no matter how Lorne is, she’s figured out that I’m a woman. She makes a fuss about whether she cheated on Bell so far…. You have no idea how sorry she was.”
“Seriously, why is he making a fuss with me when I’m still?”
I don’t mean to get angry about this.
Recalling the image of her Lorne, who would have shouted while acting as her own spokesperson, Bell felt her headache come.
She would have been more comfortable if she had told me in time to fight something like this.
However, I can understand the reason why I didn’t tell you, so it’s a very difficult situation to blame anyone.
In a very complicated situation, Bell scratched her head and wanted to leave her balcony, but she turned her body halfway.
Aden, who was staring blankly at him as he passed her by, saw her hand stretched out in front of her and blinked her eyes.
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“Well, whatever the reason, I have to do what I have to do. Let’s go.”
“Going…. Where?”
“Where is what? Wasn’t that what she came for?”
Bell nervously took Aden’s hand.
There was no gentlemanly etude for an escort or a sweet voice.
With just a primal desire to get things done quickly and rest, he led Aden inside.
“You came here to dance. Let’s hurry up and finish. Aren’t you going to have a lot to talk about?”
“… Will you dance with me?”
“Then you want me to go over there and dance alone? Why don’t you tell me to hang myself and die?”
It would be fortunate if the shame didn’t stop his heart and he didn’t die.
Bell tugged Arden’s trembling hand a bit more roughly and went up the red carpet again.
I was very reluctant to feel the eyes of the people around me converging, but I looked at Aden standing across from me with the thought that I just had to hold on for a while.
“Thanks to you, you don’t have to guess. It’s better.”
“… Cook, yes. Because I guessed it several times.”
Aden grabbed the ends of her dress, which she had worn for the first time in her life, and bowed politely to her bell.
Belle followed suit this time as well, placing her hand on her chest and bowing her head respectfully.
Before you know it, the representatives of each class gathered in the center are paired up.
That’s how the curtain on the Moonlight Roan Dance began to rise.