＜ Ball and Four (1) ＞
After conference rehearsal.
Leonard disappeared without a word.
I’m sure we were together until a little while ago, but I watched the rehearsal right next to me.
“Can’t you see me?”
“no. Me too. Where have you been?”
Jeniel and Yerina looked around the brightened auditorium. There were only planning department staff organizing the stage, and I looked around and saw no Leonard.
Jeniel said in a subdued voice.
“Even though we were supposed to have lunch together… we’re leaving as well.”
“yes? yes!”
On the other hand, Yerina was very excited. He managed to calm the twitching corners of his lips.
Lunch for the three of us.
However, since Leonard suddenly disappeared, I felt like I was going to have a meal with Jeniel alone. The solo date you’ve been dreaming of is just around the corner.
“Hehe.”
Yerina turned around and followed Jeniel. They decided what to eat for lunch, how to schedule their next appointment, how to confess, and even where to go on their honeymoon.
I’m in the middle of being lost in the imagination like that.
When I woke up to the familiar smell, I was inside the Mage Tower. I was waiting for the elevator in the lobby on the first floor.
Yerina asked.
“Why is the Magic Tower here? What about lunch?”
“Uh… that’s right, lunch is-“
It was at that time that Jeniel spoke with a puzzled expression. Yerina’s body slowly moved away from Jeniel. Her feet, resting on the ground, began to drag behind her.
so-so-
The flow of magical power detected at the same time.
“Eh? What is this…?”
Yerina turned her head to the back. Magical power continued from the end of the straight aisle. He was slowly pulling Yerina.
The moment I tilted my head at the sudden phenomenon
────!!!
The force amplified rapidly and pulled Yerina strongly. It was a strong suction power like a black hole.
“Wow!”
Yerina, her feet floating in the air, disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a scream. It was too fast for the eyes to follow.
Whoa!
A kidnapping that happened in the blink of an eye.
The Ministry of Magic agents, who had been lost for a while, hurriedly ran to the end of the hallway. Tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak. It was a great effort for wearing shoes with a suit.
Jeniel stared blankly at the agents quickly moving away.
“what······?”
Like Leonard and Yerina, they disappeared in an instant. Somehow I ended up alone.
Did you stay together until the end, or if you were going to go, at least talk.
I felt very bad because I felt like I was being bullied.
“I am not kidding anyone.”
After taking her eyes off, Jeniel boarded the elevator.
He got off the 29th floor and headed for his lab.
jerk- jerk-
A particularly weak step.
It was a reflection of his sadness toward Leonard. Somehow, it seemed that only I was happy.
Even if you saw it last week, it’s the first time you’ve seen it this week…
“Ehh…”
Jeniel walked while looking at the floor.
I had almost reached the lab, but a familiar lower body blocked my movement.
Jeniel slowly raised his head.
“…?”
Even a 20-year-old has a body line that you can’t believe.
Platinum hair down to her chest.
His unique immaculate skin and blue eyes that resembled himself, no, resembled himself.
The one blocking Jeniel’s path was none other than Cecile. Jeniel blinked in disbelief.
“Mom······? What are you doing here?”
······Meanwhile.
Whoa!
Yerina flew to the end of the corridor and landed in someone’s palm. To be precise, it was caught by the nape of the neck.
Like a kitten caught by a veterinarian, Yerina slowly turned her head while dangling. It was an unanswerable, withdrawn look.
“who are you·····?”
In Yerina’s eyes, an intelligent, unparalleled handsome man was reflected.
“… Les, Professor Leonard?”
A man of monstrous strength holding himself with one hand.
His true identity was Leonard.
Before Yerina could ask anything, Leonard spoke directly.
“Please help me.”
“Yes?”
Yerina asked as if it was absurd.
Asking for help by suddenly kidnapping and asking for help, is this really the attitude of a person asking for help?
What about my lunch? What was your first solo date with Jeniel?
“What about the meal plan?”
“That’s next. Right now, this is urgent.”
Leonard pointed to the common conference room at the end of the hallway.
“You just have to sit still. Don’t say a word.”
“No, that’s not the problem, my promise to eat is-”
“When this work is over, I will make sure to set up an appointment with Jeniel for food.”
Leonar bent his arm to close the distance with Yerina. He rubbed his forehead and said sternly.
“One lunch, one dinner. Twice in total.”
“twice?”
Yerina’s eyes flashed.
Not once, but twice.
Even if it’s regrettable right now, it was not a bad deal when you think about it later.
“Lady Yerina!”
Just in time, agents came running.
Yerina, who was contemplating with her lips pursed, tapped Leonar’s hand that was holding her.
“Because I know. Please let this go.”
“yes.”
Chak-
Light landing like a ninja.
Using the conference room window as a mirror, I tidied up my clothes.
“If you break your promise again, I really won’t leave you alone.”
“Don’t worry. This time for real.”
Leonard opened the door to the common meeting room with his own hands. There was still no one in the meeting room with a table for six. Yerina tried to enter first, but Leonard reached out to stop her.
“And there is something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Narsha seems different from usual. Do you know why?”
“Yes?”
Yerina burst into laughter without knowing it.
Why?
Yes, I was away for 11 days without saying a word, I witnessed everything flirting with Jeniel, and most of all, Narsha likes you, Leonard… Could it be that?
“…?”
Yerina looked at Leonard’s expression with narrow eyes. It was a face that didn’t know anything. I’m sure he didn’t know what kind of feelings Narsha had for him.
I thought he was very quick-witted, but surprisingly he was insensitive to this.
“Hmm······”
Yerina, who was contemplating whether or not to say this,
“I don’t know. Go in at once.”
In the end, I chose silence.
It was a consideration for Narsha.
As much as I read it secretly, I have to guarantee the secret.
＊＊＊
Click-click-
The sound of a ballpoint pen in my ears.
Narsha stared straight ahead.
On the other side, Leonard and Yerina are sitting, and Catherine, the owner of the Mage Tower, is next to them.
Click-click-
The sound of the ballpoint pen came from Leonard’s hand.
He pressed the button on his ballpoint pen from time to time. Thanks to this, the atmosphere in the meeting room became more businesslike.
Catherine smiled awkwardly.
“You know? Conference participants are assigned a person in charge.”
It was something Narsha was familiar with.
Conference participants are assigned representatives from the same organization. The main role of the person in charge is to score the attitude and personality of the participants.
Each score is 10 out of 10, accounting for 20 out of 100 total points.
It is customary to give full marks. In a word, it is a score that is laid down, and generally the direct superior takes the role of the person in charge.
So, of course, I thought it was Katherine.
“The person in charge and the assistant assigned this time.”
Catherine shamelessly introduced Leonard and Yerina.
Yerina blinked blindly, and Leonard grabbed the weight of the ballpoint pen with a click.
Apparently, Leonard was in charge.
My ex-boyfriend is in charge.
What’s up with all these shitty situations?
“Leonar-sama, Yerina-sama. This is Narsha, a conference participant.”
“·······”
Even after the introduction, no one said hello. A silence like a war of nerves followed.
“Then… I’ll just leave. Good job.”
Katherine, who was watching from the middle, hurriedly left.
An uncomfortable silence lingered in the meeting room.
Click-click-
The more uncomfortable sound of a ballpoint pen echoed in my eardrums.
Leonard looked at the clipboard with quite serious eyes. I asked in a very formal tone.
“Did you check the feedback I gave you?”
Feedback handwritten on original paper.
The content was so good that it made people gasp, but Narsha didn’t say it honestly.
Is it the last pride as a healing class?
“……It wasn’t bad. It seems more efficient.”
He said, averting his gaze.
Then Leonard cleared his throat in displeasure.
“Keep your dignity in your position, Researcher Narsha. If you make one more mistake, I will deduct points from your personality score.”
“under····”
Arsenic flowed from Narsha’s mouth.
It was uncomfortable just being together, but even more uncomfortable, even respecting her was an unreasonable request. There was no reason to respond in the first place.
More than anything, I didn’t like Leonard’s tone. A commanding battle imbued with authority. It was just discolored.
Narsha, whose face hardened, spoke in a cynical voice.
“What? You are threatening-“
click
The nervous sound of a ballpoint pen blocked Narsha’s speech. The ballpoint pen was loaded with sting like a wasp that was ready to hunt, and moved to the personality and attitude scoring paper.
Attitude and personality scores account for 20 out of 100 points.
If you get a score of 0, you cannot be promoted to senior researcher even if you get a perfect score in the rest of the fields. Furthermore, getting a deduction from the score that was laid down was a fatal risk in the evaluation.
Narsha changed her words urgently.
“Are you threatening me?”
The ice-like expression also became a little better.
Confirming that, Leonard humbly put down the ballpoint pen.
“It means to be polite to each other.”
My heart was relieved when the ballpoint pen moved away from the clipboard. At the same time, it was unpleasant because I felt like I was being controlled by something.
Leonard said.
“I had some circumstances, so I didn’t have time to check Narsha-nim’s conference preparation process and sincerity. We have four days left until the Empire Conference, and during that time we will stick closely to score.”
“·······”
“Oh, and I won’t miss out on being a mentor either.”
The person in charge also served as a mentor.
It mainly presents directions or improvements to be made, but whether or not to accept them depends 100% on the will of the participants.
The attitude score was also a part that the participant had to handle.
“The magic name to be announced this time is El Niño, so why did you choose the name El Niño?”
Leonard asked in a very businesslike tone.
Narsha replied bluntly.
“Just.”
“just? Are you insincere?”
click
The sound of a ballpoint pen.
Once again the unspoken pressure began. Leonard moved his arm slowly as if to give him a chance to make amends.
Rather, I felt worse.
If you’re going to lay it down, take it off, and if you’re going to say it, don’t.
Narsha kept her mouth shut. I will not bend my attitude this time. I won’t be dragged around by that score.
Just before the ballpoint pen touches the clipboard.
“······It means ‘little god’ in the frontier language. It was the first time I used it to save someone’s life.”
He replied in a hoarse voice.
Am but still, my score is important.
“okay.”
Leonard nodded in satisfaction. After looking at a few more materials, I brought up the topic of rehearsal. It was a real feedback time.
“The rehearsal went well. I am not nervous, my pronunciation is good, everything is good… but there is a feeling of not being able to communicate at all. Would you say it’s like talking to a wall? I’m thinking of doing some special training for that.”
“Special training?”
Narsha frowned and asked again.
The conference is less than 4 days away, but it’s a special training. I wondered what bullshit this was.
But Leonard was always serious.
“yes. Simply put, it is training for smooth communication with people. Whether it’s going to a company meeting or volunteering as a companion for the elderly living alone. If shyness is the cause, singing on public transportation…”
“Ha-”
This time there was laughter. The more I listened, the more excited I was.
To be sure, that was not a special training session for the conference. It was an obvious abuse. It was clear that he was determined and intent.
I couldn’t stand it anymore…
“Or in the academy garden-”
Kung——!
Narsha hit the desk with her fist. He jumped up from his seat and shouted.
“Oh, this is real!!”
I got angry in no time.
Unbearable anger erupted.
But why?
Not a single one was relieved.
Instead, the moments of preparing for the conference passed by like a kaleidoscope.
The one who worked hard every night, pushed himself whenever he was tired, and did his best for the conference.
Above all, if you become a senior researcher, you can completely escape from the interference of your superiors…
click
It was the sound of a ballpoint pen that made my thoughts go away.
Leonard’s ballpoint pen was pointing to the clipboard. This time it was unstoppable speed.
The efforts made in the past… were on the verge of being in vain…
Oh, no······
The string of rationality that had been severed was sutured in an instant.
The anger that exploded like an active volcano faded in an instant. It was the moment when anger control disorder turned into good anger control.
Narsha said with an annoyed face.
“Really… that’s a really good idea.”
And then he sat down on the seat.
He muttered quietly, hiding his clenched fists under the table.
“A fucking baby. Just wait for the conference to end.”
Click
“Ai, I didn’t say anything… that’s only for me.”
Narsha grumbled with a pouting face.
＊＊＊
same time.
Planning Department employee Luna finished cleaning the auditorium and came out. One of her colleagues ahead asked her.
“Are you really not going to eat? I heard the chief is shooting today?”
“yes. I’m not feeling well.”
As I stroked his belly with a teary face, he clicked his tongue in pity.
“Oh, how about that? Go to the pharmacy.”
“Haha… I’ll go now anyway. Enjoy your meal!”
Luna split in the opposite direction from the pack. I glanced behind me and entered the Phantom Hall near the auditorium. I immediately took the elevator and headed to the rooftop.
Ki-Ik-
The hot summer sun was mercilessly beating down on the rooftop. It was direct sunlight, which she didn’t want to be hit at all, but Luna, who was in a hurry, had no choice.
Luna took out a microscopic crystal ball from her bosom. I reported the current situation to my supervisor.
“This is Luna.”
ㅁ・・・・・・
“That’s why the operation to capture Narsha failed.”
ㅁ・・・・・・
“sorry. Because of unexpected variables.”
A variable named Leonard appeared out of nowhere.
As a result, the meticulously planned operation came to nothing.
I didn’t know that the magic formula would be modified at once there, but I didn’t know that the clandestine master-servant relationship would work that way there.
This has disrupted future plans. I have to embrace it before the incident begins.
Luna said in a low tone.
“I think I have to come out stronger. I think we should go straight to step 3.”
ㅁ・・・・・・
“Yes Yes. We will proceed like that.”
The communication was short and concise.
With the crystal ball in her bosom, Luna hurried to leave. However, a familiar person looked down from a nearby distance, near the entrance to the academy.
Luna stared at her reflexively.
“…?”
“Superior appearance” that stands out at a glance even from a distance.
Platinum hair just by looking at it.
It was Jeniel.
Jeniel was walking somewhere with a woman who looked exactly like her.
But… it was a sad looking face.
＜ Ball and Four (1) ＞ End