121 – Special Training 11
Rocky arrived at the meeting place ten minutes earlier than the time he had promised Sepia.
Sitting on the bench, leaning back, he felt the stares of people and the bustling noise around him more intensely.
Was it because of his handsome face,
Or because he was revealed to be the Emperor’s disciple.
Honestly, the possibility of it being because of his face is 99.8%.
But what if.
‘What if it’s not with a 0.2% chance.’
It must be because of the mask he was wearing now.
There might not be anyone surprised to see him wearing a mask at the academy now.
The black mask he was wearing now was not the usual white mask, but a black one he made himself.
“Ugh. There’s still a lot to fix. Should I just ask Professor Edra?”
Even though the black mask he was wearing now was light and didn’t fall off easily,
It wasn’t as comfortable as the white mask he usually wore, to the point where he might forget he was wearing it, nor was it so special that it would be forcibly removed if someone tried.
As he was thinking about how to fix the mask, 10 minutes flew by in an instant.
“Am I a bit late?”
There was less than a minute left until the promised time, but Sepia was still nowhere to be seen.
He wasn’t particularly angry that Sepia was a bit late.
Just a passing worry that something might have happened.
“Hey, you there! Wanna grab dinner with me tonight?”
“…Sorry, I have to have dinner with my family.”
“I see… Well, then, nothing can be done. Perhaps we could find time another…”
“Hey! You said your house is free tonight, right? I’m coming over.”
“…………..”
“…………..”
“Have you finished all your assignments?”
“No, I’m sure the professor thinks I’m only attending his class.”
“Alright, good luck. I’m off to have fun.”
“You’re in the same class as me. You haven’t finished everything already, have you?”
“Fear is a weak emotion felt by those who have prepared something! I have neatly given up on my assignments.”
While joyfully chatting, listening to the voices of various students passing by with closed eyes.
The chattering voices of students that had been reaching his ears suddenly stopped abruptly, as if someone had paused a video being played.
To understand the situation, he opened his eyes,
Realizing that the students were all staring fixedly at one point.
He turned his head to look where their eyes and heads were fixed.
“…………………”
Tap.
Breaking the unnatural silence was the sound of footsteps.
Starting with that sound of footsteps, the eerily silent space was soon filled with the students’ bustling voices.
“That person——, right?”
“Yes———–.”
“——- like that.”
It was definitely a voice similar in size to before, but for some reason, the sound of students chattering did not reach the ears.
Until the spirit that had flown in perched on the shoulder, there was nothing to do but stare absentmindedly.
Pink hair fluttering in the wind, a plain white dress that caught the eye despite no special pattern, and a hat that matched the dress well.
Rather than questioning why she appeared in a dress for training, the thought that she looked good dominated my mind.
I knew Sepia was originally pretty.
Seeing Sepia in a dress and makeup, not in Academy uniform, made me realize anew.
“Hey, did you wait long?”
Approaching and speaking, I caught a whiff of perfume from Sepia.
It was a subtle floral scent, not strong or overpowering.
If the spirit hadn’t wriggled on my shoulder, I would have been too distracted to respond to Sepia’s words.
“..Sepia, were you worried that I had been waiting a long time for you?”
“W-what are you saying? And since we are meeting, of course, you should come first and wait.”
“I didn’t wait much, so it’s okay if you’re not concerned, Sepia.”
“No, really!”
“Yes, yes. If that’s how Sepia feels, then it must be true.”
With a wry smile, I took out a jester’s mask from the void and handed it to Sepia during training.
And I asked her to wear it.
“…Me, wear this?”
“Yes!”
It was a sudden request, but I shamelessly decided to go along with it.
It would be hard to believe if I explained the ability of the mask verbally.
It’s certain that Sepia will figure it out through direct training.
Earlier, I had been momentarily distracted, and Sepia’s dress caught my eye.
“By the way, isn’t a dress uncomfortable for training?”
Of course, I wanted to keep seeing Sepia in a dress, but aside from being uncomfortable during training, it was likely to get dirty.
“Training…?”
Hearing Loki’s words, Sepia was momentarily speechless and lost for words.
Meeting today wasn’t about having tea together, but for training?
Why?
In Sepia’s mind, the words Loki said in the morning passed like a breeze.
“I told you I would make you stronger last time, remember? It starts from today after school.”
Ah….
I never once said we were meeting today to have tea.
‘I stupidly misunderstood.’
Sepia gripped the edge of the dress tightly enough to crease it.
If she didn’t do this, it felt like tears might well up in her eyes.
How foolish.
‘This is too revealing! What? You think that wearing this will make that fool like it? I’m not choosing clothes for that fool!’
Spending hours deliberating with the spirits,
“It’s been a while and it feels a bit strange, Hah, let’s try again.”
Dedicating time to makeup,
“Should I spray some perfume… Hm, after washing once, it seems like there’s no sweat smell, but just in case.”
After much contemplation, selecting a fragrance that the fool might like.
“Can’t I make this more natural? You know. Like you did, not did, what? Why do you talk so much about a simple request? Hey! How well have I treated you for you to act a bit like this. Oh, I see. Sorry!”
Even asking the spirits to help tidy my hair.
I feel pathetic and foolish.
“No matter how much I dress up, that guy won’t even notice.”
Even the dress I carefully chose for hours.
To the fool, it must look like an awkward outfit for training.
Perhaps he might have thought of me as a strange woman wearing a dress for training.
“…..I had something come up, so I wore a dress for a moment. Just wait here for a moment, I’ll change and come back.”
Returning home to change into comfortable clothes, remove makeup, switch to comfortable shoes.
Just as I was about to leave my spot,
“Ah……….”
A sigh escaped from the fool’s lips.
A sigh filled with a sense of regret, like someone who missed a shooting star.
“Why?”
“Well, you see…?”
Feeling very embarrassed, he trailed off at the end of his sentence.
“That dress, I thought it suited you so well, Sepia, but now that I won’t be able to see it anymore, I feel regretful…”
Sepia’s hand, which was gripping the end of the dress tightly, loosened.
So, because he thought he wouldn’t see me in this dress again, am I like a lost puppy in the rain?
“…Hmm? Really? You thought it suited me well?”
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Sepia bit her lip, holding back tears.
“Of course. It does. The thought of wanting to continue seeing it still dominates my mind. Ugh… Today, due to training, it’s unavoidable, but next time, could you wear that dress again when we meet?”
Unable to hold back any longer, Sepia’s lips curled up.
What? Am I that likable?
“Just like I said earlier, I only wore the dress because of work. It’s definitely not for you! So, it would be best if you drop the idea of me wearing it again next time, okay?”
Sepia, with her hair neatly arranged by the four spirits, said while fidgeting.
“Huh? How can that be? I really want to see it again. Oh! Why don’t we just forget about the training and hang out together today?”
Watching the blushing Loki, Sepia’s smile rose to a physically impossible height.
“Hmm. What should we do? But postponing the training is a bit…”
Sepia deliberately blurred the end of her sentence.
I’m not doing this just to hear you properly say not to drink tea.
“In that case, let’s train for today and meet to have tea together on ‘this weekend’?………………………. By then, the laundry should be done too.”
Sepia didn’t let go of the small muttering from Loki.
Is she suggesting we meet this weekend because she wants to see this dress?
It’s really cute… No, it’s annoying!
“If you say so, I’ll consider it. Wait here for a moment. I’ll change my clothes and come out.”
‘Wait here, I’ll change my clothes and come back.’
Although Sepia had uttered the same words before, her expression while speaking was completely different.
Sepia decided internally to purchase a few more sets of the same clothes she was currently wearing.
“Oh! Also, can I know what perfume you used? I have a sensitive sense of smell, and the perfume you sprayed felt just right.”
As a bonus, the perfume too.
“I won’t tell you.”
Sepia smiled happily and went to change her clothes,
“…………………”
Watching Sepia walk away like that, Loki chuckled softly.
“So cute.”