P.E. Class (1)

Physical Education class.

Today is the most awaited 'one-a-week' special day where everyone would get out of the classroom and do jumping jacks and push-ups until everyone falls dead on the floor-- just kidding.

It's PE. Who doesn't like PE?

We didn't get PE class last week since school started on a Tuesday.

The teacher in charge of us was Teacher Maverick. A nice looking guy with actual muscles-- the lean kind, his figure was not bulky. There isn't any sort of creepy fan-girl fawn over teacher uproar-- your typical student reaction towards a teacher.

"Alright, class, we'll head down to the field, go change your clothes. Two representatives to help carry the sports equipment. The rest of you will gather, and please behave yourselves."

"What's going to happen here? Why is it necessary to change our clothes?"

"Well.. our current uniform isn't suited for sports, that's why."

"Why sports?"

Liliath couldn't seem to understand the significance of this prime time.. too bad.. how should I explain this? Like magic practical sessions but moving your body? Knighst training without the swords?

Either way, I had Prune help me with Liliath's change of clothes-- nobody knew what could have happened if Liliath was left alone in the girl's changing room. There might be female carnivores there just like Nine-- just saying.

Nothing big really happened in the males changing room. Rather, it was depressing to see how frail I look compared to everyone else. Even Voux had a better body than me.. ahahaha.. I need to exercise.

No wait.. I was wrong, there were boys pushing their ears on the wall that separated the two changing rooms. Ignoring that, Kai and I head out to grab the sports supplies.

"You know anything about why Liliath is so hostile towards me?"

That was the question Kai asked as he spun the keys the teacher gave him. We continued down the stairs, the store room is behind a small door underneath the stairs.

"No idea."

In fact.. I do. But it's just a random hunch that I got. Maybe Liliath is wary of Kai's TALENT. He might be able to see more than just one's mental aptitude. Perhaps Liliath isn't keen on him learning about her past. Maybe.

"Rather.. maybe it's your TALENT? She probably has stuff she wants to hide.. you said it's only possible for you to gauge one's mental aptitude right?"

"Half-correct."

Kai unlocked the door with a click, pushing it open, a stale musty scent filled my nose.

"Hm? So what is the other half? Ah, by the way, I haven't explained my TALENT to you properly yet."

"I'll go first.. er.. the teacher told us to grab the bag of supplies there right? And 2 soft balls and a basketball... "

I brought the three balls into my arms.

"My TALENT allows me to alter one's perception around me. One of them.. that's what makes it dangerous," Kai said as if it wasn't a big deal.

Hm.. alter one's perception.. then..

"You're.. you're not doing what i think you're doing right?"

This feels wrong. If he could alter one's perception of him.. he could very well mend the relationship between him and Liliath. What about me?

"Yup," Kai picked up the bag of sports supplies and smiled at me. "How do you feel about me now?"

What in the world? That's scary.. why? Why is he even telling me this? It's only getting more and more confusing? Is he plotting something? No.. wait, he could be causing me to suspect his actions right this very moment.. what's up with the paradox?!

He was putting up an act?

Why?

Was it even an act?

"If so.. the kind of person the real you is..?"

"No comment," Kai walked past me and headed for the exit. "There is no true me to begin with, I find that no matter how one acts, anyone could perceive it differently. Doing good is a bad thing to some people while doing bad is good-- conversely."

"Y-yeah.."

I shuddered.

"Come on.. you want me to lock you inside or what?"

"Sorry.."

"So, your turn."

"Hey, Kai. Why are you raising my vigilance?"

It doesn't make sense, if Kai wanted me to reveal my TALENT to him he should make me trust him, not suspect him.

"Not on purpose, you wanted to know about my TALENT right?"

"True.."

It doesn't make sense.. so is this suspicion coming from facts of his TALENT? Or both? Could Liliath be under the same effect? What the hell.. I think I finally understand Liliath's sentiment..

If I were in his shoes, I know that mentioning the effect of this kind of TALENT would only deter someone away. It's like he's already fine with me walking away..

"So?"

"It's a TALENT that brings things that don't exist to real life. Something like that.. I guess?"

"Really? So that's how you summoned Liliath?"

"I think so?"

Yeah. My TALENT is so broad, being vague doesn't even make what I said a lie. I don't understand my talent.

"What a roundabout way to summon someone."

He didn't dig any deeper, I didn't follow up either. Just what the heck is going on?

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"One, two, one, two."

The entire class was doing awkward warm ups. Awkward as in, wiggling one's hips, and stretching out the legs. Fortunately the PE clothes for the female students aren't the short pants kind. It at least reaches the knee, so no chances of 'accidentally' sneaking glances.

"Now make a lap around the field!"

And the entire class ran.

Liliath.. there isn't a need to mention this but she's undoubtedly holding back, didn't break a sweat at all. She could very well finish 20 laps in the time it takes the rest of us 1.

"Alright, go have fun," Teacher Maverick then tossed in the towel and went to have a basketball bout with any student interested in joining the game. To be honest, he was pretty good. Dashing around on the field with his hair literally swaying, sweat coming off of him like glitter in the morning sun-- you know, the kind in commercials? Yeah.

While I'm here skipping ropes.

What Kai said really bothered me.. he could alter one's perception of him.. what exactly is he planning? Is he planning anything?

In the distance, I could see Liliath being dragged around by the other female students. It's more 'loitering'. Walking around the school field idle.

There were students running around the field, some playing dodgeball, others playing tag.

What if it's not just the perception of him? What if he could alter other people's perception of other people? Was the ability of his TALENT really as he said it was? This is confusing..

What now? Rather.. there isn't a what now is there? I don't even know if it's a provocation, plot, scheme or just plain fooling around.

"Noel?"

To her voice I got caught up in the rope and nearly fell.

"You scared me."

"Is there anything troubling you?"

Liliath tilted her head. I don't know how she got here, was it teleportation or did she just walk over-- i can't tell. The other female students she was with didn't really seem to notice.

"Yeah.. about Kai. I just learnt of his TALENT and.. somehow it feels wrong.."

"Is that so? I've actually confronted him about the matter. Correct me if I'm wrong but from what he told me, it was an ability to alter the favorability of someone towards himself."

The way Liliath put it.. That only made it worse.. Alter favorability? Then could Kai be holding the both of us in his palms?

"What do you think, Liliath? About his TALENT and all.."

"I wouldn't say we should mark him as an enemy, though, caution is advised when around him."

I turned to the field where Kai was messing around with the other students, playing tag.

"You know, I can't tell if he had used his TALENT on me but.. I'm now consciously wary of him. How about you? Did you feel anything different?"

Liliath pondered, then opened her eyes wide as if she realized something.

"It does feel awfully different does it-- our roles have reversed, somewhat."

"Is he plotting something or just messing with us or.. it's just us," I heaved a sigh, and noticed how Liliath was staring at the rope in my hand.

"I hope it's nothing too severe.."

"You want to try playing with this?"

"And this device is supposed to rotate around one's body?"

"Something like that. Watch."

I demonstrated how skipping ropes worked. I can't believe I'm actually explaining how a skipping rope works… it's like the most common of things.. gosh. I wonder what else I need to teach Liliath? I have a feeling that something important yet basic might come back to bite me. Like bringing a dozen different sauces to school or how you can mix chocolate syrup into water to make a chocolate shake.

"Come to find.. It seems there are a lot of unnecessary yet novel things in your world. No war, no internal conflicts, no succession wars, no political strifes, no slavery, no extreme prejudices-- really is peaceful." Liliath said in a somnolent tone.

"Well.. I wouldn't say the bad things don't exist. It just isn't part of our life."

Liliath nodded, and I passed her the skipping rope.

"I wonder what your world is like.. as you said. There's a lot of pointlessness in our world. Rather, isn't everything pointless to begin with? It depends on the individual to judge what's worth it and what's not."

"A war of bloodshed and conflict would be a blunt way to put it. I'd rather not elaborate too much, it isn't the kind of thing I should talk about."

"I just want to get to know you a little better but if you say so then I won't push for it."

I'm just plain curious. What kind of isekai world did Liliath come from anyways? Succession wars? That genre totally exists, I've read a few but.. it's a pretty rare find considering the vast number of stories. Unless it's your typical otome game, but I doubt Liliath came from a world revolving around that genre.

Hm.. I'm actually assuming Liliath came from a fictional world huh? It's probably the bloody serious kind.