105

The professor was passionately delivering the lecture up front.

Ironically, not a single word reached my ears.

"Am… Am I misunderstanding something?"

Marriage.

The ultimate bond between a man and a woman.

Touching another person's sexual parts was a privilege exclusive to a married couple, a symbol of love, and a step into adulthood.

At least, that was how I was taught.

But if what I learned was correct…

Then what on earth did I witness before?

Sure, I've seen women link arms occasionally, but touching breasts? That was something I couldn't even fathom.

On top of that, Iris didn't just touch. She grabbed, squeezed, shook, and even pinched—

Boom!

The overwhelming memory made my entire body flush red, right up to the tips of my hair.

Such an indecent act, even imagining it was embarrassing.

I couldn't make sense of it at all.

So, I asked Lily about it.

-If Iris is okay with it, isn't it fine?

Her response only deepened the chaos in my mind.

Lily doesn't think this is strange?

I don't know.

I really don't know.

It felt as if all the common sense I had taken for granted was crumbling away.

"Enough! Stop thinking about it."

Right.

It wasn't my concern, anyway.

Like Lily said, as long as Iris was fine with it, that was all that mattered. Whether they were dating as women or touching each other.

Happiness meant something different to everyone.

If Iris was happy, there was no reason for me to interfere.

I should focus on the lecture instead.

I couldn't afford to slack off like this.

My goal was the Great Sage. And beyond that.

To surpass their achievements, I had to dedicate myself every moment, every second.

With that resolution, I turned my eyes back to the front of the classroom.

Standing there, where there had been no one before, were two individuals.

I recognized one of them.

Darcan, one of the Empire's greatest warriors and the Director of Regis Academy.

The Director whispered something to the bewildered professor, then casually nudged a young girl toward him before leaving the classroom.

The professor, visibly confused for a moment, cleared his throat and spoke.

"This is quite unexpected, but we have a new transfer student. Come on up."

The class erupted into murmurs.

"A transfer student? Out of nowhere?"

"Hm. Did she take the entrance exam?"

"Of course! This academy isn't easy to get into."

"Wow, she's so cute!"

Amid the mixed reactions, the professor banged the podium a few times, drawing everyone's attention.

"It's the Director's decision, so everyone accept it. Now, transfer student, introduce yourself."

"Y… Yes!!"

The girl gave an adorably startled response and hurried to the podium.

She seemed very nervous, her trembling eyes and body clearly visible even from the back of the classroom.

"Ah… H-Hello… M-My name is Sera..! I just joined the martial arts class…"

A soft, pleasant voice flowed from her lips.

She seemed quite embarrassed, her face flushed as she bowed her head deeply.

I stared at her for a moment.

A girl with modest brown hair and eyes.

Her hair color wasn't particularly striking, but the delicate features of her face and the youthful vibe she exuded combined to create the image of a lovely girl.

'…She looks really cute.'

Just looking at her somehow lifted my spirits.

Her charming appearance made me want to get closer to her.

When I glanced to the side, Iris was also staring at the girl with an unusual expression.

Was she sensing something from her?

'I should talk to her after class.'

The thought of making a new friend made my heart flutter just a little.

***

During break time, a noisy crowd gathered in the middle of the classroom.

"You're really cute! Where are you from?"

"Ah… Uh! W-Well, I…"

"More than that, you're in the martial arts class?! You look way too delicate for that!"

"Right, you don't even look strong enough to lift a sword…"

"Look how nervous she is… Cute."

"Your skin is so fair! Do you not go outside much?"

"You even smell nice… It's kind of enchanting."

"….?"

Trapped in the middle of the bustling crowd, the girl was sweating nervously.

'…What are they doing? Can't they see she's uncomfortable?'

She didn't seem like the outgoing type, and being crowded like this would obviously be unpleasant for her.

I stood up abruptly and strode toward the group.

"Eh?"

Pushing through the crowd, I reached the center and took the girl's hand. A small squeak escaped her lips.

As I walked toward the classroom door, she followed behind me hesitantly, almost being dragged along.

Out in the hallway, it was just me and the girl, who had introduced herself as Sera.

Sera looked at my face and, with trembling eyes, opened her mouth to speak.

"A-Ariel…?"

"Huh?"

For a moment, I wondered how she knew my name, but then I noticed my name tag pinned to my chest and dismissed the thought.

Extending a hand for a handshake, I greeted her warmly, trying to ease her nervousness.

"Hi! As you can see from my name tag, I'm Ariel. Nice to meet you."

Sera stared blankly at my hand for a moment before flashing a sweet smile and shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, Ariel. I'm Sera."

…Nice to meet me?

Her words made me feel slightly embarrassed.

After introducing myself, I felt an even stronger urge to get closer to her.

"Do you have time after class? I can show you around the school."

"Uh…"

The girl hesitated, fidgeting awkwardly.

Could she have already made plans with someone else?

However, as some time passed, she gave me a bright smile.

"Yes! Thank you, Ariel."

I found myself momentarily mesmerized by her radiant and lovely smile, as dazzling as sunlight.

'…She's seriously cute.'

It was the pure smile of a girl straight out of a fairy tale.

If I were a man, I might have fallen for her.

But since we're both women, that wouldn't happen. Right?

Before I knew it, the school day was ending.

"This is the training ground. Since you're in the martial arts class, Sera, you'll probably come here often."

"Ah, I see."

I introduced various parts of the academy to Sera.

For some reason, seeing her following me around like a little puppy gave me a sense of fulfillment.

Sera looked around the academy with an expression full of excitement, and her face lit up with curiosity. Seeing her like that made me smile uncontrollably.

"Well… I think we've seen just about everything. Is there anywhere specific you'd like to visit?"

"No, not really! Thanks for showing me around, Ariel!"

When Sera smiled brightly and held my hand, I felt a soft thump in my chest.

"Oh… okay…"

Her warm touch reached me through our clasped hands, leaving me feeling a little dazed. I looked at her face again.

Her eyes, though a dull brown, sparkled vividly. Her delicate nose and lips, paired with the faint blush on her cheeks, made her look utterly adorable.

"Uh…? Ariel, do you have something to say?"

Sera tilted her head curiously, perhaps because I had been staring at her blankly for a while.

"Oh, no! Sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

"About what? Is something bothering you?"

Sera looked at me with concern, her curiosity evident. For a moment, memories of earlier flashed through my mind.

"Well… if it's something bothering me, I suppose there is one thing."

At my words, Sera's eyes widened, and she ran over, grabbing both of my hands with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Tell me. I want to help you, Ariel."

"Ugh."

Thump-thump—

Her endearing demeanor made my heart flutter pleasantly. The unfamiliar feeling left my mind slightly blank.

Looking down at our clasped hands, I couldn't help but think…

For some reason, the urge to interlock our fingers crept into my mind.

'What… what are you thinking, Ariel?! With another girl?'

No.

No, it's fine.

…Just holding hands like this should be okay, right?

After all, other girls do this all the time.

Holding hands is a common expression of closeness among women. It's not strange at all.

Perhaps I was overreacting because of Iris's strange behavior yesterday.

With that thought, I carefully straightened my palm and—

She intertwined her soft fingers between mine.

Then, a deep sense of fulfillment filled my heart with satisfaction.

"….?"

Sara, who had been staring wide-eyed at our hands for a moment, soon gave a bashful smile and squeezed my hand tightly, accepting my clasp.

'Ugh…'

Thump thump—

My heart began pounding uncontrollably, overwhelmed by her almost destructively girlish charm.

Sara… Why are you so feminine?!

No, it's only natural since she's a woman… but still.

Compared to every other girl I'd seen so far, Sara was far more womanly.

No other girl I'd ever met had been this pretty and adorable.

She was so much of a natural-born woman that calling her heavenly wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Even I, a fellow woman, felt my heart flutter. It was as if she had been born to captivate people.

'C-calm down, Ariel… Sara is a girl. A girl.'

I tried hard to suppress the emotions swelling in my chest, but my heart continued to beat wildly.

"What's bothering you? Hmm?"

"Ugh…!"

Faced with her fatal charm as she looked at me and asked, I had no choice but to open my mouth.

"What… what do you think about women expressing affection for each other?"

"Hmm? Affection?"

"Yes, like k-kissing… or touching each other…"

I couldn't bring myself to mention touching her chest.

I didn't want Sara to think I was weird.

'…She'll definitely think it's strange.'

I still didn't understand why Lily thought it was fine, but Iris's behavior was definitely wrong.

However—

"Hmm… isn't that normal between women?"

"Huh?"

I blinked blankly at her unexpected answer.

"Normal? For women to touch each other?"

"Yeah? Isn't it usually like that?"

Sara looked at me as if I were the odd one, then gave me a gentle smile and said,

"Ariel, you're a bit out of touch."

Snap—

For some reason, her innocent smile made me feel slightly irritated.