Chapter 78: Chapter 78

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: First Love and Reality

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A nameless boy.

More developed than his peers, the boy possessed a mature charm despite his young age.

Shimmering in the moonlight, the boy held a magic that captivated even Seron, who knew nothing of love yet.

"Yes, yes, he's beautiful."

As it was her first social debut, Seron had never experienced a boy her age.

So her usual personality receded, leaving only the prim and reserved Seron.

Seeing Seron struggle with conversation, the boy smiled gently.

"Why aren't you inside the party? Why are you out here?"

The boy naturally led the conversation to a common topic.

At that, Seron's face crumpled, and tears began to well up.

The boy was slightly flustered, but he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.

Then he gently wiped the tears from young Seron's eyes.

The boy had a younger sibling, two years his junior.

His younger sibling was a crybaby, so he often wiped away tears like this.

Perhaps due to his kindness, Seron sobbed even harder, overwhelmed with sorrow.

The boy waited for Seron to cry it all out.

After crying for a long time, Seron finally calmed down a little.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, yes, thank you."

Seron hung her head low, embarrassed that she had cried in front of someone.

She had inadvertently acted childishly due to the boy's kindness.

"So, why were you crying like that? Did someone bother you?"

Seron shook her head.

Instead, she recounted the events of the day in a low voice.

Unburdening herself to someone made her feel a little lighter.

But separate from that, she also felt unfairly treated.

"I think the heavens hate me. Things like this always happen."

Certainly, if you look at each incident individually, they weren't major misfortunes.

However, a continuous accumulation of small misfortunes could be distressing.

Especially, it could foster an inferiority complex, making one feel like nothing ever goes right for them.

"And looking like this, everyone will laugh at me if I go into the party."

Seron showed him the remaining mud stains, which the maid had cleaned thoroughly, but couldn't completely remove.

Unless she changed into a new dress, there was nothing to be done.

"Is that so? I think that dress looks quite nice, actually."

Then the boy looked toward the party hall.

"Everyone here wears dazzling clothes, but not a single one of them reveals their true selves."

The boy, finding his tie a little constricting, tugged it loose slightly.

"Isn't it rather amusing how they smile like that, when no one knows if their hearts are pitch black or pure white?"

When the boy sought her agreement, Seron blinked.

Then the boy chuckled inadvertently.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to talk about something difficult."

The boy, a little more mature than his peers, looked at Seron's dress, still marked with mud.

"It's just that your honesty, compared to others, makes you look far more beautiful than those children over there."

Though his words held many layers of meaning, young Seron was simple-minded.

She was more beautiful than the pretty young ladies inside.

That thought alone made Seron's heart pound.

"B-But even like this, I can't dance. I practiced so hard."

Seron hesitated, clutching the hem of her dress.

The boy, who had been watching her silently, extended his hand towards her.

"Then, if it's alright with you, would you dance with me?"

Seron's eyes widened.

"Even though there's no music."

Instead of the beautiful melodies of music, the rustic chirping of insects echoed.

"And no shining lights."

Instead of dazzling lights, the gentle moonlight illuminated the night's curtain.

"You can dance anywhere, can't you?"

And most importantly, there was the boy.

The boy, shining in the moonlight, was like a painting.

The chirping of insects suddenly sounded more beautiful than any music she had ever heard.

Seron instinctively reached out her hand to the boy.

The boy took her hand, a gentle smile on his lips.

"Lady, would you care to dance with me?"

"Ah, g-g-!"

Seron tried to reply as she had been taught, but bit her tongue.

But when the boy waited for her, she took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Gladly."

And so, the boy and girl's dance began.

Under the moonlit night, shrouded by the curtain of darkness.

Seron spent the most beautiful time of her life.

Seron Parmia, twelve years old.

It was the day she realized her first love.

And now, in the present.

Seron once again faced her first love.

Her heart aching with anticipation, she closed her eyes tightly.

"Back then, I couldn't even ask your name."

Too young, she had relied only on the boy's kindness that day, unable even to ask his name.

Seron regretted that day deeply.

"After that, I attended various social gatherings, but I never saw you again."

Seron was unlucky.

No matter how hard she tried to meet the boy, they always missed each other.

She was truly unlucky.

But Seron had met her first love again.

And she had encountered him in a completely unexpected place.

However.

I repeat.

Seron was unfortunate.

My face was grim as I looked at Seron.

Seron had met her first love again.

But her first love was not here.

Vikamen, who had introduced her to first love, no longer remained in this world.

Only I was here, having usurped Vikamen's place.

I am not her first love.

I am merely the shameless human who stole her first love.

I suddenly realized.

I was just an outsider who had somehow stumbled into the Flame Butterfly Arc.

The reality I had consistently postponed and ignored finally forced its way into my mind.

Seron slowly opened her eyes.

Her eyes, filled with love, gazed at me.

No.

Those eyes should not be directed at me.

But Vikamen was not here.

Furthermore, I didn't even know how he would have treated Seron.

I wasn't there that night.

"Could you tell me your name?"

Seron asked me the question she hadn't been able to ask that day.

My name.

Hearing her question, my lips parted.

Am I Hanon Iley?

Or Vikamen Niflheim?

Or…

My feet instinctively took a step back.

It was too wide a step, and my clothes became disheveled.

At that moment, a sword-shaped pendant slipped from my clothes.

Seeing it, Seron's eyes widened slightly.

"That."

Oh, no.

It was a mistake born of my surprise.

As I quickly hid the pendant, Seron watched it for a moment, then let out a bewildered laugh.

"…It was that idiot, Sweet Potato, who called you, wasn't it?"

Seron seemed to have understood the situation on her own.

She seemed to think that Vikamen had come here because I had given him the pendant and asked him to.

Fortunately, I didn't need to clear up any misunderstanding related to that.

In the meantime, I struggled to compose my chaotic mind.

"…I'm sorry, the boy you knew is no longer here."

And I saw Seron's face.

Her face was deeply hurt.

My words just now were no different from a declaration of heartbreak to her.

As I tried to correct myself, Seron bit her lip slightly, then smiled through her tears.

"It's alright. Because the girl from that day is still here."

Those words stirred an indescribable emotion within me.

"…I'm sorry."

Unable to speak further with Seron, I ran out.

Then, as I walked down the corridor, I quickly tightened the bandage around my neck.

My appearance slowly began to change into Hanon's.

And with that, my reflection appeared in the window.

My reflection wasn't there.

I barely managed to stop my hand, which had instinctively reached out to the window.

'Calm down.'

I never thought I would falter at something like this.

Unbeknownst to me, my mind was slowly being eaten away.

The pressure and tension of having to prevent the bad ending.

And the fact that I was ultimately an outsider.

Those two things subtly weighed down my heart.

"You!"

At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears.

Honey-blonde hair caught my eye.

She rushed over to me, her face surprised, and checked my complexion.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

My pale face was already covered in cold sweat.

Seeing this, Isabelle reached out to wipe the sweat from my face.

*Smack!*

I instinctively slapped her hand away.

Isabelle was also a character from the Flame Butterfly Arc.

Furthermore, she saw me as Lucas.

I didn't want her hand to touch me.

*Flinch—*

I belatedly realized I had acted too sharply.

But it was already done.

Isabelle slowly lowered her rejected hand, then quietly came and stood beside me.

She didn't say another word.

"…I'm just feeling a little unwell. Leave me alone."

"Okay, I understand. I'll wait until you feel better."

"There's no need for that…"

"You did the same."

Isabelle cut me off.

"You also followed me on that day, didn't you?"

The day Isabelle went to the Zeryon Academy wall.

I had followed her on my own accord.

"And even before that…"

Isabelle mumbled words for which she hadn't yet found the answer herself.

Then she shook her head and said to me.

"So I have the right to do as I please too."

No more words came out.

But one thing I realized was that Isabelle, whose eyes met mine through the window, was definitely looking at *me*.

The sunflower was gazing not at the sun, but at the moon.

For some reason, that fact.

It felt as if I had regained a little of the warmth I had lost.

* * *

Thanks to my time with Isabelle, I managed to pull myself together a little.

Today, I realized that being alone is the most dangerous thing when one's mental state is poor.

When I said I was okay now, Isabelle smiled brightly and walked with me.

Her smile seemed genuinely happy.

Summer had already begun to recede, and the season of autumn was slowly approaching.

Seeing the colorful foliage, I somehow felt a resemblance to myself.

Because I, too, was becoming ingrained in this world.

"Isabelle."

"Hm?"

Isabelle turned to me when she heard her name.

"Thank you."

Thanks to her, who stayed by my side despite my harshness, I was able to feel better.

When I offered my sincere thanks, Isabelle gave a shy smile.

Then she suddenly leaned her head forward.

"So, you're not going to boycott anymore, right?"

"No, that's a separate matter."

I became serious.

As if this main heroine could try and get a free pass on the scenario.

"But you said thank you!"

"Being thankful is one thing, but I'll still do what needs to be done."

"Wow, that's unfair!"

Isabelle huffed and booed beside me, but I merely snorted.

As if I'd crumble from a little jeering like that.

It was cute compared to the insults I had heard from women so far.

My gaze returned to the window.

Finally, the season of boycotts was just around the corner.

'All that's left is…'

To get Iris to lay her hands on the boycott.

Alright, the table is set; all you need to do is pick up the spoon.

I'll completely overturn the student council.