ALL NOVEL Chapter 115: Lights and shadow
Two days had passed and it was now the Semifinals. Nem and Patrick were set to face each other and salesmen were selling beer and snacks in the stands.
It felt strange walking to the venue, most of the students avoided me as I passed. Of course there were some who talked to me casually but most kept their distance and whispered to each other.
It probably had something to do with the incident with the empire although it’s possible that my appearance was just too flashy.
Although there were various races here and I wasn’t the only one who wore a mask no one else was dressed in the color of blood. I assumed this was why o got strange looks as I walked by other students.
I walked along the isle of seats for a while until I noticed Toa and Sufilia seated in the front. When they saw me they smiled and waved. However they weren’t the only ones to notice me and the other students whispered as I passed by.
“You’re late, how was Nem?”
I’d come here after taking Nem to the waiting room.
“She didn’t seem nervous.”
Toa kept looking around, I don’t know how it was in her hometown but she seemed to care a lot that people were staring at us.
“Sorry Toa.”
“Hm?….”
Although she quickly realized what I’d said.
“You’re famous so it can’t be helped.”
Although I think there is more too it than that, I don’t know what the people around is were thinking but it didn’t seem good.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Toa whispered to me. When I looked into Toas eyes nothing else seemed to matter.
“The only people who care are those around us.”
Toa smiled.
“Yeah.”
I turned the mask back into an earring.
” Nito is a hero so there will be those who criticize you.”
The weight that I felt in my heart was lifted.
“*cough*”
Sufilia purposefully coughed behind me.
“Lord Nito, could you not flirt so much with Toa in front of me?”
I looked back to see Sufilia smiling at me.
“Y, yeah. We’re not really flirting though?”
“Is that so? I didn’t see it that way.”
What? What happened?
“I’ve thought this for a while but, isn’t your way of dealing with Toa different? Why don’t you ever smile at me?”
“Dealing with?”
I looked at Toa but she was confused as I was. What does she mean by deal with?
I gave a ring to both of them? What is she upset about?
“Lord Nito talks to Toa like the guard who has secret feelings for me in Artemias talked to me.”
“Guard? What?”
“Lord Nito feels the same way that person did.”
Sufilia is really coming after me today, what happened?
“Nito was always like this, he was the same way with Sierra. He’s the same way with you isn’t he?”
Toa backed me up.
“I don’t think so, when Lord Nito talks with Toa its like he’s in love.”
“Huh? In love?”
Toa turned bright red and hid her face from me.
“Oioi! Why did you turn red? Isn’t Sufilia just misunderstanding?”
But Toa didn’t look up.
“So it’s true.”
“Huh?”
I turned my head slowly to look at Sufilia who was smiling evilly.
“No no, you’re just misunderstanding.”
“Nope! My Intuition tells me so.”
“What do you mean Intuition?”
“Its a woman’s Intuition!”
I don’t get it.
“You’re just speculating, I’m just normally….”
Sufilia’s face looked sad for a moment, it wasn’t something she’d done purposefully.
“Don’t make that face, I’ll talk to you more from now on then ok?”
When I said that Sufilia put on her smile again.
“So it was like that after all.”
“Huh?”
Although she was smiling Sufilia looked angry.
“No!”
Apparently the sadness earlier was just acting, Sufilia approached me angrily.
Fudge….is she going to slap me?
I’d closed my eyes but what I felt on my cheek wasn’t pain. It was something soft.
“……hm? What?”
When I opened my eyes Sufilia’s face wasn’t red any longer but her cheeks were as red as Toas.
“…..huh?”
What?
“Hey…..Sufiliaー”
There was another angry voice behind me, when I turned around Toas face was now red with anger instead. Can’t you guys just forgive me?
“Sufilia! What are you doing?!”
“What am I doing? It was exactly what you saw.”
Toa said nothing back as she quivered in anger. Why? What did Sufilia do to me?
Although I felt like somehow I knew.
The two of them glared angrily at each other, I felt that if I left it as it was a feud was likely to start between them.
“Sufiliaー”
When I called her name Sufilia looked at me in surprise.
“Did you just kiss me?”
“Yeah? What about it?”
“Then Toa, you kiss me too.”
“Huh?”
When I said that Toa looked dumbfounded instead of angry.
“Wーwait what are you saying?!”
“If Toa is mad that Sufilia kissed me on the cheek then you can kiss me on the other cheek. Then you’re even right?”
It was perfect. If one gets a present then the other will be angry. So this is keeping it fair right?
“See? If you kiss me too then you won’t be angry anymore right?”
But there was only silence, both Toa and Sufilia looked stunned.
“What? It’s a good idea isn’t it?”
“Geez, Lord Nito you don’t know anything do you?”
“Don’t know anything?”
“I was an idiot for being mad.”
Why is Toa mad at me now? Wasn’t she just mad at Sufilia?
“I see, so even Nitos female companions are at their wits end with him.”
Someone spoke behind me.
Alice was seated behind me with El, when I looked at El she bowed and I bowed back involuntarily.
“It doesn’t matter but could you moderate yourselves a bit? It’s embarrassing.”
Toa and Sufilia turned away to reflect.
“Why are you here?”
“Today is the match between Patrick and Nem. I sat down first you know. So I want to know why you’re here and why you brought your two mistresses.”
She’s so arrogant.
“I see, so you were here first. Sorry, but why don’t we just watch the match?”
“Thats my line. Do you think you can act like adults and not flirt while we watch?”
“Youー”
“Its starting.”
“Huh?”
Nem and Patrick came out onto the field. I don’t know why Alice was here but I’ll just watch the match for now.
“Oh! They came out!”
I called out to the people next to me.
“What? Are you still worried?”
Sufilia was fine but Toa didn’t seem like her usual self, guess I have to force her. I brought my face close and breathed into her ear.
“Kya!”
Toa was surprised and looked at me reflexively.
“Hahahahaha!”
“Heーhey!”
Toa blushed as she held her ear.
“There on the field now.”
Toa looked at the field still holding her ear and blushing.
“Whoever wins we should smile for them.”
Although I had complicated feelings about the match.