Nigel stared at Charlotte without even blinking, to the point of being rude.

Having always lived amongst men, Nigel was immune to handsome fellows, but not to pretty people. Moreover, this was the first time since being born here that Nigel had seen someone up close who looked as if they were personally sculpted by a goddess.

It was a shock similar to living hazily one’s whole life not knowing one had poor eyesight, and then putting on glasses for the first time and encountering a clear world.

Furthermore, even though Nigel and Charlotte wore the same shirt, same robe, and same skirt, the feeling was markedly different.

There was a big difference, as if the robe fluttering this way and that due to Nigel’s rough behavior and the robe elegantly swaying with Charlotte’s movements were truly different clothes.

“What, Nigel! Staring so intently!”

Charlotte burst into laughter as she waved her hand bashfully, her laughing voice as refreshing as colorful fireworks exploding.

“By the way, isn’t this the first time we’re sitting next to each other? I’m so happy!”

No matter what Charlotte said, Nigel couldn’t come to her senses due to the real-time fatal attacks on her beauty.

When Charlotte suddenly grabbed Nigel’s hand, the surrounding sounds became difficult to hear.

Nigel repeatedly nodded her head up and down in a daze at Charlotte’s words, chattering in a soft tone like a siskin’s song.

“…Then Nigel! You’re going to attend classes with me and my friends today, and have lunch together too? It’s a promise!”

When Nigel came to her senses, it seemed she had made many promises with Charlotte.

“Well, I’m sorry, but…”

Right at that moment when Nigel was about to say she couldn’t.

“Ah, and this is a gift I’m giving to Nigel to commemorate becoming friends with her!”

Charlotte quickly held out a cute cupcake wrapped with a pink ribbon from her bag.

Thump.

Nigel’s body reflexively reached out for the cupcake.

“Then it’s a promise between us?”

…She was caught.

Charlotte Primrose looked down at Nigel, who was staring at the cupcake with sparkling eyes, and gave a meaningful smile.

“Do you think this makes sense? Huh? Our friendship that started before enrollment is being overturned by just… just a single cupcake?!”

Allen, his face bright red from the heat rising, even let out an empty laugh because it was so unbelievable.

At the end of Allen’s gaze was Nigel, surrounded by Charlotte Primrose’s group of friends.

Nigel was awkwardly blushing and nodding her head amongst the giggling girls around her, not knowing what to do.

“In front of me, you nagged upon our first meeting, but you’ve never been shy! How can a person change like that?”

And of all people, it had to be in front of Charlotte Primrose, his rival!

Allen felt the same sense of betrayal as when seeing the aloof dog he had preciously raised since childhood roll over and act cute in front of someone other than its owner.

“I knew Primrose often looked at Nigel and was waiting for a chance to get close to her… but I never thought it would be when we grew distant from her! What if Nigel grows distant from us like this? What do we do, Noah… Gasp!”

Noah’s condition was far more serious than Allen’s.

Noah’s blue eyes, usually full of spirit, had completely lost focus, blinking vacantly out of habit. Like a dog that had its owner taken away in an instant.

“N-Noah? Are you… are you okay?”

At Allen’s words, Noah mechanically turned his head.

“It seems… it’s all because of me, Allen. That things have turned sour with Nigel. Because I thoughtlessly got between you two…”

There wasn’t even a small ray of hope visible in Noah’s hollow eyes.

“N-No, Noah. They say friends get closer while fighting, you know.”

Said Allen, who had never fought with a friend in his 17 years of life.

Noah, sturdy in both body and mind, would shrink like a child whenever it was related to Nigel, even a little.

Pat pat. Allen, who knew the reason, lightly patted Noah’s back with a broad generosity.

‘Because even strong people are bound to have weaknesses.’

Allen, who had wanted to receive comfort from Noah, was naturally comforting Noah.

Creak.

Just then, the door to the annex classroom opened and Heres stood at the front of the class.

“Good morning, everyone! …Oh?”

The sharp-eyed Heres quickly noticed the change.

“Nigel, you made a new friend! Congratulations.”

Heres saw Nigel amongst the girls and naturally gave a warm smile.

While the underclassmen all got along well, Nigel was always either alone or with Allen and Noah, always one of these two.

So Heres was proud of Nigel for making good friends, but inwardly worried that Nigel might not be getting along well with girls her age.

“Yes! I’m going to spend all day with Nigel today!”

Charlotte Primrose chattered to Heres while slightly glancing toward Allen.

Allen instantly understood the meaning of the look Charlotte sent.

That was, one hundred percent, no, one thousand percent meant to provoke him.

How was he so certain? Because he had acted the same way toward Charlotte, who kept glancing at Nigel!

On top of that, Charlotte Primrose brazenly linked arms with Nigel’s left arm.

As expected, Allen didn’t like Charlotte Primrose. Ever since they first met at age seven.

“Ugh…”

Aside from weekends, he had never been apart from his best friend, and it was infuriating to have him taken away in an instant by a mere cupcake. It was maddening to think that there was nothing he could do about this cruel reality. Allen kept groaning to himself throughout the class.

Noah was still out of it and not in a state to converse.

“…Noah, can you see Nigel’s face?”

Lunchtime.

Allen stood on tiptoe and desperately looked between the girls surrounding someone. But he couldn’t see even a single strand of black hair, let alone the face he was searching for.

“Barely visible.”

Fortunately, Noah, who had come to his senses after class ended, gave the answer Allen wanted.

“How is it? Does he look like he’s doing well? Or does he look like he’s having a hard time?”

“Nigel is…”

The moment Noah tried to finish his sentence, Allen hurriedly raised his hand to cover Noah’s mouth.

“No, no! Wait, don’t say it. I need to prepare myself.”

Allen, who always smiled except during Roneh’s class, had shadows on his face all day.

“…If his face is bright, I’ll feel sad that he’s doing well without us, and if his face is dark, I’ll be worried that it’s because of me…”

“Then, should I not say it?”

“No. I hate not knowing even more. …So, how is Nigel?”

Allen stared blankly at the group of giggling girls surrounding Nigel, wondering what was so funny.

“Hmm…”

Noah touched his chin and opened his mouth.

“He’s holding a handful of macarons that came out as dessert for lunch today and eating them.”

“…What?”

Allen was dumbfounded by the unexpected answer and just blinked.

Just then, Nigel’s figure briefly appeared among the girls.

As Noah said, Nigel was constantly munching with his cheeks full.

“Wow… it’s true.”

Next, Nigel looked down at the pile of macarons in his palm with a satisfied smile.

“That Primrose… she knows Nigel’s weakness is food!”

“Still, it’s a relief to see Nigel eating well as usual.”

“…That’s true.”

The two, who had lost their appetite and couldn’t even eat half their usual meal, stared at Nigel’s back, not wanting to miss even a moment.

“Um, Allen…”

“No.”

Noah’s question was blocked by Allen before it even started.

“Noah, you were going to say let’s try talking to Nigel, right?”

Noah, whose true feelings were exposed, widened his eyes.

“I absolutely can’t yield this time. We won’t take a single step closer to Nigel until he approaches us first.”

Allen spoke in a resolute voice.

Considering Allen’s usual behavior of being so soft toward Nigel that he was a yes-man to whatever Nigel said, it was clear that something big had happened between the two.

Even though Nigel was avoiding him, Noah felt bad that Allen and Nigel, who used to be inseparable, had grown distant because of him.

“…Just what happened between you two?”

When Noah spoke as if sighing, Allen’s head quickly turned.

“I don’t want to say.”

“Allen.”

Noah called out to Allen as if admonishing him.

“Noah, then why do you sigh deeper whenever Nigel ignores you, and why can’t you speak to him.”

Noah, whose sore spot was poked, flinched.

“…I won’t say either.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go to our lockers.”

Allen and Noah, who sighed at the same time, walked towards their lockers with heavy steps.

Thinking that Nigel would talk to them in at least a day, or at most a week.

Slam!

Allen closed his locker with a fit of irritation.

“Why… Why isn’t he talking to us? It’s been over 2 weeks already?!”