Noah, noticeably emaciated, just nodded his head weakly.

The days passed by, each one thinking that today would be the day to talk, and before they knew it, the midterm exams were just a few days away.

Nigel didn’t seem to care about Allen and Noah anymore, as he hadn’t properly faced them for the past few weeks.

Even when they tried to find Nigel, they couldn’t find him anywhere in the academy – not in the library, the lounge, or the classroom – after classes ended, wondering where he was studying.

A few days ago, Allen barely stopped Noah from barging into the principal’s office, asking if Nigel was there, by throwing his light body in the way.

At the time, Allen thought Noah must have been desperate to do that, but now he himself wanted to go into the principal’s office and ask the principal to announce where Nigel was.

Above all, it was too painful to watch helplessly as Nigel mingled and laughed with the Primrose group up close.

It was like an endless torture of hope, like the bread in a painting faced while starving.

At this rate, forget about the picnic after the midterm exams that Allen was looking forward to, they might not talk to each other until they graduate from Sienia.

…It would have been easier if it was a problem that could be solved with money.

Tired of people approaching him only for his money and background, he had enrolled in Sienia to find true friends, but ironically, when this situation arose, he was looking for money first.

“…Yeah, I’ve made up my mind!”

After fidgeting with his fingers for a while, Allen clenched his fist tightly.

“Noah, just trust me.”

“…Allen?”

Noah’s eyes widened. Those blue eyes were filled with subtle expectations.

Allen’s steps gained strength and started moving confidently when he recalled the short saying that today’s enemy is tomorrow’s friend.

After school.

Allen’s feet arrived at the medicinal herb garden, which only magic department students could enter.

At the very end of the herb garden, the beautiful white pavilion surrounded by blooming climbing roses was a place where Charlotte Primrose frequented, as if she had rented it out.

Sure enough, Charlotte Primrose and her friends were sitting in that pavilion today as well.

“…Who is this.”

Click.

Charlotte, who noticed the unfamiliar presence, gracefully put down her teacup on the table and smiled brightly.

“Isn’t it my dear friend, Allen Evans?”

Ugh, goosebumps rose on Allen’s arms at that hypocritical tone.

“Allen, so what brings you here? You’re not here to see me, are you?”

“Of course not.”

A cold voice that was hard to believe came from the same person escaped Allen’s throat.

“Primrose… let’s talk for a moment.”

“Okay, got it.”

Allen and Charlotte entered the herb greenhouse, quite a distance from the pavilion.

As they opened the greenhouse door, the warm and humid air of the greenhouse immediately greeted them.

“So, what did you want to say?”

Charlotte said with her arms crossed, still not losing her smile.

When Allen didn’t open his mouth for a while, Charlotte sighed and spoke.

“Allen, let me make this clear… I’m not being friendly with Nigel just to annoy you. To be honest, it’s not like I didn’t have that purpose at all, and in fact, at first, I was drawn to that perfect face.

The black hair that complements the white skin and the eyes like meticulously crafted purple sapphires… this is cheating. You and I may differ in many things, but our aesthetic sense is the same, like twins.”

Tap.

Charlotte placed her hand on Allen’s shoulder.

“But the more time I spent with him, the more I realized. That kid Nigel… he’s really a good kid. I hate to admit it, but you have good taste.”

At that moment, Allen tightly grasped Charlotte’s hand that was placed on his shoulder.

“…Charlotte.”

Charlotte’s large eyes widened even more at hearing her name called for the first time in a long while since they were young and forced to play house and market games by the adults.

“Stop listing obvious facts and just tell me this one thing quickly.”

Allen’s face was so serious without a hint of a smile that Charlotte waited with bated breath for Allen to open his mouth, also feeling tense.

“Did you… perhaps hide Nigel?”

“What??”

However, Charlotte’s tension dissipated at Allen’s question that seemed like a joke.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“Primrose, I’m being really serious, you know? You’re good with herbs, so did you make a potion of invisibility or a potion to hide presence to help Nigel hide all this time? And in return, you became friends with Nigel.”

…Oh Allen, that’s so like you. Charlotte, feeling deflated, put strength into her hand that was held by Allen, and Allen’s hand couldn’t use any strength and lost grip of Charlotte’s hand.

“Allen Evans. What kind of nonsense are you saying?”

“T-Then where on earth is Nigel?”

Allen stammered, overwhelmed by Charlotte’s momentum.

“How would I know.”

Allen blinked at the response that was too confident.

“No matter how much I want to become close with Nigel, it’s only natural not to encourage him to do something he doesn’t want to do. Isn’t that right? Unfortunately, the time Nigel has allowed me is only during regular class hours.”

…I won.

At the thought of winning against Charlotte, Allen’s face brightened without him realizing it.

“You… still only know how to think about one thing and not two.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

Charlotte let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.

“I’ll just be honest. Does it even make sense for you, who have been stuck to Nigel since enrollment except for sleeping, to ask me, who has only been around for a little over 2 weeks, about Nigel’s whereabouts?

Then there would be one of two answers. Either there’s a reason to avoid a close friend you always hang out with, or he just dislikes you so much that he doesn’t want to see your face even for a moment.”

Each of Charlotte’s words stabbed and pierced Allen’s heart sharply.

…Either way, Nigel had plenty of reasons to avoid him.

It was Allen who judged Nigel arbitrarily without properly listening to his story, and it was also Allen who stubbornly refused to approach Nigel first due to pointless pride.

He had already hurt Nigel, but he was a fool who thought he couldn’t find Nigel because he didn’t want to be hurt by Nigel.

‘…I can’t even trust a friend. I’m disqualified as a friend.’

Allen took out the cookie he had saved from lunchtime to give to Nigel when they met and fiddled with it in his pocket.

“So. Your stor-… No. Your friend’s story is that he’s keeping his distance because he’s worried about negatively influencing his friends?”

Nigel nodded his head obediently to Oliver after withdrawing his sharp gaze.

“Seriously. He thinks too hard, being a model student and all.”

“I told you it’s not about me.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s about your friend. He’s so inflexible, being a model student friend and all.”

…He’s doing that on purpose. Nigel was convinced as he looked at Oliver’s face full of mischief.

‘I’m the fool for trying to speak indirectly, saying it’s my friend’s story.’

Oliver laughed at Nigel’s scowling face and gulped down his tea.

“Your… friend doesn’t want to be friends with the kids he fought with?”

“Of course not.”

An answer immediately popped out of Nigel’s mouth.

“Then conversely, do the kids who fought with your friend dislike getting along with your friend?”

“That’s… I’m not sure.”

Nigel lowered his head sharply.

“Then let me change the question, are they subtly avoiding you? Discriminating against you because of your status? Hmm… I don’t think Beselion or Allen would do that though.”

“They don’t.”

Nigel stopped pointing out Oliver’s remarks, realizing it was pointless to hide it anyway.

“Then that’s all that matters. Freshman, what are you even worried about?”

Tap.

Oliver placed his hand on Nigel’s shoulder.

For a moment, Oliver’s serious eyes met Nigel’s.

Seeing Oliver’s serious face for the first time, Nigel unconsciously swallowed.

“Look at me. If you think about it that way, I have no friends at all.”

Well, of course. Nigel smiled wryly.

Still, his heart felt much more at ease at Oliver’s words, and he reached for a cookie.

“Senior, I didn’t know you were very good at self-objectification.”

“Of course, thanks to that, I also objectively know very well how great I am.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Freshman.”

Just then, a voice void of playfulness called out to Nigel.

“Don’t keep avoiding your friends and holing up in the student council room, make up with them quickly. Since I’ve only lived 2 years longer than you, I know this one thing. The sooner you apologize and celebrate, the better.

Avoiding the situation is not always the best solution. No matter how much you struggle to avoid it, the moment you have to face it will surely come.”

…Sometimes at times like this, he seems like a normal person.

The look in Nigel’s eyes as he gazed at Oliver changed.

“Of course, don’t forget to tell me every single detail about why you fought with Allen!”

Ah, I take back what I said about him being normal.

Oliver was right. You can’t avoid everything just because you want to avoid it.

But he didn’t know that moment would come so quickly.