The dormitory I returned to after everything was over.
I lay down on the bed after roughly finishing the cleanup, but I couldn’t fall asleep.
It wasn’t particularly late, but more than that, it was because I couldn’t organize my thoughts.
“Sigh…”
I let out a sigh to relieve some of the frustration, but nothing really changed.
I took out the item causing this frustration from my inventory and tried using it.
[Ring of Exploration]
[For those unaware of the ways of the world.]
[Explores the specified target.]
The sentence I remembered came to mind exactly as it was.
Afterward, I tried out a few other items, and it seemed like the same sentences from the game were displayed.
Well, whatever.
“How am I supposed to say this?”
The important thing right now wasn’t the bracelet’s abilities.
The problem was that I had learned something I shouldn’t have because of it.
‘Why would affinity points show up there?’
In the game, you could check how much affinity you had built with someone through the affinity system.
But strangely, the system I had now didn’t show me the affinity system.
[You cannot check it yourself.]
Along with a message like this.
But… I didn’t expect it to be revealed through this bracelet.
‘So I couldn’t check, but the affinity points were steadily increasing?’
That was the most absurd part.
Why block me from checking it but still increase the affinity?
Wait. Could it really be that only I can’t see it?
It says I can’t check it myself. Does that mean they can see it instead?
If so, since when?
I agonized over it for a long time, but it seemed like I wouldn’t get an answer unless I asked directly.
The next day. After all the schedules were over, Seria, Alkine, and I gathered in the student council building.
Without needing a long explanation, it was to discuss what happened yesterday.
Yesterday, I was dragged into a one-on-one meeting with the headmaster, so we disbanded without much conversation.
Seria had sent me a message on the messenger late at night, but I remember falling asleep without replying properly because I felt so unsettled.
“I fell asleep quickly too, so it’s okay.”
I apologized once, just in case my reply seemed insincere.
Normally, I wouldn’t have cared this much.
But somehow, I felt overly conscious of their reactions.
They say knowledge is power, but today, I felt like giving more weight to the saying that ignorance is bliss.
I sneakily checked their affinity again.
[Affinity: 59/100]
[Affinity: 18/100]
Wow, even seeing it again makes me sigh.
How am I supposed to explain this?
“You’re making the same face as yesterday. What’s bothering you this time?”
Seria threw a sharp question at me, seemingly noticing my brief emotional change.
She doesn’t have a bracelet that reads thoughts, but her intuition is sharp.
Alright, let’s just come clean and apologize quickly.
With that resolve, I opened my mouth.
First, I explained why I was dragged along with the Jibchack family yesterday and what happened until the others arrived.
From needing a specific item to knowing about the forbidden book.
“Setting aside how you found out about those things… from their perspective, it must’ve been a bolt from the blue.”
“But, well… they brought it on themselves, didn’t they?”
“You’re firm about this.”
“I told you. I’m not such a nice person that I’d forgive someone who messes with my stuff.”
“So, since when was Rudion yours?”
“That’s just a manner of speaking! Why do you always nitpick like that?”
The reactions were as expected.
Seria accepted it without any doubt, and Alkine was the only one who had a somewhat normal response.
There was a brief dispute about what was mine or not, but I decided to ignore it, thinking that worrying about every little thing would drive me insane.
“Well, that’s fine. The main point is from now on…”
“Why are you hesitating like this? Rudion, you’re acting weird today.”
When I hesitated instead of speaking clearly, Seria looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I subtly showed them the bracelet on my wrist.
“This is the item. I stole it from Trash.”
“I know. I was wondering when you’d explain.”
“You’re both way too calm about me stealing it, aren’t you?”
Alkine looked at Seria and me with disbelief, but it couldn’t be helped.
I’m a gamer, and Seria is a princess.
We naturally have a very relaxed understanding of property rights.
…Or is that not the problem here?
“Honestly, you both seem a bit strange.”
“And who was it that chased after such a strange person because they liked them?”
“…Don’t bring that up. My face heats up, and it doesn’t cool down easily.”
No, I’m trying to explain the bracelet’s abilities, but they’re making it harder.
If I dragged it out any longer, I might not be able to say it at all, so I decided to explain quickly.
“Its official name is ‘Ring of Exploration,’ and if you use it, you can see the other person’s information.”
“Information, like…”
“Stats, traits, current emotions, or thoughts.”
“Ah~ So that’s why.”
An unexpected reaction came out.
I thought they’d be shocked, angry, or have some kind of negative reaction.
But Seria just spoke as if she finally understood something.
“I was wondering why clueless Rudion seemed to be matching my mood so well today—it was all thanks to that, huh?”
“…No, I didn’t even use it today.”
“…Really?”
After checking once yesterday, I felt… guilt, I guess?
Anyway, I couldn’t bring myself to use it on them again.
“Then how did you manage to say only the things that made me happy today?”
“Well…?”
I wasn’t entirely sure, but maybe my guilt made me more cautious, and things just happened to work out.
“…Rudion. I feel bad saying this, but could you maybe be this considerate all the time?”
“I’ll try.”
“Rudion, you don’t usually try at anything.”
What nonsense is that?
I’ve been doing image training every day to sharpen my dodge-parry-quick swap reflexes to their peak.
Just as a fierce argument was about to break out over my pride as a seasoned gamer, Alkine’s voice cut in.
“Um… I know you two get along well, but didn’t we just gloss over something important?”
Right.
Seria had taken it so casually that it almost slipped by, but I had just dropped a massive bombshell.
Reading someone’s thoughts and emotions… that’s never an innocent act.
In response to Alkine’s very reasonable concern, Seria spoke first.
“I don’t really mind.
I don’t think Rudion would use it for anything bad, and even if he does read my thoughts, I doubt it’ll change much of what he does.
But…”
“But?”
“Just don’t use it when I tell you not to. Ever.
As long as you respect that, I don’t care if you read my mind the rest of the time.”
…Honestly, that’s even scarier.
What on earth is she hiding to make her say that so firmly?
But I had no choice here.
“Okay.”
I nodded in agreement.
To be honest, I had somewhat expected Seria to react like this.
It’s cowardly, but… I already knew her affinity score.
What I was really worried about was Alkine.
After hearing Seria’s response, Alkine seemed to ponder for a moment before quietly speaking.
“For me… I think it’d still be a bit difficult.
Unless it’s really necessary, I’d prefer if you didn’t read my thoughts.”
“Alkine, are you sure?
It’ll be even more embarrassing if you change your mind later.”
“Stop coaxing her.”
“I’m saying this because I care.”
Seria seemed ready to convince Alkine otherwise, so I had to jump in quickly.
“I never intended to use it recklessly from the start.
I’ll follow what the president said.”
“Alright. I’ll trust you. But, um…”
“Yes?”
“Can you stop calling me ‘President’?”
“Then what should I call you?”
“I’d like it if you just called me by my name…”
“…I’ll try, as long as I can add ‘senpai’ to it.”
“That’s good enough. Thanks.”
Honestly, from her relaxed speech lately to caring about how I addressed her, she’s remarkable in her own way.
Anyway, it seemed like both of them had accepted the bracelet’s basic functionality.
…It would’ve been nice if it ended there.
But there was still the matter of the affinity system.
“There’s one more thing I need to say.”
“What else is there?”
After taking a deep breath, I cautiously called out to the two of them.
“Seria. President.”
“President?”
“…Alkine-senpai.”
I made a mistake in the title I’d just agreed to change, but whatever.
With their eyes on me, I slammed my head onto the table.
Thud!
“What the—? Why are you doing that all of a sudden?”
“Well… It’s been a while.
The last time you did this was during the entrance exam, and I was just as bewildered back then.”
“Seria, why are you so calm about this?!”
“I’m really sorry!!”
“You can’t just apologize without explaining anything after bowing your head like that!”
It was a preemptive apology before an explanation—because I didn’t have the courage to say it outright.
An abnormal person like me, someone like Seria who strangely liked that about me, and Alkine, stuck in the middle, being the only one showing a normal reaction.