With that, Shino went silent for a while.
“…Pfft…ha-ha-ha…ah-ha-ha…”
Then after some time, her shoulders started to shake as she laughed through her tears.
It was a sight Rix would have never expected from Shino’s usual expressionless, straight face.
“…Shino?”
“Heh-heh… What are you going on about? Wow, that’s hilarious. How foolish. You…really are…just like him…”
“‘Him’? …Who, your ex-boyfriend?”
“Ex-boyfriend?! I’m a virgin, I’ll have you know!!”
“Sh-Shino?! Wait—what are you talking about?!”
“Huh?! Look what you made me say, you idiooooot!!”
“But I didn’t do anything!”
Shino threw a pillow at Rix’s face with all her strength.
Then—
“Heeey, are you alive in there, Rix?”
—the door to the infirmary opened, and in came Randy, Annie, and Serephina, their new robes torn to shreds.
“Man…Darwin is seriously the worst…! I swear I’ll punch that guy at least once before I graduate…!”
“Hmph… And I’ll help you! Let justice be done to that fiend…!”
Randy and Serephina looked pretty angry.
“…Did something happen?” Rix asked.
“Ah-ha-ha… That Professor Darwin! Once some of the students had four victories and were about to get their fifth and be able to leave, Darwin himself challenged them to a match…,” said Annie.
“What?! Then it’s impossible to win!”
“Yeah. After that, everyone was passing out…and not a single person was able to get their five wins and leave…”
“What the…?”
Rix could easily imagine Darwin making up some excuse like “I never said I wouldn’t participate in the matches myself, did I?”
“So in the end, the professor ended up telling us we were all complete failures…and he decided to take us all on at once in a magical battle, professor vs. students,” Annie explained. “Of course, he beat the tar out of us.”
“It’s too immature, even for a total jerk like him!”
“Argh, it really makes me so angryyyyy!”
Randy and Serephina’s rage was showing no signs of cooling off.
“Actually, it’s pretty amazing that we even made it out of that fight alive…,” Randy mused.
“I think I saw the ghost of my grandfather, telling me to turn away from the light…”
But the next moment, the two turned pale and began shaking in fear once they remembered what had happened.
It seemed like they had been quite traumatized by the experience.
“But…I’m so glad you’re okay, Rix,” said Annie. “You too, Shino.”
“Yeah, sorry for making you guys worry.”
“…”
Rix scratched at his cheek awkwardly as Shino cast her eyes down without a word.
Then Annie took Rix’s hand in hers and began to speak, like she was pleading with him.
“Annie?”
“That last moment of your fight with Gordon…I felt like…you were about to go somewhere far away…”
Annie seemed to have picked up on whatever had happened within Rix in her own way.
With his hand in hers, she stared straight into his eyes.
“Please don’t scare us like that ever again. Promise me.”
“…Okay, I promise. I’m really sorry.”
Rix stared back at Annie and nodded quietly.
And as they gazed at each other…
“That reminds me—Rix just told me that he prefers older women.”
For some reason, Shino coldly stated this before turning the other way and covering herself with her blanket.
“Hey, why did you have to expose me like that, and why now of all times?”
“…Hmph.”
“What?! Is that true, Rix? Do you really like older women…?”
“Don’t you go along with it, too, Annie!” Rix’s cheek started twitching.
“Come on, guys! The only way to shake off this bad mood is to go do something fun!” said Randy. “Hey, Rix! This weekend, let’s all go to Campbell Street and blow off some steam!”
“That’s exactly right! What we desperately need right now is some entertainment!” agreed Serephina.
Looking around at his friends, Rix couldn’t help but break into an awkward grin.
Some days later, after school, at the magic ceremonial ground known as the Stone Circle…Rix and Shino were working on opening their Spheres under the supervision of Professor Anna, as usual.
“U-um…? Shino? Uh, you…,” the professor stammered.
“…!!”
It was as if all her struggles up until now had been nothing whatsoever. Shino’s Sphere had been easily unlocked.
Shino appeared surprised as she gazed at the five-meter-wide Sphere around her.
“Congratulations, Shino! Oh, thank goodness!” Professor Anna was clapping joyfully. “I’m just so glad you were finally able to open your Sphere!”
“You finally did it?! That’s great, Shino!”
Rix took the dumbfounded Shino’s hands in his and rejoiced like it had been his own accomplishment.
“Although…I wonder why you were suddenly able to open your Sphere like that,” he mused.
“…I’m not sure…”
As the two of them cocked their heads in confusion, Professor Anna cheerfully offered an explanation.
“Actually, unlocking your Sphere has much to do with your own state of mind, your heart…mental factors, that is. Say, Shino. Might you have had any big changes in your mindset lately?”
Shino glanced over at Rix. Not a moment later, she looked away and muttered, “Hmm…I have no idea.”
“Aw, really…? Hrm, I was really hoping you had some kind of hint that might help me, too…” Rix scratched his head, sounding disappointed. “In any case, congrats, Shino! This means you won’t have to withdraw from the academy!”
“H-hmph! Shouldn’t you be worrying more about yourself?!” Shino’s face reddened before she turned to continue speaking to Professor Anna. “Professor, thank you very much for your patient guidance and encouragement of someone so unskilled as I. And also…I hope you will continue to exercise the same toward this idiot. Please don’t give up on him.”
“Shino?”
Rix blinked in surprise at Shino’s unexpected comment.
“…Huh? Oh, of course! That’s right, we still have Rix’s Sphere left to open, don’t we…? Perhaps it was a little early to be celebrating, ha-ha-ha…” Professor Anna smiled awkwardly.
Shino bowed to Professor Anna before turning on her heel and leaving.
As she passed Rix, she whispered to him, “…Keep trying. As hard as you can.”
“!”
Rix felt his face growing warm.
Well, if even Shino’s going so far as to encourage me, now I really gotta do my best!
With that renewed sense of resolve, Rix took the Fool’s Elixir in his hand and downed it in one chug.