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OBVIOUSLY, the plan of having Oriana climb a tree to visit Vincent in the boys’ dormitory never came to fruition. That was mainly because Vincent was confined to the infirmary, his fever a result of overworking himself.
Vincent normally managed his health perfectly, so the fact that he’d gotten sick shook up the whole school. That just went to show how much everyone at Lagen Magic Academy idealized him as a superhuman.
It wasn’t until a few days after he’d initially collapsed that word reached Oriana that he’d attended one of his classes again. Afternoon lessons had barely begun when she heard the news, so she spent the next couple of hours restless and unable to focus. She was so worried about him that the second the bell rang, she dashed down the halls and stealthily peered inside the Special Class’s classroom.
Vincent was packing his things, getting ready to leave. Beside him were Miguel and a female student Oriana had never seen before.
Oh… So he does talk to other girls besides me. Oriana was flabbergasted at herself for being shocked by that. She almost wanted to slap herself silly. Come on now! You already said you weren’t going to look down on Vincent like that anymore! Oriana inwardly chided herself for treating him like he was some kind of loner.
But still, he’s the one who told me he didn’t have any friends besides Miguel, so I simply didn’t think there was anyone else. Yeah, that’s it. So there’s no reason to slap myself silly after all, is there?
Oriana studied the girl beside Vincent. Her hair was a blindingly bright blonde color. She had elegant features and a dignified air about her. The way she conducted herself was graceful too, each action measured and delicate. She had to be nobility.
Wow. She fits in perfectly with them.
An earl’s heir, a duke’s heir, and a gorgeous noble lady. The three of them looked like they’d popped out of a storybook. There was something so natural about the way they interacted too, as if they’d known each other for years.
Unable to watch any longer, Oriana hid herself behind the door.
Wait a second… Was everything he said to me purely flattery?
Maybe he’d only told her he wanted to be friends so he could dispel her strange paranoia. And maybe she’d read too much into what Miguel said about liking it being the three of them.
Anxiety crashed over her for a moment, but she quickly waved her worries away. That can’t be it, she thought. I’ve spent plenty of time with them these past four months, and they really have tried to be a friend to me, I know it.
Each time she recalled the great big grin on Miguel’s face when she told him she liked it being the three of them too, she secretly felt guilty. Her “like” surely wasn’t strong enough to warrant that kind of genuine smile. On top of that, Vincent had trusted her enough to confide in her that he had feelings for someone.
I don’t want to dismiss the time we’ve spent together as a lie. Oriana had barely managed to pump herself back up when a student suddenly stepped out of the classroom.
“Oriana?”
Shocked, she jerked her head up. Her eyes landed on Vincent, who was still standing on the threshold.
“Oh, ’sup?” Miguel casually greeted, peeking his head out from Vincent’s side. “It’s rare for you to come all the way here.”
It didn’t seem like that female student was going to be joining them. Oriana felt pathetic for being relieved at that. It was ridiculous for her to feel betrayed simply because they had another female friend. What was she, a drama queen?
“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. I was just a little worried about you, so I came to check in,” she said.
“You came all the way here just for that? Thank you.”
All the way here…just for that… The words echoed in her head. Was she being a nuisance? Had she gone overboard? She was being too self-conscious. Neither one of them had admonished her for it, but for whatever reason, she was suddenly feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed for herself.
“Well, we’re friends,” said Oriana. “This is normal. Class 2 does it all the time.” She put extra emphasis on that, trying to cover for the truth. She felt ashamed of herself for being so restless and hung up over Vincent, wondering if he would be okay.
“Sorry, Oriana, but do you have a moment?” Vincent asked.
Oriana nodded, and Miguel gave her a slight wave before giving them some space. Vincent called her over to the edge of the hall. Once they were away from the main stream of people and it was just the two of them, Vincent dropped his voice and said, “I’m sorry for what happened before. I mean, I, uh…heard I put my arms around you…”
“Oh, that little thing?” Oriana shook her head. He was sick, so obviously there was no need for him to fret over it.
“‘That little thing?’” Vincent echoed her words.
“It’s fine. Actually, I should be apologizing that I couldn’t keep you upright.”
Besides, the part where he examined her mouth stood out more in her mind. That was far more awkward, and she’d like nothing more than to forget it ever happened.
“There is nothing for you to apologize for,” said Vincent. “I simply wanted you to know that I had no ulterior motives.”
“Oh. Right.”
“There was no other meaning to it. I’d like it if you could put it out of your mind.”
“Yeah.”
You don’t have to spell it out for me. The exhaustion was so bad he’d completely passed out. It was clear he was at his breaking point at the time. Oriana had a front-row seat to the whole thing, so she knew that better than anyone else.
Do you really need to drive the message home? You don’t have to go out of your way to warn me off. Just because you peeked into my mouth and put your arms around me doesn’t mean I’m going to suddenly fall for you.
Besides, as she suddenly remembered, he’d already told her that he had someone he liked.
“I met her, and that had to be the first time I ever did something of my own volition. Not one thing—I did a bunch of meaningless things that hadn’t been predetermined for me. I became a different person, but I didn’t hate the change it caused in me. It was like this big piece inside of me that had been missing for so long had suddenly been filled, and that’s how I realized: she’s the only person that can make me whole.”
She wasn’t such an idiot that she’d fall in love with a guy who was clearly head over heels for someone else. But…
“But one thing I did realize is just how deeply you care about her.”
“Yeah.”
When he said “yeah,” his voice was so soft and his expression was so much sweeter than she had ever seen it before. Oriana found herself envious of this girl for being able to evoke such a change in him.
I wonder what it feels like to be that cherished by someone. It sure would be nice if someone felt that way for me…
Vincent didn’t seem like the type to fall that hard for someone, so that was probably why it caught her attention so much. Yeah, that had to be it. She was convinced there could be no other reason.
Suddenly, Oriana’s gaze wandered to the classroom door, where the girl who had been standing beside Vincent earlier suddenly appeared. She glanced toward Oriana and flashed a smile at her before walking off.
Oriana’s chest squeezed painfully, and she forced herself to grin. “Well, we’re friends! Things like that happen.”
“Right. Because we’re friends.”
“Yes,” she insisted. “Because we’re friends!”
That’s why I can support you like that when you have a fever and help you out when you’re trying to invent a new magical implement…because we’re friends.
Oriana repeated those words again and again inside her head, like a mantra.