“I-I see. So that’s what happened.”
“Yeah... It took the guy a full two weeks to recover, apparently.”
“Seriously?”
Sain could just imagine the scene of the guy trying to make a move on her, only to be sent flying. He almost pitied the poor fool.
“With that said, Miss Gold, you should perhaps rethink your tendency to resort to violence...”
He rubbed at the bump on his head, which he’d earned for teaching an impressionable young child about the allure of darkness.
“Hmph, it’s their fault for deserving it. Do you have any idea how annoying that guy was? He came on way too strong and he just wouldn’t go away, so I just smacked him a little.”
Marni gave her a flat look.
“Smacked him a little?”
Alicia grimaced and looked away.
“I have to say, though, I never knew that Miss Gold had, um... gotten hit on before,” said Sain.
That caused Alicia to perk up again.
“Well, now you know. In case you weren’t aware, I’m actually pretty popular around here.” She showed him a toothy grin. “What? Are you jealous?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m jealous, but I do sympathize with them. You are, after all, a very attractive person.”
“...I-I’ll never understand how you can say stuff like that with a straight face.”
Her cockiness proved short-lived, and she turned away with her hands on her cheeks, a red blush spanning ear to ear. It would have been endearing if a rather creepy giggle didn’t escape her a second later. Apparently, she’d found his comment equal parts embarrassing and gratifying.
A very attractive person... when you haven’t opened your mouth.
The words surfaced in Sain’s mind, but in a rare display of prudence, he decided to keep them to himself. They’d known each other since the first day of school, and he was starting to understand her better. He now knew what kind of things set her off, and that was definitely one of them.
“Um, excuse me! Are you Sain?! One of the contestants in the battle expo?!”
An unfamiliar voice suddenly called his name. He turned to discover a girl wearing the intermediate division’s uniform. Her blue hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was gazing at him with eager interest.
“Yes, I am...”
The girl introduced herself in a bright voice.
“My name is Sasha! I’m an intermediate first year with the student newspaper!”
Jenifa was home to a variety of student clubs, and Sain had learned of the newspaper club’s existence when he was walking down the school’s hallway one day and a copy of the paper they’d made happened to be posted on the bulletin board on the wall.
“The paper is currently interviewing contestants who made it to the third round of the tournament. Could I have a few moments of your time?” asked Sasha.
Sain and the three girls traded glances.
“If it’s just a few questions, I’d say go ahead,” said Alicia.
Marni and Melia agreed, so he turned to Sasha and nodded.
“All right. We don’t mind.”
“Thank you very much! Let’s start—” She lowered her head in gratitude but paused when she looked back up, her eyes settling on the girl beside him. “Wait a minute. Is that... Melia?”
“It certainly is,” she answered.
“Wow! I didn’t recognize you at first! Hmm, I have to say, the usual outfit is plenty attractive, but this new look you’re sporting is no slouch either. Then again, I guess I should expect nothing less from one of the intermediate division’s four madonnas!”
Melia lifted one eyebrow as high as it would go.
“...Four madonnas? What?”
“So, the boys decided to go ahead and rate all the girls in your division and came up with a ranking chart. They call the girls in the top four spots the four madonnas. Two of them are first years, by the way, and one of them happens to be you. The other is Yuria. You know, one of the Eldis twins.”
Sain hadn’t ever heard of this ranking chart, and judging by how his companions’ reactions were all variations on “Huh. Okay then,” they hadn’t either. It didn’t surprise him that Melia and Yuria occupied the top spots, though. Both of them had undeniably pretty features.
“Just for your information, Alicia was also in contention for the top four spots, but lost out when a bunch of boys said she’s more monster than madonna.”
“I’m what?! ”
“Augh! Ow! Ow! This is it! This is exactly what they mean!” Sasha exclaimed, her limbs flailing as Alicia grabbed her face and squeezed.
Sain hurriedly stepped in to stop Alicia from succumbing to her inner barbarian.
“Geez,” complained Sasha after she was released. “You almost broke my face...”
“You broke a maiden’s heart!”
“Eh? A maiden? Where?”
It occurred then to Sain that this Sasha girl was not a particularly discreet individual.
“Okay, that’s it.”
Alicia went in for the kill, and it took a great deal of convincing from the other three to stop her. She was still fuming, though, and her anger found a new target: Sain.
“Wait a minute, if it’s the boys in our division who said that, then...” she growled. “Saaaaaaain?”
“Eep!” He squealed. “H-Hold on! I have no idea what she was talking about! This is the first time I’ve heard of it!”
“Enough excuses. Get your traitorous butt over here.”
She took a menacing step toward him. Sensing impending danger to his person, he started backing away from her.