Chapter 49: Lingering Tension, a Difficult Conversation, and Another Kiss

“M-My Lady. Y-you’re up early…?”

“Yes… I fell asleep early last night, so I woke up early too.”

And because of that, Sayo was already dressed and ready, even though it was usually the time Ahrin woke her. She hadn’t slept well, her mind racing with thoughts and replays of that incident, but since she’d gone to bed so early, she’d managed to get a decent amount of rest.

“Let me do your hair…”

“Please.”

“…”

“…”

A palpable tension hung between them. It was a familiar routine, but today, Ahrin’s hands trembled as she brushed Sayo’s hair. In the mirror, Sayo could see Ahrin’s flushed face, a mixture of embarrassment, guilt, and regret. Sayo wasn’t unaffected, but her re-engaged poker face allowed her to maintain a semblance of composure. ‘If the real me were in this situation…’ She shuddered at the thought.

The awkward silence made Sayo miss Ahrin’s usual cheerful chatter.

After getting ready with Ahrin’s help and having a quick breakfast, it was time to leave for the academy. But thanks to her early start, Sayo had some time to kill. And now, they were both sitting in uncomfortable silence, avoiding each other’s gaze.

‘…I should have slept in and waited for Ahrin to wake me up like usual.’ Sayo regretted her decision to get ready so early.

She stopped berating herself and looked at Ahrin, who was staring at the floor. Sayo felt awkward, embarrassed, and a mix of other emotions, but it couldn’t compare to what Ahrin must be feeling. Sayo could imagine the expression on Ahrin’s downcast face. ‘If I were in Ahrin’s shoes, I wouldn’t be able to look my lady in the eye either.’

Sayo wanted to talk to Ahrin, but every time she tried, the memory of last night’s kiss replayed vividly in her mind, making her speechless.

It seemed better to go to the academy than endure this awkwardness. Normally, Sayo preferred being in the dormitory to the classroom, but…

“…Since I’m already up, I’ll head to the academy now, even though it’s early.”

As Sayo prepared to leave, Ahrin hesitantly started to follow, as usual.

“Ahrin, I’ll go alone. You can stay here and rest.”

“Huh? But My Lady, there are no practical classes today…”

“I’m fine. Consider it a day off and relax.”

“My Lady…! Are you… abandoning me?”

‘It’s me who should be worried about you leaving, considering I’m not even paying you properly.’

“Absolutely not. I just… think we both need some time alone. I’ll see you later.”

Seeing Ahrin’s teary-eyed face made Sayo waver, but she was convinced they both needed time to think.

Leaving Ahrin behind, Sayo headed to the academy.

“Sayo? Is something wrong?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been spacing out and lost in thought during class. And now, you’re barely touching your food, your mind clearly elsewhere.”

“Ah… Have I been doing that?”

“You’ve been like this for hours and didn’t even notice? That’s quite serious, Sayo.”

They’d taken a liking to Leia’s nickname for Sayo and had been using it frequently.

Sayo hadn’t even noticed the time passing; suddenly, it was lunchtime. ‘I’ve been replaying that incident with Ahrin in my head, still feeling the ghost of her lips on mine… thinking about what to say to her after school…’ No wonder she’d been so distracted and spaced out.

“Sorry. I have something on my mind, and I haven’t been able to focus on anything else.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen Sayoreinne so distracted and spaced out all day!”

“What could be troubling you so much?”

Her absentmindedness seemed to have worried everyone. Sayo wanted to confide in them and ask for advice, but… she couldn’t tell them about this.

“It’s nothing, really. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Hmm…” Miner’s narrowed eyes were unsettling.

“Is it… a relationship problem?”

“…” ‘A relationship problem… I suppose it is a relationship problem.’ ‘But how did she know? No, she’s just guessing, so I shouldn’t react. Stay calm, act normal, put on your poker face…’

“You’re not denying it?!”

“Oh my, is it really true?”

So much for her poker face. Preoccupied with maintaining her composure, Sayo had failed to deny it, essentially confirming Miner’s suspicion through her silence. ‘I’m such an idiot.’

“No, it’s not…” she mumbled belatedly, but it was too late. They wouldn’t believe her now. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to admit it either.

“I can’t believe my little joke was actually true… I’m sorry for prying into your personal matters.”

There was no point in denying it any further. Sayo sighed at her own stupidity.

“A relationship problem…?”

“Who is it?”

Euru and Nell, having overheard the conversation, excitedly moved closer to Sayo. Sayo knew people, especially girls, were interested in other people’s relationships, but weren’t they a little too excited?

“Calm down, and let’s finish our meal first.” They were still in the middle of lunch in the dining hall. “We can talk after we leave.”

The moment Sayo finished speaking, they all focused on their food. Sayo wanted to stall and eat slowly, but she could feel Euru and Nell’s expectant gazes, and considering the academy’s generous lunch break, it wouldn’t work anyway. She gave up and finished her meal at a normal pace.

“Could you give me some space…?” Soine and Miner were practically glued to her, their faces full of curiosity. Nell and Euru looked excited and expectant. ‘Expectant? Are they looking forward to hearing about this?’

Sayo had initially planned to brush it off and avoid the topic, but now, she figured getting some advice wouldn’t hurt. She decided to tell them… some of it.

“Is it someone we know?”

“Yes.”

“Hee hee.”

“Hmm hmm.”

They weren’t close, but they knew each other. But why did Nell and Euru look so overly excited? They seemed almost giddy. Even Miner was smiling strangely, glancing at the two of them.

“So, it’s someone we know? I’m so curious~” Miner looked at Nell and Euru again, then said, “It must be someone here, right?”

‘Suddenly?’

“That’s not true.”

“Huh?”

“What?!”

“Eh?”

“No way…”

Miner, Soine, Euru, and Nell all reacted with surprise, as if they hadn’t expected that answer. ‘What? Did they all think it was one of them?’ Sayo’s small social circle might have led them to that conclusion. She had almost let it slide, but she didn’t want things to become awkward, so she clarified.

“Who is it?”

“Who is it?”

“…Well?”

Nell and Euru’s expressions, previously alight with excitement and anticipation, turned cold and blank. ‘Did I do something wrong?’

Sayo had hoped to get some advice, but the lunchtime conversation devolved into Nell and Euru relentlessly pressing her for the mystery person’s identity. Sayo eventually escaped by excusing herself to the restroom. She spent the rest of the day avoiding them. ‘Are they that interested in other people’s love lives? Well, it’s not even a love life, technically.’ ‘Come to think of it, I just wanted advice on what to do, since we’re not even dating, but it ended up feeling like I was hiding a secret lover.’ ‘Whatever. I’ll leave it for future me to worry about.’

After school, Sayo managed to shake off Nell and Euru and returned to her dormitory room. Ahrin would know her usual return time, so she’d be here soon… The thought of facing Ahrin again made Sayo’s heart race, the memory of the kiss, the soft sensation, replaying in her mind. ‘Inhale, exhale.’ ‘I need to talk to Ahrin with a clear head.’

“My Lady? May I come in…?”

“Come in.”

Ahrin entered, her head down, her steps heavy. She looked distraught. ‘She must have been agonizing over this all day.’

“Look at me.”

“Okay…”

Ahrin’s face was pale, her eyes slightly puffy. She must have been crying. Sayo pulled her into a hug. Ahrin flinched in her embrace.

“My Lady?”

Sayo had been thinking all day.

Why had Ahrin kissed her? Though Ahrin hadn’t said it out loud, it was probably because she liked Sayo. ‘Why else would she do that?’

Had Sayo disliked the kiss? No. She hadn’t felt any discomfort; in fact, she’d enjoyed it.

Did Sayo love Ahrin? She didn’t know. Being with Ahrin was comfortable and pleasant. The kiss had felt good, and Sayo definitely liked Ahrin, but… she wasn’t sure if it was love.

In the end, Sayo reached a simple conclusion: ‘As long as Ahrin is okay with it, we can continue as usual.’ It was a simple conclusion after hours of deliberation, and it didn’t really address Ahrin’s practically confessed feelings. But Sayo decided to go with it for now.

“I’m so sorry, My Lady…”

“No, I’m sorry for taking so long. It’s not that I dislike you or anything. I was just surprised and needed time to think.”

“…Then… can I… still stay by your side?”

“Of course.”

Ahrin looked up, her eyes brimming with tears again. Sayo reassured her, saying she was fine and that they could go back to normal tomorrow. Ahrin agreed.

‘Is this resolved?’

“Thank you for forgiving me and letting me stay, even after what I did.”

As Ahrin wiped away a stray tear, Sayo thought she looked… beautiful. Perhaps that’s why Sayo acted impulsively, unlike her usual ‘Sayoreinne’ self.

“Ahr… Mmmph?!”

Another kiss. The previous kiss had been pleasant, but Sayo hadn’t fully processed it. This time, however, was different.

It was just lips meeting lips, yet the sensation was intense—warm, soft, supple, moist. The warmth of Ahrin’s body against hers, the sight of Ahrin’s sweet face so close… People called kissing a spiritual connection… Sayo finally understood what that meant.

Unable to resist, Sayo’s tongue slipped into Ahrin’s slightly parted lips. Ahrin flinched for a moment, then responded, their tongues intertwining. A deep, passionate kiss, sharing saliva and breath. They were both inexperienced, their movements a little clumsy, but the pleasure was undeniable, sending shivers down Sayo’s spine, heightening her senses. ‘This feels… amazing.’

They finally parted after a long while. Ahrin covered her flushed face and eyes with her hands.

Sayo also squeezed her eyes shut, equally embarrassed, wanting to disappear. ‘I told Ahrin we could go back to normal, and now I’ve done this…’

Once again, Sayo had to send Ahrin away early and go to bed early herself.

‘How am I supposed to face Ahrin tomorrow?’