Chapter 35: The Setup

“Huh… So this is what they mean by cultivating one’s mind and character.”

Liya found a spot to pile up the rubble from the previous battle, then slowly moved earth to fill the pits. She had complained a bit at first, but quickly adjusted her mindset—why not treat it as an unusual form of martial arts training?

“Hmm, at this rate, I should be done in half a day.”

“Li, Liya!”

A voice interrupted her muttering. Liya wasn’t annoyed. If it had been that wolfman nearby, he’d probably be furious, but the speaker was clearly not him. She recognized the voice instantly.

“Alice! What are you doing here? Isn’t Miss Annie supposed to be teaching you?”

Liya’s expression changed as she saw the direction Alice had come from. She rushed over, grabbed Alice’s hand, and said worriedly, “Why are you coming from over there?!”

“Huh? What’s wrong…”

“Of course there’s something wrong! That direction is that wolfman’s territory—it’s too dangerous! Especially since he kidnapped you not long ago…”

“N-no, it’s not like that! You misunderstood, Liya. Yagesi…” Alice tried to explain, but Liya cut her off.

“I know. Maybe he didn’t do anything too bad to you, but I saw him grabbing your hand. It’s obvious he has ulterior motives! Believe me, I’ve seen this kind of thing plenty… I mean, the grandma who raised me, Ailiya, has seen plenty! In any case, you have to be careful of that guy!”

‘I almost slipped up,’ Liya thought, resisting the urge to cover her mouth. After all, how could a ten-year-old know much about the world’s dangers? If Alice asked when she had seen such things, she’d be in an awkward spot.

Fortunately, Alice didn’t seem to notice.

“U-ulterior motives?! No, no! Yagesi would never do that to me!”

Alice blushed in protest, swallowing the words ‘Yagesi is actually interested in you!’ just in time.

“How can you be so sure? Who knows what that beast is thinking? Hey, Alice, let’s go jogging together in the morning from now on. I won’t give that bastard a chance. We have to nip the danger in the bud. If he dares to harass you again, I’ll punch him to death with these fists…”

Though her fists were still small due to her age, that didn’t matter. Who said small fists couldn’t kill? A well-aimed punch to the chest could stop someone’s breath if done right.

“It’s fine! Really, it’s fine! Yagesi really hasn’t done anything to me. You’re mistaken.”

“Just make sure you’re careful around that guy…”

Alice realized it was impossible to have a proper conversation. Only now did she truly grasp how much Liya hated Yagesi—almost abnormally. She felt a bit sorry for him.

But this was good. If Liya and Yagesi couldn’t possibly fall in love, her role as a matchmaker would only foster friendship. Anything more was out of reach, not just for Yagesi but for Liya too.

‘So now, I just need to follow the plan…’

“Oh, Alice, why did you come to find me? If it’s to help, don’t bother. I can handle this little task easily. No need for assistance…”

‘Now’s the time!’

“A-anyway! Even though it’s a misunderstanding, I’m really grateful that you came to save me! As a thank-you, let’s go out to eat tomorrow!”

Having blurted it all out, Alice immediately turned and fled without looking back.

****

Time rewound to a few minutes earlier.

“Wingman Alice! So, have you come up with a reliable, perfect plan?”

“Even if you say that, Yagesi, it’s really hard for me…”

Alice looked at Yagesi with great distress. His eager expectation was overwhelming. Thinking of a way felt like betraying Liya, but ignoring his puppy-dog eyes was impossible. She went back and forth without coming up with anything.

“Hmm…”

Of course, there was another important reason.

‘I’ve never even been in love myself! How could I have experience playing matchmaker?’

She had no clue how Yagesi could catch Liya’s attention or how she could be an effective wingman. Was love really this troublesome? She used to think it was just going shopping with a boy… Ah!

“I’ve got it!” Alice clapped her hands decisively.

“You’ve got it? What’s the plan?” Yagesi leaned in excitedly.

“I’ll invite Liya to go shopping tomorrow! Then I’ll ask you to come along too! That way, you two will be together!”

“Brilliant!” Yagesi was awestruck and immediately applauded. “And then what?”

“…Huh? Then?”

“Right, the book says that’s just the beginning. What do I do to make Liya like me? Should I show off my strength and let her feel the security a man provides…”

“No, no, let’s skip that.” Alice’s head ached. Too complicated… But Alice was a top first-year student; she soon thought of a good idea.

“It’s all up to you, Yagesi.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Exactly! Think about it: I get you and Liya together—that’s your goal, right? Why did you fight with Liya in the first place?”

“To make Liya like me and then go on a smooth date…”

“And what’s the definition of a date?”

“A boy and a girl going out together… Oh!”

Alice clapped, and Yagesi finally had an epiphany. He grabbed her hand excitedly. “As expected of my wingman! Thanks to you!”

“Right!”

Alice decided to strike while the iron was hot.

“So you see, I’ve skipped the complicated steps for you. You just need to prepare the details for the date. I’ll leave that to you! Can you do it, Yagesi?”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Watching Yagesi’s determined expression, Alice couldn’t help thinking that despite his fierce appearance, he was surprisingly honest, simple, and easy to fool.

She felt like she had become the villain.

“Then it’s settled! I’ll go invite Liya now!”

After that, Alice was supposed to successfully invite both Liya and Yagesi, turning enemies into friends—if only it were that simple.

She ran away after dropping that line, catching a glimpse of Yagesi’s eager gaze in the distance…

But no matter what:

‘This is my first time doing something like this! Aaaah!’

To sum it up, torn by anxiety and embarrassment, and guilt toward the unwittingly tricked Liya, Alice left only a vague promise of “eating out tomorrow” without setting a time or place before fleeing.

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