A week later.
Monday, February 8th.
Having discussed the topic of asuremt evolution in great depth with Yuu Shimura over the past week, the I.M.E. drug v.0 has made huge strides in terms of progress.
If it were a couple of weeks ago, I would have claid that success was not far off.
However, considering what happed with Liam despite my confidce in the stability of the drug at the ti, I knew that I couldn't afford to be careless.
Still, so long as I have ti, it will undoubtedly see perfection further than that of version .0, so there is no need to rush just yet.
Walking into class as usual, I gave a brief nod to Teacher, whose mood seed to have improved considerably lately, and took a seat at my desk.
The momt registration was tak, Teacher stood at the front of the class and made an unexpected announcemt.
"Alright class, we have a new studt joining us today, so please make sure to give them a warm welco and treat them well~"
Although the rest of the class cheered excitedly at her words, they caused to flinch. It obviously wasn't the first ti a transfer studt had arrived in our class, but wasn't it rather late at this point?
As the classroom door oped and the new studt to be joining us was revealed, my brain froze over.
The blonde girl walked to the class podium and introduced herself with a beaming smile.
"Good morning, it's nice to et everyone. My na is--"
Her violet eyes glanced in my direction.
"Araceli Arévalo."
...Really?
"I've heard a lot of good things about this class, so I hope we can get along~"
Everyone gave a of applause at her self-introduction. Th, Teacher told her.
"Because there's a free seat next to Oscar at the back there, you can sit there, Araceli."
She pointed at the empty seat to my left.
"Yes, thank you."
I could only observe the ongoing evts as Araceli approached the seat right beside my own―the seat that used to belong to other than the deceased Tarou Fushigimi―and took it as her own.
What was going on?
And why?
Ring~!
Everyone seed to want to get to know the pretty girl who just joined the class but had no choice but to remain seated in silce because of the bell signalling the start of lessons.
As class started for the day, Araceli smiled knowingly from beside and let out a whisper.
"Like I said, I'm a fan, right?"
"..."
"It's okay. I won't do anything here to compromise your idtity or anything; I'm only here to protect you in an ergcy in case anything dangerous happs."
"...So it seems."
Leaving it at that, I turned my head away and rested it atop my desk.
Her words wer't lies, and it indeed seed to be that she was telling the truth, but it felt exasperating nevertheless.
I don't know what she is after.
Whatever the case, I'm certain that her inttions are not to harm .
Nevertheless, no matter how on my side she appears to be, the fact alone that she possesses the Forbidd Knowledge I desire, yet refuses to give ev a hint of what it could be, automatically makes her suspicious.
She herself cannot dy it, and she admitted so herself wh we first talked at the birthday party.
For my sake, my safety, she says.
'As a fan.'
Ev if that were all true, if she cannot give sufficit reason to trust her through the veil of Forbidd Knowledge that surs her existce, th my uncertainty about her will never settle.
The reason she knows so much.
The reason she claims to be my 'fan'.
The reason she keeps wanting to interve in my plans.
If Araceli told the truth behind any of these, I would be far more inclined to trust her.
It's true that, until now, she continuously has acted in a way to help .
However, it's also true that she has acted contrary to my own wishes.
It doesn't matter if she truly does have my best interests at heart or whatever.
She clearly doesn't want to continue doing what I'm doing, but of course, that isn't sothing I will simply give up on.
It's sothing I have to do regardless of anyone else's inttions.
Thus, whether it's true that she is on my side or not.
Araceli Arévalo has no place next to .
❖─────❖─────❖
Wednesday.
After Araceli transferred to my class from Sacchim Girls' Private School, the sa school Sana and Sona attded, she kept to her word and acted like an ordinary studt separate from .
There was no reason for a rich girl of so afflut foreign family to transfer from such a rowned school like that to an ordinary one like Weinstell High, but it turned out to be true that she was only here because I was here.
Seeing what she was doing, I suddly thought the situation wasn't so bad.
After all, if she spt most of her ti near , th I could keep an eye on her and what she was doing.
Although it's impossible for to ask any questions about what she's thinking due to the prevtion of Forbidd Knowledge, I can still judge whether her inttions are pure, and for the momt, they seem to be, so it's probably safe to let my guard down a little.
Since her claim that she was here to protect was confird to be true, I moved my focus back to the developmt of the I.M.E. drug v.0.
At least, that's what I had planned on doing.
"Surprise~!"
Not long after I arrived ho from school with the others, Araceli herself stood at my doorstep.
Considering how she knew what school I wt to despite my secret idtity as Oscar Itou, I wasn't ev surprised any more that she knew where I lived.
Abruptly, I had a thought.
Araceli Arévalo.
She was no fan.
No, she could never be.
In fact, she was sothing else.
Sothing far worse.
"..."
―A stalker.
"H-hey, don't look at like that. Anyway, are you not going to let in?"
"No."
"Ah! Hey!"
Trying to shut the door in her face, she stuck her foot out to block it.
"...What are you doing?"
"It's my birthday, so I ca to celebrate."
"Celebrate with soone else."
"Ah, hey, co on! I didn't tell anyone else from school that today's my birthday because it can be a bit of a pain...! Please, just let in..."
"..."
Her words wer't a lie, aning that today was guinely her birthday.
Still.
Is that a reason for to care?
"You have family, don't you? Leave."
"No, I can't! I told my parts I'd be celebrating at a frid's house!"
Just as I was thinking of going to grab a gun, I realised such a thod would inevitably fail. She has the ability to nullify any one of my attacks, after all, so sothing basic like that would be useless.
I contemplated how to make her leave since she was so annoyingly persistt, but in the midst of that, a rough yet crisp voice rang out from behind .
"Oh, it's you...!"
Sophie approached, her hair damp and a towel sitting a her neck; she seed to have just stepped out of the shower.
"What're you doing here?"
She looked at Araceli, whose face lit up at her sudd appearance, and asked.
"Hello! It's my birthday, and I ca to celebrate, but a certain grumpy person won't let in. Can you help?"
My face contorted as I listed to her words. I knew that nothing I said now could change the outco.
Was it a mistake on my part?
The only people I warned in regards to Araceli were the twins; Sana and Sona were the only two I had...
From everybody else's perspective, Araceli was rely soone unknown who had appeared and helped protect and Selina during the confrontation in the park.
I hadn't told anyone else to not interact with her; that she was suspicious.
I'm sure they wanted to ask who she was after that day but kept quiet because I never said anything about it.
Thinking about it seriously, would they ev believe if I said she was not to be trusted...?
For all they know, she simply appeared and shielded and Selina whilst everyone else was battling, keeping us safe.
There would be no reason for them to assu she was suspicious, ev if I warned them directly...
"Oh, thank you very much! Yes, I turn 8 today."
Araceli's silvery voice resounded behind .
"..."
Before I realised it, I was standing in front of an empty doorstep.
Araceli invaded my house.
I had to accept it.
There was nothing I could do.
It wouldn't be possible for to force her to leave.
Ev if I tried, Sophie and the others, who are bound to have a positive impression of her, would want to stop .
I don't think she would stay for too long, but I have an instinctive feeling.
It's that kind of feeling, you know.
That, no matter the lgth of ti she ds up spding here.
By the ti she evtually leaves,
It'll already be too late.
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