29-130

EP.130 The Academy’s Transfer Student (2) 

The commotion that had shaken the classroom all morning died down as if it had never happened. 

As soon as the bell for lunch rang, Hikari, Akane, and Mizuki, as if they had planned it, headed to the academy’s main building rooftop together with Haruto. 

The sky was brilliantly clear without a single cloud, and the slightly warm early summer breeze brushed lazily against the rooftop fence. 

Around the old bench where the four always sat, there was no sign of any other students. 

At least during lunchtime, this place was their sanctuary. 

“Man, I was starving,” 

Akane, who was the first to plop down, let out a yawn as she stretched. 

On her lap was a lunch box wrapped in a rather rough-looking cloth. 

Meanwhile, next to her, Mizuki was sitting elegantly with her legs crossed, holding only her smartphone and a luxurious leather pouch. 

She took out a gleaming silver fork and spoon set from the pouch and placed them on the table, naturally claiming the seat right next to Haruto. 

“Haruto, ahhh~” 

Before Haruto had even taken out his lunch, Mizuki opened her mouth slightly toward him, as if she had every right to lay claim to his lunch side dishes. 

“Mizuki, Haruto-kun hasn’t even opened his lunch box yet.” 

While gently chiding Mizuki, Hikari also began unwrapping her prettily bundled lunch box, subtly keeping Mizuki in check. 

When the lid was opened, it revealed an assortment of lovingly prepared, charming side dishes. 

“My, Hikari, you’re lucky. You get to bring such a lovely lunch every day, just like you’re in bride training.” 

Taking Mizuki’s thorny comment with a graceful smile, Hikari picked up a piece of her homemade rolled omelet and set it on top of Haruto’s still-empty lunch lid. 

“Haruto-kun, please try something I made. Akane, aren’t you going to open your lunch? It smells really good.” 

As Hikari gently shifted the topic, all eyes briefly turned to Akane. 

Under the sudden spotlight, Akane awkwardly cleared her throat and looked away. 

“It’s nothing special… I just quickly packed up whatever was left in the fridge, that’s all.” 

“Still, why not open it? I’m curious.” 

Persuaded by Haruto’s gentle words, Akane reluctantly unwrapped the rough wrapping cloth. 

Not at all matching her words, what appeared from inside was an immaculate, well-balanced lunch box. 

Packed with what looked like the work of a professional sports nutritionist, the meal had precisely measured carbs, protein, and fats. 

“Wow, did you really make this yourself?” 

When Haruto expressed genuine admiration, Akane flushed deep red. 

“S-S-shut up! Basic self-care is just important, so I paid attention to it, that’s all!” 

She snapped harshly, then took the grilled chicken breast she was proudest of and pushed it toward Haruto’s mouth. 

When he happily ate it, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, unable to hide her delight. 

Watching this with contentment, Hikari suddenly spoke as if recalling something. 

“Haruto-kun, you stopped by the clubroom earlier, didn’t you? How’s that kitten from yesterday?” 

“Yeah. Even when I’m not there, the other members take good care of them. The kittens are getting used to people, so I don’t think there’ll be a problem.” 

Hikari breathed a sigh of relief. 

“By the way, Mizuki, what are you looking at so intently?” 

At this, Haruto finally asked Mizuki, who’d been fixated on her smartphone the whole time. She replied in a flat tone: 

“I was checking the academy’s message board. Today’s transfer student is a huge hit.” 

Just at the mention of the transfer student’s name, Akane immediately scowled. 

“Hmph, what’s so great about that guy?” 

“It’s his looks, obviously. Look, there are already pictures of him on the school’s anonymous forum with hashtags ‘today’s hot transfer guy.’ 

#SaintAstraia #TransferStudent #FaceGenius.” 

On Mizuki’s screen was a candid photo of Kai walking down the hallway, exuding a chic, aloof aura and already racking up dozens of comments. 

“Still, seeing how he’s gotten friendly with others so quickly, he doesn’t seem like a bad person,” 

Hikari gently chimed in, but Akane remained resolute. 

“I just don’t like that guy. He rubs me the wrong way.” 

“For once, I have to agree with dumb Akane.” 

Startled, all eyes turned to Mizuki, taken aback by her agreement. 

“There’s something weird his eyes, like he’s looking up and down, sizing you up.” 

But perhaps annoyed by Mizuki’s earlier “dumb” jab, Akane shot back: 

“And if you find him that weird, why are you posting his picture on social media? Honestly, be careful. What if our identities get exposed?” 

“You think I’m as dumb as you? You don’t think I consider things like that?” 

Mizuki snorted back coldly. 

“And you still think I’m doing this just for attention, don’t you? Hero work isn’t some noble volunteer gig, Akane.” 

“W-what…?” 

“Public attention is a form of power, and what matters is how we use it. The reason we never had to worry about money during our activities is thanks to me, you know?” 

Akane was left speechless by Mizuki’s logical retort. 

Indeed, the income Mizuki earned as an influencer had played no small part in supporting their work. 

Still, Akane found it hard to see things from Mizuki’s perspective. 

While Hikari looked awkwardly caught between the two, she herself couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling she’d had when first meeting Kai. 

“O-okay, let’s stop arguing and eat first, at least…” 

As Hikari awkwardly tried to mediate, Akane broke in again this time with somber responsibility in her voice. 

“Forget about the new guy, it doesn’t matter. There’s something more important. The Dark Redemption goons have been spotted moving again. And… where on earth is Lady Lumina…” 

Akane’s last words grew so soft as to be barely audible, but her desperation was clear to all. 

The rooftop’s mood instantly turned heavy. 

With dark shadows on their faces, the three girls fell silent, contemplating the battles to come. 

“So… you still haven’t found the goddess?” 

There was concern in his voice, but no impatience or reproach. 

“No. But the contract we made with her is still intact. She must be safe.” 

“Damn it, those rats always scurrying away… Next time I see them, I’m catching them for sure!” 

“Brute force isn’t the only way. If we analyze the residual patterns of their magic, predicting their next appearance is only a matter of time.” 

While Mizuki mumbled a sharp observation at Akane’s frustrated shout, she continued tapping away on her phone. 

“You’re both right. We’re all doing our best from our own positions. As long as we don’t lose hope, Lady Lumina will return to us.” 

Hikari gently encouraged them, as if to encompass everyone. 

“If you’d just finished off those guys earlier, Hikari, we’d have learned something.” 

“Agreed.” 

“Ugh… I have no excuse…” 

Even as their words grew sharp, the three’s solidarity under the single goal of “Rescuing Lumina” was ironclad. 

Watching this, Haruto found a faint smile spreading on his face a warm, trustworthy smile that banished the gloom. 

“Heh.” 

“Haruto?” 

“Hey, what’s so funny…?” 

Akane asked in disbelief, and Haruto shook his head. 

“Nothing just, you three always seem coolest when you’re like this.” 

At that, all three girls blushed at once. 

“Idiot. Didn’t you hear what we just said? If Dark Redemption is circulating again, it means the city’s in danger all over again!” 

“I’m not worried.” 

There was no hesitation in Haruto’s voice. 

“You three will protect us.” 

Just that one line, heavy with trust, gave them more courage than any pep talk or comfort. 

As their hearts filled with new strength  

“Sounds like an interesting conversation. Mind if I join you?” 

A languid voice from behind instantly froze the rooftop air. 

All four turned toward the sound. 

Leaning against the door to the rooftop, Kai stood holding a sandwich, wearing a casual smile. 

When did he get here? How much had he heard? 

The color drained from the girls’ faces an unannounced intruder had breached their sanctuary. 

“Of course come sit down.” 

Unfazed, or perhaps oblivious, Haruto welcomed him first, holding out a hand. 

With his invitation, the heroines couldn’t say no. 

Ignoring their wary silence, Kai sat naturally beside Haruto and unwrapped his sandwich. 

Akane glared at him openly, while Mizuki kept her eyes on her phone, stealing glances at him. 

Eventually, it was Hikari who broke the awkward silence. 

“Kai, it’s your first day how are you finding the academy?” 

“Yeah. The classes live up to the reputation, and everyone’s friendly.” 

“You’ve barely been here and you speak so informally…” 

“We can all hear you, dumb Akane.” 

Akane grumbled at his casual speech, and Mizuki quietly scolded her from the side. 

“Come to think of it, isn’t everyone required to join a club at this academy?” 

Kai, as if just remembering, smoothly steered the conversation. 

“Yes, that’s right. Akane’s in kendo, Haruto is in the animal welfare club, and I’m busy with volunteer work at the cathedral.” 

“Hmm, so there are more club options than I thought.” 

Kai looked interested, taking a bite of his sandwich, so Hikari threw another question. 

“Kai, have you decided which club you’ll join?” 

Kai stroked his chin, pretending to think. 

“Hmmm. Still haven’t decided. I thought I’d look through the list, pick the ones that interest me, and visit them one by one.” 

At this, Haruto brightened. 

“Really? If you like animals, why not try ours? You’re always welcome for a visit.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

While he gave a positive answer to Haruto, Kai’s eyes remained fixed on Hikari. 

His mouth, chewing bread, curved in a meaningful smile. 

After school, the academy was still buzzing with energy. 

The cathedral on the first floor of the main building was no exception. 

Several students dressed in nun-inspired uniforms, rather than the usual one, bustled about in an atmosphere that was reverent but not dreary, each attending to their volunteer duties. 

At the center, Hikari was giving calm but firm direction with her gentle charisma. 

While she carefully wiped old scriptures, other members quietly recited prayers or diligently tended to the stained glass. 

Sunlight poured through the stained glass, making even the motes of dust floating through the air seem holy. 

At that moment, the heavy doors of the cathedral usually closed swung open, and orange dusk came pouring in as a single shaft of light. 

All activity inside stopped as everyone noticed the silhouette standing against the light. 

“Isn’t that… the transfer student?” 

“He looks even better in person... What’s he doing at the cathedral?” 

A hush of whispers rippled through the nuns, subtly stirring the air. 

All gazes turned to where Kai stood with a languid expression, a few buttons of his uniform shirt undone. 

Ignoring the stares of adoration and envy directed at herself, Hikari, as the representative, walked over to him. 

“Kai, did you need something at the cathedral?” 

Despite herself, there was an edge of wariness in her voice. 

“You said at lunch you’d let me visit a club, right?” 

Completely unfazed, Kai answered and stepped into the cathedral. 

“Oh? Are you interested in religious activities?” 

“Why, is that surprising? I don’t really look the type?” 

“Oh, sorry didn’t mean it like that…” 

Caught off guard, Hikari instinctively lowered her gaze and apologized, but Kai just shrugged. 

“No need to apologize. I’m not really that interested in religion, anyway.” 

With that, Kai began to leisurely survey the inside of the cathedral. 

Hikari thought his gaze was less like a visitor’s and more like a predator inspecting its territory. 

“I just found it interesting there’s a cathedral here on campus. I was curious what activities you all do. Since we met here, how about showing me around a little?” 

Hikari couldn’t reply right away. 

But with other members nearby, she couldn’t just turn him away, especially when he’d come under the pretense of a club visit. 

‘It should be okay… just a little,’ she reassured herself inside and finally nodded. 

“Of course. It might seem boring since it’s a cathedral, but there are actually lots of different activities. Want to see?” 

“I look forward to finding out.” 

As Kai stepped forward, Hikari said, “Well, this way then…” and began to guide him inside. 

As the cathedral doors thudded shut behind them, more than one sigh of envy and disappointment could be heard from various corners.