kscans

Chapter 184 - Two Pair: The Sword Protector and the Crimson

"...So? Am I right to assume you didn't actually have any business with me?"

"I never called you over in the first place~"

I shot a half-lidded glance at the little pipsqueak who said that, but her light pink eyes seemed unconcerned, deflecting my gaze.

First, she sends me a dramatic 'pay attention to me' message, and then this. I went to the trouble of coming back to the Round Table for her, and she won't even get up from her sprawled position on the tabletop.

She's as willful and whimsical as ever... but ever since I made it into the rankings about a year and a half ago, I've gotten used to this senpai messing with me.

—And being used to it means it's not hard to guess what she's thinking from her expression.

"You were probably worried we'd gotten into a fistfight or something."

When I bluntly stated my guess, she flinched, unable to hide her reaction. I couldn't help but smile wryly at her honest response.

We've known each other for a while now, but she hasn't changed a bit in that regard.

"It's not like we're you two. We wouldn't do something like that."

"What's that supposed to mean? Ri-na-chan and I are always the best of friends, you know~?"

She says that. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the time I got caught up in a ridiculously large-scale fight between them when we had just met.

It's even been archived as the 'Mina-Rina Great Quarrel.' I wish she'd have a bit more self-awareness as a ranker—well, the video in question has been viewed hundreds of millions of times by eccentrics, so I suppose there's a demand for this kind of thing.

"Where'd Ri-na go? It's one thing for you to wander off, but it's rare for her not to be here."

"She said she's going to prepare dinner. Apparently, no one's home today."

Mi-na said it as if it had nothing to do with her—and well, it really didn't.

They have identical appearances and identical voices. Plus, because they're together 24/7, people often mistakenly think they're twins, but they're not.

It's surprising that this is pretty much how they look in real life... well, apparently their real-life appearances have changed quite a bit in three years—

"Onii-san, how was he?"

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice. I looked over to see Mi-na, her face squished against the tabletop, looking at me with half her face lifted.

"What do you mean, how was he... It was just as he said. You don't need to worry about tomorrow."

I replied with what I thought—but then, what was with that infuriating 'this guy doesn't get it at all' look on her face?

"That's not what I mean... —Was he able to properly become Ui-chan's 'disciple'?"

Ah, so that's what she's talking about.

"Right... you don't need to worry about that anymore either."

"I see."

I nodded, and Mi-na pushed herself up with both hands—

"Did you finally get your heart properly broken?"

She said, in a jesting tone.

"Haaah... how many times do I have to tell you? I've never seen Sensei in that way—"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard enough of that."

It's not enough. I tried to argue back, but her eyes were glaring at me annoyingly, as if to say, "I'm not listening to any excuses."

"You fell in love at first sight, jumped into the same world on a whim, went straight to meet her, became her student, got obsessed, wanted to stand by her side... and then you didn't want to let her be all alone, so you tried to give her a disciple. You care about her that much, don't you?"

"I won't deny it, but that's—"

"You can say it's not love or romance all you want, but you treasure her that much, right? She's an important person to you, isn't she?"

"...I won't deny that either, but..."

"And I already know. That you were in love with Ui-chan."

"..."

Even if I glared at her a little more intensely, it unfortunately had no effect.

"To be precise, you were in love, weren't you? You really shouldn't underestimate a girl's intuition about these things."

...If there had been even a hint of teasing in her voice or her eyes, it would have been easier to deal with.

But when this girl, who is arguably more serious than her partner once she takes off her mask of casual behavior, gets like this—she never lets me get away.

"...Ah... honestly."

Resigning myself to the fact that there was no escape, I sank deep into my chair and closed my eyes. I heard the sound of a light body stepping on the floor, and felt a slight sensation on my back through the backrest.

"So... are you okay?"

"Needless to say. I got over it a long time ago."

"No jealousy or anything, really?"

"None. Even if there was, it's trivial enough to be overshadowed by everything else."

"I see."

"That's right."

It's just as I told Haru directly. It's all my true feelings, without a single lingering issue.

"So, you really don't feel any resentment towards onii-san?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

The answer I can give won't change, no matter how many times she asks.

"There's nothing of the sort. I was truly saved by being able to deliver a disciple to Sensei."

"...Is that so."

Her dissatisfied voice hinted at the words to come.

"Liar. There's no way a former competitor wouldn't feel frustrated about losing."

The girl who had stepped so directly into his heart made Irori neither angry nor—he simply let out a weary laugh.

"...What are you laughing at?"

"Well... that a 'girl's intuition' isn't infallible, that's all."

She's right. He's aware that if he were to look, he'd find an endless well of unspoken frustration.

But as he said before, it's also a fact that other, positive emotions like expectation, gratitude, and joy are much stronger.

Swallowing it down is not a hardship.

And to never speak of it is—

"A man's pride."

He opened his eyes, smiled defiantly at no one in particular, and declared it as coolly as he could...

"...How lame."

From the other side of the chair, he was met with an exasperated laugh.