kscans

Chapter 507 - The Temporary Tutor

After finishing the lunch of Sora-san's handmade sandwiches and my own hastily made vichyssoise, we dispersed.

A week-long stay meant a lot of luggage, so Ashe had arranged for it to be delivered in advance. We all retreated to our assigned rooms to unpack, and it became free time for a while.

Actually, this entire trip is basically free time. According to Ashe, "We have basically everything here except for Arcadia. If we don't, I'll get it," so in that sense, we are truly free.

I thought it was just two floors, but apparently, there's even a basement here.

In a spacious area, there are various recreational items for physical activity like billiards and darts, as well as fitness equipment, so you can even have a makeshift gym session. It's all so over-the-top that I can only laugh.

Of course, there are also plenty of recreational items for those who prefer not to move.

While not on the scale of the Yotsuya dormitory, the guest room, which is about three times the size of my one-room castle from when I first moved to Tokyo, boasts a high-end PC that looks like it could crush any older model with its specs alone.

That means there's a solid internet connection, and the theater room on the first floor is said to have every 'game' imaginable, except for Arcadia.

Of course, we can also go outside to play. We can relax on the terrace, take a walk on the well-maintained forest path… Ashe did warn us to 'always go in pairs of two or more' in case of accidents, but if we go down to the beach, we can even go fishing.

In a word, it's a dream castle.

Well, I have things I need to do, just as planned. For me, this is less a 'trip' and more of a 'training camp,' so… as I was psyching myself up,

Knock, knock, knock—the door rapped at the perfect moment.

It's a bit strange that I can identify someone just by the sound of their knock, but the three girls have such distinct habits that it's relatively easy to tell them apart.

In this case, it wasn't just the rhythm and volume of the knock, but more importantly, this slightly unhurried, yet extremely regular and flat way of knocking was—

"—Is now a good time?"

"Yeah, of course."

When I opened the door, there she stood with a deadpan expression—the princess, for sure.

Perhaps it was prepared specifically for me, knowing I'd come for this purpose. In addition to the desk where the PC sat, there was a large round table in the room, perfect for spreading out textbooks and notebooks.

At least, there wasn't one in the room Nia was shown to. The rest of the layout and furniture were identical, so it was probably brought in just for me.

"Well then… for today, let's set a time and go over everything thoroughly. I think it would be best to decide the pace for the rest of the week after seeing how quickly you learn and progress, Haru."

"Okay, roger that—no, that's not it… Please, I'm in your care. And again, I'm sorry to make you look after my studies on our vacation."

"…………Mmm. I know it would be difficult for you not to say it, so I'll accept your thanks."

On that study table, I had piled up a mountain of textbooks. Since it was being delivered anyway, I had sent everything in a single batch the day before, but seeing it all stacked up like this was incredibly intimidating.

I could feel the sense of liberation from the trip rapidly diminishing—well, that aside. From the look on Ashe's face as she sat down next to me, she was ready to start whenever. I decided to take her up on her offer and begin my instruction immediately.

"I want to say something first, though."

"Yes, yes?"

"I've taught people before, but I'm not very experienced. At first, I might go too fast or too slow, so if the pace isn't right, don't hesitate to tell me."

Her characteristically direct and efficient way of speaking was both reliable and reassuring.

"Yeah, got it. I won't get mad if you're strict with me, so feel free to go hard—sorry, correction. Go hard on me by the standards of a typical first-year university student."

—And so. I don't even have the energy to point that kind of thing out anymore, but the distance between us as we sat in our two chairs was about ten centimeters.

While we were talking, I subtly and silently tried to shift my chair, but… her flawless tracking skills ensured that the distance between us didn't change by a single millimeter, so it seemed pointless to resist.

By the way, I've already told the other two about asking Ashe for private lessons.

Additionally, the teacher herself has given her approval for them to 'come visit whenever you're bored,' so Sora or Nia could knock on the door at any moment—

"The university you attend isn't generally called 'typical,' you know."

The princess, letting out a soft chuckle, was in high spirits, as if to say, "so what?"

Please don't smile at me from such close range. I need you to be aware that there's a person here whose life could be endangered by it, from the bottom of my heart.

Then again, she probably does it precisely because she is aware…

"Haru."

"Yes."

"Your face is red."

"It's your fault, you're too close, our shoulders and arms are touching… hey, don't press against me right after I said that! It's study time right now!"

"—For now. Yes, I understand."

Ah, crap.

"Wait a minute? No instant-death penalty for one mistake, right?"

"As you say, let's focus on our studies for now. For now."

"Yeah, you don't have to emphasize it like that. What are you planning to make me do late—"

Ignoring my焦り at having given her an opening, Ashe calmly released my shoulder and tapped the notebook on the table with her fingertips.

—Since that day, my stance towards Sora and Nia has changed.

I still can't be the one to push, given my position, but I have completely stopped hesitating to push back.

I've stopped pretending not to see their affection, stopped trying to brush it off. No matter how I struggle, I'm the one being approached, so I've resolved to at least carry out the one thing I can do—'return their feelings'—without pretense and with all my might. I'm in the midst of that daily struggle right now.

…However, for some reason, with her, it just doesn't work.

To be precise, my makeshift 'counterattacks' are ineffective.

More precisely, the moment I bare my fangs, I have a strong premonition that I'll just be eaten right up, so I can't easily change my stance.

In the end, the girl known as Alicia White is—

"Well then, open your notebook—As you requested, I'll teach you strictly and gently."

—not someone whose way of being will change just because of my small change of heart.

And with just a small change of heart, her smile, which has become quite skilled lately, and which she wields with the impunity of the 'strongest' in every sense of the word…

"Y… Yes, I'm in your, care…"

"…Hehe."

Lately, for a slightly different reason than before, I—

—was beginning to find myself unable to look at her directly.