“Why, why, Dorothy…!”
Lute shouted, unconvinced.
The students were subdued by the volume of the voice, which was so loud that it sounded like he didn’t even care about the public.
What, was there a traitor in this class?
It’s something as serious as that.
No really, from the hero’s point of view, the main heroine who gets along with the other guys must be just as serious as a main villain.
But it was just too dramatic, and Dorothy too had a grumpy look on her face that she doesn’t usually show to others.
“Hey, Lute-san… Please refrain from speaking privately.”
“I don’t understand, because it’s strange, isn’t it? Last year we were in the same group at all times, and now…”
“No, it’s reasonable.”
Ms. Maguire denied it.
“I can’t put the highest scorers of the class into the same group. The maximum number of students in a group is four, but they will be paired fairly. I see that everyone has already paired up with at least three people. I think it’s only fair to let Dorothy-san choose the remaining Helios-san, don’t you think?”
A logical reasoning struck Lute.
He couldn’t say anything back and just groaned.
I’m surprised that she remembered my name, which is actually normal for a teacher…
“I do not know why you are so obsessed with Dorothy.”
“I’m not…!”
“Don’t think that just because you’re a hero for saving the world that you can get away with anything you want.”
The classroom became heavy as Ms. Maguire’s voice sounded unusually piercing for once. The image of an elegant female sorceress seemed like a mere decoration to our eyes, and the dignified manner in which she carried herself sent chills down my spine.
“If you have any complaints…”
Ms. Maguire pointed the wand she was holding toward me.
“Try to take it away.”
It was just a short time before I was relieved.
The one who lit the spark was Ms. Maguire, who had been talking nicely until about halfway through the conversation.
Lute got up from his seat and walked over to my seat.
I looked up at him, trembling.
“……”
As if to interrupt him, Dorothy stepped in between us and glared at Lute.
He asked, looking as if he still didn’t understand why she was like that.
“What’s wrong… That’s not like you, Dorothy. If you’re in trouble because of some kind of weakness held by him, tell me about it, and we can help each other out. Aren’t we childhood friends? Did you forget that, Dorothy?”
Lute admonishes her with a sad expression of sympathy, but Dorothy is still in a bad mood.
I don’t like the way that he just stands there, making assumptions about such situations without even knowing what actually happens in the background.
“Where’s that innocent smile you used to give me all the time…?”
Lute reached out to pat Dorothy’s head on the assumption that he would be accepted, but Dorothy avoided his generosity, as if she really didn’t want to accept it at all.
“I wanted to team up with Helios-kun of my own volition… so please don’t bother me.”
When Lute heard this, he retreated in a picturesque and shocked fashion.
“No, that’s not your choice to make! Wait for me, Dorothy, I’ll surely get you back from him…!”
A determined Lute pointed at me with anger in his eyes.
The hero overcomes adversity when he’s cornered, and objectively speaking, I’m probably in the bad guy’s position currently.
It’s not a role that I wanted to play voluntarily.
Caught between Dorothy, who was not fulfilling her role as the main heroine, and Lute, who was about to wake up to the hero’s attitude of ‘always being right‘, I had no choice but to go with the flow.
The stage for the story had already been set.