Chapter 7: A Refreshing Girl
So, should I let her down?
As I thought about tilting my arm, Shirayuki-san’s eyes briefly turned toward me.
“How…?”
“Hmm?”
“How did you know about the spinning kick…?”
She was still in a daze when she asked me how I was able to read her intentions. Well, it’s not something I particularly need to hide.
“Since none of your attacks were landing, the smarter move would’ve been to spread them out and throw off my focus. But you deliberately concentrated everything down low. That made it obvious you had another aim in mind, so I figured you’d go for the opposite side you were drawing my attention to.
And I already knew you had a strike strong enough to take down a bear.”
I kept quiet about how each of her blows felt so light that it bothered me—she’d probably be hurt if she knew—but I was honest about everything else.
“…Did I rush too much…?”
“Your plan itself was good. But that aside, you can’t go kicking a normal person’s neck with a blow strong enough to take down a bear. Even without a clean hit, you could’ve snapped it and killed someone.”
She probably got fired up because Emera pushed her on and because none of her attacks were getting through to me, but she can’t go using a murderous kick like that on an ordinary person.
Since I’d been put through demon-level Spartan training, I was fine—but if it had been anyone else, it would’ve been a disaster that definitely wouldn’t be a laughing matter.
“I’ll remember that…”
Maybe because she lost the duel, Shirayuki-san obediently listened to what I said.
Seeing her like this, her small, childlike appearance really overlapped with Hina in my mind.
Well… not that Hina and I have ever had such a dangerous sibling fight.
“Since you’re a girl, don’t do such dangerous things.”
“――. Treating Koori as a girl… You’re strange…”
Because she was listening so obediently, I ended up lecturing her a bit too much — and she turned her face away from me again.
I mean, treating her like a girl isn’t wrong. She is a girl, after all, and it’s not like I said anything strange… right?
As I wondered that—
“…How dare you humiliate me…?”
—A voice so cold it felt as if the temperature had dropped to absolute zero reached my ears.
Looking at her expression, Emera was glaring at Shirayuki-san in my arms with an even colder expression than her voice.
“――”
When she locked eyes with Emera, Shirayuki-san unconsciously grabbed the front of my shirt. Her body was trembling, and I felt a bit sorry for her.
“Don’t scare such a little kid.”
“Her looks might be childish, but she’s the same age as us…!”
When I scolded Emera, feeling bad for Shirayuki-san, she shot back at me with a sharp retort.
Right, we were the same age…
But that doesn’t mean it’s okay for Emera to scare her.
“Didn’t you misjudge me, Tenjouin-san?”
If I let this continue, Shirayuki-san would suffer. Understanding this, I intentionally provoked Emera.
“What did you say…?”
As intended, Emera turned her attention toward me. Now, what should I do…
I had gained negotiation rights by winning against Shirayuki-san. However, it seemed like Emera’s anger had reached its peak after she lost. It was unlikely she would listen to my words now, and it would be even more difficult after provoking her.
Should I just negotiate with Furei instead and have her stop Emera?
As I thought that—
“Onee-chan… don’t be mean to Koori…”
Furei placed her hand on the cheek of the girl that is glaring at me and shook her head lazily.
“…Right, I got a bit heated.”
Because of the cute younger sister’s intervention, Emera’s expression softened.
Rather than getting heated, she’d actually gone icy cold—but in the end, that probably saved Shirayuki-san.
Since Furei loves cute things, it seems she’s taken a liking to Shirayuki-san, who—like Hina—is small and adorably childlike in appearance.
“Can you stand up?”
“Ahh, yes…”
When I spoke to Shirayuki-san, she nodded slightly. So I slowly lowered her and patted her head lightly.
“That’s good, it seems you were forgiven.”
“～～～～～”
When I spoke to her with a smile, Shirayuki-san made an odd sound and looked down.
Hmm, what’s wrong…
“That man is doing it unconsciously…”
“How terrifying…”
“That would bring the wrath of Lady Emera and Lady Furei…”
“Damn… that guy’s seriously something… He’s doing things we could never pull off without even blinking…”
“Yeah… no doubt about it… He’s making a move on her…”
“In more ways than one—he’s way too smooth with his hands…”
It seems the people around me were unusually agitated.
I don’t think I did anything strange…
It’s not like it’s unusual to do such things even with Hina…
“――Be quiet.”
While being confused, observing the students around me, Emera clapped her hands sharply. As a result, the area instantly fell silent. The scene where everyone obeyed the command in an instant was like an army.
“You two seem awfully relaxed… but did anyone say we were finished?”
Regaining her composure, Emera let out a sly, wicked grin.
Honestly, her smile was so perfectly villainous that I couldn’t help thinking—If this were a video game, she’d definitely be born on the antagonist’s side.
“I thought we were done… Are you telling me to keep going?”
“That girl isn’t unconscious, much less injured. If you claim you’ve won, you should at least knock her out.”
Huh… this girl really does have a nasty personality.
From how I never counterattacked earlier, she must’ve realized something important—that I’m the type who won’t lay a hand on girls.
Knocking Shirayuki-san unconscious would be easy, but… as expected, I really don’t want to do that.
While I was hesitating—
“Indeed… you’re right.”
—Shirayuki-san agreed with Emera’s words.
Seriously? Is this girl planning to keep going too…?
I braced myself—only for her next words to completely catch me off guard.
“However, the difference in ability is clear. And… I do not like being in someone’s debt.”
With a faint smile, she struck the side of her own jaw with a hand chop.
“—!?”
I panicked and caught her as she collapsed forward.
When I looked at her face, she was completely unconscious.
What a refreshingly straightforward girl… even though she was terrified of Emera earlier, she still chose to value the duel’s conclusion over her master’s wishes…
“To think she’d defy me…!”
But of course, her master Emera wouldn’t tolerate such disobedience.
Her anger—which had cooled earlier—was flaring back up again.
…Shirayuki-san, you didn’t really think about what would happen after this, did you…?
Facing Emera, who clearly wasn’t open to reason, I stood there holding the unconscious Shirayuki-san, letting out an awkward, strained smile.
At the very least, there’s no way I’m handing Shirayuki-san over to her right now.
Character Summary (non-official)
- Aima Eito (愛真 英斗) — A second-year high school boy and twin brother of Hina. Level-headed and cautious, he knows more about the Tenjouin sisters’ cruelty than most after being in their class last year. He tries to stay quiet and unnoticed to avoid trouble, especially from the Tenjouin sisters who despise men.
- Aima Hina (愛真 雛) — Eito’s twin sister, a tiny 148 cm girl who’s adorable, clingy, and very attached to her brother. Sweet-natured and polite, but easily frightened—especially upon learning she’s placed in the same class as the Tenjouin sisters.
- Tenjouin Emera (天上院 翠玉) — One of the school’s notorious “twin queens.” A beautiful girl with long straight hair: a single streak of her bangs is white while the rest is gold. She has heterochromia—right eye red, left eye blue, and a flat chest. Cold, arrogant, and dangerously influential thanks to her powerful, wealthy family. Devoted entirely to her sister Furei.
- Tenjouin Furei (天上院 風麗) — Emera’s twin sister, with opposite hair colors—one golden streak in her bangs, the rest pure white—and mirror-image heterochromia: right eye blue, left eye red. She has a bob cut and a voluptuous figure like a gravure idol. Quiet, expressionless, and mysterious, yet incredibly dangerous beneath her calm. Furei doesn’t care about anyone except for Emera and the girls she favors, and even then, she treasures them more like pets than equals.
- Maria (真莉愛) — Maria is the foster parent who took Eito and Hina in from the orphanage when they were in second grade. An unbelievably beautiful woman who looks to be in her twenties—and still insists she is in her twenties—she has striking half-gold, half-white hair parted cleanly down the middle, brilliant blue eyes, and an ample chest. Though she appears elegant and composed, Eito describes her as a “demon in human skin,” having put him through countless extreme punishments whenever he failed to meet her expectations. Yet despite her terrifying side, Maria is helplessly weak to cute things, which is why she absolutely adores Hina and has spoiled her since they were little.
- Shirayuki Koori (白雪 氷) — Shirayuki Koori serves under the Tenjouin twins. She is a petite girl with pale blue twin-tail hair and an adorable, youthful face, paired with an icy, emotionless gaze. Despite her doll-like appearance, she is a highly trained combatant raised under special training since childhood. Competitive and proud, she hates losing and becomes flustered or emotional when things don’t go her way, revealing a childish side beneath her cool exterior.