“GYARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!?”

    The pain from the ‘Twenty Seals’ woke me up.

    “Huff— Huff— Huff—”

    Nightmare he… fainted…!?

    “…What’s wrong…?!”

    Not long after I screamed, Kuroyuki came in from the door to the classroom.

    “…Are you okay…?” She said to me with a worried look.

    Which then, she placed her forefinger on my forehead, seeming to check my temperature.

    “Ugh… y-yeah… I… I’m fine…” I replied to her while getting up from my bed.

    But it seems she’s ignoring me.

    “Wait.”

    I grabbed Kuroyuki’s hand before she could leave.

    “…What’s wrong…?”

    “Are you the one who changed my clothes…?”

    My T-shirt, to be exact.

    “…I had to. You are sweating heavily.”

    No…!

    “Kuroyuki…” I warned. “Whatever you do, don’t ever let Restia and Ruby know about this.”

    “………………”

    What does this mean…???

    Whatever, if Restia asks… I will just have to feign ignorance…!

    With that determination, I went for a shower.

    ……………………………

    After a refreshing shower, I realized I forgot to bring my clothes.

    With only a towel wrapped around my lower body, I head to the wardrobe.

    “…Dinner’s—”

    “…Huh?”

    It was then, Kuroyuki entered my room when I was just about to wear my boxers.

    …My lower half is entirely in full display.

    “………………”

    “………………”

    Then, Kuroyuki’s face immediately blushed in deep red— but her body is refusing to move an inch.

    “Stop staring already…!” I screamed while throwing the towel on the floor at her. “Get out…!”

    Seeming to realize her rudeness, Kuroyuki turned away and left my room in a hurry without uttering a single word.

    Getting stared at is a small matter, but if Restia knows this, I’m dead meat.

    ……………………………

    “So…? What do you have to say for yourself?” I uttered.

    “…It’s……” She murmured, with her voice gradually becoming smaller.

    “It’s…?” I repeated.

    “…Ngh……”

    Kuroyuki then took the spoon and shoved it into her mouth with her face redden.

    Her eyes, back and forth from time to time, peeks at my pissed off face.

    “WELL…?” I raised my voice.

    “…It was amazing……… okay……?”

    With her brows furrowed, Kuroyuki replied with a weak voice.

    “W-Wha…?”

    “N-No…! Not that! What I’m saying is you should apologize for barging into my room…!!! Not talking about the size of my…”

    “…E-Eh…?”

    Kuroyuki’s face immediately flushed in deep red.

    …Crap, now I’m getting embarrassed as well.

    “…I-I-I-I-I am terribly sorry…….”

    While apologizing, Kuroyuki made some small nods with her eyes closed, looking very apologetic.

    “Sheesh……”

    With my hand placed on the table, I had to cover my face from the embarrassment.

    …I can’t even look straight at her now.

    How could I possibly survive for another two weeks…?

    But still… given Kuroyuki’s usual cold atmosphere that she always had on her… she’s surprisingly innocent.

    To begin with, I wasn’t expecting her to be embarrassed to such a degree.

    “Please knock next time, okay…?” I told her.

    “…N… N…”

    In response, she nodded twice.

    So cute…

    ……………………………

    As soon as we had our dinner, Kuroyuki and I quickly part our ways into our rooms.

    Because both of us knew that the embarrassment and awkwardness are suffocating.

    After taking my phone from the mini cabinet next to my bed, I lay on my bed.

    …It’s about time I should call Restia.

    Come to think of it… this is illegal in Central Imperial Island, isn’t it?

    There are special rules within the Imperial Knights Academy that makes it different from other schools.

    All students are required to live on campus and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside the island.

    Even contacting immediate family is impossible without the permission of the school.

    Leaving the island is also forbidden.

    These are the reasons that my little sis, Restia, prevents me from coming here.

    However, you are free to go anywhere on this island as long as you could return to the school grounds within the restricted time.

    Yeah, right. That doesn’t apply to me.

    Somehow, when I realized, I had the phone in my hand dangling just above my head, and I’m staring at it.

    No…! I really don’t want to make this call…!

    But if I don’t, Restia would come here for real...!!!

    [Do Do]

    “BIG BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!”

    With the loudspeaker switched on and the phone placed just right next to my head— I thought I was going deaf.

    “Restia, a pitch higher... and I would’ve gone deaf.” I retorted.

    “Myaster… When are you coming home…!!!”

    “…Ruby, it’s only the second day.”

    “Ruby’s… ‘Myaster Energy’… is almost depleted……. Myaster…….!”

    Her desperate cries through the phone are melting my heart.

    “Oh, Ruby…!”

    It made me respond back with my cry as well.

    “…Put those aside first, Ruby.” Restia murmured. “Your master had some serious EXPLANATIONS to do.”

    Restia’s into it already!?

    “W-W-What are you talking about, my cute little sister…?”

    “Stop trying to play dumb in front of me— especially when I’m ANGRY,” Restia uttered. “In just a mere five hours since my last call, I had a terrible headache!”

    “H-Huh…?” I inadvertently murmured with a dumbfounded look. “…Five hours? You called five hours ago…?”

    “…That snow woman didn’t tell you?”

    “Snow woman…… Kuroyuki Shiroha? About what?” I inadvertently murmured.

    What was I doing five hours ago…?

    …Crap, she knew Nightmare lost consciousness.

    How am I going to speak my way out of this…?

    “…Just to remind you, your little sister called after I placed you on the bed.”

    Suddenly, Kuroyuki approaches me from the right side of my bed.

    “WAH!!?”

    I immediately rolled myself away to the left side of my bed, keeping some distance from Kuroyuki with my phone on hand.

    “I-I-I thought I told you to knock before you entered my room…!” I said to Kuroyuki.

    Ah.

    “……………………”

    …I could feel an ominous aura flowing out from my phone.

    “R… Restia, I could explain.” I murmured.

    “She already did,” Restia told me.

    “No, wait— why would you suddenly call me…?” I asked Restia.

    “I… had a bad feeling,” Restia replied with a shaky voice. “That’s why I called…! Do you know how worried I was when I heard you were unconscious…!?”

    When I became unconscious— Restia had a bad feeling, that’s why she called. Then Kuroyuki Shiroha just happens to pick up the phone when she placed me on the bed.

    “Even though it’s not my fault, I apologize to you in Nightmare’s stead,” I said. “It seems he overexerted himself for today.”

    “…Idiot! Don’t you dare make me worried…!” Restia yelled at me. “I don’t want to go through that feeling once again…!”

    Six years ago, a Cithaeron Lion invaded my house.

    To protect Restia and Ruby, I had to lure the Cithaeron Lion away, alone.

    With only Restia and Ruby at home, I can’t imagine how terrified they were when I hadn’t returned home until the following day.

    “…Don’t worry, I’m not Nightmare,” I said.

    “I won’t worry.” Restia retorted. “Because now I have my eyes on you for 24 hours.”

    Hearing that, I inadvertently set my eyes on Kuroyuki Shiroha, who is sitting naturally on my bed in her black lace nightgown.

    Which, she winks at me.