IRBC 10

Chapter: 10

Including Mishitain, the five of us headed toward the cafeteria with light steps. Unlike the personality I remembered, Mishitain spoke clearly and smoothly, and he was very sociable.

The conversation with Mishitain—something I’d expected to be awkward—was surprisingly enjoyable.

I’d never really had a proper conversation with him before, yet for some reason he felt familiar. Even before the regression, we’d never spent this much time together.

Mishitain was considerate of me down to the smallest details. He deliberately shortened his stride to match my walking pace, and whenever he listened to me, he slightly lowered his head to meet my eyes.

As we talked, I also felt as though he knew me well. That couldn’t be possible, though.

David looked at Mishitain with clear displeasure, as if he might jump in and say something at any moment.

Fortunately, Rosemary kept chatting away to David without reading the room, so he couldn’t pick a fight with Mishitain.

Mishitain also spoke kindly to Koi, who was shy around strangers. The atmosphere was warm and friendly in its own way.

“Oh, right. My brother will be coming later—would it be okay if he eats with us?”

In the middle of all that, Rosemary asked us. The moment she did, my body stiffened as last week’s incident in the cafeteria came to mind.

Right. The one where I got rejected out of the blue without even confessing.

When the pitiful look in Enoch’s eyes flashed through my head, a dull ache throbbed at my temples. If I had my way, I’d never run into Rosemary’s brother, Enoch, again. But letting Mishitain join us while refusing Enoch would make things awkward.

Worse, if I rejected Enoch here, everyone would probably assume I was avoiding him because he’d turned me down. They’d definitely think that.

I refuse to be cast as the tragic heroine. Absolutely not.

Swallowing hard, I nodded.

“Thanks! My brother’s been curious about my friends.”

When everyone agreed, Rosemary clapped her hands in delight. On the way to the cafeteria, I stuck close to her and spoke in a low voice, quiet enough that the others couldn’t hear.

If they overheard, things would just get awkward again.

“Hey, Rosie.”

“Hm?”

“Could you explain what happened back then to Enoch?”

Luckily, Rosemary seemed to understand right away what I meant by “back then.” She nodded readily.

“Of course. Don’t worry. You don’t want Mishitain to find out, right?”

“Huh?”

“If I look at it this way, you must like Mishitain too, Joy!”

Why did Mishitain suddenly come into this?

I couldn’t follow the flow of the conversation at all. Unaware of my confusion, Rosemary added seriously,

“Well, I figured as much.”

“…?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain things to my brother behind Mishitain’s back. I’ll keep it quiet, too.”

No, Rosie. That’s not it.

“Good luck with Mishitain! You can do it!”

She beamed at me and cheered me on. I hesitated, wondering whether I should clear up this strange misunderstanding—or whether I even could.

Could I really fix this misunderstanding in the first place?

“What? She wasn’t interested in me?”

Enoch’s eyes widened as he listened to his younger sister.

“Yeah. She just wanted to say hi to me. Joy already has someone she likes—Mishitain, I mean….”

When Rosemary said Mishitain’s name, she lowered her voice as if hiding a secret. Her flushed expression, however, was impossible to conceal.

Enoch was too shocked to notice.

From his perspective, the girl named Joy had definitely seemed interested in him.

Was she saying this out of embarrassment over being rejected?

Though doubtful, Enoch nodded earnestly at his sister’s request.

Once she finished explaining, satisfaction showed plainly on Rosemary’s face. Saying “Let’s go,” she led Enoch to their seats.

It was the table by the window—the same place they’d sat that day.

“Guys, my brother’s here.”

“Hi. I’m Enoch Weaver. I’m a third-year, majoring in business and defensive magic.”

Enoch smiled gently as he introduced himself. As he did, he stole a glance at Joy.

Joy still had a pale complexion and a small frame, like a delicate porcelain doll. But her expressions were lively, so she didn’t feel cold or lifeless like a doll.

She shared her food with the girl sitting next to her, Koi, and teased David with a sulky expression.

Seeing how completely uninterested Joy seemed in him shocked Enoch more than he expected.

I’m sitting right in front of her, and she’s this indifferent?

It seemed Rosemary had been telling the truth.

Enoch readily admitted to himself that he’d been mistaken. Slowly, he turned his gaze toward Mishitain.

So this was the guy Joy liked.

He took Rosemary’s words—“she has feelings for him”—and interpreted them however he wanted, concluding that Joy had a crush on Mishitain.

If Joy could see inside Enoch’s head, she might have collapsed clutching the back of her neck.

Mishitain Porta.

The second son of the Duke of Porta, a family renowned for magic. Enoch didn’t know much about Mishitain himself, but he knew quite a bit about his older brother, who was five years older.

Aiden Porta.

Currently seventeen, he was said to be the most accomplished student among magic majors. Noble lineage, immense wealth, genius-level talent and intellect—and on top of that, a kind personality. There wasn’t a single flaw to be found.

Anyone would admire him.

The younger brother of that perfect Aiden….

Enoch kept observing Mishitain. Then, at some point, he realized something.

Mishitain’s gaze never left Joy Mikaela.

When Joy picked up her fork, Mishitain picked up his. When she drank water, he did the same.

The way he looked at that frail-looking girl was filled with indescribable tenderness—so much so that they looked like lovers already.

“Oh, by the way, Mishitain. Can I ask you something?”

As the meal continued, Rosemary spoke up. Only then did Mishitain’s gaze leave Joy.

“What is it?”

“Why did you suddenly ask Joy to be your report partner? You two hadn’t even talked before.”

“Ah.”

So that was what she’d been itching to ask. Rosemary’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Mishitain’s gaze naturally returned to Joy. Joy also looked up at him. Their eyes met in midair.

“Just because.”

“Huh?”

“Our eyes met during class, and I really wanted to work together. Not with anyone else—with Joy.”

Mishitain answered calmly, as if it were nothing. At his reply, Rosemary and Koi both blushed.

Rosemary even let out a short squeal—it must have been exactly the answer she’d hoped for.

Unlike Rosemary, Enoch sensed that Mishitain was hiding something.

It felt like there was more to it.

Enoch looked at Mishitain suspiciously. Noticing the stare, Mishitain turned his head toward him.

Their eyes met. Enoch smiled awkwardly, like someone who’d been caught doing something.

Mishitain raised his index finger to his lips and curved his eyes meaningfully, as if warning him not to pry any further.

“…?”

What was that supposed to mean?

Enoch was flustered. An inexplicable pressure radiated from Mishitain. It was unsettling.

Throughout the meal, Enoch stayed quiet.

I’d been worried he might say something strange again—confessions or the like—but thankfully, he remained silent.

Still, maybe because I’d been tense the whole time, the food sat heavily in my stomach.

“Joy, are you okay?”

“Isn’t there an infirmary at the academy?”

Rosemary and Koi fussed over me. David scanned the surroundings, searching for a building that might be the infirmary.

“If you go that way, there’s a nurse’s office.”

Right. Now that I thought about it, there was one nearby. I’d forgotten for a moment.

Did Enoch say that? I looked up to check the owner of the voice. I’d assumed it was Enoch, who’d been at the academy for two years already…

But it was Mishitain who pointed out the infirmary.

“…You seem to know the academy well.”

Enoch, who was still at the table, asked him curiously. Mishitain shrugged and answered lightly.

“I took a look around the academy last week.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Joy, if it’s okay with you, may I escort you to the infirmary?”

He asked gently. Of course, I already knew exactly where the infirmary was. In my previous life, I’d gone in and out of it so often I could find it with my eyes closed.

But if I went alone despite knowing the way, it might raise suspicion.

“Could you?”

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and even my legs were shaking. Seeing how bad I looked, Mishitain asked for permission and supported me.

“I’ll support her. You can guide us.”

I looked like I might collapse at any moment, yet David shot Mishitain a sharp glare. Even so, Mishitain stood his ground.

“Class will start soon. There’s no need for everyone to go together. I know the way, so it’s better if I take her.”

“Well—th-then—we’ll, um, explain the situation to the professor!”

Koi nodded in agreement. His reasoning was so clear that even David couldn’t argue.

“Please take good care of Joy, Mishitain!”

A gentle smile appeared on Mishitain’s face, as if to say not to worry.

“Shall we go?”

“Mm. Thanks, Mishitain.”

“If you don’t mind, could you call me Tain instead? ‘Mishitain’ feels a bit long.”

I remembered him being rather guarded before the regression, so this was unexpected. I shifted my eyes awkwardly, then nodded. Refusing outright would have been strange.

“O-Okay. Tain.”

When I carefully said his nickname aloud, Mishitain smiled brightly, like a child receiving a gift.

“Let’s go. You don’t look well.”

Supporting me carefully, Mishitain started walking.

He was tall for his age—at least a hand taller than David, whose growth was still lagging behind.

Because I was much smaller than my peers, the height difference made his support feel steady and reassuring.