Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Soma’s decision.
Currently, Soma has a rare meeting with a male-only in the cafeteria where Hina and Xiao Lian decide to open up their friendship with other girls. Still, as far as they could get, they only managed to snatch two girls to their side, and that was Eri and Lydia. The girls were sitting in the corner while Hina and Xiao Lain, as usual, started their banter, making the other girls flustered.
Meanwhile, Soma was sitting at the dining table in the cafeteria.
"So Leon, how far have you gone?".
"What do you mean, Soma?".
"Um, I am also curious about that?".
"...".
Leon, Soma, and Eiji were sitting far away from the girl while also having their boys talk, which cannot be heard by girls at their age. However, the atmosphere was a bit sweet on their side. At first, Soma tried to invite Lin Fan to join them, but he received a complete refusal from him, so he couldn\'t do anything for now. But he still didn\'t give up on saving him, and that was for sure.
Soma, who was slightly curious about Leon\'s progress as a protagonist, brought him into this boys\' talk session where he could gather information from him directly.
"Don\'t beat around the bush. I heard you are close with that green-haired beauty, right?".
"Green-haired? mm, you mean Mary?".
"Hee, if I\'m not wrong, she was a member of the library committee and students council".
"Right, so tell me briefly, Leon".
"Um, how should I say this. It is rare to see Soma who gets curious about other people\'s lives…".
"Don\'t try to change the topics here blatantly. I am the one in charge in this place".
Soma puffed his chest, placing both his elbows on the table, and placed his connected palm near his mouth with shrunken eyes, probing Leon for the answer.
Leon, whose plan busted, threw his gaze away because of the awkward feeling he got speaking about his life. Leon once again turned his gaze at Soma, who still kept his glare at him, and when he turned to the side, a meaningful smile from Eiji was enough to make a vein visible around his temple.
He understood that the moment he was invited into Soma\'s seat, he was already a checkmate. Leon exhaled a huge sigh, and with a flushed face, he spoke, albeit stuttered.
"B-but Please don\'t tell anyone, okay?".
"Absolutely, your secret is in the safe hands".
"I will keep this a secret, I promise".
After making sure that Soma and Eiji will keep this conversation secret, Leon begins to tell them about their current close relationship between Leon and Mary.
As Leon starts his monologuing, Soma observes him directly, opening his ears clearly while trying to match it to the original story he read in the Chronicles Saga.
Soma nodded off sometimes while Leon was talking about his encounter with Mary. He is signaling to himself that Leon\'s story and the book matched with the current situation. "I\'m glad there is no change in the event".
"Oh, right. She also mentioned you Soma, albeit just once".
Upon hearing Leon\'s words, Soma\'s body stiffened as his hand began to tremble and veins started to bulge from his skin. However, he regulated his breathing to calm his nerves down and opened his mouth.
"I see, I didn\'t expect that, and I\'m sorry if that turns you off in going for her".
"W-what are you talking about? I didn\'t have that thought at all. I also understand why she asked about you because your power stood out from the others. It was the things she asked me for, that\'s all".
Soma, who regained his calm, exhaled all of the frustration in his heart as he began to turn his head to Eiji, who listened to the story with interest and also a bit glum, for he had a certain problem regarding that.
Leon, who finished his story, noticed Eiji\'s glum expression while he sometimes glanced toward the girls\' seat, where they talk merrily and sometimes a bit chaotic.
It was brief, but Soma and Leon noticed Eiji\'s uncertain gaze while keeping his passionate gaze toward a certain girl who slurped her drink with a stylish appearance.
Soma and Leon exchange a brief glance as their target changes to Eiji.
"Eiji?".
"Huh, what?".
Leon\'s suggestive tone brought back Eiji\'s attention toward their seat as he began to probe Eiji\'s love life.
"So, how was your impression of Shiina Eri?".
"Ueh?! Why suddenly bringing her?".
"Ah, come on, we all know that you had something for her, right, Soma?".
"Umu, I agree".
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Eiji, who was currently being interrogated, shrank back his small body, which made Soma and Leon hesitate to ask him further. However, to their surprise, Eiji noticed the situation they were in. With a crisp sound, Eiji smacked his own cheeks, leaving red marks that threw away the hesitation in his heart.
Eiji regulates his breath before addressing the two of them with his unwavering gaze despite still wavering eyes.
"...Listen, guys. The truth is I-i …I like Eri".
Leon and Soma, who received his sincere gaze, stiffened their bodies as Eiji, with his resolute gaze, began to lay bare his feelings toward them with inaudible voices circling around them, making sure the other people did not hear it.
Soma and Leon listened carefully to the sincere and severe words he told them, making them feel warm in their hearts listening to Eiji\'s bittersweet story. Leon, who felt happy about his friend\'s feelings, spoke up.
"When does it start?".
"Well, I don\'t know where it started, but the two of us were practically always in the same environment since childhood. So, I couldn\'t quite grasp when it was, but this feeling was genuine".
"I see. So you want to tell her how you truly felt but still hesitant because of your circumstances?".
"Um".
"Eiji, as a friend, I couldn\'t do anything, but I will support you from behind. Be honest with your feelings, and I\'m sure things will work out somehow, and even if it\'s not, just call me, and I will bail you out from this Academy, treating you to eat something special outside".
"But Soma, will we get punished because of that?".
"What are you talking about? We are still teenagers, and what\'s so wrong with doing some mischief once in a while".
"Soma, you".
Eiji and Len were at a loss for words, hearing Soma\'s declaration upon bailing them out from the Academy if things didn\'t work out. However, in their heart, which still held a slight fear, a seed of excitement began to grow as they learned the fact that they were teenagers.
The two of them turned silent as the words from Soma kept ringing in their head, whispering like a small demon that swayed their hearts.
"Trust me in this one!".
Soma delivered his final blow as the two of their hearts were in turmoil. Eiji, who already experienced Soma\'s antics, gulped his saliva as he spoke in a small voice.
"Well, that wasn\'t so bad either".
"Eiji, you?!".
"How about you, Leon? Want to join our antics?".
"Kuuh".
Leon, who struggled with his reply, gritted his teeth before he resigned himself, getting pulled down toward the spirit of youth.
"... Fine, let me in".
"Hehe, It\'s decided then".
[Extra Skill Puppeteer activated]
Soma, who divided his consciousness using his skill, began to rack his brain for the matter of Leon, who already made contact with Mary. At first, he intended to help him and let Soma control the situation, but Soma was tired of facing his own problems alone.
Soma decides to let Leon deal with the event himself, but it doesn\'t mean he will get anything from clearing the event himself. He prefers going into the dungeon, taking some valuable items or artifacts that will benefit him and the girls to get stronger.
"Soma, how about you?".
"Um, Me?".
"Yes, Soma, as Leon said, how about you with the girls?".
"...Hmm? Well, how should I put it?".
"If you considered dating someone, who would you pick?".
Leon and Eiji, who suddenly throw questions at Soma, pry open their ears as they know that the three of them hold a particular rumor in the class because they always stick together. Soma halted his thought process, and he began to think deeply about their questions.
At first, this kind of feeling was quite rare for him because he never had any experience in dating someone in his previous world and much more than this one. However, he must think about Hina and Xiao Lian being a romantic partner. He genuinely likes them.
Even though Hina was rude to him at their first meeting, Soma had a soft spot for her because he always recalled her tsundere nature in the novel, which made her endearing, but the current honest and calm nature Hina had was also not so bad. As she already said, she would support him and stand beside him, whatever it takes.
As for Xiao Lian, he doesn\'t know why she suddenly approached him first despite it being their first meeting. With a twist of fate and their usual activity where, she always stuck with him. Her oblivious nature and lack of expression she had invoked a protective feeling he had. "Choose, huh". He muttered.
Soma began to ponder Leon\'s last question a bit more as he remembered that the world he currently lives in had a different common sense compared to his previous world. He lifted his gaze and met the other two curious pairs of eyes.
"Well, if I have to choose. I will choose both".
""?!"".