I Became the Villain’s Childhood Friend Chapter 35

 

The next class was physical education class. I urgently rummaged through the locker.

 

“You have no gym clothes?”

 

Adele glanced at my empty locker and asked me.

 

Only then did I realize that Gloria had my gym clothes.

 

I checked the time and saw that time was running out before class started.

 

“Adele, you go first. I’ll go borrow some gym clothes before I go.”

 

“Alright. I’m going to tell them that you’re stopping by the clinic, alrigt?”

 

I thanked Adele and hurried away. Fortunately, it wasn’t time for Reynold to be in class.

 

‘I don’t have a friend nearby who I can borrow gym clothes from.’

 

Lamenting my situation, I hurriedly ran to the training ground where Reynold was going to be and opened the door. Inside, I saw the people taking class with Reynold laughing and chatting.

 

And Reynold was sitting in the center.

 

…I’m quite embarrassed to call him now, though.

 

But I was in no position to hide this or that. There isn’t much time left until class starts.

 

I carefully opened the door further and let only my face in.

 

“Reynold?”

 

I thought I had a small voice, yet it seems my voice was louder than I thought.

 

The laughing and chattering in the training room stopped and everyone’s eyes turned to me.

 

“Ooooh…”

 

At that moment, cheers for unknown reasons filled the training ground. Reynold hurriedly ran to me with an embarrassed expression.

 

“Let’s get out quickly.”

 

Reynold urgently pushed me out of the training ground.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“…Lend me some gym clothes.”

 

“Gym clothes?”

 

Reynold looked puzzled for a moment, but then went inside and came out with his gym clothes.

 

I took the gym clothes that Reynold gave me and quickly put the pants on.

 

“Are you crazy?!”

 

Then, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have seen, Reynold got very scared and quickly turned back.

 

…What’s wrong with him.

 

I said, putting my legs into the pants.

 

“I’m wearing a skirt on top, you know. You can see it, though?”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Reynold’s stubbornness in turning back couldn’t be defeated.

 

He asked with a small sigh.

 

“Did you lose your gym clothes?”

 

“No, it’s not like that…”

 

“Can I turn around?”

 

“Mmhm.”

 

I said as I put on the top over my blouse. Reynold, who was relieved by my words and turned back, was shocked and turned his back again.

 

“You really….!”

 

“I said it’s okay! What a fuss!”

 

That stubborn guy.

 

In the end, I opened my mouth only after I had completely changed out of the gym clothes.

 

“You can turn around.”

 

“…For real?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Only then did Reynold turn back again.

 

“So where did you sell your gym clothes?”

 

“It’s no big deal.”

 

If I go now, I think the time will be just right.

 

“Hey, I’m going first!”

 

But at that moment, Reynold grabbed my wrist.

 

“Something bad isn’t happening, is it?”

 

At first glance, a look of concern appeared on Reynold’s face as he looked at me. When I saw his face, I paused without realizing it.

 

…Anyway, Adele said she would tell them that I was going to the clinic, so it’s fine if I’m a little late, right?

 

I looked around and gently pulled Reynold’s sleeve. Then he naturally gave me his ear.

 

“Actually, I lent it to Gloria for some reason.”

 

“…Gloria?”

 

Reynold frowned upon hearing what I said.

 

When I nodded my head slightly, Reynold asked as if he didn’t like it.

 

“Why doesn’t she give it back?”

 

“It’s not that se’s not giving it back, it’s that she can’t. Because she doesn’t know I lent it to her.”

 

“…”

 

Reynold frowned. It seemed like he had some idea of what was going on.

 

The story of Julia’s dislike of Gloria was quite famous, and there was no way Adele, a talkative person, wouldn’t have told Reynold about her.

 

“Then just take what’s mine for you.”

 

Reynold looked at the wrinkled gym clothes and started folding my sleeves.

 

“What about you?”

 

“I’m use a sword, so I have a lot of things to wear.”

 

“…Enough. I’ll give it back to you right away.”

 

“Well, then.”

 

“Shall I wash it before returning it?”

 

“Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”

 

I saw Reynold grinning. With the smile on his lips, a name suddenly came to mind.

 

I hesitated for a moment and asked him carefully.

 

“…What do you think of Gloria?”

 

“Suddenly?”

 

“I suddenly became curious.”

 

It seemed like a question he had never thought about before. As he took a bit of time to think about it, I quickly tried to stop him from saying anything. But at that moment, Reynold’s mouth, which had been tightly closed, opened.

 

“If I were to be honest, it’s closer to the side I don’t like.”

 

“Why? Did you fight with her?”

 

At my words, Reynold looked down at me and said, as if I was pitiful.

 

“Am I you?”

 

“…You’re really dead.”

 

“…Those eyes that are just looking at me are unlucky. I feel bad when I look at them.”

 

This is the first time since Serik that Reynold has so openly disliked someone. I felt strange all over again.

 

I patted his shoulder to encourage him to cheer up.

 

Reynold looked at me with puzzled eyes, and then seemed to be in a strangely bad mood and punched me gently in the forehead.

 

I glared at Reynold, rubbing my forehead with my hand, yet he seemed very happy.

 

As I looked at him like that, a passing thought occurred to me, and I paused without realizing it.

 

…If, really, Reynold ended up with Gloria before the Academy graduation ceremony, wouldn’t I have to die?

 

I had that thought for just a moment.

 

***

 

I couldn’t sleep well the night before because I was worried I’d be late for club time.

 

What this means is that I haven’t seen senior Rosie for a while.

 

If I had known the names of Arlea’s other members or managers, I would have been able to convey my intention to them, but I knew about what was going on with this club.

 

In the end, a situation came up where I had to go and speak in person today.

 

That I want to join another club!

 

I wandered around in front of the club room door for a bit, and as soon as four o’clock struck, I knocked on the door and gently opened it.

 

There was a lot of dust floating around inside the club room.

 

I cautiously went inside, waving my hand at the dust that mercilessly blocked my path.

 

“…You came just right.”

 

Inside, senior Rosie was standing, wearing comfortable clothes, also a mask, and holding a broom.

 

“Hello, Senior!”

 

I hastily offered her my greeting, and instead of receiving it, she handed me a broom.

 

“Just keep cleaning. I’ll get some more cleaning supplies.”

 

I suddenly grabbed the broom and quickly opened my mouth.

 

“Well, senior, I have something to tell you.”

 

“I’m busy, tell me later.”

 

Senior Rosie, who roughly took off the gloves she was wearing, cut me off coldly and quickly left the club room.

 

I blinked for a moment as I looked at Rosie’s back.

 

Cloudy dust flew through the air.

 

…Alright, I guess I can tell her when she gets back.

 

With that thought in mind, I looked inside the club room. The condition of the club room was much more serious than I thought.

 

Of all the things in the club room, the only useful things were a table and four chairs in the center. And the entire wall was filled with unused desks and chairs stacked on top of each other.

 

‘At this level, it seems like the warehouse was just given over to be used as a club room.’

 

I groaned and opened the window.

 

By the way, what is that thing that has been bothering me earlier?

 

One chair was covered with white cloth. Of course, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that the white cloth covered the human shape.

 

…Could it be that someone is sleeping, I wonder.

 

As I unconsciously held my breath, I saw the white cloth rising and falling evenly.

 

That person was probably the manager. There’s no way a mere member would be sleeping without cleaning.

 

I sighed inwardly and put on my gloves. Then I started with the broom.

 

No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think this club is right for me.

 

The club that Adele joined had dinner together from the first day.

 

At that time, a purring sound was heard from the white cloth covering the chair. I was startled by the huge sound coming from the still silence and looked away.

 

The sound of snoring seemed louder than thunder.

 

Then the snoring sound stopped again.

 

‘…They couldn’t be dead, could they?’

 

When I looked closely, it seemed that the white cloth that was rising and falling regularly wasn’t moving.

 

I held my breath and approached them cautiously. It felt like my hands holding the broom were sweating.

 

At that time, the club room door burst open. Senior Rosie, who was holding a cleaning tool, asked me, startled again, with narrowed eyes.

 

“What are you doing there?”

 

“…I thought they weren’t breathing.”

 

When I took a step to the side to gesture to her to look at this sleeping person, Senior Rosie let out a small sigh and shook her head.

 

“He’s not dead, so wake him up.”

 

“M-Me?”

 

“Then who?”

 

Senior Rosie responded bluntly.

 

I turned my eyes, shaking the handle of the chair slightly. Then senior Rosie, who was looking at me pitifully, raised her glasses and spoke.

 

“You’re going to wake him up like that?”

 

“W-Wake up, please…”

 

I was frightened by Rosie’s harsh words and woke him up with words. Even so, I could still hear him snoring, as if he couldn’t hear me.

 

I eventually put my hand on what looked like his shoulder and shook him.

 

Only then did the white cloth move and he woke up.

 

“Senior, a new member has arrived.”

 

I’m not a new member, though…

 

The man with the white cloth down blinked his eyes, probably half asleep. Soon, his hazy gaze turned towards me.

 

When I met his handsome face, the words that I didn’t want to join this club went back in.

 

I hastily introduced myself to him.

 

“My name is Danae, a first-year student in the Magic Engineering Department.”

 

The man who heard me blinked again. Only then did his blank gaze seem to come into focus. But after a while, he yawned.

 

Is this person really the manager…?

 

I hesitated a little, but then mustered up the courage to open my mouth.

 

“I… But I—”

 

“Oscar.”

 

The man who cut me off lightly wrapped the white cloth around his body again and opened his mouth.

 

“I’m Oscar, a third-year from the Archery Department.”

 

He closed his eyes again, perhaps feeling sleepy again.

 

“Please wake up now.”

 

Senior Rosie, who had been silently watching the scene behind me, walked up to us and snatched the cloth he was wrapping around.