I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 181 - Special Side Story 2

As the familiar woodland landscape came into view, Leonian winced.

 

“Another dream…”

 

He muttered softly, but continued walking, searching for the girl.

 

Now, even with his eyes closed, he could tell where she was.

 

When he saw pink hair in the distance, he took a cautious step, as if worried that she might run away.

 

When he was that close to her.

 

Unlike when he’d approached her as if it were natural, he couldn’t easily take any action.

 

He knew that if he pulled her back, he’d wake up from his dream.

 

Standing behind her, hesitating, Leonian suddenly realized that something was different about her.

 

She smelled like a warm, soapy scent, the same as the girl he’d met earlier in the day.

 

Once he realized this, he couldn’t help but ask.

 

“Who are you? This soap scent must be…”

 

That was when it hit him.

 

The girl was the first to whirl around and face Leonian. He gulped at the sight of her face for the first time.

 

While he had half expected it, she was indeed the same girl he had met earlier in the day.

 

She tilted her head at a slight angle and stared at Leonian curiously.

 

“You don’t think that’s strange, do you?”

 

“…What?”

 

“How do people smell in dreams?”

 

Leonian’s eyes widened in realization. He snapped out of his dream.

 

Blink—

 

He woke up in the clubroom. No doubt, he’d gotten to the clubroom first, and had slept there as usual.

 

Blinking a few times as he took in his surroundings, Leonian sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

 

It couldn’t be her, but he could almost smell her soap all around him.

 

Frederick, a fellow club member who had been watching Leonian’s strange behavior, raised an eyebrow.

 

“Leonian, what’s wrong?”

 

“…It’s weird. I dream about the same girl every day.”

 

“Is she pretty?”

 

Leonian gave Frederick a pitying look before answering.

 

“Very.”

 

“Ack, then she’s a…”

 

Frederick trailed off, noticing Leonian’s ghastly expression.

 

“You don’t know her?”

 

“I’ve seen her before, but we’re not related.”

 

“Well, then.”

 

“Well.”

 

“It was love at first sight.”

 

Frederick looked at Leonian with a surprised, intrigued expression.

 

“It’s a rare day when I get to see you like a girl.”

 

“As for liking her, she started appearing in my dreams, before I actually met her.”

 

“I was vaguely picturing my ideal person, but when I met someone similar, I wondered if it was a projection of my dream.”

 

“…Ideal type?”

 

Sure, she had cute eyes and pink hair.

 

It was only after I met the girl that I started seeing her face in my dreams.

 

…To project her in dreams. Was it really love at first sight?

 

Frederick’s eyes glazed over slowly, and he pursed his lips in disappointment.

 

“Worse, you didn’t even introduce yourself to the new girl in the club today. And it’s not just because you’re always sleeping in the clubhouse.”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

Leonian’s club only gets one new member a year.

 

And since only first years were allowed to join, the club was always a small one, with only four members, making the Magical Research Club the envy of the school.

 

It’s a club where only students with top grades in the magic major at Arena Academy, a school of flying and long-armed geniuses, are accepted.

 

It wouldn’t be surprising if one of the members would become a Mage Master in the future.

 

But that didn’t matter to Leonian, who chose a club with no one else in it.

 

“Still, there are only a few members, so I should at least know their faces. When you see her later, don’t get mad at her for being in the clubroom.”

 

“Do you think I’m such a wreck of character?”

 

“Too much.”

 

“On the subject of seniors.”

 

“I’m not going to ask to be addressed as a senior or older brother, so please do something about that.”

 

Leonian asked, shrugging off his comment.

 

“So, what about the lunatic senior and the new kid?”

 

“Look at this. Rachel keeps calling you Mr. Lunatic.”

 

“I guess she liked the lunatic that much.”

 

Frederick, who looked a bit like a graying old madman, quickly averted his gaze.

 

“…They left as soon as club duty was over. Do you realize that not too long ago, a freshman was sitting across from you?”

 

“Do I really need to know?”

 

“It doesn’t hurt to know, this new kid is the real deal.”

 

Leonian’s eyelids lowered as he realized Frederick was going off on another tirade.

 

“Rachel said she likes the new girl, and wants to take her out for a bite to eat.”

 

Leonian’s eyes squinted as he tried to ignore the comment.

 

“…That crazy senior?”

 

“Yep. She’s pretty and good-looking, but she has terrible insomnia, right? I heard she’s been sleeping soundly since that girl helped her out with her magic.”

 

“Oh.”

 

No big deal.

 

“Still, tomorrow I’m taking the newest member to the demon-slaying, so maybe we can meet up.”

 

Leonian closed his eyes again, a look of freedom on his face. It was none of his business anyway.

 

…was supposed to be irrelevant.

 

It wasn’t until the next day, when he climbed the hill for his club’s performance score, that he realized it had everything to do with him.

 

Leonian recognized the pink-haired girl at the meeting point, and his eyes twinkled with suspicion.

 

“…Why are you here?”

 

“Hi. I was so surprised yesterday that I didn’t recognize you, but now that I think about it, you’re a senior in my club?”

 

Sylvia smiled broadly and greeted him. Her dimples, which flared out on either side, were very attractive.

 

“I’m Sylvia, the new student.”

 

This was the girl of his dreams, the one who seemed forever out of reach.

 

Instantly recognizing her face and then her name, I felt a little dazed.

 

“Sylvia?”

 

“Yes, I’m Sylvia. I heard your name from Sister Rachel. Do you mind if I call you Leonian?”

 

By calling the cranky Rachel her sister, it seems like they’ve become very close without realizing it.

 

Leonian didn’t like the idea of the secretive girl he knew so well becoming close to someone else.

 

Perhaps because of that, Leonian’s mouth twitched impulsively.

 

“…Leon.”

 

“What?”

 

“You can call me Leon.”

 

Sylvia was momentarily surprised by Leonian’s immediate acceptance of the nickname, but then she forced herself to smile.

 

“Yes, Senior Leon.”

 

Just then, Frederick and Rachel, who were on time for their scheduled appointment, joined them.

 

“Oh, you two were here first?”

 

Frederick asked anxiously, clinging to Leonian as Rachel waved back.

 

“Leonian, you didn’t bully the new girl, did you?”

 

He said, pulling away from Frederick in annoyance.

 

“Let’s get back to slaying those fiends.”

 

“I was just exchanging pleasantries, Frederick.”

 

Seeing that Sylvia’s expression was one of amusement, Frederick was relieved and cut to the chase.

 

“Since you’re all guaranteed to be good anyway, let’s split into groups of two for efficiency.”

 

Rachel quickly raised her hand at Frederick’s suggestion.

 

“I’ll go with Derek then.”

 

“I’m Frederick, and why me all of a sudden? I thought you liked Sylvia.”

 

“Because you’re easier to manipulate?”

 

“Please don’t say that out loud.”

 

Frederick let out a small sigh and shook his head.

 

“Rachel, senior. I know how badly you want me, but I don’t think I can do it.”

 

“Eh, why?”

 

“But we can’t just leave Leonian with the freshman, can we? There’s no way Leonian would agree to do that.”

 

“I’ve got him.”

 

At that, Rachel and Frederick’s heads turned to Leonian at the same time. They looked at him in disbelief.

 

“What, what have you done?”

 

“Senior Rachel, I think he’s eaten something wrong, don’t you think we should just send him back to his dorm?”

 

At that moment.

 

“That’s dangerous, Senior Leon!”

 

Sylvia’s magic shot out, narrowly missing Leonian’s hair.

 

Her magic shot past Leonian and into the head of the demon behind him.

 

Boom!

 

It screamed and died, a high-level demon known for attacking with a toxic spit.

 

It was a fast-flying demon, so if it had been any slower, it would have been pinned down.

 

“Senior, are you okay?”

 

Leonian stared blankly at Sylvia, who was looking at him worriedly.

 

Leonian Lysianthus.

 

Born during the height of the Imperial War, he had lost his parents and fought alone with his uncle at a young age.

 

He was no stranger to the worried gaze of others.

 

Especially when he had such a magical gift.

 

A corner of his heart tickled.

 

“…It’s not a bad feeling to have someone watching over you.”

 

Perhaps Sylvia was the woman of his dreams, Leonian thought. But little did he know, his eyes had been focused on her the entire time.

 

Even the creature was an illusion, created by Sylvia’s magic.

 

Leonian had completely fallen for Sylvia’s ruse.