Author's Preface
Still on the same day. After their brief encounter in the bathroom earlier, the girl Lindsey had saved invited her down to the cafeteria on the floor below. The place was lively with students in matching uniforms coming and going.
"Awm~ nym~ nym~" The sound of the girl chewing away.
"Here, eat up..." the girl said, sliding the food she had just bought across the table toward Lindsey.
Lindsey just sat there in silence, eyes cast downward. She had no idea what to say at this point. The girl tilted her head. "Hello...?" she murmured, waving a hand in front of Lindsey's face.
"Huh? Oh! I, um, I'm not really into sweet food," Lindsey said quickly, waving her own hand in the air.
"Oh, really? Then just order something else!" the girl replied, still enthusiastic despite her full mouth.
Lindsey glanced away. "Is that okay?" she murmured, linking her fingers together.
The girl nodded once. "Of course it is!"
She doesn't seem to remember me , Lindsey thought, studying the girl's face.
After that, Lindsey went to order and came back to sit across from her.
"So... your name is Lindsey, right?" the girl asked, tilting her head as she looked at her.
Lindsey nodded while chewing, then swallowed before answering. "That's right. And you?"
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Alicia Bern," the girl answered, placing a hand on her chest with a confident air.
"Just call me Alicia," she added, tossing her hair aside.
"Awm~" Lindsey took another bite. "Sure, sure," she mumbled, nodding along.
"By the way, are you sure you're paying for all of this?" Lindsey asked, right after swallowing.
Alicia settled back in her seat. "Of course! Don't even worry about it," she said, giving a little wave.
"Think of it as my way of saying thank you," Alicia added, her tone warm and reassuring.
"Awm~" Lindsey nodded. "Alright then," she answered simply, still chewing.
"You know, my body is pretty weak and I get sick easily," Alicia said, looking down with a somber expression.
"So I couldn't fight back against them," she continued, lifting her gaze to meet Lindsey's.
"That's why I'm really glad you showed up when you did," Alicia went on, tilting her head with a small smile.
Lindsey's cheeks flushed for just a moment. "I-It's no big deal," she said shortly, blinking a few times.
"I also don't want to be a burden..." Alicia went on, clenching her fist on top of the table.
"...So I want to pay you back, somehow!" she continued, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.
Lindsey just glanced at her while eating. No doubt about it , she thought to herself.
"You really don't have to go that far..." Lindsey replied in a soothing tone, reaching over to hold Alicia's clenched hand.
"I c-can't just not do anything! I don't want to be a burden!" Alicia said, her voice rising.
Lindsey tightened her hold. "Alright then, just be my friend. That's more than enough," she said gently, looking at Alicia with a soft smile.
Alicia's eyes went wide. "Oh... okay," she said slowly, blinking several times.
"By the way, were you looking for your classroom earlier?" Alicia asked, tilting her head at Lindsey.
Lindsey nodded once without a word, her mouth still full.
Alicia glanced around with a little hum. "Hmm... what class did you get?" she asked, leaning in toward Lindsey.
Lindsey reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper with her information and class assignment on it.
Alicia took it and read it over. "Oh wow! We're in the same class!" she burst out excitedly.
"We have to sit together!" Alicia went on, bouncing on her heels with enthusiasm.
Lindsey just gave a nod in return.
After finishing up in the cafeteria, right as the bell rang, Lindsey and Alicia walked together in search of their classroom. They eventually found it on the second floor.
"Oh no, are we late?" Alicia mumbled as she slid the classroom door open.
A girl with short white hair came up to them. "Are you two from Class 1-F?" she asked, tilting her head.
Alicia nodded right away. "Yes, we are!"
"Great! Well then, I'm Lucy Rosaline," the white-haired girl replied with a warm smile, extending her hand for a handshake.
"Oh! I'm Alicia Bern," Alicia responded, pointing to herself. "And this is Lindsey," she added, gesturing to Lindsey behind her.
Lindsey gave a small bow. "Got it, I'll remember you both," Lucy said cheerfully.
After that, Lindsey and Alicia were welcomed into the classroom. They picked out an empty pair of seats in the corner by the window. Naturally, they sat together.
Lindsey looked around the room. "Thirty-two students in one class, huh..." she murmured.
From what I've heard, Class F is the lowest-ranked among all the classes here. But since this is an elite school, that kind of competition is only natural , Lindsey thought.
That's probably also why that girl was being bullied, she continued internally, glancing at Alicia, who was already chatting with another classmate beside her.
"Huh~" Lindsey let out a quiet sigh.
"All I wanted was a peaceful life, and they put me in a place like this," she muttered, staring out the window.
Now I guess I need to figure out what to do about Rita...
---
# Flashback, 2 days ago at the Houdoug residence
One afternoon, Ryuu stopped by the Houdoug apartment where Lindsey was staying.
"Good afternoon, Lindsey!" Ryuu called out, walking in with a wave.
Lindsey, who had been lying on the sofa, lifted her head and turned to look. "Oh! Hey," she replied.
"Want to come over to my place? My sister's there and apparently she wants to meet you," Ryuu said, tilting his head as he held out his hand.
Without overthinking it, Lindsey nodded. They got in the car and headed to the Houdoug residence, which wasn't far.
When they arrived, Lindsey stepped out of the car and walked slowly into the house. Rita came rushing out of the bathroom to greet her, still damp and wrapped only in a towel.
"Oh wow, so you're Lindsey!" Rita said brightly, grabbing her hands tight.
Lindsey was caught off guard. "Y-yes, that's me..." she answered, flustered.
"Oh, you're so adorable! I've always wanted a little sister!" Rita went on, pinching Lindsey's cheek.
She then let go and turned away. "Because you're so cute, I'll forgive you for yesterday," she added, already heading toward the stairs without looking back.
Lindsey stood there, blinking several times, before eventually walking over to the sofa and sitting down.
"Have you two met before?" Ryuu asked, looking at Lindsey across from him.
"No," Lindsey answered casually, a slight shrug hiding the lie.
A few minutes later, Rita came back down the stairs and jogged over to where Lindsey was sitting. She took a seat on the sofa across from her.
"I heard from Dad that you're pretty smart, aren't you?" Rita began, resting her chin in her hands with her elbows on the table.
"Not particularly," Lindsey answered shortly, chewing on something in her mouth.
"Hmm..." Rita replied in a playful tone. She leaned in toward Lindsey. "But I know your little secret," she added, pressing her index finger to her lips.
"Secret?" Lindsey raised an eyebrow.
Rita nodded. "That's right! I'm sure you haven't told Ryuu about this, have you... that you were the one who brou..." Rita started to say, but was cut off when Lindsey suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Alright, what is it you want?" Lindsey asked, slowly releasing her grip.
Rita gave a small smile. "Come on, no need to be like that... can't we do a little small talk first?" she said, shrugging in a lighthearted way.
Lindsey shook her head. "Unfortunately, I don't have time for that," she replied, raising an eyebrow.
Rita let out a sigh. "What a shame..." she murmured, lifting her shoulder.
"Well then, I'll get straight to it. I want you to be my partner... Lindsey!"