"I woke up a little while ago."

"I see."

"Indeed."

"...Would you mind opening the door a little wider?"

"I want to make sure your complexion is all right."

Concern was written plainly across Reisir's face and echoed in his voice.

Author Senna was probably expecting Karvaldr to look pale and exhausted...

...or perhaps to refuse Reisir outright.

That would naturally lead the protagonist to resent the Imperial Family.

Powerless to oppose them, he'd be left dwelling on his own helplessness.

That was exactly the sort of emotional progression a despair-driven story demanded.

Then I'll just have to break that flow.

The mood of the story had always been shaped by the protagonist's state of mind.

So, to reassure Reisir, I decided to throw the door wide open and show him I was perfectly fine.

...But first—

I glanced behind me.

The quick-witted baby dragon had already folded the blanket, picked up the pillow, and cleaned away every trace that I'd collapsed the moment I entered the room.

He really does catch on quickly.

Now there wasn't a shred of evidence left.

Satisfied, I opened the door all the way and looked at Reisir as if asking, Happy now?

"You looked so pale earlier that I was worried you hadn't really been sleeping..."

"...and had actually fainted."

Unfortunately...

This one was just as perceptive.

Reisir let the sentence trail off while quietly studying my face.

I involuntarily stiffened.

Even so, I lifted my chin with practiced arrogance, determined to stay in character.

Then—

"Either way..."

"I'm glad you look all right now."

A relieved chuckle escaped him.

Apparently, seeing that I looked healthy was enough for him to let the matter go.

"More importantly..."

"Yor already told you I was asleep."

"So why did you come back?"

"You didn't check the time after you woke up, did you?"

"...The time?"

"It's lunchtime."

"...Ah."

If I'd slept even a little longer...

...that could have become a real problem.

Skipping a meal didn't matter much for me.

But Yor was still growing.

He needed three proper meals every day—not to mention snacks—if he was going to grow up healthy.

"If that's why you came, you should have said so immediately."

"If you're worried everyone else is waiting, don't be."

"I didn't come to invite you to eat with us."

"I brought you a lunchbox."

As I hurriedly reached for my shoes with a frown, Reisir stopped me.

No wonder he'd been taking his time checking my complexion.

There had never been any need to hurry.

Last time he bought me bread... and I never properly thanked him.

Now he's gone out of his way to bring me lunch too...

Gratitude...

...and guilt...

...rose together.

As I stood there in silence, unable to find the right words, Reisir pulled a paper shopping bag out of his inventory.

Perhaps I'd become too accustomed to this world's nonsensical logic.

For some reason...

A paper shopping bag appearing out of thin air felt stranger than if it had been plastic.

...Now I'm even irrationally wondering whether this is proof that Author Senna is narrating this scene.

The warmth I'd almost felt immediately dissolved beneath lingering unease.

I wasn't sure whether that counted as fortunate or not.

Just as I reached out to accept the bag—

Reisir suddenly hid it behind his back.

"...What do you think you're doing?"

"There are three portions in here."

I had assumed he'd bought it after finishing lunch with everyone else.

Apparently not.

He hadn't eaten yet either.

"So?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"You won't hand over the lunch unless I let you into my room?"

"It's nothing like that."

"If you invited me in to eat together, I'd gladly accept."

"But I have no intention of using the lunchbox as an excuse to force my way inside."

"...Then?"

"I simply need to take out my own portion first."

"I was just about to ask you to wait a moment."

There was no way I could take the words of this fox-like protagonist from someone else's novel at face value.

If he'd truly had no intention of entering my room...

...he would have asked for the meals to be packed separately from the beginning.

Instead, he deliberately brought all three portions together...

...then chose to separate his own in front of me.

Subtly reminding me...

...that he still hadn't eaten.

It's calculated.

Otherwise...

Why would he have bought his own lunchbox instead of eating with everyone else?

Especially when there was a good chance I'd still be asleep...

...or refuse to let him inside.

Reisir was undoubtedly planning to find some way...

...to have lunch with me.

"Oh, right."

"Earlier, Her Royal Highness the Princess announced that all students in the Special Class for the Awakened are to gather in the First Seminar Room at four this afternoon."

"Did you hear about that?"

He held the paper bag out once more.

For a moment, I considered pretending I already knew.

In the end, I simply shook my head honestly and accepted it.

He already assumed I hadn't heard.

Trying to deceive him now would only make me look pathetic.

"Then I'll be going."

"...?"

"See you later in the seminar room."

"...!"

"Y-You're leaving...?"

Given Reisir's persistence...

...he'd given up far too easily.

If he were really leaving...

...shouldn't he at least have tried to stir my sympathy by saying he'd end up eating lunch alone?

Or suggested we eat together somewhere outside if I didn't want him in my room?

At the very least...

Shouldn't he expect a thank-you for bringing me lunch?

I had even planned to thank him—albeit reluctantly—once he gave me the opportunity.

"Why?"

"Did you want to say something?"

He looked genuinely puzzled.

As though he couldn't understand why I was stopping someone who had already finished what they'd come for.

As though he had never expected gratitude over something as insignificant as a lunchbox.

"...No."

"It's nothing."

"Then enjoy your meal."

"And get plenty of rest."

"..."

I closed the door...

...still feeling strangely bewildered.

Only then did another possibility occur to me.

Wait...

Could Author Senna be controlling the protagonist right now?

After all, having Reisir cling to me and insist on eating together wouldn't contribute anything to a despair-driven story...

A chill ran down my spine.

My palm grew damp against the doorknob.

Slowly...

I opened the door a crack and peeked outside.

Only after seeing the back of the protagonist from someone else's novel...

...did I realize something.

Just looking at him won't prove whether my theory is right or wrong.

That was pointless.

Embarrassed, I started to withdraw my head—

Then Reisir suddenly turned around.

Our eyes met.

Startled, I slammed the door shut.

It was pure instinct.

"...Will Reisir think that was strange?"

"Myaong."

"..."

"..."

Since things had already come to this...

Perhaps I should simply invite Reisir inside to eat together.

That would conveniently explain why I'd kept opening the door and staring at him.

At the same time...

I could casually probe why he'd given up so easily today...

...and see whether Author Senna was influencing him.

At this point...

Trying to distance myself from Reisir seems impossible anyway.

The Special Class for the Awakened had already been established.

Even the princess herself had enrolled.

Hárðr would never permit me to leave the Academy now.

Withdrawing at this stage would only be seen as running away from the glorious duty of an Awakened—to protect others.

That would inevitably drag the Austri Ducal Family into scandal.

Running away from home wasn't an option either.

The Demon Realms were dangerous enough...

But with Yor beside me...

Living in hiding was practically impossible.

People would curse me for abandoning my responsibilities.

Then they'd catch me anyway...

...bringing me right back where I started.

If keeping my distance has become meaningless...

Should I finally acknowledge Reisir as a friend...?

But isn't that much too sudden?

It doesn't feel believable at all.

Once again, I carefully opened the door and looked outside.

Reisir was still standing exactly where he'd been before.

Watching this direction.

I quietly closed the door again.

If he'd already walked away, I'd have had to hurry after him.

But since he was simply waiting...

...I figured I still had time to think.

I've stubbornly insisted all this time that we weren't friends.

Wouldn't it be strange to suddenly say, "Let's be friends," just because we're attending the Academy together now?

Reisir knew nothing about the original version before the remake.

To him...

...that reasoning would sound completely nonsensical.

Besides...

Accepting his friendship for such a convenient reason felt...

...underhanded.

And more importantly—

If we become... friends...

What am I supposed to do?

How do people become friends?

How much time are friends supposed to spend together every week?

Where's the line between an acquaintance and a friend?

What even is a friend?

No... more importantly...

Am I even allowed to have friends?

Wouldn't that... be strange?

My heart...

...still wasn't ready.

Besides, Reisir seems convinced that accepting his friendship means I'll do something amazing.

What if I disappoint him?

What if he decides things were more enjoyable back when we weren't friends?

The more I thought about it...

...the stronger my anxiety became.

Absentmindedly, I fidgeted with the doorknob.

Then I took several slow, deep breaths.

Finally...

Gathering my courage...

I gently opened the door once more.

"Gasp—"

Reisir's face was right in front of mine.

Thank goodness I was the type to swallow my scream by inhaling sharply whenever I was startled.

Otherwise...

A deafening shriek would have echoed throughout the dormitory.

"Uh..."

"Sorry."

"Did I startle you?"

"O-Of course you startled me...!"

"Why was your face so close?!"

"You kept opening and closing the door like you wanted to tell me something."

"So I stayed here to see whether you'd come back out."

"..."

His playful smile made a wave of embarrassment crash over me.

I pressed a hand against my racing heart and glared at him.

That only made his smile grow wider.

"So?"

"Were you hoping I'd come inside so we could eat together?"

"It's not that I wanted to..."

"It's just..."

"..."

"...Hm?"

"...Come in."

"If you want."

".........Huh?"

"Huh?!"

"If you don't want to..."

"...forget it."

"N-No!"

"I'd love to!"

The moment I started closing the door again, Reisir hurriedly wedged his foot into the gap.

His golden eyes sparkled so brightly that the sight itself felt overwhelming.

Unable to bear those expectations, I hurriedly explained myself.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear."

"Just because I'm letting you into my room doesn't mean I'm letting you into my heart."

"I still haven't acknowledged you as a friend."

"It's just..."

"If you went back to your room now, you'd end up eating lunch all alone."

"And after bringing me a lunchbox, pretending I didn't know that would be rude."

"And..."

"...the bread you bought me before..."

"...and today's lunch..."

"I-I..."

"...I'm grateful for those too."

"So..."

"I'm only inviting you in because of all those complicated reasons."

"Don't misunderstand."

"Hahahahaha—!"

Without warning, Reisir burst into loud, uninhibited laughter.

He laughed so hard it sounded as though he wanted the entire Academy to hear him.

Before anyone in the hallway could come to investigate...

I hurriedly grabbed him by the arm and dragged the laughing protagonist into my room.