Chương 12: Chapter 6:”The Freshmen Welcome Party at the Girls’ Dorm”

I ended up studying magic at school as a girl during the day, and learning Qi Sword Arts from Inea-sensei as a boy at night. Inea-sensei insisted that I call her "Sensei" properly and use polite language. She also told me that I have a very spoiled side, and that I need to fix that too. Hmm. Am I really that spoiled? Well, true, I was a spoiled brat to the core when I was little, and people often told me I was a bit ditzy... Now, the date changed, and the first day of dorm life arrived.

I am currently in the double room I finally moved into, together with Alice. Compared to her, who was busy unpacking her luggage, I, who came to this world with just my body, had almost nothing, so I was free. Since I had nothing to do, I took the initiative to help with whatever I could. She was happy and said it was a big help.

"I'm looking forward to the welcome party."

"Yeah." As Alice said, there is a Freshmen Welcome Party tonight. It's an unofficial event organized by the senior dorm students, but since it's an annual tradition, it seems to be practically an official event.

"By the way. Where did you get those clothes?" Alice asked suspiciously, looking at me dressed in a miniskirt on the bottom and a camisole layered with a jacket on top. It was no wonder she reacted that way. After all, I was wearing clothes she didn't remember buying for me. This is that special outfit Inea-sensei made for me. Although invisible from the outside, Sensei also prepared panties and a bra properly.

When I tried it on, it was an excellent item that instantly swapped into men's trousers, a shirt, jacket, and boxers to match my transformation into a man. By the way, the bra disappears properly. Furthermore, she said it automatically cleans and repairs minor dirt and scratches. Right now, I only have this one set, but she said she might make more if she feels like it. Anyway, thanks to these clothes, the huge problem of having to change clothes every time I transform was solved.

I don't have to sneak into toilets anymore. It really saved me. I think it was good that I told Sensei the situation properly just for this alone.

"Ah, this. I got it from an acquaintance." Feeling bad, I muddled my words and deceived her. If I tell the truth, I have to talk about Inea-sensei to some extent too. If that happens, since I have to learn in my male form at the Qi Sword Arts building, the danger of my identity being exposed will follow me around. I don't think Alice would spread such important things around even if she found out. But still, the thought that the friendship I finally obtained might break was inevitably scary.

But my poor attempt at deception didn't seem to work on Alice.

"Heh... I wonder who that acquaintance is~""Umm. That's, well..."

"Hmm. You really are secretive about some things, Yu. Isn't it about time you told me various things~?" She poked me lightly. Ugh. She figured out I'm hiding something. Alice is strangely sharp. Or maybe I'm just bad at keeping secrets and lying. Probably both.

"I'm really sorry. There are just things I can't say..."

"It's fine. I said I wouldn't force you to tell me..."... What should I do? It's a bit awkward. I should talk about something else. But because of my guilt, words don't come out well. When I was in trouble, it was always Alice who broke this kind of atmosphere.

"Alright, let's go to the hall! The seniors are waiting! Hey, don't make such an awkward face."

"Yeah. You're right..." Perhaps unable to bear seeing me still feeling down, she grabbed my arm and tried to pull me vigorously.

"Woah, wait. Don't pull!"

"Come on, snap out of it!"

"Okay! I get it, so stop!" Unable to stand it, I gave in, and she finally loosened her grip on my arm. And then, she smiled brightly and said:"Fufu! Cheered up now?"

"Haa... Thanks to you." I smiled back too. Good grief. I can't win against Alice. When we went to the hall, a lot of people had already gathered besides the two of us. It was easy to guess that the group chatting happily in the back were the seniors, and the ones being quiet and somewhat awkward in the front were the freshmen. Where should we join the conversation? While I was looking around for approachable people, Alice's communication skills, completely unrelated to shyness, were fully demonstrated here.

Without hesitation, she jumped into conversation circles from classmates to seniors, enlivening the talk. Before I knew it, a circle centered around her had formed. So, I just had to stick by Alice's side and there was no problem. She really is amazing. Alice. I want to learn from her in these aspects as much as possible. When a good number of people had gathered, a beautiful girl with brown hair walked out from the senior group. The hall, which had been full of chatter, fell silent.

Standing in front of everyone, the brown-haired senior first bowed slightly. Her smooth, curly long hair hung down with her. Raising her face, she smoothed her hair quickly and began her greeting with a lively voice.

"Ahem. The one taking charge of this gathering is me, the third-year Karla Ringrad." Wow. She's imposing, very senior-like. Someone with a certain flair.

"Freshmen, everyone. Congratulations on your enrollment. And welcome to the Girls' Dorm. We have a much nicer environment here than the shabby Boys' Dorm next door. Make full use of it and have a fun school life." Small laughter arose from here and there at the "shabby" part. She looked pleased with that and continued.

"Now then. First, let's have everyone introduce themselves one by one. Can you say your name, hobby, and maybe a brief word?" Self-introductions began. Each person stated their name, hobby, aspirations, or dreams briefly. Eventually, our turn came.

"I am Alice Luckin. My hobbies are exercising and playing with magic. I lived in rural Nabok, so this is my first time in such a big school with so many peers. I'm really looking forward to school life from now on. Nice to meet you all!"

"I am Yu Hoshimi. My hobby is reading. Since I didn't know much about magic until now, I'm very much looking forward to learning. I hope to get along with many people and have a fun time. Please treat me well." Actually, I also like sports like soccer and video games, but since they don't seem to exist in this world, I decided to keep quiet about them. Then, the surroundings started buzzing strangely. What's wrong? Listening while blankly standing there, it seemed they were rumored about me.

"Is Hoshimi-san perhaps that one?"

"I heard she slipped in through special admission."

"Heh. Does our school do that kind of thing?"

"Bribery, maybe?"

"No, I don't think they do that here."

"I heard she got full marks in Arithmetic."

"I heard she got zero in History."

"No way!? That's impossible!" Just as the murmuring started to get louder, someone clapped their hands loudly. Clap clap!

"Yes, yes! Let's talk about that later personally, okay?" It was Karla-senpai. With that, everyone closed their mouths, and the place regained silence.

"Next person!" After that, self-introductions proceeded without a hitch, and it felt like everyone had gone once. When no one else came forward, Karla-senpai spoke.

"Okay. Is that everyone? Is there anyone who hasn't introduced themselves yet? If so, please raise your hand." Then, a slender hand raised hesitantly. Just one. The one who raised it was a silver-haired girl. From her appearance and lackluster atmosphere, she gave a very quiet impression. Her face was bright red, and looking closely, her hand was trembling slightly.

"You haven't gone yet, right? Can you introduce yourself?"

"Ah... yes..." Her voice was very faint and weak. If it weren't for this situation where everyone was silent, it would have been impossible to hear. Is she okay? I started to get a little worried.

"Milia... Lemak... is my name..." Saying just that in a halting manner, she fell silent again. Thanks to that, the people around were also troubled about how to react.

"Milia-chan. What is your hobby?" Perhaps thinking it was bad, Karla-senpai asked in a gentle tone to urge her on.

"Ah... my hobby is... cooking..." Adding just that one word quietly, she really finished this time. Hmm. She seemed terribly nervous, so she must be shy. Well, there are people like that. I was like that when I was smaller too. The old me who couldn't easily say "let me play with you." I somehow overlapped her current self with that, and felt sympathetic. Well, the mood dampened a little, but Karla-senpai switched gears skillfully.

Next, they moved to the upperclassmen's self-introductions, which proceeded without a hitch. Once that was over, we all toasted, and the party began. It was what you call an informal gathering. While chatting noisily and happily, the girls slowly gathered towards the table. There, delicious-looking dishes were lined up. Not just casual food, but expensive ingredients were scattered here and there, and colorful desserts too. A luxurious lineup that didn't seem like an event organized by volunteer seniors.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Amazing. What should I eat first? I was thinking in a fluffy dream-like state, but unfortunately, before I could touch anything, I was surrounded by many people.

"Is it true you passed with a zero in History?"

"Is the full marks in Arithmetic real?"

"What magic are you good at?" Bombarded with questions from all angles, I faltered.

"Uh, um, well." What should I do? I'm in trouble. What should I answer first? I'm not used to this kind of thing.

"Hoshimi-san, why were you able to take the special entrance exam?"

"Eh, that's..." It's thanks to my abnormally high Magic Power, but judging from Alice and the aunt's surprise, it's obvious it would cause a huge uproar if I said it lightly. Now, what should I say? I have to think properly or it'll be bad. Just as I was hesitating over words, the straightforward girl next to me answered for me. And in a loud voice that reached the entire hall.

"That is~ Don't be surprised! Yu here has a Magic Power value of 10, 000! Ten thousand!" Idiot, Alice! Why did you say it clearly! Geez! As expected, the surroundings were enveloped in a storm of surprise. Even people who didn't seem interested until now turned their faces towards us all at once. Feeling the many hot gazes, I felt a burst of cold sweat. See, I stand out now! Alice, you thoughtless girl! More and more people are approaching. It doesn't look like I can escape. Haa...

I'm going to be bombarded with questions now... Will the food run out? Just when I started feeling fed up. Parting the crowd, a ridiculously loud voice roared." WHAAAAT!? TEN THOUSAND, YOU SAAAAAY!?" Surprised, I looked towards the voice, and it was an unexpected person. Woah, Karla-senpai! I was startled at a glance. Because she was so composed during the greeting. Now she looked abnormally excited, glaring at me with glittering eyes like a different person!

Senpai rushed at me furiously like a beast, at Mach speed. I had no time to escape, and she grabbed my shoulders with great force. And shook me violently many times. When I first told Alice about my Magic Power value, she also shook my shoulders excitedly. But this is incomparable! Stop it! My brain is going to be shaken into a smoothie!

"Hey! Won't you come to our lab!?"

"Whab are yuu talkin abouuud?" Even though my voice wavered, Senpai didn't stop shaking me. To me who was already about to cry, Senpai rattled on in a tone full of pride. Like a bullet.

"Oops. I rushed the conversation too much. You see, I was scouted for my excellent grades and joined the Guief Lab! If you say the genius Magic Archaeologist Tor Guief, he's famous even in this town. Don't you know him?" I don't! It was so painful I almost answered immediately without thinking. Around here, the shaking finally settled down, and her vice-like grip was still on my shoulders. Her fingers dug in; it hurt. Geez. It's going to leave marks.

But calming down and remembering carefully, I had heard the name Tor Guief once.

"I met him briefly." I'm pretty sure that good-natured teacher I met yesterday introduced himself like that. At the fact that I knew him, Senpai nodded in an extremely good mood. And without pause, she started explaining rapidly as if spitting it all out at once. Because she chattered one-sidedly without thinking about my convenience at all, I was desperate just to keep up.

"In the Guief Lab, we research Lost Magic used in the former magic empire Edel! Edel was a much, much more advanced magic country than this country is now, but they were always secluded. Because of that, almost no magic was transmitted to this country at the time. So! Researching Lost Magic has not only historical value but also practical value in researching superior magic!"

"H-heh." Is that so. But more importantly, can you let go of my hands quickly? It hurts.

"About that Edel, it's famous that it seems to have been destroyed by a failure in a magic experiment, right? It was such massive destruction that heavy magical pollution still remains. But why, what kind of experiment caused that? Yes, exactly, Yu! It's a mystery. It's a mystery! It's currently the established theory, but I think it's unclear if such an experiment even existed in the first place. We're trying to solve that mystery. Fufufu, wonderful. Truly a wonderful theme! A magic empire that vanished suddenly.

Don't you think it's quite mysterious?" Karla-senpai's eyes sparkled as she said "mysterious." It really conveyed that she loves it. Actually, I heard that country was destroyed by a guy named Will on a whim... is not something I can say in this atmosphere at all. Well, even if I said it, it sounds too much like a lie to be believed, and I haven't seen it with my own eyes either. Anyway, I nodded appropriately to match the conversation, and she made a very satisfied face and continued talking even faster.

Is she not done yet...? Someone help me.

"So! Traces from that time rarely remain, but sometimes ruins and historical materials are found. From there, we do things like restoring Lost Magic. There are other places doing that kind of research, but we! are especially excellent!" Proudly boasting her affiliation, Karla-senpai thumped her own chest. Don! Regardless of the form, I was relieved she finally let go of me. Glancing at my shoulders, sure enough, clear red handprints were painfully visible. This... won't disappear for a while...

"How about it? If Yu is interested, why don't you aim for the Guief Lab next year or the year after? I'll recommend you!" I answered immediately.

"No, I'll pass."

"Eeeeh, whyyyy!?" She grabbed my shoulders powerfully again and loomed over me. Woah, your face is close. Too close. Scary. Karla-senpai. While trembling inside, I managed to patch things up with a bitter smile forced onto my face.

"I'm not that interested in research." Actually, I am a little interested. No, maybe quite a lot. I like studying, and research sounds even more fun. But right now, training myself to become strong is much more important. I have training with Inea-sensei, and I want to train magic voluntarily too. Unfortunately, I don't think I have time to join a lab. Hearing my reply, Senpai dropped her shoulders as if her strings were cut, showing a blatantly disappointed expression.

With a face full of lingering attachment, she pouted.

"Aww. What a waste. With that much Magic Power, you'd definitely be useful for research. I invited Argus too, but he brushed me off saying it was stupid. Ah geez, remembering his face makes me angry! I've always disliked that guy!" Midway through, the topic switched to complaining about the genius student Alice mentioned sometime. Then, perhaps unable to watch Senpai boldly cursing anymore, one of the other seniors quietly approached and whispered to Karla-senpai.

"Karla, calm down already. The freshmen are watching."

"Eh?" Looking around at everyone staring at her dumbfounded, Karla-senpai finally seemed to come back to her senses. She put her hand behind her head awkwardly and laughed jokingly.

"Ah! Ahaha! I made a bit too much noise, huh~" Finally calming down, Senpai put her hands together in front of her chest clap and apologized cutely, "Sorry, sorry." I don't think she had bad intentions, and I don't mind that much. A little... well, it hurt quite a bit though.

"It's okay." There's no need to cause friction on such a celebratory occasion. When I replied as if it were nothing, Senpai looked at me with teary eyes, slightly moved.

"What a good girl. I really love honest and cute juniors."

"Ahaha..." Cute, huh. Right. I was a girl right now.

"I like you. Big sister is going to spoil you plenty from now on. Treat me well. Yu-chan." And then, two fingers of her right hand were extended. The expression of friendship in this world, the finger-shake.

"Y-yes... Please treat me well. Karla-senpai." I couldn't help but wonder what nuance the emphasized "spoil you" carried. But for now, I decided to firmly link fingers with Senpai. Along with the sensation of fingers intertwining, I felt happy, feeling like our hearts intertwined a little too.

"Well, about the lab, I'll be waiting anytime if you change your mind. Also, regardless of that matter, if you ever need to rely on someone, you can rely on me anytime. See ya!" Leaving those words at the end, Karla-senpai flew off somewhere zoom. Haa, I'm tired. She was an intense person, like a storm. As I was sighing, the senior who warned Karla-senpai earlier came up to me, passing her. She was a person with a slender model figure and slanted eyes, giving an impression of being a bit strong-willed.

"Yu, was it?"

"Yes. That's right."

"I'm Ketty. Ketty Hane. Technically, I'm that idiot's best friend."

"Karla-senpai's?"

"Yeah. Sorry. That girl, she tends to go out of control when she gets carried away. She gets like that sometimes."

"I see..." Having just suffered damage, the set of that person who rampages and this person who admonishes her while being exasperated came vividly to mind.

"I'll warn her properly. Can you forgive her with that?" Indeed I was quite tired, but I didn't think she was a bad person. Rather, I was happy to be liked by someone who seemed caring. There's nothing to forgive.

"Understood. It's totally fine."

"Thank you. I owe you one. Well, she doesn't listen even if I tell her in the end though. Haha..." Finishing her business with a slightly stiff smile, she went back to Karla-senpai. And it seems she started lecturing her as she said. Karla-senpai, who had been blowing her senior wind so boldly until then, was shrinking small in front of her with an awkward, stiff smile frozen on her face. Such a scene caught my eye. The gap was somehow funny.

Maybe because everyone sympathized with me after being pressed by Karla-senpai. After that, there wasn't a flood of questions for me. Thanks to that, I was able to talk in a calm tone, which saved me. All's well that ends well. Talking with various people, the topic of special admission finally settled down, and I was able to get food safely. Alice, who had eaten earlier, is now hopping around here and there, happily expanding her friendships. With my stomach full, I thought I'd go talk to someone myself this time.

I can't rely on Alice forever if I want to grow. Looking around to see who to talk to, I found one girl who wasn't joining the conversation circle at all. That girl is... Milia, huh. She's shrinking in the corner, looking bored. I watched her for a while, but she just looked down silently without trying to move at all. It seemed no one tried to talk to her, clad in a gloomy and unapproachable atmosphere. It's a waste not to enjoy the welcome party just because of shyness.

That type can't join the conversation easily without a trigger. Just like I used to be. Strong sympathy welled up inside me again. I can talk to other people later, so maybe I'll go talk to her. Maybe that will be the trigger for her to enjoy herself too. Thinking so, I approached her and tapped the shoulder of the girl who was still looking down. Tap tap.

"You're Milia, right?"

"Eh..." Did she not expect anyone to talk to her? Although it was a quiet voice like during the self-introduction, her voice clearly contained surprise.

"My friend went over there right now. If you'd like, could you keep me company?"

"Ah..."

"Is it no good?"

"..." Face red, turning away slightly and staying silent, huh. This is a bit tough.

"As you can see, I'm a foreigner." I ran my hand through my black hair, which seems very rare in this land. If I make her think "I talked to her because she looked lonely," it might make her feel pressured. Choosing my words carefully so we could talk as freely as possible, I continued.

"I came here only recently, and I haven't adapted at all yet. I was a bit troubled because I didn't know what to do alone. So, I'd be very happy if you could be my conversation partner." Even after saying that much, she still won't speak. Just when I thought it was a failure, she finally opened her mouth.

"I was... troubled too..."

"Yes?"

"It's not... that I don't want to..." Good. It seems she opened her heart a little.

"Thank you. Do you remember my name?"

"Umm... Hoshimi-san... right?"

"Yeah. But Yu is fine. I'm already calling you Milia, so I intend to keep calling you that."

"But..."

"No need to hold back. We're comrades who will learn together from now on." I extended my left index and middle fingers and offered them gently. Speaking of triggers to form friendships with people in this world, I thought finger-shaking is best.

"Eh... ah..." What is it? She's been silent since earlier, but her condition suddenly became strange. Her face flushed bright red like an apple. Really, what's wrong?

"Are you... serious...?"

"About what?" I don't understand the meaning of the question.

"That... hand."

"This? Of course, it means let's get along."

"Not in a... weird way... right?" What is she saying? Of course not.

"Of course."

"Pfft." Suddenly, Milia burst out laughing.

"Eh, eh?" I don't understand anything. As I stood there blankly, she told me while stifling her laughter.

"Hand... you're using the wrong one. Like that, it's a confession of love... fufu." Is that so!? I didn't know... Then if I wasn't careful, I would have been confessing all over the place. Close one, close one. You shouldn't blindly imitate customs you don't know. I'll be careful. It was immediately after that I regretted not pulling my hand back sooner.

"Aaah! Yu is confessing to Milia-chan!" Since when was she watching? Alice pointed at me and shouted in an exaggeratedly loud voice. Grinning and enjoying it. Then, what do you know. Everyone's hot gazes concentrated on me again! Some people are seriously blushing, some are enjoying it like Alice. I feel like I hear squealing voices too... I panicked like crazy. Bad! They're definitely misunderstanding something weird!

"This was a mistake! Because I'm left-handed! Really it's this one! This one!" I hurriedly pulled back my left hand and put out my right, but it was too late. The mood of the place had completely turned into teasing me. Exposed to gazes of curiosity, I shouted back my innocence.

"I said it's this one! Alice, don't spread it around!"

"Is the reason Yu-chan acts boyish because you swing that way after all~?"

"No! That's not... true, right?" I inadvertently thought about it seriously. Since I was originally a man, I'm a little unconfident. But when I'm in this body, I've never felt romantic love or sexual desire towards women... I think it's wrong. How about it?

"Eh, seriously!?" Alice stared at me blankly. Feeling guilty that she shouldn't have teased me, she looked dejected—What a good girl! Geez. I can't stand being misunderstood in a weird direction any more than this! Of course, I denied it with all my might.

"No! No! That's not it! Anyway, that wasn't it! Milia, clear up the misunderstanding with me!" However, Milia didn't cooperate with me. Far from it, she was enjoying this situation along with everyone else. She was wearing a cute but mean, black smile.

"Fufu! It's funny, both of you."

"Ah, that girl...!" So that's your true nature! And she seems to be getting used to us already. So she's the type who gets extremely nervous only at the first meeting. Thanks to this incident, as I planned, Milia succeeded in enjoying the welcome party. And she seemed to have become a little friendly with other freshmen too. In exchange, a rumor that I'm a lesbian spread in some parts, strangely exaggerated, though...