Chapter 41
It was clear to me what Shana and her clique were up to with their bullying.
She wanted a proper date with Claude without me tagging along, and my presence was dividing Claude’s attention away from her.
It felt so unfair. I probably disliked tagging along on their dates more than Shana did.
But to Shana, that didn’t matter. If anyone crossed her, she wanted to crush them, using them as a tool for her anger.
Her clique’s aim wasn’t just to get compensation for a coffee-stained dress.
They wanted to crush my self-esteem, to see me cower and grovel before them.
So, what did I do?
What else could I do!
I humbly bowed my head a few times and took Shana’s dress to the restroom.
There, I began to wash it furiously.
“Argh, this is so annoying!”
I wanted to tear the dress to shreds.
But thanks to Irene’s incessant nagging, my body automatically knew that I should wash it diligently in vinegar.
“Claude likes you though, can’t you tell?! Well, he hasn’t said so yet… But it’s basically the same!”
He restrained himself from tearing me apart just because of her word! So why couldn’t he at least be a bit grateful!
“Having sweet dates and then being jealous of me, why?”
It was Shana who sat across from Claude in that dessert café that doesn’t match his vibe at all. He wasn’t there on a date with me. I didn’t even get a single piece of bread from him!
Instead, another Esper bought me bread, and Claude nearly killed me over it!
That was real fury! Log 1 even offered to take my punishment in my place.
But why should I be the target of jealousy and rivalry from his fling?
“Damn it… Shana is definitely not the one, right?”
Initially, Shana ended up with Claude because of my lie.
A fabricated Guide that coincidentally matched her appearance.
Instead of being grateful, she harasses me like this!
Even now, I could say, ‘Shana is definitely not the one,’ and Claude might discard her like trash!
“But is being rejected by Claude really a bad thing? He’s a villain, after all.”
I wondered if leaving Shana to Claude’s obsession might eventually lead to her ruin…
…Should I actually encourage it?
But then again…
The thought of Shana triumphantly winning over Claude somehow made my blood boil.
“Argh! I hate it all!”
My simmering rage continued for a while.
***
A few days later.
My top 1 person to avoid was undoubtedly Claude.
Recently, Shana had risen rapidly in the ranks of people I dreaded and became top 0.
Today, I was supposed to accompany them to a festival.
Strictly speaking, they were the ones going to enjoy the festival. I was summoned just to watch over their date, like a meerkat sentry.
I had zero interest in the festival, but knowing Claude wouldn’t leave me alone if I refused, I reluctantly dragged my slippers outside the Center.
Two tall figures were waiting for me at the entrance of the street where the festival was being held.
“…Hello.”
When I don’t want to greet someone but have to, I have a trick: say only ‘hello.’ Mumbling the beginning makes it sound like a proper greeting.
It’s just my way of doing things. I still harbored some resentment towards Claude.
I might not have the guts to defy him, but I refused to greet him warmly – my last stand of pride.
Luckily, Claude didn’t seem to notice anything off about my greeting.
“Don’t get distracted this time.”
He said it so rudely, but I couldn’t muster the energy to retort.
“Eh…”
“Don’t stray too far.”
“Ehh…”
I managed to respond soullessly, but that seemed to irritate him even more.
“You…”
“…Ther other Espers aren’t here with you today?”
The trio of Logs who usually accompanied Claude weren’t around today.
If I had to follow Shana and Claude, I preferred not to be alone. At least they would provide some company.
But Claude’s face crumpled at my question.
“Why, you miss them?”
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Aelthia