Side Story 6
Even with her unparalleled beauty in the world, Irene had no experience in romance, leaving her completely unprepared for topics like this.
But what could I do? Irene was the only friend I had, and I’d been struggling with this issue for quite a while.
“You told me to talk, so listen. When I was in the hospital after injuring my ankles, I thought it was understandable that he wasn’t in the mood to try anything. But now I’ve been discharged, and we’re back home. So why hasn’t anything happened? Could we already be in a rut?”
“…”
“And it’s not like he doesn’t react when I make a move. He responds well enough. But he never goes all the way. When I push him, all I get is endless teasing and just… affectionate touches…”
“Stop!”
Irene cut me off, squeezing her eyes shut.
“…Who asked to hear about that?”
Her face turned bright red, and she shuddered in disgust. If that wasn’t enough, she even stood up, clearly ready to leave.
She’s always trying to lecture me, but when I actually need advice, she just throws me out—so selfish…
I clicked my tongue in frustration, but suddenly, a huge bouquet appeared between us.
“Looks like the ladies’ conversation has finally come to an end.”
The smooth voice came from behind, and although he said ‘ladies’, he only had the audacity to show the back of his head to me.
It was none other than Oscar.
“What’s with the flowers…? Take them back. I don’t want to invite a swarm of bugs into my room.”
“Leaving the flowers won’t change anything. After all, the most fragrant flower here is you.”
“…”
I glanced at Irene out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, Irene’s face had gone completely cold.
Leaving the bouquet on the table, she abruptly stood up. Without hesitation, she left the two of us behind and walked away.
Oscar was the only Guide who hadn’t joined the boycott against Irene.
Apparently, he had taken an interest in her from the moment we first met in the hospital—this was before Irene’s awakening. While he usually had a strict preference for Espers, Irene’s beauty was enough to override that.
When Irene awakened as an S-Class Esper and faced the Guides’ boycott, Oscar made a bold move.
Of course, the other Guides grumbled, but love-struck Oscar didn’t care in the slightest.
This wasn’t surprising. Oscar’s known for pursuing any woman who’s an Esper. The real issue was with Irene.
To outsiders, it may have seemed like Oscar’s affection was entirely one-sided, but I knew the truth.
The only reason Oscar could follow her around like a puppy was because Irene allowed it. If she wanted to, she could crush his spirit any time she liked, but she let him be.
At first, I thought it was impossible.
Irene, of all people, tolerating someone like Oscar instead of one of the many outstanding men around her?
But doubt quickly turned into certainty, and eventually, I warned her.
“Oscar is just a fool who pursued any Esper woman.”
Irene had scoffed.
“Is there anyone at the Center who doesn’t know that?”
But then, a little while after that, she had made an offhand remark.
“But… don’t you think he might be fun to tame?”
…Tame? What taste is there in that?
I had blinked in confusion for a moment. Once I understood what she meant, I was furious.
“You’re insane!”
Irene didn’t have any serious feelings for Oscar.
To her, he was just a challenge, something like an oversized pet. After her ambitions to shape me into a more independent, mature person had been dashed by Claude, she must’ve been suffering from a dopamine deficiency.
Oscar, with his over-the-top antics, must have seemed intriguing to her.
As long as Irene only used him, there wasn’t a problem. Oscar deserved it. But if, by some wild chance, she actually fell for that flippant idiot, things would get very complicated.
“Hey, Oscar. How many times do I have to tell you? Stop following Irene around…”
I growled at the back of his head, but Oscar completely ignored me and hurriedly followed Irene out of the café. My frustration boiled over.
Irene had been holding up without guiding for so long, but what if she slipped up? I worried that she might end up falling into Oscar’s trap.
I have to act quickly… I made up my mind and reached for the crutches leaning against the chair.
Just then, a hand appeared from behind me, gently but firmly taking the crutches from me.
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