Chapter Text
Miraculously, despite this morning’s crazy events, you somehow manage to reach your classroom, just before homeroom is supposed to start, much to your immense relief.
As a result, you’re able to avoid getting lectured by Crewel, who, upon seeing Deuce’s tsum in your arms, just shakes his head before ordering you to your seat, obviously having come to conclusion that your almost tardiness, which is very unlike you since you’re normally always punctual, was because of the tsum.
Just as you had expected, Deuce appears worried on your behalf, and he’s quick to accusingly glare at his tsum who glares at him in return. It's clear that Deuce wants to question you about what happened this morning, but unfortunately for him, he is unable to do so since Crewel begins homeroom as soon as you sit down.
Fortunately, homeroom and your following morning classes proceed as they normally do since Deuce’s tsum behaves itself, although that’s mostly because it ends up dozing off after you put it in your lap thanks to the sleep-inducing effects of your lap pillow.
Instead of the tsum, it’s Grim who causes trouble since he complains every chance he gets about the tsum sleeping in your lap, because, according to him, that’s his spot, and no one else is allowed to use it, much to your exasperation.
Regrettably, just as you had predicted, Grim is just as hostile toward the tsums as he was when the first group of tsum visitors paid Night Raven College a visit. Obviously, that’s a grudge that won’t be fading anytime soon.
Which means you’re going to have to do something about Grim since you really don’t want to have to worry about playing mediator between him and the tsums today whenever you’re around the otherworldly visitors.
Especially since you would really like to spend as much time with all of the tsums as you can before they return home tonight, which is obviously the last thing Grim will want to do.
Maybe you can ask Deuce if he’ll look after Grim for you, like he did last night and this morning. Ace may also be willing to help out if it means there’s a chance he can trick Grim into helping him with the chores he’ll have to do after school to get ready for the upcoming unbirthday party.
If necessary, you can also try to bribe your best friends, although you’re sure Deuce would agree to help you out without you needing to do so since you know he feels guilty about you having to take care of his tsum when that’s supposed to be his job.
Figuring that’s probably the best choice of action for you to take, you wait until the next break between classes and send a text to the group chat you share with Deuce and Ace, asking for their assistance, doing so covertly so Grim won’t know what you’re plotting since he’d surely complain about you trying to find babysitters for him.
Thankfully, just as you had hoped, Deuce is quick to agree to look after Grim after school, and he tells you that you don’t need to do anything for him in exchange since you’re looking after his tsum for him.
Meanwhile, Ace, after complaining about what a pain in the ass babysitting is, also agrees but only after demanding a cherry pie for his efforts, which is what he normally asks for in exchange for his services since that’s his favorite food and he especially loves the cherry pies that you make.
Smiling, you quickly give both of your best friends a kiss on the cheek, much to their embarrassment, as thanks for their help.
Immediately, Deuce covers his red face with his hands, and an equally flustered Ace buries his face in his crossed arms that are currently resting on his desk as he half-heartedly mutters complaints.
Those complaints are quickly drowned out, however, by the sound of Grim loudly whining about you giving Ace and Deuce kisses but not him, even though he thinks he deserves one way more than them, much to your amusement and their exasperation.
Fortunately, Grim settles down when you give him a kiss, so when the next class starts a few minutes later, he has calmed down enough that he can pay attention to the lesson.
Thanks to that kiss and the fact that you make sure to give Grim enough attention so that he doesn’t feel neglected, you’re able to make it through the class without any trouble. It makes you hopeful that the rest of the school day will pass just as smoothly.
Of course, you could never be that lucky.
When it comes time for you to head to your last class of the morning, you pry Deuce’s tsum, who’s now awake and giving you some very powerful puppy dog eyes, off your shoulder and place it on its counterpart’s shoulder. “Please don’t look at me like that, tsum. I’m only asking for you to stay with Deuce for this next class period since I think you’ll have a much more enjoyable time at the guys’ flight class than you would at the Alchemy elective course I’m taking.”
“Plus, Leona-senpai isn’t particularly fond of you tsums, so if I bring you with me when I go to pick him up, he may try to get out of going to class, even though he’s been so good about attending lately.” You wryly add.
With a smile, you gently stroke the tsum’s cheek. “Be a good boy for me while I’m gone, alright? I’ll see you again before you know it.”
Fortunately, despite its clear reluctance to part from you, Deuce’s tsum stops putting up a fuss upon hearing your request and gives you a nod, much to your relief.
Your smile grows as you lean over to kiss its cheek. “That’s my honor student. Thank you.”
While Deuce’s tsum makes a happy sound, you take note of Deuce’s slight pout, which is obviously the result of his tsum getting more attention from you than him.
Giggling, you quickly turn to kiss his cheek. “Don’t worry, you’re still my favorite honor student, Deuce. That’s why I’m counting on you to look after your tsum and Grim for me while I’m gone.”
“I don’t need lookin’ after!” Grim pipes up, looking annoyed. “I’m the one who’s always lookin’ after these knuckleheads!”
Ace scoffs, “Yeah, right, you delusional tanuki.”
Grim scowls as he shakes his clenched paw at him. “I ain’t a tanuki!”
Meanwhile, as those two start their usual bickering, a now noticeably flustered Deuce says, “I-I’ll take good care of them and keep them both outta trouble, I promise!”
You gently pat his flushed cheek. “I have complete faith in you. Thank you.”
After that exchange, you tell your sons and Deuce’s tsum that you’ll see them at lunch before quickly heading off to go pick up Leona, who, despite having a good attendance record as of late, although he still only attends class when absolutely necessary, always refuses to just meet you at the alchemy workshop, because he likes to nap during the period before this class and remain asleep until the very last minute.
Plus, from your perspective, it seems like Leona just enjoys making you come after him and be his personal alarm clock, because he finds it entertaining, much to your exasperation.
On the bright side, Leona always makes sure to nap in spots that aren't far from the alchemy workshop or the school’s laboratory, the two locations where this elective class takes turns being held, so he, at least, doesn’t ever make you run across campus to find him.
Leona also always takes care of changing your attire with the use of his magic, so you never have to worry about spending time putting on your lab gear the old-fashioned way, which you greatly appreciate.
That’s why you’re able to just head straight for Leona once you part ways with your sons without having to make any stops along the way.
At least, that was the plan until some nuisances get in your way.
“It’s time we put you in your place, Prefect!”
“I won’t allow a ruffian like you to continue hanging around our dorm leader! You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as Vil-san!”
“Nor are you worthy of Dorm Leader Malleus’s attention!”
Much to your annoyance, on your way to Leona’s napping spot, you get accosted by ten students that are from the Heartslabyul, Pomefiore, and Diasomnia dorms, and they all start hurling their typical insults as they surround you.
Regrettably, this type of scenario isn’t uncommon for you since the students who dislike you are always looking for opportunities to target you, and those times are always when you’re alone, like right now, which you think is rather foolish of them since they would be much better off using their time making sure they’re not late to class.
Another unsurprising aspect of this turn of events is the fact that the majority of the students present are from the Pomefiore dorm. No doubt they’re taking action now in hopes of preventing you from reaching the third year Alchemy elective course you're taking, which Vil also takes, since, even now, the majority of the students in that dorm are bitter about you getting the “honor” of sharing a class with their dorm leader despite being a magicless first year student.
All you can do is tiredly sigh as you shake your head in exasperation. I had hoped my morning would be peaceful, considering how well my first few classes went, but obviously, my hopes were futile thanks to my typical bad luck.
A scowl rises to your lips. Ugh. What a pain in the ass. Thanks to these guys, I’m gonna risk being late to another of Crewel-sensei’s classes, and I doubt Crewel-sensei will let me off easy a second time.
Which is why you have every intention to go all out against this group of punks since they deserve everything you’re about to throw at them for getting you in trouble with Crewel, whose “bad girl” lecture is the last thing you want to have to deal with today.
At least, that was your intention until some very unexpected helpers suddenly arrive on the scene.
Much to your great surprise, just as you’re getting ready to let loose on the idiots who dared to pick a fight with you, Ortho’s and Lilia’s tsums abruptly zoom onto the scene and proceed to attack all of your antagonizers.
Wide-eyed, you watch as the two tsums angrily tackle one student after another, using enough force to make each of their targets cry out in pain.
Because the tsums are so small and fast, their opponents are unable to retaliate, and as a result, the fight becomes a totally one-sided beatdown.
Just goes to show that, despite their adorable appearances, tsums are not to be underestimated. You think to yourself as you watch your antagonizers collapse to the ground, one after another.
When the last of the troublemaking students eventually hits the ground, having lost consciousness like all of the others, you open your mouth, so you can thank the two tsums for helping you out and saving you the trouble of having to deal with those nuisances yourself.
Before you can, however, you find yourself freezing when you see that Ortho’s and Lilia’s tsums are far from done with their opponents.
Despite the fact that all of your antagonizers are now no longer conscious, both of the tsums continue mercilessly tackling the boys, who are all now pitifully groaning in their unconscious states, and they’re showing no signs of stopping their violent assault.
This completely catches you off guard, because, while you’ve seen tsums attack people on your behalf before, you’ve never seen them act this violently until now.
Plus, you wouldn’t normally expect this kind of behavior from Ortho or Lilia since, while your son does have a tendency to resort to violence to solve problems a little too quickly and Lilia also isn’t above using violence, neither of them are the type to keep attacking once their opponents are down for the count since such actions are unnecessary.
Obviously, their tsums believe otherwise.
“Who would’ve thought that such cute and cuddly creatures could be so bloodthirsty?” You mutter as you watch the tsums' rampage with wide eyes.
Soon after, the severity of this situation finally dawns on you, which is why you begin to panic. “Oh shit! The Headmage is gonna flip if he finds out I let all these students get the crap beaten outta them by the tsums!”
Quickly, you approach the tsums. “Tsums, please stop! I really appreciate you coming to my defense, but you’re going too far! If you keep this up, I’m gonna get in serious trouble with the Headmage, who does not approve of his students getting the living daylights beaten outta them!”
Much to your great dismay, Ortho’s and Lilia’s tsums don’t heed your request and instead continue with their assault, making you realize that this is unfortunately one of those rare instances where the normally obedient tsums won’t listen to you.
Once you realize that words will have no effect on the tsums, you launch yourself at Ortho’s tsum, hoping that tackling it with your full body weight will be able to stop the surprisingly strong creature.
As a result of you hitting the ground in your attempt to stop Ortho's tsum, a lot of dirt and dust gets kicked up, and it only gets worse when Ortho’s stubborn tsum, who’s now trapped in your arms, tries to break free from your hold, showcasing just how determined it is to continue beating up your antagonizers, which you find both sweet and rather worrying.
Because so much dirt and dust gets kicked up thanks to the tsum’s efforts to escape your hold and your efforts to keep it from succeeding with that endeavor, you end up getting some dust in your eyes, which begin to water as a result.
Even though the smart thing to do would be to rise out of your current, prone position so you can move yourself and Ortho’s tsum away from the ground, you refrain from doing that, because you think your full body weight weighing it down is the only thing keeping the tsum from escaping.
That’s why you remain in your current position as you shout, “Ortho, please stop! I understand you wanting to protect me, but I don’t want you to go this far on my account! I don’t wanna see my adorable son’s face covered with the blood of his enemies! That’ll give me nightmares for weeks, and I’ll definitely cry! You don’t want that, do you?!”
Just as you did with Deuce’s tsum earlier this morning, you address Ortho’s counterpart by name in hopes that doing so will make your plea more effective. You also lean over, so you can look the tsum in the eye as you talk.
Upon seeing your red, teary eyes, which are the result of all the dirt and dust flying in the air, Ortho’s tsum goes abruptly still for a moment before it starts rapidly shaking its head and making concerned sounds.
Its reaction confuses you at first, but then, you realize the tsum must think that it actually did make you cry with its actions, considering your currently tear-blurred vision.
Before you can assure Ortho’s tsum that you’re not actually crying, you hear a pain-filled groan, which reminds you that you’ve still got one other bloodthirsty tsum to worry about.
Quickly, you pull yourself to your knees, keeping Ortho’s tsum close to your chest, allowing you to see that Lilia’s tsum still hasn’t let up with its assault.
For a moment, you wonder if you should try tackling it like you did Ortho’s tsum, but then, another idea comes to mind, just as you unconsciously raise one of your hands with the intention of rubbing your watery eyes.
Deciding to make full use of your eyes’ current state, you stop trying to keep your tears at bay and instead let them fall as you wail, “Lilia-senpai, please stop! You’re upsetting me!”
For good measure, you make a loud, dramatic hiccupping sound, figuring that, if anything, will make Lilia’s tsum finally focus its attention on you.
Thankfully, just as you had hoped the counterpart of the man who often jokingly refers to himself as your future father figure would do, Lilia’s tsum instantly stops what it’s doing, and upon seeing your tearful state, it panickily zooms over to your location and jumps onto your shoulder, so it can worriedly nuzzle your cheek.
Meanwhile, Ortho’s tsum turns in your hold, so it can cling to your chest as it looks up at you with noticeable concern.
Sighing in relief over you successfully stopping the tsums from causing any further bloodshed, you take a moment to gently pat their heads before grabbing your handkerchief, so you can use it to dab at your eyes and wipe your face. “I’m okay. I just got some dust in my eyes. You two didn’t make me actually cry, although that was a definite possible future outcome, considering I really did not wanna see your cute faces covered in blood.”
Upon hearing that, the two tsums calm down, both of them appearing noticeably relieved that you weren’t crying because of them, although there’s still some guilt in their expressions, no doubt because they’re finally realizing that their actions caused you a lot of trouble.
That’s why you’re not surprised when Ortho’s and Lilia’s tsums take turns sending you apologetic, telepathic messages. They also explain that they both have a difficult time controlling their tempers whenever you’re put in danger, so they have a tendency of going overboard, even though your counterpart, like you, also doesn’t approve of them getting overly violent.
You also learn that these particular tsums have somehow developed a sixth sense that always alerts them whenever your counterpart and also you apparently are in trouble, just like how you can always sense whenever your sons are in trouble, which is how they arrived on the scene so quickly.
All you can do is stare at them with wide eyes when you hear that revelation. “Woah. Guess I’m not the only one who has developed a crazy sixth sense…”
Your brow furrows. “That isn’t the case with my Ortho and Lilia-senpai, though. They don’t have anything like the sixth sense you guys have, and they’re not the type to lose their tempers either. I wonder what makes you guys different from them.”
Rather than give you a telepathic response, both tsums just give you the tsum equivalent of a shrug, so it looks like they’re just as clueless about the differences between them and their counterparts as you.
Well, it’s not like the other tsums are just like their counterparts either. You muse. While Deuce’s, Azul-senpai’s, and Rook-senpai’s tsums differ in that they’re infatuated with me, these two tsums are different in that they’re way more overprotective of me than their counterparts.
Your expression grows wary. This isn’t gonna be a recurring theme with this group of tsums, is it? Should I expect Jade-senpai’s and Kalim-senpai’s tsums to do something unexpected too, or are they the only normal ones of this second group of tsums?
Considering Jade’s tsum didn’t do anything out of the ordinary this morning, you’re inclined to believe that you don’t have to worry about any unusual behavior from it, and you also find it unlikely that Kalim’s tsum would suddenly become scarily violent since you just can’t fathom a world where a Kalim like that exists.
Still, just to be on the safe side, you decide to keep a close eye on those two particular tsums during your future interactions with them, just in case.
Because, if you’ve learned anything from recent events, it’s that appearances can be very deceiving.
You amusedly watch as Lilia’s and Ortho’s tsums go back to being their usual sweet and affectionate selves as they both begin happily nuzzling your cheek and chest respectively, acting as if their earlier violent behavior was nothing more than a mirage. Very, very deceiving.
“Oi, Herbivore, what the hell happened here?”
With a jolt, you’re pulled away from your thoughts about the tsums and quickly turn to see that Leona is currently approaching you, apparently having decided to come look for you due to you being late with his usual wakeup call.
Upon realizing that you’re now most certainly going to be late to Crewel’s class, you stand up in a panic. “Oh no! We’re late! Crewel-sensei is gonna be so mad!”
Much to your surprise, just after those words leave your mouth, Leona suddenly takes hold of your chin after having come to a stop before you and uses his grip on it to make you look into his eyes.
When you see the way his eyes narrow and how they eventually drift over toward the area filled with unconscious bodies, you quickly figure out the reason for his apparent ire. “It’s not what it looks like! I wasn’t crying! I got dust in my eyes when I tried to stop the tsums’ violent rampage! None of those guys over there laid a hand on me, ‘cause the tsums beat the crap outta them before they could!”
As expected, Leona raises an eyebrow upon hearing your words. Thankfully, because he’s a Beastman, he’s able to always know whenever you’re lying thanks to his impressive senses, so despite how surreal your explanation was, you know that he'll be able to tell that you’re being truthful.
That's why you're not surprised by the lack of incredulity in voice when he replies, “Really now?”
You nod. “Despite their cute and cuddly appearances, these two tsums are surprisingly bloodthirsty when they’re in overprotective mode.”
His gaze immediately focuses on the aforementioned tsums who return his stare, all the while looking as cute and innocent as possible, much to your amusement.
Leona, who’s good at seeing through people’s attempts to act innocent, just rolls his eyes in response to their actions as he releases your chin. “And where the hell are the people who are supposed to be responsible for them? Don’t tell me you agreed to babysit both of them.”
Just as you’re about to explain how Ortho’s and Lilia’s tsums ended up with you, you get distracted by the sounds of two familiar voices.
“There you are, tsum! I had gotten worried when you failed to return to my classroom!”
“So this is where you ran off to, tsum. I had thought you were just having fun with the students in the hallway while I was chatting with Trein, but it looks like you decided that hanging out with Yuu would be a much more enjoyable way to pass the time. Khee hee hee!”
Both you and Leona turn to see the approach of Ortho and Lilia who obviously came looking for their tsums when their counterparts failed to return after a certain period of time.
Leona scowls at them. “So the ones responsible for this mess have finally arrived. Oi, you two, keep a closer eye on your damn armadillos. They’re supposed to be YOUR responsibility, not ours. Thanks to you, we’re gonna get an earful from Crewel for being late to class.”
“I’m sorry!” Ortho apologizes, appearing genuinely remorseful. “I had thought my tsum was simply studying the area outside the classroom since it has been curiously taking in its surroundings and analyzing students all morning. I didn’t realize that it had completely left the building until a short while ago.”
Rather than laugh things off and say that there’s nothing wrong with a little youthful mischief, like you expect him to do, Lilia abruptly draws closer to you and frowns, “Your eyes are quite red, Yuu. Are you alright?”
Immediately, Ortho follows his example, which leads to his concerned eyes growing large. “What happened, Yuu-san?! Did the tsums cause you so much trouble that they made you cry?!”
Not liking seeing your son looking so upset, you quickly assure him and Lilia that you're fine before proceeding to tell them about everything that transpired earlier. Unsurprisingly, they are both quite surprised when they hear that their tsums are the ones responsible for the ten unconscious bodies laying off to the side nearby since they had just automatically assumed you took care of those students yourself, much to your amusement.
After you finish explaining everything to them, Lilia tuts as he takes hold of his tsum and gives it a disapproving look, the kind you’d expect any father to give to his troublemaking child. “I applaud you coming to Yuu’s rescue, tsum, but I cannot allow you to get away with causing my future daughter trouble, especially the kind of trouble that results in her crying, regardless of the real reason behind those tears. We shall have a talk about this later.”
Despite the fact that Lilia’s tsum is likely just as old as its counterpart, it still plays the role of a scolded child and nods in agreement, all the while looking very remorseful - to the kind of dramatic extent that it looks like it’s acting out a part for a movie, which is why you’re now fighting the urge to giggle.
Ortho gives his tsum a similar disapproving look after taking hold of it. “I agree with Lilia Vanrouge-san. You can’t say you truly protected Yuu-san if you ended up causing her to suffer in the end, so please reflect on your actions, tsum, and refrain from causing any further trouble for her.”
Upon seeing Ortho’s tsum looking like a kicked puppy, you immediately feel inclined to come to its defense since it has your son’s adorable face, and you can’t stand the thought of any Ortho looking so sad.
However, before you can do just that, Leona latches onto your wrist and begins pulling you toward the direction of the alchemy workshop. “Alright, enough chit-chatting. The later we are to class, the more annoying Crewel will be, and I don’t wanna deal with Vil getting on my case and blaming me for the herbivore missing class.”
Since he makes an excellent point, you allow Leona to drag you away. As you’re leaving, you turn to look at Ortho and Lilia. “Please don’t be too hard on your tsums! They’ve already apologized, and I know they really do regret what they did!”
As an afterthought, you quickly add, “But please do keep a closer eye on them from now on! I really don’t wanna see their cute faces bathed in the blood of their enemies!”
Despite his earlier stern behavior, Lilia starts cackling at your words, even though there’s nothing remotely funny about what you just said. Meanwhile, Ortho gives you a salute, so he, at least, is thankfully taking you seriously.
After that exchange, you focus all of your attention on moving as quickly as possible along with Leona, who’s thankfully doing the same rather than moving at his normal leisurely pace, although, in his case, it’s not because he fears Crewel’s anger but that he just doesn’t want to give Crewel a reason to lecture him for an extended period of time.
Fortunately, as a result, you and Leona, who uses his magic to change your and his attire to the required lab wear right at the last minute, are able to reach the alchemy workshop a few minutes later, so the two of you only end up being a little over ten minutes late to class.
However, it’s hard for you to feel relieved when Crewel promptly stops his lecture and fixes his glare on you and Leona, all the while smacking his teacher’s pointer against his palm. “You’re LATE! What do you-?”
Much to your surprise, Crewel abruptly cuts himself off when he comes to a stop in front of you. With narrowed eyes, he uses his teacher’s pointer to move your chin upwards, so he can properly look into your eyes, just as Leona did earlier. “Who is responsible for this?”
Rather than take the time to formulate a proper, understandable response, like any sane person would do, you, without thinking, blurt out, “I got dust in my eyes after I stopped some tsums from going on a murderous rampage!”
For a moment, all you can hear in the workshop is pure silence, and then, Crewel, with his eyebrow raised, turns to look at Leona, who shrugs. “I wasn’t there for all of it, but I can confirm she’s not lying, so if you wanna throw complaints at anyone, take it up with Lilia and Ortho, whose tsums were the ones that got violent with the students who tried to ambush her.”
Upon hearing that some students had tried to attack you, Crewel’s eyes dangerously narrow as he clicks his tongue in disapproval. “Tch. It would seem there are still some mongrels who are in need of Crewel-sama’s disciplinary training if they think they can target one of my pups and get away with it.”
Before you can properly wrap your brain around Crewel abruptly changing the target of his ire and his sudden show of protectiveness, you get distracted when he asks you tell him where you last left the unconscious students since it’s doubtful that Lilia or Ortho would try to take them to the infirmary, although Lilia probably did do something about the two Diasomnia students who were in that group since he would consider himself responsible for them, and you’re sure he wants a word with them once they finally regain consciousness.
Once you provide him the information he requested, Crewel says, “Class, I will be gone for a moment to make sure those foolish pups are brought to the infirmary. In the meantime, I want you all to STAY!”
“Schoenheit, take care of Yuu’s eyes!” Crewel orders as he heads for the exit. “You’re the only one I can rely on for this kind of damage control.”
Without hesitation, Vil vacates his seat and makes his way over to you. “Of course. Just leave it to me.”
At the same time, Rook’s worried tsum hurriedly bounces over to you and leaps into your arms. Upon seeing its noticeable concern, you smile as you hug it close. “I’m alright, tsum. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Obviously, because you’re now in my capable hands.” Vil replies, “Now, come along, Potato. Your eyes look dreadful. It’s no wonder Crewel-sensei stopped mid-reprimand.”
While Leona finds himself a place to relax since he sees his job in all this as being done, you follow after Vil, who takes you by the hand and leads you over to one of the workshop's sinks.
Having unsurprisingly followed after his dorm leader and tsum, Rook grabs a chair for you to use while Vil pulls out a handkerchief that he dampens using the sink’s faucet. “Oh, Yuu-kun, it hurts my heart to see your eyes in such a painful state. Are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?”
As you begin gently stroking his tsum’s back after having just taken a seat in the chair Rook provided, you answer, “I’m okay, Rook-senpai, really. My eyes do feel pretty sore thanks to all the dirt and dust that got kicked up while I was trying to stop Ortho’s tsum earlier, but it doesn’t feel as if something serious got lodged into them. They look worse than they feel.”
Wet handkerchief in hand, Vil begins dabbing around your irritated eyes. “Why don’t you explain to us just what exactly happened since everything you’ve said thus far is painting quite the unbelievable picture?”
Since it’s not like you have anything better to do and you also can’t blame your friends for wanting the whole story, considering all the surreal stuff you’ve said thus far, you proceed to tell them everything that happened.
Well, not quite everything since you hadn’t deemed it necessary to point out just what dorms your attackers came from, but Leona obviously thinks otherwise.
“While the old man and the herbivore’s cub are largely at fault for what happened, you also share the blame, Vil, since the majority of the guys who attacked her were from YOUR dorm.” Leona drawls from his spot in the nearby chair.
Vil stiffens at the other dorm leader’s words before turning to look at Leona who smirks, “Must be difficult having guys who don’t know how to follow orders, huh? Not that I can relate, of course.”
Oh boy, Leona just can’t ever pass up a chance to rub the fact that his dorm is one of the only ones that never gives you trouble in the face of Vil and the other dorm leaders who unfortunately can’t say the same.
You really wish Leona wouldn’t do that since you personally think riling up any of the dorm leaders, sans Kalim, of course, is the equivalent of poking a wasp’s nest.
Of course, you also realize that the majority of the dorm leaders wouldn’t be above doing the same thing if they were in his shoes since they all enjoy flaunting their superiority whenever given the opportunity to do so.
All you can do is exasperatedly sigh. Boys…
Fortunately, just as you’d expect from him, Vil doesn’t lose his composure, although you do take note of his slightly twitching eyebrow and the way his gaze has darkened.
Rather than rise to Leona’s bait, Vil simply ignores him and returns his full focus to you. “It would seem I owe you an apology then, Yuu. I’m sorry the students from my dorm have once again caused you trouble despite my explicit orders not to do so. I can assure you that I will be having a long talk with them after school today.”
His eyes narrow. “A very long talk.”
Of that, you have no doubt. Those idiots who dared to go against Vil’s orders are in for quite the lecture, and you’re sure he won’t stop there, considering their actions led to him getting taunted by Leona, who’s one of the last people Vil ever wants to receive such critical remarks from.
Needless to say, those disobedient Pomefiore students are soon going to have a new reason to regret going after you today.
A smirk rises to your lips. What goes around comes around.
Thanks to Vil’s expert care, which included him using some magical eye drops that the always prepared dorm leader had on hand since he obviously wouldn’t be caught dead walking around with red, irritated eyes, your eyes are feeling a lot better by the time Crewel returns to the workshop.
However, Crewel still orders you to rest your eyes and keep them closed during the remainder of the class period, claiming that you can still learn by listening to his lecture.
As far as taking notes is concerned, Vil is quick to say that Leona can be in charge of doing that for you, because Leona is also partially to blame for what happened earlier since that whole incident could’ve been avoided if Leona didn’t always make you retrieve him for class, obviously not wanting to waste an opportunity to get back at the other dorm leader, much to Leona’s annoyance.
Unsurprisingly, Crewel is in full favor of Vil’s suggestion, so as a result, Leona is forced to be your note-taker while you sit beside him, eyes closed, petting and hugging Rook’s tsum, who has determinedly remained in your arms, resulting in it getting praised by Rook for its beautiful dedication, much to your amusement.
Feeling bad for Leona, you eventually whisper an apology while Crewel is giving his lecture, knowing the lion Beastman will be able to hear you thanks to his impressive hearing. "I'm sorry for all the trouble, Leona-senpai."
Much to your surprise, rather than give you any kind of verbal response or do anything to express the current exasperation he must be feeling, like you expect, Leona just silently wraps his tail around your ankle and leaves it there for the remainder of the class period, causing a pleasant warmth to envelop your chest.
The corners of your lips curve upwards. While he’s always quick to put on an exasperated front, Leona-senpai never actually holds stuff like this against me. Just as he always says, he really is very kind.
After the tsums head back home, you’ll have to make something for him as thanks for being so understanding since it’s the least you can do to express your appreciation for his efforts and for his notes that you have no doubt will be excellent, not to mention pleasant on the eyes thanks to his beautiful penmanship.
Although you consider yourself to be a good note-taker, you’d be quick to admit that Leona has you beat in that regard whenever he actually puts forth the actual effort to take notes, because he understands all of the class materials to a degree that you don’t think you ever could.
Of course, it’s not like you’ll actually be needing these particular notes for a test since you don't have to take tests unlike everyone else in this class, because the reason you’re in this third year class in the first place despite being a first year is because Crewel and Leona wanted to get you out of flight class, although Crewel did truly think it’d be a good, educational experience for you to be in this class since alchemy is one of your best subjects.
And honestly, you would have to agree with Crewel since you think you’ve learned a lot since joining this class, although that’s mostly because you have Leona as your student mentor since he’s easily able to explain everything in a way that you, a complete novice to magic, can understand.
As a result, thanks to Leona’s expert tutelage, your knowledge of Alchemy has grown a lot these last several months, which has, in turn, had quite the positive impact on your first year Alchemy class. That’s why you’re currently the student with the highest grade in that particular class, much to your immense delight.
You really do owe a lot to Leona for always taking such good care of you, so you will most definitely repay him for his latest kind act, because it’s what he deserves.
Plus, knowing him, he’ll surely bring up his abounding kindness at some point in the future to get you to do something for him, so you’re just better off beating him to the punch.
Not long after you make a mental note to repay Leona later, Crewel draws his lesson for today to a close, signaling the end of this class period.
While the majority of the students in the workshop quickly take their leave so they can get to the cafeteria and hopefully avoid having to wait in a long line to get lunch, you remain in your seat at Crewel’s order since he wants to personally examine your eyes.
During this time, you give your homeroom teacher a full rundown of what happened with the tsums and the guys who ambushed you earlier at his request, just like what you did when Vil was tending to your eyes.
Once you finish giving him a report of what happened and he confirms that your eyes are in much better shape now, Crewel allows you to take your leave but orders that at least one of your friends, all three of whom stuck around to wait for you, accompany you to the cafeteria.
That’s how you soon find yourself heading toward the main school building with Vil and Rook since Leona had headed to the botanical garden for his next nap after giving you one last once-over, changing your attire back to how it was before class, and handing you your notebook, which you gratefully accepted, that’s now filled with pages of his beautiful handwriting.
Naturally, Rook’s tsum makes itself comfortable on your shoulder as you’re all walking, because it “can’t bear to be apart from the one who captured its heart”, according to Rook, who is most definitely enjoying his tsum’s infatuation with you, unlike Azul and Deuce, much to your amusement.
Your amusement only grows when, during the walk back to the main school building, Rook’s tsum uses its telepathic ability to recite romantic poetry to you, proving that it really is, without a doubt, a Rook from another world since only Rook would do something like this without any hesitation.
At Rook’s request, his tsum also shares some of its poetry with him, which, in turn, leads to Rook spouting poetry of his own, making you giggle at their antics.
Eventually, this impromptu poetry reading session comes to an end when you find yourself wanting to ask Rook’s tsum the same question you asked Azul’s and Deuce’s tsums during this morning’s picnic since you can’t help but wonder how its feelings toward you ended up being so different from how Rook feels about you.
“Hey, tsum, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind of relationship do you have with my counterpart?” You ask, “I’m curious about what makes your relationship with her different from the one Rook-senpai and I have.”
“I’m also rather curious.” Vil admits, “After all, while Rook is the affectionate sort when you’re concerned, I’ve never considered those affections ever becoming more than platonic.”
Rook smiles, “Personally, I’m not too surprised, because Yuu-kun is such a charming young lady who never fails to capture my interest! I could never get tired of watching her and the brilliant, unique beauty that only she possesses.”
“Speaking of watching…” You dryly remark, “You and your tsum were stalking me and Jade-senpai this morning while we were on our hike, weren’t you? I could feel your eyes on me, just like I always do whenever you’re around.”
His smile morphs into a broad grin. “As expected of you, Madame Voyante! Your high vigilance never fails to impress! We obviously need to improve upon our techniques! Isn’t that right, Monsieur Tsum?”
While Rook’s tsum makes a happy sound as it nods, Vil tiredly sighs, “Rook…It’s bad enough I have to worry about those rotten potatoes who can’t follow my orders. I don’t need you causing trouble on top of all that.”
“Oh, Vil, that wasn’t my intention in the slightest!” Rook dramatically places a hand against his chest. “You see, I just merely wanted to get to know my counterpart more and see for myself what had led to it wanting to leave our dorm at such an early hour!”
“In other words, your tsum was the one who wanted to stalk me, and you tagged along for the fun of it.” You wryly comment, “Can’t say I’m too surprised, especially considering the other tsum visitors I got this morning.”
As Vil gives his vice dorm leader an exasperated look for not stopping his tsum from leaving their dorm, like he should have, you just shake your head before returning your gaze to the tsum on your shoulder. “So, going back to my earlier question, would you be willing to provide some details, like what Azul-senpai’s and Deuce’s tsums did this morning when I asked them the same question?”
Appearing all too happy to fulfill your request, Rook’s tsum eagerly nods before it looks deep into your eyes, just as the tsums always do whenever they send you a telepathic message.
A few minutes later, you find yourself staring at Rook's tsum, who just wrapped up its summarized retelling of how it fell for your counterpart, with wide eyes. “Huh, well, I guess I can understand your feelings now since what happened to you definitely did not happen over in this world.”
Rook eagerly leans toward you. “What did Monsieur Tsum say, Yuu-kun? I’m most eager to hear how your counterpart successfully swept my counterpart off its feet. I’m at the edge of my metaphorical seat!”
An amused huff escapes you. “Okay, so first, I need to share that, just like you guys, the tsums all can use magic. They just can’t use their magic in our world for whatever reason, so the most they can do is change size and use that telepathic communication ability they all have.”
“Also, apparently, my counterpart actually originally kept her true form a secret, so at first, none of her friends knew she was from another world thanks to the magic from that world turning her into a tsum.” You add.
“That’s why, while your counterpart did find mine to be intriguing, it didn’t treat her any differently than you treat me at the start of their friendship.” You continue, “However, everything changed when her true form was revealed to her friends from the Pomefiore dorm.”
After sparing a somewhat nervous look at Vil, who raises an eyebrow in return, you reveal, “Apparently, since the tsums possess magic like you guys, overblots are a thing in that world, like they are in this one, and Vil-senpai’s tsum experienced one, just as Vil-senpai did.”
As Vil subtly stiffens, you quickly press on with your explanation, because the sooner you get past this particular, heavy topic, the better. “It was during that fight that my counterpart revealed her true form since, unsurprisingly, being a lot bigger than the person overblotting makes the overblot a whole lot easier to deal with.”
You smile at Rook who has been giving you his undivided attention this whole time, acting as he’s listening to one of the most fascinating stories he’s ever heard. “According to your tsum, there was a point during that battle when my counterpart swept your counterpart off its feet in order to save it from getting hit by some falling debris, and ever since, it has been infatuated with her, because her ‘captivating and majestic’ beauty captured its heart during that moment, which it vows it’ll never forget for the rest of its life.”
“So, to summarize, my counterpart literally swept your counterpart off its feet, which is why it’s now so smitten.” You conclude, appearing amused over this tale that’s just so Rook-esque that you didn’t even for a second think to doubt the tsum’s words, because you could totally see Rook falling in love in such a dramatic way.
That’s why you’re not at all surprised when Rook loudly gasps in delight. “C'est magnifique! Such a beautiful love story! I am beyond elated on my counterpart’s behalf that its first encounter with l’amour was so unforgettable and thrilling! Beauté!”
While Rook’s tsum begins excitedly bouncing on your shoulder, obviously wanting to respond to its counterpart’s enthusiasm in kind, you giggle at their amusing antics.
Meanwhile, Vil, who has thankfully completely recovered from your earlier bombshell, just shakes his head. “Honestly, I’m not even surprised. Of course, a counterpart of Rook’s would fall for someone in such a theatrical manner. It would’ve been stranger if you had been provided a more normal explanation.”
His words make you snort. “Can’t argue with you there.”
After that exchange, the rest of the walk back to the main school building passes with Rook and his tsum enthusiastically talking about love and reciting even more poetry, some of which they compose on the spot, because they’re apparently inspiring each other, much to your amusement.
You’re honestly quite grateful for this since, thanks to the exuberant pair, you’re able to avoid dwelling on the tsum’s earlier mention of Vil’s tsum’s overblot since that’s a can of worms you really do not want to even think of opening right now for obvious reasons.
Considering how you are, you’re sure to revisit the topic eventually, but you have no intention to purposely bring it up or ask the tsums for details since you’d really rather not know.
Because your friends from this world’s overblots weigh enough on you as it is.
As a result, thanks to Rook and his tsum, you’re able to remain in a good mood and are all smiles when you finally reach NRC’s main school building.
Shortly after you all pass through the school building’s entrance, Vil parts ways with the rest of you, because he wants to stop by the infirmary, which is where Crewel said all of the students that Ortho’s and Lilia’s tsums beat up now are, since the ever responsible dorm leader wants to see if any of the Pomefiore students have regained consciousness.
Rather than accompany his dorm leader, Rook remains with you as your escort, because Vil said he didn’t need his vice dorm leader to accompany him, and Rook’s tsum obviously wanted to remain with you to ensure you made it to the cafeteria safely.
Just after Vil takes his leave and the rest of you start heading for the cafeteria, Rook catches you off guard when he solemnly says, “I hope the day soon comes when everyone at Pomefiore will recognize you for the wonderful lady that you are, Yuu-kun. It pains me greatly whenever anyone from my dorm slights you or tries to cause you serious harm. If it were possible to allow others to see you through my eyes, I wouldn’t hesitate to do so; that way, they could all see you for the true beauty that you are.”
As his tsum vigorously nods in agreement, you just stare at Rook in surprise for a moment before your expression softens. “Thank you, Rook-senpai. That means a lot coming from a true beauty connoisseur like yourself.”
A warm smile rises to your lips. “I think your dorm could definitely benefit from everyone taking a page from your book when it comes to appreciating others and always being able to discern other peoples’ admirable traits.”
Your smile grows. “And the school as a whole would definitely be an even more enjoyable place if everyone had a beautiful heart like yours.”
Much to your surprise, Rook comes to an abrupt halt as he stares at you with slightly widened eyes. Soon after, his whole face lights up, and a broad smile quickly forms on his lips.
Faster than you can blink, Rook takes hold of your hands and brings his beaming face dangerously close to yours. “Beauté! Oh, Madame Voyante, your current, irradiant expression is most exquisite! I must engrave it into my heart and mind tout de suite, so I’ll never forget this beautiful moment!”
As his tsum begins excitedly bouncing and affectionately nuzzling your cheek, Rook exclaims, “It is no wonder that my counterpart fell for yours! After seeing such a dazzling expression grace your features, I feel as if I will soon follow suit! Ah~ My heart is all a flutter! Magnifique!”
Honestly, considering how his eyes are sparkling just as much as his tsum’s and the fact that he’s steadily eliminating the distance between the two of you, you feel inclined to believe Rook’s claim since he and his tsum have never looked more alike than in this moment.
Which is why you’re understandably now feeling a little nervous since the last thing you want is for Rook to have even more of a reason to stalk you, although you know he’d never go too far and would still respect your feelings and personal space, just as he has always done.
After all, you’d prefer that he not stalk you at all, so the idea of him possibly increasing his stalking efforts is naturally very worrying.
Thankfully, it’s at that moment an unexpected savior comes to your rescue, much to your immense surprise and relief.
In a blink, a strong, muscular arm wraps around your shoulders from behind and pulls you backwards until your back hits someone’s broad chest. Meanwhile, another arm gently but firmly pushes a surprised Rook out of your personal space.
When the aroma of minty toothpaste mixed in with the lighter scent of strawberries and vanilla invades your senses, you immediately know who has come to your rescue even without looking at them. “Trey-senpai!”
Even though it’s unnecessary, you look up and confirm that the one who has a protective grip on your shoulders is, in fact, Trey, who’s currently giving Rook an exasperated look. “Rook, I keep telling you not to invade people’s personal space like that, especially when Yuu is concerned. I get that you often just get caught up in your own excitement, but you really need to be more careful. You were getting way too close for comfort just now.”
With a laugh, Rook holds his hands up in surrender after releasing yours. “Je suis désolé, Chevalier des Roses. You are right. No matter how excited I get by all of the great beauty I’m fortunate enough to behold, I should not allow myself to get carried away and trouble others as a result.”
He takes off his hat and gives you an elegant bow. “My sincerest apologies, Yuu-kun, for my earlier ungentlemanly behavior.”
Much to your amusement, while it doesn’t remove its hat, Rook’s tsum also gracefully bows its head, apparently also feeling regretful about getting carried away earlier.
As Trey releases his grip on you with a tired sigh, you quickly assure both Rook and his tsum that they’re forgiven and that you don’t hold anything against them since you know the two didn’t mean any harm with their earlier enthusiastic behavior.
Naturally, you also make sure to thank Trey for his timely interference since there’s really no telling what Rook would’ve done if left unchecked.
Much to your surprise, Trey starts frowning after you turn to face him, and he catches you further off guard when he gently cups your cheek and brings his face closer to yours. “Your eyes look a little red, Yuu. Did something happen?”
Once you overcome your initial surprise, you smile reassuringly. “I’m okay, Trey-senpai. I just got some dust in my eyes when I was trying to stop some tsums who were rampaging on my behalf. My eyes feel a lot better thanks to Vil-senpai tending to them and Crewel-sensei letting me rest them during his class. Crewel-sensei said they should be fine as long as I avoid rubbing them and getting anything else in them.”
The noticeable tension in Trey’s frame eases upon hearing your words, although he, of course, raises an eyebrow when he hears about the rampaging tsums.
Before you can go into further detail, however, a strong, muscular arm suddenly wraps around you from behind and pulls you away from Trey into a broad chest, causing a feeling of déjà vu to wash over you.
Both you and Trey stare at Rook in surprise as the blond teasingly grins, “My, my, Trey-kun, were you not the one just now scolding me for invading Yuu-kun’s personal space? For shame on you for not practicing what you preach.”
Flushing, Trey gives his clubmate an annoyed look. “This and that are two completely different things, and you know it. You just want to have some fun at my expense.”
Rook’s grin grows. “Non, non, I would never do such a thing to you, Chevalier des Roses. You are most certainly mistaken.”
As if this exchange wasn’t already amusing enough, Rook’s tsum nods in agreement before it starts batting its little eyes at Trey in an attempt to look innocent.
Upon seeing Trey look at both Rook and the tsum with clear exasperation, you start giggling, unable to help yourself, since it’s always funny watching Rook and Trey mess with each other due to their unique and very entertaining dynamic.
Unbeknownst to you, your laughter is the reason Trey’s previously irritated expression relaxes and why both Rook and his tsum are now looking incredibly pleased.
It's also the reason why, rather than continue this back-and-forth, Trey instead asks, “Is the tsum rampage you mentioned in any way connected to the reason Riddle asked me to meet him at the infirmary, Yuu?”
As Rook releases his hold on you, you nod before finally explaining to Trey everything that happened last period, making sure to do so quickly since you now know that Trey has somewhere else that he’s supposed to be.
Just like what always happens whenever he finds out about students from his dorm causing you trouble, Trey’s posture becomes noticeably stiff and his eyes subtly narrow, which are indications that he’s angry, even if his expression as a whole doesn’t look like it since Trey is so good at keeping his composure.
After quietly inhaling and exhaling, Trey reaches over to gently stroke the top of your head. “I’m sorry for all the trouble the students from my dorm caused you, Yuu. Riddle and I will definitely have a word with them about it, even if they technically didn’t do anything thanks to the tsums, since they had every intention to cause you harm, which is something we under no means would ever approve of.”
Like always, you find yourself relaxing when he strokes your hair since you just can’t help but find the gesture incredibly comforting. “I know. Thank you, Trey-senpai, and please pass along my thanks to Riddle-senpai too since I know he’s gonna dole out a fitting punishment for those guys who will definitely regret making him mad.”
When you grin after you say that last sentence, Trey ruffles your hair, all the while wearing that smirk of his that everyone at his dorm knows to be wary of. “Absolutely.”