If You Cheat, Just Don’t Tell Me - Chapter 9

“Hey, Freya. How do you do?”

To be honest, looking back on my life experiences so far, I really didn’t understand what it meant to truly face someone.

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seriously faced anyone before. Not my parents, not the servants, not my sister, not even my companions.

To me, other people were fundamentally incomprehensible, mysterious beings whose thoughts I couldn’t fathom. My current companions were somewhat different, but it was especially pronounced with people like my parents and the servants.

As for my sister, she’s just a kid who hasn’t even grown up yet. The question of facing her as a person doesn’t even come into play. Sure, she’s good at studying, sports, and magic, but that doesn’t mean she’s mentally mature or anything.

What I don’t understand, I can’t do anything about. This isn’t something I should ask my companions about. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say I’d be too embarrassed to ask.

If I ever said something like, “I don’t know how to face Freya, so please teach me,” who knows what would happen? Just imagining it makes me shudder.

Thinking such thoughts, I was lost in contemplation on the school rooftop. This rooftop was one of the places I used to skip class. There were no teacher patrols, and since the rooftop was basically off-limits, other students hardly ever came here.

It might seem strange to concentrate while skipping class, but I often used this place when I wanted to focus on my thoughts.

Sitting at the edge of the rooftop with its safety netting, I gazed blankly at the school buildings. This was the middle of three rectangular buildings connected together, where the special classrooms were located.

The buildings on either end had classrooms grouped by grade. If I wanted to, I could even see my own classroom from here.

…What? So, does “facing” Freya mean having a conversation with her? But I think we talk a reasonable amount. I hardly ever initiate conversations, but even without me doing so, Freya always starts talking to me.

…Wait, the fact that I never start conversations, could that mean I’m not really facing Freya? Always being passive is just the same as how I interact with the servants at home or my parents, isn’t it?

How do people start conversations with others? “Hey”—that doesn’t feel right. I talk to Alta like that, but that’s because it’s Alta.

“Hello, Freya. How do you do?”—What kind of noble brat is that? Sure, I received that kind of education, but if I greeted her like that now, it would be way too creepy. No way. Definitely not that.

“It’s nice weather today, isn’t it?”—Why am I using formal speech in the first place? And talking about the weather with Freya now would make no sense.

…I’ve really never initiated a conversation with Freya before, have I? Thinking about it like this makes that painfully clear.

As I wandered through these thoughts in my head and let my gaze drift, I suddenly felt like someone was looking at me from somewhere.

I turned my eyes in the direction I felt it. That way was my classroom, and I could see inside through the window and I immediately knew who the source of the gaze was. Well, there’s only one person who would be looking at me from the classroom.

“Freya…”

The very subject of my current worries, a girl with red hair and red eyes, was for some reason looking at me from the classroom window. It’s class time, why is she looking over here? She should be focusing on the lesson.

Freya’s gaze looked somewhat stern, as if she was angry that I was here. Me skipping class is nothing new, but for Freya, it must still be one of those things she can’t forgive. Even now, she still frequently scolds me about skipping.

“What? ‘Co-me he-re’? Who’d join class in the middle now?”

If I were going to join class partway through, I wouldn’t be skipping here in the first place. Freya still doesn’t understand that part of me or maybe she does understand but can’t help saying something anyway.

What do I actually understand about Freya? What parts of her have I managed to grasp?

The part where she’s meddlesome? The part where she’s caring? The part where she gets good grades? The part where she doesn’t flaunt her talents? The part where she’s friendly with people? The part where, when it comes down to it, she surprisingly loses her nerve?

They’re all just parts of Freya, but even if I put them all together, I don’t think that would make up the whole Freya.

In that slender body of hers, she always puts her full effort into living each day. She’s completely different from me, who just drifts through life.

—So after all, facing Freya means I first need to get to know her better. Should I do that through conversation, or take my time and learn from daily life? I still don’t really know what would be best.

“Hmm… What should I do?”

Even now, she seemed to be trying to say something with her mouth, and then got called on by the teacher and flusteredly stood up from her seat. I looked away from Freya and gazed up at the sky.

Just as I was about to sink back into my thoughts alone, someone called out to me from behind.

“What’s got you so troubled?”

A girl’s voice that still held a childish quality but sounded somewhat hazy. A voice I knew well. If we’re just talking about how long we’ve known each other, it’s even longer than Freya.

However, I hadn’t expected anyone to come to this rooftop, and on top of that, I’d been deeply lost in thought about Freya, so I was completely off guard. Because of that, I ended up replying without thinking at all.

“Misha. Nah… I was just thinking about Freya a bit.”

“About Sister Freya!? You, Boss!?”

“Ah…”

I turned toward the direction of the voice. Dressed in this school’s uniform, but with it disheveled and modified everywhere, completely disregarding school rules. Shiny gray hair that looked silver depending on how the light hit it, and friendly blue eyes. Sun-tanned, wheat-colored skin.

One of the few companions who attended the same school as me, and technically my junior at this school.

“Tell me all about it! Please!”

Misha’s eyes were shining as she pressed in on me, who had misspoken.