I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

I woke up startled on the sofa.

“…!”

I tidied my disheveled light pink hair, pushed aside the silver blanket covering me, and got up. Looking around to wake myself up, I still only saw the familiar living room scenery.

‘I must have dozed off while the kids were at school… There’s less to take care of now that they’re in elementary school.’

A spacious living room for a family of four.

On the table were a teacup I had been drinking from and a graduation photo album, and the lazy afternoon atmosphere flowed through the sunlit living room. Comfortable pastel-toned furniture… The interior of our home was vintage and quaint.

Actually, most of the furniture was chosen to my taste.

My two daughters preferred the things I had chosen too.

‘If I left everything to her, the house would turn into something like a dormitory and administrative office…’

When we first started living together, I was so surprised by her bleak tastes.

Now even the memories of struggling, thinking I was repeating military life, are nostalgic.

‘Military… life. My goodness…!’

I laughed at the word from the previous world that I recalled after many years.

“Oh my, ‘military life’…! Huhuhu♪ It feels like I’m saying it for the first time in ages.”

Memories of the time when I was a man, now so hazy they feel like a dream… My tastes and personality have completely changed by now. Living as a mother of two children, sometimes I wonder if the time when I was a man ever existed.

‘Actually, even during my time in the academy city, it felt like my personality was half and half…’

Now I’ve just become an ordinary married woman.

Even memories of my student days were gradually becoming blurry.

“…I should have taken photos back then.”

In front of everyone.

Wearing wedding dresses together, acting like a doting fool.

I felt regret for just being embarrassed then.

“…”

Now it feels like a romantic memory, but at the time I was at a loss with unbearable embarrassment. So even though I noticed Hilde’s desire to capture it in photos, I pretended not to.

‘Thinking about it now, it’s not like I would have worn out from going along with it a bit…’

I still feel sorry for her who had prepared everything.

Two girls in pink and silver shyly wearing wedding dresses…

Now it’s an appearance I can only recall in faint memories.

Back then when we were clumsy at not just marriage, but even dating.

It must have been a cute sight that would make my heart flutter if I saw it now.

I can’t remember well anymore.

‘Ah… what a shame.’

When our skin was still tight, and traces of youth remained, we should have taken lots of photos together.

“Haah…”

We were going to see each other’s unsightly sides anyway, what on earth was I embarrassed about…

Even our family head was so cute then with her cheeks roundly lifted like a girl’s.

Everything shines brighter when you’re young…

Only after it passes do you realize it was a precious memory.

‘When we graduated and started living together, we really went wild day and night like unbridled colts… that’s a memory too… Huhu.’

Though she’s lovely now as a flawless queen.

There were certainly cuter aspects to her clumsy and bold old self.

‘Now we’ve gotten married and aged, becoming middle-aged ladies too embarrassed to suggest taking wedding photos at a studio again…’

I sighed with my hand on my cheek.

“Haah… time is cruel, so cruel…♪”

At that moment.

The silver ring on my left hand sparkled, as if comforting me that it’s okay.

Well…

Hilde would still tell me I’m beautiful, but honestly there was really nothing to be done about aging. Even emotions that used to sparkle endlessly like stars, and speech that used to bounce around uncontrollably, had become quite calm by now.

Even the invincible Clara changes with age.

The whore of the academy city disappeared, and before I knew it I became a mother of two children.

“…”

Years that passed like a dream.

I recalled it again after a long time during a brief afternoon nap.

Memories shining like a rainbow…

“…”

I muttered, recalling nostalgic feelings:

“I miss it.”

I miss it…

* * *

-I miss it…

-I miss it…

-I miss it…

“…I miss it—☆”

“What do you miss?”

I came to my senses at the voice from beside me.

“Huh—☆”

“…Senior?”

Alvit was looking at me with her head tilted in the seat next to me. Freya was also sitting beside me, and began scolding me while sipping black tea.

“S-Suddenly spacing out… A-Are you doing some kind of meditation…”

“Is it perhaps uncomfortable because of the clothes? They do look quite constricting.”

“A-And to think it’s already a w-wedding dress… The excessively revealing figure… The patterns and embroidery that seem to flaunt it as one’s own… I-It’s a design where the indecent fetish of the person who chose it can be felt…”

Alvit spoke while glancing towards Hilde.

“…The person who chose it is wearing similar clothes though.”

“Th-That point… c-completes the indecency…”

Hearing that conversation, I was gradually coming back to my senses.

“Hm…?”

I looked around.

“…?”

A modest tea party.

Instead of the quaint vintage newlywed house, there was a small conference room next to the grand conference hall with tea and snacks prepared. We had finished the meeting and come here for the next event.

“…?”

Astrid was nibbling on a mountain of cookies piled up with her sparkling red eyes and fangs. And she was refusing the potatoes Anna was subtly offering from beside her.

“Om nom nom… No thanks. Take it away.”

“Ah~ Why! Do you know how much effort I put into growing these! I still have lots left!”

“I refuse… This lady is tired of potatoes now… Ah, n-no, hohoho—! Such fruits of the earth are like a curse to the noblest incarnation of night! This lady shall only receive these sweet blessings—!”

Hilde was wearing a dress similar to mine but with more restrained decorations, and was showing off to those around in a majestic pose as if giving a speech.

“Thus, Lara and I have made an eternal vow, and swear to become companions for the rest of our lives—!”

Skadi spoke up with a tired voice, rubbing her eyes with her legs crossed:

“W-Wait a minute… Is this a wedding? Or an engagement? There should be procedures and order for events like this, you’re being extremely reckless…”

“Procedures and order in love are mere formalities. You who don’t know that are pitiful.”

“…Between the strongest in the academy city being this kind of person, and me listening to such preaching from you, I’m starting to pity myself.”

For reference, acting representative Katrin and black knight Helina who weren’t particularly interested in the wedding event(?) had quietly left, and Eir had long since departed shouting that she had finished congratulating with three claps.

“…”

But it was still a lively scene even with just the remaining people.

We had appeared before them in wedding dresses with a ta-da!, and were now playing while creating a somewhat reception-like atmosphere.

“…”

But what was that vivid scene that came to mind in rainbow colors earlier?

“…”

As my dazed mind gradually returned, I felt my face becoming very hot.

“…”

What is this.

What is this…?

What did I just see…?

Why was I suddenly a married woman, calling Hilde ‘her’?

It’s truly a shocking setting.

Even vividly recalling memories of wild nights from when we were living together.

‘My speech, my monologue, completely changed to that of a married woman…’

…

…

…

“…”

My goodness.

“…”

I covered my burning face with both hands.

“…”

I’ve failed as a man.

What kind of 4D delusion was I sitting there having?

‘Has it come to the point where I don’t even need the pretty filter anymore… Where on earth is my self-esteem…’

Just from wearing a wedding dress once, I’ve completely fallen and am shouting ‘My dream is to be a good wife and wise mother’, aren’t I?

“Uwaaaaah—☆”

“S-Senior?!”

“Oh my… Is this m-marriage blue… S-So this is why they say rushed marriages are not good…”

While I was letting Freya’s nonsensical words pass by.

“…Lara.”

“…Hilde?”

“…”

“…?”

Hilde, who had finished her grand speech, was standing in front of me awkwardly. Somehow she was hiding both hands behind her back, and seemed at a loss wanting to say something.

Hilde spoke in a hesitant voice:

“Um… Lara. How about… taking a commemorative photo at the end.”

“…”

“…Is it not okay?”

“…”

Normally… I would have gently persuaded her that this much was enough for spreading rumors.

Honestly, even wearing couple dresses together touched my precarious psychological line.

“…”

But…

“…”

A girl in a dress decorated with silver and blue.

An outfit for receiving congratulations from others wearing clothes similar to mine.

Seeing that appearance, it automatically matches with the slender 30-something silver-haired woman I recalled in my delusion.

As the married Clara in the dream said, her youthful cheek fullness is still noticeable.

‘…She really is still young.’

Isn’t this clumsy appearance… This unrestrained appearance…

The sincerity shown with the feeling of being compensated for lonely days?

-No matter what kind of person Lara was in the past, my feelings won’t change.

Can’t I go along with this much for this child who loves everything about me including my past?

-Thinking about it now, it’s not like I would have worn out from going along with it a bit…

“…”

Somehow the married Clara’s mutterings from my delusion deeply pierced my heart.

“…”

“…Lara?”

I grasped Hilde’s hands hidden behind her back.

Sure enough, a camera was shyly hidden there.

And while taking that camera, I spoke with the brightest smile I could:

“…Yes♪ Let’s take it—☆ If we’re going to, let’s gather everyone remaining and take a lively photo together—☆”

Then… Hilde’s face shone.

“…Yes!”

…

Somehow, bringing up marriage so quickly seemed strange too.

It felt uncomfortable to hastily draw conclusions when there were still so many things left to do.

“…”

But at least.

Today’s Hilde…

Was smiling more brightly than ever… so I felt glad.

Anna cheerfully took the camera.

“I’m taking it~! One, two, three…!”

Then Hilde suddenly pounced on me and pressed her lips to mine.

Her sudden kiss was a mess due to missing its aim.

“Lara, I love you—!!”

“Uwaaah—☆”

“S-Senior—?!”

“Ohoho! What a truly frivolous performance!”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“I’m seriously worried about the .”

“Th-The two of them are really… g-going… c-crazy.”

Click—!

A concept shot of a couple who had just confirmed their feelings 2 months ago.

Pink and silver girls shyly wearing wedding dresses.

It really wasn’t funny at all, and I still got goosebumps from embarrassment…

But at least for Hilde, I hoped it would become a dazzling memory she could recall forever.

We set the date for the next meeting like that and finished today’s schedule.

* * *

After setting the date for the 2nd Union Meeting, on the way back to .

[…Please be careful of your step when getting off.]

Getting off at the ether train station, it had become completely dark with the sun set.

We walked while talking about the things we had seen in Golden Street.

“So anyway!”

Twitch—!

With orange cat ears constantly moving, Rota spoke with a beaming expression:

“Senior Freya asked if I could come occasionally in the second semester to participate in ‘fairy tale magic’ research! She said people more used to the existing ‘golden armament magic’ have a harder time with the new magic chanting method!”

“Ohhh—☆ Amazing♪”

Rota was boasting heartily, then hesitated and said:

“S-So… I might stay over at sometimes… you know.”

Of course we nodded readily hearing that.

“Yes♪ Have a good time~ If anyone hits you, just tell us—☆ We’ll beat them to a pulp and turn them into girl meatballs—☆”

“Comrade! Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine. If there are bullies, my [Revolutionary Comrade] platoon, now increased to 15 units, will deploy for retaliation!”

“Don’t overdo it, have a good time. I’ll take good care of these people. If anyone bullies you, just tell me and I’ll help.”

“…W-Why does everyone assume I’ll get bullied?”

“It’s a misunderstanding—☆”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Maybe it’s your imagination?”

“I-Is that so…?”

I watched the juniors walking ahead with a fond smile. And I walked along inwardly marveling.

‘The growth of the original protagonist group… is so fast and admirable…!’

And my generation… the Five Colors’ growth had accelerated too.

Everyone in the academy city united against much faster than in the original work.

That fact made me very happy and proud.

“…?”

But I had to stop walking due to a sense of discomfort felt just before entering the school gates.

There was a presence there.

‘What is it…?’

A presence too pathetic to be a delinquent student.

But its size was bigger than an average incomplete chaos insect.

‘An animal…? Hmm, no way… has the time come for ‘that one underground’ to awaken?’

As we passed through the gates, we could see the owner of that presence.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Peep peep—! Peep peep—!”

A chick about 2 meters tall was crying out in the middle of the schoolyard.

‘It’s not time for that one to awaken yet… but has it awakened faster than in the original work after all?’

It turned to look at me and spoke in a pathetic voice:

“Peep peep—! It’s too cold here! Peep peep—! Why are the resurrection egg and nest in an underground corner—! Peep peep—!”

Surprisingly, this pathetic beast was… [Nameless Hawk], the ancient beast god who had been the God of Order.