READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 169
Time flows.
Surprisingly, a regular routine continued without any issues.
For almost a month, two months, three months, time just passed by without any significant events.
‘Well, it’s true that villains can’t just roam around easily anymore…’
Thanks to Evilus Agents tracking down villains, cooperation with heroes to wipe them out, and preventing villain transformation through Moon Persons.
The world had entered an era that no longer tolerated the existence of villains. A time when heroes were unnecessary.
While spending some peaceful days, I checked the calendar and sighed.
“Ah… time to go to work.”
March had arrived.
The month when the new semester starts.
I became a professor at E University this year.
‘I don’t want to go…’
Of course, that meant─.
I had to go to E University. From a paradise where nobody said a thing while I half-rolled around playing and eating, to the human world filled with political battles.
But just like one can’t live doing only what they want, this was also something I had to do. I kept mumbling to myself as I headed towards E University.
* * *
“─And with that, I conclude the orientation.”
After finishing the first class, the professor organized the documents he had brought and tucked them under his arm. Just when I thought he was leaving, he paused as if he had forgotten something and turned back to the students.
“University is not high school. Until now, it was enough to just follow the established path… but that’s no longer the case. You must carve your own path. I hope you all think deeply about how to achieve that.”
With that, the professor left the classroom. The students left behind began talking to each other or getting up in preparation for the next class.
Ayle, who was moved by the professor’s last words, sat still, contemplating what she had just heard.
‘You carve your own path…!’
It was a heart-pounding phrase, no matter how many times I heard it. Well, what had her life been up to now? Born as a powerless person she never wanted to be, thrown into the prison called school. It was a place customary for immature beasts disguised as students to bully her.
But what about now?
Ignoring the laid tracks, she had entered university on her own power. From here on out, what she could achieve— that was up to her.
‘Alright! For now, I need to make friends—.’
Ayle thought as she glanced around. With each subtle movement of her eyes, people around her came into view. Occasionally, someone made eye contact with her. Each time, Ayle smiled gently and looked at them, but for some reason, they quickly turned away and started whispering.
Huh…? Feeling something was off, Ayle stood up and approached the woman who had made eye contact with her. The moment she took a spot in front of her, the two naturally got up and hurriedly left the classroom.
Seeing that, Ayle easily realized others were avoiding her. No matter how much of an Ayle she was, she wasn’t so clueless as not to notice that.
‘W-why?’
The only thing she couldn’t understand was why others were avoiding her. She had brought her secret stash of magical girl collectibles saved just for today…
With a cute dress full of frills, very rare goodies from Magical Girl season 1, 2, 3, magical girl can badges, and magical girl keyrings—.
Even with all those secret weapons in hand, Ayle was rejected instead of making friends, leaving her to gloomily head to her next class while fiddling with her smartphone. Talking to her only friend, the Evilus Agent.
─I want to make friends at university! How can I do that?
[First, try talking to someone. Suggest having a meal together; that’s a very good way.]
Oh, right.
With that realization, after her next class, Ayle approached the woman she had locked eyes with again and tried to talk to her.
“Um, excuse me—.”
“Huh? Why?”
“…W-would you like to have lunch together?”
The woman scratched her cheek, looking quite uncomfortable upon hearing Ayle’s words.
“I already have a friend I’m eating with…”
“Ah…”
“S-sorry?”
Ayle, rejected, walked out of the classroom dejectedly.
Her steps led her in the direction where other students would absolutely not dare to go first.
To the professor’s office, where rumors said students who walked in were dragged off to graduate school…
* * *
“Waaah—! This isn’t working! You stupid AI!”
“Um… isn’t it your problem, Ayle, for coming here and whining just because you got rejected once?”
“You want me to just casually ask someone else after getting rejected? I’m not that shameless!”
Ayle looked up at me as if to say how could I make such a harsh comment. From my perspective, it was more absurd that she was whining here after being rejected once…
With a sigh, I looked at Ayle and frowned slightly. The state of her clothing did not feel like something an adult would wear. This wasn’t a cosplay event after all; even if she just became an adult…
“Isn’t your outfit a bit over the top? Ayle.”
“Huh? Over the top? This is a magical girl costume you can’t buy even if you pay! It shows my passion for magical girls and lets them know how much I can give once I make a friend! It’s a treasure! Even for a scientist like you─.”
“Okay, okay, I got it.”
Letting Ayle’s barrage of words flow in one ear and out the other, I covered her mouth and said,
“If you want to make friends, why not contact the class president? You must have her contact information, right?”
“…B-but the class president is…”
“Why? She has to look after the cohesion of the whole class; if she hears you don’t have friends, she’ll take care of you!”
“N-no way. That person is a no-go…”
“Seriously, why not?”
I asked as I fiddled with my smartphone to check the details of the class president from Ayle’s astronomy department. With the professor’s authority, it was ridiculously easy to find out. After seeing her photo, I understood why Ayle was hesitant.
She was glamorous. Well, Ayle was glamorous too, but this one was classy glamorous. You could tell that she had put effort into how she looked. If Ayle described it in her blunt way, she looked like someone who would roll around as if swinging her body everywhere.
Such a type was completely the opposite of Ayle. While Ayle preferred introverted, quiet types and only became lively for things she liked, this type was the opposite, being proactive about everything.
Those types were the ones who bullied Ayle back in school. It was understandable why Ayle kept her distance from the class president.
“So? You’re saying you won’t make any friends at all?”
“No, I want to make friends…”
“Then talk to someone.”
“But I don’t want to just be friends with anyone. How should I put it, I want someone I can connect with.”
“I think you’re losing it.”
Ayle must be wishing for someone who has a similar personality. But from my perspective, it seemed that Ayle-like people couldn’t become friends with people like themselves. A kind of distaste for one’s own kind…
“If you don’t make friends today, the chances of you not making any forever are pretty high. Don’t tell me you’re going to eat alone today as well?”
“P-please eat with me…”
“If a professor eats with a student, it’ll spread rumors, you know…”
Seeing Ayle’s ridiculous request, I brought out my final card. It seemed impossible for her to approach someone herself without some help, and ultimately, we’d have to wait for someone to come to her…
Pulling out the club application form, I handed it to her.
“Here you go.”
“Wh-what’s this?”
“A club application. Write down the club you want and I’ll create one for you. You can then select your own members.”
Surely she could manage that.
With that said, Ayle’s eyes sparkled as she asked,
“C-can I create anything I want!?”
“Huh? Well, not something outrageous…”
“Here!”
In no time, Ayle filled out the application form and handed it to me. After seeing the club name she wrote, I let out a small laugh.
“You really… ”
“Is that not okay?”
“It’s not that it’s not okay…”
What she had written was this: Magical Girl Club (only accepting real magical girls).
Who on earth would come to such a ridiculous club?
With a bittersweet smile, I immediately submitted her application. I didn’t expect Ayle to change immediately. After all, there were four years ahead, so wasting a little time would be okay.
* * *
“Huh?”
While scrolling through the school’s dedicated app to see what’s new, Snowa stopped at the newly created club from day one. “Magical Girl Club (only accepting real magical girls)?”
It felt like a club that a real magical girl would start, but she hadn’t heard of any other magical girls joining here besides herself.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Snowa decided to head to the club room just to see who made it. If it was a sweaty otaku, she could just kick them out and leave…
Arriving at the club room, Snowa knocked a few times before pushing the door open.
“Excuse me—.”
“W-welcome—!”
Upon seeing the woman springing out from inside, Snowa realized that this wasn’t a club made to serve the filthy desires of some dark man, and she felt relieved.
However, the next moment, as she took in the woman’s outfit and appearance, Snowa felt a slight chill run down her spine and cautiously opened her mouth.
“…Evil Magical Girl?”
“H-how do you know…?”
“Um, well, it’s just that—.”
Stuttering at that moment was her last chance to escape.
While Ayle examined Snowa, she immediately recognized her true identity.
“Ah-! It’s you, Snow! Right? Right!?”
“…Oh no, it’s not.”
“Huh? It is! Are you questioning my eyesight?”
It was true.
But what could she do? She couldn’t just admit it here.
Snowa eagerly tried to avoid eye contact with the Evil Magical Girl while thinking.
‘Why is this crazy woman here?’
She had a history of getting her whole body broken by this crazy woman. Of course, she had fixed her up immediately after the fight, but that was a memory she never wanted to recall again.
“Ah! You’re here to join our club, right, Snow?”
“Y-yeah?”
“No, is it?”
Seeing Ayle trembling as she spoke, Snowa felt a murderous intent as if she would be killed if she refused. Eventually, she had no choice but to nod her head.
While Ayle celebrated with a victory chant, Snowa was overwhelmed with the urge to run away immediately. However, her legs stiffened up, preventing any escape.