Chapter 174: The Open Door

“I woke up just a moment ago.”

“I see.”

“Indeed.”

“…Hey, could you perhaps open the door a little more? I want to check if your complexion is okay.”

Worry overflowed from Reysir Daudabina’s expression and voice as he spoke.

The author, Senna, was likely painting a picture where Karbaldr would either look haggard or refuse Reysir’s request altogether.

That way, the ‘Protagonist’ would cultivate more resentment toward the Imperial Family while simultaneously brooding over his own inability to oppose them, feeling a deep sense of helplessness.

Because that was the emotional arc suitable for an Angst Genre development.

‘I have to cut that flow!’

Usually, the atmosphere of a work is determined by the Protagonist’s mental state.

Therefore, to reassure Reysir, I needed to swing the door wide open and show him I was perfectly fine—but before that, I looked back.

I saw the quick-witted baby Dragon clearing away the blankets and pillows scattered on the floor.

As expected, he was quick on the uptake.

With the evidence that I had collapsed as soon as I entered the room gone, I swung the door open and put on a look that asked if he was satisfied now.

“Your complexion looked so poor earlier that I worried the ‘sleeping’ part was a lie. I was afraid you had actually fainted…”

Unfortunately, this side was just as quick-witted.

Reysir trailed off meaningfully while staring intently at my face.

I flinched involuntarily under his gaze, but I lifted my chin and continued to play the arrogant character.

Then…

“Anyway, I’m glad you look okay now.”

Reysir let out a small, relieved chuckle and spoke.

It seemed he decided to let it slide since my current state appeared fine.

“That aside… since you already heard from Yor that I was sleeping, why did you come back?”

“You didn’t look at the clock when you woke up, did you?”

“The clock…?”

“It’s lunch time right now.”

“Of course…”

I almost had a big problem if I had woken up any later.

I didn’t mind skipping a meal, but the growing Yor was different.

He needed to eat his three meals a day plus snacks to grow properly.

“If you came for that reason, you should have said so sooner.”

“It’s fine if you’re worried the others are waiting. I didn’t come to ask you to eat out; I came to bring you a lunch box.”

As I frowned and hurried to put on my shoes, Reysir stopped me.

No wonder he had been leisurely checking my complexion.

It was because there was no need to rush.

‘I didn’t even get to say thank you for the bread last time, and now he’s bringing me a meal again…!’

Gratitude and guilt washed over me simultaneously.

As I stood there feeling a bit choked up, Reysir pulled a paper shopping bag out of his Inventory.

Is it because I’ve become too accustomed to this baseless, mash-up world?

The appearance of a paper shopping bag instead of a plastic one felt strangely awkward.

‘I can’t help but suspect it’s evidence that Senna is describing this scene right now…’

I was almost moved, but the lingering unpleasantness intervened and ruined the mood.

I didn’t know whether to consider this a blessing or not.

Just as I reached out to take the shopping bag, Reysir suddenly hid it behind his back.

“…What are you doing?”

“This is for three people.”

I thought he had bought it on his way back after eating with the others, but it seemed he hadn’t eaten yet either.

“So? Are you threatening to withhold the food unless I let you into my room?”

“It’s not like that. Of course, if you invited me to eat with you inside, I would gladly accept. But I have no intention of forcing my way into your room using food as an excuse.”

“…Then?”

“I just wanted to ask you to wait a moment because I need to take out my portion of the lunch.”

I shouldn’t believe the words of this fox-like Protagonist of Another Novel at face value.

If he truly had no intention of coming into my room using the lunch as an excuse, he would have asked for his portion to be packed separately when he bought it.

Yet, by specifically taking his share out in front of me, he was subtly revealing the fact that he hadn’t eaten yet.

‘It’s definitely a calculated move.’

Even though there was a high possibility I would still be sleeping or wouldn’t let him in, he bought his own share of the lunch instead of eating with the others.

Reysir was clearly planning to hang out and eat lunch with me somehow.

“Ah, right. Earlier, the Imperial Princess announced that the Awakened students should gather in Seminar Room 1 at 4:00 PM. Did you hear?”

Reysir spoke as he handed the paper shopping bag over again.

I considered nodding as if I already knew, but then I just shook my head honestly as I accepted the bag.

The person across from me was already certain I hadn’t heard.

Trying to deceive him would only make me look pathetic.

“I’ll be going now.”

“……?”

“See you later at the seminar room.”

“……!! Are you… just leaving?”

Considering Reysir’s incredibly tenacious personality, he shouldn’t have backed off so easily.

He should have tried to stir up sympathy by saying he’d have to eat his lunch all alone if he went back to his room.

He could have even suggested eating together outside if I didn’t want him in my private space.

‘Or at least he should have tried to get a thank you for bringing the food…!’

I was planning to say thank you with a reluctant face if he did.

“Why? Do you have something to say to me?”

Reysir looked puzzled, as if wondering why I was holding back someone who was finished.

It was as if he had no intention of getting a thank you for a mere lunch box.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Then enjoy your meal and get some rest.”

“……”

I felt a bit dazed as I closed the door.

Only then did a thought flash through my mind.

‘Wait… Is the author Senna controlling her protagonist right now? Because putting in a scene where Reysir begs to eat with me wouldn’t help the angst development at all…’

Goosebumps erupted on my skin and a sudden fear gripped me.

Feeling the sweat on the hand holding the doorknob, I carefully opened the door and peeked my head out.

Only after seeing the back of the Protagonist of Another Novel’s head as he walked away did I realize my mistake.

‘There’s no way I can tell if my guess is right or wrong just by looking like this.’

Realizing I was doing something pointless, I was about to pull my head back inside when Reysir suddenly turned around, and our eyes met.

Startled, I slammed the door shut.

It was a reflexive reaction born of instinct.

“……Will Reysir think my behavior just now was weird?”

“Meow, mrow.”

“……”

“……”

Since things had turned out this way, I wondered if I should just let Reysir into the room under the pretext of eating the lunch together.

That way, I could explain why I just opened the door and looked at him.

I could also subtly feel out why he wasn’t being tenacious today and check if he was being manipulated by Senna.

‘Since things have come to this, it seems impossible to cut ties with Reysir anyway…’

Not only had the Awakened Special Class been formed, but even the Imperial Princess had enrolled.

Hard would never allow me to withdraw.

Withdrawing at this point would make it look like I was running away from the ‘glorious’ duty of saving people as an Awakened.

That would lead to criticism toward the House Austri.

I couldn’t run away from home either.

Being in danger because of the Demonic Realm was one thing, but as long as I was with Yor, living in hiding was impossible.

I would just get insulted and caught quickly, returning everything to square one.

‘Now that keeping my distance has become meaningless, should I just accept Reysir as a friend…? But isn’t this too sudden? The probability seems ridiculously lacking.’

I once again carefully opened the door and looked outside.

After confirming that Reysir was standing still, facing this way, I closed the door again.

If he had been on his way, I would have called out to him in a hurry, but since he was staying put, I felt I could continue my deliberation a bit longer.

‘I’ve been insisting so hard that we aren’t friends. It would be weird to suddenly say let’s just be friends now because we’re going to the Academy together.’

To Reysir, who didn’t know the contents of the Original Work before the remake, it would sound like nonsense.

Furthermore, wasn’t it too cunning to accept a friendship proposal for such a reason?

And above all—

‘What am I supposed to do if we become friends? How do you build a friendship, and how much time do you have to spend together per week to maintain that relationship? How are acquaintances and friends different? What even is a friend in the first place? No, more than that, is it okay for me to make friends? Isn’t it… a bit strange?’

My heart didn’t seem ready yet.

‘Besides, Reysir seems to expect something amazing once I accept him as a friend… Can I really fulfill that expectation? What if he gets disappointed and thinks the time when we weren’t friends was more fun?’

As these thoughts surfaced, anxiety reared its head.

I toyed with the doorknob aimlessly, then took a deep breath in and out, sighing deeply a couple of times.

Then, feeling an inexplicable nervousness, I once again peeked through the door…

“……!!”

Reysir’s face was right in front of mine.

Luckily, I was the type of person who inhaled and swallowed a scream when surprised.

If not, the sudden scream echoing through the Dormitory hallway would have caused a huge scene.

“Uh… sorry. Did I scare you?”

“…”

“O… Of course I’m scared…! Why were you leaning your face so close like that?!”

“Well, you kept opening and closing the door as if you had something to say. I was trying to sense if you were still contemplating in front of the door.”

“……”

Looking at Reysir’s mischievously grinning face, a wave of shame washed over me.

As I glared at him while pressing my palm against my pounding heart, the smile on his face grew even deeper.

“So, what is it? Did you suddenly feel like having a meal with me inside the room?”

“It’s not like I feel like it… just, well…”

“……?”

“……Just come in.”

“………Uh, what?!”

“If you don’t want to, forget it.”

“No, no, no!! I really want to!!!”

As I tried to close the door again, Reysir hastily shoved his foot into the gap.

Then he looked at me with his golden eyes sparkling brightly, which was extremely burdensome.

Thus, I explained the following in an attempt to lower his expectations…

“I’m telling you in advance, letting you into my room does not mean I’m letting you into my heart. I still haven’t acknowledged you as a friend. It would be rude to the person who bought the lunch to ignore them when I know they’d have to eat all alone if they went back to their room. And since I’m… somewhat grateful for the bread from before and this lunch… anyway, I’m inviting you for a combination of reasons like that, so don’t misunderstand…!”

“Puhahahaha!”

Suddenly, Reysir burst into laughter so loudly it seemed he intended to call everyone in the world.

Afraid that someone might hear and pay attention, I had to hurriedly drag him into the room.