I’m Not Doing This With A Friend

The students quickly lined up in front of the instructor and drew lots. Jane also urged Leen to get in line. 

Leen shook her head slowly.

"You stand first. I'll take what's left."

Jane seemed a little puzzled, but she soon nodded and stood in line to draw her lot.

"I'm number eight."

Jane waved her lot in front of me. Then, someone tapped Jane on the shoulder.

"Jane, you're my partner. I'm number eight, too. Please take good care of me in the future."

"Oh, really? Take care of me, too."

Fortunately, her partner was a child of no particular strange character.

Everyone must have drawn lots while watching Jane and her partner talk.

All the children standing in front of the instructor scattered.

I walked slowly, trying to take the last lot,

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have mistaken the number of students."

There was no lot left in the instructor's hand.

"Then do I have to do it without a partner?"

Rather, it was a good thing. Because if Carson knew I was dancing with someone, he would have cried again.

But as if my thoughts were just a dream, the instructor shook her head with a kind smile.

"Don't worry. This class has the same gender and even numbers. The only mistake I made was the number of lots. You just have to partner with a boy who didn't draw a lot."

I felt some sort of uneasiness at the instructor's words.

I don't think I've ever seen that unlucky face when standing in line before.

‘…No way?'

"Oh my! A handsome man and a beautiful woman have become partners."

The instructor covered her mouth and looked pleased.

I turned my head following the instructor's gaze with stiff movement.

My dance partner this semester… was Kun.

I blanked out for quite a while after knowing my partner. At this rate, I would believe that someone was manipulating my fate.

Of course I wasn't the only one who hated it. Kun also had a rotten expression as soon as he realized I was his partner.

‘Who would be more upset…?'

"Today, we'll be learning the basic steps."

Fortunately, today was a basic step that didn't require a partner.

"Oh, the next thing you would need was a flower to present to your partner. Even just one flower would be fine, so let's prepare a flower as a token of taking care of your partner."

When they were told to bring flowers, I immediately glanced at Kun without realizing it.

‘Doesn't he hate picking flowers?'

Strangely, however, there was no sign of complaint on his face.

No. Why aren't you angry? Maybe he was just angry because he wanted to argue with me back then?

For some reason, I felt like my blood pressure was going to fill up after a long time.

It reminded me of a flower that really suits him.

✤

After Leen's dance class.

The next dance class was Carson and Fjord's turn. Carson muttered softly, as he took the last lot from the instructor's hand.

"If I were in the same class with Leen, I would have taken the position of her partner no matter…" (Carson)

Then, suddenly, a great realization crossed in Carson's mind.

‘Crazy…'

This class was a joint class for the whole grade. In other words, it means that Leen also has a partner like him.

‘Leen's partner?'

Someone's looking at Leen, holding her hand, and then even holding her waist?

Carson's eyes gleamed horribly. His eyes seemed as if he could find Leen's partner right away and he would tear him to death.

‘I couldn't believe she's dancing with someone other than me.' (Carson)

It was something that should never have happened.

‘Never.'

✤

"Guys, I have to go somewhere, so I think I'll be out of the club today."

At Leen's words, the two men in the club room looked at her at the same time. Among them, Carson even jumped up from his seat.

He's about to follow Leen.

"Where? It's very hot outside today."

“At the mountain behind the academy to pick flowers for someone. Oh, it's not exactly a flower?"

Carson's face crumpled when Leen said she was going to pick flowers for someone.

Judging by who he was, he doesn't seem to like the thought of her giving a flower to someone herself, no way.

"Was that flower you're looking for… for your dance partner?" (Carson)

"Yes."

Carson's face slowly hardened at the sight of her light nod.

‘What? You're going to pick flowers yourself?' (Carson)

What kind of meaning are you going to give as a present?

Anger flashed in his eyes, but soon after, his brutal mood was ruined.

It was impossible to spit out his grudge while looking at Leen.

Instead, his eyes slowly turned red as if filled with sorrow.

"What…what flowers are you going to give him?"

Carson asked in a quivering voice as if he were holding back tears. Leen smiled softly as if it's not a big deal.

"It's a perennial plant."

"What…?"

"It's just grass that suits my partner very well."

As Leen said that with a really wide smile, Carson was taken aback.

"Was there such a kind of grass? No, rather than that, are you digging grass while picking flowers?"

"It's a simple grass. And although it blooms smaller than my fingernail, it does bloom. The instructor didn't say to give a big flower as a gift, right?"

"…Do you have to go through all that trouble? Couldn't you just give him nothing?"

It was fortunate that it wasn't a pretty flower with a good meaning.

‘However, I still didn't like the idea of investing her precious time and giving something to someone else, no matter how hard it was to swear in front of her.' (Carson)

"If I could screw him, I'd have to go through this much trouble. I'd also be digging for other herbs…"

Leen mumbled as she packed her gathering tools.

Perennial grass grew near wetlands such as ponds and water.

Since I climbed the mountain several times to dig up herbs during the vacation, I knew it's location, so it wouldn't take long to find it.

In response to Leen's desire to make fun of the person receiving the flower as a gift, the corners of Carson's lowered eyebrows slowly returned to the summit.

No, it seemed rather enjoyable.

Whatever happened, Leen seemed to be quite angry with her partner.

Carson wanted to ask Leen what had happened right away. But he didn't have to ask.

There was no need to rush.

‘I don't know what he did to Leen, but that ‘woman' would report it to me soon.'

"Listen, students. Kun wasn't the only one who already knows the dance I teach in this class. Maybe there are other students who dance better than me."

There were many noble children attending the Arena Academy, so it was natural.

If you were an aristocrat, you would have learned the basics of dancing from an early age.

"Besides, this wasn't something that could be solved just because Kun gives up his grades. It's hurting the student and the girl who partnered with him."

"…"

"You know you're forcing yourself, right?"

Watching Kun, who kept his mouth shut and kept silent, the instructor let out a small sigh.

Then she glanced at the flower in Kun's hand and continued.

"But I'll stop here, thinking that he didn't mean it because he brought a flower sincerely. Now go back to your seats."

"…Alright."

Contrary to his first determined appearance when he said he didn't have to give points, he quickly agreed to the instructor's words and moved on.

Of course, the expression of disapproval was clearly evident on his face.

Kun trudged and stood in front of me.

Then I heard the instructor's voice. It was a slightly exhilarating voice, different from when she was talking to Kun.

"Now, let's exchange flowers with our partners before we begin the class?"

Kun looked at me for a moment as if looking at a cockroach infesting the house, and then held out the flower he was holding in his hand.

"…I look forward to your kind cooperation."

When I saw it from a distance, I thought it was just a yellow flower, but when I looked up close, I could clearly see what the flower he had brought was.

A yellow rose in full bloom.

I smiled broadly as I received the flowers he gave with one hand that was empty. It was bigger than all the other flowers the students had brought.

‘…This bastard.'

Yellow rose means jealousy and envy.

If I had known this far, I would have let it go, thinking that he had brought something cute.

But the yellow rose he brought was not just a yellow rose, but a species with a special name.

You must have thought that I wouldn't know the name and meaning of that rose.

As if I was happy to receive a pretty rose, I kept a smile on my face and handed Kun the ragweed grass that I hid behind my back.

“Looking back at it, before you seem to hate picking flowers just like picking on people…”

Because it was brought in canned condition on purpose, soil dripped from the grass that I held out.

Kun's trembling gaze turned to the dirt that had fallen on the floor, then fixed his gaze on me again.

"That's why I dig up the roots especially for you. It's so fresh, isn't it?"