And so, a few days passed, and I was back at the academy.

Recently, each day had thankfully been clear, so Emily hadn't summoned me as often.

Instead, she continued to harass me in ways Mary wouldn't notice.

"Hey Ken, I forgot my book. Mind if I sit next to you?"

She would use her book as an excuse to sit next to me and bother me.

"Stop it… We're in class right now."

"Are you resisting? Can't you just behave?"

She kneaded my stomach like dough from the seat next to me.

Stop!

That's a sensitive spot!

"...You perv. Aren't you embarrassed to walk around with something like this? It's huge, like a boar’s. Come on, admit it. You flaunt this around for girls to gossip about, don't you?"

"Ugh...!"

I was humiliated by her taunts, filled with shame.

But Emily's harassment didn't stop there.

"Ken, come here and massage my shoulders."

"Uh… But..."

"But what? Get over here, now."

She wouldn't let me rest during breaks, making me massage her shoulders instead.

"Hah... Oh... Right there... A little slower... Ahh!"

"L-Like this?"

"Hah, heh, you’re useless at everything else, so at least you should be good at this. Ah! It's so big, but so dumb."

"Ugh…"

Having big hands was a complex of Ken’s.

Even with my mental fortitude skill, I could still feel the pain from Ken's memories.

But I couldn't stop.

If I stopped massaging her shoulders, it would likely lead to a beating.

Frustrated, I did my best to massage Emily's shoulders.

'She’s still a girl after all.'

Even though she was my tormentor, her shoulders were soft and reminded me she was a girl.

How can someone with such a delicate body hit so hard?

"Yeah... Right there... A little more!"

"Here, ma'am? Is this the spot, ma'am?"

Thankfully, thanks to my handicraft skill, my massage techniques seemed to be to her liking.

Recently, she made me do this more often than hitting me.

Even now, after school, she stayed in the classroom and made me massage her shoulders.

However, there was one thing that puzzled me.

[System: Emily Epiris' sexual arousal level has increased.]

'Isn't the system broken?

Why is her arousal level rising like this?'

These status messages appeared occasionally when Emily wasn't hitting me.

No matter how sadistic she might be, the protagonist couldn’t possibly be this perverted, getting aroused at every little thing.

My trust in the system messages started to wane.

"...Huh? Um... Are you okay?"

But somehow, I could feel Emily's body temperature rising through my hands, and her breathing became ragged.

She placed her hands on her lap and pressed her legs together, as if trying to hold something in.

Her hands and legs trembled with her heavy breathing.

"Um..."

"Shut up and keep going. Don’t stop your hands."

"O-Okay."

‘Damn, I was worried for nothing.’

Feeling a bit spiteful, I put a little more strength into my hands as a small act of revenge.

After massaging her shoulders for a while, I could tell where her weak spots were.

"Ah... W-Wait! What are you—-"

"Oh, this is an acupressure point that helps with sleep, ma'am. You seem to be lacking sleep lately, right? Oh my, so tense."

Of course, that was nonsense.

I didn’t know anything about acupressure points that aid sleep.

But I did know that pressing here made her shoulders tremble and her back stiffen.

I focused my attack on her weak spot.

"Ah! S-Stop it... Stop! If you keep pressing there!"

My nimble fingers didn't stop despite her cries.

This was my revenge.

Enjoy it to your heart's content.

Fortunately, my attack seemed effective, as she clasped her hands between her legs and squeezed her thighs tightly together.

She kept rubbing her legs like someone anxious.

'...Alright, let's wrap this up here!'

Just as I was about to deliver the final blow to end my revenge...

"What exactly are you doing at this hour?"

The classroom door opened, and someone walked in.

"W-What?"

I was startled and let out a strange noise when I saw the unexpected visitor.

It was Mary Hyde, the academy's Ice Queen.

Her light blue bob glimmered in the sunset light.

[Ken Feinstein’s immersion level has increased.]

"Oh, Mary! What are you doing here!"

Feeling Ken's willpower enveloping my body, my hand automatically left Emily's shoulder.

Then Emily turned around and looked at me.

There was a mixture of confusion and annoyance in her gaze.

And then her gaze quickly turned from me to Mary.

"So, what are you, a student from another class, doing here?"

Despite Emily's sharp voice, Mary maintained her usual expressionless appearance.

And then she answered nonchalantly.

"I'll be going home with Ken."

"...What? Together?"

But I never made any such promise.

And it seemed Mary noticed this as well, as she answered without the slightest movement.

"...I’ve heard some rumors lately."

Despite Emily standing confidently, Mary’s usually emotionless voice turned cold as she spoke.

Her expression remained unchanged, but her eyes sharpened noticeably.

Her blue eyes gleamed.

"I heard that on rainy days, Emily Epiris bullies Ken Feinstein."

And the air around us froze.

Magic gathered around Mary as she began conjuring her signature ice spells.

Without even saying a single incantation, ice magic formed around her.

Soon, multiple sharp icicles appeared in the air.

All of them were aimed at Emily.

"Is it true?"

"......"

Emily couldn't respond carelessly.

After all, Mary was one of the strongest at the academy, second only to Raphne.

At this point, the only ones who could stand on equal ground with her were Raphne and two of the male main characters: Adrian and Siegfried.

"...Tch."

Emily’s hand trembled with frustration as she realized this.

Then, just as she seemed about to say something to Mary, I stepped in between them.

‘I should probably intervene.’

"N-No, Mary! Bullying? No way! Emily and I are just good friends!"

"G-Good friends?"

"Is that so?"

I heard Emily’s flustered voice behind me, and Mary dispelled the icicles, her magic fading from her eyes.

Of course, I knew.

If I left everything to Mary, this bullying would stop immediately.

But Emily was the main character of the game.

If a fight broke out and something happened to her, the consequences would be worse than the benefits.

It was better to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Emily remained silent, not reacting to my interference.

I turned to look at her.

Her eyes weren't on Mary, but on me.

For some reason, her face was flushed, and she glared at Mary with a mix of frustration and guilt.

A few tears welled up in her eyes before she grabbed her things and stormed out of the classroom.

"......"

'I can never predict what she'll do next.'

In the end, only Mary and I were left in the classroom.

Mary watched Emily leave before turning to look at me.

Her expression, usually emotionless, now showed a hint of concern and guilt.

She cautiously spoke up.

"Ken, are you okay?"

It seemed she knew I had lied about being close to Emily.

There's no point in lying now.

"Yes, thanks to you, Mary, I’m fine."

Ken’s will was in those words, but it was true I was grateful.

I didn’t know how long I would’ve had to keep massaging Emily’s shoulders otherwise.

But despite my words, Mary still looked troubled, her face clouded with guilt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going through that when it rained."

"N-No, it’s alright, Mary! I’m really okay!"

I waved my hands frantically at Mary, who lowered her head, a shadow cast over her face.

Of course, I wasn’t okay.

But Ken couldn’t stand seeing the girl he liked look so despairing.

Even if I wasn't okay, I comforted her by saying I was fine.

But it seemed she knew I was lying, as her expression didn’t change.

"I should protect you… But whenever it rains, I become useless, I’m sorry."

"......"

I had no words for her continuous apologies.

But one question did pop into my mind.

Come to think of it, why does Mary always take a day off when it rains?

In a game with a weather system, I knew Mary was never available on rainy days.

But the game never explained why she had this trait.

"Hmm, shall we head home?"

Still, I couldn’t easily ask her something that seemed so sensitive.

So, for now, we decided to wrap up the small incident.

"...Huh?"

"Ah."

Then, quite suddenly, I got the answer to that question.

While I was trying to lift Mary's spirits with some trivial conversation as we walked,

an unexpected event occurred on our way to the dorms.

Pitter-patter.

It was a sudden downpour.

"...Oh no."

As the large raindrops began hitting her head and gradually soaking her clothes, Mary muttered in concern.

Her face was filled with confusion and fear.

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