As I entered the classroom, an unusual atmosphere enveloped the room. Some of my classmates were blushing and whispering to each other, mirroring the peculiar behavior I had encountered earlier.
Okay, seriously... What is going on?
Bronya noticed me and shot a sudden cold glare. I felt a chill as I made my way to my seat, bewildered by the unexpected frostiness from her.
Eh?! What the?! What did I do...?!
The Valkyrie females in the classroom were staring at me for no apparent reason, and some of them were even blushing. The whispers continued, leaving me perplexed.
Just then, Himeko entered the classroom, taking her place at the podium. "Alright, everyone, listen up... Today, a new classmate is gonna join us." Himeko turned toward the door. "Enter."
The new classmate was Wendy, who entered with a warm smile and addressed the class, "Hello, everyone! My name is Wendy, pleased to meet you all." She bowed graciously.
I couldn't help but smile widely, nodding in acknowledgment of Wendy's introduction.
Wendy, however, noticed me and waved enthusiastically.
Eek...
My female classmates turned to me, their whispers growing more fervent.
"I can't believe it, he even charmed the new student."
"I know, right? Even so... He's so cute."
"Yeah~ Thinking about the rumor of him made my heart skip."
Rumor? What rumor?
Just then, Kiana dashed through the door, panting, "I'm sorry! I'm late!"
"Kiana!" Himeko was about to scold her but sighed, "You're lucky it's still homeroom; now, get to your seat."
"Hehehe~" As she turned to her seat, Kiana noticed me and pointed, "Ahh! Shin!"
Himeko threw the clipboard at Kiana, "Stop shouting, you fool! Get to your seat!"
"O-ouch... Alright~" Kiana scratched her head as she took her seat, which happened to be right beside mine. Kiana then whispered to me, "By the way... You're quite famous today."
"Hahaha~ I don't know what happened."
"Really?" Kiana smirked.
"Really."
Kiana sighed, "How boring." Then, she noticed something under my desk. "Shin, look under your desk."
"Hm?" I looked down and noticed more love letters in my desk. "Oh wow..."
That's a lot of love letters...
The mysterious surge in popularity and the enigmatic rumors surrounding me left me in a state of bewilderment.
Himeko snapped, her voice cutting through the chatter. "You two! Stop talking!"
Startled, both Kiana and I immediately fell silent.
Himeko sighed, her gaze fixed on Wendy. "Wendy, your seat is right there, behind Shin."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Wendy responded promptly.
As Wendy passed by me to reach her seat, she whispered, "Let's have a good year~"
I smiled and nodded in agreement.
Himeko began discussing the upcoming events at St. Freya, specifically the much-anticipated 'Summer vacation.' As she delved into the details, the excitement in the room palpably grew.
After a few hours, Himeko concluded her talk, and Kiana wasted no time in standing up, making her way to my desk. "Now, Shin! Let's open these letters one by one!"
Wendy, looking surprised, remarked, "That's a lot..."
"Right?" Kiana grinned, clearly unfazed.
I gathered the stack of love letters and placed them on the desk. "It's quite a pile."
"Is that all the love letters?" Bronya asked with her usual stoic expression.
"I think that's all...?" I replied uncertainly.
"Great." Bronya extended her hand towards the letters, pointing her palm at them. "Activate Project Bunny: Laser Mode."
My eyes widened in disbelief. "WOAH WOAH! What are you doing?!"
Bronya looked at me with a blank expression. "It's obvious... I'm burning them."
"You're also going to put a hole in my desk!"
Kiana couldn't resist a mischievous smirk. "Bronya is jealous~"
Bronya, usually unflappable, turned to her with a cold glare. "Ha."
Kiana suddenly felt a chill, crossing her arms to warm herself. "C-calm down, Bronya."
I couldn't help but shake my head. "You two... Seriously."
Amidst the banter, Wendy seemed to make a discovery. "Oh? This one was mine," she declared.
Both Bronya and I turned our attention to Wendy.
"What?" Bronya exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
"Hehehe~ After what happened back then... I couldn't help but think about Shin~" Wendy admitted, looking down and blushing.
As I was trying to process Wendy's revelation, I noticed a faint glow on my back. Slowly turning around, I saw Bronya, her Project Bunny ready with a laser.
"Wait... Bronya..."
"Subject Wendy got seduced because of you... I must eliminate you," Bronya declared with a deadpan expression.
I raised my hands defensively. "I didn't do such a thing!"
The tension in the room escalated as Kiana burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama.
Why are you laughing!?
ust then, a love letter gracefully landed on my desk, drawing the attention of Wendy, Kiana, and Bronya. I picked it up, curious about its contents. "Hm?" I opened the love letter and began to read, with my friends eagerly looking over my shoulder.
"Shin Watanabe, This is my first time writing a love letter. I'm in love with you. Please meet me at the arena stadium after school."
"Oh~ Aren't you a lady killer, Shin~" Kiana smirked, playfully smacking my back. "Are you gonna accept it or not?"
Bronya stared at me intensely. stareeee
"Well, I'll go meet her first."
"What if she's a beauty?"
"Then... Hehehehe..."
"Idiot, Shin!" Bronya exclaimed, dashing away.
"Ahh! Wait! Bronya-neechan!" Wendy followed her, but not before bowing to me.
"Look what you did to Bronya," Kiana smirked.
"Shut it, you..."
Geez, I was just gonna reject this sender anyway.
And so, I patiently waited until the end of the school day. As I entered the arena stadium, the vastness of the space reminded me of the time I got beaten up by Fu Hua.
Just then, I noticed a girl with strawberry-blond hair that faded into a light pink at the ends. She wore a tight black coat with streaks of teal, a short cape, a black military hat, brown leggings, and dark boots. Oddly, she held a lance.
"Are you Shin Watanabe?" she asked, slowly turning around to face me.
"H-Huh, Yeah... I uh... came back with an answer."
"And what is it?"
"Sorry, but I don't know you yet..."
"Oh? Is that so? Sorry, but I don't take no's when it comes to this."
"Huh? W-What do you mean?"
"I didn't really write that as a love letter, but I lured you here because... I heard from Rita that you are strong... and I want to have a duel with you."
From that sadistic maid!?
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself..." She took a stance. "My name is Durandal, S-rank Valkyrie who leads the Immortal Blades, the most powerful Valkyrie Squad of Schicksal."
"EH!" My eyes widened in shock as the unexpected turn of events unfolded before me.