Chapter 78 - 20 - The Ranking (part 2)

"...!"

Zoemi barely stopped himself from taking a step back – it wasn't as if he outright disliked the blond girl, but he certainly didn't like her either...

No matter what, she was exactly like her character in the game – at least from what Zoemi knew about her.

By that point, Zoemi still firmly believed that he could work around the heroine's actions and decisions which she would make, solely based on his knowledge from the game – even though there already were multiple instances of the events melting together and happening completely out of order, and those were only the ones he knew about

How many more could have already happened while the heroine was out of the black-haired attendant's sight?

The sudden thought was like a punch to Zoemi's stomach and the scarred oy instantly felt nauseous – but he couldn't just excuse himself like that – he didn't want to allow the heroine and the villainess to be in close proximity for too long, or who might know what could have happened?

"Hello, B... Burushitto, congratulations on taking the second place!"

On the other hand, the heroine's name was so out of place that it actually alleviate some of Zoemi's symptoms – for example, the feeling that he had to fight with himself to not show was joy - it sounded so stupid while spoken out loud after all - so he smiled weakly – careful so that his scars wouldn't twist too much, and stuttered on the name that he still couldn't believe was true.

He did it – he didn't laugh in her face!

The scarred attendant triumphed – but...

"...!"

"...?

And for just a split second it looked like the heroine wasn't happy to be called by the name from the list...

Far from it.

Just for a short moment that would be missed if Zomei blinked at the wrong time - she seemed to frown and her stare became sharp and full of anger - but then instantly, just as fast as it turned sour - her expression changed back to the cheerful one.

"Sir Zoemi...!"

The blond girl gasped in an elated voice while pressing the black-haired boy's hands to her chest...

*boing*

...which simply said, meant that she stuffed his hands between her massive breasts.

|Hnnng..!|

Zoemi flinched on the inside but didn't even blink on the outside remaining perfectly calm despite the soft, springy sensation enveloping his hands.

"You finally called me by my name, sir Zoemi! Does that mean we are friends!?"

The heroine made the innocent expression that Zoemi remembered from all the cutscenes that he disliked about her character the most.

Thanks to that he managed to tear his eyes... mind!

To tear away from his mind away from the distraction that presented itself before him.

|Ugh... I can't believe it... She's just so... Bland and boring...! Her personality is extremely barebone to make for an easier self-insertion for the player... God! Everything she does seems so at least five times more disingenuous than what I remember seeing playing out on the screen...! And that look on her face! So dumb and innocent in the worst possible meaning of the word!|

Zoemi looked the heroine in the eyes and his eyes lost the light, making it seem cold and dead.

The problem was that she wasn't easygoing or an airhead – those were genuine traits of personality that the blond girl clearly lacked...

No, she was straight up insufferable!

The heroine, with a funny name or not, was the living example of why that type of personality has no right to exist in real life.

It was only passable in the game, and even there it was only barely passable – and now that Zoemi was thinking about it, it also must have been the reason why the blond girl wasn't liked y other students...

Only someone with extremely low self-esteem and absolutely zero confidence would want to...

|Ooooohhhh.... that may be why Surou is so close with her...! Everyone compares him to his perfect brother while he is mediocre in magic and has only as much interest in politics as his supporters want him to. Being around the heroine as she is now must be a blast for him, the first time he feels special or something.|

The black-haired boy realized and almost started nodding to himself but thankfully he remembered where he was in time, before making himself look like some creep.

"Sir Zoemi...?"

Heroine asked in a worried voice tilting her head like a confused puppy and looking up at him with compassionate eyes.

"..."

Honestly, Zoemi wanted nothing more than to shake her off, but once again the thought of the increasing stock of the mana potions made him keep up with Burushitto's bullshit...

...as ironic as that may have sounded...

...and it's not like his hands felt particularly bad either...

|Aha! He is blushing! Good! I knew those puppies will make the approach much easier! Boobs aren't everything? Yeah, right! I would love to all to see me now, who's a cutting board now?!|

The heroine smiled internally but managed to keep the innocent expression on the outside while remembering a certain situation from her previous life.

|Innocence and naivety are what all capture targets in the game eat up about the heroine. That's why that bitchy Miriette always gets the short end of the stick! She's too bossy and proud even with that flat ches...|

Burushitto smirked remembering the pitifully modest chest of the villainess.

Two reincarnated people, who didn't know about each other's real identities, exchanged fake smiles.

|...Ah...! Oh crap...!|

Burushitto flinched and lowered her head to hide her face from the black-haired attendant and glanced at the dark-haired girl, realizing the nasty feeling creeping on her back.

Her intuition didn't fail her – Miriette was glaring at her, not only that...

Lady Espine has noticed where Zoemi's hands were and were giving Burushitto the most murderous and bloodthirsty death stare possible.

|Hah! Bring it on Slutiette - I'm ready for your childish weak-ass bullying. I am not going to let him kill me anytime soon, even if it means messing you up in the process! Sorry, but I will not be a martyr for someone else!|

The blond heroine thought to herself with a determined expression - but released the black-haired boy's hands and stepped away, lowering her head in a trained embarrassed motion.