Monday . Week 2 . Year 1 .

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[Your hostile detection has reached level 4 . Only one more left . ]

[Your relations.h.i.+p with Toru and Kitome has changed to Friend . ]

[Your relations.h.i.+p with Neko has changed to Very Curious . ]

Clyde sighed at the delayed prompts before dismissing them . The sound of the rain thumping against the window and the roof helped sooth his sore muscles a little . Funny, he should've felt worse than this, considering the fact that he almost died . Maybe today was a good day to take a break from the grind .

Despite his body's protests, he still rose up to handle morning matters . Nothing beat brus.h.i.+ng your teeth in the shower . The alarm virtually demanded him at the school . The prior night felt like it went on for years .

He watched the news for a few minutes while enjoying a breakfast of eggs, waffles, and bacon . A little less healthy than normal, but the constant fighting and running and nearly dying does something to man's metabolism, Clyde thought . He set the few dishes in the dishwasher before taking off . Luckily the rain stopped, giving way to a breezy and cloudy day .

Harumi met up with the young man as he stepped outside and off they went, traversing the wet sidewalks . They walked silently at first, abandoning the usual conversation . Clyde could see from the corner of his eyes, the young woman stealing glances at him . Not even halfway through the walk, he had to ask .

"Are you well, Harumi?"

She flushed, nodding a bit too quickly .

"I'm fine . "

He shrugged .

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"Without you, we probably would've died at least ten times over . " He looked at her . "Thank you for being there for us . A healer is a thankless job that you didn't ask for . "

Harumi seemed caught off guard for a second but composed herself . Clyde noticed that instead of wearing her hair straight down like usual, it was wavy .

"That hairstyle looks good on you," he said .

"Thank you," she said, still blus.h.i.+ng .

Clyde felt like he shouldn't do that—these were the words of a harem main character, but Harumi really did look good with the hairstyle . Why was someone like her single anyway? Clyde didn't answer that question . Because anime tropes, that's why . Still, he didn't like the tension in the air .

"If you've got something say, Harumi, don't hold back," he said . "What's bothering you? We're friends . Talk to me . "

He forced himself to not think about the impossible relations.h.i.+p system that sped-grinded his way into the pink-haired girl's friends.h.i.+p circle .

"Well…about that glowing orb yesterday," Harumi said . "You simply breathed it in . Did it do anything weird to you? Your ambient spirit feels different?"

She placed a hand on Clyde's forehead, gazing at him with a healer's eye, in front of everyone, right as they were reaching the school gates .

"Get a room," Seth said as he approached the duo .

Clyde let out a sigh .

"What's up, Seth?"

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He gave the young man a handshake .

"Exhaustion," Seth said . "Kept having nightmares about mutant girls eating me . "

Clyde chuckled .

"Seems to me like you and Toru enjoyed that sort of thing," Harumi quipped, driving a blush from Seth .

"No way dude, not me," he said, denying too eagerly . Harumi and Clyde gave him a suspicious look before allowing him to relax .

"Hi Clyde . " Chika seemed to appear out of thin air, anime-diving into the young man's arms . The intoxicating, enchanting smell of soap and perfume hugged his nose before Harumi barged in between the two . The staredown made Clyde a bit uncomfortable . It was funny and adorable, but the fact that the system still somehow held him by the b.a.l.l.s, even when he outsmarted it, didn't bode well . Then again, this was probably not the system's doing . The girls did this of their own free will .

"Alright, enough of that," Toru said, beating Clyde to the words . Kitome strolled at his side . "Good morning everyone . "

"Hi guys," Kitome said . Clyde saw her brother, Yusuke, continue forward without turning to the group . "Anyone else felt like skipping cla.s.ses?"

"I did," Seth said, "but since I paid and all, you know . "

"Not like the academy's going to let us get away with hooky anyway," Chika said, a tiny stroke of disapproval in her voice . With grades like hers, Clyde wasn't surprised . Now if only she could get along with the professor .

"Could you not stand in front of the gate like this," someone said . "It's a violation of school policy . "

A slender girl with long black hair and grey eyes folded her arms, impatience spreading about her like an aura .

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"Sorry, President," Seth said, giving her an easy smile . It had no effect on the young woman .

Clyde a.n.a.lyzed her just for the h.e.l.l of it .

Sazuki .

Level: 19 .

Type: strong willed . Student council president .

Relations.h.i.+p: neutral .

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

As the group walked past her, the young man caught a showdown of glares between Harumi and Sazuki .

Sazuki harrumphed anime-girl style . Harumi flushed with indignation then stuck her nose up as she pa.s.sed the student council president .

"Why do you two act like you don't get along," Seth said, shaking his head . "That stupid fight is long over with . Didn't the professors force you to make up?"

Harumi didn't answer, just looked straight ahead as if she didn't hear him . Clyde was curious—Harumi had a rival?

"What happened?" he whispered to Seth .

"Long story dude," Seth replied, "but when Harumi's old friend was here, they were hyper-compet.i.tive over everything . When her friend moved away, it died, and along with their somewhat friends.h.i.+p . And of course, a falling-out eventually happened and now here we are today . Wasn't even Harumi's fault, but the president could never get over her pride . She also has a soft spot for Harumi…a bit too much of a soft spot, if you know what I mean . "

Clyde's eyes widened a little .

"You mean…les—"

"No, you dreamer, but she often asks about Harumi's well-being when she's not around . It's pretty d.a.m.n irritating when you're trying to escape her stupid onslaught . "

Clyde chuckled . His smile died when Maki caught sight of them . Seth's blush hit full tomato mode .

"Oh, hi Ma—Maki," Seth said .

Clyde held the popular girl in an unreadable gaze, which seemed to invoke a flash of rage from her . This pleased him .

Your superficial charm has no effect on me, he thought .

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