I head towards the gardening club.
During the summer break, I was responsible for almost all the management. It seems the other members were busy as nobles, so I took the initiative to handle it.
While I was back at my family home, Dina-senpai and Rebecca-senpai took care of tasks like watering and changing the fertilizer.
Now, as the summer break is nearing its end, many members of the gardening club still haven’t returned to the dormitory.
So, as usual, I unlock the door and begin managing the plants and cleaning the room.
Regarding the cleaning, Dina-senpai told me that this room is always kept clean, so there’s no need to do it every time, but I still make sure to do the bare minimum.
Holding a broom, I gather the remaining dust and dirt into one place, then scoop it into a dustpan and throw it in the trash.
After closing the trash bag, I take it to the waste disposal area, thinking that today’s activities are finished… when I suddenly feel something is off.
──Is the bookshelf out of place?
It’s a feeling close to intuition.
Normally, I wouldn’t pay attention to such things and would ignore them. But since it caught my interest, I stood in front of the bookshelf.
“…The position hasn’t changed.”
I crouch down to take a closer look. There, I noticed faint marks as if something was dragged.
There are also traces of ink.
“Wait a minute, this is…”
I deliberately voice my thoughts to organize them.
The dragged marks beneath the bookshelf, along with the ink stains.
They’ve been wiped clean, but at close range, it’s clear that it’s the residue of spilled ink.
And I recall Rebecca-senpai’s behavior.
On that day… when I entered the room, she hurriedly left as if trying to hide something. And what was left behind were the ink stains.
“Indeed, there’s something here.”
Like a detective, I begin to take action to solve this mystery.
First, I’m curious about this bookshelf. Why are there dragged marks? The fact that it’s been dragged means someone has moved this bookshelf.
Could it be…?
From my past experiences, I recall secret doors. During the Far East War, I discovered secret doors multiple times while on missions. There’s a possibility that a hidden room lies behind this bookshelf…
With that in mind, I decided to try moving the bookshelf with some force…
“…It won’t budge. Is it fixed in place somehow?”
I could probably move it if I were to destroy it, but I can’t really do that. So, I take a few books from the shelf and check inside.
However, if someone uses this regularly… the possibility of it being a man is eliminated. Right now, I’m the only male who can enter the gardening club.
In other words, considering the height of a woman, if I investigate inside…
“Aha. I see.”
I find traces of magic not on the top shelf, but in the right corner of the center. It’s shaped like a hexagram. Most likely, it would activate if I pour in a small amount of the Prima Materia.
So, I pour a small amount of the Prima Materia…
With a rumbling sound, the bookshelf begins to rotate.
“A staircase?”
Hidden behind the bookshelf was a staircase, leading down. Beyond it lay only darkness, and normally, one would hesitate to enter.
However, my curiosity takes precedence, and there’s a possibility that it could be something dangerous.
I can’t put the seniors of the gardening club in danger.
With a sense of mission, I descended the stairs.
◇
“Is there any light? It seems quite dim…”
As I went down the stairs, I noticed a faint light glowing. Someone must be using this place regularly. Soon, I reached a dead end.
However, it wasn’t just a dead end, there was a door. It seemed that there was a keyhole, and perhaps the door was locked.
“First ….”
I decided to try turning the doorknob, even if it was a long shot.
With a click, the door opened. It didn’t seem to be locked.
What came into my view was—
“Oh? Is that you, Dina-san? I wasn’t expecting you today… Huh? Eh?”
The room was bright.
Unlike the dim staircase, there was a solid light illuminating the space. In addition, there was an L-shaped long table and several chairs.
Documents were spread out on the table, and in front of them was… a woman.
A senior I knew well, who had always been very helpful to me.
“Is that you, Rebecca-senpai?”
Why was I asking in the form of a question?
Of course, there was a reason for that.
Because she was wearing a casual red pajama-like outfit and glasses that she usually didn’t wear.
Her hair was messily tied back, a far cry from the beautifully groomed Rebecca-senpai I was used to.
Even so, her original form was clearly still there.
The person in front of me was undoubtedly Rebecca-senpai.
But why was she in a place like this…?
As Rebecca-senpai sat there in stunned silence, she suddenly trembled and shot up from her seat. In the process, a lone sheet of paper came floating down like a leaf, settling within my reach
I picked it up and glanced at it, and there was…
“A cartoon? No, is this a manga?”
It’s well-known that books became widespread worldwide with the advent of printing. However, recently… The emergence of something called manga was still fresh in my memory.
Apparently, it involves drawing pictures and adding dialogue. I’m not very familiar with that culture, but I think Carol had a few books of that sort.
What was depicted on the paper was two men embracing each other. There were also dialogues written.
“I’ve loved you for a long time… Rebecca-senpai, what is this?”
“Ugh, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Rebecca-senpai rushed toward me desperately and snatched the paper away roughly.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
Her breathing was ragged. It was clear that it wasn’t just from running. She was obviously flustered.
“Senpai, what does this mean? Is this room something that you…?”
“Ugh! N-no, Ray-san! There’s a reason for this, a reason!!”
“What is it?”
“Ah… um, well… if I’ve come this far, I guess I have no choice but to talk about it.”
Rebecca-senpai slumped her shoulders and bent down to sit back in her chair. She then urged me to take a seat in the remaining chair, so I sat in the chair she indicated.
“Well, let’s see… where should I start talking?”
“What is this room?”
“This room, well, it seems it has been a hidden room for a long time. Apparently, it was created because the first president of the gardening club secretly wanted to cultivate certain plants…”
“I see. So now, it’s being utilized by you, Rebecca-senpai?”
“Y-yes, that’s right…”
Rebecca-senpai, with her face completely flushed, was looking down. It wasn’t just her face, her ears were also bright red. It seemed she had done something quite embarrassing.
I couldn’t help but feel nothing but respect for Rebecca-senpai, who was engaged in artistic activities…
“This room is something that has been passed down through the generations of the gardening club’s presidents… but until now, it hasn’t been used much.”
“Then why is Rebecca-senpai using it?”
“Th-that is!!”
“Could it be that you’re working on the manga here?”
“U-um, yes…”
“Don’t you do it at home? If you’re writing manga, wouldn’t it be better to do it there?”
“Well, um… it’s embarrassing. And if my family found out, it might… cause problems. So I’m doing it secretly… yes…”
“I see. Is that so?”
There must be some circumstances behind it. I somewhat understood the background. Indeed, having someone see your own creations might come with a certain level of embarrassment.
While thinking about this, my eyes were drawn to the papers gathered in front of Rebecca-senpai.
“D-Don’t look at them!”
Rebecca-senpai said this in a flustered manner. However, I really wanted to see. Just that one page made me curious.
“Is it not allowed? The drawing you showed earlier was truly wonderful. You are amazing, senpai. To be involved in artistic activities like this, I really admire you.”
“W-was it really good?”
“Yes. It was truly wonderful. I’m not well-versed in art, but even so, it moved me. I often appreciate paintings, but I haven’t had much exposure to manga. Thinking that you, Rebecca-senpai, drew that makes me feel nothing but admiration.”
“Oh, um… actually, it’s a romance theme…”
“What! A romance manga? I’ve read romance novels, but I’ve never read romance manga. Please let me see it!”
“Uh, well, there’s a bit of a problem…”
“What is it?”
Rebecca-senpai was fidgeting slightly, looking up at my face with a worried expression.
Then, with her eyes glistening, she said the words.
“It’s a romance between men!”
“Between men, you say?”
“Y-yes. Is that strange? Ahaha… I’m sorry. Please forget I said that—”
“Senpai.”
“Y-yes!”
I gently took her hand, which was trembling with anxiety.
“I understand same-sex relationships. In a place I belonged to before, there were people who were homosexual. Besides, I wouldn’t think of someone’s hobby as strange. You like it, don’t you, Rebecca-senpai? I would never deny what someone loves outright. And when it comes to love, gender is a trivial matter. If there is true love, isn’t that enough?”
“R-Ray-san…”
Her eyes were still trembling. But unlike before, they weren’t filled with anxiety. There seemed to be a hint of expectation in them.
“I understand! Then, please read it!”
She handed me the stack of papers she had, her hands still shaking.
Smiling, I accepted them.
“I will take a look.”
I flipped through the pages.
Silence.
An overwhelming silence dominated the space.
I seriously read the manga that Rebecca-senpai had drawn. Just as I had heard, it was a love story between men. But I understood. While the characters were indeed male, what was depicted here was undoubtedly pure love.
Even though they loved each other, they hesitated because of their genders.
But in the end, they conveyed their feelings and came together. Overcoming various conflicts, they reached that conclusion.
As I immersed myself in that story and the wonderful illustrations, I finished reading to the last page.
“Fuuuu…”
“W-What did you think?”
Rebecca-senpai asked, gripping her hands tightly.
Of course, I conveyed my honest thoughts to her.
“It was wonderful!”
“Huh?”
“This is amazing, senpai! I was moved! Unlike a novel with only words, this is a new form of entertainment! In manga, the characters’ expressions are visualized, making it easier to understand! Senpai, this is incredible!”
That was my honest impression.
Rebecca-senpai is truly amazing at drawing. Moreover, the structure of the story was also fantastic. I quickly understood that Rebecca-senpai must be someone who stands at the pinnacle of this artistic world.
“R-Really?”
“Yes! This is incredible! The drawing is excellent, but the story structure is also wonderful! The characters’ conflicts are expressed so well… I know it’s presumptuous of me as an amateur to evaluate it, but I was just deeply moved.”
“Eh, ehh? Is that so? I’m glad to hear that!”
“Yes! Let’s get it published! We’ll go negotiate right now! Leave it to me, I’m confident in my negotiation skills!”
Completely excited, I try to leave this underground place with great enthusiasm, but Rebecca-senpai grabs my collar and stops me.
“W-Wait a moment!”
“Oh, I’m sorry… I got a bit too carried away…”
“No, it’s fine. I was really happy, so it’s okay. Actually, this is something different, but I have it bound… it’s a simple thing, though.”
“What!? Is that so?”
“And actually, there’s going to be a sales event tomorrow in the kingdom… it’s a completely reservation-only secret event… it’s not open to the public.”
“I see, I see.”
“So if it’s alright, I was wondering… could you help me out?”
“Wait! Does that mean I would help with the sales?”
“Yes. Actually, Dina-san won’t be able to come tomorrow, and I was originally planning to go alone, but… I’m feeling anxious.”
“Leave it to me! I’ll be happy to help. It would be a pleasure to support your wonderful artistic endeavors, senpai.”
“Really!?”
In that moment, a beaming smile spreads across Rebecca-senpai’s face.
I’ve seen her smile before, but I’ve never seen her look this genuinely happy. She must be really delighted.
Then I will do my utmost to support her.
For the senpai I respect, I will do anything.
“Rebecca-senpai!”
“Yes!”
“Let’s do our best together!”
“That’s right! Then, let’s go… “
““Ouu!””
And so, we will head to the manga sales event that will be held secretly in this kingdom.
[TN: No Comments for this chapter]
Here is the —>discord<—- to get update notifications and release schedules.