“By the way, I will tell you this for future references; please never stop approaching me, O.K?
“E~, is there something wrong?”
“For that simpleton and a natural airhead, who else is going to be able to handle her?”
Shana began to wonder if there is something wrong with her Bible of past knowledge. With that Shana tilted her head. While holding his head, Syulein thought about the future. With this, the ultimate battle between the Heroine and the rival will be settled somewhat. Relief began to spread in his heart. During those three months of fighting between these girls, honestly speaking, his heart began to sweat a bit.
“By the way, Edward-san”
“Ah, you can just call me Syulein. If you going to continue fighting with Bell as her rival, both of us are going to be in a very long relationship.”
“I will happily accept it then, but…… when are you going to confess your feeling to Belfreya-san properly?”
“— Ge ho~, Go ho~”
Even if she herself is the Heroine, the current situation is still surprising to Shana. From the outsider perspective, it is quite obvious how both of them think about each other. Even so, for the two of them who did not seems to show any kind of progress, it somehow makes her feel impatient.
“No. Confession aside, that fellow is my fiancée you….”
“If you keep saying such a thing, I will kidnap Belfreya-san away.”
“For a Heroine to say that, are you trying to make some kind of a joke!?”
If Syulein did not know about the Heroine past, he must have thought that he was hearing some kind of joke. A stupid fiancée; a fiancée who only has Heroine in her eyes. Probably, the number of time that he felt jealous over the Heroine could no longer be counted. The number of time when he held his head down was also incalculable.
As if she detecting something troubling, Shana quickly look over Syulein back. Curious over her action, he signalled her with his eyes. However, Shana did not respond towards his gaze, and instead, a smile began to spill from her lips. Is there something behind me was what Syulein thought at that time.
“Belfreya-san is a straight forward person. Therefore, she, herself, probably did not aware of your feelings towards her. Thus, she also did not realize that her feeling was actually already been reciprocated.”
Shana narrowed her eyes as if she is seeing something interesting and quickly close the distance between both of them. Syulein was startled by her movement; however, he did not walk away as he did not feel any kind of threat from her. Although she was smart; at the same time, she was still childish and mischievous. And at the current moment, she was smiling like a fairy.
“Therefore, this is a little meddling from me.”
Letting her mouth came into close contact with Syulein ears, she gently whispered. Hearing that, Syulein eyes grew big as he stared at her.
When he tried to open his mouth to question her regarding the truth in her word-
“Rein-sama first kiss is mine. I am going to wear a white one-piece dress and Rein-sama will wear a white tuxedo; both of us will be watching the sea on the romantic beach while our silhouette will overlap each other due to the sunset. And that is when we plan to kiss. After that, both of us will call each other [baby], and then we are going to have our second kiss under the starry sky. That is why Rein-sama first kiss is mine. I will never forgive you!!!”
“One time is enough, don’t keep repeating it!!”
The door to the entrance that connected the rooftop and the school building behind Syulein was vigorously opened with a bang, while Belfreya bellowed in a single breath. Belfreya did not think much of the current situation as it was similar to what had been going around inside her brain perfectly thanks to her daily delusion power. For the first time, Shana felt refreshed while looking at the Ore-sama Mr President (17 years old) with his fiancée.
That orange eyes were shining strongly, and the golden hair slowly moisten due to the sweat on her face. Belfreya quickly made her way towards Syulein and Shana. There were neither anger nor sadness in her face; instead what was reflected was her pure burning fighting spirit.
If it was an ordinary heroine, if you see your fiancé and your rival snuggled up and kissing on the rooftop; you will feel so shocked that you will turn back and ran down the stairs. And in order to solve the misunderstanding, the hero will start chasing after you thus triggering the situation of hero chasing the heroine.
But this is Belfreya Alunst. Whatever convention in front of her, she will directly smash it. As expected of Belfreya san, Shana smiled happily as she watched her rival.
“Sa~a Shana-san. Let’s settle everything today. Let have a competition on who has more feeling towards Rein-sama!”
“Actually, I was wobbling a bit just now.”
“Oh, you are wobbling…. eh?”
Initially, Belfreya had approached the two of them and uttering the defiance words with the aim of opposing her opponent. However realizing her blunder, her mouth was hanging open; and towards that girl, Shana walked slowly as she closed their distance with each other
“For me, you always seem dazzling, bright, cheerful and persistent. Therefore, as much as I am proud of myself for working hard to stand next to you, you are also my number one target.”
“Shana-san……?”
“…….I cannot win. As your rival in love, I was defeated. However, will you still compete with me as the heroine’s rival? From here on I want to always walk beside you. Is it possible for me to be that kind of rival to you?”
The radiance could not hide her sentiment. Shana was scared because she knew the real reason why Belfreya trying to win over the heroine. Even now, as the conclusion between victory and defeat arrived; will Belfreya still see her as a rival? She admitted that even she did not know about it.
“……..Because you are there, that I am here right now.”
Despite Shana’s anxiety, Belfreya’s powerful voice shone through.
“Truthfully, I was quite a foolish child. During the lesson, I need to get help from Rein-sama; even when exercising, it took my breath away in the beginning. Until I met Rein-sama, I have never thought of making any effort, and the things that I considered painful to do begin to accumulate one by one.
Belfreya would never reach this point if she had only been depending on her knowledge. She continued to positively make efforts due to the fact that the wall that she needs to overcome is high. All of this was because there is a reason why she could not lose by any means.
“Despite that, I was able to work hard on my study, training and ethics because my goal is you. When I first met you at school, the feeling of tension and anxiety … … And the feeling of not going to lose is making me happy. Even now, that feeling did not cloud over. Shana-san, will you let me stay as your rival?”
“Of course, the huge wall is already been raise.”
“Eeee… that should be my line.”
Both of them gently reached out their hand towards each other before they firmly grasped it. The victorious expression on their faces was similar to those who had vowed to never lose, and this made Syulein who had been thrown out of the loop since the beginning to feel weak suddenly.
“From now on I will find a more wonderful love. I will not lose on my studies and my training. I will show you the status that I have built up.”
“I’ll accept your challenge. Be it beauty or popularity I will win everything.”
This is a declaration of rivalry to overthrow each other. On that day, both of the girls have become the true rival who could no longer be substituted by anyone else.
———
“My business here is already finished. Now, I will leave young people alone.”
“……Eh?”
A few moments later, Shana gently removed her hand from Belfreya and bowed to both of them at the same time. She then turned sharply and left the rooftop. The way she moved her leg will surely put those model into shame. It would have the sound effect of [Tattatta]. Belfreya pondered about that as she had been left alone with her fiancé while the rooftop slowly being wrapped by the evening sky.
“My birthday is early than her and Rein-sama is also older by a year; however, she has something like an adult’s charm, isn’t she?”
“There is no way I am answering that kind of question… Oh well, you can do it.”
The tension that the two of them felt as they watched the door from where Shana had left through began to loosen. Syulein was scratching his head with [gashigashi] sound while watching Belfreya who exhaled a little breath, trying to relax.
“Hey, the rooftop should be off-limit for the time being, so how did you get the key?”
“After the committee meeting, I went to Rein-sama’s classroom and I met with Fior-sama. He suddenly told me, [This is bad, Bell-chan! Syulein had been kidnapped by the last boss. This is the short cut that leads to the event where the fiancée is being saved from the captivity!] And with a very refreshing face, he gave me the key to the rooftop.”
“That bastard. He completely enjoying this.”
As promised, I was waiting for Bell – chan in the classroom properly is what he is probably going to say when I scold his tomorrow. For that time being, he seems to be holding Belfreya from interrupting Shana’s story however, for the sake of his enjoyment he surely did not hold back after that.
Since Shana had come with prepared determination, and he also understood Syulein’s feeling; Fior had been trying to hold Belfreya back a little bit due to her hot-bloodedness. Syulein could not help but had a scary premonition that his friend is going to grin gleefully when he heard about this story tomorrow.
As time passed, Belfreya’s eyes begin to shift uneasily. She had began to calm down as she took time to calmly analyzed the situation
“Ano, Rein-sama. That….. Did you really turn Shana-san down?”
“Wa~ well that is the end result.”
“I am really, really glad. Well, it might seem strange for me to say this but she is a really wonderful person. She is so wonderful that it might be a waste for her to be my rival.”
Whatever words that Belfreya used to protect Shana, she herself knew best what is revolving in her own head. She is the one who was hoping that Syulein will not choose Shana the most. In the end, she was also the one who had been saying discourteous thing to both Shana and Syulein.
Even though she knew that she still could not stop talking. A person like her will never be chosen. Even if she worked hard to have the same specs as Shana, at the end she is still rejected. Did he select someone who is as equal to her? Will she be able to accept it? Such faint-hearted thought began to appear.
“Therefore, if Shana-san was rejected, Rein-sama will really–”
“I’m having no regret.”
Feeling somewhat impatient, Syulein quickly blocked Belfreya’s word. While looking at her surprise face, Syulein quickly walked towards his fiancée, Belfreya could only watch as he came closer; so close that she could easily reach him with her hand.
“Oi Bell. I want to check something with you. So, listen carefully to what I am going to say.”
“E~, Ye, Yes!”
“Even though Bell has been aiming to overthrown the Heroine for seven years already; and keep practising without ever giving up while at it, is it all because… you did not want me to be taken by the Heroine?
“He………..”
As Syulein speak, Belfreya began to listen earnestly when suddenly his word make her stop for a moment. Her face suddenly turn read as if the fire suddenly flare up somewhere. Belfreya’s ears turn red and towards that speechless girl, Syulein begins to feel convinced towards Shana’s meddling.
Even without any word, he still understood. That expression and attitude were not something that this girl could lied about. He had always watched her who always been looking forward to the day when the Heroine is going to be defeated and all the effort she did to win over her. All the things that she has been doing until now is all for the sake of him.
“You (omae), what kind of face are you making…”
Syulein turned his head down as he tried to hide his amusing smile from showing in his face with his hand. From the side, it could be seen that there was a slight reddish-tinged appeared on his ear.
——-
“About the things that you’ve been talking just now.”
“A, that, a little while ago.”
“Kiss. That kiss. The one you said on a romantic beach is good.”
Towards that slightly casual words by that boy, Belfreya quickly gave her affirmation. Her heart was currently restless and the heat felt uncomfortable as if on the verge of being short circuit. Despite that, Syulein had decided to finally use the present initiatives to drive their current circumstance into her.
“I prefer the other situation more. Are you okay with that?”
“E~ But that is my delusion for so many years…. but if Rein-sama prefers something else over that.”
“Okay, then let me say it.”
With that, Syulein took one step forward; the distance between them now was almost non-existence. Syulein scooped Belfreya golden hair and gently whispered into her slightly redden ear.
“….on the rooftop after school, with the sunset behind our back. That kind of situation is no good?”
“After school, at school, on the rooftop, sunset……”
One by one, Belfreya pondered on the keywords. A lot of time has passed as the beautiful sunset sky begin to spread over the rooftop where both of them currently are. As everything begins to dye in red, Belfreya finally understood what Syulein meant to say.
Belfreya could not avert her eyes from looking at his jade green eyes which filled with his feeling. His fist was slightly shaking, while he strongly continued to grasp his own hand tightly. That orange eyes look puzzled at the scene in front of her before she begins to remember something and her eyes turn into a determination.
My rival has told him with all her might about her own feeling. Of course, there is obviously the feeling of fear. Even so, I tried to lie and stroke my own heart with all my might.
Then, she as the rival of the Heroine should not lose. Those who have the courage to overcome their weaknesses and bravely step to the future are heroines.
“…..Wonderful, it is such a wonderful situation.”
“Bell?”
“I, Belfreya Alunst, like Syulein Edward. I really like you. Therefore, from now on and the future, please continue to be with me.”
As she instantly wiped her tears away, Belfreya began to laugh. She look dazzling like the sun while the warmth illuminated everything around her. While she smiled like a flower, Syulein look stunned as he poked that girl’s head.
“Really, you… having come this far, you should have at least let me as a man say that first. Take this…”
“No, it hurts.”
Belfreya looked sullen due to that slight ache however smile began to overflow from her; Syulein then bent his body a bit so that his face aligned with Belfreya.
“At first, I thought that something outrageous had been pushed to me as my fiancée. She keep wielding her strength with all her might, training like an idiot while continued to dream about the Heroine. At that time I thought what the heck is this? Still somehow, I cannot take my eyes of you. To make matter worse, I am jealous of those eyes which does not seems to have me in it. I kept on thinking what I should do so that I will be reflected in your eyes.”
Syulein gently swept Belfreya forelock before holding her cheek in his hand.
“……I like you, Bell.”
The two shadows which were formed by the sunset quietly overlapped.
—-Like this, while holding the overthrown heroine in his chest, that girl will continue to run as there are still many things awaiting her in the future.
******************
Bound Pleasures 
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