My Ex-Boyfriends Are Interfering With My Death

Chapter 6
Leave Me Alone! But No One Listened (6)

 

“…It’s nothing. I just thought you were too close.”

“Is that so.”

Right. Just like before. He’s too close.

My cheek felt hot under his persistent gaze, examining the wound.

He looked down slightly, carefully inspecting the ointment on my cheek, then put it down and picked up some medical tape.

“Bear with it. We’re almost done.”

“…Okay.”

‘Ah, come to think of it.’

I suddenly remembered the change in groups. I should mention it now to avoid trouble.

“That’s right. I had something to tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m not in the same group as Young Lord Behemoth.”

“…What?”

Ethan’s hand, which was carefully applying the bandage over the ointment-covered cheek while holding my chin, suddenly tightened.

“Ugh.”

I let out a faint groan at the pain of my jaw being crushed and pushed his shoulder. This time, he moved back.

Did he resist last time? This guy.

Ethan also opened his eyes in surprise and hastily let go.

“…I’m sorry. Are you alri—”

“How could I be alright? Hey.”

I glared at Ethan Behemoth while rubbing my jaw, which felt like it had been twisted for a moment, with a furrowed brow. My pressed jaw felt sore.

Why is he reacting so sensitively? Did he want to be in the same group that badly?

Is he trying to break my jaw for revenge, like he broke the mirror?

“…You’ve been apologizing a lot today.”

“I was surprised. I was sure we were in the same group.”

The calmed Ethan replied softly while closing the lid of the magical ointment.

Even while doing so, his gaze didn’t leave me.

His attitude had been strange for a while now. This was almost like…

I narrowed my eyes, looking him up and down, and reluctantly answered.

“…I didn’t like the whispering around us, so I asked the Dean to move me to the rear support group.”

“…So that’s why you were coming out of the dean’s office.”

“Yes, and there they are.”

I openly gestured with my chin towards some people who had been whispering nearby, bothering me for a while.

“Those guys who just talk from afar.”

The chattering fellows were startled and scurried away, tucking magic teaching aids under their arms.

I’m not sure if they were surprised by my gesture or shrinking from Ethan Behemoth’s glare.

Ethan turned his head back and muttered.

“…I thought you wouldn’t care about such talk.”

“Ah, that. The dean said the same thing. I wonder what my image is…”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“No. Just saying.”

I snorted and shook my head. My image, huh. Probably a student with magic skills unbecoming of my lowly status, acting arrogant with my head held high.

I wonder what part of me Ethan Behemoth had said he liked.

A fleeting regret passed through my mind that I should have asked about that before breaking up with him, no matter how busy it was.

In truth, I know.

If I had truly heroic talents, I wouldn’t have had to go through these tedious time loops.

With just one chance, I might have uncovered the mysterious curse tied to the time loops and achieved everything I desired.

But I couldn’t.

So I wonder if, without the hundreds of time loops, I would have just been someone with mediocre talent who couldn’t reach the level of such heroes and would have ended my life early.

My sense of reality returned after a long time.

But why did Ethan Behemoth suddenly take an interest in me?

After pondering for a while, he raised his head and casually asked.

“So, did you get a definite answer?”

“He said he understood.”

I answered vaguely on purpose. It would be troublesome if he came looking for me during the camp or intimidated other students to change groups.

I thought he might not be that obsessive, but my jaw still ached from his grip, so I decided to refrain from saying more.

‘Why are you asking?’

I stared at him intently for a few seconds with that meaning. Ethan Behemoth, with an expression as if he had made some decision, said something incomprehensible.

“…So this is the only time.”

“…Pardon?”

What? What is?

As I couldn’t hide my puzzled expression, suddenly a gentle breeze passed through my hair. Strangely, it was mixed with the scent of flowers.

Ethan Behemoth straightened his back, sat upright, and lowered his head towards me, meeting my gaze.

The atmosphere was subtle. Even someone as socially unaware as me could notice it.

As his face got closer, I could see his expression more clearly.

Calm, stoic, and somehow excited…

His fine, short black hair gently scattered in the kind wind.

Yes, this felt like a scene straight out of a sweet romance novel.

‘…Ah.’

Let’s admit it now. He must have already started liking me. Could it be that he had a crush on me since the academy days?

What should I do? I didn’t expect to reject ‘the’ Ethan Behemoth twice.

If he confesses, how should I refuse?

While I hesitated, Ethan Behemoth gently grabbed my hand and firmly interlaced his fingers with mine. My soft, untrained flesh was pressed by his sturdy fingers.

And then, a voice filled with warmth that sounded just like the Ethan Behemoth I once knew, spoke up.

“Edith Crowell. Let’s do it.”

…Do what?

“…Pardon?”

My body stiffened in embarrassment. I didn’t think he was this brazen. Surely not. At the academy.

He slowly added more words.

“I want to spar with you.”

…You should have said that properly from the start.

Even with the added object, it wasn’t an easily understandable statement.

“So, Young Lord Behemoth, you want…”

“Yes.”

“You want to… spar with me?”

“You heard correctly.”

I tapped my ears in disbelief.

Ethan Behemoth looked at me as if I were crazy.

“What’s wrong?”

“No. I just thought I might be going crazy.”

“You do seem a bit like that.”

“What are you saying?”

“Haha.”

It must have been his idea of a joke, but his slightly smiling face was annoyingly handsome.

What am I feeling in front of this child?

Have I really gone mad from failing the time loop?

I felt like I could see the dean laughing in the distance.

‘Dean. Can you see this? Is this the experience of young mages and knights working together that you talked about?’

Even in my imagination, it’s infuriating to see him disappear with a sly smile, telling me not to blame myself for the Young Lord Behemoth’s advances.

What experience do young mages and knights have working together? He’s thinking about competing with me right now.

I feel foolish for even briefly considering a confession. My ears are burning.

So all that insistence on me participating in the subjugation practice was… just because he wanted to compete with me…

This crazy battle maniac.

“I refuse.”

“Why?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“I don’t know.”

Shameless guy. I take back what I said about him being a child.

I may have gained an infamous reputation for excessive slaughter in some past loops, but I was nothing compared to him.

They say geniuses always have some mad aspect to them, don’t they?

In each loop, my madness changed a little according to necessity, but Ethan Behemoth remained consistent.

‘It was as if he was trying to test the limits of what could be achieved with a sword using a human body.’

That’s why he inevitably became known as a battle maniac, a war maniac.

With a hollow laugh, I shook my head and politely bowed.

It was a gesture of refusal.

“Why should I, a mage, face you, young lord? It’s against school rules.”

“Look around. Everyone’s busy preparing for the subjugation practice.”

“…You want to do it secretly?”

“Yes.”

…He wants to spar away from prying eyes while everyone’s busy. What nonsense is this?

Is this level of obsession with self-training what it takes to become a hero later?

“I still don’t want to. Go spar with knights your own size.”

“I don’t want to, Edith Crowell. I want to do it with you.”

If we were in the same group, could I have smoothly avoided this confrontation?

‘Ha.’

No, he probably would have been even more persistent.

Suddenly, I felt tired of it all.

Is there no way to avoid both the sparring and the conflict… At least ‘back then’, there wasn’t even a chance for such provocations.

Ethan Behemoth fought to his heart’s content and didn’t even pay attention to me.

Ah.

Isn’t there a monster that could appear right now?

🥀

Thank you for reading! ♡