The Perfect Knight and the Illusionist (BL)

LEO

I sat at the back of the classroom on the right side of Thomas, with Isabelle sitting on his left. This was the seat I took when I first joined because I didn’t want to get noticed by others, and right now, that choice turned out to be a good one as I hid myself from Mario, who was sitting in the third row of the classroom.

During the class, I kept looking at him from behind the safety of my seat, as Mario was someone who always looked straight ahead and paid attention to the teachers at all times.

I thought about what we talked about the day before.

As I observed, Mario was indeed a good-looking guy even from behind. Although I couldn’t see his face, even just his silhouette gave off a vibe of being a safe, trustworthy man—if I were cornered by bandits at night in some back alley and he appeared in the moonlight, I would feel that I was being rescued by a hero.

So THAT is ’likable.’

I thought to myself.

Everybody liked him, for sure. Alexis, I could tell, particularly looked up to him**,** sometimes praising Mario so much that Mario looked uncomfortable with it. Every club we visited together recognized him, with only Blanche being the exception. They all wanted him to join, but he was already set on joining the student council, which I heard was supposed to be the most powerful and difficult club to join of them all.

So yeah, Mario was well liked.

That much I could understand.

And I was happy that I was ’likable’ too. It wasn’t just Mario saying it to make me feel better. I confirmed it with Briant and Dimitri, and they agreed with Mario.

But the reasons Mario gave were weird.

’Fluffy like a dog and nimble like a monkey’ weren’t exactly reasons to like someone, were they?

Briant said I was kind, Dimitri said I was funny. But I don’t think I ever liked a friend because they had fluffy hair or eyes like a lake.

Gosh, thinking about that made me feel weird.

It was all because Mario was weird...

And as I was thinking this, suddenly, Mario turned around and our eyes met.

I wanted to quickly look away, but I couldn’t. I froze, and we ended up having a mini staring contest. Then, without saying anything (heck, actually, it wasn’t like he was going to shout across the classroom in the middle of the lesson, though), he turned to face the front again, and that was that.

But I read it.

I could read in his eyes that he was thinking something—something he had decided. He just had that determined look on his face.

So I waited nervously, and when the class was over, just as I thought he might, he got up from his seat swiftly and began to approach me with those big, bold strides of his.

"Skylark," he said firmly.

"Mario..."

"I challen—I mean, let’s have lunch together," he said.

"...Okay?"

"Come with me."

So I got up and followed him. I could hear Isabelle giggle.

Mario walked fast. He didn’t wait or slow down for me, so I had to move my shorter legs quickly to keep up with him.

"But—this isn’t the way to the dining hall?" I asked him, noticing that we were going in another direction.

But Mario didn’t answer. Instead, he kept on walking ahead until we got out of the main building through its back entrance, and we found a bench in the backyard where not many students came.

I was starting to feel a bit nervous.

"Here, eat this," he said, handing me something.

It looked like bread, but when I touched it, it was rather hard and heavy.

"What is... this?"

"It’s a ration. This should give you enough nutrition to survive."

"Wha—why?!"

"Skylark," Mario said, closing his eyes, "I realized I have been too lenient with you."

"Huh?"

"We are supposed to be training hard to become Royal Knights. Discipline is of utmost importance."

"I... guess...?"

"We must stay focused, committed, and disciplined in our training and improvement. Do you understand?"

"Yes..."

"I apologize that I was... wavering a little. But our duty to the Empire is far more important than anything. So I propose that we rearrange our relationship to be more productive in serving that goal."

I felt my heart tear a little.

"I don’t understand, but does that mean... we can’t be friends?"

Mario flinched, twice.

"Comrades, Skylark. Brothers in arms."

"Huh? Like those girls who walk around locking their arms?"

"THAT’S NOT WHAT IT MEANS!!!"

"YEEK! Sorry!"

"Brothers in arms is a phrase for men who fight in battles together. That’s what we shall be. It’s far more than just being friends."

When I heard that, my aching heart felt immediately soothed, as if it had been mended with some kind of magic healing cream.

"More than just being friends... like really special friends."

"That’s exactly it, Skylark."

"Heh... hehe," I laughed a little, involuntarily.

"Why... are you laughing?" Mario asked, his voice somewhat nervous.

"For a moment, I thought you didn’t want to be friends anymore. Phew, I was so scared."

"No, Skylark—I would never do that," Mario said, clarifying.

"But now, when you say you want to be more than friends... I don’t think I fully understand what you mean by that, but it does make everything feel kind of special."

"Yes, Skylark, special friends, so special that the word ’friend’ isn’t fully accurate."

"Tehe, I get it then, Mario. Thank you for this!"

I took a big bite of the ration Mario gave me, jumped up from the bench, and ran back to the main building, leaving him behind.

The ration tasted horrible at first, but the more I chewed it, the more I could taste its quiet sweetness, as if it needed time and persistence to be appreciated.

A bit like Mario—I thought to myself and laughed.

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