but he found it again through sheer grit and tenacity, and he kept chasing it.
“Wa–Wait, you…!”
He started coughing before he was able to get the “little” out.
In contrast to the desperate, frantic Elliot, the white cat ran as lightly as if it were dancing, and it seemed to be enjoying itself.
It might have felt as if it was in the middle of a fun game of tag.
With a terrific leap, the white cat burst from the bushes. Elliot barreled straight ahead as well, running out of the bushes, and there—
He was in that back garden. Small flower beds, a shadowed space. It seemed deserted.
“…………!?”
He hadn’t been far behind the white cat, but he didn’t see it. Gasping for breath, Elliot hunted doggedly for the white cat, radiating a frenzied aura.
“Oh, Elliot-kun—”
A voice spoke behind him. Ada Vessalius’s voice.
Elliot turned; his gaze was sharp enough to cut. “Ahn?” Ada looked as if she’d just reached the back garden herself. Seeing Elliot suddenly plunge out of the bushes had obviously startled her. The sight of Elliot—out of breath, shoulders heaving—seemed to bewilder her.
Wearing an expression that declared she had absolutely no idea what was going on, she pointed at the bushes from which Elliot had emerged:
“Elliot-kun, did you just…come from there—?”
As she spoke, Ada seemed to come to some realization. Her cheeks suddenly flushed red.
Very softly, her lips mouthed the words “Secret date…” Ada looked down, folding her hands in front of her, fidgeting with her fingers.
Elliot didn’t know what her reaction meant, and he had something far more urgent to worry about. Irritated, he glanced around the area.
Fidget fidget, fidget fidget.
As Ada fidgeted, she spoke:
“……Ah. Um. Lutwidge Academy doesn’t prohibit students from seeing each other, but, um, you really shouldn’t, um… Not in the bushes… Um, that…that sort of…i-immoral buh…behavior isn’t something I can allow as a disciplinary committee member, so to speak—Aaaaaaaaauau!”
Ada was in full confusion mode; her eyes were spinning.
“……………………………………………………………………What are you talking about?”
Elliot’s face was cold.
“Huh?”
Ada looked blank. With a merciless sneer, Elliot spoke:
“Hah! So the Vessalius girl’s head is always full of flower fields. It must be real nice to have things that easy. I don’t care if you play disciplinary committee member, but at least do a decent job. Thanks to you, I’ve been……!”
If the disciplinary committee had found the white cat promptly and caught it before it met Elliot…
This wouldn’t even be happening!
His logic was pure misdirected anger, but Elliot had a sharp tongue. He couldn’t possibly have been more irritated. Even as she shrank back a bit under his harsh words, Ada echoed the end of Elliot’s sentence: “Thanks to me, you’ve been—?”
Elliot had no intention of telling her, and he couldn’t have done so in any case.
“…Elliot-kun?”
“I told you, don’t say my—”
Name like we’re friends
, Elliot was about to say.
But.
—Moon?!
Behind Ada’s back, he saw the white cat slip smoothly into the school building.
Puzzled, Ada was still waiting for the words that came after “don’t say my,” and when Elliot suddenly made a mad dash at her, she gave a little shriek and almost fell over. However, Elliot didn’t even seem to see her anymore; he ran right past her and away.
“Elliot-kun…?!”
On reflex, Ada called for him to stop. However, without turning back, Elliot yelled at her over his shoulder and disappeared into the school building.
“Don’t let me see your face again, you addlepated disciplinary committee member!”
It was magnificently trenchant abuse. …And then Ada was left all alone.
Under the cloudy sky. Standing dumbfounded in a cold wind that was beginning to carry hints of the chill of night, she
“Wa–Wait, you…!”
He started coughing before he was able to get the “little” out.
In contrast to the desperate, frantic Elliot, the white cat ran as lightly as if it were dancing, and it seemed to be enjoying itself.
It might have felt as if it was in the middle of a fun game of tag.
With a terrific leap, the white cat burst from the bushes. Elliot barreled straight ahead as well, running out of the bushes, and there—
He was in that back garden. Small flower beds, a shadowed space. It seemed deserted.
“…………!?”
He hadn’t been far behind the white cat, but he didn’t see it. Gasping for breath, Elliot hunted doggedly for the white cat, radiating a frenzied aura.
“Oh, Elliot-kun—”
A voice spoke behind him. Ada Vessalius’s voice.
Elliot turned; his gaze was sharp enough to cut. “Ahn?” Ada looked as if she’d just reached the back garden herself. Seeing Elliot suddenly plunge out of the bushes had obviously startled her. The sight of Elliot—out of breath, shoulders heaving—seemed to bewilder her.
Wearing an expression that declared she had absolutely no idea what was going on, she pointed at the bushes from which Elliot had emerged:
“Elliot-kun, did you just…come from there—?”
As she spoke, Ada seemed to come to some realization. Her cheeks suddenly flushed red.
Very softly, her lips mouthed the words “Secret date…” Ada looked down, folding her hands in front of her, fidgeting with her fingers.
Elliot didn’t know what her reaction meant, and he had something far more urgent to worry about. Irritated, he glanced around the area.
Fidget fidget, fidget fidget.
As Ada fidgeted, she spoke:
“……Ah. Um. Lutwidge Academy doesn’t prohibit students from seeing each other, but, um, you really shouldn’t, um… Not in the bushes… Um, that…that sort of…i-immoral buh…behavior isn’t something I can allow as a disciplinary committee member, so to speak—Aaaaaaaaauau!”
Ada was in full confusion mode; her eyes were spinning.
“……………………………………………………………………What are you talking about?”
Elliot’s face was cold.
“Huh?”
Ada looked blank. With a merciless sneer, Elliot spoke:
“Hah! So the Vessalius girl’s head is always full of flower fields. It must be real nice to have things that easy. I don’t care if you play disciplinary committee member, but at least do a decent job. Thanks to you, I’ve been……!”
If the disciplinary committee had found the white cat promptly and caught it before it met Elliot…
This wouldn’t even be happening!
His logic was pure misdirected anger, but Elliot had a sharp tongue. He couldn’t possibly have been more irritated. Even as she shrank back a bit under his harsh words, Ada echoed the end of Elliot’s sentence: “Thanks to me, you’ve been—?”
Elliot had no intention of telling her, and he couldn’t have done so in any case.
“…Elliot-kun?”
“I told you, don’t say my—”
Name like we’re friends
, Elliot was about to say.
But.
—Moon?!
Behind Ada’s back, he saw the white cat slip smoothly into the school building.
Puzzled, Ada was still waiting for the words that came after “don’t say my,” and when Elliot suddenly made a mad dash at her, she gave a little shriek and almost fell over. However, Elliot didn’t even seem to see her anymore; he ran right past her and away.
“Elliot-kun…?!”
On reflex, Ada called for him to stop. However, without turning back, Elliot yelled at her over his shoulder and disappeared into the school building.
“Don’t let me see your face again, you addlepated disciplinary committee member!”
It was magnificently trenchant abuse. …And then Ada was left all alone.
Under the cloudy sky. Standing dumbfounded in a cold wind that was beginning to carry hints of the chill of night, she
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