Dinner left Eternal Meteor feeling a little… uncomfortable.
Tokai Teio and Rudolf were starting to resemble each other more and more—both treating her like she was fully disabled.
They wouldn't let her queue.
Wouldn't let her fetch food.
The moment she finished her cola, Teio would snatch the cup and go refill it for her.
At this rate, if her hands ever got sore, she'd probably end up being spoon-fed too.
Even when Meteor said, "I can do it myself," Teio would only smile and wave it off.
And because it was pure, well-meaning concern, Meteor couldn't exactly throw a tantrum and demand they stop.
Her microscopic conscience prickled at the thought of "pretending to be injured" and enjoying the attention, but…
…this actually feels amazing.
Of course, one thing she hated was that she couldn't be picky in front of Teio.
Eternal Meteor viciously bit down on the carrot in her mouth, crushed it, and swallowed.
No matter how many times she ate it, she still detested that taste.
While she was still fighting her way through the remaining orange "non-recyclable material" on her plate, Teio—already done—suddenly lit up, hopped to her feet, and briskly headed for the dessert window.
"Teio?"
Meteor glanced at the carrot remnants, then at the trash can under the table.
She gritted her teeth.
Closed her eyes.
Picked up the plate and tipped it straight into her mouth.
She simply couldn't bring herself to waste edible food, so she forced herself to imagine it was potato and swallowed it down.
By the time she'd finally gotten it past her throat and chased it with half a cup of cola, Teio returned—beaming—carrying two plates.
"Meteor, look what I got!"
"It's chocolate mousse—YES!"
The instant Meteor recognized it, she threw both hands up in celebration.
"Heh-heh. The moment I saw it, I rushed over to grab it."
Teio's nose practically rose into the stratosphere. She closed her eyes, clearly waiting for praise.
But instead of words, something appeared in front of her face—close enough that her breath bounced back onto her cheeks.
She opened her eyes and froze.
A spoonful of mousse.
Eternal Meteor was smiling and gently wagging the spoon as if to say Open up.
"Here. The hero eats first~"
Meteor watched with delight as Teio, cheeks turning pink, bit down on the spoon.
Watching Teio go red over the smallest tease was absurdly fun.
"…It's not that sweet," Teio said after a careful taste, sounding almost surprised.
"It is chocolate mousse," Meteor replied as she set Teio's spoon back on Teio's plate. "Besides—I like it when it's not overly sweet."
With her own spoon, Meteor scooped a generous bite and closed her eyes, savoring the light sweetness and the faint cocoa bitterness.
"So you like this kind, huh…"
Teio lowered her head as if thinking hard about something, then, after a moment, continued eating dessert with her.
"So I told you, I could've carried it."
"No, it's fine. The plastic bag can hang off the armrest."
Teio pushed the wheelchair along with practiced ease, the takeout swaying slightly from where it hung off the rear handle.
"…It's just a shame we didn't bring dessert for the president and the others."
Because saying 'I only thought about getting it for you' out loud is impossible, Teio thought—face reddening—then abruptly changed the subject and kept chatting as they headed back to the student council room.
Once the boxed dinners were placed into the hands of the three people still working, Teio hesitated at the door, lingering as though those last few steps were longer than an entire G1 track.
"Let's play again tomorrow!"
Eternal Meteor, who had already turned on the screen to find something single-player, glanced back and waved cheerfully.
"Yeah!"
That reassurance was enough. Teio finally relaxed, then skipped away with the bouncy, dance-like steps that were uniquely hers.
Two hours later, Rudolf finished her work.
As usual, she rolled the wheelchair to the stairs, then lifted Eternal Meteor in her arms and carried her up to the dorm.
And then—
Wait.
Why is the dorm lock a fingerprint lock now?
Still in Rudolf's arms, Eternal Meteor's eyes widened as she watched Rudolf place a finger on the reader.
A series of crisp electronic beeps followed, and the door clicked open.
"President… what's with the lock?" Meteor blurted. "The old one wasn't broken, was it?"
There was no way she could pretend she hadn't noticed. When they'd left for the student council earlier, the lock definitely hadn't been like this.
"Oh, that." Rudolf sounded calm—almost casual. "When you and Teio went to dinner, I came back to grab some documents. The lock was old… or maybe I was in a hurry. The lock cylinder just fell right off the door and broke."
A total lie.
The old lock had been perfectly fine.
It was now in pieces in a trash heap.
Rudolf's real reason for changing it was simple:
She was terrified Eternal Meteor would sneak out at night to train.
With an electronic lock linked to her phone, any attempt to unlock the door in the middle of the night would trigger a notification.
Only then could she feel even slightly at ease.
She laid Eternal Meteor onto the bed, then—without drawing attention—returned to the door and pressed the lock button.
Now it's locked.
Now she can't go anywhere without me knowing.
Now… I can finally breathe.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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