*Sniff*. I sat awkwardly on the sofa, pouting and sniffling.
The Professor held me for a long time. Stroking my head was just a bonus. The Professor was the one who spanked me, yet also the one comforting me.
Maybe it was a warning not to be too spoiled? Or perhaps that we should maintain mutual respect. Something like that.
I knew I was throwing a tantrum, but I wondered if this was really necessary. My bottom still stung.
"Urr, you shouldn't do that elsewhere. Understand? If you want something, you need to clearly express it. Lying on the floor like that is a bad habit. You won't be able to do that when you're older, will you still act that way then?"
"..."
"Hmm?"
"N-no..."
I clenched my fists together. After I shook my head in response to the question, the Professor said, "That's right," and hugged me more tightly.
The moderate warmth and pressure enveloping me made me feel good without even realizing it.
"Good, no more tantrums from now on, okay?"
"...Yes."
"And..."
The Professor smiled bitterly, as if giving in. After setting me down on the sofa, the Professor went into the closet and took out a wallet from a coat hanging in the corner.
My eyes sparkled at the sight of several bills being pulled from the wallet.
"...But no welcome party. Those are usually drinking gatherings, aren't they? Urr shouldn't be drinking."
"Ah, I won't drink."
"Hmm, but you might drink anyway thinking I won't see you, right?"
Since this was hard to refute, I slightly averted my gaze. The Professor approached me and pinched my cheek.
"Owwww."
"I'll give you the money, but this time be satisfied with receiving pocket money. Honestly, you probably don't have anywhere to spend it anyway."
The Professor said this and released my cheek. I rubbed my stinging cheek.
Was it true that I really had nowhere to spend money, as the Professor said? Except for when I went on errands because I was bored, we were together almost 24 hours a day, so there really didn't seem to be anywhere to spend money.
Whenever I did find somewhere to spend money, the Professor's wallet would usually open anyway.
But since I hadn't asked for money without any thought, I nodded for now. I looked at the bills in my hand and folded them to a size that would fit in my pocket.
"Thank you."
"Let's eat."
The Professor stood up saying that.
The next day arrived. Thursday morning was "About Demon Gods," a first-year lecture day. The day to meet Karen. Before the lecture started, I contacted Karen to come near the Professor's laboratory.
I was sitting in the lab staring at my phone when I saw Karen calling, and I jumped up from my seat.
"Professor, I'll just go out front for a bit."
"Hmm? Karen?"
"Yes."
Since I had already spoken to the Professor about it, there was no difficulty in meeting her. I slightly opened the door and approached Karen, who was standing in the corner of the hallway.
"Hi!"
As I approached waving my hand, Karen waved back.
"B-but why did you ask me to come all the way here? ...There are a lot of Institute Students in this building, so it's a bit..."
First years wear blue, second years red, and third years black. But since the base is white, she seemed a bit intimidated when seeing seniors who were either completely white or completely black.
I was used to it, so I didn't mind whether they were completely white or completely black.
Karen's restless gaze scanned the surroundings. She seemed to be watching the professors and Institute Students passing through the corridor. I rummaged through my pocket as Karen clearly showed her desire to finish her business quickly and leave.
Karen looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Here."
I handed her the paper that would resolve her confusion. Paper made of fiber with special value—money.
"...Huh?"
"See! I managed to get it somehow. I told you to trust me, didn't I?"
"No, it's not about trust or anything. Can you just give money like this? No, no! I can't accept this."
Karen shook her head. Her ponytail swayed as she moved.
Her hand extended back toward me. My mind went blank seeing Karen refusing the money I had given her.
If she had no friends because she had no time to hang out, couldn't we just make time? If it wasn't about lacking time but lacking money, that could be solved, right?
Was even this consideration coming across as hurtful to Karen?
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
That wasn't my intention, so I tightly gripped the returned bills and hung my head. Karen flustered, put her hand on my shoulder.
"N-no! I'm really happy you thought of me...! Of course, with that money, I could go to the welcome party and drink as I mentioned yesterday."
"Then why?"
"But that's money you worked hard to save, Urr. How could I take that? Even if I did, I couldn't spend it so easily."
I stared blankly at the money.
It wasn't money I had worked hard to save; it was just money I got from throwing a tantrum in front of the Professor. Since I couldn't go to the welcome party anyway, I had given it all to Karen, but getting it back like this gave me a strange feeling.
I gave the money thinking of Karen, but Karen returned it thinking of me. If she had just accepted it, I would have simply thought, "That's good," without any particular thoughts.
I, who wanted to feel satisfaction, ended up embracing an ambiguous emotion instead.
"Then, you don't have to go to the welcome party?"
"Yeah, I'm planning to go to the Library after morning lectures tomorrow."
"...Friends?"
"It's fine. I need to work hard to get a scholarship."
"Karen must be good at studying, huh?"
"No, I'm just working hard to meet the national scholarship criteria."
I thought she was talking about a merit scholarship, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Since she said she was studying to receive a national scholarship, I wondered if she found studying difficult.
Karen didn't seem to want to accept this money. But I wanted to do something for Karen, so I furrowed my brow.
"Ah, if you want to study, would you like to meet some seniors?"
"Huh? What seniors?"
"I know some third-year friends in the Dept. of Spellcraft."
"...But we're in different departments? I'm in the Dept. of Demon God Research."
Karen pointed at herself and said with difficulty.
"Sera also takes Demon God lectures, though?"
"Well, since some people study and research Demon God magic, that's possible..."
"I'll ask for you. Wouldn't it be good if you could help each other study and become friends?"
When I asked with a bright smile, Karen smiled bitterly and waved her hand.
"No, I don't want to bother the graduating seniors."
"What about second years then?"
"...Hmm, I don't know. Let's think about it slowly since we have a lecture now. I'll go ahead? You'll sit next to me, right?"
"Yes, I'll sit next to Karen. Keep a spot for me!"
"Okay!"
Karen walked away like that. Behind me, I heard the creaking sound of a door opening.
"Professor?"
"I was wondering what you were talking about so intently..."
The Professor peeked out and looked at me. A beautiful appearance with golden hair and blue eyes that seemed to show off. Meeting that gaze made me feel frozen in place.
I should have gone farther away to talk.
As I hesitated and stuffed the crumpled money into my inner pocket, the Professor was looking at me with eyes that seemed to want me to come back.
I turned around and went back to the Professor, who opened the door wide for me to enter. When I went into the laboratory, the Professor's hand came to rest on my head.
The hand gently stroked my head a few times.
"Were you trying to help your friend study?"
Huh? I wondered if the Professor hadn't seen the part where I tried to give Karen money.
I thought the Professor would say something about the money, but it seemed only the latter part was heard. If it was fortunate, I laughed it off bitterly.
"Well, she said she needs to study hard to get a scholarship..."
"So you were trying to introduce her to friends. If you form a Study Group later, I could at least be the advisor."
"In that case, um, should I ask her?"
When I cautiously asked the smiling Professor, the Professor nodded that it was fine.
"I don't know about others, but Sera would probably agree right away."
"...Wouldn't that be something even Institute applicants wouldn't know much about?"
"Well...? Isn't it the nature of students about to graduate to want to grab onto any professor they can?"
I hesitated slightly, but the Professor seemed to think differently. Well, if you've been a professor for a long time, you'd know what attitudes students show, so the Professor probably knows better than I do.
Wait, how many years has the Professor been a professor? Since the Professor looks young, maybe not many years?
With this sudden question, I stared at the Professor.
"What is it?"
"How old are you, Professor?"
"...Suddenly?"
As I rolled my eyes deep in thought, the Professor grabbed my head with both hands and started shaking it back and forth.
"Waaaaaah."
"That's not something you ask."
"I'm dizzy..."
With my vision spinning, I couldn't maintain my balance properly, and suddenly my skirt with the belt started to slip down.
I gasped and grabbed my skirt. I managed to prevent it from falling to my ankles and making me trip, but I couldn't completely prevent it from coming undone today either.
I groaned as I pulled it back up and glanced at the Professor. The Professor smiled bitterly and then gathered belongings.
"Now that you've tightened your belt, shall we go?"
"Ah, yes!"