As soon as the morning lecture ended, I returned to the laboratory.
Everyone headed to the lab together under the pretext of escorting me to the Professor. Their plan was to try bringing up the topic of renting a room since other approaches seemed difficult.
I thought it was a gamble, but since there was nothing to lose, I nodded in agreement.
When we returned to the lab, the Professor was busy writing something. Hearing the door swing open, she looked up, glanced at me briefly, and smiled.
"Urr! You're back?"
"Yes, I'm back."
As I nodded and entered, Sera and Aria followed through the open door and greeted the Professor.
"Hello, Professor."
"Hello."
"Oh, come in and have a seat."
The Professor stood up from her chair and gestured toward the table.
Usually, the table was piled high with documents, but since the others had been using it as a temporary Study Group space, it was now relatively tidy.
I pulled back a chair and sat down. The Professor went to get some snacks to share with us.
They were individually wrapped cookies. Since she'd never shown them to me before, I wondered where they suddenly came from, so I held them in both hands and stared at the Professor.
Noticing my questioning look, the Professor smiled wryly and waved her hand.
"I bought them earlier, just earlier. For you to eat, Urr."
"...Mmm. I'll enjoy them."
I nodded, carefully opened one, and stared at the contents.
Then I cautiously stood up and approached the Professor. She smiled with her eyes.
When I held it out slightly, the Professor lowered herself.
"Our Urr, are you giving this to the Professor?"
"Yes, would you like some?"
"Yes, I'll have some."
The Professor bent down. Since she didn't seem like she was going to take it with her hands, I clutched it and raised it up. When I brought it to her mouth, she took it in.
With a crunch, cookie crumbs split and fell, tapping against my forehead.
"Ah."
"Oh, sorry."
The Professor quickly covered her mouth. Feeling dazed by the sensation of cookie crumbs hitting my head, I raised my hand, and the Professor immediately brushed off my forehead.
She dusted me off thoroughly, checking if any crumbs had fallen on my clothes, and each time she did, I felt like my body was being shaken.
"Now I should eat too."
Since the Professor had taken a bite, I thought I could have one too, so I took a bite. The Professor patted my head gently.
Sera and Aria, who were watching from behind, made rustling sounds.
I thought they might want cookies too, but they just stared at me.
"I'd like Urr to let me have the first bite too."
Aria boldly made the first move.
Even though I already had my own, the others either didn't notice or didn't care as they handed me cookies.
I glanced at the cookie Aria was offering.
I tried to take it with my empty right hand, but Aria quickly raised hers. Maybe because Aria was so tall, when she stretched her hand upward, it reached a height that was difficult for me to reach.
I looked at it with a blank expression.
Wondering if she was playing with food, I lowered my arm and stared at Aria. Apparently judging that there was now enough distance from my arm, she held the cookie out to me again.
"Just eat it."
"..."
Even with my poor social awareness, I could tell.
She wanted me to eat it directly with my mouth, not take it with my hand.
After hesitating and checking the atmosphere, I closed my eyes and took a bite. Aria smiled and handed it to me.
Now I had a cookie in each hand. I hadn't intended this, but somehow I'd become like a greedy child, which made me feel self-conscious.
As I glanced around checking everyone's faces, Aria tapped her own mouth. Seeing her open her mouth with an "ah," it seemed she wanted me to feed her like I had fed the Professor.
Though the Professor and Aria were different, it would be awkward to refuse when asked, so I reached out my hand.
Nom. Aria hummed happily as she chewed. Watching this, Sera tapped the table and called me.
"Urr! My turn!"
"T-turn?"
This isn't what we came here for.
I tried to back away hesitantly, but Sera wouldn't let me and held me while offering a cookie.
"Uhhhhh."
A cookie being pushed into my mouth.
If I were someone who felt full after eating just a little, wouldn't this be like food torture? Well, I suppose three cookie bites wouldn't make anyone too full.
Finally, not wanting to leave Sera out, I closed my eyes, ate, and fed her too.
Having finally settled the situation, I raised a finger to address the real issue we came to discuss: where to stay for the Study Group's after-party and whether I could be away from the Professor for a while...
"Ah."
"...I want to do that too."
Karen, who had just entered and apparently witnessed the scene midway, wanted to extend the cookie-feeding session.
With slumped shoulders, I groaned "ehhh" in a deflated voice, but eventually had to feed Karen too.
I decided I should avoid doing such things in front of the others in the future.
Leaving the satisfied Karen behind, I clenched my fist. Shaking it up and down vigorously, I brought up the main topic to the Professor and the others.
"That's not the point! We were supposed to talk about where to have our after-party! Professor... can I go play with them for a bit? If we rent a room nearby, it should be fine, right...?"
While the others were hesitating, not knowing what to say, I grabbed the Professor first, looking up at her with sparkling eyes.
The Professor seemed unsure and avoided my gaze.
Her eyes, which shifted left and right as if trying to avoid me, eventually fixed on me.
"...Urr, I think that's something we need to consider carefully."
"..."
I had hoped for a different answer, but that was the response I got.
I met the Professor a year ago, but it was only recently that I had time to study properly.
During that time, I wasn't just left alone. I was caught, investigated, verified, and busy trying to explain away the suspicions of those around me.
Thanks to that, I could move freely within the Academy, but now I just wanted to have fun with my friends, even if just once.
It wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending time with the Professor. I was grateful that she tried to do so much for me and understood me well.
But hanging out with friends was a different matter.
No matter how kind the Professor was, she was still the Professor, and there was always a certain distance between professors and students that made it difficult to approach each other casually.
Sera, Aria, and Karen—even though all three treated me kindly, it wasn't the same as being able to play as friends, so I wanted to seize that opportunity, even if just a little.
I pouted.
Was it really not possible? Had I asked for too much? I hung my head and glanced back at where the others were.
The Professor placed her hand on my head.
"The world is still afraid of you. Of course, if both you and I keep quiet about it, most people wouldn't know. But the Academy isn't like that. The Academic Society and those who know about your existence will want you to be under constant supervision."
"..."
"Still, I want Urr to have at least one good experience."
Just as a disappointing atmosphere was settling in, the Professor's words completely changed the mood.
I looked up at the Professor with wide eyes.
"How many hours are you planning to play?"
The Professor asked me with a wry smile.
Since she suddenly agreed and asked how long we'd be playing, I didn't know how to answer and my gaze wavered. We hadn't properly decided that yet, so I just opened and closed my mouth.
Um, how long would we play?
While I was struggling, Sera, who had been quiet behind me, answered loudly.
"Since it's a room rental, we're booking it for four hours, but we won't use all of it!"
"Really?"
"...Still, please make it four hours."
"Then can you go now? Either eat first and then go, or eat together when you get there."
When Sera slightly adjusted the time, the Professor smiled wryly and set the terms.
The condition was that we had to finish and return during the Study Group time. Since nothing was set and we hadn't made reservations, it seemed tight, but such opportunities were rare, so I couldn't help but nod.
"Then I'll have a meal with the Professor before going. How about it, everyone?"
"I agree."
"I-I'm fine with that too!"
Aria and Karen nodded, agreeing with Sera's suggestion.
The Professor glanced at me. She put her hand on my neck and then took the ID badge that was hanging there. I stared at the badge as it left my neck. Finding my gaze amusing, the Professor dangled it playfully.
"I'll keep this, okay?"
"Yes!"
I smiled, lifting the corners of my mouth.
I thought the Professor might just refuse outright and there would be nothing I could do, so I was really grateful that she was willing to turn a blind eye.
"Thank you!"
Filled with that emotion, I threw myself forward.
As I hugged the Professor tightly, she laughed and hugged me back.
"Yes, yes."