"Well, I guess it's time to mop the floor with you, Kiria." Kevin picked up his racket, "Just like old times, eh?"

"Hoho, someone's a bit in over their head." She retorted in a similar manner, "They say it takes about seven years for a person's tastes to change, so by that logic, their skills should follow that trend pretty closely, no?"

"Are you saying you've improved since you two were kids, Kiria?" Librarian guy asked as he leaned on the sofa Meil and I were sitting on.

"I must have!" She proudly stated.

"Wait, must have? As in, you do not know yourself if you did?" Meil raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's not like I specifically trained since the last time we played all those years ago. It's just like, an assumption." She shrugged.

"So you're full of shit!" Kevin stomped on the ground repeatedly, "No one can get better at something without training it! That's like saying you'll lose all those love handles if you just continue eating away like you ar-!"

"I'm not fat!" She got mad as well, "That's it, you're going down, idiot!"

"Then come on, dummy!" Kevin went into his stance, "This shouldn't take long!"

Serving the ball, these two had somehow managed to hold a rally for an unbelievably long time. I was surprised by just how much these two were in sync, despite the fact that Kiria said she hadn't played in years. Then again, Kevin never exactly said he did either, but I just assumed from his physique that he would be the one to come out on top. Nonetheless, their rallies sort of started to slow down into a more leisurely pace over time, and by a certain point it seems they completely forgot they were each other's opponents.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat, "It's still 0-0, you know?"

"I-I know!" Kevin started to sweat a bit, "It's just... She's surprisingly good, that's all!"

"Y-Yeah!" Kiria seemed quite flustered as well, "Kevin really doesn't wanna lose, huh?"

"Yep! I'm in it to win it!" Kevin then seemed to have missed the ball slightly, "Oh, whoops. Watch it, that one wasn't good."

"You two are just rallying for fun, dammit!" It finally clicked in my head, "Dammit, this is a tournament, so why the hell aren't you taking this seriously!?"

"Now, now, Nelly." Librarian guy had me sit back down before whispering in my ear, "I'm sure you've noticed already, but these two have a special history behind their relationship. It's best to let them advance at their own pace."

Ehh? Is that it? So they both just wanna relive the nostalgic memories of their past as they meaningfully stare into each other's eyes? Cuuuuuute! They're just so adorable, it's just unheard of! And aren't they like 24? To act like that towards your childhood friend even at their age, are they saints?! Argh, just get together already!

"Oop." Kiria accidentally spun the ball too hard, leading to Kevin missing it, "Pff, you seriously missed that?"

"Wha-!? It was your fault, jackass!" He wasn't having it, "What the hell was that spin that defied the laws of physics even!? Did your boobs seriously mess with the airflow or something?!"

"Huh!? B-Boobs don't do that, idiot!" She ran around the table to him, "And just what the hell are you saying to a girl, you muscle freak!"

"Well excuse me for not knowing how they feel, princess!" He turned away, his arms crossed, "For your information, it's not like I've ever touched any before!"

"Liar! You used to fondle mine all the time back when they first started to grow!" She said something a tad embarrassing.

"H-Hey! That doesn't count!" He tried weaseling his way out with a rather bad excuse, "They were so small back then, that it hardly could be considered fondling a girl's chest, yeah! Actually, they more so resembled a man's pecs than anything!"

"My ass they did!" She suddenly grabbed his right pec and squeezed without thinking, "There's no way they-! ...Ah."

"U-Uhhh..." He got all meek all of a sudden, "T-That's a bit..."

"STOP BEING TOUCHY AND GET TO PLAYING!" I finally snapped.

"Whoa now, this is just a game, so why do you have to be mad?" Meil patted me on the head, instantly calming me down.

Damn these two, though. They're just flaunting their little cute awkward childhood friend romance comedy in front of me, the girl who is struggling with her romance more than anyone. They're cute together, but damn them. Like literally every second they spend not dating chips away at my sanity. It's that bad, so screw them.

Eh, my own opinions of others' personal lives aside, the rest of the match went on pretty fast. They seemed to still be feeling the awkward tension between them after Green girl grabbed his tit like that, so they both just wanted to end it as soon as possible. Kevin was of course the gentleman here, so he let her have the victory. Soon after, he drank the milk, thanked us for the fun party, wished me luck on my exams tomorrow, and bounced. Wait, he's leaving too?!

"Where are you going? It's not even the afternoon yet!" I begged him to stay.

"Nelly, don't make it any harder for the guy." Librarian guy advised.

"I've got plenty of reps I need to do today, so I won't be able to stay any longer." Kevin chuckled.

"Kevin, I'd just like to apologize for that earlier..." Green girl sheepishly approached him, "B-Because of me..."

"Nope, not because of you." He showcased his lats splendidly, "It's seriously because I gotta train these bad boys! Don't feel bad, Kiria."

"We've known each other since we were kids, of course I know it's because of me!" She then grabbed his hand tightly, "S-So to make things even, j-just..."

Sliding his hand out of her grasp with the might of a thousand winds, Kevin's expression could only be described as surprised and terrified. With his face bright red from almost getting to openly touch his crush's breasts, he saluted for whatever reason before running off to the gym, presumably to let off all of the pent up frustrations she had just caused him. These two are so cute that it's annoying, but this was actually kind of funny. I still want them to get together as soon as possible though, so...

"Now's your chance!" I egged her on, "Go after him!"

"Fueh?" She got a bit red as well, "N-Not a chance! Now that I think about it, just what the hell did I almost make him do in front of everyone?! Ugh, I'm such an idiot..."

"But you said you liked him!" I just barely stifled my laughter as I tried my best to feign giving away honest advice, "This proves that he'll never get the confidence to ask you out himself, you've broken that part of him. So unless you tell it to him loud and clear, things will never change between you!"

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"Uhh, Nelly." Librarian guy tried to oppose me.

"Shut up, Javi!" I shushed him, "Now Kiria, as your female friend whom you can talk about everything with, what do you say? Will you trust my advice or not?"

"Y-You called me by my name finally..." She seemed touched before wiping away her tears, "Mhm! Of course I do! Then, wish me luck!"

"Yeah, you go, girl!" I waved her off before closing the door, "Boy do I wish I could be there to witness her make a fool of herself."

"Wait, so you knew things will probably not go smoothly?" Meil seemed a tad off put, "Nelly, since when did you develop such a knack for lying?"

"I was always devious like that." I shrugged with a smug smile, "Though it seems I did drive off two of our contestants. What do we do about the brackets, now that Kiria is gone? Javi, do you wanna play in her stead?"

"Eh, I'll pass." He took another swig of the loser's milk before opening the door, "Yeah, it's been fun, but with so little people, I think I'd just be hindering your final preparations for tomorrow. Remember, the exam is still yet to come, and nothing about the future is assured."

"Well said, Javi." Meil agreed with him wholeheartedly, "We can continue the party at a later date, when Nelly can rest easy knowing she passed. Until then, though, I think we should focus on some final revisions."

"Aww, what?" I groaned, "But didn't you say today was gonna be a rest day~?"

"Sorry, I have a knack for lying as well." He winked back, making my knees weak in the process.

Ugh, this guy is just way too charming...!

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After a hefty one on one study session with my very own prince Charming, I had completely conked out on the couch the very moment he allowed me to take a break. It was already pretty late into the evening, so there really wasn't anything else for me to do to prepare for tomorrow's exam. Still, even though I was lying on the sofa with my eyes firmly shut, I was just barely conscious, so I could hear snippets of what was happening around me. Namely, there was a knock on the door, and when Meil came to answer it...

"Heyo, I'm a bit late to the party." Waitress girl's voice could be heard, "Oh, looks like I missed my chance."

"No, it is alright. Good work out there." Meil invited her in nonetheless, "Want to sit down a bit and chat?"

"Ah, yeah..." She sounded relieved, "Thanks for this. I needed some time off, seriously."

She entered the room I was sleeping in, noticed I was completely out of it, and quietly giggled to herself. I sure hope those giggles aren't of the mocking type, otherwise there'll be hell to pay...!

"Ah, sorry about her, she had a lot of fun today, after all." Meil apologized in my stead as he sat down next to me, carefully nestling my head on his lap, "Seriously, this girl could not even muster the strength to go to her room. You can just sit down on the recliner."

"Nah, it's alright." She smiled before sitting down, "It just kind of made me happy to see her so satisfied, you know? She seems to really fancy you."

Oh? Hold on a second, is this girl finally getting the hint? Could it be that she finally realized that I am the one that's supposed to be with Meil, so she's not only willingly backing off, but also helping put a good word in for me? Hold on, am I gonna have to start calling her by her name as well now?

"That she does, and honestly it is a bit worrying." Meil gently stroked my hair as he spoke, "She is a kind and innocent girl, and I constantly have to worry about how my condition might impact her."

"Finally starting to realize that your actions have consequences, are you?" She lightly teased him, "But what do you mean by that? Impacting her, I mean. She seems to be the one person in this world willing to put up with your antics no matter what. God knows I failed at that..."

"No, you did good, and I certainly hope you continue to support me, just as the others are." He stopped to think of his words carefully, "And about that... I would just like to say that I see you more as a friend."

"Hm?" She sounded puzzled, "Oh, you're talking about the kiss!"

What the...? Where's this conversation heading to all of a sudden? Quit it, woman, I believed in you! Hell, even Meil seems against the idea, but so help me if you somehow convince him to change his mind, I'll get up and slap you silly!

"Nah, you're thinking way too deeply into it." She brushed him off, "I really did only do that to blend in with everyone, though I can certainly imagine how that'd confuse someone like you."

"Eh? Is that so?" He seemed even more confused now, "Well, if that is the case, then... good?"

"Why the question mark?" Her tone went sensual for a moment, "Regret your decision or something?"

"About what?" He innocently retorted.

"Mnn... Nah, it's nothing." She suddenly got up, "Well, I'll be getting out of your hair now."

"What? No, you just got here, so I do not mind..."

"Meil." She turned around to face him, "Take good care of her."

"Ah, yeah..." I could feel his gaze fixated on me, "I know."

And just like that, she had left to go back to her house. Surprisingly, Meil didn't offer to escort her back to her home, though I imagine an enclosed and well regulated place like the campus isn't so unsafe for women to casually wander around at night, but it still caught me by surprise. And what did her tone just now mean, and that tease before? Does she love him or not? She's a damned mystery for sure, but as long as she's backing off, she's good in my book.

"Sigh, now to get you to changed and ready for bed." Meil picked me up into a princess carry.

"W-Whoa!" My eyes shot open, "W-What do you mean changed!? I-I can do that myself, you know!?"

"Oh, dud I wake you?" He chuckled, "Then I will put you down now so you can-"

"Wait..." I tightly held onto him by the neck, "T-Take me to my room, please?"

"Haha.." He couldn't help but crack a smile at my meek suggestion, "You truly are a princess through and through, are you not?"

"Y-Yeah..." I muttered, hugging him as he gently carried me to my room, "That I am."