The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

I’m not completely clueless.

I mean, I’ve definitely had those moments where I brought up some game I was playing to someone who wasn’t even remotely interested, only to realize later they were just being polite by listening. And sure, there was a time in high school when I mistakenly thought I’d become friends with someone because of that. Thankfully, it didn’t go any further than being known as a bit of a nerd, as there weren’t many girls around back then. After that, I made it a point to become a little more mindful of others.

I don’t have the kind of looks that make people instantly like me, nor am I great with words. On the internet, I could type anything without much thought, but that’s different because you don’t see the other person’s face. You can't tell if they're uncomfortable or not.

Over time, through working at my company and navigating social situations, I learned how to handle things without too much trouble. At least now, I can recognize the face of someone who hears something they don’t want to.

Or the look on someone's face when they don't know how to deal with me.

Like Mia Crowfield’s expression right now as she sat in front of me.

People often find it uncomfortable to meet the gaze of someone who shows no expression. Especially when that person holds a position of power.

Of course, there are exceptions: people who confidently claim they can read such an expression, those who boldly announce themselves as the stoic person's younger sibling, or those who are generally so outgoing that one more expressionless person in their life doesn’t faze them. And then there are people surrounded by all kinds of women who probably don’t even notice the addition of one more.

Now that I think about it, I do seem to be surrounded by some odd people. But then again, these were all characters from the original story, part of the protagonist's party. I guess it’s only natural for them to be unique.

The main character, though, still seems to have a hard time dealing with me, but that’ll sort itself out in time.

The issue right now is Mia Crowfield.

Up until last week, every time our eyes met, Mia Crowfield would glare at me as if she wanted to kill me. She made no effort to hide her hatred, and I often had to stifle a laugh at how blatant it was.

She had the body of a typical game heroine, with noticeable curves, but she was a bit short, and her eyes were often hidden behind her bangs, giving her a timid appearance. In fact, if she wasn’t glaring at me, she mostly kept to herself, looking small and meek.

That’s why I couldn’t help but notice the change in Mia Crowfield.

Even when she was in front of Charlotte or Alice, the emperor’s daughter, Mia used to act like a frightened rabbit. Yet recently, she’d been avoiding my gaze more and more, rather than glaring at me.

Had something changed in her heart?

If so, what was the reason?

“...”

“...”

Hmm.

Wait a second.

Why can’t I just ask her directly?

Right. I’m someone who can turn back time. All I have to do is ask her outright.

Besides, I’ve already said worse things before.

I glanced around. Alice and Charlotte were both here in the student council room, along with some other council members, including the student president.

We had been accepted into the student council, though we didn’t have any specific roles yet. The council seemed to consider us “talent worth keeping around.” Even in the original story, the student president was a noble who prioritized ability, though he did give some weight to one’s background.

And of course, Grace and her sister had confidently followed Alice into the room.

I had offered them both milk tea, but unsurprisingly, they didn’t seem as welcoming toward me as they did toward Alice, Charlotte, and Mia Crowfield. It felt like they only accepted because it was offered out of courtesy.

Leo looked like he was sitting on pins and needles, while Claire remained perfectly calm.

Hmm.

I can ask Mia. Even if everyone around me is surprised by the question, I can just turn back time and it won’t matter.

But Mia doesn’t know I can turn back time. So, there’s a chance she might hide the truth in her answer.

Would I get a proper response if I asked her right now?

“...”

I looked at Mia Crowfield closely, watching her glance around nervously. Her face wasn’t turning red, so she didn’t seem embarrassed.

What’s with her?

She’s acting suspicious, which is making me feel uneasy.

“...”

Hmm.

I don’t care anymore.

“Mia Crowfield,” I called out softly.

Mia jumped in her seat as if she’d been hit by a jolt of electricity.

The sound of chairs and desks being dragged along the floor echoed as she startled, and I could feel everyone’s eyes suddenly turn toward us.

...This was a familiar sensation. Of course, it wasn’t as intense as the last time, and Mia Crowfield’s reaction wasn’t as severe. We hadn’t exchanged any particularly serious words yet.

“Yes, y-y-yes, yes!?”

Her response was nothing short of panic.

Was it really that surprising?

Granted, I don’t usually call people by name first. I didn’t like dragging out conversations and revealing too much about myself. Sure, I could adjust conversations by rewinding time, but doing so always left me mentally drained. While my body might not get tired, my mind still experienced the extended time as real, making long conversations exhausting.

As someone who had always been a bit of a loner, having to maintain a conversation with someone longer than I wanted felt like torture.

“I have something I’d like to discuss with you. Could we talk for a moment?”

“No, n-n-n-n-no! I don’t want to!”

Mia Crowfield flat-out rejected my request.

But I was only trying to talk to her privately, away from everyone else.

The people around us looked on with their mouths hanging open.

...Was this really such a shocking thing? Even shy people sometimes need to talk privately, don’t they?

...Wait, hold on. Could this be...?

I thought I had built up an image of a cool beauty, but have I actually been seen as just an awkward outcast who can’t talk to people? Like someone with social anxiety?

Could I be seen as similar to Mia Crowfield?

“...You don’t want to?”

“That’s right! Who knows what you’ll do to me!?”

I wasn’t planning to do anything.

In fact, with the way she said that, it made me sound like some predatory lesbian character. Of course, Mia probably meant it as “you’ll kill me,” but it was easy for others to misunderstand her words.

In fact, aside from Alice, who looked concerned, everyone else was staring at me with their mouths still agape.

...Or maybe I was just imagining it? Maybe I’ve read too many comics and seen too many anime, so now I’m jumping to conclusions?

I wanted to shake my head and brush off the thoughts, but even in a situation where I could rewind time, I still needed to maintain my character.

“I won’t do anything.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Fair point.

From Mia Crowfield’s perspective, she had no reason to trust me. After all, I was the one responsible for her father’s death.

But the question was, why had her attitude toward me changed over the past week?

“If that’s the case, I’ll ask my question here. Would that be alright?”

“...Ah.”

When I said that, Mia Crowfield looked a bit dumbfounded. Perhaps she was wondering what I could possibly ask her. Maybe she didn’t expect me to bring up anything about her father, but if she still saw me as an assassin, she might be concerned about the kind of information I’d reveal.

“G-go ahead, then.”

She tried to sound confident, though it seemed like she was bluffing.

“...”

I narrowed my eyes slightly, gazing at Mia Crowfield before slowly speaking.

“Alright then, if you’ll allow me.”

After a brief pause, I asked, “Mia Crowfield, the way you look at me now is different from how you looked at me last week. May I ask why that is?”

An imaginary *ping* echoed above Mia Crowfield’s head, as if a question mark had popped up.

Well, not literally—there’s no convenient system like that in this world. It’s just how I imagined it.

“Th-th-that... even if there was a change! What does it matter to you!? Why should I explain every little thing to you!?”

Mia stammered for a moment before blurting that out, then quickly turned and fled from the student council room.

“...”

Hmm.

In the silence that followed, I briefly considered my next steps.

Judging by her reaction, I wouldn’t have gotten a proper answer even if I had spoken to her privately.

...Maybe I’ll have to wait for now.

“Sylvia?”

Claire, still looking surprised, spoke to me, and I realized it was time to reset the situation.

Once more.

* * *

I might not be able to tell the difference between good and bad tea leaves, but anyone can tell when they’re drinking something really high quality.

In fact, the milk tea we drank in the student council room tasted excellent. It was smooth, fragrant, and even though I wanted to dump in more sugar, just two sugar cubes made it sweet enough to enjoy.

After all, I have to maintain my cool beauty image—can’t let myself get chubby.

The rich aroma of the high-quality tea filled the student council room. It seemed like the scent had seeped into the walls, as you could catch a

faint whiff of it just by walking in.

As I enjoyed my milk tea, I quietly observed Mia Crowfield.

Just like before I rewound time, she was doing everything she could to avoid my gaze.

...So far, I’ve only killed the Count and his men. While the emperor sometimes asked me for information or updates on world affairs, I hadn’t yet gained the reputation of someone who kills on a whim.

Could she have heard some rumor elsewhere?

Maybe she found out that I’m more dangerous than I appear and got scared?

It wouldn’t be surprising. Her reaction earlier made it clear that she was afraid of being alone with me.

“...”

I took a silent sip of my tea. The tea, now at a comfortable temperature, spread pleasantly in my mouth.

...Maybe I should tail her?

With the weekend coming up, it might be worth following Mia Crowfield’s movements and seeing what she’s up to.

If she’s receiving information from someone, I could figure out who. In the original story, there wasn’t anyone like that, but since this world has changed so much because of me, her background might have changed too.

Alright.

Looks like I’ve got my weekend plans set.