Campione 02 Page 2

  Anna asked with a smile as cute as a lily.

  A pure smile that warmed you from the heart. A girl who can smile like that surely cannot fall into misfortune.

  As Godou thought to himself, he glanced into the distance at the pressure cooker sitting on the electric stove in the kitchen.

  A bad feeling.

  Perhaps a bias created by first impressions. But maybe noticing danger is a warning imparted by the instincts of a Campione. One should avoid danger as much as possible.

  "I already had breakfast at home, so I'll pass on the soup."

  A perfect answer.

  Of course, at an age of a healthy appetite, Godou's stomach can surely handle a second breakfast without issue. However, the exception is a particular product of Anna's cooking.

  ...It was about a month ago, the first time visiting this room.

  To serve Godou, the guest of her mistress Erica, Arianna had offered her personal cooking.

  Handmade spaghetti with cream sauce, thinly sliced cheese and ham, bread with added sausage and vegetables, appetizers of fresh slices of raw fish and cold cuts—all of them tasted excellent, and were most satisfying. However, the exception was the final soup presented on a dish.

  "I'm dieting currently, so I'll stop here."

  Erica, who had been eating heartily mouthful by mouthful, suddenly put down her knife and fork.

  Despite her slim figure, her appetite greatly exceeded a normal male.

  Although it felt really suspicious, Godou could not find a reason to refuse this soup colored a strange shade of red, so he had taken a small sip.

  All the adjectives of the Japanese language could "hardly describe it," so Godou gave up.

  That's the kind of taste it was.

  An indescribable taste. Simple adjectives of sour, sweet, bitter or spicy, etc, did not suffice, and one simply couldn't imagine what kind of ingredients went into making it.

  Inevitably, Godou had shifted his gaze to Erica, who returned a malevolent smile.

  (Didn't I mention it before, that one needs to be careful with Arianna's cooking?)

  (If, if that's the case, then, at least give a warning.)

  As she communicated with Godou by exchanging glances, Erica drank her after-meal Espresso with an air of nonchalance.

  Remembering the lesson he had learnt, Godou accepted only the Cappuccino this morning.

  Calming himself, Godou waited for Arianna to return from the master bedroom.

  ...But she came back immediately.

  "Sorry, Godou-sama. Erica-sama only woke for a moment to say she had 'no mood to get up from bed without the kiss of the prince, and that Godou should have been brought here earlier...' "

  Arianna seemed pitiful as she reported that Erica had gone back to sleep.

  Godou furrowed his brow.

  Of course, he never expected that girl to get up so simply. Even if he offered a morning call service from his home, that fellow would have simply hung up the phone on him.

  Was there really no other way but to enter the room and wake her up?

  "That fellow always creates a chore for others in the morning—"

  Godou complained as he left the living room and intruded into Erica's bedroom.

  The mistress of this home was peacefully sleeping away with light breathing noises, wrapped in the blanket on the bed.

  "You really went back to sleep, didn't you..."

  The room's interior condition gave Godou a shock as he entered.

  Completely unlike the living space of a girl living in the 2010's, it was a room full of books and antiques.

  Amidst paperbacks were popular magazines, as well as ancient books in English, Italian, Latin, Chinese and all sorts of different languages on the book shelves above. Though neither CD nor MP3 players were found, there was an extremely old record player.

  They were arranged neatly, but surely it was not through the owner's efforts.

  Most likely, it was Arianna who cleans up. As if to support this hypothesis, scattered all over the floor beneath the bed were the clothes probably taken off last night.

  A t-shirt and shorts, as well as a few scraps of water-colored cloth—one piece, two pieces.

  What is this combination of cloth?

  Godou cannot imagine anything good out of it, and tells himself to stop paying attention to it as he neared the bed.

  "Hey, Erica, you're going to be late if you don't get up. This is no good."

  Godou shook the girl's body, trying to wake her.

  Martial artists in certain swordsmen novels often possess the ability to wake up when approached in their sleep, but clearly this mage and genius swordswoman is devoid of this skill. She probably would explain it as "presumably because there was no change in killing intent."

  "...Let me sleep a little longer. I was up till 4am last night watching Bruce Lee videos, and am still very sleepy. Please, I'll kiss you later, ok? Godou."

  Erica said this without even opening her eyes.

  This Italian girl surprisingly turned out to be a fan of the great kung fu star. To have studied these videos from that era to such a degree.

  "No way. You shouldn't be watching those things when you have school, get up quickly. How about I watch the Die Hard trilogy with you on the weekend?"

  "Bruce is not enough, you need to add Jet Li as well."

  At least she was finally conscious, and greeted Godou hello.

  "Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat together as well, get up, time for school."

  "Yes, getting up right away, Godou sure is bad. You're probably the first boy who ever got me out of bed by force... Hey, I'm getting up, come give me a morning kiss..."

  Getting up from bed was the only time when Erica lost her usually dominating and confident demeanor.

  Like a child, speaking as if she wanted to be spoilt.

  As Godou answered her while he pulled away the blanket wrapped around her—he froze completely. The pale white neck and the naked back were entirely revealed.

  Due to sleeping with her back turned, it was fortunate that the front could not be seen.

  However, because the curvaceous body part—whose lines from the waist to the buttocks are like an artistic drawing—was going to be revealed, Godou frantically covered her once again with the blanket.

  "E-Erica... You, you're not properly dressed?"

  "I did wear clothes. I don't sleep nude you know, it's just that around the time of dawn I couldn't go back to sleep so I took them off... No problem, I did put on perfume... Just like that actress from before—"

  Erica got up all of a sudden.

  At the same time, the blanket began to slide off the clearly unclothed upper torso, and her bountiful cleavage was revealed from below.

  Godou immediately caught the falling blanket.

  "Erica, put on some clothes! Please! Please put on your clothes first!"

  "Yes—then, first let's wear... the underwear in the second drawer from the bottom, Godou can pick whichever ones you prefer..."

  To Godou who just heard a terrifying sentence, Erica smiled faintly.

  A different smile from the usual devil's smile, it was a true and innocent smile. Perhaps because she had just risen from bed, the crafty witch was acting a little more honest.

  Frightened by this fresh feeling, Godou continued to beg.

  "Don't joke around, choose it yourself!"

  "Still lacking in ambition eh? Ah, help me take out the ones I was wearing yesterday, did they fall on the ground?"

  "Those are underwear. Is it really ok to leave them somewhere that men can see?"

  "It's fine if it's Godou, for you are special. Even seeing my naked body is totally fine for you."

  "No way, that is completely out of the question. An-anna-san, please could you bring something for Erica to wear? Please, quickly!"

  To Erica's words which made Godou panic, Arianna calmly smiled and ran over.

  Godou's recent mornings pretty much all felt like this.


  Part 2

  The high school division of Jounan Academy, Year 1, Class 5.

  Here was the classroom of Erica and Godou, and by the way, the two were neighbors.

  Actually Erica was originally seated much further away, but on the first day she transferred, she suddenly gave that speech.

  A month ago, during homeroom in the morning.

  The foreign student from Italy had introduced herself with perfect Japanese.

  Afterwards, Erica, who had been seated next to a window, began smiling as she hummed proudly to herself. Then she proceeded to casually walk to Godou's seat and suddenly announced.

  "First of all I must make this clear, I, Erica Blandelli have already promised my future to someone, and that is this person, Kusanagi Godou. —hoho, from today onwards we will always be together, Godou."

  As she delivered those words, she deftly embraced Godou who desperately wanted to flee, and kissed him upon the cheek.

  Elegantly capturing Godou who had been on alert—this must surely count as a miraculous skill—Erica then began to give a speech.

  Two people in love, who cannot be separated even for a moment.

  And so she hoped for cooperation to obtain her rightful seat belonging by his side.

  "There can be no place for me to sit except beside Kusanagi Godou. Would you help us who are in love, and accept such willfulness?"

  Godou was shocked that Erica made such a request.

  No, no matter how you look at it, that is totally unreasonable. One was truly speechless at this choice of action.

  The surrounding classmates all suddenly left their seats, and started to reorganize themselves to accommodate Erica's seating request. Even the teacher had nothing to say.

  At that time, Erica must have been using magic similar to hypnosis.

  And so it came to be, the two of them were seated next to each other, and their relationship was officially recognized within the class.

  "Hey Godou, let's go for lunch, Arianna prepared sandwiches for me today."

  Erica joyfully said as the bell rang for the lunch break. Godou immediately began to feel his body being pierced by vast amounts of murderous intent.

  —It's that guy Kusanagi again, we see this every single day!

  —Ch! Our Erica, why would she go with that guy!

  —If this level of hate can become a murder weapon, I, I will be able to kill this guy!

  —You boy, even hell is too mild for you!

  "Hey! Erica, why don't you try having lunch with other girls for once? I will go to the school cafeteria."

  Pressured by the indescribable stress, Godou attempted to offer a suggestion.

  The dark aura exuded by the surrounding boys has been intensifying through each passing day.

  Jealousy, hate, revulsion, murderous intent, enmity. If a measuring device existed to quantify these negative emotions, who knew what values would be recorded in this classroom?

  "What are you talking about? Even for the girls, everybody supports us. Don't ruin the mood with such words."

  Godou sighed at Erica's simple response.

  Erica Blandelli's political and negotiation skills can truly be horrifying.

  She was definitely not a person with a good attitude at receiving others. In fact, the first time she met Godou, she was mostly arrogant and cold.

  However, as long as she willed it, she can be a diplomatic expert who gets along well with anyone.

  She possessed beauty and elegance beyond the daughters of high class families, extraordinary eloquence of speech, social strategy which neither compromised nor created conflict, first impressions convincing others that she was a special existence, and exceptional charisma fitting for a leader.

  If a person of such a disposition were to get serious, no high school student in Japan would be her match.

  Even when her character is so prone to doing as she pleased, Erica's actions have not garnered any ill talk behind her back. Godou truly admired this accomplishment.

  The trouble was this—Erica's total disregard for hiding her affections towards a specific boy was greatly problematic.

  Due to the well wishes of the girls, as well as the anger of the boys, hate and admiration had combined to double the pressure on Godou.

  "But then, it would be nice to have lunch outside once in a while. Since today's weather is fine, how about the central courtyard? To go to the benches there, wouldn't that be great?"

  "Sorry, only that choice is impossible, let's eat in the classroom."

  Godou immediately answered to the smiling Erica.

  The central courtyard was where not only high school students but many middle schoolers passed by, especially during the lunch break. One must avoid such attention seeking actions at all costs in a place seen by so many people.

  "Then how about as usual, I'll go buy the drinks, what do you want?"

  "Tea then, the non-sweet type."

  Alternating between buying drinks and bread was the agreement they had decided beforehand.

  As Erica left to fulfill her turn to buy drinks, Godou began to prepare the area for lunch.

  Laying out the napkin and placing the lunchbox on it, there were Italian cold cuts, sandwiches containing ham and vegetables, as well as olives in plastic containers, apples, etc.

  A lunch prepared by Arianna, full of European style.

  Recalling the first time when Erica just moved here, the memory remains fresh in Godou's mind when he lectured Erica for planning on bringing wine and champagne bought from the hotel as drinks for lunch.

  "What's the matter, Takagi?"

  Since the boy who sat behind him seemed to be saying something, Godou ventured to ask.

  Godou was already quite tall, but Takagi was taller still, reaching nearly 185cm in height. He should be in the Kendo club.

  "Godou, let me share with you some good news. Right now, all the boys of our Class 5 are enduring the accumulation of rage and hate towards your atrocious acts, as if ignoring our existence..."

  "I'm sorry, but the one ignoring others is Erica, not me."

  "Ch! Whenever you talk about yourself, you always think you are in the right! You think you're so special—fine, if you're going to be that way, we will take emergency measures."

  Takagi spoke decisively.

  Why? He—no, including him, all the boys staring at Godou had their eyes full of strong determination, it's almost like those of two boxers in an undecided match, dodging each other's attacks and waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

  "Emergency... measures?"

  "Yes. We will fight poison with poison. If you won't heed the feelings of us men, then we will retaliate with the appropriate measures! ...To be frank, we already sent someone to report to the other class next door."

  "Why the class next door... Could it be!?"

  "Ho, you realized it. But it's too late. We tried to avoid this until now because it hurts us too. But in order to torment you, we dare to walk the path of pain."

  As Takagi gave a speech full of heroic sacrifice, she arrived.

  Mariya Yuri of the First Year, Sixth Class.

  Godou's sister Shizuka's upperclassman at the tea ceremony club she belonged to, the one who represented the Japanese wizardry world, and the Hime-Miko whose appearance never failed to catch Godou's attention. As she entered the door to Class 5, Godou found her walking over to him.

  "Kusanagi-san, may I borrow a moment of your time?"

  "Yes, yes, what is it?"

  The number one top beauty in the school alongside Erica, was asking with a sharp glare.

  Her beauty was like sakura flowers blossoming quietly on the mountain side, and felt neither arrogant nor ostentatious.

  One could easily fall into obsession just by watching her.

  "I am reminding you precisely because this is inappropriate. I am in a different class, and cannot report you to the discipline committee... However, the students in this class only hope you will not ignore them."

&n
bsp; "Uh, umm..."

  In front of Yuri who spoke persuasively with reason, Godou had a face full of panic. This beautiful miko-sama was truly hard to handle. Once she started lecturing, one would inevitably start listening respectfully.

  "I heard that every day during lunch, Kusanagi-san and Erica-san are doing that... is... is it called flirting? Speaking intimate words lacking in caution. This is a school, don't you think you should save those for a more appropriate time and place?"

  "We weren't flirting! Only having lunch together!"

  "Obviously lying. Due to this, Class 5 is so troubled that they are almost crying... The one with me just now mentioned it. Something like 'Kusanagi is treating all the boys who don't have girlfriends as fools by flirting with Erica every day. We must all be concerned, and so forth.' And spoken tearfully too."

  Behind Yuri, who was lecturing with righteous anger, were...

  The boys in the class, all of them watching the cornered Godou with malevolent smiles. Those evil expressions fully betrayed their feelings.

  —Hehehe, as expected, Godou cannot defy Mariya.

  —But then, to be tricked by that awful acting, and to come to this classroom specifically, isn't Mariya coming personally for Godou after all?

  —Damn! Unacceptable! Why do such good things only happen to that guy?

  —How enviable. I also want to get to know the Mariya-san "who has no interest in boys" and be lectured by her.

  —Oh! Look, Erica is back, let the show really begin.

  "Ah, it's Yuri? It's rare to see you here during lunch?"

  Holding drink cartons of oolong tea and orange juice, Erica had returned to the classroom.

  "You want to join us for lunch? As long as you don't disturb Godou and my fun, you're welcomed."

  "Unfortunately, the reason I am here is to obstruct you two."

  Erica and Yuri silently faced off with strong determination.

  These two are truly incompatible in personality. Whenever Godou was getting teased by Erica, Yuri always expressed disapproval if she happened to witness it.

  Ever since the first time they met, the same type of situation had unfolded countless times.

  The problem was that this mostly happened in school, in full view of a substantial number of the high school and middle school students.