The side characters speak up

"There you are Ara," Okada Koharu demurely said as she crossed the classroom to go to her seat.

Behind her were Rin and Miharu. This year they didn't belong to the same class so they could only meet at break time or after classes were over.

But that was before.

The Ara now really didn't want to spend time with the burikko.

"Let's go eat," Koharu said, but Ara shook her head as she stood up.

"Sorry, I'm not hungry," she apologized, and Rin and Miharu looked worried.

"But you have to eat Ara. You just got out of the hospital."

Ara felt a little bit guilty towards the other two girls, but she really had no energy to deal with Koharu at the moment.

"Sorry guys, but Aki made me eat a lot this morning. I feel like I'm going to die if I eat now."

"Oh, that's bad. Do you want me to bring you to the nurse's office?" Koharu asked looking very much concerned, and Ara stretched.

"Nope. I will just take a walk. My stomach will settle down if I spend some energy," she said as she excused herself with a smile.

She was walking along the corridor, several meters away when her ears perked, picking up sounds from her classroom. Generally, ordinary humans wouldn't be able to hear clearly what people talked about inside the room at this distance, but not her.

Normally, Koharu and the others should have already left the classroom right after she did because it's not their room, but they did not, and Ara soon found out why.

"Ah, and I was thinking we could eat together," Koharu's voice sounded tragic, that if someone didn't know better, he'd think she was suddenly abandoned. "We haven't hung out for a long time, but she wouldn't come to eat with us."

Ara could already imagine her classmates' disapproval of her increasing. How could she, Ara, just go and leave her friends who had wanted to spend time with her after so long, huh? How could she be so heartless?

Ara didn't care, however. Regardless of what her classmates would think, they couldn't do anything to her after the issue with Yashiro earlier. She was about to continue walking when she heard Rin and Miharu's voices.

"How can you say that? Didn't Ara already say she ate a lot and is not feeling well because of it?"

"Don't be so selfish Koharu. If Ara hears you, she will force herself to eat just to make you feel better. Wouldn't that make her sicker in return? Do you want that to happen?"

There was a pregnant silence after that as if the others were surprised Koharu got reprimanded suddenly by these two normally quiet girls.

Suzuki Ara was also surprised. She was not expecting that the pacifist Rin and the pushover Miharu would speak up for her and stop Koharu's drama. But what surprised her more was their next word.

"We're graduating soon. You have to learn to think before you do something or speak Koharu. Ara was already totally misunderstood because of you."

It was Miharu who said that, and when she did, Ara's classmates became curious and asked them some questions, which they gladly answered. Actually, they told them everything.

"What? Suzuki doesn't really like Sonoda?"

"No. It was a misunderstanding. Koharu just thought Ara likes him so she kept talking about him, but Ara really likes someone else."

This time, it was Rin who spoke. "Ara true love is an archer prince named Kou. They met and fell in love in middle school."

Hearing this, Ara almost laughed. The way Rin said it was so dreamy, she could already imagine the stars in her eyes as she spoke.

It was silly though. She never said she's in love with someone. She just said there was a time when she felt attracted to someone. When they asked her that question about the person she liked, a memory of that boy from middle school popped in her head. It wasn't hers, however, but since it's the real Ara's memory, it's the answer she gave.

However, a part in Ara's heart was glad that both Rin and Miharu were starting to have a voice as well. It's a small step, but who knew, maybe in the future, they'd also stop being side characters like Ara, and become leading ladies of their own lives.

Shaking her head, Ara continued on her walk as she chuckled. She didn't care how she'd be misunderstood about that "archer prince" from the past. It's not like they would meet again anyway. In any case, after today, she was sure Koharu would tone down her dramatics after being reprimanded – and now, that's good news.

Feeling cheerful, the newly turned mischievous half-deity hummed her way down the aisle. She'd always been homeschooled in Ritz, so today, she'd like to explore and experience what being in a real school felt like.

She peeked at each room as she went past, curious to see what's inside. It was as if each area was a treasure trove she needed to inspect. Her face showed certain innocence as if she was truly and sincerely fascinated by the things she saw.

She was not aware that a pair of confused eyes had been following her every move since a while ago.

So, when Ara passed by an empty room and was curious enough to step in to inspect more, another person came in and closed the door behind them with a soft "click".

Ara turned around, ready to apologize for trespassing, but stopped when she saw who was in the room with her.

A girl with a serene type of beauty wearing a ponytail stood before her. She was petite so Ara who was tall had to turn her gaze down a little to meet her determined chocolate orbs.

The two of them stared at each other for what seemed to be several seconds before the girl finally broke the silence.

"I…" she started, sounding almost shy, but she gathered her courage. "I'm glad you're safe," she said, and it took Ara several seconds as well to finally remember who this girl was.

Ichihara Midori, the girl who everyone said Suzuki Ara tried to kill.