"I don't like it! I don't like it one bit!"
The cry rang out near the entrance of an insect museum located a short distance from Luminous Academy. A lone man stood there, his voice raised in indignation.
Yugo offered a wry smile as he looked at Marcos, who was currently fuming about something, and tried to soothe him. "Calm down, Marcos. It’s really not something to get so worked up about, is it?"
"You...!" Marcos barked. "To think one of the very culprits behind this would have the nerve to speak so shamelessly!"
"Cool it, Marcos," Melt chimed in. "I understand how you feel, but a man's jealousy is an unsightly thing, you know?"
"Who is jealous?! I am merely indignant! To think that you, despite having a friend and rival like me, would become roommates with some student from another country you only just met—and then have the audacity to form a team and call him your partner! It is your heartlessness that offends me!"
"...That's exactly what jealousy is," Anhel muttered. "Honestly, you really are something else."
It seemed Marcos was harboring a deep-seated resentment toward Ryuga for becoming close with Yugo so quickly. He vented his frustration with a truly resentful expression, leaving both Melt and Anhel to let out heavy, exasperated sighs.
Yugo, still wearing his strained smile, kept trying to pacify his friend. "Ryuga’s a good guy, and I’m sure you’ll become friends with him soon, too. Besides, the more friends you have, the better, right? It's not something you should worry about so much."
"Exactly," Melt added. "It’s not like they're lovers; they're just friends who happen to be roommates, right? If you’re this prickly about it, you’re basically announcing to everyone that you’re a small-minded man. If you really think you’re Yugo’s best friend, you should just stand tall and act like it!"
"N-n-n-gh... g-g-ugh...!"
Perhaps finding Melt’s logic inescapable, Marcos clamped his mouth shut as if trying to swallow his words. However, the complaints were clearly still bubbling inside him, leaking out as low groans. Anhel, looking thoroughly fed up, spoke to him with a hint of annoyance.
"I suppose I can see where you're coming from, but you should at least suppress those emotions for now. If you’re going to stand around in front of the elementary kids looking as red as a boiled crab, you’d be better off just going home right now."
"I am well aware! I am not such a fool that I would display such a pathetic sight to the children!"
"...I can't say I'm entirely convinced," Anhel whispered. "Is he really going to be okay?"
At this point, it is worth explaining why Yugo and his friends had come to a place like an insect museum. They were here today at the direct request of Uno, accompanying the children of the Elementary Division on their social studies field trip.
However, they hadn't come along simply as chaperones. Their primary role was to serve as a security detail for the Luminous Academy group. A significant number of other students had been mobilized alongside them, giving the scene a somewhat tense, heavy atmosphere.
Sensing the mood, Melt clasped her hands behind her head and looked at the others with an exasperated expression. "Yamato’s Warrior Shrine Maidens are coming on this trip too, right? That’s why they’ve mobilized so many students for guard duty. I don't have a problem with the work, but... if it’s going to be this much trouble, wouldn't it have been better not to let them come along in the first place?"
"Apparently, this was specifically requested by the school in Yamato," Yugo explained. "Normally, the Elementary Division’s social studies trip at this time of year goes to a history museum. But they insisted on changing it to this insect museum instead."
"A history museum changed to an insect museum, huh?" Anhel questioned. "I have no idea what they're aiming for. Both sound equally boring, and don't most girls hate bugs? I could understand if it were a zoo, but an insect museum... really?"
While Anhel voiced her doubts about the sudden change in destination, Yugo had a vague idea of what Yamato’s intentions were. It was likely a consideration for the blind Yui.
As Ryuga had mentioned, she perceived the world with her soul rather than her eyes. Following that logic, Yui could probably receive far more detailed information from living creatures than from inanimate museum artifacts. A history museum would be full of objects and long explanatory texts that would be difficult for her to navigate. Even if she could manage it, the burden would be immense.
To avoid such an ordeal, they had likely chosen the insect museum because it housed living things. Of course, as Anhel pointed out, Yugo didn't actually know if Yui or the Shrine Maidens possessed the peculiar hobby of enjoying insect observation.
"Well, let's just focus on the job! If things go well, we might be able to look around the exhibits with Fee during our break. It’ll also be a good chance to introduce Ryuga and the others to Marcos and Ann."
"Hmph! And where is this Ryuga, anyway? If you're roommates, shouldn't you have arrived together?"
"He went to pick up his sister, Yui, so we split up for a bit. I wanted to come ahead and talk to you guys first... Oh, wait, speaking of the devil. Hey! Ryuga!"
Yugo looked around and spotted Ryuga walking toward them, waving his hand. Ryuga waved back to his partner and approached the group, accompanied by his sister, Yui, and Fee.