“Hey there, Ray. Good morning!”
“Good morning, Sera-senpai.”
I gave her a quick, polite bow.
Today was the day I had promised to go shopping with Sera-senpai. Our goal was the gardening shop, where we needed to pick up new seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, and nutrient supplements. As representatives of the Gardening Club, the two of us made this trip on a regular basis.
Apparently, as a member of the upper nobility, Sera-senpai was quite busy, but she had managed to clear her schedule for the morning. We made our way toward the Kingdom’s largest gardening shop.
“Sigh... I really wish Rebecca-sama could have come with us, though...”
“True. However, I imagine members of the Three Great Noble Families have a great deal on their plates.”
“They really do. If someone like me is this busy, it’s ten times worse for them. I believe there’s a party hosted by the Magic Association in a few days, too.”
“I see.”
Incidentally, I had also been invited to that very party. I usually turned those invitations down, but my Master had insisted I attend this time, telling me it was time I showed my face as the current Ice Sword Sorcerer. Apparently, the President—the one who had expressed interest in meeting me—would be there. To make matters worse, Master intended to tag along as well.
I had told her I was a grown man and perfectly capable of going alone, but she kept inventing reasons to come with me. I truly can’t thank her enough for how much she worries about me.
“By the way, what exactly are we picking up today?”
“Fertilizer and potting soil. Plus, we need to get a head start on our selection of autumn flowers.”
“Understood. Have you always done this alone, Sera-senpai?”
“Hm? Well, yes... ever since I became Vice Club President, I’ve been handling it myself.”
“Then please feel free to call on me whenever you need help from now on. I’m happy to act as your pack mule. I have more than enough strength.”
“That’s true. You really have been a huge help lately, Ray. I’ll be counting on you.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
Chatting as we went, we soon reached the largest gardening shop in the Kingdom. A vast array of seeds and seedlings were displayed out front, alongside flowers of every imaginable color.
“Let’s head toward the back.”
“Understood.”
I followed Sera-senpai deeper into the store.
“Hello! Good morning!”
“Oh! If it isn't Dina-chan! Long time no see!”
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
The woman in the back of the shop looked relatively young—in her early thirties, if I had to guess. It seemed she and Sera-senpai were old acquaintances, and she often gave the club discounts. She told us not to worry about it, since she was the Shop Manager and could do as she pleased. This was my first time meeting her.
“Oh, Shop Manager. This is my junior.”
“My name is Ray White. I’m still a novice when it comes to gardening, but I look forward to your guidance and instruction.”
I gave her a deep, formal bow. Since this was our first meeting—and since I was just a lowly first-year student—I made sure to be as polite as possible. Manners are important in every situation.
“Well, well. What a polite young man... Say, Dina-chan, is he your... you know?” The Shop Manager gave a mischievous grin.
Sera-senpai immediately went red and waved her hands frantically. “What?! No! You know I’m devoted heart and soul to Rebecca-sama!”
“Hmm. If you say so... Still, I’m surprised you let a boy join the club. Didn’t you use to kick them out the moment they showed their faces?”
“That was only because they were low-born creeps looking for a way to get close to Rebecca-sama. Ray is different. He’s sincere, and he works harder than anyone in the club.”
“I see, I see...”
Sera-senpai placed her order, and soon a small mountain of heavy bags was lined up before us.
“That’s... quite a lot.”
“Are you sure you can handle this? Do you need help carrying them?” the Shop Manager asked, looking concerned.
But for me, this was light work.
“It’s no problem. Leave it to me.”
I gathered up every single bag and offered a final word of thanks alongside Sera-senpai.
“It sounds like you’re always very generous with us. Thank you very much.”
“Thank you!”
We both bowed, and the Shop Manager laughed. “Don't mention it! Dina-chan is one of my best customers. Besides, it looks like you’ve found yourself a wonderful junior.”
“I... I’m honored you think so.”
“Well then, Shop Manager. We’ll be back again.”
“Excuse us.”
We bowed one last time and stepped out of the shop.
It was already ten-thirty. Sera-senpai had things to do in the afternoon and needed to get back right away. I had to transport all this gear to the academy, but it was a manageable load for one person.
“Please, Senpai, head on back. I can handle these bags on my own.”
“Wait... really? I feel bad leaving it all to you.”
“I know your time is tight. And as you know, I’m quite confident in my physical strength. This much weight is nothing—in fact, it’s good resistance training.”
“I guess so. You really are a great junior, Ray. Here, take this.”
Sera-senpai reached into her pocket and pulled out a key.
“What’s this?”
“A key to the clubroom. It’s a spare, but I want you to have it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s a pain to have to go to the staff room to borrow the master key every time, right? Normally only the President or Vice Club President keeps one, but I’m going to be leaning on you a lot this summer. I really should have given it to you sooner.”
“I'm humbled that you’d entrust something like this to a new member like myself.”
“Oh, stop it! You’re a full-fledged member of the Gardening Club now. Everyone acknowledges that.”
“Is that so? I feel like I’m always the one receiving favors from everyone.”
“It’s fine! Besides, everyone likes you. And that includes your... girl persona, too.”
“Ahaha... I see. My reception was certainly quite warm while I was cross-dressing.”
As we chatted, Sera-senpai suddenly looked at me with a face full of resolve.
“Um... you can call me by my name, if you want...”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ve come to understand what kind of person you are over the first semester. And you even helped me with the shopping today.”
“Understood. Then I’ll call you Dina-senpai from now on.”
“Great! Well, see you later!”
“Yes, ma'am!”
She waved energetically as she hurried away.
Come to think of it, when I first joined the Gardening Club, I could tell that Sera-senpai—no, Dina-senpai—had disliked me. The fact that she trusted me now filled me with genuine joy.
This key was a testament to that trust.
In that case, I would have to work even harder for the club. For the sake of my seniors, I would do my duty as a member of this prestigious club.
I carried the heavy load back to the academy without any trouble and arrived at the clubroom door. I turned the key with a click and was just about to shift the bags to head inside when... a loud crash echoed from within.
Could it be... a thief?!
To think someone would dare intrude upon the sacred sanctuary of the Gardening Club! It was absolutely unforgivable.
I slammed my shoulder into the door, bursting inside. I tucked and rolled across the floor to break my momentum, springing up to face the intruder—only to find a very familiar face.
She had lustrous long black hair and a beauty mark beneath her right eye. Her elegant features were the kind that could captivate anyone, regardless of gender. But right now, she looked utterly flustered and caught off guard.
“Rebecca-senpai?”
“Ah... ha... haha... R-Ray-san? W-What are you doing here? And how did you get a key...?”
“I was out shopping with Dina-senpai. I just came back to drop off the supplies. What are you doing here, Rebecca-senpai?”
“Me?! Oh, uh... I just... forgot something! Yeah, that's it!”
“But the door was locked. And... were you doing something at the desk? I can see something behind you...”
“D-Don't worry about that! Anyway, I have to go! See you later, Ray-san!”
She scooped something up into her arms and sprinted out of the room with impressive speed.
I trusted Rebecca-senpai, so I was sure she wasn't up to anything bad, but it was still incredibly strange. Her behavior had been far from normal. It was obvious she was hiding something.
However, it wasn't my place to go poking my nose into other people's business. Everyone has things they want to keep private.
“Guess I’ll finish moving these in,” I muttered to myself.
As I began setting the bags down, I noticed a dark stain spreading across the top of the desk.
“Ink? Why would... was she doing paperwork?”
It was most likely related to whatever she had been doing just now.
“Oh well. I’ll wipe the desk down in a bit.”
I finished putting the supplies away, then wrung out a rag to clean the ink off the desk. While I was at it, I gave the rest of the room a quick sweep.
“That should do it.”
With the work finished, I locked the door and left the clubroom. By the time I reached the hallway, I’d already pushed Rebecca-senpai’s strange behavior to the back of my mind.
I had no way of knowing then, but by the end of this summer, I would discover exactly what she had been doing in that room. For now, however, the truth remained hidden.