LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 94
“You, you…! What are you doing here?”
Alice’s eyes widened as she quickly closed the distance to the woman.
She looked as if she had just spotted someone who definitely shouldn’t be here.
But whether she noticed Alice’s shocked expression or not, Tamamo casually swayed her thick lavender tail and replied leisurely.
“Well, it’s a complicated story… We’re planning to stay at the Saint Maria Hotel for our school trip next semester, so the student council came for a pre-exploration visit. Even if I look like this, I’m the future student council president.”
“Hehe… It’s been a year, and you’re already the student council president. That’s amazing…”
“Nihahaha! I got lucky. But how about you, Alice-chan?”
“I came out to hang with some friends. It’s a holiday in Night Haven right now.”
“Wow, that’s great! A holiday at the end of the year! It’s perfect for traveling! I’m so jealous!”
Hearing Alice talk about Night Week, Tamamo clapped her hands in delight, smiling genuinely without a hint of pretense.
Alice’s surprise seemed to ease a bit, thanks to Tamamo’s cheerful demeanor.
She continued the conversation in a much calmer tone than before.
“I was shocked. I never imagined I would run into you here.”
“You know, that should be my line! When I went back home for summer vacation and suddenly heard you crossed over to America, I was so stunned! The number I used to contact you didn’t work anymore, and there was no news… And then to meet here, it really caught me off guard.”
“Um, that’s… well, I had my reasons…”
“Hmph. Alice-chan, you’re such a diligent person. I’m sure there was a rush for you to leave. But still, we were friends. I was a little sad.”
“Huh… I’m really sorry.”
Alice averted her gaze awkwardly, scratching her cheek as if she had no excuse.
Sure, leaving without a word to a friend and suddenly going abroad would warrant an apology, but still, she seemed rather intimidated by Tamamo, who was a whole head shorter than her.
Had Raven, quietly observing the situation from behind, caught on to her peculiar demeanor?
He furrowed his brows as he listened in on their conversation, as if he were wondering whether their friendship was as innocent as it seemed.
However, Tamamo pulled out a terminal from her pocket and chimed in to Alice without a second thought.
“Alice-chan, since this is fate, let’s exchange contact information!”
“Oh, yeah! Let’s do that!”
“Hehe, all set! I’ll definitely send you a message, so you have to reply later, okay?”
“Of course!”
Alice flusteredly fumbled in her coat for her terminal, and they exchanged contact details.
After successfully swapping numbers, Tamamo held her terminal as if it were a precious treasure, smiling brightly.
It was a reaction like she’d just acquired something one would never want to lose.
“Oh, hey. Is there someone over there…?”
Had she finally noticed me and Raven, who were with Alice?
She turned to us, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, about to say something.
Except for a very tall blonde boy who suddenly butted in between us.
“President. There you are. What do you think you’re doing wandering off without a word?”
“Ah, Vice President-kun. Of all times…”
“Sorry to interrupt, but… we need to hurry.”
“What?! No way!”
Frustrated, Tamamo puffed out her cheeks, showing her displeasure.
It was clear she wanted to get to know Alice and the group a bit more.
But the boy called Vice President just bowed his head apologetically and spoke up a bit more.
“The student council president got caught up in some unnecessary ruckus…”
“Oh! That’s a problem…! Uh, Alice-chan! I’ll have to head out first!”
“Oh, okay. Bye!”
“Nihahaha, since we’re at the same hotel, let’s meet again! You guys too, I’ll come by to say hi later!”
The Vice President nudged Tamamo along hurriedly.
It seemed she was really worried the student council president was going to cause trouble.
What a whirlwind of a person they were.
As I let out a thoughtful sigh and tightened my coat, Raven approached Alice, who looked rather dazed.
“From how you’re dressed, you seem to be from that famous academy. What’s your relationship?”
“Hmm… We’ve been friends since elementary school. It’s been almost a year since we last saw each other.”
“I see. But it doesn’t seem like you two are very close.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“You give off a vibe that screams delinquent, and just now, she looked like a diligent goody-two-shoes. Usually, delinquents and goody-two-shoes don’t mix.”
“Who’s the delinquent here?!”
Grr!
Alice glared sharply at Raven, her eyes glowing like an axe ready to chop down.
But I understood what Raven meant.
If Alice has the sexy, mysterious vibe of a free-spirited delinquent, then Tamamo matched the appearance of an impeccable student in her crisp white uniform with nary a wrinkle.
There was a sense of contrast between the two, which had potential for sparks to fly.
Of course, being opposites could mean they might get along even better.
But looking at Alice, who was sweating and struggling, made it seem unlikely.
“So, what’s the story?”
“Ah, well… We were supposed to go to the same school, but I ended up not getting in, so there was a bit of distance. Then, some issues with running away happened, so I had to rush over to Night Haven without leaving any contact.”
“Hmm, I see. That’s quite a complicated tale.”
“Ah, enough of that! When are David and his crew showing up? I’ve been waiting ages!”
“We just arrived.”
“Gyaaaaah!”
Alice jumped a mile high as David’s deep voice suddenly interrupted.
How could she spring up like that without any prep? Just pure strength alone? How strong are her leg muscles? Is she secretly a bunny beastman or something?
But unlike my laid-back reaction, Alice looked astonished, clutching her chest as if her heart was about to burst from shock.
“D-David? And Raine and Sabrina too…?”
Standing before Alice was the long-awaited David crew.
In fact, I had spotted them at the entrance while exchanging contact information with Tamamo, but Alice, deep in thought, seemed to have completely missed them approaching.
Still, I wonder if she had any idea how shocked she would be.
David rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and said, “Sorry for the delay. There was a disturbance on the tracks, and the train got delayed. Fortunately, there were police on the same train, so the issue got resolved….”
“Sorry, guys, for making you wait in this weather.”
“It’s fine. Not like we wanted to be late. Let’s get inside and unpack a little.”
With a valid reason like a natural disaster for the delay, it was just one of those things. How do you prevent a disturbance on the tracks? I can’t predict the future.
I gave a reassuring glance to David while being playfully tugged by Sabrina, hoping they wouldn’t feel too bad about it.
After all, we didn’t wait too long. I just hoped David and his crew wouldn’t feel too apologetic.
Thus, now that the situation was more or less settled, we entered the bustling Saint Maria Hotel and finally reached the room we had booked.
“Here it is, the Premier Suite at Saint Maria!”
Lucky for us, riding the elevator while enjoying the view seemed to recharge our spirits, because Alice was back to her usual bright self as she swiped the key card to the room and flung the door open wide.
And lo and behold, the interior was dazzling enough to leave us speechless.
“It’s huge!”
“Wow, impressive. It definitely shows why it’s a luxury hotel, costing quite a bit.”
Honestly, the space inside was ludicrously vast.
I couldn’t comprehend how a single room could rival the entire size of our office.
From the marble floors to the vintage patterns on the ceiling, it was clear they didn’t skimp on the expenses.
But Alice seemed to want to express that what we see is just the tip of the iceberg.
She dashed deeper into the room, her excitement bubbling over as she waved her fingers.
“Hehe, that’s not all! There are two bedrooms and bathrooms! And check this out: a wine cellar, plus a kitchen for light meals! And a balcony to enjoy the view of the sea! Isn’t it amazing?”
“Oh my, that’s incredible.”
“Alice, you really wanted to come here, didn’t you?”
“Ugh, y-yeah! Is that bad?!”
Facing the endearing glances of Raine and Raven, Alice shouted with a blush staining her cheeks.
And yes, while Alice usually acts mature unless I’m around, it’s essential to remember that she’s still a minor, not even of legal age.
So it made perfect sense she’d feel that excited, especially since she successfully arranged the booking herself.
However, it seemed her pride took a hit being treated like a child by the real adults.
After receiving a full-frontal attack from them, Alice shot a wrathful glare at Raven.
‘Well, it’s true that the expensive hotels are nice. The view is great with the beach in clear sight.’
While the third battle between Raven and Alice raged on, I quietly stepped inside with Sabrina.
What greeted us was a spacious living room with a spectacular view of the ocean through the window.
The boundless sea, with no obstacles in sight, washed over me a wave of liberation.
Yes, this is why I came to the beach.
Crossing my arms, I savored the ocean view, nodding in pure satisfaction.
In the meantime, was the third battle subconsciously wrapping up?
Alice, after checking the bedrooms, turned to Raven with an expression of sincere apology.
“I’m sorry to Jin-san for spending so much money, but I think we should have four of us share the large bedroom. Since the numbers don’t match….”
“No problem. It’s not like we’re so poorly off we can’t fit four in the small room. Plus, it’s spacious enough for two over here.”
“The small bedroom is a few times bigger than my own! Truly a luxury hotel.”
Unfortunately, due to the numbers game, me, Alice, Sabrina, and Raine would use the large bedroom, while Raven and David would occupy the small one.
Honestly, it didn’t matter much to me where I ended up.
But I figured Alice wouldn’t just let me go, so I didn’t propose anything.
Having settled the sleeping arrangements without incident, Alice clapped her hands together, turning toward the group to wrap things up.
“Hehe… Thank you for understanding! So, shall we head out for a meal? It’s a bit late for lunch, but we can always have dinner later.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go. I need to refuel after all this.”
“…!”
Alice seemed set on getting lunch despite it being a bit late.
Well, being full is essential for having fun.
I raised my hand enthusiastically, showing my agreement.
If it’s a high-class hotel, the food has to be delicious, right?
Just thinking about devouring meat got my mouth watering in anticipation.