The Player is a Part-Timer

Chapter 7: Damsel in Distress

"Come on!" Kiryuu leaned closer, hugging her neck with one of her arms, her face reaching closer.

"Why do girls always smell this good?" Gillian asked herself as her classmate leaned closer. Indeed, since coming here, she recognized, even after PE, girls smell nice. How were they able to do it? She had little idea.

"You know, little birds chirped that you hang around a lot with the ORC and Student Council guys. Have you joined, or what? I must admit, Akeno and Rias senpai really are attractive! Even Sona-senpai has her teacherly charm! Or..." an even more perverse grin appeared on her face. "Oh my! You and Kiba-kun?"

For that, Gillian spat out her juice. "The hell are you talking about!?"

"Hahahahaha! Busted!" laughed the girl with the glasses. It seems she found a new hobby teasing her—an opening of the otherwise neutral and "perfect" Gillian's shield appeared!

"Tch! It is not like that!" Gillian almost spat, even the presumption was outrageous! Kiba was only her friend, nothing more! He was handsome; even with male standards, she recognized that. But the two of them together? No way!

"I am still not gay..." whatever that means in her current state.

"I just beat Rias and Sona in a bet; in exchange, they allow me to use their clubroom to escape recruiters."

"Oh! How interesting. One of the great Onee-sama beaten? Her fans will not like this. Nonetheless, it will be your problem once it starts to spread." Kiryuu spread her arms, palms facing upward. That pose was like she said: "It cannot be helped."

"Just my luck..." Gillian muttered. Once again, the social system outplayed her. Now, more people will seek her out in the breaks.

"I really need to consider moving away from some secluded place. Stationing myself there all the time." she could do it, of course, and let her illusionary copy walk around and deal with those people. Yet, thinking about it, if she always runs away from problems, she will never learn how to face them properly.

Raised in a corporate orphanage in most of her life, she was socially, mentally, and physically crippled and bullied by other orphans — and later, her own workmates — coming here, at first, she had no idea how to connect with people — even now struggling to learn it.

Now, as she lives there for around three months, she felt confident she would manage somehow, she slowly started to learn what she should have learned in her first childhood, she felt, her trust in humanity slowly returns.

Still unsure what to do afterward, but confident enough to push forward and carve her place in this new world. The first time in her life, she had a steady direction to move forward! The first time in her life, she truly felt free!

"I promised this myself... I don't want to betray this promise!"

She remained in this school because she felt social interaction with these people helped her slowly fading soul and declining mind to heal. Not for Azazel! Not for the mission! But for herself and for the people she promised she would change!

All in all, despite the boring lessons, she felt herself good in this place. She even managed to gain real friends! Aside from YGGDRASIL, the first time in her life, she thought she has a place she can steadily belong to!

True, there were a few annoyances in this place, such as the members of different clubs that wanted to recruit her, trying to convince her — First the Athlete, then the Kendo club, then the manga and photograph club — and many more she doesn't even remember.

"In truth, I didn't join clubs because that would restrict my free and alone time, and of course, I don't yet feel ready to make this step... not yet."