Vol 3. Chapter 78: Do You Think I Want to Stick to You?

“Huh?” Seeing that, Shicodale tilted his head. Those big eyes were full of big question marks. He had absolutely no idea what had happened in this not-so-big room while he was gone.

Come to think of it, before he left, the atmosphere between Aesphyra and Vinny already felt kind of weird. Could it be that while he wasn’t here, the two of them fought?

And then Aesphyra stormed out in anger?

Shicodale cranked his clever little brain and felt like that was a very likely possibility.

So he carefully set the bread bag down, sat on the long bench where Aesphyra had been sitting, and looked at Vinny, who still seemed out of it, staring blankly toward the door.

“Um, Classmate Vinny... are you okay?”

“......”

“Classmate Vinny? Are you okay?” Seeing Vinny’s unfocused eyes and wooden expression—like he’d been hard-CC’d and hadn’t heard a word—Shicodale cautiously called again.

She had this feeling she’d arrived too late. Like by the time she rushed back, something had already invaded Vinny’s mind, and now he was just sitting there like a stunned chicken.

“Ah... ah?” After a long while, Vinny finally realized Shicodale had come back and was sitting right in front of him talking. “Oh, Dale. You’re back.”

“Mm-hm. I bought the bread you like best.” Shicodale lifted the bag into her arms and stuck her head in to rummage around. The tiny bread bag in the arms of a tiny person made Shicodale look even smaller.

“Oh. Thanks. Sorry to make you do that, Dale.” Vinny still hadn’t fully snapped back from whatever he’d been feeling earlier.

“Um... Classmate Vinny, don’t be mad.” Shicodale hesitated, trying to piece her words together, not really sure how to comfort him. After thinking and thinking, all she could manage was, “Don’t be mad.”

“Don’t be mad at Aesphyra, okay? Aesphyra definitely didn’t mean to make you angry or fight with you. If things get like this, everyone just ends up unhappy. She must be really regretting her impulse just now.” Shicodale softly tried to reassure him.

“?” Vinny’s head practically sprouted a huge question mark.

Wait, what was she talking about? Fight? Who fought with who? He wasn’t even aware of that??

“Eh? Didn’t Classmate Vinny fight with Aesphyra?” Seeing Vinny’s baffled face, Shicodale asked without thinking.

“No? Who told you I fought with Aesphyra?” Vinny was genuinely confused.

“E-eh?! You didn’t? But when I came in just now, your face was so red. Red like you’d just gotten angry and blown up...” Shicodale asked, totally lost. “And Aesphyra’s gone too. Isn’t that because you two fought, and she got mad and left the sanatorium room?”

“Who told you that??” Vinny couldn’t believe Shicodale had assembled that whole drama in her head.

“But your face really is red.”

His face was red?

Vinny touched his cheek. Yeah. A bit hot.

Was it still red...?

Ah, damn it. Didn’t that mean that white-haired nutball saw him make a complete fool of himself??

“Classmate Vinny, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick? Should I go call the priest to come check you?” Shicodale thought Vinny was unwell again.

“Cough—no, I’m fine. Really. Don’t bother him.” Vinny hurried to stop her.

“Then... Classmate Vinny, you...?”

“Face being red is probably just because this room’s too hot. Totally normal. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” He cleared his throat. “Dale, didn’t I tell you? The most important thing for a man is being broad-minded, steady, emotionally stable. It’s a tiny thing. Stay calm, okay??”

“Ah... o-okay, I’ll stay calm. But Classmate Vinny, are you really okay? Your emotions feel kind of unstable right now.” Shicodale swallowed, and just hearing Vinny’s awkward tone already had her fighting the urge to complain.

“How am I unstable?? Don’t talk nonsense, okay?!” Vinny snapped. Maybe the earlier emotional aftershocks were still there, or maybe Shicodale had cranked his embarrassment through the roof, but his voice rose before he could stop it.

“U-um... okay. I understand.” Shicodale shrank her neck, timid instantly.

“Ah—sorry, sorry. My bad, Dale.” Realizing he’d startled her, Vinny apologized. “You’re right. My emotions are a bit unstable right now. Sorry. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t feeling great earlier.”

“No, it’s okay. Classmate Vinny is having a hard time. It’s normal to be unstable.” Shicodale shook her head and ended up defending him instead.

Ah...

Watching how soft and obedient Shicodale was, Vinny honestly worried about what kind of person she’d end up marrying if things went the original route.

She felt like the type to get bullied and still speak up for the bully.

He suddenly thought the existence of Second Personality made perfect sense. That alter was probably born to protect the “white Shicodale,” meaning Shicodale’s core self. Everything about him was for protecting her, because Shicodale’s personality was just too easy to trample.

With Second Personality around, sure, there was an extra personality, but at least Shicodale got some measure of protection.

“Dale, don’t say it like that. I was the one who didn’t control my emotions earlier.” Vinny waved it off.

Being in the same room with Aesphyra right before had blown his embarrassment sky-high, so he’d slipped. But he really hadn’t meant to vent on Shicodale. He’d just been stabbed right in the shame.

“You’re hungry too, right? Eat some bread.” As he spoke, Vinny took a piece Shicodale had handed him... and handed it back to her, then paid her the bread money.

After all, this “family” still ran on him. Shicodale had no way to earn money—he was the one holding it up.

“Mmm, okay.” Shicodale accepted the bread and nibbled on it beside him like a tiny, adorable hamster, taking careful little bites so she wouldn’t make noise and bother him.

After she finished eating, Shicodale rested in the ward for a bit. Only after Vinny insisted again and again that he was fine and didn’t need company did she finally leave, reluctance written all over her face.

Watching her go, Vinny thought back to his earlier exchange with Aesphyra and felt his face heat up all over again.

Tsk. What the hell did he say earlier?!

Even now, it was still humiliating.

But thinking that Aesphyra had said something similar too, he forced himself to calm down. They’d canceled each other out. In other words, neither of them had said anything extra.

With that thought, Vinny lay back on the bed. Maybe because he hadn’t slept much these past few days, and today he’d been dragged out early to line up for tests... plus all those side incidents... he shut his eyes, and before long his lids started drooping and sticking.

In a haze, he heard a familiar childish girl’s voice by his ear.

‘Ahhh. So it really is a guy. I didn’t see wrong!’

‘So why can’t I get out if I picked the wrong person?!’

‘No way, no way! Am I seriously going to be trapped in a man’s body for my whole life?! That—no!’

Wait, what the hell??

Was he dreaming again??

“Holy crap, why is it you again?! Shut up already. Don’t disturb this young master’s sleep, okay?!” Vinny irritably opened his eyes and shouted.

‘You’ve got the nerve to say that?! I’m trapped in your body and can’t get out! I slept for so long, finally thought I’d found a new successor, and then I just got happy for nothing!’

‘Ahhh, Goddess... since I picked wrong, at least let me go back out! Even if I can’t go out, at least let me be stuck in a pretty girl’s body! What kind of sick joke is getting trapped in a man’s body?!’

“I’m saying, what kind of insane crap are you spouting?” Vinny frowned. But when he fully opened his eyes, he realized he wasn’t in the familiar ward anymore. The sanatorium ceiling wasn’t there.

Wait. Where the hell did this dump him this time?

Ah, whatever. He was basically used to opening his eyes in some unfamiliar place by now.

Vinny looked around at the bizarre, shimmering world in front of him. He was floating in midair, and every so often a white statue would drift past him, brushing by.

Hold on—no.

Who was he talking to just now??

‘Here! Here!’

Hearing the voice, Vinny jolted and looked around, but didn’t see anybody.

“This is creepy, you know? It’s creepy,” Vinny muttered. “Just like when Aesphyra’s clearly talking right next to me, but I can’t find her no matter how I look around. Creepy as hell.”

‘You blue-haired weirdo, what are you talking about? Who’s Aesphyra? And I’m right here—look down!’

Vinny silently lowered his gaze.

Oh. So that’s how it worked. Just like Aesphyra—if you didn’t look down, you couldn’t find her.

Right in front of him was a palm-sized, doll-pretty, golden-haired little angel girl. Super cute. Except right now she had her cheeks puffed out, glaring at him like she was furious.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Vinny couldn’t help asking. “Were you the one buzzing in my ear like a fly earlier??”

‘That’s what I should be asking you! Who are you? And you dared say I’m like a fly?!’ The little angel got even angrier, flying circles around Vinny, zipping and spinning.

“Alright, alright, stop spinning. You’re looking even more like a fly—and you’re making me dizzy!”

“Hmph! You blue-haired stinky man, seriously uncultured! How dare you compare me to a fly. No taste! Ahhh, why did I end up bound to a man with no taste, no sense, no class, no vibes, and not even good-looking?!”

“Not good-looking?” Vinny hadn’t even registered the earlier rant. The moment she said he wasn’t good-looking, everything else stopped mattering.

His anger instantly snapped on like a trap card.

“Who the hell are you to say I’m not good-looking?!” Vinny shot to his feet and stabbed a finger at himself. “You golden-haired big fly really have zero eyes. I’m the visual ace of Carillian Academy. The top campus heartthrob. You get that?!”

“Oh, and now you’ve added another trait.” The little angel deadpanned. “Zero self-awareness.”

“Seriously—why is this happening? How did I get bound to a stinky man with zero style or class?!” The little angel clutched her head, like she couldn’t accept reality.

“Tsk, I should be the one saying that. And what the hell are you anyway? Why are you here? And what is this place??”

“What place do you think it is?! I already told you—I’m trapped in your body!”

“Oh, trapped in here, huh? Why are you yelling at me then? I haven’t even charged you rent yet.” Vinny gave her a sideways look. “And did I invite you in? You’re the star that hit me, right? Tsk. You’re the one who dove into me headfirst, and now you’re acting like the victim? I haven’t even settled the account for you knocking me out yet!”

“Ugh! Then why do you have the aura of a successor on you?!” The little angel puffed her mouth out again.

“So who are you, exactly? You’ve been yapping forever.” Vinny frowned.

“Me? You still can’t tell? Hah. You really have no knowledge. Anyone with the slightest bit of sense could see it. I’m an angel—Goddess Facilis’s messenger!” The little angel lifted her chin proudly.

“Oh, an angel? You? This tiny?”

“You dare look down on me?! I’m the Goddess’s messenger!”

“What’s so great about that? Who hasn’t seen Goddess Facilis?” Vinny scoffed.

“You’ve seen the Goddess? You? Tsk, keep bragging like that and you’ll knock your teeth out!” The little angel stuck her tongue out at him.

“Bragging? This young master never brags. I speak only facts.”

“Ah! Whatever. Why am I even wasting time arguing with you?” The little angel groaned in despair. “How the hell am I supposed to get out of your body?!”

“I couldn’t find some nice soft Blessing Angel big sister... and now I’m stuck to some ugly, vulgar man. What am I supposed to doooo?!”

“Ugly, vulgar man? You’ve got a lot of nerve, huh?” Vinny clicked his tongue. “I didn’t charge you rent, I didn’t blame you for slamming into me, you cling to me and leech off me, and you’re still blaming me?”

“Who wants to cling to a stinky man like you?!” The little angel gritted her teeth. “The one I was looking for was a gorgeous Blessing Angel big sister! The Goddess’s bloodline, the orthodox Saintess of House of Facilis! Not you, you ugly man with zero class or vibe!”

“Do you think I want to stick to you?? If I could leave, I’d have been gone already!”