Parallel Memory
Chapter 6: Ace Academy [2]

[ "Goddess, I wonder if you have some spare time to have tea with me." ]

[ "G-Goddess? Are you talking to me?" ]

She looked at me rather astonishingly. She seems to be embarrassed to be called Goddess in front of other students.

Others were also paying attention to us; girls were excitedly looking at the event before them whereas boys were obviously filled with resentment.

[ "Indeed, Your beauty which radiates like the ray of the sun. Your smile overwhelming like the embrace of the earth and your eye shines like a rare jewel. You are only the worthy to called Goddess." ]

Endure... Zero Endure. What a cringy line. I wished I have a hole to bury my face.

[ "Look at that. Who gave him the guts to pursue her." ]

[ "Doesn't he know, Zion is pursuing her." ]

[ "Guess We will have one classmate missing tomorrow." ]

[ "A bottom ranker trying his luck with Top ranker. What a funny situation." ]

All the attention was directed at me. Some of the bastards were even pointing the sharp ends of their weapons at me.

Hey now, don't be doing that. I don't enjoy this at all…! I am just trying to do what I was meant to do like in the novel.

[ "Umm... Mister Elea, even if you suddenly tell me that, I am not going to…." ]

[ "Just call me Zero" ]

[ "Zero right, I would regretfully decline your invitation as I have already made a plan with my friends." ]

She declined me, although I knew the outcome from the novel I was still disappointed. Even if my feeling isn't as intense as stated in the novel, I feel regretful for getting rejected.

[ "Meeting you is the luckiest thing that ever happened in my life. And I'd like to share this wonderful feeling with you someday. I would be honored to speak with goddess some other time." ]

As I finished saying what I want and was about to leave, I felt two hands on my shoulder.

[ "I admire your courage for going after our boss women." ]

[ "Let us have some talk about life in that room." ]

They were obviously Zion's lackey. They tried to drag me and take me to a secluded place to teach me a lesson. An obvious pattern, where bullies beat others and threaten them. As I was waiting for them to drag me.

[ "Wait, where are taking him." ]

[ "My lady, we are just trying to teach him a lesson for harassing you. You can't associate with bottom ranker like him." ]

One of the lackeys replied to Lisa, trying to reason that they are doing this for her own good.

[ "Whoever I associate doesn't concern you. He was merely inviting me and didn't harass me. Don't think I don't know why you are doing this. I will report to the teacher if you go further than this." ]

[ "But our boss said to protect you." ]

[ "Huh... Protect me, I am not his object and I don't need his protection." ]

She sounded quite upset.

[ "Leave him be" ]

A voice came from the entrance.

[ "Boss" ]

[ "Zion boss" ]

A handsome male slowly approached Lisa. Lots of girls were looking at him, eyes full of heart marks.

[ "Lisa, Do you wanna have dinner with me after class. I have booked a place at the famous five-star restaurant Ocean Prime." ]

[ "No, I have already made a plan with my friends. Anyway, tell your friend to not bother me." ]

As she said that she left with her two friends while also bringing me with her.

[ "Boss, why did you stop us. He didn't put you in his eye and went for your women." ]

[ "Yes boss, we could have taught him a lesson like other boys who went after her." ]

[ "Huh. Do you seriously think that he could touch her heart? Even someone like me failed after so many years, he doesn't have the strength, wealth, fame, or looks to make her fall in love. Let him pester her for some time then Lisa will realize how much of a gentleman I am compared to disgusting men like him." ]

[ "Wow. What a great plan." ]

[ "Boss, your thinking is really different from people like us." ]

They were flattering him.

( Toad wishing to eat swan meat ), Zion thought.

[ "Anyway, try to keep your distance from Lisa. She doesn't like others getting in her business." ]

* * *

After we walked some distance, she released my hand.

[ "My apologies mister Zero. You had to encounter such misfortune due to me." ]

[ "No Noooo . It is my own fault. They didn't like me for approaching you." ]

[ "Yeah. It's not your fault, it's already a blessing for him that you are willing to talk to him." ]

One of the girls said.

[ "Well... I should warn you not to approach me. Even if Zion didn't do anything right now, he may do so in the future. It will be in the best interest if you don't associate with me." ]

As she finished saying her piece, she left with her friend.

( "Well, that went well" ) I thought.

I have done what Zero did in the novel. So the world right now should follow the story of the novel. I shall wait and see if there is any change in the scenario.

****

I went back to the dorm assigned to me. I was surprised to see that the room was as good as the hotel room. It was clean and the room had a big bathroom and kitchen.

It looks like Ace Academy is really rich being able to provide thousands of similar rooms. I took a shower and went to train my Cryomancy Art in the training room.

I trained until it was midnight. I used Magic Wand to see the effect and the effect stunned me. The power of Ice Shard increased by 1.3 times and I felt my control on magic increase.

Having finished training I went back to my room and slept.

The next morning, after breakfast I made my way to my class. The moment I entered the class, all attention was on me.

[ "Is he the one who confess to Lisa" ]

[ "I heard he fought with Zion to claim Lisa." ]

[ "He is ranked 970 and fought with a top student." ]

Everyone was discussing about me. Looks like yesterday's event has been known by everyone. The truth was even changed to me confessing to Lisa and Zion and Me fighting for Lisa.

[ "Huu.." ]

I don't even know what to say. From the moment I confirmed this world is the same as the novel, I wanted to change the world as little as possible. Though I took LVL 9 Art and made changes in the novel.

However, the Art is discovered only in the latter half of the novel and It wouldn't really matter if the world changed from that point onwards because from that point MC will be really powerful and only handful of people can kill him.

But right now it is important to keep the world as same as the novel. MC is vulnerable right now and even a small mistake may lead to the death of MC.

I want to keep the world as a novel but having to stand out is not something that I like. I did something that I didn't want to do and the result is something I didn't like.

I think that even if I didn't do the thing written in the novel, it would hardly affect the novel because I am just a very insignificant mob.

I think I need to revise my plan of keeping the world same as the novel. As I kept on thinking, I remember about yesterday's event, I frown.

( Well what's done is done. Let's continue to see what happens from now on. )

*****

[ "Hey, Lisa is he the one who confesses to you." ]

Slyvia asked Lisa.

[ "He didn't confess to me. He was just inviting me for tea." ]

[ "Oh... Really. Hey, Zion did you really fight him." ]

[ "No. He does not deserve to fight me. If we fought he wouldn't be able to attend class today." ]

[ "So boring. But I really like his guts being able to chase after the princess of Sacred Light." ]

[ "hmm... Just another no-name who doesn't understand his own place." ]

Zion said with disdain, looking in the direction of the one who caused this commotion.

[ "What do think Hiro? "]

[ "About what?" ]

[" huh? You were not listening? We are talking about the one who is chasing our princess. What do you think about him? "]

She asked while pointing her finger at Zero.

[ "Him huh? Well, I don't really know him. And it's not really polite to interfere in others' business. So, I would refrain from making any comment." ]

[ "Fair point. So, Lisa how do feel about him." ]

[ "Well it was my first time meeting such a gentleman. I don't think he has any ulterior motive but he was exaggerating things and saying about me going...." ]

She blushed and stopped talking.

[ "What? What about you being? Come tell me the truth. "]

Sylvia having been interested after seeing such a reaction from Lisa pressed on. She continued to ask until Lisa answered.

[ "G-GODDESS! He called me goddess" ]

Lisa blushed and her face was all red.

( Really. What a bold person. )

Slyvia thought about him and then about Zion.

( You have been chasing her for too long and you didn't even sincerely praise her. Now, look a person came who can honestly praise her. )

Zion has been arrogant since a young age being applauded as a genius by adults around him. Even while courting Lisa, he is arrogantly expecting her to love and worship him.

He is so proud that he does not even praise her, always talking about him being great and all. What a snob...

While Sylvia was thinking that, an interesting event was taking place in front of them.