I Couldn’t Stop my Childhood Friend from Turning Into a Villain

[Rhode’s POV]

Rhode found this situation very interesting.

He was originally nosy. However, Lucy also seemed to be formidable with that temperament.

“Here, eat more. Eat a lot.”

Lucy, sitting on the diagonal opposite side of the table, was transferring food to Melissa’s plate.

As if she hadn’t done it once or twice, Lucy’s movements were unstoppable.

Melissa looked at her plate piled high with a satisfied face.

“You have to eat a lot and build up your stamina. Sitting in front of a desk for a long time is also something you need stamina for.”

If she’s intending to talk about stamina, shouldn’t she exercise instead? Rhode swallowed the words he couldn’t bear to say.

“Sometimes you nag more than Amelia.”

Melissa was already putting food in her mouth at Lucy’s pace. Lucy asked, tilting her head.

“Who is Amelia?”

“Yes, my family.”

Melissa had a voracious appetite.

However, she began to become frugal after learning that Amelia, her guardian, was overworking her body to provide for her.

Her habit hasn’t changed much now that the Academy has funded her living expenses, so Melissa has always picked the cheapest menu in the cafeteria.

And Lucy would quickly notice Melissa’s condition and always bring Melissa’s share of delicious food.

As Lucy takes great care of others, Melissa, who resisted Lucy at first, has now half-given up on her.

“Really? I’m nagging you because I like Melissa like Amelia.”

Lucy tactfully avoided Melissa’s family history without questioning it.

Melissa referred to the name ‘Amelia’ as not belonging to her mother or father, so she thought there must be some reason.

“What, what?”

She moved her chin wide and chewed her food as if she was going to bite her fork at the strange comment.

Lucy, who had confirmed that the food she gave Melissa ended up in Melissa’s mouth, finally began to eat her share.

Only the noise inside the cafeteria could be heard between the four people for a while.

It’s…

At some point, the sound of setting down the tableware was clearly caught in Lucy’s ear.

Lucy looked up at Liel, who put down his knife.

“……?”

In addition to that, Liel put his hands under the table.

“What’s wrong?”

Lucy first checked Liel’s plate, which had not decreased in quantity, and asked with a hopeless heart.

“I don’t have an appetite today.”

Liel replied with a puzzled look. His voice was so pitiful that Rhode turned his head reflexively.

Apart from being aloof to women, he’s acting like a baby.

He whipped up his arms which were riddled with goosebumps.

“Uh!”

Rhode, who uttered a short groan inside, suddenly saw Liel’s hand under the table.

‘Haha, I was wondering where his hands were.’

The fork, which should have been paired with the knife, was seen crumpled in Liel’s hand in a strange form.

‘Crazy guy.’

He doesn’t know why he’s been bragging about his grip since last time.

“You haven’t had a bite…”

As Rhode peered at Liel’s eccentricities alone, Lucy’s astonished voice was heard.

If left like this, Liel would starve until evening. Lucy couldn’t bear to see Liel starve.

Wouldn’t it be better to eat even a little bit? He still has more training to do.

Lucy’s mind was filled with worries about Liel. But Lucy could not meddle in Liel’s ‘meal quantity’ without knowing anything else.

This is because when she was young, Lucy’s encouragement caused him to have an upset stomach while eating too much.

Since that day, Lucy has kept her nose out of Liel’s meals.

Of course, Liel, who was growing up, started eating a lot on his own, so Lucy didn’t have to interfere.

“Well……”

What should I do? If he doesn’t eat properly while he trains, I’m sure he’ll be exhausted.

Lucy couldn’t open her mouth quickly because she remembered her past mistakes.

Lucy’s face revealed her thoughts in her expression. Meanwhile, Liel stared persistently at Lucy, who only licked her lips in hesitation.

He was too adept at waiting. Liel’s eyes were relaxed as well, as if this amount of waiting was nothing.

“Don’t you have to eat and train again……?”

Lucy chose her words as carefully as she could. At this time, Liel even felt a sense of superiority.

“Yes, I do, but…….”

Finally, Liel relaxed his grip on the fork. Lucy said with a tearful face, as if she was sad enough to blur the end of her words.

“What if you get hungry during the training…….”

What do you mean by ‘what if he gets hungry’? If he does, he’ll take care of it himself.

Rhode countered Lucy’s words in his mind. Rhode was also one of those who heard rumors about Lucy and Liel.

As soon as he heard the rumor, Rhode asked Liel about his relationship with Lucy as if he had been waiting, but he only gave a lukewarm answer.

‘You’re not dating even though you’re like this?’

Observing the two, Rhode wondered if his concept of friendship was incorrect.

“Lucy, I’m fine, so finish your meal first.”

Lucy also picked up her fork again without saying anything, but she seemed to keep paying attention to Liel, who was acting pitifully.

After a while, Lucy opened her mouth in a sincere manner.

“……Liel. I’ve been thinking about it.”

Melissa, who finished her meal in a timely manner, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

“If it’s not because you don’t feel well, I think it’s better to eat even a bit.”

As she spoke, Liel heard the worry in her voice and lowered his eyes slightly and said.

“……I don’t really feel like eating cafeteria food today.”

Liel complained, which was inappropriate for his age. Rhode and Melissa, who was not used to the whining of a man, crumpled their faces.

“Then what about dinner? Aren’t you going to eat dinner?”

“…….”

Liel smiled gently at Lucy’s question. Seeing the nonchalant response, Lucy slammed the table with her hands as if asking how he could do that.

“A big bite!”

“Oh, I’m sorry…….”

She had to apologize right away for the sound of coughing from other students sitting at the same table.

“I, if it’s because you don’t like cafeteria food, why don’t you go out for dinner? If you don’t have anyone to go with, do you want me to come with you?”

Lucy didn’t give up and acted as if she would do whatever it took to resolve Liel’s meal.

“…really? Lucy, are you free?”

“Of course I’m fine. All I have is time!”

She still has some Economics assignments left, but if she does her best, she’ll be able to finish them by tomorrow.

Lucy said proudly, overconfident of herself.

“Thank you. Then let’s go out and eat together in the evening.”

Liel’s smile, after he achieved his goal, has become wider than before.

“Yes!”

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief after solving Liel’s meal.

Lucy’s eyes, pretending to wipe off sweat with exaggerated gestures, suddenly touched Rhode’s tableware.

“Rhode must have a very strong grip…”

Lucy said with admiration.

“What?”

Rhode asked back in a stupid voice at the sudden remark. He followed Lucy’s gaze with a quizzical expression and lowered his gaze.

There was a fork bent in a strange shape.

‘This punk!’

While Rhode’s attention was elsewhere, Liel secretly exchanged his fork for his.

‘Why are you giving this to me when you’re the one who bent it?’

Liel, aware that Rhode was staring at him, flung his forefinger down the intact fork on his plate as if he didn’t know anything.

Rhode became even more speechless when he saw the fork.

***

[Lucy’s POV]

‘Melissa said she had a class left……. What am I supposed to do alone…….’

Having promised to have dinner with Liel, I had to kill time alone today until his training was over.

I thought I would just go back to the dormitory and wait, but I thought I would want to jump into bed.

And I’m sure I’ll fall asleep the moment I jump into bed.

I looked around with determination that I could not break my promise to Liel. More than two people were walking around in pairs.

For the first time, I lamented the fact that I had no friends but Melissa in the same grade.

‘Should I go to the library and read this?’

The book I borrowed from the library yesterday was not interesting even if I tried. I almost fell asleep again and again while reading the book.

So I haven’t read ten pages yet.

I stared at the dark book cover with hazy eyes.

Liel won’t know. How much I’m trying.

Of course, half of it was because I didn’t want to die, but at least the other half was purely for Liel.

‘Liel, you need to know you have a good friend!’

I can’t show off to the person involved.

I patted myself on the shoulder and praised myself instead of Liel.