When We Exorcists Fell in Love at School, the World Went Crazy - Do you have a girlfriend?

The air in the classroom went taut. It was a morning near the end of May. The sunlight streaming through the windows already carried the scent of summer, a drowsy warmth that made you want to doze off. Allen Walker sat by the window, thinking that today would probably be another ordinary day. (*Is Lenalee not here yet?*) The seat next to him was empty. She usually arrived much earlier, greeting him with a bright "good morning." Allen felt a small twinge of concern. That was when it happened. *Clatter.* "[out of breath]G-Good morning!" Lenalee burst through the classroom door with force. Her waist-length black hair swayed in its usual twin tails. But something was off. Her face was bright red, and her breathing was ragged. Like she'd been running. Lenalee walked straight to Allen's seat. Her footsteps sounded strangely loud. The few people already in the classroom turned to look, their expressions asking *what's going on?* Lenalee clenched both hands into tight fists and stood before Allen's desk. "U-Um, Allen-kun…" Her voice was trembling. Allen grew worried. "What's wrong, Lenalee? Your face is red. Are you okay?" "Y-Yeah, I'm fine! I'm fine, but… um…" Lenalee mumbled, her words trailing off. Her large, deep-green eyes wavered shyly. She took one deep breath, then lifted her head as if steeling herself. "Allen-kun, do you have a girlfriend?!" The classroom froze in an instant. Even the chatter from other classes drifting in from the hallway seemed to stop dead. —*Do you have a girlfriend?* Lavi, who had been reading a book by the window, spilled the water from the plastic bottle in his hand. *Splash.* "Wha—?!" The girl in the seat in front of him let out a small shriek. Lavi frantically moved his book out of the way, but it was already soaked. His red hair bounced. His emerald-green eyes were open wider than they'd ever been. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa… What're you saying first thing in the morning, Lenalee?!" Lavi's voice wasn't its usual light, joking tone. He was genuinely shocked. And then there was one more. Kanda Yuu, sitting at the very back by the window with his arms crossed, had unconsciously gripped the Japanese sword at his hip. Sheath and all. The sound of the scabbard creaking—*grind*—was audible. His sharp, deep-indigo eyes glared daggers at Allen. He was radiating killing intent. "…" Kanda said nothing. But that silence was the most terrifying thing of all. It took Allen three seconds to process Lenalee's words. (*Girlfriend? She's asking if I…?*) Allen stared at Lenalee with a blank expression. His pure white hair swayed slightly. The pentacle-shaped mark beneath his left eye sat there quietly, as it always did. "Um… are you asking me that?" "Who else would I be asking?!" Lenalee flapped both hands. Her face was even redder than before. Giggles began to rise from around the classroom. The other classmates were watching with amused interest. Allen finally grasped the situation. Lenalee was asking if he had a girlfriend. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat. "I don't. There's no way I'd have someone like that." Allen said it with a troubled smile. And then— "Really?! Yay!" Lenalee's face lit up brilliantly. As if all the tension from moments before had been a lie, a beaming smile spread across her face. Her twin tails bounced. The classroom atmosphere brightened, like a flower blooming. "I see, you don't! Okay, got it! See you later then!" Lenalee gave a little hop on the spot, then dashed to her own seat and sat down. Now, as if the embarrassment had come rushing back, she collapsed onto her desk. Even her ears were bright red. The classroom buzzed with noise. "What's this, what's this—Lenalee, you're bold!" "Getting all heated up first thing in the morning!" The classmates jeered one after another. Allen had no idea how to react and could only manage a strained laugh. (*Why would Lenalee suddenly…?*) Allen didn't understand. Clueless about romance, he still hadn't grasped the reason behind Lenalee's actions. Lavi, wiping his soaked book with a handkerchief, looked at Allen with a complicated expression. "…Hah." A small sigh escaped him. But Allen didn't notice its meaning. Kanda was still gripping his Japanese sword. "…Beansprout." He muttered it low, like a curse. Hostility was clearly visible in his eyes. — It was break time after first period. As Allen was preparing for the next class, he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve from beside him. "Allen-kun, do you have a second?" Lenalee spoke in a voice so faint it seemed about to vanish. Her face was still a little red. "Yeah, sure. What's up?" "Um, I'm sorry for asking something so sudden earlier. But… I really needed to know." Lenalee fidgeted with her fingers on the desk as she began to speak, bit by bit. "Actually, you once helped me, Allen-kun." "Huh?" Allen searched his memory. He helped Lenalee? Did she mean during their battles in their past life? But there was no way she could remember that. "It was back when we were in elementary school." Lenalee's eyes took on a distant look. "I have claustrophobia… I'm really scared of tight spaces. Especially elevators." Allen listened in silence. He knew that Lenalee's claustrophobia was a remnant of her past life's memories. "That day, I got on an elevator in a department store, but it suddenly stopped. It went completely dark… and I panicked. I was crying and screaming, pounding on the door. But no one noticed." Lenalee's voice trembled slightly. Even just remembering it now must be frightening. "Just when I thought it was over, a boy pried the door open from the outside. And that boy… was you, Allen-kun." "It was me?" Allen was surprised. He had no memory of that. But it was around the time he'd been traveling from place to place with Mana, so maybe it had happened. "Yeah. A boy with pure white hair and a star-shaped mark under his left eye—I remember it so clearly. You said, 'Are you okay? It's not scary anymore,' and held my hand." Lenalee smiled shyly. "Ever since then, I've admired you, Allen-kun. When we ended up in the same class at St. Claire Academy, and even sitting next to each other… I thought it was fate." Something deep in Allen's chest tightened. (*I see. So Lenalee…*) It wasn't a memory from their past life. But maybe it was connected somewhere. The strange sense of reassurance that eased her claustrophobia—maybe that too. "I see. So that happened. I'm sorry I don't remember." "No, of course you wouldn't! I'm the one who just remembered it on my own." "But… thank you for telling me." Allen smiled. A warm, genuine smile from the heart. Lenalee placed a hand on her chest. "Hey, Allen-kun. It's strange… but when I'm with you, the scary feelings just sort of float away and get lighter." "Is that so? I'm glad." Allen said nothing more. But in his heart, he understood clearly. This was an unconscious remnant of their past life's memories. Lenalee's soul remembered him as a comrade. (*That's why I absolutely have to protect her.*) Allen renewed his vow. To protect this casual, everyday life—and Lenalee's smile. — After school. Allen was sitting on a bench in the courtyard. It was a grassy courtyard called the Cortile, sandwiched between the main building and the science lab building. A bust of the founder stood in the center, with eight benches arranged around it. Lenalee was sitting next to him. "Thank you so much for today, Allen-kun. I feel so much better now." Lenalee swung her legs like a swing, speaking in high spirits. "You're welcome. I'm glad you're happy, Lenalee." "Ehehe. You really are kind, Allen-kun." Lenalee peered into Allen's face. She was close. Less than thirty centimeters away. Allen felt his heart race a little, but he didn't let it show on his face. (*Lenalee's always had a small sense of personal space, huh.*) Just as he was thinking that— "You bastard." A low voice, as if echoing from the depths of hell, came from behind him. He turned to see Kanda Yuu standing there. He wore the armband of the disciplinary committee chairman, with a Japanese sword at his hip. His sharp, narrow eyes were narrowed further with anger. His long black hair, reaching down his back, seemed to sway even though there was no wind. "Y-Yuu?!" Lenalee's eyes went wide. Kanda strode up to Allen and grabbed him by the collar. "Stay away from Lenalee. Disappear, beansprout." And with that, he slammed Allen against the wall. *Thud.* A shock ran through his back. "Hey, Yuu! What are you doing?!" Lenalee hurriedly tried to intervene, but Kanda paid her no mind. If anything, the hand pinning Allen down tightened. "First that stunt this morning, and now the two of you alone after school—what the hell are you doing?" "…Kanda-kun, calm down." Allen was composed. Even with his collar grabbed and pinned against the wall, he didn't panic. "Shut up. Got an excuse?" "It's not an excuse. It's just that Lenalee is struggling with claustrophobia. I just want to help her, even a little, so she doesn't have to be scared." Kanda's hand stopped, just slightly. "Besides, you care about Lenalee too, don't you, Kanda-kun? In that case, let's support her together. That's surely better than trying to protect her alone." Allen's silver-gray eyes looked straight at Kanda. There was no lie, no deceit in them. Kanda glared at Allen in silence for a while. But gradually, the flames of anger faded from his eyes. "…Hmph." Kanda released his grip. "Remember this. I don't trust you. If anything happens to Lenalee, you won't get off easy." With that parting shot, he turned on his heel and walked away. "I'm sorry, Allen-kun, for Yuu doing that…" Lenalee looked down apologetically. "It's fine. He really cares about you, doesn't he." Allen straightened his rumpled clothes as he spoke gently. "Honestly, Yuu is way too overprotective!" Lenalee puffed out her cheeks, but her face looked just a little happy too. — In front of the school gate at dusk. The sky was dyed red, and the silhouette of Kasuga Hill stood out sharply. Students who had finished their club activities were heading home in small groups. "Um, Allen-kun." Lenalee spoke, fidgeting with her hands clasped behind her back. "Hm?" "This weekend, would you like to visit Kasuga Shrine with me?" "Kasuga Shrine?" "Yeah. When I pray at that shrine, my heart feels at peace somehow. And… I'd like to talk with you more, Allen-kun." Lenalee timidly looked up at Allen's face. Her large, deep-green eyes wavered anxiously. The feeling of *what if he says no* was painfully clear. "Sure. I'd like to go too." "Really?! Yay!" Overjoyed, Lenalee bounced up and down on the spot. Her twin tails bobbed, making her look just like a rabbit. "Then, how about we meet at the station front at ten on Sunday?" "Got it. I'm looking forward to it." "Me too! It's a promise!" Lenalee waved and ran off into the sunset. Allen stood at the gate, watching until her figure disappeared. (*Kasuga Shrine, huh.*) Allen felt a warmth spreading in his chest. How long had it been since he'd made plans with someone? And with Lenalee, of all people. — That night. Allen was in his apartment. It was an old wooden apartment building about a ten-minute walk from Tamanogi Central Station. A simple room—just a six-tatami space with a tiny kitchen attached. There were a stain or two on the walls, and when you opened the window, you could hear the sound of the train tracks. Without turning on the lights, Allen stood by the window. He reflected on the day's events. Lenalee's bold question. Lavi's surprised face. Kanda's anger. And the invitation to the shrine. All of it was ordinary, yet irreplaceable. (*I have to protect this everyday life.*) Allen renewed his vow. In that instant— —*Stay away… Danger…* A sharp warning echoed inside his head. "[in pain]Ngh…!" His le

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Episode 2

Name: When We Exorcists Fell in Love at School, the World Went Crazy
Author: Novelia

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