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The library of Estellia Academy is known for possessing a vast collection of books, befitting a prestigious educational institution on the continent.

When it comes to the sheer volume of books, it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Magic Tower’s repository of knowledge, thus it’s no surprise that passionate students seeking to study frequent this place.

Of course, not all books in the library are strictly academic; there are students who drop by for various other reasons.

Damian, who was currently alone in the library flipping through the pages, was one of those students.

“This illustration is there, but it’s so difficult to make sense of it.”

Damian stepped into a corner of the library and tried to imitate the movements illustrated in the book.

Though he had a genius talent for physical movement, the illustrations in the book were so poorly drawn that his attempts were largely creations of his own imagination.

Already, he was trying to perform movements meant for two people while flailing alone in the air, which wasn’t exactly a graceful sight. He was aware of this, which is why he had intentionally chosen a secluded spot.

Currently, Damian and the librarian were the only ones in the library. Regardless of how busy the preparations for the festival were, he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of running into someone with similar interests, so Damian moved as quietly as possible.

Though he felt like heading back to the dormitory, he thought it was better to be in the empty library considering how many people were likely looking for him because of the festival. If he got caught by Reinhardt or Richard doing something like this in the dorm, he couldn’t even bear to imagine that horrendous future.

The festival.

Despite having kept a good distance from dancing his whole life, Damian was now practicing it in preparation for the graduation festival taking place in three days.

Currently, Estellia Academy had all its staff and students buzzing around in the frenzy of festival preparations. It was evident how much effort was being put into the festival when even the typically slow-moving professors were taking part directly.

You might ask why a school graduation festival warranted such excitement, but this year’s festival was anything but ordinary.

The heirs of the seven Magic Towers and prominent noble families across the continent were all set to graduate this year.

Crucially, among them were the Crown Prince and Princess, leading the faculty, who championed equal education principles, to spare no effort for this year’s celebrations. The students, too, began their own preparations for enjoyment.

“What am I even doing right now…?”

After a few failed attempts, Damian let out a deep sigh. He had been putting in various efforts to prepare for the future, but the challenge he faced this time was one that his previous efforts couldn’t overcome.

Realizing he couldn’t do it alone and feeling a bit defeated, Damian quickly straightened up and turned his head at the sensation of someone approaching from behind.

However, the hurry to change his posture made his movements quite awkward, raising more questions than answers for the onlooker.

“…What are you doing alone here?”

“I’m not doing anything weird, so could you not look at me that way?”

Damian was caught in Elena’s strange gaze. To dispel her curiosity, he revealed the book he was looking at, and she understood instantly without needing further explanation.

Yet still looking puzzled, Elena handed the book back to Damian and asked, “Um, but why were you looking at this all of a sudden? You’ve never shown interest in stuff like this.”

“It’s for the upcoming graduation festival. They say graduating students must participate in the banquet. That’s why.”

“You seem to remember the peculiarities of school events quite well, yet forget things like this?”

Damian responded with a wry smile to Elena’s remark, “The book didn’t have those kinds of details.”

“That’s the same for the book you’re holding. It’s an old book describing social history, not one about dancing.”

“I know that. But this is the only book here with any illustrations related to dance.”

“And you don’t have to dance at the banquet. Why are you so obsessed with dance? You could just drink in the terrace or the corner of the banquet hall like usual… Did you perhaps receive a request to dance?”

At her words, Damian nodded slightly. Upon noticing this, Elena turned her head away and mumbled, “Is it Noel…?”

“Yeah.”

With that exchange, silence enveloped them.

Damian continued reading without a word, while Elena sat beside him, lost in thought, staring blankly into space. The strange silence finally broke when Damian spoke.

“I get that you might not like me dancing with Noel, but I couldn’t help it. How could I refuse the Crown Princess’s request to dance?”

“I have no reason to dislike you dancing with her.”

“No, your actions clearly say otherwise. I know you care about her, but can you let me be when I’m trying my best, even if I seem a bit lacking?”

“Had it been Noel, she would have accepted without a word if you refused.”

“Right. If that were the case, I would have had to endure her resentful gaze until graduation.”

“Anyway, there’s not much time left until graduation, is there?”

“… The aftertaste of such matters can linger quite a bit. It’s best to avoid creating those kinds of situations in the first place.”

“Is that from personal experience?”

“No, I heard it from my father. He said a lady who was rejected at a banquet didn’t forget about being turned down even years later. Well, I doubt Noel would do that. You know my social circle is quite small. If I had to dance, I had no choice other than Noel. So I won’t ask for your daughter; can you give me permission?”

Despite Damian’s explanations, Elena still wore a dissatisfied expression.

Why Elena felt this way was a mystery to Damian, but she harbored a displeasure she couldn’t quite put into words and had no intention of voicing it.

However, her tightly shut mouth couldn’t suppress her feelings, and a faint whisper of discontent slipped out.

“It seems I wasn’t even on your list of options…”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing. Damian, I’ll be your practice partner. I must ensure you don’t step on Noel’s feet by mistake.”

Getting up and extending her hand to Damian, she looked quite flustered. Before long, worry replaced his initial shock, and he hesitated to take her hand, asking, “…Are you really okay with this? I think it’s not a great idea. I mean, I’m ‘Damian’.”

“Are you still worried about that? How do you explain me sitting here face-to-face with you now?”

“Who threw a punch at the first meeting? Fine. If you’re okay with it, I’ll give in. Just don’t intentionally step on my feet.”

As Damian took her hand, she answered with a thin smile.

“Well, who knows?”

*

My senses are sharper now than ever before.

Her breath, standing just inches away from me, flows directly into me. With less than a few centimeters separating our faces, moving even slightly forward would bring me into contact with her.

In terms of distance, I’ve been closer before, but this is the first time we are standing face-to-face like this. More importantly, it’s not just the distance to be careful about; I also had to avoid stepping on Elena’s feet with every movement.

In my usual self, I could have done this with my eyes closed, but the presence of Elena right in front of me clouded my mind, making it impossible for rational thought to prevail. Ultimately, I could only shake off my distractions by stepping on my own feet.

“Damian. Please stop stepping on your own feet. Are your feet okay?”

“I’m sorry. My body just isn’t cooperating today.”

Both of my hands are occupied with hers, so I can’t even pinch my thigh to relieve the stress.

I thought I had grown accustomed to her beauty, but that apparently was a misconception. To prevent myself from advancing towards her, I could only keep stepping on my own feet.

As I continued to step on myself, Elena briefly closed her eyes as if she had found a solution, and she said to me, “Damian, how about closing your eyes for a moment?”

“But if I do that, I might end up stepping on your foot instead of mine, Elena.”

“It’s fine. And if you fully trust me, that won’t happen.”

In the end, I followed Elena’s advice and closed my eyes as I took her hands. As my sight was obscured, all other senses began to heighten. However, I also lost the ability to gauge the exact distance between us, making it more likely I would bump into her when I opened my eyes again.

“Just breathe slowly and match my breathing.”

Elena’s voice whispered in my ear. Following her voice, I began to breathe in sync with her, feeling her breath close by.

As our breaths intertwined, I could no longer distinguish between them, making it possible for her to lead my movements.

There wasn’t a song guiding us; only Elena was moving me. She became the wind that propelled me, and I felt like a bird soaring through it.

I’m not sure if it’s because my eyes were closed, but quite some time seemed to pass without a single incident of stepping on her foot.

I became so absorbed in dancing with her that I forgot about the flow of time. My confidence began to build slightly, and I opened my eyes.

And upon opening my eyes, I lost all composure at the sight of Elena’s radiant smile directed at me, causing my feet to become tangled and me to fall flat on the ground.

I truly can’t dance.

*

After Elena left, Damian remained, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Her help with the dance practice had been a success. Moving together was definitely more beneficial than clumsily mimicking the illustrations.

He was confident in his ability to move, and it wasn’t hard to keep in sync with her movements. Thus, with just one practice, Damian was able to manage movements that could be considered dancing, so their practice ended rather swiftly.

Damian placed his hand over his chest.

Even as time passed, his heart continued to beat more fiercely than usual.

He didn’t need to think too hard to understand what this feeling was. He tried to calm his racing heart with deep breaths, but as soon as he recalled what just happened, his heart would start racing again.

“I need to forget. I have to forget.”

The two individuals who once thought they would live as if they didn’t exist for each other after their broken engagement found themselves joining forces to change their future, sharing various secrets they alone held.

They changed the future.

They saved the princess who had to die and prevented heretics following foreign beliefs from invading the academy.

However, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

He reminded himself that their current relationship was merely a coincidence born from shared opinions. Being discontented with that and wanting more was nothing but greed and arrogance.

As he moved forward, he again became aware that his name was Damian Kraus.

 

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