The World Is Mine For The Taking

The next play was something Rose was really looking forward to, oddly enough—or perhaps surprisingly enough, I guess.

I've known Rose for as long as I can remember, but I never expected her to be this enthusiastic about it.

Finally, we found our seats. Mine happened to be next to the couple who had just watched the last play. Were they planning to watch the next one too? Seemed likely.

"Are you certain it's wise for us to indulge in this while we're actively on the case?" I voiced my concern to Rose.

But Rose, her attention wholly consumed by the stage, didn't even spare me a glance. "Eh? I'm sure it's fine. As long as we accomplish our mission, time is of no consequence," she replied, her voice filled with unwavering determination.

"I don't know about that... It feels like we're swimming in deep waters here, and there's no room for anything but the case," I mused silently. Yet, if Rose deemed it acceptable, then perhaps it wouldn't hurt to dip our toes in this diversion. Maybe immersing myself in this play would serve as a temporary respite from the relentless grip of thoughts about Student Leon.

"I'm practically buzzing for this next one!" the woman seated beside the man next to me suddenly exclaimed, her excitement practically radiating off her. "I've been itching to catch this show! I even devoured the novel version of the story. It's a gut-wrenching tale, full of tragedy and heartache. Normally, I'm not one for stories without happy endings, but this one...

it feels like it's meant to tug at your heartstrings from the very beginning. And the ending? It'll leave you breathless, catching you completely off-guard! It's hands down the most captivating piece of fiction I've ever stumbled upon!"

"Really? What's the name of this play, by the way? I didn't catch it on the list of plays today," the man interjected, his voice oddly familiar for some reason.

"It's called 'Romea and Julieto'! Authored by Gabrielleon! They're a renowned writer, famous for their countless works of fiction! How could you not know?" the woman replied, incredulous.

"'Romea and Julieto,' huh? And Gabrielleon... I feel like I've heard that name before. In fact, they might even be someone I know."

"If that's the case, could you introduce me to them? I'd love to get an autograph!"

"...Alright."

"Hehe, that's why I love you, Leon!" the woman exclaimed.

My eyes widened in that moment, and I felt my heart sink. Leon. That was the name of the young man who had been on my mind lately, the one I had lost my virginity to. I could try to dismiss it as just a coincidence, her saying the same name, but the man's voice and his way of speaking were identical to the man who took my virginity.

I turned to glance at the man seated beside me. At the same moment, he turned to meet my gaze.

"...Oh? Professor Irene," he said in a calm tone, as if my presence didn't bother him at all, despite catching him on a date with another woman. Dating was perfectly fine for Milham students; the only activities prohibited were prostitution, purchasing services from prostitutes, or engaging in sexual relationships with fellow students.

In other words, as long as you didn't cross those lines, you were good.

So his calm demeanor was perfectly natural; he wasn't doing anything wrong. After all, I hadn't caught him doing anything prohibited.

"You're here for the play too?" he asked. "This piece must be really good if even you're taking time out of your break to see it, huh?"

His nonchalant attitude felt like a million daggers piercing my heart. Had he forgotten what happened between us? Well, I did tell him to forget about it, but something like that was impossible to erase from memory, right? I certainly hadn't forgotten...

"Uh, y-yeah..." I mumbled, tearing my gaze away from him.

"Who's she?" the woman beside him asked.

"She's one of my professors at the academy," he replied.

A professor. That's all I was to him, nothing more, nothing less. I repeated that to myself over and over, trying to push away any forbidden thoughts of Leon because he was my student. But no matter how hard I tried, I still found myself wondering what if we were the same age.

"Oh? Should I introduce myself to her?" the woman asked.

I quickly stood up from my seat and walked away from them.

"Hey, where are you going?" Rose called after me, noticing my departure.

"I'm changing seats," I replied tersely.

"Why? These seats offer the best view of the show. Why would you want to change seats?"

I didn't answer. I was holding back tears so hard that I felt like if I spoke, I might burst into tears. So instead, I just walked away without saying anything.

***

Leon's POV

The unexpected presence of Professor Irene sent a jolt of surprise through me. Why was she here? And why was she with Professor Rose? But those questions were pushed aside as something else seized my attention—a troubling mystery. Elise had ingested my essence, yet she hadn't transformed into her succubus form. It was perplexing, almost unsettling.

I probed Elise about how she felt after consuming my seed, but her response offered no clarity. She claimed to be unaffected. Was it because she was only partially succubus? I think that might be the case, but I'll have to look into it more. Who knows, maybe delving into this could lead to a breakthrough for me to finally fuck her.

We watched the play together. It was honestly a good story, and the actors delivered solid performances. Yet, amidst the performance, one actress shone brighter than the rest. The portrayal of the heroine, Romea, was simply mesmerizing.

Her acting flowed effortlessly, casting a spell over the audience and overshadowing her fellow cast members. Although, I couldn't help but feel that the actress who played the heroine, Jeanne, in the previous play was even better.

After the show, Elise suggested we grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant. The food wasn't to my taste, so I merely chewed it without really savoring the flavor before swallowing. Elise seemed to enjoy it, though, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

After dinner, we headed to Lala Land.

***

Irene's POV

"Brightspear, what's wrong?" Rose inquired. My back was turned to her, so she couldn't see my face. If she could, she'd probably laugh at me, so I didn't turn around or respond. I feared she'd hear the crack in my voice, threatening to unleash the tears I'd been holding back since earlier.

"Slow down, will ya?" Rose's footsteps hastened to catch up with mine. "I get it. You're pissed I dragged you into that play, and now you're on the verge of tears because of how goddamn heartbreaking and gut-wrenching that ending was. Hell, I shed a few tears myself. I won't poke fun at you for having a face soaked with tears right now. So, can you please just stop for a moment?"

"I-I'm not crying, really," I stammered, my voice trembling with the effort of holding back tears.

"Don't lie. I can hear the crack in your voice," Rose shot back, her concern evident as she finally caught up to me, her steps hurried. With gentle insistence, she turned me around to face her, her eyes widening in alarm at the sight of my tear-streaked cheeks. "...These tears don't look like they're from the play," she observed, her voice softening with empathy. "Brightspear, what's really going on?"

I hesitated, grappling with the turmoil inside me, but eventually, I offered a feeble explanation. "Nothing, really. Just got too emotional because of the ending," I murmured, hoping to deflect her concern.

"Really? It feels like there's more to it," Rose insisted, her voice tinged with a mix of worry and suspicion. Then, with an ill-timed jest, she added, "What, did some asshole fuck you and then vanish into thin air?"

The words hit me like a sledgehammer, shattering the fragile facade I had desperately clung to. Fresh tears cascaded down my cheeks, each drop a testament to the pain I had tried to bury.

"Eh? S-Seriously?" Rose exclaimed, her voice echoing with disbelief, her eyes widening in shock as she absorbed my reaction. "Good grief, Brightspear, I never imagined you'd be so vulnerable, letting a man just toy with you like that without even bothering to check if he's trustworthy or not! So that's why you reeked of alcohol this morning.

You drowned your sorrows over that asshole and tried to numb the pain, didn't you?! The nerve of that man. Tell me his name, and I'll deal with that bastard. I'll hunt him down and make him pay for what he did to you!"