Before Terres could even blink, the week, that he was supposed to spend planning how to protect Meru, passed.

Too many things were going on! The teachers seemingly didn't care that their students just started school and seemed to be hell-bent on burying them alive under the homework!

He had to study, continue training, and come up with countermeasures! Honestly, he barely had any time to sleep and for someone with such bad health as his, it couldn't be a good or even bearable thing.

There were few good things though, doing the homework was a chore but since he knew from the game that Meru wasn't that much of the academic type, he approached him over studying together and the male heroine agreed gratefully.

Terres felt really good inside when he could help his friend. It would fill him with pride, something that he could rarely experience since he reincarnated into this sickly body.

But, just like that the week without events was over, the first thing that would happen the next morning would be an event where the heroine would encounter the new capture target, a stereotypical bully, Jaftie Sulnori from the Imperna kingdom. At their first meeting, Jaftie wouldn't even act like a capture target at all.

Still, that first event was important. The heroine would stand up to the bully and get his interest. His actions, later on, would be like that of an elementary schooler trying to get the attention of the girl he likes.

It would be best... If I don't let them meet...

Terres's head was getting heavier and heavier as he was sitting over a paper due to the next day.

Meru, sitting next to him, send him a worried look.

"Hey, if you doze off now you won't finish the homework on time..."

He said while scribbling on his paper.

"Nnn...?"

Terres turned to him all sleepy and pointed at Meru's work.

"Meru, you've done even less than me-eeee-e...!"

Terres yawned and stretched adorably and covered the paper with his hands and looked away with an embarrassed expression.

"I-it's not my fault, it's a hard topic...!"

He murmured while pouting.

The two boys were sitting on the bed in Terres's room, to do their homework they pulled the table over, the pulling was mostly done by Meru.

"That's why you can ask me, geez, I told you I like this subjece-eee-ect..."

"Come on, you're going to spread the yawning...! At least close your mo-ooo-outh...! Argh! See!?"

"Hehe...!"

It was already late into the night but the subject they were working on was taught by the strictest teacher, miss Cetor, so neither of them wanted to get on her bad side.

For a moment the boys stopped talking and returned to writing.

Meru's hand stopped and he fell deep in thoughts, it really was a difficult subject for him but he kind of thought about asking for help as a sign of weakness and he didn't want to look uncool.

But he was stumped and there was no other way.

"Hey, Terres, could you tell me..."

He said awkwardly and turned towards the sickly boy...

When suddenly Terres fell to the side straight into his lap!

"T-Terres!?"

"...Suuu..."

To Meru's high pitch voiced question, Terres responded with a slow and steady breath.

His eyes were closed and there was no sign of worry or embarrassment on his face, even though he was using Meru's lap as a pillow.

"You... You've seriously fallen asleep, what do you...!?"

"Nnng!"

"..."

Meru was about to scold his friend but Terres frowned in his sleep and Meru instantly stopped talking.

"...You're not playing fair..."

Meru sighed and poked Terres's cheek.

"Nnhehe..."

Terres giggled and nested his head in Meru's lap, making the black-haired boy blush.

"You lazy gnome, we have to finish the..."

Meru glanced at Terres's paper and stopped talking.

It was completed, Terres has even already signed his name and put back the quill, he even sealed the ink bottle.

"..."
Meru furrowed his brow and glared at the sleeping Terres.

He felt hard to resist the urge to draw on the napping boy's face but he stopped himself.

"You're lucky that you're so cute... Now I can't even move..."

Meru scoffed and tried to focus back on his unfinished assignment...

And not think about how pretty Terres looks...

And how fluffy his hair was...

And how adorable he looked when he was asleep...

And how soft his lips appeared to be...

...Altogether it was really hard for Meru to keep his mind on the homework...

Terres woke up to the ring of the bells of the academy's chapel.

He opened his eyes and looked around his room while his head felt heavy.

"Eh...? What...? When did I fell asleep?"

He wondered out loud and tried to stand up.

Then he realized he was basically wrapped in the blanket like a big burrito.

"Eh?! Wha...? Who..?"

He had to wiggle around quite a bit to set himself free and when he finally managed to do that he spotted a note on the table, next to his homework.

You little gnome,

you were moving so much in your sleep that I couldn't focus on my assignment so I had to tie you up.

PS. Since it was your fault that I couldn't focus I copied the second half of your assignment.

Meru

Terres read the note and laughed.

"What a dork!"

He grinned and hid the note in his nightstand drawer.

"Ah! Right! The event!"

He suddenly jumped up and hurriedly started getting ready.

Terres was walking as fast as he could to reach Meru's room, which unluckily was almost on the other side of the boys' dormitory.

His reasoning was simple.

If I get to Meru first and convince him to go the other way the event won't happen and Jaftie would latch on someone else!

And all in all, it wasn't a bad plan.

Who knows, if he would get to the Meru's room without any obstructions that would most likely work.

But the reality was ruthless.

One of the doors opened and a red-headed boy walked out blocking Terres's way.

"What do we have here? Where are you going so early? Training?"

He asked Terres mockingly with no intention of letting him through.

He even did the most cliché and annoying thing with blocking his way with his open arms.

"I haven't done anything to you, Jaftie Sulnori."

Terres barely held back from clicking his tongue and said with grumpy expression while looking up at the red-headed boy.

"Ugh! I don't remember giving my name to the Nafrezian scum!"

Jaftie mockingly shuddered and frowned.

"So? Where are you going?"

He scoffed and puffed up his chest.

It was so annoying.

Because there actually was another reason for why the past week was so busy for Terres.

As the child of the general of the most aggressive country, he was disliked from the very start by others by default.

Most of the other countries were in the middle of the conflict with the Nafrezia Empire or were forced to comply with one-sided demands of the said Empire. Being disliked was a normal thing for the Nafrezian students, even the less important ones.

But since Terres was of the weak constitution he became a prime target for bullying for overconfident jerks from countries far away from his fatherland.

And the Imperna kingdom from which Jaftie was from was basically on the other side of the continent so he felt extra safe.

"Where I'm going is certainly none of your business."

Terres said coldly and tried to walk past Jaftie, but the bully blocked his way.

"Tch! Even for such a weakling the Nafrezian shitty temperament sure shows up! You should be apologizing to others for the crimes of your country!"

Jaftie got right in the Terres face and tried to intimidate him.

If I will stop him here, he won't be able to bully Meru!

Terres realized and instantly decided to agitate the bully more.

"Oh really? I haven't seen you apologizing Donrobus's students for Imperna's army massacring one of their caravans because your soldiers were too stupid to discern hostiles! Why would I apologize for legitimate wars and battles?"

Terres glared in Jaftie's eyes with a challenge.

"You..!"

Jaftie's fuse turned out to be way shorter than anyone could expect.

After one legitimate jab, he lost control and grabbed Terres by the collar of his shirt and pinned him against the wall.

"Ugh...!"

Terres gasped and the grimace of pain showed on his face.

"You short bastard, how dare you...!?"

Jaftie growled and pushed Terres against the wall again.

Maybe after he'll hit me he'll run away, those like him do that all the time...! Meru will be safe from the event!

"...! What? Do you think that if you hit me you will magically win the argument? Try it!"

Terres next words were straight up stirring Jaftie more, thinking about protecting his friend, he boldly mocked the bully.

"ARRRGH...!"

The effect was instantaneous, Jaftie growled like a wounded animal and raised his fist in fury.

Terres just closed his eyes and clenched his teeth bracing for the hit.

The punch came lightning fast and was devastating.

At least three of the boy's teeth were broken and he spewed them from his mouth together with saliva mixed with blood while his body flung to the side like a ragdoll.

He didn't even let go of Terres's collar and the sickly boy fell over together with him.

"EH...!?"

Terres exclaimed when he opened his eyes and saw Jaftie sprawled on the floor like a dead frog with the whites of his eyes showing.

"Terres, are you alright!? Did he hurt you!?"

Not even giving him the time to proceed what happened the black-haired boy, who was the one to knock the living shit out of Jaftie, grabbed his shoulders and asked him in a worried voice.

"M-Meru?"

Terres squeaked surprised.

"What are you doing here!?"

"My room is at the end of this hallway, I have all the right's to be here!"

Meru frowned and started scolding Terres.

"More importantly, what are you doing here!? Most of the bastards that try to bully you have rooms right here! Are you trying to get beaten up!? You don't have enough of them stealing and destroying your stuff!?"

"Why did you showed up...?"

Terres lowered his head and looked away sulking while muttering under his breath.

"I'm serious! That wasn't a rhetorical question! What are you doing here!?"

Meru haven't heard him so he asked feverishly and Terres felt really stupid and embarrassed.

"Should we let this guy just lay here like that?"

He tried to change the subject.

"He's breathing so he'll be fine." 

Meru just shrugged his shoulders dismissively.

"So? Will you answer me or not?"

"..."

Terres turned his head away, refusing to answer.

"You really want to be hit or something? Why didn't you kicked him in the balls or something? Why did you just waited to be punched!?"

"...I thought that it was the best solution..."

Terres grumbled without looking Meru in the eyes.

"Since when enabling those types to get their way is a good thing!? Gods! How come you can be so smart but so stupid at the same time!?"

Dodging the questions was almost like running away and such thing wasn't in Terres's nature.

At the same time he really really didn't want to tell Meru that he did that because he knows how the future will unfold and he wanted to save him from the scripted event.

Because if he said that it would make him sound completely insane.

Terres took a deep breath and faced angry Meru.

"I was going to your room but Jaftie showed up. I wanted to be done with his stupid bullying and see you."

He said grumpily without blinking.

"...!"

Now it was Meru's turn to remain silent.

He blushed and looked to the side.

"Y-you know, we shouldn't just leave him in the hallway after all...!"

He let go of Terres and turned to the unconscious Jaftie.

He checked if the door to the bully's room were locked and as they opened he nodded to himself.

Then he grabbed Joftie's leg and just dragged him into his room, he even returned to pick up the teeth that were sprinkled on the floor and throw them after Jaftie.

After he was done he once again nodded to himself and shut the door.

He has done that while Terres was continuing staring at him.

"So? You're not going to scold me for wanting to see you?"

Terres asked provocatively and Meru flinched and blushed deeper.

"Let's just go, alright?

He said and extended his hand towards the shorter boy.

Terres scoffed at him and was about to turn away dramatically but crimson smudges on Meru's hand stopped him in his track.

"Oh no! Meru! You're hurt!"

Terres grabbed Meru's hand and stared at the bleeding wound.

"Wha...? Oh? This is just a scratch. It doesn't hurt at all, I'll just lick it and it'll be fine..."

He just shrugged his shoulders but Terres didn't let go of his hand at all.

"What scratch! You dummy! It doesn't hurt you because of your spirit! We need to disinfect the wound!"

He said in a worried voice and started pulling Meru with him.

"No, listen, I'm serious, it's nothing!"

He tried to calm his friend down but it didn't work at all.

"No! You listen! You... You muscle-head!"

Terres became red from anger but Meru barely controlled himself. Terres just looked so cute that he wanted to hug him until they melt together.

"We're going to my room and we will bandage up your hand!"

Oh god, if he'll stomp his foot now, I'll die...! Too cute...!

Meru bit his lip but that made him look a bit absentminded.

"Hey! Are you listening to me...!?"

Terres pouted and stomped his foot.

"...! Th-that's too much...!"

And Meru couldn't resist any longer...

"Wh-wh-wh-what are yo-you dooiiingggg...!?"

Terres was suddenly hugged and raised into the air by Meru's strong arms.

"I'm so happy that I've met you!"

It looked like Meru has completely lost it, he was snuggling to Terres as if the latter one was a teddy bear. Terres grabbed on to Meru's head out of reflex.

"S-stop it, you mu-muscle-head...!"

Terres was completely red but not from anger but from embarrassment.

"Pu-put me down! It feels weird to be so high up...!"

Terres struggled a bit but never did he let go of Meru's head.

"Terres, you...!"

Meru stopped breathing for a moment overwhelmed by the fluffy feeling inside of him.

"M-Meru...! It's embarrassing! Let me go!"

Terres cried out pleadingly and some reason returned to Meru.

"Ah...! Ekhm...! Sorry..."

He apologized and put Terres down.

"Geez, you're so clingy...!"

Terres pouted which made him look like a hamster.

"Sorry..."

Meru hung his head down apologetically.

"Next time you want to hug, just ask me, it feels weird when you do it out of nowhere..!"

Terres put his hands on his sides and shook his head.

"Huh...? We can hug...?"

Meru perked up like a cautious wolf.

"Only if you ask! Now let's go to clean your wound already!"

Terres sighed and grabbed Meru's hand.

"Hey, you didn't smear your blood all over my uniform, did you? I would have to wash it right away or it will be ruined!"

He said turning his head and trying to look at his back.

"Nah, you're fine, I dirty my uniform though..."

Meru laughed and showed off the stained sleeve.

"...!! You have to take it off!"

Terres gasped and demanded in a troubled voice.

Meru got dangerously close to breaking again.

The anger from before was nowhere to be found.