Gaiden 1: Eivind’s Fan Club
It was a simple question.
“Hey Cecily, what sort of group is a ‘fan club’?”
[Are you… asking about Neria?]
In response to her question, I immediately answer, “Of course.”
After all, the concept of fan clubs didn’t even exist 800 years ago. Although, I think I roughly understood the meaning of the word “fan.” It refers to people who have someone they want to worship, right?
In Neria’s case, she worships Eivind because he has a good-looking face. And maybe because he is a young elite at the Royal Institute of Magic.
Still, what exactly do fans do when they get together?
Obviously, there is only one man named “Eivind Dahl” in the world. Polygamy isn’t permitted in this kingdom, and neither are the customs of having mistresses and concubines either. In this world, only one person can marry Eivind.
Wouldn’t a gathering of everyone just lead to unrest?
[What sort of development is unfolding in Nora’s head right now?]
“The school building collapsed after the outbreak of a huge brawl.”
[Why is Nora always so violent?!]
The Cecily inside my heart seems to be quite lively.
I interpreted this as a sign of her recovery, and I couldn’t help but smile.
If there is something that isn’t understood, it should be investigated. That is a self-evident principle shared by all researchers, even if they are not sages.
“So then, Big Sister, would you allow me to observe the fan club?”
“Ahhh, you’re aiming for Lord Eivind as well…”
“No, I’m not interested at all.”
…Ah, that “at all” part was a lie. If no other promising candidate for Cecily’s fiancé appears, I’ll have to settle for Eivind.
Anyway, as Cecily’s twin sister, big sister Neria, beamed at my response, there was no way I could take it back now.
“If that’s the case, I suppose I could let you join the fan club too!”
Ay my big sister’s bright voice, a sharp glare pierced me from one of the girls in the class.
What’s this about?
“Are there any restrictions on membership?”
“…No need to worry about it. Come on, follow me!”
And so, I was forcibly taken along by my big sister.
She took me as the signal for class to start rang.
“…So, what exactly is fun about this?”
“We’re taking in Lord Eivind’s majestic figure with our own eyes! Of course it’s fun!”
This is currently a physical training class.
Right, Eivind is in the middle of class. Naturally, I who am in the same class as him, and even big sister, who’s in the same year as us, should also be in class.
…Yep, this is an unmistakable case of skipping class!
“I see, so this is youth!”
“That’s right. This is how we quietly express our love. And someday, these feelings will reach Lord Eivind…”
I see, I’m experiencing youth while hiding within the trees and grass! Thinking about it this way, even watching Eiviand’s surprisingly unrefined way of running is starting to feel fun!
Alright, I’m going to record Eivind’s surprisingly uncool running form. He doesn’t look like he quite knows what to do with the length of his arms and legs.
From a physiological standpoint, maybe if… I was just about to start calculating on the ground with a stick when I heard Big Sister’s panicked voice and lifted my gaze.
“L-L-Lord Eivind?!”
“And here we have a pair of twins. What exactly are you doing, blatantly skipping class like this?”
Oh my, it seems that Eivind finished running and came over here.
“Eivind! When you run, you should move your arms more like this… Theoretically, I think that would let you run faster! Want me to explain?”
“I don’t need it, and I definitely don’t want to hear it from you… But are you sure this is okay? Anita over there is giving you a really scary look.”
I turned in the direction she pointed out, and sure enough, Anita was glaring at me, her eyes wide and furious.
Oh, looks like I’ll be getting a lecture later. Getting told off by a friend after doing something bad, this too is a part of youth! How lucky~.
But because of that, I realized something.
The look in her eyes was different from the kind my big sister’s classmates had.
“Hey, hey, Eivind. My sister’s classmates glared at me earlier. Why do you think that was?”
“Hold on, Cecily!?”
Big Sister hurriedly tried to cover my mouth.
However, I had already finished asking my question, so I didn’t bother resisting, and Eivind easily told me the answer.
“Your older sister is being ostracized in her class. Not only has everyone except her quit the fan club, but apparently they even started a new one.”
“Hohh… two fan clubs? Isn’t that great?”
“For me, it’s nothing but trouble.”
At any rate, that explained the glare, and why Big Sister was so excited when I showed interest in the fan club. Having someone to play with must have made her happy.
That same Big Sister now looks as though she is about to cry.
“If you feel sorry for me, you can take my test for me.”
“No, I’m never doing that again.”
“Sniff…”
Sniffling, my Big Sister trudged off.
I hurried to chase after her lonely-looking back, but…
“Cecil~y, it’s your turn ne~xt!”
Oh dear, the furious Anita looks ready to explode.
Unfortunately, it seemed like I’d have deal with my Big Sister later.
Thus, the next day, I quietly stood next to my big sister who was hiding behind a pillar in the hallway.
“Hey, why are you here again…?”
“It’ll only be during the breaks. If I skip class again, Anita will worry.”
Still, what’s so fun about watching Eivind coming out of the bathroom? Is it that he’s wiping his hands with a handkerchief while walking? Even if I study the pattern on the handkerchief… yeah, that doesn’t really mean anything.
Anyway, I was considering counting the number of times Eivind blinked when…
“Here, I’ll give you this!”
Neria shoved what appeared to be a headband at me. In the middle of the thin yellow cloth were round letters that read, “Lord Eivind ♡ Love.”
I instinctively cringed.
“Eh, I don’t need it.”
“Hey, Cecily!?”
Inside my heart, Cecily giggled quietly.
Maybe I should make plans to hang out with Big Sister once in a while.
In this one fleeting year of youth, where I kept finding more and more things to do, I couldn’t help but smile.
【Eivind-sama Fan Club — The End】
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