Following my second real conversation in this world, I volunteered my time to help clean up the tables, plates, and utensils. It only took a few minutes, thanks to the succinct instructions of the people directing others.

  After that, the teachers gathered everyone, ready to make an announcement.

  “Everyone, due to this unforeseen attack, the next 3 days of classes will be canceled. I’ll be notifying your parents. Enjoy these next 3 days off!”

  The crowd of students erupted into numerous cheers before they started talking among themselves.

  “Wanna check out that new café that just opened up?”

  “You want to go try out Kelin’s Bistro?”

  “Can’t. I’ve got plans to visit my family.”

  “Maybe I should use this opportunity to read that book she recommended.”

  Looks like everyone’s got plans.

  I looked around, seeing all the students, before my eyes settled on the teacher’s, specifically Mr. Blonde. Seeing him reminded me of the book with that summoning altar.

  While everyone has plans to enjoy their break, I needed to further my understanding of this world, and my best option was to start with the person who seemed knowledgeable about my predicament.

  “Nolval!”

  But first, I had to establish my ability to have a conversation.

  I turned to whoever called out my new name. It was the Blonde Girl.

  “Do you have any plans for the next 3 days?”

  I thought for a moment, mentally reciting what I had planned to do moments after the announcement.

  “Nothing in particular. Perhaps study to make up for what I’m lacking.”

  “Study? Days off are rare for us students! You should be out enjoying yourself.”

  I’d agree with you in any other circumstance.

  “Besides, I’ve seen your battle against Alicia! It’s not every day you see a new face dominate against our Ice Queen.”

  ‘Ice Queen,’ huh?

  “Have you seen her? I want to apologize for my conduct against her.”

  The Blonde girl looked around, searching for the girl whose name I now learned is Alicia.

  “Oh, there she is!” The Blonde Girl pointed to the girl with unmistakable Electric Blue Cotton Candy-colored hair. “Alicia! Nolval would like to talk to you!” The Blonde waved her arm, announcing something I would’ve preferred not be said at all.

  I saw the Blonde wave happily while Alicia moved through the crowd toward us. As she made her way, I caught glimpses of others looking at me with anger in their eyes.

  “So, what did you call me for?”

  Students were still staring at me.

  “It’s something I’d prefer to discuss in private. Could we take this elsewhere?”

  The Blonde girl squealed. “Are you planning to confess!?”

  My head snapped toward her. “Stop commentating your own narrative!” I turned back toward Alicia. “I’d like to discuss something away from prying eyes.”

  She glanced at the blonde before focusing on me. “I get it. Come with me.” Alicia walked off, and I quickly followed her. “I know someplace private. We can take that fancy floating contraption you’ve got. Just follow my directions, and we’ll arrive swiftly.”

  The girl produced a small set of stairs made of ice, its highest step level with the platform of my parked hovercraft. She stepped onto it, standing near the back.

  I climbed up, gripping its handles and ‘activating’ it. The hovercraft came to life at my will, hovering over the ground.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  I heard Alicia stumble before crashing into me, with her hands on my shoulders. Thankfully, I was holding on to the handles tightly, so I didn’t collapse with her like a domino.

  “Keep a tight grip on my shoulders.”

  Her grip tightened, and I willed the hovercraft to move to her instructions.

  …

  So this is what it’s like.

  A common scene I’ve witnessed in my past life is a girl riding on the back of a motorcycle with a guy, and a variation of that being done with a bicycle. I never really understood it, but it’s supposedly an achievement in a developing romance between the main character and love interest, usually a boy and a girl.

  The feeling would be more enjoyable if it weren’t for the commands Alicia was giving me.

  “Turn right here.”

  “Left on the next turn.”

  “Keep going straight.”

  The first time I’m giving a girl a ride, and I’m treated like an Uber driver.

  To distract myself from the shattered expectations of giving a girl a ride, I looked around the town to find any of the buildings I had seen before I was given a body.

  “Stop here.”

  I slowed the hovercraft to a halt, deactivating it near the building in question. Many onlookers noticed the peculiar hovercraft parked on the road.

  I didn’t want to make it disappear, but I also didn’t want the vehicle to be taken. Snow White Boy’s joyride is more than enough of a case on why I shouldn’t leave it unattended.

  In that case.

  My arm stretched out toward the vehicle, and I visualized the thing shrinking until it was barely any bigger than my thumb. Despite the weight of the original size, it was extremely light in my hand, like a small toy.

  “Your abilities never cease to surprise, Nolval.”

  “Just didn’t want it getting stolen,” I responded, before putting it in my right pocket.

  Alicia gave me a weird look before motioning for me to follow her into the building with brick walls.

  We entered together through the building’s single door, with Alicia holding the door open until I was close, releasing her hold. I moved to close the door behind me, forgetting for a moment that no mechanisms exist to close it automatically.

  The layout was a simple bar with booths, reminding me of a few restaurants with a similar layout that I’ve been to in my past life.

  We sat at a booth, with her facing the door, and me facing the opposite direction.

  “Didn’t we just eat a moment ago?”

  “There’s a desert I’d like for you to try.”

  Someone wearing a white bandana headpiece and apron came through the other opening in the building. It looked like an older woman in her 40s.

  “Alicia! Haven’t seen you in a while, and who’s this you’ve brought?”

  “Hello!” I introduced myself. “I’m a new student, and Alicia wanted to have me try dessert.”

  “The usual?”

  “The usual, Mrs. Galumts.” Alicia turned to speak to Mrs. Galumps, before turning to me. The old lady nodded before retreating further into the building.

  “So…” I started in a more hushed voice. “You did propose a marriage to me, right? In the cafeteria?”

  “Cafeteria?”

  “The place where we all eat lunch.”

  “Oh, that’s just the food hall. I thought you were making up words.”

  I’m starting to believe the language barrier issue hasn’t been completely resolved. Or maybe it has, and certain words couldn’t be translated due to nonexistence.

  “If you want the proper term, it’d be a Calcostein. It means a place where you’re happy when you’re eating.” Alicia emphasized ‘proper’ with an odd cadence.

  “Does that mean the food hall has different names depending on a person’s mood?”

  “‘Food hall,’ if you’re indifferent, or have no inclination toward any emotions. ‘Calcostein,’ if you’re happy. Calcoverge if you’re angry and want to eat your anger away. ‘Calcofenso,’ if you’re sad, and want to eat your sadness away.”

  “What about scared?”

  “‘Minkatcha.’ You’re scared, but don’t want to show it, so you eat to hide the fact.”

  I produced a pencil and paper, and was about to ask her how to spell it, but decided to just spell it phonetically in English. After writing them down, I folded the paper and put it in my left pocket, before visualizing the pencil disappearing.

  “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Make the pencil disappear after you made it?”

  “I just do.”

  I realized we were getting off topic.

  “Enough about that. Did you ask me to marry you? Or at least ask to become a suitor?”

  “I did, but I assumed you didn’t want to, considering you headbutted me in the garden.”

  “Yeah… I’d like to apologize for that.” I fidgeted. “I just thought you were trying to kill me, that’s all.”

  She gave me a look as if I were crazy.

  “What’s… that look supposed to mean?”

  Alicia’s head fell onto the table, with her body slumping over.

  “Those romance novels were a lie.”

  That was what she was trying?

  “Hey, if you were trying to emulate something in a novel, just remember that not everyone will respond as you’d expect. Some people might get uncomfortable if you attempt an advance meant to be flirtatious.”

  “I was trying to tease you by getting close.”

  I think I know what trope she was trying to emulate.

  “Wait, no!” Alicia lifted her head off the table. “Even if that failed, why did you headbutt me? Couldn’t you have just pushed me away, or said something?”

  “Again, I thought you were trying to kill me. My impression of you was someone who couldn’t afford to be embarrassed, so I assumed you wanted to kill me out of petty revenge.”

  “Your mind works in mysterious ways.” She spoke with a deadpan expression.

  At that moment, Mrs. Galumps entered with our dessert, along with spoons for both of us. It appeared to be a soft, fluffy crème dessert topped with red syrup. I thought it was ice cream, but poking at it with my spoon revealed it wasn’t dense enough to be considered such, giving in at the lightest touch.

  I dug in, getting a scoop without syrup, and put it in my mouth.

  It was soft, not too sweet, moist, creamy, and fluffy.

  I tried the red syrup. To my surprise, it was sour and tangy, but not overwhelming.

  The flavors of both complemented each other well, and I didn’t feel thirsty eating it.

  “It’s good.”

  “I knew you'd like it. Yevanstragialpochconplact introduced me to this place.”

  Such a long name!

  “Umm… who’s that?”

  “The girl who went ‘Alicia, Nolval would like to talk to you!’” Alicia imitated her friend’s cadence.

  “Does she have a nickname?”

  “It’s Emilie.”

  “Huh.”

  “Finish your dessert. It’s best enjoyed while it’s still fresh.”

  We silently finished our dessert, and Alicia paid with a combination of green and yellow coins.