Scumbag Fate System-Chapter 25: Best Day

The entire cafeteria went quiet when Yor walked in. But Reinhard ignored it as he led the way for them to grab a meal and headed to their own table in the corner.

Countless gazes were on them, but they continued ignoring them. After grabbing their meal, Yor glance at the other students, making them flinch and look down.

Then she followed behind Reinhard as they sat down.

Reinhard smiled as he watched Yor with her mask pulled down. She had a small, real smile on her face that she didn’t try to hide as she continued talking about what they did today. It was vastly different from how she was at the awakening ceremony.

It was good.

"And then you fell," she said. "Right off the platform. You just completely missed the arrow and went down."

Reinhard laughed. "That was one time."

"It was three times." Her smile grew a little wider. "The attendant had to stop the game."

"The arrows were moving too fast."

"They were on easy mode."

"Details." He waved a hand like he was brushing the whole thing aside. "What matters is that you had fun."

"I did." Her voice was soft and honest. "Thank you for that."

"We should go back another time. Maybe try the horse racing game or carriage one."

"I’ve never driven before."

"Neither have I. It’ll be perfect."

Something shifted in Yor’s expression, and she came very close to laughing, raising one hand to cover her mouth before it could fully escape.

"Reinhard!"

Both of them turned toward the voice. Rika stood a few tables away with Alice right beside her, and both of them were staring with wide eyes and open mouths. Like they’d walked in on something they couldn’t explain.

Yor’s smile disappeared immediately. Her whole body went stiff, and she dropped her eyes to her tray.

Under the table, Reinhard’s hand found hers and squeezed once. He leaned in close enough that only she could hear him. "You can talk to them, everything is fine if they don’t touch you."

Yor gave a single small nod.

Reinhard looked back up at the two girls and smiled, waving them over with easy confidence. "Join us!"

He stood and shifted around to sit beside Yor, leaving both seats across the table open. Rika and Alice approached slowly, moving the way you might move toward something you weren’t entirely sure about. And settled themselves down with their trays in front of them.

Alice leaned straight forward, eyes fixed on Reinhard. "How did this happen?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, perfectly innocent.

"You. Her. Eating together and talking and actually smiling!" She pointed at Yor. "She’s smiling!"

"People smile sometimes."

"Not Yor!"

"I’m right here," Yor said quietly.

"I know! That’s exactly what makes this so shocking!" Alice redirected her full attention back to Reinhard. "Explain it. How did you make this happen?"

Reinhard grinned. "Are you jealous?"

Alice’s face went red. "Yes! Very much so! I have been trying to befriend her ever since she joined the club!"

"Maybe you weren’t trying hard enough."

"I tried inviting her to dinner for the last two weeks!"

"And I took her to an arcade."

"That’s—" Alice stopped. Her expression shifted. "Wait. You took her to the Entertainment Department?"

"For the entire day."

"The whole day?!"

Yor was still looking at her food, but she was listening to every word.

Rika spoke up from beside Alice, her voice a little careful. "When did all this start? I mean, how did you two..." She moved her hand vaguely between them, trailing off.

Reinhard leaned back in his chair. "I simply won her over with my amazing charm and beaming smile."

A brief silence fell over the table.

Then Alice let out a dramatic gasp and slapped both hands down flat on the surface. "Is that really all it takes?! But Sirin’s charm didn’t even work on her!"

"Her charm simply wasn’t on my level," Reinhard said with a grin. "She needs to work on it."

"Work on it?! Sirin is one of the most charming people in the entire school!"

"Clearly not, since I managed something she couldn’t."

"You are impossible."

"I prefer irresistible."

Alice picked up her napkin and threw it at him. He caught it without looking and grinned back at her.

"That’s not how it happened at all!" Yor’s voice cut through the back and forth, louder than usual, and her face had gone a little pink. "He helped me when I passed out. And then somehow we just got closer. That’s it."

Everyone at the table froze for a couple of seconds before instantly turning.

All eyes landed on Yor with varying expressions.

Alice’s expression softened right away, the teasing dropping out of it. "Then you should have led with that." A warm smile came up in its place. "I thought our Yor had gone and gotten smitten."

"I’m not-" Yor started.

"It’s perfectly fine if you are," Alice said lightly. "He’s not terribly looking."

"Hey," Reinhard protested. "Not terrible? I’m extremely handsome."

"You’re extremely full of yourself."

"Same thing."

Rika’s lips moved into something close to a smile. Before she caught herself and looked back down at her food, she turned her fork over in her fingers. Reinhard noticed without looking directly at her and knew it was something he had to touch on for later.

Alice shifted back to Yor, her tone dropping to concern. "So you passed out? Are you okay now?"

"I’m fine. I stayed too late somewhere, and it caught up with me."

"You should let us know when that happens. We can help."

Yor hesitated and glanced sideways at Reinhard, who gave her a small, encouraging nod. She turned back to Alice. "I’ll try."

Alice lit up. "Good! See, that’s real progress!" She turned the brightness of her smile on Reinhard. "You’re a good influence on her."

"I know."

"And so incredibly humble about it."

"One of my best qualities."

Alice laughed and then looked back at Yor with something warmer underneath the teasing. "I really am glad you’re coming out of your shell. And that you have someone to lean on now."

Yor didn’t answer right away, but she nodded. It was small and quiet, but it was something.

Alice’s smile grew bigger still.

The conversation settled for a moment, and then Rika looked across the table at Reinhard. "Speaking of things people are talking about... everyone knows you got called to the Disciplinary Department."

Reinhard’s expression didn’t shift at all. "Do they?"

"The whole school is talking about it. Fifteen students in the hospital wing, and you walk away without a scratch." She tilted her head slightly. "What actually happened?"

"They chased me."

"But none of them caught you?"

"I’m very good at running."

Alice snorted. "Running? The rumor going around says you set traps."

"Tsk, someone’s spreading lies on my good name."

"But are they true?" Alice chuckled with a raised brow.

Reinhard smiled pleasantly and said nothing, which was an answer of its own kind.

Alice shook her head, but she was smiling too. "You’re trouble. I can see it."

"The best kind."

"Is there a good kind?"

"Obviously, I’m looking at it."

They looked at each other with the particular grin of two people who have just quietly decided they’re going to get along very well. Yor watched them from the side, and somewhere along the way her posture had loosened, and her hands had unclenched in her lap without her quite noticing.

"Oh, right, in a couple of days," Alice continued, her voice picking up with barely contained excitement. "We’re planning a real expedition!"

"To where?"

"There’s a ruin about two hours from campus!" Her eyes were bright with it. "We’ve been wanting to get there for weeks, and we might discover something amazing."

"That sounds dangerous," Reinhard said before smiling. "But fun."

"That’s the spirit!"

"All we need is the headmaster to sign off on it." Rika said with a sigh.

"Will he?"

Rika lifted one shoulder. "Probably. He usually approves our requests as long as we have proper safety measures lined up."

"Which we always do," Alice said firmly. "Sirin makes sure of it before we go anywhere."

"She’s careful," Yor added, quietly but without hesitation. "She wouldn’t let us go if she didn’t think it was manageable."

Everyone at the table looked at her. She had offered that entirely on her own, without being prompted, without looking away first.

Alice’s smile was brilliant. "Exactly. Yor gets it!"

A bell rang out across the cafeteria, cutting through everyone’s conversation. It was a sign that it was fifteen minutes until nighttime. Around them, students began gathering their things, stacking trays, and pushing back chairs as the room started to empty.

Alice stretched her arms above her head. "We should get moving."

Rika stood and picked up her tray, and the rest of them followed. All four of them walked together toward the return counter, moving at an easy pace.

"Sit with us at lunch tomorrow," Alice said to Yor as they handed in their trays.

Yor paused and glanced at Reinhard.

"I’ll be there," he said.

She took a small breath. "Okay, then."

Alice made a noise of pure delight and bounced on her toes. "You mean it?"

"I mean it."

"This is the best day I’ve had since the week started!" Alice was still grinning when she added one last thing. "Assuming ruins don’t do something even better."