Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"Oh, hi, Aria." I greeted her back.

Surprisingly, it was the unconquerable heroine who knocked on my door.

"Can I have a talk with you?" She asked, revealing the reason for her visit. "It's important."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." I replied though confused by her words.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Didn't you want to talk with me?" I asked, "Why aren't you speaking?"

"... Are we gonna talk here?" She asked back, which resulted in me nearly facepalming myself.

"Ah, right, please come in." I invited her inside, feeling a bit flustered by my own absentmindedness.

'Well, it has been ages since I talked with women or girls. (Except my sister).'

Then, Aria entered the room, her expression serious and her demeanor composed as always.

As she took a seat, I couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity building within me. What could she possibly want to discuss with me?

Though I have an idea, I'm still curious.

"..."

"..."

'Why is she silent again?' I slightly furrowed my brows in confusion.

"...Er-."

"...Were you... cooking?" She suddenly asked.

I blinked, slightly caught off guard by her question. "Uh, yeah. I was just about to have lunch."

"Ah, right, did you have lunch?" I asked in a polite manner. "If not, we can talk as we eat."

Aria nodded, her expression unreadable as always. "That sounds fine."

I quickly fetched another set of utensils and served up another portion of the meal for Aria. As we sat down to eat, a comfortable silence settled between us, punctuated only by the occasional sound of utensils against plates.

After a few minutes, Aria finally spoke up, her voice calm and measured. "I wanted to talk to you about something that happened during the class earlier."

I raised an eyebrow, curious about what she had to say. "Oh? What about it?"

"It's about Emeric's behavior," Aria explained, her gaze steady. "He was specifically targeting you."

Oh, she noticed that? Good job.

"Huh, he was?" I feigned ignorance. "Even if he was, but why? I haven't done anything to him. Today was the first time I saw him after the exam results announcement day."

"..." Aria went silent at my question.

"It's because he must, no he has seen me going to check up on you the last weeks." She spoke in her usual tone. "He also saw us in the morning."

As Aria's words sank in, a realization dawned on me. Emeric's behavior wasn't just random or abnormal; it was just like in the novel. However, the target has changed, that was all.

The reason is simple. He loves Aria like a fool. In simpler terms, Emeric is a SIMP.

Not an ordinary one, but annoying and those obsessive villainous types.

He will target anyone who nears Aria or tries to approach her. That was one of the reasons why he constantly targeted Aurelius in the novel after all.

And since he saw her coming to see me while I was in the hospital, and today going to the classroom together, he probably got angry and the rest is the rest.

As for Aira, she doesn't like Emeric. Though there were hints she could have feelings for the MC, they never became lovers in the novel. That's why she was called the unconquerable heroine among the readers. (I was the one who gave her this title...)

However, I knew better than to voice my thoughts aloud. Aria is perceptive, and she likely understood Emeric's motives as well. Bringing up the topic of love or jealousy would only make the atmosphere awkward and make her uncomfortable, and I didn't want to put her in that position.

Therefore, I just nodded in understanding, acknowledging Aria's explanation without further comment.

"Yeah, that makes sense," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "Thanks for letting me know."

Aria nodded in response, her expression unreadable as always.

"But, I have to stay away from you from now on, is that what you wanted to say as well?" I asked if I understood the hidden meaning behind her words.

Well, it was a natural conclusion.

But, I know that dumbass won't stop targeting me even if stop interacting with her.

"...For your own sake, yes," Aria replied after drinking her fruit juice.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me," I said, my expression turning indifferent. "I have already taught him a lesson, if he keeps pestering me again, I just have to make sure he never thinks of crossing his ways with me."

"You won't stop me, right?" I then asked her. "He is your childhood friend after all..."

"...No."

"Ok, thanks," I replied. "Ah, by the way, how did you like the meal? Was it good?"

"Yes, it was good." I got another emotionless reply.

Well, at least she liked it.

"And, since you are here, can you recommend me which courses to take?" I then asked.

Because, apart from our mandatory classes, every student had to complete three courses at least in each semester. I already know which courses original Adrian took from the novel, but I'm planning to add a few courses to them that later become useful in the future.

Aria pondered for a moment before responding, her expression thoughtful. "Considering your abilities and interests, I would recommend taking courses in Advanced Combat Techniques, Aether Control and Manipulation, and Tactical Analysis.

There are other interesting and useful courses that you can find from the course catalog that is displayed in the dorm reception hall and the classroom screens, but these three should provide a solid foundation for your training and development as an Awakener," Aria suggested.

I nodded, taking note of her recommendations. "Thanks, Aria. I'll look into those courses and see which ones fit best with my schedule. Which courses did you apply for?"

"Hmm... I applied for Ice Manipulation, Intermediate Combat Techniques, Monsters 101 and the Ruins Exploration Courses."

"Those sound interesting," I remarked, 'impressed' by Aria's choices. "Especially the Ruins Exploration course. That one could be really exciting. I will consider signing up for that."

"Yeah, since it's practical, it'll be both useful and interesting." She replied. "And, since we are done, I should take my leave. I already have some other tasks to attend to."

"Of course, thanks for stopping by, Aria," I said, offering her a polite nod.