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"Understood, thank you."
Mash paused in walking and turned to the voice. The tall senpai he didn't really get to fight, Wirth Madl, was talking to Kaldo Gehenna. The Sword Cane walked away so Mash thought it was a good time to approach him. "Senpai?"
Wirth turned around seeing Mash. "Ah, it's the mushroom head- Mash was it?" He asked, pushing his sunglasses up.
"Ah, that's kind of mean. That hurt." Mash said.
"Did it really? "
Mash ignored his hurt (?) feelings for now, more curious at the jar of golden syrup Wirth was holding. "You were talking to Kaldo-san?"
"Yeah, I was." Though Wirth paused as Mash's gaze focused on the jar than the conversation. "Hm? Ah, this." Wirth lifted the glass jar. "It's honey. He always sends our family some. Honestly, he shouldn't bother, I know he gave big brother a jar already, so he didn't need to give me one." One jar of honey was too much even for their own family, two was overkill, Wirth thought. He then turns to Mash. "Want to have it?"
Mash shook his head. "No thanks. I can't have much sugar since I'm working out."
Wirth pauses, looking at the baking implements in Mash's hand. "But you're baking."
". . ." Mash looked away.
Unimpressed, Wirth asked, "So, what are you baking?"
"Cream puffs."
Wirth just nodded, getting his answer. The freshman was probably just being shy. So he tried again, handing the jar over.
Mash lifted a hand and gently pushed it away. "But I can't take it."
"Why not? You could just give it to one of your friends, like that weirdo blue haired guy."
"But that was a gift for you, wasn't it?"
Wirth laughed, lifting the jar back up. "Hah! It's just out of obligation, being Orter's...I mean the younger brother of his coworker." He punctuated the last part with a tired sigh.
Ah, was that a sigh? Mash wonders. Is Wirth-Senpai and his brother not getting along? That's not good, family is important. However, pops taught him prying could be rude, so he didn't ask but instead, "Then why not share it with your friends?" Mash suggests.
"Friends?" Wirth frowned." I don't really -"
"The others from Magia Lupus?" Mash again suggested. "Abel and Abyss came for a party again last night, maybe they'd want to have tea with the rest of you."
"That again..." Wirth sighed tiredly. How could he forget Abel approaching him twice the last few days, inviting him to a party at Adler dorm. At first, Wirth thought it was a prank or joke, but Abel of all people asked (him? crack a joke?), so it couldn't be. Even then, he declined (and although Abel remained stone faced, Wirth could swear there was some slight disappointment there).
Wirth tried to forget the strange event, but could not for long when he learned Abyss accompanied Abel. However, Wirth couldn't satisfy his curiosity considering Abyss couldn't say more than bububububu when Wirth asked.
More things happened that made Wirth feel like he was the last to accept the invitation. Two weeks ago, Love Cute had been dragging Milo Genius away, both teasing Wirth on the way out about meeting some handsome guys - also taunting him to take a break. Again, Wirth said no, ignoring how Love stuck a tongue out at him and Milo crying for help. Even Olore and Anser had visited the Adler students, and those two had been beaten up badly by those same guys!
Wirth just sighed. "I have no time for that, I need to study." As he habitually does, he pushes up his glasses. That should shut the mushroom head up -
"Then how about a study group?"
A vein popped on Wirth's forehead. "Why are you being pushy about this?"
Mash looks down. "It's because, everyone from Magia Lupus already visited except you." He then looks up at Wirth, timid. That's...kind of sad."
Wirth didn't know what to say to that. While true, it looked sad to others, Wirth himself didn't care. He had to prove his worth, earn his place. He had no time to play with garbage -
The memory of his fight against Lance Crown suddenly struck him.
Ah, that's right, they weren't worthless flunkies. Looking at Mash, he remembers the rest of the ragtag Adler group. Boisterous, cowards, weirdoes, but somehow caring. In fact, Wirth could even say they're a kind bunch. A kind bunch of idiots, still kind.
Turning to Mash, he asks. "Are you really going to study if you hosted a study group?"
"I'm making the creampuffs for it."
"Of course." Wirth deadpans.
"Abyss said he was looking forward to it too."
Rolling the possibilities in his head a few times, Wirth sighed, putting the jar in his coat, and then asked, "Mind asking if they can serve fruit punch too?"
There was silence on Mash's part, and Wirth could swear he could see a ghost of a smile on Mash's face. "Sure."
Bonus:
“Mash, what do you think of the fruit punch I made~ “
“Abwuruwufudru—“
“Mash, you shouldn’t talk with a mouthful of cream puffs “
“C’MON YOU INVITED ANOTHER PRETTY BOY HERE?!”
“Shut up, I can’t concentrate on my studying.”
“…does that bookmark say “Little Sister”?”
“Abyss, would you like to play Old Maid?”
Wirth sat in the middle of this chaos and wonders if he should have turned down the invitation instead.