No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 58

EP.58 Friendship and Relationship (2)

Now that I think about it, the clothes Ria and I were wearing were identical.

Of course, I wasn’t talking about our nun’s habits, but the outerwear on top.

While I was still fumbling with my thoughts, Ria had paid with her own money and draped the jacket over my shoulders. I eventually put my arms through the sleeves and wore it properly.

Both jackets we wore were the kind university students might wear as club jackets. They weren’t too heavy and seemed well-suited for spring.

Since our habits were dark-colored, it looked like she had chosen a similarly dark tone to match. However, the designs of our jackets were completely identical.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Ria asked when she noticed me walking silently.

“Oh, no, I wasn’t thinking anything strange.”

“…Did you really need to clarify that you weren’t thinking anything strange?”

Ria’s baffled response only made me feel more embarrassed.

Truthfully, there was something that had been on my mind.

Ria often grabbed my wrist to pull me along. She never forced me into anything, and she always seemed to manage her strength so that it didn’t hurt. But later, when I thought back on it, the memory sometimes left me feeling a bit flustered.

In the convent, even among members of the same gender, physical contact was generally avoided. After all, the children there grew up together, and when they reached an age where they became aware of their own desires, some of them inevitably veered in unexpected directions.

I’d heard a few rumors while growing up. Whether they were based on actual events or just baseless gossip born from overactive imaginations, I couldn’t be sure.

Well, either way, the rules seemed to work.

If I’d stayed in the church, I would have just spent my time fixating on the original novel, anyway—

“Hey.”

“—!?”

Startled, I flinched when Ria suddenly tapped my arm.

Already feeling unusually self-conscious, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Thankfully, I managed to suppress a scream this time.

“Uh…”

Seeing my reaction, Ria hesitated briefly.

“Uh, sorry?”

“Oh, no.”

I quickly shook my head.

“I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

I’d simply been caught off guard when she spoke to me while I was zoning out. That was all.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“There’s a bubble tea shop over there,” Ria said, pointing to a nearby café.

“Have you ever had it before?”

Not in this world.

Even in my previous life, I’d only tried it a few times. I didn’t dislike it, but I didn’t love it either, so it wasn’t something I went out of my way to buy.

When I shook my head, Ria’s face lit up with a smug expression.

“Then let’s go try some.”

With that, Ria lightly tugged at my wrist again.

“Ah…”

Once again, I found myself unable to refuse and followed her inside.

Or maybe I didn’t want to refuse.

After all, this was the first time I’d been able to enjoy a carefree outing in this world.

In the church, there wasn’t anyone I could call a close friend. The Mother Superior or Father occasionally listened to me, but it wasn’t like I could go out on strolls with them.

Though I felt a little self-conscious under the gazes of passersby, I ended up following Ria into the café. There, I picked out a drink.

Once again, Ria paid. I had been too flustered to even offer to pay first.

When she handed me the drink with a bright grin, I got the feeling that even if I had tried to pay, she wouldn’t have let me.

*

Both of our drinks seemed to be tea-based, but we chose different ones.

Mine was a rich purple bubble tea with a strong sweet potato flavor, while Ria's was a black sugar bubble tea that looked almost sickeningly sweet.

As we walked side by side, sipping from our straws, I wondered why I had worried so much earlier.

Well, maybe this line of thought was closer to a Buddhist temple’s perspective than a church’s, but whatever.

The sky was a clear blue, and soft cherry blossom petals—neither purely white nor fully pink—floated gently through the air. A few landed on my head.

Without a word, Ria plucked the petals off my hair and let them drift to the ground.

What’s gotten into her today?

No, that’s not quite right. Maybe it wasn’t just today.

Since the day we started spending time together, Ria’s demeanor had gradually softened. Of course, she still teased me, and we occasionally bickered, but...

Maybe Ria saw me as someone pitiful.

A girl who had spent her entire life in the church.

Someone who never got to experience the things kids my age would usually do.

Someone who had no family.

And on top of all that, someone who was oddly isolated because of her position.

Perhaps she felt sorry for me.

“……”

If this had been a month ago, I might have been more defensive about Ria’s behavior. After all, in the book, the character of Lee Chae-eun came across as headstrong and forceful.

She even fought fiercely with the saintess over the man they both liked.

If I didn’t know better, I might’ve suspected Ria was just teasing me in a new way.

But after thinking about it, the same Ria who always made sure I had something to eat whenever I exhausted myself didn’t seem like someone who’d drag me out just to mock me.

That thought made me feel even more embarrassed. I had no idea what to say to her.

If I had to say something, it should probably be, “Thank you.” But those words didn’t come easily.

Even though I knew logically and rationally that it was the best way to maintain and develop our relationship, expressing it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

Tap.

This time, I didn’t flinch.

When I turned to look, Ria was holding out her drink toward me. About half of it was left.

“You’ve drunk about half of yours too, so let’s swap.”

“……”

Without thinking, I handed her my cup and took hers in return.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, I brought the straw to my lips—

Wait. Hold on.

Wasn’t this… indirect something or other?

I froze, the term hovering in my mind, and glanced at Ria. She was already sipping my drink through the straw, completely unbothered.

Uh…

Is this normal for girls? I wouldn’t know.

This was my first time living as a girl, and I’d never had a friend this close before.

Even if I had, I wouldn’t have been able to go out and hang around like this, given my circumstances.

“What? Don’t like it?”

“N-no, that’s not it.”

Ria tilted her head in curiosity, and I looked down at the cup in my hand.

...

Well, it’s probably fine, right? She didn’t seem to mind, so why should I?

Maybe I was overthinking this, like some elementary school kid.

Just as I resolved to stop hesitating—

“Huh?”

Ria’s voice made me jerk my head up in alarm.

But before I could say anything, there was nothing left to explain or defend.

Ria wasn’t looking at the drink in my hand but rather at something far off in the distance.

Not directly in our path, but across the road, on the other side.

There, I saw Lee Si-yoon.

He wasn’t alone—there was a woman with him.

Thankfully, that woman wasn’t Gloria. It was Han Yu-ri, her face flushed as she stood beside him, dressed modestly and looking rather shy.

On instinct, I grabbed Ria’s wrist.

“Hey, wait—”

Ria could have easily resisted if she wanted, but she didn’t. Instead, she let me pull her along without protest. I hurriedly led her toward the most crowded area nearby, hiding us among the people.

Some of the passersby glanced at us, likely finding our sudden movements strange, but none of them reacted otherwise. Still, the noticeable contrast of our attire drew a few curious looks.

"......"

Ria looked at me, confused, but I didn’t let go of her wrist until Lee Si-yoon and Han Yu-ri were out of sight.

Han Yu-ri looked genuinely happy. Lee Si-yoon, though less outwardly expressive, seemed to enjoy her company too. But it was Han Yu-ri’s radiant expression, that unmistakable look of a girl smitten with love, that stood out the most.

I sighed inwardly. Of course. With the cherry blossoms blooming, this kind of outing was inevitable. Even though the main storyline hadn’t started yet...

Once again, my thoughts crystallized with certainty.

It didn’t make sense to deliberately disrupt a bond that had already formed so naturally before the main story even began.

They weren’t holding hands yet, but Han Yu-ri had her hands clasped neatly in front of her as she gazed up at Lee Si-yoon. Meanwhile, he, clearly flustered by his childhood friend’s sudden femininity, blushed and avoided her gaze.

Anyone could see that this was the picture of pure, innocent love.

Yes. The first heroine to appear in a story should rightfully be the main heroine, and the main heroine should undoubtedly be the true heroine.

Otherwise, the story risks veering into betrayal or unwanted drama.

After the two walked past our hiding spot and disappeared into the distance, I felt an odd sense of relief. Exhaling deeply, I took another sip from my straw.

It wasn’t until I’d taken two sips that I suddenly remembered this straw had just been in Ria’s mouth a moment ago. Embarrassed, I pulled away quickly.

At the same time, I realized I was still holding onto Ria’s wrist.

Ria’s eyes were wide, looking at me in surprise.

“……”

Awkwardly, I released her wrist and turned my gaze elsewhere.

Hmm.

This was a little embarrassing.

Meanwhile, the cloying sweetness of the black sugar lingered in my mouth far longer than I expected.