After turning down 9 marriage proposals, 7 with baron ranks and 2 with viscount ranks from girls, Elly wearily went to class. It was only the first class of the morning, and he already felt a bit tired. He didn't know girls in this world could be such a piece of work. He was grateful for his low rank because if it were any higher, he would, without a doubt, have a lot more girls hot on his heels.

He was forced to drag 1 particular girl along the floor to the door of his class because she wouldn’t let go of his ankle and instead held it tightly with both of her hands. And he couldn’t have teleported because she had used Spatial Lock on the ankle she held to prevent that. A clever but annoying one. He had to snip off a lock of his hair with a pair of scissors and hand it to her to get her off him. She gladly accepted it and went happily on her way down the hallway, promising to see him another time.

~~~

After class, he stepped out of the classroom, now walking down the corridor. He wanted to get back to his research, but first, a bathroom break.

Elly stopped himself right before the girl’s bathroom. He had nearly pushed it open and gone in. That was close. He could get in trouble for that.  I need to stop making that mistake. The right door is the right door. The left door is the wrong door. Hopefully, that mnemonic would help him to remember.

He tried pushing the boys’ door, but it didn’t open.

He knocked and waited a few seconds. No answer. Then he heard muffled crying and a few boys talking and laughing.

Reinforcing his fist with magical energy, he punched the wooden door and shattered it to pieces before walking in.

Pompadour Boy and 9 other boys surrounded 1 boy, nerd-like with glasses. His books had been scattered everywhere on the floor. Several in the sink under running water.

“Oh, Pompadour Boy?” Elly vaguely remembered him.

Everyone looked at Elly.

“I GOT A NAME!” He clenched his hands into fists.

“Don’t care.” He was just here to pee. He turned his back, going to a urinal.

“Hey, don’t talk to our boss like that.” A boy grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

Elly changed his mind. He couldn’t pee in peace with so many eyes on him. “I’ll talk to him however I want.” He turned around to face them, knowing he should also rescue that boy they were bullying.

“You’re asking for a fight!” Pompadour Boy put his hand in his pocket, searching for something. Likely his wand.

Angry, the rest of them took out their wands, ready for a fight too.

The moment the wands came out, Elly mentally snapped them in two. While they were puzzled, he teleported between them, grabbed the boy by his collar, and teleported out of the bathroom to the floor above in a random, empty classroom. A portal opened, and he pulled out the boy’s books and handed them to him, all clean and dry.

“Oh, um, thank you!” he bowed.

Sapphire would be proud of him. “No problem.” He smiled and walked out the door. He would’ve loved a fight though, but a bathroom was the wrong place: it was too cramped.

 He went to pee and then headed to the library.

~~~

Eventually, he found the right section with the old man’s help who had threatened to ban him and Marcy the other day. He took up some books, went to a seat, and dug in.

A few hours later

A hand touched his left shoulder from behind.

He turned his head to look at it, and while it was turned, a wet tongue licked his right ear, glossing over his earring.

He shivered and instinctively leaned away from the tongue and looked rightwards.

Marcy had moved her head away by then. She went around the table and sat opposite to him. “Do ya wanna go on a daaaate?”

“Was the lick necessary?!” Her spit was still warm on his ear.

This is an odd feeling… Suki commented.

Yeah, from an odd girl, that’s expected, Elly replied.

“No, but I wanted to do it. You looked tasty! Especially your earring.”

“...Right…”

“So, yes?”

“No.” He had better things to do, like finding the perfect gender-bending spell or potion.

“Pleeeaaase.”

“No.” He flipped a page as he continued reading.

She sighed and got up before walking past where he sat, leaving.

Or so he thought.

From behind him, Marcy ran her fingers up both his sides then rubbed them all over his stomach.

His face flushed, and he smiled oddly then burst out laughing. “N-no! What are you—?” He squirmed and kicked his feet under the table.

She slid her hands under his jacket and shirt. Now that her fingers were touching his delicate skin, her effort would be more effective. She sank her fingers into his sides and moved them up and down aggressively. “Ticklish, hm?”

Elly laughed even louder as his face grew redder. He leaned forward helplessly. He couldn’t focus enough to retaliate with magic. “STOOOOP TICKLING MEEEEE!”

“Not until you give up!” 

He laughed hard for another few minutes under her relentless assault. “I’M NOT GIVING UP!” Tears came to his eyes as he tried to slap her hands away.

“Then I won’t stop!” Her fingers dug into his ribs, massaging them.

He needed air. “PLEASE! OKAY, OKAY! WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST STOP!” His lungs were tired. He needed to stop laughing.

Marcy went up and down with her fingers again. “Are you sure?”

“YES, MARCELLA, PLEASE.” 

Marcy stopped.

Elly was panting. When he lifted his head, he saw the old man glaring at them. 

“OUT! BOTH OF YOU!” He pointed to the door.

They had no choice but to get out.

Elly felt weak, still recovering from laughing, so Marcy supported his walking by putting his left arm around her neck and while stretching her right hand across his back to rest on his waist on his right side.

“Easy now. “ She smiled as he stumbled forward.

Just the touch of her hand on his waist gave him a deep fear of another cruel round of tickling.

But she didn’t do it again.