Chapter Text
Twilight was not one who took failure lightly.
Even though he had only joined WISE for two years as one of the youngest members in history, he was rapidly climbing up the ranks and garnering the respect (and perhaps envy) of other spies in the organisation. There hadn’t been a single mission he had slipped up on just yet, and he was planning to keep his record clean. Whether it was a honey trap (yes, despite his tender age, his disguise abilities and mannerism were sharp enough for him to pull it off), infiltrating an organisation, or perhaps even getting his hands dirty, Twilight excelled in all of them.
Of course, going to school was perhaps his easiest mission ever.
Even though he was well above the age of twenty-two, WISE had assigned him to the final grade, where he would just have to mingle with, well, some teenagers. WISE could even have forged documents easily for the sake of their missions, but considering how Eden Academy was the most prestigious academy in Ostania, the organisation saw it a worthwhile investment to put their rising spy, who also happened to have little education, through the system.
Well, not that Twilight wouldn’t be able to ace school. Even if he didn’t go through much formal education, he was certain that he was agile enough to be an Imperial Scholar by the time he graduated. It was clear enough - he just had to have exceptional grades, demonstrate exceptional talents in sports or arts, and/or extend his service to society.
All in a day’s work. Or well, more realistically, a year.
Before that, he would just have to get through his morning classes, and also bear with that wound on his lower back from the graze of a blade with a hitman the night before. A practiced smile stayed perfectly curved on his lips, as Professor Henderson introduced him as Loid Forger to his class. He made a mental note to swiftly make his way to the infirmary with as much stealth as he could during their break, and opted to focus on his classmates for now.
WISE, just as strategic as they always were, allocated him to a class worthy of being a gold mine of valuable intel, as he could see. Sweeping a quick glance over the room, he could see the daughter of CEO Blackbell, the major military manufacturer, the daughter of the vice-chairman of the People’s Party Parliament, the son of an important figure in the Ministry of Security, the eldest son of the President of the National Unity Party…
… and a sleeping student that Twilight could catch dozing off at the seat just by the window.
"… You can take the seat next to Miss Briar right th- Miss Briar! Are you looking to get another Tonitrus Bolt again?!" Professor Henderson’s voice boomed like thunder against Twilight - no, Loid’s, eardrums, startling the sleeping girl who jolted right up from her seat.
"P-P-Professor Henderson! I’m so sorry about that," said student’s eye bags were so dark and heavy that Loid was positive she was related to pandas. What could warrant such a young student to have such little sleep? Unless… unless she was in a similar situation as himself.
Despite everything, Loid would have to make an effort to distance himself from such students to keep an image before his professors. After all, it was his professors who would award him the Stellar Stars that he needed, not Miss Briar.
Professor Henderson pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, which Loid simply smiled up at him with all the courtesy he could muster, earning an approving nod from his professor. He could hear a blonde female student snicker to the classmates on her bench, her mockery clearly aimed at Miss Briar. That very snicker was swiftly melted into a dreamy sigh as soon as Loid walked past.
Materialistic, he thought to himself. To upkeep a good image as Loid Forger, he would still maintain amicable relations with her, even if he was certain she was not anyone of influence.
For now, his priority was simple.
Get to his seat, sit through three more hours of class while exhibiting behaviour befitting of a model student, and get his wound fixed at the infirmary.
As he took his seat beside his new desk mate, he noticed how she was on the verge of dozing off once more, her cheek resting on her fist. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she mustered a tired smile as he sat down, making the effort to straighten her back and hold her hand out.
"Hello, I’m Yor Briar."
"Loid Forger."
Loid might have been overthinking, but he didn’t miss how Yor’s face scrunched up with worry for just a split second or two as their hands brushed against each other.
As soon as the bell signalling the break sounded, Loid bit the insides of his cheeks as subtly as he could to hold back a sigh of relief. Sure he had administered first aid and bandaged it as thoroughly as he could right before he headed for school, but even the wound was proving to be more stubborn than he had anticipated and the sickening smell of blood was already wafting out. Not to mention, the feeling of the blood sticking to his skin was not something he was fond of. That was enough reason to prompt Loid to make his way to the infirmary as swiftly as he could.
He smiled courteously at the classmates who were flocking towards him now, more females than males. Questions after questions were launched at him, ranging from where he had attended school before, what his favourite food or sports were, and more. All of which were questions he had been prepared for, having committed the profile of "Loid Forger" to memory, but none which he would like to answer at this very moment as he gritted through his smile at the stinging sensation on his back.
But maintaining a positive image of Loid Forger was part of his mission, especially to win the favour of the potentially useful candidates in his class. As best as he could, Loid answered each question with as much courtesy as he could muster, before declining the invitations to lunch citing that he would like to take the opportunity to explore the academy grounds.
"Please let me bring you then!" The same blonde student who had fluttered her eyelashes flirtatiously at him moments ago pounced on the opportunity, not-so-subtly shoving the other students who stood in her way.
Loid didn’t like where that was going, and was very much anticipating how she would delay his tragedy. He would have to think of a polite way to decline-
"Ah, our new classmate here asked me to show him around earlier, didn’t you? Our lunch break isn’t very long, so let’s get started on that tour!"
Everyone’s attention, including Loid’s, was turned to the unassuming student who had remained quiet amidst the chaos. Loid didn’t miss how she was mildly trembling despite the brave front she was putting up, and the stiff smile she offered was a clear indication of how she was the least bit comfortable with whatever she had just proposed, ironically.
Before he could comment further, Yor Briar was already holding onto his forearm and hoisting him onto his feet with a strength he didn’t imagine she would have possessed. The raven-haired student lowered her head a little as a manner of acknowledgement, before tugging his arm. He was acutely aware of the envious looks that he was getting from all the male students, and even more so of the death stares that followed as Yor Briar led him out of the classroom.
Sure she got her out of his plight earlier, but now the larger question was how he could get away from her.
For now, she was holding onto his wrist with an iron grip that he couldn’t struggle free of.
"Miss Briar… I’m really curious where the infirmary is, do you think you could drop us there first?" Loid mustered a smile as he trudged after her.
Said student turned around, not halting her steps. She gave a single nod as she pointed at the room ahead, and it was only then when Loid noticed that the infirmary was right ahead.
How did she…?
"The nurse doesn’t seem to be in right now, but I can help you if you need to. I… I… I used to take care of my brother, so I have some experience in treating wounds?" It should have sounded like a statement, but Loid couldn’t help but notice how it came across more as an uncertain question. His classmate had already ushered him into the infirmary, and quietly locked the door behind her.
"Thank you, Miss Briar. I will-"
Wait. She seemed to have implied that he had wounds. How would she have known? Did she have the ability to read minds or something?
"I… I’m sorry. It’s just that the smell of the blood was… it was glaring. I noticed it," Yor Briar shuffled her feet uneasily as her gaze fixed on the ground below her.
Loid stared at the student, mouth agape, before the cool and irking sensation of the blood on his back brought him back to reality. He brought his hand to his back, frowning as he realised that the blood hadn’t spread to his uniform just yet, so how could the smell have been strong enough to another regular civilian?
"D-D-don’t worry! I just have a more acute sense of smell! It wasn’t that strong. Please, we need to get your wounds treated!" Yor Briar was stammering again, and it was strange how she seemed to know every thought that went through his mind. Despite his short duration of espionage training, he had been very much confident in his ability to conceal his thoughts expertly, and surely that still held true considering how none of his classmates earlier seemed to catch how he needed to evacuate quickly. Perhaps Yor Briar was just more sensitive to others’ emotions.
She must have been extremely sensitive then.
Loid simply offered her a nod, before heading to fetch some medication and bandages he needed, and making his way to one of the beds. His gaze locked with Yor Briar’s, registering the actual concern that she wore so transparently on her face, before he cut their connection off by drawing the curtains.
He unbuttoned his jacket, before lifting his inner shirt gingerly and lifting it past his shoulders. He took a deep breath as his hands paused on the rims of his bandages, before he began to unwrap the binds that had kept his breath in the whole morning. The pale bandage that he tore away was splayed with a crimson patch.
He dabbed the cotton balls that he had retrieved with a disinfectant, finding himself bite his lip as he reached his arm backward and began to dab where he presumed the wound was. It was a hit or miss for him, the hits vividly felt when a sting surged through his body. He angled his arm as he tried to determine where exactly the wound stretched, and he so desperately wanted to lower it after stretching it backward so long, but he knew then that would leave whatever efforts he had put in in determining the position of his wound in vain.
"A-are you okay? Do you… need my help?" Yor Briar’s voice came across as a timid whisper from the other side of the curtain. He must have spent too long treating his own wound, rendering his classmate impatient.
"I’m fine."
A pregnant pause.
"I promise I won’t tell anyone. I… I can tell you a secret of mine too if it makes you assured."
Loid blinked at the response that came from behind the curtains. He certainly hadn’t anticipate anyone to even know about his wound, and a straight cut to the back would certainly have been difficult for him to explain. He hadn’t counted on an excuse he could give.
"I promise I won’t ask too."
"… alright."
Loid froze. He had been taught that a spy would trust no one, but why did he agree to Yor Briar tending his wounds then?
Said student quietly entered the boundaries of his treatment area upon his consent, before closing the curtains gently behind them. With his back turned to her, he couldn’t see the expression on her face, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to either. He was a mash of emotions, wanting to see if she was perhaps visibly horrified, scared, or surprised at the glaring wound on his back, or if she was just biting back whatever emotions were surging within her at the sight.
He figured that it was neither, for she had wasted no time gently tending to the wound on his back. Just as she had mentioned, perhaps she was used to treating her brother’s wounds, and had seen far worse than she was looking at right now. Loid quietly sat as she fixed him up, gradually feeling the wound on his back getting cleaned up almost expertly. It felt like moments before she wrapped the new bandage around his torso, and Loid felt himself heaving a sigh of relief at how well his wound was tended to compared to his sorry first aid skills that morning.
After he felt her secure the bandage, he pulled on his shirt and jacket, before angling his head just a little to offer his thanks over his shoulder.
"No worries. I… I promised you I would tell you a secret too, so… uhm…"
Loid shook his head. "You don’t need to. I trust you, Miss Briar."
He didn’t know what made him say that.
"Yor."
Loid turned around, confused.
"Please call me Yor. We are classmates, after all, and you did just say that you can trust me," her smile was so warm and radiant, Loid didn’t know why it made his heart flutter.
His mission was straightforward. He had to go to Eden Academy, become an Imperial Scholar and earn a clean record, and perhaps make a few connections that would be useful in the long run as a bonus.
Forming emotional attachments certainly wasn’t anywhere useful or required in his mission, but why did he feel otherwise?
"… nice to meet you, Yor. Please call me Loid too."