Chapter Text
A cool breeze touched her skin as she continued her pace, passing through the quiet morning stone path. The sun had not risen yet, and the surroundings were only filled with the sound of rustling trees and the pavement she was stepping on. Part of Anon’s morning routine was to jog, followed by a hundred swings of her wooden sword before she eats breakfast at the dorm.
She had not always been a morning person. It was just something that became a habit after she kinda left their party last year, and she spent a lot of time training alone or taking solo missions.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she thought of that. It might not have been a great time for her, but she could look back on the memory with fondness. Besides, it had served as a good motivation to improve herself.
Her jogging path is usually around the academy, but she also goes out sometimes, like today. It’s not like she goes far. The academy sits on top of a mountain, surrounded by forest and lakes. Anon just follows the stone path around it and doesn’t go too far into the forest. Maybe only sometimes, when she comes down to buy something in the city.
But for today, she only jogged around the area. Anon simply wanted to get some fresh air and surround herself with nature. It was a good break from all the preparation for the rank re-evaluation.
Their party has successfully passed the written exam. It was easier after all, compared to the practical exam. They just needed to ensure they possessed the knowledge expected of a party of their rank.
Now, with the individual evaluation coming, their party started focusing on their combat skills, charms, and honing their natural gifts. For Anon, her natural gift was her mana detection skill.
Maybe I should take another solo mission?
“Solo mission again?”
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Soyo’s voice resounded. Her lips curved into a smile again, shaking the thought away.
I guess I’ll consult with them at least.
As she continued on her tracks, she spotted a familiar figure sitting on the grass. She wouldn’t mistake her slightly spiky hair ends.
“Yahata-san!” Anon called out as she got closer.
The girl turned towards her, a can of energy drink in her hand. ”Chihaya-san. Good morning.”
“Oh. Good morning,” she greeted back, stopping on her track. “Rikki isn’t with you today?”
It wasn’t rare for her to run into Yahata Umiri on her morning run. Most of the time, Umiri would be with Taki. The two are staying in the northern academy dorms, and on the same floor, too.
“No. When I checked on her earlier, Taki-san was just about to sleep.”
“Rikki… Did she stay up crafting some artifact again?” Anon sat beside her, deciding to take a break for a while
“Yes, it seems so. Her mana was nearly depleted. I had to help her get to her bed.”
“She works too hard…”
“That I can agree to,” Umiri sighed in defeat. “What about you?”
“Hmm?” Anon wondered what she could mean. She never ran with anyone before.
“I’ve only ever seen you jog by yourself in the morning. Have you never run with anyone from your party? For example, Nagasaki-san. You both live in the southern dorms, right?”
“E-Eh? Soyorin?”
“Yes. In the academy, I have always seen you both together lately. Taki-san also told me that you and Nagasaki-san are close.”
“I-Is that so…” Anon scratched her chin, letting out a shy laugh.
So, it’s quite noticeable…
It was an undeniable fact that she and Soyo had been spending a lot of time together as of late. She could just say it was because they are party members, but their time together had become more frequent and more than just about their party matters.
“I haven’t invited Soyorin or any of our members again for my morning routine. Previously, they all declined. Raana-chan was too lazy to get up in the morning. Rikki already has you. Tomorin, hmm, well, she has her own morning routine.”
“And Nagasaki-san?”
“Soyorin has her own morning routine, too, like Tomorin. I haven’t asked them again since last year.”
“Then maybe try to ask them again? I continuously ask Yuutenji-san to join me. She has joined me about three times already.”
Anon could imagine Umiri's level of persistence. But from what she knows, Yuutenji Nyamu seemed tolerant enough of the black-haired, and they seemed to be on friendly terms.
“Hmm. I will consider that. But right now,” Anon stood up and offered her hand to Umiri. “How about we run together? I plan to go for one more lap. What do you think, Yahata-san?”
Umiri took her hand with a smirk as she stood up. “Sure. Just one more lap for me, too.”
When it comes to stamina, Anon was already confident in herself. She could match Umiri’s pace without being out of breath. They could even continue to chatter as they ran, with mostly Anon talking.
The sun had almost risen when they were about to finish their lap around the gates of the academy. With spring almost ending, there weren’t many blooming flowers around them. So, when Anon spotted one area with blooming flowers beside a small stream, she asked Umiri if they could stop by for a bit. The girl didn’t mind.
Anon cheerfully skipped towards the sprays of Yamabuki. She leaned closer, admiring its deep molten gold petals.
Aw. Why didn’t I bring my phone with me? I want to show this to Soyorin.
“Why don’t you take some back with you?” Umiri said, getting close, checking it as well.
“Oh, you’re right! But, are we allowed to pick flowers here?”
“I believe there is no rule about that in the academy. And besides, we are technically outside the campus.”
Anon nodded, reviewing the academy rules she could remember. And she knew she could also trust Umiri to remember the student rulebook.
“Well then!”
She picked a small branch of a tree and cast a reinforcement charm on it, making it sharp. And then, one by one, she carefully chose the flowers and intricately cut them using her reinforced branch.
“Was that a reinforcement charm?” Umiri asked, watching her intently. “Taki-san mentioned it to me before, but it sure is amazing watching you use it.”
“I bet she said that, fully annoyed.”
“Yeah, she was.”
“I knew it,” Anon laughed with smugness.
Anon continued to cut more branches of the Yamabuki, humming to herself unconsciously. After a moment, Umiri spoke again.
“If I may ask, are those for… Nagasaki-san?”
“Ha?! Ou—” Anon, out of shock, had put too much force on her cut that she slightly cut her fingers, that was holding the branch of the flower she was cutting.
“Oh no, my apologies, Chihaya-san. Are you okay?”
Anon quickly shook her hand, not before placing the Yamabuki she just cut on the sprays.
“I-It’s nothing!” she said, hiding the sting behind a lopsided grin, but her ears felt hot. “I’ve had worse before.”
She kept her eyes on the flower rather than on Umiri.
Am I really that obvious?
Then she felt a hand, and a handkerchief pressed against her wounded fingers. “You need to stop the bleeding at least,” Umiri said, wrapping the cloth around her fingers.
“Oh, thanks. I’ll be sure to return this to you later.”
“Don’t mind it,” Umiri dismissed coolly. “I see you’ve got sense. Taki-san always says you’ve got a bad sense, but I don’t understand what she means when I see this. The Yamabuki surely fits Nagasaki-san.”
“Rikki… It’s she and Soyorin who have a bad sense.”
Ah, but of course. This is a flower of elegance after all. It is perfect for Soyorin.
Anon held on to the branches of Yamabuki that she cut as she and Umiri resumed their run. The sun had completely risen by the time they got back to the campus grounds. They bid each other farewell, going in opposite directions, as they were both returning to their dorms.
She would’ve gone straight to the training facilities of the Western building, but she figured she should wash her hands first and treat her cut. Looking at the bloodstained cloth and the sting she was still feeling from it, the cut on her fingers might be deeper than she thought.
I need to do something about getting easily distracted…
“…non-chan?”
I'd better hurry and clean this and put some ointment on it.
“Anon-chan?”
Afterward, I should put these flowers in my storage artifact and bring them later to Soyor—
“Anon-chan!”
Two hands held her shoulders, pulling her back. Anon finally snapped back and realized she had almost crashed into a wall. It was only then that she realized she was already inside the dorm building, and supposedly about to go up the stairs, but instead, she was headed for the wall beside it.
“What do you think you are doing?”
Anon turned to the voice who had been calling her, only to be met by annoyed greyish-blue eyes, with a hint of worry. It was Soyo who was already in her academy uniform.
“S-Soyorin?” she blinked, as if she still couldn’t believe she was seeing her.
“Yes, it’s me. I’ve been calling you, but you kept walking towards the wall,” Soyo said, crossing her arms. Then Soyo’s eyes shifted from her to the flowers, then a bit lower.
“Wait, didn’t you come from your morning jog?” The brown-haired stepped closer and took her left hand. “What happened here? Is it because of these flowers?”
“A-Ah, it’s nothing really. I just got distracted while I was cutting a branch. It’s just a simple scratch.”
Soyo unwrapped the cloth and examined it. “Simple scratch, you said? Four of your fingers got cut, and it’s deep.”
Anon forced an awkward laugh, unable to deny it now that Soyo was even checking the cut.
“You didn’t even go to the infirmary to have this treated.”
“I can just wash it off and apply some ointment to it. It works every time. This is not the first time— ow—” Anon hissed in pain as Soyo pressed on her cut.
“Idiot.” Soyo cast the cleaning charm she recently learned from her, then wrapped the handkerchief around her fingers again. “Come with me to my lab.”
“Ha? But—”
“I was on my way there anyway. And you know I have spare healing potions from the batches we made the other day.”
Anon couldn’t protest anymore as Soyo took her by the wrist and dragged her out of the dorm building to the lab. Her grip on the branches of Yamabuki tightened for a moment.
She stared at Soyo, carefully looking at her side profile. Anon could see the mix of annoyance and worry on her face. It really wasn’t unusual for them to get a cut from time to time. Especially during training and missions.
It also wasn’t something new for Soyo to be so caring. It’s just that the usually composed Soyo wasn’t so composed at all with the way she seemed mad at her. Anon wouldn’t exactly say she was overreacting, but she doesn’t know how to call it.
She felt like something strange had shifted, a good kind of strange, in her. Anon couldn’t be sure, and she didn’t want to assume anything.
However, she couldn’t help but notice how Soyo seemed different lately, especially every time they were together. It was as if Soyo had taken a step forward. But she didn’t want to assume that it was towards her.
Soyo still didn’t let go of her wrist until they got inside her lab. She only got to put down the branches of Yamabuki before the brown-haired led her to the sink to wash her hands.
I can do it myself, was what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t upon seeing how determined Soyo was to do it. Instead, she put away the bloodstained handkerchief, casting another cleaning charm on it to return it to Umiri later.
Turning the faucet off, Soyo grabbed the hand towel she had prepared and wiped Anon’s hand. Anon’s eyes looked from side to side, feeling the heat creeping up to her face. When Soyo was done, she even rolled the sleeves of Anon’s jersey back to her wrists.
“Wait on the sofa for a while,” Soyo said, turning away from her, leaving the kitchenette.
Anon nodded, doing as she was told. She also left the kitchenette, crossing the room towards the center mini sala set. Shortly after, Soyo joined her, carrying a vial with shining green liquid inside, a box of bandages, and a cloth.
“Give me your hand,” Soyo demanded as she sat beside her.
And Anon did without asking. There was no room for argument.
Soyo’s greyish-blue eyes took a closer look at her wounded hand, gently tracing a finger on the line of cut passing through her four fingers. There was still blood about to pool out of it.
The brown-haired placed her hand down on her lap, then turned to the stuff she had put aside. Anon watched as Soyo carefully poured half of the liquid from the vial over the cloth.
“This is going to sting a little,” Soyo warned, glancing at her briefly.
Soyo then proceeded to press the damp cloth on her fingers, wiping it on the cut. Anon whimpered in pain as she felt the sting of the cloth over her cut as if an antiseptic was rubbing on it, contrary to how sweet the potion tasted when drunk.
Anon clenched her jaw as Soyo then poured the remaining half of the healing potion directly into her cuts, then covered them again with the cloth.
“That should do it,” Anon caught Soyo whispering to herself.
Her hand was then left clasped between the cloth and the warmth of Soyo’s hands. “Let’s just allow it to absorb the healing potion more before I put bandages on your fingers,” Soyo said, eyes fixed on their hands.
Anon’s heart swelled with so much sweetness that she playfully gasped and said, “Isn’t this, Soyorin’s tender loving care?”
“H-Ha?!” Soyo quickly shot back at her with a sharp glare, but her completely reddened face and the slight slip-up in her pitch betrayed her. “I-It’s not like that!” she exclaimed, pressing their hands together.
“O-ouch!” she whined, feeling the mixed pain of pressure from Soyo’s hand and the liquid seeping through her cuts. “T-This is Soyorin’s tender loving rough care—”
“Stop that,” Soyo warned, still glaring at her, but also still blushing. She sighed, returning her gaze to their hands. “Seriously though… For someone who smoothly shields us, how could you be clumsy when it comes to yourself?”
“I wasn’t being clumsy… It was Yahata-san’s fault,” Anon replied.
“Yahata-san?”
“Yeah. We were talking while I was cutting the branches of Yamabuki. The handkerchief earlier was hers.”
“Just the two of you?”
“Yep. We were running together. Apparently, Rikki didn’t sleep again last night, so she couldn’t come with Yahata-san. The girl seriously works too hard.”
“Heh. I see.”
“Oh, oh! Yahata-san told me that she would be on Nyamuchi’s next upload! She served as her model for a makeup video! And they were also going to show a rare ch— ou—” Anon’s blabbering was cut off by the sudden pain coming from her fingers being pressed on again.
“I see that you had fun together with Yahata-san. I’m glad for you, Anon-chan.” Soyo said firmly, her eyes still with a glare.
“S-Soyorin, t-that hurts… I’m sure my fingers had already absorbed enough healing potion…”
“Hmph.” Soyo finally let go of her hand, removed the cloth, and took four strips of bandages.
Hmm? Is she sulking? Jealous?
The brown-haired wrapped the bandages around the cut on her fingers, one by one. Then her soft voice came again, whispering, “Invite me next time.”
Anon doubted her ears and wondered if she heard it right. “B-But, don’t you have something every morning too?”
“I know I declined before, but it doesn’t hurt to ask me again, does it? Besides, having more physical activities outside of our training and missions would be good for me too.”
“Really?” Anon cheered, grinning widely. “Hehe~ I was actually planning to ask you again anyway. How about tomorrow? Can you join me?”
“S-Sure…” Soyo quietly said, cheeks flushed, averting her gaze. She then pushed Anon’s hand back to her. “There, all done. The cuts should be gone before lunch. You can remove the bandages by then.”
“Mm! Thank you, tender loving Soyorin~”
Soyo shot her a glare before standing up, taking the stuff she brought with her, and putting it away. “Be more careful next time. Why did you even bring some Yamabuki? Are you planning to brew a mood booster potion?”
“Why not? Aren’t they pretty?” Anon asked in a playful voice, gaze following Soyo to the kitchenette.
In a few seconds, Soyo returned and was making her way towards the Preparation room. “Well, yes, they are pretty. But, is that your only reason?”
Anon let a small smile tug at her lips. Seeing as Soyo was waiting for her response, she stood up and took the branches of Yamabuki she had discarded at the table earlier.
“Well, actually…” she began to say, walking towards Soyo. “I wanted you to have them. They reminded me of you, elegant and beautiful,” she finally said, presenting them in front of her. “So, it’s up to you if you want to use it for a potion. Or, if you just want to display it.”
For a short moment, Anon noticed a sparkle in Soyo’s greyish-blue eyes as they widened. She was sure her cheeks couldn’t be any better than Soyo’s faint blush. But she stood firm as the girl accepted the flowers.
“T-Thanks,” she heard Soyo utter, voice too soft, and a futile attempt at hiding her blush under her bangs by tilting her head down.
“A-Anyway,” Anon shyly turned around, trying to hide her flaring cheeks. “I’ll get going now. I still have to change into my uniform and other stuff, a ha ha…”
She heard Soyo hum before saying, “See you at lunch…”
“Y-Yeah… See ya…”
Anon finally left, with her heart still pounding, and a smile that couldn’t be stopped even if she bit her lower lip.
***
Anon could feel the tension pressing against the four corners of their classroom. It wasn’t just the mathematics lesson, nor the unsolved problem hanging on the board. The unease was thicker, almost humming in the air.
“How about you, Chihaya-san?” the professor called, after sending another student back to their seat.
She straightened immediately, partly worried he might notice Tomori dozing off in front of her.
“I bet you can solve this problem,” the professor said, brow raised, eyes glinting as he gestured to the board.
“Ah, yes,” she replied, standing up.
Walking past each row, she caught glimpses of hidden books behind math textbooks and faintly glowing hands casting weakened charms under the desks. Everyone’s nerves were showing.
That’s right. There were only four days left until the first practical exam. Their party would be taking it as a re-evaluation, but for most of their classmates, this was the party licensure exam. No wonder third-years who had only just formed parties looked pale— re-evaluations didn’t have a pass-or-fail line, but licensure exams did.
The third year in the academy is usually the year when students form a party. By the fourth year, it’s a requirement unless they declare to be part of the academy, the ministry, or a private guild. The purpose of that policy is to ensure every student’s future.
She accepted the marker with a small bow, then turned to the board, forcing herself to focus.
Non-magical classes might not top a magic wielder’s priorities, but they still mattered. Anon treated them all seriously. She remembered Taki’s shocked expression last year when she learned Anon ranked among the top twenty of their grade.
Meanwhile, Soyo hadn’t seemed surprised at all. She only said with a faint smile, “You really are a hard worker, Anon-chan…”
Anon’s hand paused mid-solution as another memory flickered. Soyo’s greyish-blue eyes were sparkling over the flowers she’d given her the other day. Heat rose to her cheeks. She gave a tiny shake of her head and went back to writing.
A few minutes later, she circled her final answer. “I’m done, sir,” she said, stepping aside.
The professor scanned the board, then clasped his hands with a proud smile. “Correct!” he announced, and even applauded.
The room erupted. Anon caught Tomori blinking awake, rubbing her eyes. She grinned at her and flashed a quick victory sign.
Whispers floated around. “As expected of Anon-chan!” or, “She’s so cool!” and… was that really, “I think I may have a crush on her!”?
Okay, let’s pretend we didn’t hear that last one…. she thought, scratching her head.
“Finally, someone got it,” the professor said when the noise died. “I’m giving Chihaya-san a plus five points in the finals. You may sit down now.”
“Thank you, sir.”
She slipped back to her seat. The professor scolded the class for their lack of focus and left them an assignment of problems to finish at their dorms.
Tomori rubbed at her eyes again, stacking her books with a sleepy clatter. Anon smiled, sliding her own notebooks into her bag. She must’ve stayed up writing or studying runes again.
Two classmates passed their row. “We’ll go ahead to Charms!” one called, flashing a peace sign.
“Okay!” Anon answered, lifting her hand in a half-wave. Another girl murmured, “T-Thanks for saving us again,” before darting out.
Anon caught the pink flush on the girl’s ears. That’s the one who said she might have a crush on me. That must have been a joke… ha ha…
“Tomorin, are you fully awake now?” she asked as Tomori blinked at her, still gathering her pens.
Tomori nodded, zipping her bag. “I was only half-asleep. But I’m okay now.”
“Let’s go then!”
Anon stood, sliding her chair back under the desk with a soft scrape. Tomori mirrored her, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Around them, chairs screeched, footsteps and chatter spilled into the hallway, and the quiet math classroom dissolved into movement.
The two of them stepped into the corridor, the cool air a contrast to the stuffy classroom. As they descended the stairwell to the first floor, the echo of shoes and overlapping conversations followed them down.
Waiting outside the building were Soyo and Mutsumi, leaning against the railing as though they’d been waiting for a while. Their Charms class would be a joint class with theirs after all.
Anon tightened her grip on the strap of her bag, a grin blooming before she could stop it. “Soyorin! Mutsumi-chan!” she waved. “You waited for us~”
Soyo’s arms were crossed, a frown on her face, until she heard Anon. She blinked, almost startled.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other in ages. They’d trained together every afternoon for days now, the evaluation drawing close each day.
And Soyo had joined her morning routine two days in a row now.
Still… why did Anon feel lightness in her chest just seeing Soyo? It wasn’t new, but it had grown sharper since she confessed.
Anon tried to keep her smile small. But it tugged wider anyway.
“H-Hurry up,” was all Soyo said, turning away. But Anon caught the faint curl at the edge of Soyo’s lips.
Tomori greeted them softly. Mutsumi only nodded, glancing once at Tomori and then back at Anon.
“Let’s go!” Anon cheered as they crossed to the next building.
The air shifted the moment they stepped inside the Charms classroom. It was thicker and humming faintly. The barriers were already active.
In each corner stood a small artifact, runes pulsing like a heartbeat. The usual setup: One to keep magic locked inside. One is to seal off sound. One to mend whatever they broke. Safety measure, sure… but also a quiet reminder of just how powerful their lessons could get.
They took seats in the second-to-last row. Mutsumi on the aisle, Tomori next, then Soyo, and Anon by the window. The room buzzed with chatter, so unlike the hush of math class earlier.
“… think we’d learn some exploding charms today?” someone whispered nearby.
Anon’s ears twitched. Even with barriers, explosions inside a classroom? She felt a bead of sweat slide down her temple.
Her friends sat quietly beside her. They’d only had a brief exchange, Mutsumi asking about Tomori’s slightly ruffled hair, Soyo reaching over to smooth it down with a quick flick of her finger. Anon found herself just watching, warmth pooling under her ribs.
Then Soyo’s hand paused for a beat, and she flicked across the room, quick, almost imperceptible, but the faint downturn of her lips caught Anon’s eye.
Was that… a glare? It was so tiny she almost laughed at herself for noticing. Maybe Soyo just didn’t like whoever she’d spotted.
Anon shifted her seat, still tempted to look, when the door opened and Miss Aoyama swept in, robes trailing like smoke.
Their Charms professor replaced Miss Kawashima in handling the party exam. She was also assigned to handle second- and third-year classes. She began her lecture after a short exchange with the students.
The professor drew a diagram on the board and launched into an explanation of mana flow and image formation. Today’s lesson: an escape charm to counter the elemental binding charm from their previous session.
“Nagasaki-san, can you come to the front, please?” Miss Aoyama called.
Of course~ Anon proudly thought, automatically rising from her seat to let Soyo pass.
The brown-haired girl mouthed her thanks and stepped out of the chair bench, then forward. Watching her go sent a little thrill down Anon’s spine.
Mana flickered at Soyo’s fingers, brown light, earthy and steady. Vines sprang from nowhere and bound the professor’s arms and waist. Miss Aoyama gave a theatrical struggle.
“Very good, Nagasaki-san.”
“Thank you, Miss.” Soyo bowed lightly.
Anon propped her chin on her hand. She should be studying the countercharm diagram on the board, but Soyo at the front was a magnetic distraction. No trace of that earlier sharpness, just the polite Soyo-san known to everyone else.
Then Soyo’s eyes flicked to her. Their gazes met.
O-Oh, she’s staring back! W-Why?
Heat crept up Anon’s neck. Soyo’s cheeks colored faintly before she turned back to the professor.
Why is she being so cute lately?! No, she’s always been cute. But recently—
A smell of charred wood interrupted the thought. The vines collapsed into ashes around Miss Aoyama as she demonstrated the countercharm. Anon groaned inwardly. She’d missed the mana flow.
“So,” the professor concluded, “this charm is simple. Know which element to use against the binding, or apply a little science.”
With Miss Aoyama’s instructions, pairs began forming as desks scraped aside. Some students praised Soyo’s execution, while others quizzed each other on the escape charm.
Anon’s gaze found Soyo, still making her way back. Meanwhile, Tomori and Mutsumi had already paired up.
“A-Anon-chan,” Tomori called. “You’ll pair with Soyo-chan, right?”
“Y-Yes, of course…” Anon laughed weakly.
“Good luck, Anon-chan. We will start practicing on that side,” Tomori said, pointing to the far corner.
“Make sure to get Soyo,” Mutsumi added flatly, as she followed Tomori.
C-Can I consider that as an approval from Mutsumi-chan…? Anon touched her cheeks, feeling the heat.
She knew, even without explicitly telling Tomori about her feelings for Soyo, that she was supporting her. Mutsumi, however, couldn’t possibly have seen enough to know about it, and yet somehow, she received her support. If she could consider that.
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised if even Uika-chan or Nyamuchi knows too…
A tap on her shoulder pulled her back. The shy girl she’d overheard whispering about her earlier stood there, fingers twisting.
“U-Umm, Anon-san… could we…”
Oh… Is this…
“Uhh… I mean…”
The girl continued to try, but then Anon felt a prickling sensation climb her neck, like static before a storm.
“Anon-chan~,” came the voice, sweet but too sweet.
She turned. Soyo was walking towards them, with a smile Anon knew too well. Mana tingled in the air.
Soyo slipped her hand around Anon’s arm. The shy girl went rigid under her gaze.
“Are you not done here yet?” Soyo asked mildly, eyes flicking to the girl
“I-I’m sorry to bother you!” the girl squeaked, bowing before bolting.
The same sharp look from earlier lingered in Soyo’s eyes.
Anon blinked. Could it be… No way... Right?
When she looked back, Soyo’s greyish-blue eyes were already on her, sharp look replaced with soft ones, and cheeks dusted pink.
“A-Anon-chan…” Soyo whispered, letting go. “Sorry about that.” She averted her gaze.
Sorry about what? Anon blinked, taking a moment to process the situation. Was she really…
“Soyorin…” Anon trailed off, wondering if she should really try to say it. But mischief and curiosity got the better of her, lips curling into a wide grin.
“Just now… Was that, tender loving jealous Soyorin?”
Soyo froze. Color rushed up her face.
In a swift flick of her wand, a whirlwind wrapped around Anon’s body, pinning her arms.
“S-Soyorin,” Anon sputtered through the roaring in her ears. “Isn’t this a bit rough?”
“Deal with it, Ms. Honor Student.”
Uwaa… She must have heard something from them…
Anon shut her eyes, drew a breath. Fundamentals, focus.
The escape charm’s diagram flared in her mind. She channeled wind in the opposite direction, peeling Soyo’s gusts away until the pressure dissolved.
Freedom rushed back. She pushed her hair from her face and smirked. “Rough Soyorin~”
“It sounds like you’re asking for a fire bind next,” Soyo warned, blush betraying her sharp tone.
“N-No, thank you! Please spare me!” Anon waved frantically.
“Hmph. As if you couldn’t deflect it before it even touched your skin.”
“Even so!!”
“You did well,” Soyo said, arms crossed, but a small smile tugged at her mouth. “Despite not paying attention earlier.”
“I did? Really?” Anon leaned in, hands on her cheeks, swaying.
“Yes, yes…” Soyo’s voice went flat, but the pink on her cheeks deepened. “It’s pretty similar to the Infera charm I used last time against Taki-chan.”
“In fundamentals, I suppose,” Anon nods as she recalls the mana flow and the diagram. “But this one specifically breaks down the binding charms when the right element is used while also protecting the caster from its effect.”
“No wonder you can afford to not listen carefully in the lecture…” Soyo said with flat annoyance.
“Eh~ are you trying to compliment me right now, Soyorin~”
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself.” Soyo turned away, getting into position. “Now proceed. It’s your turn, Anon-chan.”
“Ehehe~”
Anon stepped back again and raised her hand with the enchanted cuff she uses as her wand.
She wouldn’t say she had mastered the binding charm they learned from the previous lecture already. Not to mention, they were only allowed to demo what they learned on an object instead of a person, so it was her first time using it on an actual person…
Casting her worries aside, she followed the diagram in her head, shaping the mana flow Soyo had shown. Vines curled around Soyo’s body in a loose embrace.
Soyo glanced down at them, unreadable.
“I did my best,” Anon whispered.
She couldn’t risk stopping the mana release too late and binding Soyo too tightly.
Sighing, a smile tugged at Soyo’s lips, quickly freeing herself with a fire charm. “Seriously, Anon-chan… you’re too soft on me.”
Then, in a perfect imitation of Anon’s earlier teasing tone, Soyo tilted her head and cooed, “Was that… tender loving Anon-chan~?”
It was like an arrow shot straight through her chest. Anon clutched her heart, then hid behind her hands, eyes darting away.
T-That wasn’t fair!!! That was Soyo the Dangerous!
“Anon-chan~ answer me…” Soyo swayed left to right, trying to catch her eyes.
“Unfair. Unfair Soyorin…” Anon mumbled from behind her hands.
She melted on the spot, helpless against Soyo’s natural effect on her. As if that wasn’t enough, Soyo giggled, light and sweet, sending giddy sparks bursting inside her.
“Enough flirting, you two,” came Mutsumi’s dry voice.
“Flirt—ow—” Soyo yelped.
“Waah, Soyo-chan, are you alright?” Tomori asked.
“I-I’m fine,” Soyo reassured, covering her mouth. “I just bit my tongue.”
“I’m sorry,” Mutsumi said flatly. “It’s just that Miss Aoyama started checking each pair.”
“T-That right,” Tomori added. “She was already coming our way.”
Anon and Soyo followed the direction Tomori pointed at and saw the professor seemingly giving pointers to their classmates she had just checked.
The two apologized, still with traces of red on their cheeks. Anon almost forgot that they were still in the middle of their class. Soyo had really taken her by surprise.
Was she flirting back? Or just teasing me? The thought hummed at the back of Anon’s mind as Miss Aoyama reached them.
The professor asked Anon to bind first. Even then, she couldn’t bring herself to do it tightly. Soyo, in turn, softened her own wind-binding charm. Miss Aoyama still nodded approval and complimented their quick escapes.
When their turn ended, they cheered quietly for Tomori and Mutsumi. Anon didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the class.
Anon’s heart was still racing, her mind looping back to that single dangerous exchange. Was Soyo teasing, or was it something more?
***
Surprise flickered first through Anon when Raana lunged at her with nothing but a dagger and a new glove-like artifact strapped to her other hand.
The younger girl moved fast; Anon matched her blow for blow with her wooden sword, eyes narrowing. Raana knew she couldn’t reach her easily with a dagger. She was wearing Anon down. But that wasn’t all.
Anon stayed cautious, watching for the artifact to activate. It looked eerily like the Threadcaster.
Could it be an upgraded version?
Only a day remained until their first practical exam. The party had fallen into their usual afternoon routine: sparring.
Anon and Raana fought under Taki’s watchful eye while, a little farther off, Tomori and Soyo traded charms. She only heard that Taki wanted to test something, which Anon could only assume would be the artifact Raana was wearing.
The sun was already sliding behind the trees. Shadows stretched across the grounds, making Raana’s movements lighter, quicker, and harder for Anon to track.
Raana’s fighting style was like that of an assassin: sneaky, agile, and methodical. Her grasp of artifacts let her push those skills to their limit, something Anon had learned to respect during missions.
At this pace, Anon’s endurance would go first. She forced more power into her next strike and sent Raana skidding back, finally earning a breath.
“Raana… now!” Taki shouted.
Mana flared at the edge of Anon’s senses. Threads shot from Raana’s caster, glinting with runes. Anon reinforced her wooden sword just in time to slice through the first barrage.
But the next volley caught her off guard. The blade sank into a glue-like substance, strands wrapping up the hilt. She had to drop it before it glued to her palm.
A third wave unfurled. They were no longer simple threads but a net of the same sticky stuff.
“Waah!” Anon yelped as it swallowed her. Heavy, clinging, the net drove her to the ground and pinned her flat.
“Good job, stray cat,” Taki called with a smirk.
“Hehe~ finally caught Anon,” Raana chimed, smug in the same tone.
Off to the side, Tomori’s expression tilted toward worry. Soyo, though, looked almost expectant.
This is just practice. Does she not want to see me lose?
Even with her contact lenses, Anon couldn’t be sure, but she thought she caught Soyo raising a brow as if answering her thought.
“Anon, how’s the upgraded Threadcaster? We have studied slimes and advanced charms for this.” Taki asked, still smirking.
Groaning, Anon twisted against the net, the sticky strands clinging cold and heavy against her arms.
“I have to admit that was good, Rikki. No wonder you skipped the morning jog for days. And it suits Raana-chan perfectly.”
“She owes me two matcha parfaits for capturing you,” Raana said proudly.
“But I’m not done yet.” Anon grinned, heat creeping into her palms.
She drew mana into her limbs, channeling it into her hands. A narrow burst of flame ignited… precise, licking only at the goo-laced threads while shielding herself from the heat. The strands hissed and bubbled, their binding gel liquefying under the surge of energy, until they crumbled into faint smudges of ash on her combat attire.
Raana clapped, eyes bright. “Ooh, fun. You were cool, Anon.”
Taki clicked her tongue. “The escape charm… right. Of course.”
“Piece of cake~ Good thing goo weakens under heat,” Anon said, chin up, then exhaled softly. “Just kidding. For a second…” I almost gave up. But my co-member at No-Quitting Alliance is watching. Hehe~
“What?” Taki prompted.
“Ah— well. That was nerve-wracking. You really got me.” She laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.
“And you really know your stuff. Impressive,” Taki admitted, quieter now.
Out of the corner of her eye, Anon caught Soyo’s faint smile as she and Tomori resumed sparring.
“That’s three matcha parfaits now, Rikki. I’ll be waiting,” Raana said with a grin.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to buy them.” Taki held out her hand. “Lend me your teleportation artifact. Faster that way.”
Raana passed over a silver hand chain with a blue crystal at its center. Anon remembered that it was the same crystal Raana once used to teleport straight into the third year’s building during the beast incident.
“And tonight,” Taki added, “we tweak the Threadcaster again.” Then a gust of wind spiraled around her, and she vanished.
Anon retrieved her sword. She burned away the last of the sticky threads with precise bursts of general flame while shielding the wood itself from heat.
Raana, Tomori, and Taki excelled with artifacts. The only artifacts Anon used are the storage artifact and her enchanted cuff. Soyo too with the storage artifact, though the necklace she wore had runes etched so fine she’d only noticed them once, while tending to an intoxicated Soyo in the lab. She never once saw her use it.
Her gaze fell on Soyo… Even hidden beneath her combat attire, the outline of the chain shifted faintly when Soyo moved. The glimpse was enough to tug a memory loose.
“Don’t ever go.”
Soyo’s tear-streaked face was still vivid in her mind, slicing through her again. She hadn’t brought it up since. Neither had Soyo. But since that night, Soyo had been… softer? Teasing her more? Sweeter?
Still, she wondered if Soyo remembers anything from that moment.
“Soyo would melt if you keep staring at her like that,” Raana said suddenly.
Anon choked on her drink. “I-I wasn’t staring!”
Raana tilted her head, the gesture wordless but teasing.
From the bench, they watched Soyo and Tomori spar. Soyo’s naginata carved arcs against Tomori’s iron warrior, runes sparking on impact.
They were resting on the bench near Soyo and Tomori’s sparring space. The two had changed from charm
“Thinking about your confession? Had Soyo given you an answer?”
“Ugh…” Anon groaned into her palms. “Why of all days were you loitering outside the dorm that day?”
“I was following a cat.”
“Yeah…. You already told me that…”
“Ah, you’re red again,” Raana commented, peeking at her face.
“Please don’t say that. It’s embarrassing.”
“Is it?”
“It is!”
The rhythm of steel against steel filled the air. Soyo and Tomori lost in their duel. For a beat, only that sound carried between them… until Raana’s voice slipped in, quiet but certain.
“Hmm… But Anon, why did you lie to Soyo?”
“Ha? What do you mean, I lied? Everything I said was true. I worked up my courage, you know!”
Raana shook her head, a small smirk creeping up. “You lied. You said you kinda like her. But you like her a whole loooot more than that.”
Anon’s hands flew up to cover Raana’s mouth. “Shh! How do you even—am I that obvious?!”
Raana patted her hand frantically for air.
“I-I’m sorry, Raana-chan!” Anon yanked her hand back.
“Anon. Scary,” Raana breathed.
“Eeeh?! I’m not! Just don’t sprint that on me. My heart’s not ready.” And indeed, it wasn’t… It was pounding so hard it hurt.
“I don’t know about that,” Raana said mildly, a small shrug lifting her shoulders. “I just know that it seems like a good thing.”
A smile flickered across Raana’s face before she turned back at Soyo and Tomori. Everyone in their party knew Raana saw the world differently. Her mismatched eyes didn’t just mark her appearance. They held a depth, as if each color caught a truth the other missed. Anon had always admired that quiet perceptiveness and the confidence that came with it.
Anon detected a swirl of mana opening above them. Wind slammed down, with Taki appearing the next second.
“Rikki,” Raana said, amused.
Anon reacted on instinct, shielding Taki and the parfaits, then levitating both just in time before impact.
“Nice save, Anon!” Raana plucked a parfait, licking her spoon before flashing Taki a smug look. “Thanks for the treat, Rikki.”
“You okay there?” Anon asked, hand stretched out.
“Yeah, thanks,” Taki muttered, taking her hand while looking at Raana. “Ugh. That stray cat…”
Taki dusted herself off, then switched her gaze to Anon. “You may be easily distracted, but your mana detection is still sharp as ever.”
“Was that first part necessary?” Anon shot back, crossing her arms.
Taki’s smirk returned. “Umiri told me you cut yourself the other day… when she asked about Soyo.”
Anon froze. “Yahata-san…”
“I don’t know what’s going on between you and Soyo,” Taki said, turning away with two parfaits in hand. “But better not to overthink. Exams first.”
Anon hummed and nodded, watching her go. Her mind drifted. Was she really worried about me?
Focus. She needed focus. The re-evaluation exam loomed ahead. She couldn’t afford distractions.
Then why…
A sudden rush of air…
The scent of seawater bled through the forest.
The trees swayed, the mountains shifted. The world spun around her like a tide. Anon blinked, dizzy. Instinct roared louder than thought. She raised a shield charm, forcing her breath to steady.
Something thin and false was seeping into the air.
When the mana flow snapped, she moved. Steel clashed. A strike from above.
Brown hair. A perfect stance and eyes emptied of warmth.
Soyorin?
Another blow came, faster… deliberate. The forest blurred into cold nothingness. Echoes stretched, the hum of magic deepened.
Why her?
Why am I fighting Soyorin in this exam?!!!