Archive of Our Own

A calm sensation touched her skin. It was like being in the middle of the sea, with a cool breeze passing by.

Anon felt at ease, as if she were about to sleep without the sleepiness. With her eyes closed, the sensation was stronger.

“Now, how does it make you feel?” Chisato’s gentle voice came, close yet seemed far out of the sensation.

“It’s like being on top of the waters. It’s… peaceful.”

“Hmm… Good. Remember that feeling.”

Since their party had resumed their practice sessions, Anon also started studying the charms in the grimoire her senior had given her.  After reviewing the chapter, Chisato specified, Anon approached her for further guidance.

The only chance they got was after dinner, and Anon was thankful that Chisato could give her some time for this. They’ve been holding their study session in Chisato’s room for three nights already.  

“Now, open your eyes.”

Anon lifted her eyelids, and the light slowly blinded her vision until her eyes adjusted to it. She blinked twice, feeling foreign to her surroundings. She could still hear the murmuring waves and their silky gentleness beneath her feet.

“Do you still feel it?”

Her mind had just registered again that her blonde senior was right in front of her. Chisato’s voice didn’t sound too far this time, but the strangeness of the sensation conflicted with what she could see.

“Y-Yes. It’s slightly disorienting.”

“Try to lower your mana output. It’s powerful, but like most defensive charms, you can minimize your output and only focus the shield on a certain area.” Chisato raised both of her hands in the air as if visualizing the mana compression.

Anon nodded, drawing a breath and focusing her mind on her mana control. She regulated her release and focused her shield around her head. The sensation lessened, making her surroundings and Chisato more present in her perception.

The calm sea was still there, but it grew faint like a lingering memory playing in her mind rather than a place her body was feeling.

“Well then...” Chisato straightened her back and clasped her hands together. Her violet eyes locked into Anon’s grey ones as she continued, “Could you tell how it is going between you and Soyo-chan?”

Anon detected a flow of mana from her senior, which slightly sent a tremor on the quiet waves.

“H-HA?!”

“Oops,” Chisato smiled. “Right there.”

“Ah!”

Her mana flickered, and for a second, the sensation wavered. It came back as soon as Anon realized.

“Chisato-san!” Anon pumped both of her fists in the air in mock annoyance.

Her senior chuckled, covering her mouth. “Sorry, Anon-chan.” Chisato exhaled, composing herself. “I suppose you noticed, I just used a charm right there?”

“Oh. It really was a charm?”

“Yes. A basic mind control charm, and how you reacted means you successfully deflected it.”

“Really?” Anon lit up.

“However, at the mention of Soyo-chan, your shield wavered. If I were an extremely quick caster, I could’ve used that crack to invade your mind.”

“Uhh. But that’s unfair, Chisato-san,” Anon whined, heat creeping up on her cheeks. The sensation was completely gone as she stopped releasing mana, relaxing herself.

“That’s the point. Mind control magic itself is unfair. Not everyone is allowed to learn it.”

“Then—”

“One can obtain a license to learn it, but I’ll spare you the details. Due to some circumstances, I got licensed and was allowed to learn a few of them.”

“I see,” Anon hummed, intrigued with the additional knowledge.

As mentioned by Chisato, mind control magic is not open for everyone to learn. The academy doesn’t teach it. Anon couldn’t remember any mention of it in their classes or in the textbooks they were provided with.

Anon noticed the shelves full of books behind Chisato. With her mana detection active earlier, some books had mana flow covering it, likely a protective enchantment. It won’t be a surprise if her senior had more grimoires hidden within her shelves, like the one given to her.

“So, that’s what you’ll have to work on, controlling your emotions. If you could stay unaffected while casting your shield charm, it won’t falter.”

Chisato leaned back, releasing the air caught in her lungs, then smiled. “But I could say, you already did a good job today. It was more stable than yesterday. You can already protect your party against dungeon illusions.”

Hearing that from the senior, she respected, made her swell with pride, or at least it should have. But Anon couldn’t stop this nagging feeling inside of her. Chisato had helped her even the previous year with defensive charms. She’d always given her advice when Anon sought it.

But what were the chances that Chisato would hand her a grimoire for anti-mind manipulation magic right when she had just learned the nature of Soyo’s gift?

Should I ask?

“Anon-chan?”

Her blonde senior waved a hand in front of her. Anon blinked, realizing she had been staring blankly.

“O-Oh, sorry, Chisato-san. Thank you for teaching me again!” she said with a forced smile.

For a while, only the low hum of the air conditioner filled the room. Chisato’s purple eyes were on her, as if contemplating something, until she finally spoke.

“Anon-chan,” Chisato said softly. “I knew about Soyo-chan.”

Silence kicked in again. Chisato leaned towards her and added, “About her gift.” 

Anon’s eyes widened. Even if she was already trying to connect the dots, getting her confirmation still was a surprise.

“She told me that you already know.”

Anon’s lips tightened as her mind began to connect more dots into what she just heard.  

“The headmistress asked me to monitor her during her exam. That was how I knew. The headmistress also permitted me to teach about defensive charms against mind control magic.”

“W-Wait.” Anon held a hand up, collecting her thoughts.  

Her senior, thankfully, waited for her.

Anon looked back on the recent events. Soyo told her about silver tongue, a gift for controlling others. Right now, she was getting guidance from Chisato about defensive charms against mind manipulations.

Could it be… they thought I might be in danger around Soyorin?

She gripped the edge of her seat at that thought.

They don’t even know Soyorin well. How could they…

Anon took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She wanted to understand what was going on first. She didn’t want to act on her impulse and emotion. Instead, she would just get to it straight.

“Chisato-san,” she began. “Did you think Soyorin would try to control me? Is that why you gave the grimoire and taught me this?”

Her senior, in turn, never gazed away from her. Then she finally said, “Yes, and no.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes, I gave you the grimoire to defend against it. And no, not because Soyo-chan might try to control you, but she might unintentionally do.”

Chisato stared at her, as if reading her reaction. Anon looked down at her lap, feeling the temperature around her rise.

Unintentionally?

She could see their point. But the thought of them putting Soyo in such a position didn’t sit right with her. The way they treated Soyo just made it seem more like Soyo’s gift was a curse, like how Soyo herself sees it.

A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back. Chisato peered at her face, eyebrows raised.

“Everyone is susceptible to emotional outbursts. Even you, right now.”

She lifted her gaze at the mention of her current state. A finger poked her cheek as she did. The suddenness of it seemed to have released a breath in her, and cooled down the rising air around her. She blinked twice.

“See? If I weren’t your senior, or if I said one wrong thing, you could’ve lost it, didn’t you?”

Chisato wore a gentle smile as she retracted her hand.

Still in awe, Anon just nodded.

“Anon-chan, we know Soyo-chan won’t hurt you. You’re the last person she would hurt here, or maybe at all. And you, learning to counter her gift, doesn’t only mean you are protecting yourself against her. You’re also protecting her against herself.”

“Protecting her against herself…” Anon echoed, eyes fell on her clasped hands.

She let Chisato’s words resonate with her. Anon could not detect any malice from her senior. There was only sincerity in her purple eyes, one that showed deep care, like how she always looked at Aya, and even Kanon.

“Well,” Chisato spoke, breaking the silence. “It’s a sensitive matter, I know. And I understand if you feel betrayed. So, you should think about it for now. Let me know later if you’d like to continue.”

***

Anon left with many thoughts in her mind, even until she fell asleep. Her senior was right. She needed time to process things. It hadn’t been that long since she had her talk with Soyo. And now this...

Chisato meant well. Most of the charms they’d tackled together so far were charms she would eventually learn in their fourth year. Their foundational use was to defend against illusions and hypnotic artifacts.

“You’re also protecting her against herself.”

The next morning, her mind was still caught between Chisato’s words and Soyo’s face.

Soyorin…

She took her phone and went straight for the messaging app.

“Good morning, Soyorin~ See you later this afternoon!” Then clicked send.

To her surprise, she got a message less than five seconds later. Anon tilted her head as she tapped on the message notification.

“Morning, Anon-chan. Take care on your jog. See you later.”

Her mind perked up, realizing they sent each other messages almost at the same time.

Could it be… she also thought of me first thing in the morning?

She shook her head and touched her cheeks, shaking the thought away. As if the coincidence of them sending messages to each other wasn’t enough to make her giddy. Dwelling on that next thought…

In the next moments, Anon rolled around her bed, squealing with her face buried in her pillow. She couldn’t say for sure that Soyo thought of her first thing in the morning. However, just their exchange alone made her happy enough that her morning jog was more like a sprint.

By the time she attended her first class, the beast class, Anon’s morning giddiness had mellowed into a quiet calm. Their actual lecture ended thirty minutes earlier than scheduled. So, their professor permitted them to check the other beasts.

Anon and Tomori had drifted away from their classmates. And while Tomori adored the Igualo, a lizard kind of beast with wings, Anon noticed the Scad beside it. The two beasts shared the same type of cage. It was enchanted with a water charm to keep them properly contained inside. Their cages were right next to each other.

Anon rubbed her hand on the Scad’s head, soothing herself in its clingy behavior. It was the exact cat-like beast that caused the incident a few months ago. The caretakers had been more careful since, ensuring every staff member was knowledgeable enough to handle the beasts and checking every beast’s needs.

It purred against her hand, eyes closed, enjoying her touch completely.

“You’re basically just a cat with magic when you behave like that.”

Seeing it would always remind her of that day.

Would I have confessed to Soyorin if that didn’t happen?

The answer to her question came as soon as the thought crossed her mind. The better question to ask was when she would have confessed if that hadn’t happened.

Maybe on her birthday. Hmm…

Heck, it might have even been on a random Tuesday night. Anon could be impulsive once she made up her mind. And before the incident, she was already considering it.

“Ah~haha, that tickles,” she giggled as the rough but slimy tongue of Scad licked her hand.

“Ano-chan… she really likes you, doesn’t she?”

Tomori crouched beside her, eyes on the beast still licking her hand.

“You think so? Isn’t she like that with everyone who pets her?”

Tomori shook her head. “She doesn’t let everyone pet her. When I tried it before, she transformed into sand before my hand even touched her skin.”

As if to demonstrate, Tomori reached in between the bars. Anon felt the Scad back away. It relaxed again when the short-haired retracted her hand.

Tomori frowned, but didn’t seem too disappointed. “See… She had always been like that to me, or Taki-chan.”

“Wow, you’re right…” Anon trailed off, thinking. “That’s strange. Maybe it was just apologetic to me?”

“Probably.”

“Oh?” Anon tilted her head, glancing at Tomori.

“Yes,” Tomori confirmed. “Scad is one of those magical beasts that is intelligent. Plus, they are affectionate but picky. So, it’s really amazing that she likes you.”

“Eh, really?” Anon mused, glancing back at the furry beast nuzzling its head against her fingers. How cute.

“I think she’s trying to tell you something.”

“Hmm~ maybe something like my hand is warm, and cuddly?”

“That seems right,” Tomori giggled.

“Probably only Raana-chan could tell. I bet she already talked with every beast we have here.”

Both nodded in quiet agreement. If only they had their junior with them, Raana could easily tell them what the beasts were thinking. They don’t know the full details yet, but Raana’s gift was her ability to speak with the magical beasts.

Shortly after, their professor called them back, marking the end of their class.

***

A slow rhythmic thud escaped from every step she took. Without using any charms, Anon carried stacks of books, taking her time to return them to the library. While she had no complaints about being asked by her history professor to do this, she blamed herself for being absent-minded.

Anon was way too deep in her thoughts during their class that she didn’t notice the professor was already standing in front of her.

“Is that okay, Chihaya-san?” were the only words her mind registered.

Instinctively, she just answered, “Ah, yes, sure!” Eh? It was too late when she realized it was her professor who said that. 

“Good then. Stay for a while after class.”

Ehh? What was it? She glanced at Tomori, who only smiled awkwardly at her.

She sighed in exasperation. She was late for their practice session because of this. And yet, she didn’t feel like hurrying her steps. The books were heavy, and rather than using a levitation wind charm to lighten the load, she treated the task as a physical activity too, a part of her training.

Or maybe… she just wanted to bask herself a little longer in the peace of the campus.

The students' chatter felt like a distant blur to her. Only her steps and the stacks of books covering half of her face filled her senses.

The library was already in her sight, just a few meters away, when she thought maybe she could do something worthwhile. She adjusted her grip on the books, their weight digging into her arms.

Inhale… She closed her eyes. Exhale…

As the air left her lungs, she opened her eyes and activated her mana detection. Her senses sharpened, and the world around her felt a bit noisier than before. She could sense distant mana flows from different sources. They weren't overwhelming as long as they didn’t come too close to her all at once.

She had already mastered managing her wide-scale detection. The noise used to feel like being in the middle of a stampede. But now, she had learned not to be on that stampede, but instead on top of it and have a clearer view of what was actually coming at her.

What she wanted to master next was what she had done last time during their practice session: hyper-focused mana perception.

Anon let her eyes wander around, looking for a target she could focus on. She could only sense one weak fluttering mana flow as she got closer to the library entrance. She shrugged it off for the time being to finish her task first.

She’d only realized her arms were already aching as she placed the books in the reception. Anon waited for the librarian to validate the return form from her professor before her mind idly drifted. The hum of mana around her was steady, almost like background noise, until suddenly, something tore through it.

While she was waiting for the librarian to validate the return form her professor provided, she felt chills down her spine from a sudden spike of intense mana flow outside the library.

The intensity of the mana flow did not feel human to her. If she had to put a finger to it, it felt similar to that of a huge magical beast. One she would encounter in a dungeon.

Is there a beast on the loose inside the campus again?

She bit her lip, growing anxious. Her fingers tightened on her crossed arms, barely holding back from tapping her skin. She didn’t want to seem like she was rushing the librarian, but at the same time, she wanted to check outside as soon as possible.

After a few more minutes, the librarian finally said, “This is good now. Thank you. You may go.”

Anon’s face lit up, and she quickly bowed, barely running off. She used her senses to single out her detection towards the source. But as she was doing so, the mana flow suddenly vanished. She stopped in her tracks, confused.

Can it really vanish just like that?

Her experiences with beasts before were the gradual disappearance of the mana flow. She could compare it to turning the boiler down slowly. But what she felt just now was as if a fire extinguisher, or water, had been used to put out the fire.

She brought back her wide-scale mana detection, trying to find the source again. Instead, she felt the fluttering mana source similar to the one she detected earlier, and another flow nearby. Anon followed the two flows and found them at the back of the library building.

“Ah,” said the purple-haired girl as Anon found them. 

Two familiar figures stood before her—well, one barely stood, Umiri. She was panting, her face feverish, and leaning into Nyamu. And Nyamu looked at her with shock, then quickly switched to her neutral tone.

“Good timing. Help me carry her, Anon.”

“O-Oh, yes of course.”

She sprang into action before asking what was going on. Nyamu took one arm on her shoulder, and Anon took the other.

“Were you two attacked by something? I felt a surge of mana earlier.” Anon finally got to ask as they made their way to the infirmary.

Anon didn’t hide the fact about her gift; besides, Nyamu and Umiri knew about it since they sometimes helped them in their practice, and vice versa.

“…No.” Nyamu averted her gaze, almost hesitant to answer. “Just this idiot had drunk something weird that her mana surged up all of a sudden.”

She didn’t want to press further, but Nyamu’s hesitation made her chest tighten.  

“Seriously… she even needs protection against herself, and yet, so careless,” the purple-haired mumbled to herself, annoyed in tone, but worry on her face.

Needs protection against herself…

Anon blinked, her steps faltering. The words lingered.

Anon also knew about Nyamu’s gift. It was nullification. She must’ve been the one who stopped the mana surge. She didn’t know the details, the rules, and conditions of Nyamu’s usage of her gift, but she could see that nullifying it had taken a toll on her as well. Normally, Nyamu should also be able to carry Umiri by herself and would not need her help.

Her jaw tightened as realization hit her. She may have finally understood what her senior was telling her. In her resolve, she just took Umiri from Nyamu, much to the girl’s surprise, and carried Umiri on her back.

“I can carry her. But you should still come to the infirmary, Nyamuchi.”

Nyamu only nodded, despite the frustration on her face. The girl probably didn’t like facing her limitations, but Anon knew letting Nyamu force herself wouldn’t help anyone.

Needless to say, Anon left the two at the infirmary with Nurse Mariam’s lecture waiting for them. Anon also had a lecture waiting for her, a lecture from Taki that is.

***

Peace had settled inside her recently. Soyo hadn’t felt it in a long time. It wasn’t the kind that came from silence or escape, but from finally being seen, fully, and not having to fight it. Having her secret finally exposed to the person she wanted to share it with the most, and still be accepted by her, could be the best gift she received in a while.

Soyo smiled to herself, not worrying if anyone would see her since her face was covered with a book anyway. She was at the library, reading through the exclusive collection of potion books the academy had.

The silence of the library was second to the peace her lab could bring her. But now, something, rather, someone, had joined the list of things that made her feel calm. Someone who could steady her like the steam of a potion, or the earthy smell of old books in the library, never quite could, and she knew herself plays a big part in that peace, from finally letting herself breathe.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. She turned to the next page, continuing her search, when a familiar voice came.

“Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”

Soyo lifted her gaze following the source of the voice.

“Saki-chan.”

“Soyo, it’s been a while. Do you mind if I join you?” Sakiko smiled, clutching the books she brought with her.

“No, go ahead.” Soyo waved her hand to the seat next to her.

“Thank you.”

Togawa Sakiko was the party leader of her former party. They hadn’t seen each other much at all in a long time. Soyo had no joint class with Sakiko’s, and from what she knew, the girl was usually occupied with her student assistant duties, on top of her new party’s activities, too.

“I see, reading potion books is still your comfort, isn’t it?” Sakiko asked, having just settled her books beside her pile.

“Hmm…” Soyo hummed, returning her gaze to the page. “I guess you're right.” Partly.

Back when they were first years, they would always go to the library together with Mutsumi. More often, Soyo would pick out from the potion books section. She knew Sakiko had noticed, much like how she had noticed that Sakiko would always go for books about ancient texts, and Mutsumi for charms.

But now, it wasn’t just about the potion. Soyo’s main reason for checking potion books this time was not just to look for a new potion published only within the academy, but also to look into the focus potion. It was something she realized could help Anon with her gift, and of course, their party in general. Not that she would admit out loud that Anon was her initial reason.

“What about you, Saki-chan? It’s rare to see you come here anymore.”

Sakiko leaned on the backrest of her seat. “That’s right. I barely had time with all the duties. But for once, I was allowed to have a break because of the upcoming finals.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Soyo nodded. “It’s good that the academy could be considerate like that.”

Sakiko hummed in agreement. But then, she asked, “What about you? I heard from Uika how much your party had improved. It sounds like your party is ready to rank up.”

“She said that?” Soyo mused, raising a brow.

“Yes. She only had praises for your party.”

“Well, I wouldn’t deny that our party had indeed improved, compared to the last time you saw us.”

“Right.”

The last time Sakiko had seen their party in action was their messy first team evaluation exam the previous year. That time when they used the auroral chalice. Soyo knew it left a bitter taste in Sakiko.

She thought for a while, pretending to read a text in her book. Sakiko seemed to be doing the same.

Soyo already felt strange how differently she was reacting to Sakiko now. Someone she once begged on her knees to. Someone who also almost made her want to use her gift to make her stay.

She used to be filled with intense emotion around her. Be it admiration, which then turned to anger and frustration. But now, she was just calm… maybe a little bit awkward after the mention of last year’s event, but nothing intense.

Then, a laugh escaped her, which Soyo herself was surprised by as well. She immediately covered her mouth so as not to bother the other students in the library.

“Soyo?” Sakiko stared at her, hand paused from turning a page.

“Ah, sorry.” Soyo smiled, waving a hand.

Perhaps I’m doing a lot better than last year. Her chest warmed at the thought, playfully brushing her fingers at the edge of her book.

Soyo bloomed with a sense of pride, and that made courage flow through her, making her say the next few words.

“How about you come see us in our upcoming team evaluation?”

“What?”

“You’ll still be free until finals are over, right?”

“Free from my duties, yes. But our party would still go on quests and missions.”

“I see,” she said, but Soyo remained firm, turning to face Sakiko. “Still, I hope you could come watch us. I don’t want you to retain the messy image of our party that you saw last year. I want you to see us as we are now.”

Sakiko’s mouth hung open, speechless for a moment. Then Soyo saw how her golden eyes softened in thought.

“I’m not making any promise, but I’ll see what I can do.”

And that was enough for Soyo. She didn’t feel the need to press further.

“Mm. Okay. That’s fine by me.”

To have a comfortable silence between them like that was something Soyo thought would never come again. But here they were, sharing a close, quiet space in their own internal peace. And in the middle of it, a silly thought crossed her mind.

Would it make Anon-chan jealous to know that I’m here alone with Saki-chan?

Does she even feel something like that?

Soyo finally returned her focus to her book, just before another seed of curiosity sprouted, even though she already had a lot she wanted to look into.

***

Student chatter in the background and utensils clinking against the plates were the only sounds that filled their dinner for once. Soyo also wouldn’t miss the occasional glances from the pink-haired girl across the table as they ate. And she knew exactly why.

It was the first time in what felt like forever—actually, just two weeks since it was only her and Anon eating dinner together. Soyo felt like it was longer than that.

Two days ago, Soyo returned to her normal eating pace and waited for Anon to finish before leaving, rather than going right away. She could tell that not only Anon was surprised but also their seniors.

And now, right after their practice session, she told Anon she didn’t need to invite their seniors. Not to mention, Anon seemed at odds with Chisato as well. She noticed that they recently started going together after dinner. But after a few days, they stopped, and dinner seemed a little quieter than before. She had yet to ask Anon what could have happened.

“Anon-chan… I won’t disappear before your eyes. Now, just focus on eating,” Soyo finally called her out after the thirteenth glance in the last five minutes. Why was I even counting?

Anon’s face reddened. “W-What? No, I’m totally focused on eating,” she said, hands flailing in front of her. “Aaah, I’m so hungry, this might not be enough, mm~ delicious, a ha ha.”

“Pfft…” Soyo covered her mouth in a mock attempt to stop her laughter, but chuckled anyway.

“Soyorin…” Anon momentarily pouted before proceeding to eat again.

She smiled mischievously one more time before turning her attention back to her food.

How ironic, Soyo thought as she was suddenly reminded of one instance from last year when it was Anon who was also pouting at her, but that time, Soyo wasn’t looking at her fondly, but rather, annoyed. The memory was still clear in her mind.

It was during the second day of their academy’s foundation week, last December. Anon had taken her to look for a certain dessert.

“Does it really have to be the lollipop donuts? We’ve been walking around for half an hour already, and still no sign of it. I’m tired.”

“Eeh… Soyorin, are you giving up? They are a cute bunch of little donuts. Also, Aya-san recommended it on her blog. We should definitely get it.”

“That’s so like you, Anon-chan…”

“What do you mean… You said you also wanted to try it.”

“I only said that I wanted something sweet.”  

As they continued looking for it, they ran into another group of seniors they knew, and were in a party together. Anon had asked them about the dessert, and it turned out that it was already sold out. Instead, their senior had suggested trying the flavored cheesecakes.

With Anon unable to choose the flavor she would buy, one of their seniors suggested that they could get different flavors and share them so they could try each other’s cake. Soyo was annoyed by the fact that Anon got her to agree with it, knowing she wouldn’t be able to reject her in front of their seniors.

Anon chose pistachio for herself, and milk tea flavor for Soyo. 

“Anon-chan… what was that earlier?”

“Do you mean about the choosing of flavors earlier? Wasn’t it a good idea? Besides, you cannot refuse in front of our seniors, right? Gotta take advantage of it.”

They had already gone to Soyo’s lab by then, where their party members gathered to rest from the festivities.

“Anon-chan… you seriously have that side to you.”

“Was that really something to be mad about? Also, didn’t you like the milk tea flavor?”

Soyo glared at her and said, “Don’t just decide that yourself. Never do that again. Let’s just eat now.”

The creamy richness mixed with the earthy aroma, and just the right amount of sweetness had surprised her taste buds that she couldn’t help her loud gasp upon tasting it. 

“Mm? The milk tea flavor is good, as I thought, isn’t it? Let me have a bite too!”

It made Soyo even more annoyed, and out of spite, she replied, “No way. Eat your own.”

“Ehhh… But you promised in front of our seniors,” Anon pouted at her, which later turned into pleading eyes.

Soyo gave in shortly after, but was still annoyed. She was actually eyeing the milk tea flavor. And she was annoyed by how Anon probably narrowed her choices based on that, considering Soyo’s preferences.

Even back then, Anon-chan was already annoying. But now…

Soyo shifted her gaze to the pink-haired girl savoring her plate of curry rice.

She was still annoying. Annoyingly adorable.

“Say, Anon-chan…”

“Hmm?” Anon lifted her gaze upon getting called.

“What makes you mad?” Soyo asked, locking her gaze with Anon’s grey eyes even as she took another spoonful of her curry.

Anon blinked once. “W-What do you mean?”

Soyo chewed and swallowed her food first before she spoke. “Hmm~ what makes you madly in love?”

Anon nearly choked, and Soyo was already giggling behind her hand.

“Soyorin?!!!”

“Aaah~ I see that’s what makes you mad.”

“What?!” Anon slammed her hand on the table, eyes widening.

“See, you’re mad.” Soyo raised a brow, smirking at her.

Anon leaned closer and exclaimed, “I’m not!”

“Your voice, you’ve raised it.”

“!!!!”

Soyo laughed even more and didn’t even cover her mouth anymore. She could feel her face warming with tears forming in her eyes from laughing too much.

Anon, on the other hand, looked heated as well, but it doesn’t seem to be from anger. Soyo noted on her pouty expression, but lit-up eyes.

“I was just kidding,” Soyo said, wiping a tear away. “As a token of my apology, you can ask me for anything.”

She continued eating while Anon was left to her thoughts, and was still recovering. A moment later, she finally spoke.

“Then,” Anon began. “Can I visit you at your lab again, even when our party isn’t meeting there or going for lunch?”

Soyo softened her gaze, lips curling upwards. Anon just naturally did it before, but not after the distance she created recently, the girl had to ask her again about it. She still felt a bit guilty about it, but she was more touched by how thoughtful Anon was.

She never said Anon wasn’t allowed. But Anon probably worried about how it would make her feel if she just barged in there.

“Yes,” Soyo nodded. “You may.”

“Really? I won’t bother you when we’re not making potions together,” Anon said, but then paused and fiddled with her fork. “Or maybe I would, no promises, haha,” she laughed, scratching the back of her head. “But I’ll just paint instead, if you’re fine with that.”

“I already said yes. But you, painting there? Sure, why not?”

“Yey! I’ll bring my supplies tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

They settled into a comfortable silence until they finished their food. Somehow, they both ate more slowly than before, and even walked back to their rooms without using the elevator, as if the two wanted to extend their time together as long as possible.

As they bid good night and parted ways, Soyo already missed her. She finally took the elevator up to the fifteenth floor, where her room was, and wished that tomorrow would come as fast as the elevator could take her there.

***

Focus potion. It was one of the commonly used advanced potions, but was also one of those that shouldn’t be abused. Soyo had brewed a batch of it once during her potioneer licensure exam, but she had never tried it herself before.

She did more research about it the other day to find different possible versions of the potion. The one she knew had effects similar to an adrenaline rush. The user would feel more energetic and powerful than usual, along with active physical recovery and hyper-focus on their perceived priorities.

The effect of one vial would last for half a day, which would be followed by the side effects for the next twelve hours. That would be both extreme fatigue and unfiltered behavior, including whatever the user had been suppressing during the effect.  

Soyo laid the ingredients in front of her. They were easy to find in her lab because the ingredients were similar to two of her recently brewed potions: Sunter’s blood from the strengthening potion, and Yamabuki from the mood booster.

But this time, she was also adding Liquorice extract. She found a variant with added mana recovery in it. The side effect, however, might be stronger than the regular focus potion.

It shouldn’t hurt to try, right?

She had the appraisal artifact for evaluating its effect. It was a ministry-approved, good-quality artifact.

While letting the Liquorice extract cool, Soyo began plucking the petals of Yamabuki. She had already used up the ones Anon gave her last time, and she wouldn’t touch the remaining one she had preserved, so she bought a bunch of them online.

“Nai nai vitality~”

Then, I shall crush this with the Sunter’s blood.

“Can’t do anything, it’s a disaster~”

Hmm? Soyo tilted her head as she plucked another petal.

“No guideline, no nothing~ Just a pain in the neck~”

She glanced across the room where the voice was coming from and was just reminded that she wasn’t alone.

Anon had brought her painting tools with her. Soyo had been absorbed with recalling the brewing process that she forgot about her.

“Overreacting~ Fruitless sympathy~ They say procrastinating is for losers, when in fact, they’re the real losers~”

“Pfft,” Soyo chuckled. “What song was that, Anon-chan?”

“Ah—was I being too loud? Sorry, Soyorin,” Anon apologized, hand paused on dipping her brush into the palette.  

“No, it’s fine. It’s cute. It’s just, I don’t think I’ve heard you sing in a while.”

Anon sighed, her brush gliding over the canvas again.

“That’s because the last time we went to the city for karaoke was like… before the start of the school year? That was so long ago!” 

“Just a few months ago, correction.” Soyo went back to plucking the petals.

“Yeah, but as you said, it felt like a long time ago. I haven’t even heard you sing in a while, too. Rikki still goes by herself from time to time, I think.”

“Why does she even go alone?”

“Right? She has a nice singing voice, too. So, it’s probably not because she wanted to hide it. Tomorin and Raana-chan even said—”

“Then, how about we all go again after the practical exam?” Soyo proposed, setting aside the branch she had finished plucking on.

When she glanced at Anon, she saw her face lit up with a wide smile.

“Waaah! That’s a great idea, Soyorin! We should! But at least, after finals.”

“This nerd,” Soyo teased.

Anon pouted. “Says the one who borrowed nearly twenty books researching the focus potion.”

“Research is important, Anon-chan. I tried to look for a variant with fewer side effects.”

“And what did you find?”

Soyo exhaled, shrugging her shoulders. “A more efficient one with little info about the side-effect.”

She took the mortar and pestle and began crushing the petals there with drops of Sunter’s blood. The silver blood was starting to give a metallic look to the yellow petals, giving a mix of metallic and earthy smell.

“I’ll be your Guinea pig, if you need.”

“Hmm.”

Soyo thought for a while. Anon was the reason why she wanted to brew it in the first place. The pink-haired told her about the hyper-focused mana detection she was trying the other time, and Soyo thought maybe experiencing the focus potion might help.

“Let’s see. I’ll have the appraisal artifact check this first before I let you have it.”

The two remained silent for a while, continuing with their own things, until Anon started humming a tune again. Soyo listened fondly while occasionally checking her notes.

Maybe it was just this simple after all?

Them, spending time together, just being their truest selves, was their peace and calm. Nothing chaotic, nothing too dramatic. Just them, together.

“Oh~ Soyorin.”

“Mm?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Anon looked up from her canvas. “Are you falling for my singing voice? Maybe I should sing more~.”

“H-Ha? What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“You were smiling and nodding your head into the rhythm. You were unconscious of it, weren’t you?”

“I did?”

Soyo averted her gaze, heat creeping to her cheeks.

“You totally were. Hehe~ guess I should sing more~,” Anon chimed, returning to her canvas.

“I technically confessed to you already… how much deeper do you want me to fall…” she whispered to herself.

Soyo wasn’t sure if Anon heard it, but the lack of response and the pink-haired only continuing to hum again told her otherwise.

More than thirty minutes later, Soyo had finished most of the tedious part of the procedure. She turned the boiler down and put the cauldron inside her freezer.

The timer should be twenty-one hours from now. “And done.”

Soyo closed the freezer and stood up. She saw Anon still focused on her canvas. A purple paint sat on her palette, along with green.

Then, her stomach grumbled. Hmm? Soyo glanced at the hanging wall clock and realized how late it had gotten.  

“Anon-chan, it’s nearly 9 o’clock. Already too late for us to catch dinner in the cafeteria.”

“Oh,” Anon looked up to the clock as well. “You’re right. Wow. But don’t worry, I already told Chisato-san we won’t be coming for dinner tonight.”

Hmm… Looks like she was still talking with Chisato-san just fine. But…

She walked across the room as Anon began putting away her brush and palette.

“I have some stock of food here, and we can cook together. Or maybe we could order online, instead?”

Only when Soyo got close did she get to see what Anon was painting. She could make out the outline of a wisteria hanging on a wall. Anon had already painted the base purple petals.

Wisteria, huh…

“Actually, I already had dinner delivered here earlier. You really didn’t notice after all?”

“Really? When?”

“Probably before you started boiling the extract? I used Magical Express~. So fast and efficient, they sent it as soon as they were done packaging. All less than an hour from when I paid,” Anon said, pulling out the plastic bags from her storage artifact.

As soon as Anon turned around to show them to her, Soyo covered her mouth, holding in a laugh. Anon’s hands and craft apron had paint stains. The pink-haired girl tilted her head, raising a brow.

How cute.

“Wash up first. I’ll handle this.” She took the plastic bags from Anon.

“Mm’kay~”

Anon helped her prepare the table as soon as she returned from the bathroom. They sat across from each other as they began eating. Their chatter slipped in naturally along with the clinking of their spoons and forks.

Even with just a few days before their team evaluation, their party remained calm about it. It was not because they were slacking. They were still doing their daily training. It was just that they had more confidence than ever before.

The exam had become part of their conversations, but so was excitement for the future missions they could all take on after it, plus the quiet excitement of someday becoming a named party like their seniors, once they reached B-rank or higher.

“Anon-chan, about Chisato-san…”

In the midst of it, Soyo decided to directly ask Anon about their senior, as she was still a little worried about them.

Anon stopped, chopsticks still in her mouth as if waiting for her to continue.

“Did something happen between you two? You’ve been meeting up with her after dinner some time ago, right? Aya-san told me she was helping you with something. But recently, the air between you two felt different.”

“Hmm…” Anon swallowed the food in her mouth and drank half of the water from her glass, as if buying herself some time.

Soyo watched her, waiting patiently. But then she added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to say it.”

Anon shook her head. “It’s fine. I meant to… hmm. I wanted to tell you about this,” she clarified.

The pink-haired girl straightened her back. Soyo mirrored the action, bracing herself for what was coming. She had an idea what it could be, but she wanted Anon to tell her about it herself.

“Chisato-san wanted to teach me advanced defensive spells against mind manipulation magic.”

Anon looked her in the eyes, seemingly watching for her reaction. Soyo only nodded and hummed, urging her to continue.

“I got a little heated when I found out that she knew about your gift. And Chisato-san said, learning it was not only to protect myself, but also to protect you.”

The girl rested her hands on the table, glancing down at her food as if the words she was going to say could be found there.

This was Anon after all. Soyo knew the girl must be choosing carefully what to say next, or that she was keeping her emotions in check with the way a few veins were appearing on her hand.

“I think I understand what she meant now. So, I would like to tell you that I would learn the defensive spells from her. Not just to put your mind at ease about your gift, but also to protect you and your heart.”

By then, Anon already glanced up to her again, grey eyes locked on hers.

Soyo’s breath caught for a moment.

How could she look so cool?

This was the same girl who slipped out her I love you last time. The same person who was always dorky and clumsy. But she was also someone capable and reliable. The one who worked hard to become capable of shielding and fighting for their party.

She really makes me fall harder, even unconsciously, doesn’t she?

Soyo curled her lips into a smile, cheeks warming up.

“That sounds like a good plan. And besides, you are B-rank now. You can take B-ranked solo missions. You would need something against those illusion artifacts.”

Anon smiled back, leaning on her chair. “I can handle them just fine. Besides, I wouldn’t go on a solo combat mission anymore.”

“And why is that?” Soyo picked up her chopsticks again, returning to her food.  

“Hmm~ I’ll take you with me if I can. Can’t have my love worrying for me~.”

Soyo was caught in a coughing fit. Her throat tightened at the unexpected attack, and Anon could only give her a glass of water as compensation.

The more she confesses, the more confident she gets. This girl, seriously…

They cleaned up together after eating and took turns taking a bath.

Only three days left for the team evaluation. Ideally, they should go to bed early. But they didn’t. After the night routine, Soyo sat on her sofa to read a book, while Anon continued painting.

When Soyo was tired from reading, she got up to peek at Anon’s work. She painted deeper shades on the wisteria petals and was now working on the background.

“Soyorin~ are you going to sleep now? Don’t worry about me, I’ll just sleep on the sofa like last time.”

“You can sleep with me on the bed. I don’t mind.”

Anon’s hand froze for a moment, then her face turned pink. “A-Ahh o-of course. Yes. Sure. Why not. If you don’t mind ha ha ha,” she said, almost breathless, then forced a laugh.

Soyo snickered, choosing not to comment on how flustered Anon got. Instead, she went up to her loft, putting the book on her shelf. Then, she went down again, returning to Anon’s side.  

“Would you like to try, Soyorin?” Anon asked, tilting her head.

“Ha? But I might just mess it up. I don’t paint.”

“What could you mess up? I’ll guide you. It’s fine. Come here.”

She thought about it shortly, then decided. Why not?  

“Then, what should I do?” Soyo leaned closer.

Anon gave her a spare brush. “Paint any color you like in the background. I will complement it accordingly.”

“Any color?”

“Yep~”

Soyo checked the bottles of acrylic paint Anon had. She brought plenty of colors with her, subtly telling her that Anon probably planned to paint more in her lab even after the current one she was working on. And that made her a little bit happy.

“How about this one?” Soyo raised the bottle for Anon to see. “It’s the same shade as your hair. What do you think?”

“Ooh, as expected, Soyorin! Okay, just a moment.”

Anon poured a generous amount of the light pink acrylic paint Soyo had chosen on the palette. Then she handed her the brush.

“Here you go. You can begin anywhere you like.”

“O-Okay.”

Soyo reluctantly stroked the brush into the canvas. One by one, she added more strokes until she got used to the feeling of the brush, gliding over the canvas.

“See~ you can do it,” Anon said proudly, looking at her then to the canvas.

The soft light emphasized the spots of her strokes, a bit messy compared to Anon’s, but didn’t feel out of place.

Then, her hand followed her instinct, which was later joined by Anon. The girl added a touch of yellow to it.

When they went to bed, the painting was halfway done, and only Anon was blushing at the fact that they were sleeping right next to each other. For Soyo, it was a nice, relaxing space where she could breathe even with the object of her affection right beside her.

***

(Bonus scene)

Anon woke up covered by a warm blanket, but something warmer lay beside her.

She slowly stirred and came face to face with brown locks covering most of the gentle sleeping face in front of her. Her hand instinctively brushed a strand to the back of the girl's ear. A smile played across her face before realization dawned on her.

She slept right next to Soyo.

I shared a bed with Soyorin?

With Soyorin???

Her eyes widened, and she barely stopped herself from jumping out of the bed. The soft hum of the girl beside her kept Anon from moving too much. But not her mind.

Aaah... would it make me a pervert for liking how her bed smelled?

Even her hair smells nice.

Oh no, Anon, you do sound like a pervert!

W-Wait, didn't Soyorin technically confess to me last time, too? D-Does it mean she didn't mind sharing the bed with me despite our feelings?

Or did she expect something from me?

Eh??

Eh??? Expect what???

Surely enough, a little moment later, Soyo woke up to the sounds of soft, muffled screams beside her.