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One thing that the academy is grateful for, and appreciates, is the presence of exemplary and promising students within their institution. Geniuses. Future leaders. Students who are considered capable of elevating their institution’s reputation to greater heights.
What would this academy be without students like them?
Although…
“Oh? Then… What does that have to do with me? I apologize if it seemed ‘rude’ or such—but I truly had nothing to do with the said incident.”
“Ah, I didn’t see you earlier, sorry! Next time, try to walk properly~!”
“Nonsense. I definitely didn’t say such thing like that.”
In such a big place like this, there are always exceptions.
Most of them are unable, or perhaps—cannot bear, to confront the academy’s notorious rebel.
There is no such thing that could eliminate the possibility of a problem teenage within any institution. Whether it’s a famous, top-tier, or world-renowned school—there’s bound to be, at least, one problematic student who gives the teachers a headache.
So! Where does the responsibility of disciplining them lie if even the counselling teacher gave up as well? Obviously, it goes to the student council. Through them, teachers have high hopes that they can set good examples for students who aren’t part of the core membership.
Including “them.” Almost all teachers hope that, by delegating the task to student council, they can change “them,” even the smallest change is greatly appreciated.
That brings us to the question: did the student council succeed in changing them?
Hm, don’t ask them—you better ask the brunette boy who is currently looking extremely sour.
“What?” he hissed when all attention at the round table turned toward him. “If you want to ask about that, then too bad, because I’m having a major headache—come back again next time.”
Erk… alright. How about we focus onto his friends who are currently accompanying him in this canteen that is starting to empty out?
A sigh was heard from beside the youth. “Okay, genius… What’s the problem now?”
Genius. Almost everyone in this academy claims him like that, because… he really is a genius.
“Oh, I wish I’m that genius—just like what y’all claimed it to be.” The genius buried his head in his folded arms, “Why does it have to be me…”
A common question, which over time, felt like his daily complaint, blurted out just like that from his mouth. His two friends, who—always—became loyal listeners to his complaints, could swear that this was already the fifth time he questioned the same thing today.
“The difficulties you're experiencing will definitely pay off! Cheer up a bit, will ya,” said one of his friends. “Besides, it's only been a week since we came back after the class promotion—there are still dozens of fun days waiting!”
“How about we swap our positions. Imagine, I’m the one saying that to you when you're this fed-up—what would your response be?” The brunette lifted his head from his folded arms and turned to his left.
His friend who had ‘cheered’ him up earlier fell silent after being snapped at.
“That’s what I thought.” He buried himself in his folded arms, once again. It was very obvious he’s currently in DnD mode: do not disturb.
The friend who just got snapped at exchanged glances with the one sitting on the genius’s right. Through their eyes, they both knew that nothing could cool his temper down.
Except…
“Hey, Ley, after school—do you wanna go to the amusement park?” suggested his two-toned hair friend. She was the one who got snapped at earlier, often called Lylia. “Let’s invite the others too. When else could we go out just a week into school? Many said that the next semester is going to be soooooo hectic and crowded!”
Instantly, the gloomy aura radiated from his body vanished like a bubble that had been burst.
“Let’s go!” His amber eyes, which were previously dull and flat, suddenly had a cute spark in them. “I’ll order the tickets during the second break, so—before recess ends, you have to send me the list of who’s coming along.”
Lylia nodded, her different-colored twin pigtails swaying with her movement. “Before the recess bell rings, I'll definitely send you who's joining.”
“Yosh!!”
With newfound enthusiasm, Harley, the (previously) sour-faced genius, got up from his seat. His mood gradually improved thanks to the ‘hangout’ plan Lylia had just made.
“Okay, now—what had made you so grumpy this morning?” Finally, his friend spoke up again. “Classes haven’t even started yet…”
With his mood slowly improving, Harley turned to his right. “Ah, you know, the usual. I'm just baffled, why on earth am I assigned to keep an eye on him? THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE STUDENT COUNCIL'S JOB...!”
“Aren't you a former student council member?”
“Exactly, Na!” Harley pointed at his friend whom he called ‘Na’. “Because I'm no longer in the student council, whatever that prick does shouldn't have anything to do with me, right?”
Lylia, who was listening intently while sipping her drink, suddenly chimed in, “It's because you’re a top student, Ley—a top mage, even, on par with him. That's why, don't stand out if you don't want to end up as a chore boy.”
Hearing that, Harley's attention, which was initially directed at the leonin girl, quickly shifted to her. “Watch your mouth, you piece of—” Harley held his tongue when he saw Lylia's expression, which seemed to defy him. “—a barking furball!”
The two-toned hair girl scoffed, laughing at the wordplay he used.
“Lia, that's enough, Li. His temper will blow up even more—give him a break, it just got better,” interjected the leonin girl. “Not to mention, his first class is with that troublemaker.”
Harley's face instantly soured upon hearing that, to the point where the leonin girl among them couldn't hold back her chuckle.
However…
“HAHAHAHA—nice one, Na!”
Lylia burst out laughing right at that moment. Fortunately, the academy canteen was very empty this morning, so—no one would feel disturbed by the noise the trio was making.
“I hate both of you so much, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.”
“Awww~ we love you too, Arls!”
“GO AWAY, I'M DONE WITH YOU BOTH.”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Thud. Thud.
His eye twitched the moment he felt two paper balls thrown at him. He knew exactly who the culprit was. All too well.
The sudden announcement of an emergency meeting forced many teachers, who were in the middle of teaching, to leave their classrooms—stopping their lessons and assigning work instead. However, they naturally didn’t forget to leave warnings not to make any commotion with those they trusted.
And Harley happened to be one of them.
He has healing class as his first period. Today, the healing class is learning about manual healing—a self-regeneration technique that teaches mages to heal themselves using just enough mana without having to wait for a support to help.
This class frequently conducted practical trials of its theories, and Harley was highly looking forward to it.
He absolutely loved things related to trials, experiments, and the like. Plus, the teacher was incredibly kind and caring. A major bonus point for the healing class.
Mr. Estes, the oldest moon elf who taught specialized subjects; healing for mages and supports, as well as general subjects; history and ancient languages.
Considering he came from the moon elf race, it was no surprise that he chose to be a teacher for the skills he’d mastered, along with ancient languages and old history—given that he had lived for thousands of years. He had witnessed the world's development over millennia with his own two eyes.
Mr. Estes is very gentle with his students.
Including the highly popular academy troublemaker.
No one had ever been able to trigger the wrath of an elf like him. His patience was like a vast ocean—so vast that many teachers held great respect for him.
Legends say, “Beware the fury of a patient man.”
Back to the situation at hand, almost all the mages in this class were busy with their friends or their own devices. Some were doing the assigned work, chatting, playing around, you name it.
However, there was one student who absolutely loved disrupting his peace. Someone who didn't care where he was—he would keep bothering him whenever, and wherever.
Harith.
The rebel leonin whom he unfortunately had to keep an eye on. He sat not too far from him. His desk was two seats behind his current spot. It was his second favorite spot to occupy—especially if the very back row behind him was already taken by another student.
For some reason, ever since he was paired with him per the counselling teacher’s request, he had been taking seats closer to his. Usually, he would always corner himself at the back, whether it was the corner near the window or the one near the wall; he would isolate himself there.
But now...
“Harith, you keep on bothering Harley. Cut him some slack,” scolded one of his classmates.
The classmate who scolded him earlier was sitting to Harley's left. They initially really wanted to ignore what the troublemaker was doing, but the corner of their eye kept catching those crumpled paper balls being thrown at the victim. And it made them uncomfortable.
“And what does that have to do with you?” Harith asked. “The one I'm bothering is him”—Harley could feel Harith's index finger pointing at him—“not you. Therefore, why are you the one who’s making such a fuss?”
“Even if I'm not the one being bothered, you're still disrupting the peace of the class, you know!”
Harith didn't answer, and Harley hoped he wasn't planning anything strange—because if he was... he really wasn't in the mood to deal with the eccentric behaviour of his!
Harith's silence was something the genius absolutely dreaded. Why? There were two possibilities; first, he was planning how he would hit back, and second, he was secretly preparing a surprise for them.
Both possibilities were equally bad, whether for Harith himself—or Harley, who was tasked with watching his every move and behavior.
So! Before that actually happened, it was better for him to stop it.
“Harith.”
Even though Harley remained fixed on the book he was reading, he could feel all eyes turning toward him. The noise that previously buzzed in the air slowly vanished, leaving behind a curious silence about what he would do next.
Harley drew a breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. “Don't act up right now,” he said softly.
A leonin’s hearing was incredibly sharp, surely Harith wouldn't have much trouble catching what he’d just said, right?
Ah, how wrong was he.
“Hm? Did you say something, Harleeyyy~?”
This leonin... he thought to himself in annoyance.
He should’ve known this would happen. Spending about—nearly—a week with this troublemaker had made him memorize all his behaviours, which always defied everyone's expectations for a typical S-class mage.
Harley didn’t budge, letting his question hang in the air.
However, for some reason, Harith didn’t mind the genius’s silence at all. In fact (from his classmate’s perspective), he looked as if he was anticipating something. Something that could leave Harley speechless.
“Ah...” Gaining no answer from the boy, the leonin leaned back in his seat instead. “What a pity, I clearly heard you make a sound earlier.” He sounded like he was playing with the paper balls he had made in his palm.
“Well, don’t mind if I do—”
“Harith, don’t act up right now,” he interrupted loudly.
A snort that felt like, ‘there you go’ was heard from behind him. Without even turning around, Harley already knew what kind of expression was spread across the leonin's face. A mischievous smirk, satisfied because he had gotten exactly what he wanted.
Supposedly.
“What’s the magic word?”
The blood in his body instantly felt frozen, giving him a strange sensation of hot and cold chills. For a moment, he regretted the fact that the hearing of the leonin race was indeed that sharp.
Suddenly, the genius didn’t know what to do. His rational mind screamed not to give in to the leonin's wishes, but on the other hand, Harith wouldn't just drop it if things were already like this!
I shouldn't have said anything earlier!!
In silence, Harley regretted what he’d just done. It was fortunate that his scowl was hidden beneath the hat he always wore. Not only that, the red flush spreading to his ears was also hidden from the staring eyes.
Eyes that were waiting for his response.
Faintly, Harley could hear whispers like...
“What do you think Harley’d did to make Harith be that bold?”
“Ugh... That leonin is so insolent, I'm starting to feel bad for Harley...”
And the like.
An imaginary throbbing vein appeared on his temple, followed by a bead of sweat rolling down freely.
“Come on, Harls, what’s the magic word~?”
To hell with it.
“Oh, quit it, leonin!” A new voice echoed from the classroom door. It was a feminine voice, incredibly soft yet sharp at the end, which he recognized pretty well. “You can't seem to rest for a single day without bothering Hare, can you? Go find something worth the time, you lunatic.”
Wait... isn't this...?
“Gwen…?”
The classroom atmosphere, which was already tense, instantly grew heavier with the arrival of the Baroque noble, Guinevere Baroque.
And Harley, for some reason, couldn't help but facepalm.
Can't the events of today just—slow down a little?! he screamed internally.
Rather than causing any unwanted scene, it was better to just grant what that damn leonin wanted! Harley—finally—turned around. His amber eyes locked with the leonin's purple eyes. The brunette could see firsthand how those irises sparkled mischievously, anticipating what he had just requested.
“If I said it, will you do it?”
Harith exclaimed, “Perchance.”
Hearing that, Harley narrowed his eyes at the leonin, as if threatening him if he didn't follow through with his request. “I'm dead serious, Harith.”
“God, uh—keep an eye outside the classroom, in case teacher comes!” This shout came from another one of his dozens of classmates.
“The teachers are all in a meeting, you idiot!!” This one too.
“Better safe than sorry!” And this one as well.
The brow of the noble girl, who was still standing at the doorway, twitched. What on earth is this? She came here with the intention of delivering a package from Lesley to her younger brother—so why was she being showed a bizarre drama, as if these two mages were an old couple having a lovers' quarrel??
There's no way Hare would choose him as a life partner, Guinevere thought to herself as the idea crossed her mind. But... the leonin’s behavior lately actually makes him look interested in Hare.
Guinevere shook her head.
No way, was what she concluded
A chuckle escaped his mouth. The leonin ignored all the commotion his classmates were making. Everyone inside was waiting on how he would respond. Even Guinevere, who had just arrived, found herself waiting for his reply as well.
“Hare, I think it’s impossible trying to reason with him—”
“For you, of course. Just say the magic word and I’ll grant it.”
What the Baroque noble wanted to say was abruptly cut off by Harith, who suddenly spoke up. The girl could feel her jaw wanting to drop, but she held it back. Is that his only exception?! She desperately wanted to speak up at that exact second, to say, 'fat chance, forget it Hare—don't entertain this leonin,' but...
“Please, Harith. Don't act up right now...”
“Mm, granted, darling~!”
At that very moment, her jaw dropped wide open.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
What would happen if you paired a top student with a top troublemaker?
Most people would surely think they would cause a fight so disastrous that the only way to stop the ‘mischief’ would be to expel the delinquent.
Ah, but the academy's notorious troublemaker was different from that common stereotype.
Supposedly.
His eccentric hair with three different colours moved softly with the motion of his head. Followed by his leonin ears swaying gently, even his tail could be seen wagging happily.
Today, he was listening to the lesson intently.
Surprising, isn't it?
That was what all his classmates and the subject teacher were thinking right now.
“Harith,” Mrs. Aurora said, “may I have a word with you?”
Still with a smirk and his head subtly swaying side to side, he answered, “Unfortunately, no.”
“Alright.”
Strange, was what Aurora thought to herself. Did that Vance actually succeed in disciplining him?
Throughout the lesson, the troublemaker—who was known to love causing mischief at any given time and place—is actually paying full attention to today's class. He even appeared to be taking notes on the parts he deemed important.
This caused almost everyone in the room to shudder unconsciously. Was he possessed or something? Why was he acting so exemplary, which was the complete opposite of his usual behaviour!?
The person who was currently causing anxiety to every soul in there was completely oblivious to it. Whether he genuinely didn't notice or was intentionally ignoring it, no one knew for sure what was going on inside that leonin's mind.
Huh, if only they had the guts to ask his companion, they would definitely know the reason behind his compliance.
But... even if they do, there was no guarantee they would believe it right away. Who would actually believe the words of the leonin's partner-in-crime? Only someone completely out of their mind would believe it.
“Is there anything else you all would like to ask regarding today’s material?” Aurora shifted her gaze from the whiteboard, which was filled with various sentences, to her students who wore a mix of expressions.
Except for that leonin, again.
His expression had remained exactly the same since he stepped into the classroom; a triumphant smirk with eyes that gleamed faintly, and a regular rhythm of his movements.
Huh.
“Harith?” she called out, “are you truly paying attention to the lesson?”
The leonin did not answer right away. His attention was still fixed on his notebook as he wrote. The tip of his pen kept moving casually across the paper. Only a few seconds later did he reply, “Mm,” without even sparing a glance to the teacher in question.
Although still slightly suspicious, Aurora chose to let it go. Moments like this were rare enough as it was, so—rather than questioning it, it was better to just endure it.
“In that case—I hope you all really understand today's material, alright? Next up ...”
Mrs. Aurora's voice blended into the background noise of the day. Keeping the same focus, he drew his pen to copy the material written on the whiteboard.
Calmness is the prime state for any mage. Those who can remain calm and in control of their bodies were naturally difficult to defeat or attack, as if they leave absolutely no opening to be breached—the exact same goes for Harle...
His pen stopped moving.
Seriously? Was he thinking about that again?
“Please, Harith. Don't act up right now.”
If he were being honest—how couldn’t he not remember? The genius's reaction at that moment was completely adorable! He had to restrain every single inch of himself from lunging forward and hugging the genius right then and there.
Without warning, the memory from this morning replayed—again—in his mind. Those amber eyes that looked like they couldn't bear the embarrassment. The blushing ears that weren't fully hidden. The expression of someone desperately clinging to their patience. And...
“Please, Harith—”
Maybe he really had lost his mind, but… the way Harley’s voice trembled, almost sounding like a whine, was pure music to his ears.
Mmn, truly chef’s kiss.
Damn it, he had to bury that memory deep down if he didn't want to be called as a lunatic. How embarrassing.
“Dude... your thoughts are loud.” A raspy voice sounded right from behind him. “Next time, please keep all of that to yourself, and you only.”
Harith only snorted upon hearing it. O, Popol—such a buzzkill. “No promises, Pol.”
“Good lord...”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
As promised, Harley and his friends—Lylia and Nana—are now enjoying their time at the highly popular amusement park.
They had ridden all kinds of attractions, starting with the wave swinger that welcomed them the moment they stepped inside, followed by the Turbo Drop, and various other rides.
They visited right on a weekday, so the crowd was relatively low compared to holidays or weekends. Because of that, they could easily hop onto various rides without needing to use the ‘cheat’ track (as many called it).
Aside from that, only the three of them actually ended up coming. Most of the others made excuses about being busy, having errands, low on budget, and the like. Lylia words it like this, “Bro... are you FOR REAL. They're definitely going to regret it because they missed this chance—but then again, that was so out of the blue, Harls!”
Yes. Upon arriving at their destination, it turns out that Harley had covered all the expenses; such as the admission tickets, and food and drinks—when they actually wanted them. They didn't just show up and play. No. They came prepared.
Prepared with energy. Prepared with food and drinks.
Because, according to them, the food inside was mostly generic and could be found outside the amusement park at a much more reasonable price. True, every place has different pricing depending on the venue itself—but seriously, fifteen thousand for a bottle of water?
Better bring your own drink.
“Where to next?” Nana asked while sipping the iced tea she had sneaked into her backpack before entering.
Right now they are walking aimlessly after riding the Ice Age attraction. They had arrived just when all the rides had opened, so they wouldn’t need to wait for attractions that only opened at specific times.
“What else haven't we ridden? It feels like we've done everything...”
The leonin girl seemed to think for a moment, her eyes scanning every area within her line of sight before catching a glimpse of a water ride. “We haven't done the water rides yet, right?” Nana pointed toward a boat that was currently at the peak of its slider. “How about we ride Niagara-gara?”
Lylia nodded in agreement. “Sounds good, and once we're done, we can take a short break to grab a bite, how about it?”
“Fantastic!”
The two of them immediately turned toward the brunette who was busy with his own device. Lylia rolled her eyes lazily. Harley was typically the kind of person who rarely touched his phone, but once he did—it was incredibly hard to pull him away. She had, technically, by accident, glimpsed what was on his phone: nothing. There was nothing interesting other than him scrolling through a social media platform.
Therefore, seeing him so absorbed, Lylia could conclude that he was busy scrolling through short videos on his feed. But... why weren't his fingers moving as if he were scrolling?
“Looks like you're really into… whatever that is, whatcha lookin’ at, Arls?”
As if realizing the presence of his two female friends, Harley shifted his gaze to them. “It's nothing, just my sister and Lady Guinevere reminding me not to come home too late.”
“Oohh—oh right! By the way, how is your sister doing?” Nana asked. She brought the crepe she was holding to her mouth. “It must be really boring at home when there's no one around.”
Harley nodded. “Honestly, yeah... It's just that Lady Guinevere often drops by whenever my parents are super busy. Do you know that her timing is always so perfect?”
“Perfect in what way?”
“Well—her arrival is just spot on, as if she knows exactly when my parents are going out of town for business.”
“Never doubt an older sister's instinct, Ley.” Lylia rolled her eyes. Seriously, as if he doesn’t know how his own sister is. “Your sister alone has an instinct that defies common sense, you know. It wouldn't be surprising if Lady Guinevere is the same way.”
“For your information, Lia...” Nana raised her forefinger finger. “Lady Guin is actually the youngest of the Baroque nobility.”
Lylia fell silent.
Wait… she got a point, she thought. Huh, maybe people like them were just born with that kind of wild instinct? Who knows. Lylia shrugged her shoulders. “In that case—maybe it really is just a woman’s intuition, whether they’re an older or younger.”
Harley shook his head gently. He slipped the device in his hand back into his pants pocket. His eyes darted here and there, looking for a signpost for the place he wanted to go right now.
“Hey, Lia, Na—I need to use the rest room for a bit. You guys can go ahead if you want.”
“That's rare,” Nana said, “it's unusual for you to have that kind of business.”
“Well… you can't exactly hold back the call of nature.” Now, it was Harley's turn to roll his eyes. This friend of his… when she’s smart, she’s brilliant, but when she’s being stupid—she is incredibly stupid.
“Let's meet up at the ride's entrance later, okay!”
Before actually heading off to the restroom alone, Harley left behind the belongings he deemed unnecessary to carry into a public toilet. So, the only things he brought along were his smartphone and wallet—just in case his eyes caught something interesting to buy along the way.
“Don't lose those things, they're valuable.”
“Just… who do you think you're talking to?” Lylia scoffed, “now get going, shoo!”
“Wow, kicking me out, are we.”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
The moment he stepped out of the toilet stall, feeling a delightful sense of relief, he rushed toward the sink to wash his hands.
The restroom was unusually empty. Maybe everyone else simply had stronger stomachs then he did, or maybe—their digestive systems were taking their sweet time. Even so, the brown-haired boy didn't overthink it. It was better to finish up and hurry back—his two friends were bound to be bored out of their minds from waiting. Plus, the restroom he chose was a bit far from where they were before.
This place was so vast, there were bound to be restrooms on every side—yet for some reason, they seemed to be hiding away from sight. Don't blame him if he took a little longer to return.
Arriving in front of the sink, he turned on the faucet and placed his hands under the running water. The only brown-haired boy in there meticulously rinsed his hands—ensuring everything was washed clean.
Just as he was rinsing off the remaining soap, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist.
This sudden action naturally made him shudder in fright, and he reflexively glanced toward the reflection in the mirror. However, before he could see the figure who had suddenly hugged him—a voice he recognized all too well greeted his ears.
“Darling!”
Right when that figure called out, something furry moved and curled around his ankles. Combined with the figure resting their chin on top of his head, it made it difficult to confirm their identity.
Even so, without even needing to turn around, the brunette being hugged already knew who the culprit was.
“I didn't misbehave at all today, exactly like what you asked for!” He could feel the figure nuzzling his cheek against his brown hair, which was currently free from his signature hat he always wore. It tickles, making him even harder to wash off the rest of the soap. His movements were completely locked down by this attention-starved cat!
“Harith... let me finish this up first,” he said half-resignedly. “You’ll get your praises, later.”
The culprit didn't budge. If anything, he tightened his hold around the genius.
This only made Harley flush red from embarrassment and shyness—though no one would be able to tell the difference on his face. Not even the culprit who was still faithfully keeping him trapped.
With his movements locked like this, Harley had no choice but to coax the boy, who was slightly taller than him, if he wanted to break free from his cage.
“Harith, come on.” “Mmn...”
In the midst of coaxing the troublemaker-turned-toddler, Harley—finally—managed to rinse off all the remaining soap. He had never imagined that washing hands could be this difficult, all because he was wrapped up by a leonin known for being naughty, mischievous, a troublemaker, and the like.
Harley let out a tired sigh. He’d just dealt with his normal behavior during school hours earlier, and now? He had to deal with the real Harith instead! Honestly, couldn't the world give him a short break??
Harley slowly tried to walk toward the hand dryer to dry his still-wet hands with additional weight wrapped around his body. With steady steps, he moved toward the machine in question.
The leonin with the eccentric hair automatically followed the genius without showing any signs of wanting to let go.
After drying his hands, he painstakingly turned his body around to face the suspect who was still trapping him. His tail was even still wrapped around his ankles; every now and then, Harley could feel the leonin tail squirming. He couldn't help but roll his eyes when he saw the faux-innocent and naive expression plastered across the leonin's face. “What?” He raised an eyebrow, staring at him blankly.
“Well? Where is it?”
“Why are you answering a question with another question?”
Ouch. Harley, it looks like you need to control that tongue of yours a bit.
Right when Harley blurted that out, the faux-innocent expression Harith was maintaining gradually crumbled into a pitiful pout. “Harrrrlllsss.... I’ve been well...”
To add to the dramatic effect, the leonin intentionally drooped his ears—making himself look even more miserable. With downcast eyes and a pouty lip, he spoke again, “Are you still mad about this morning...? 'm sorry.”
This morning?
He searched his memory for what this boy could possibly mean.
Oh.
“What’s the magic word?”
“Come on, Harls, what’s the magic word~?”
That one.
Who knows what had just crossed his mind that’d made the academy's notorious troublemaker thinks his current behaviour was caused by such a trivial matter. Ha, if their other friends saw the leonin at a moment like this, Harley was absolutely certain they wouldn't believe their own eyes.
Harley couldn't hold back his laughter—a small chuckle managed to escape his mouth.
“... You silly leonin, why on earth would you think that? Unbelievable.”
Still wearing his kicked-kitten expression, he mumbled, “Well, your tone was so flat...” Harith pouted even harder. “I can’t help but thought that… Don't be mad, please!”
The laughter he had been trying to suppress finally burst out. “Haha! Sweetheart, why would I even be mad? You're naturally mischievous, aren't you? I was just trying to go along with your flow—it's just... so many people were watching.” Harley quieted down at the end of his sentence. Looking back, that memory alone was enough to make him flush red with embarrassment.
Hearing this, his gloomy expression suddenly turned into pure awe. “Ehhh? So—Harley isn't mad at all—”
Smooch.
“Not at all. A good boy deserves a reward, right? There’s your reward~!”
The brief peck was enough to send his thoughts into complete disarray. Slowly, a crimson blush painted his face—and Harley watched firsthand as he turned red as one of the colours in his own hair.
“Hehe, Harith is so cute when he blushes like that.”
A whine escaped his mouth, as he couldn't trust his lips to say anything coherent. Instead, he decided to bury his face into the nook of the genius's neck. Of course, he didn't forget to tighten his arms, which were still embracing the body that was slightly shorter than his.
“Harleyyyyy, you can't just suddenly spring that on me like that....”
Oh, would you look at that!
The delinquent feared by almost the entire academy was feeling shy all because of a brief peck his lover gave him! There was truly no pride left in his 'delinquent' reputation whenever he was in front of his partner.
“Why not? You're the one who constantly pecks me out of nowhere, and I’ve never complained about it, have I?”
“Because it's different!”
“How come they’re different?” His hands, which had been resting at his sides all this time, moved to stroke the leonin's back and the nape of his neck. “I think you're just being dramatic.”
“Because, if I'm the one who starts it—the one who feels embarrassed is you, not me! So...!”
Harith was completely flustered to the absolute max, to the point where he couldn't even form proper words. Harley chuckled softly because the way he acts is genuinely adorable. And to think many people called him a flirt.
What kind of a flirt is he if he turns into this the second he gets flirted back?
The ringing of a call from his phone shattered the embarrassing moment Harith was experiencing. It made Harley realize that he had been in the restroom a bit longer than expected. Harley could feel Harith's leonin ears perk up and brush against his own ears due to the sound.
“Is that a call from your friends?”
“Seems like it. Besides, I've been in the restroom for a really long time—it's only natural for them to wonder,” he replied. “They're definitely going to nag me when I get back.”
“Well—” Harith tightened his embrace, and Harley could feel the leonin nose deeply inhaling his scent before finally letting him go. “—it's better to go back, right? Wouldn’t want them to suspect anything~”
The boy with the amber eyes rolled his eyes. “And whose fault is it that I got held up in this restroom longer than I intended, huh-?”
Something soft suddenly pressed against his lips. His eyes widened instantly as the kiss lingered for a brief moment, just long enough for his brain to completely stop functioning.
Harley could feel heat rushing to his face.
Though, before he could process it any further, the leonin had already broken the kiss.
“Hehe! See you tomorrow, darling~!”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“Speak of the devil. Why didn't you pick up? We've been waiting for you to wash your hands for ages, you know!”
“Uh... it wasn't exactly ages, Lia—”
“SHH!!!” Lylia immediately shoved a finger in front of Nana, stopping whatever she’s trying to say.
“The point is, this guy took forever in the restroom! What were you even doing? Was your stomach upset?”
Harley stood there in silence, unable to answer.
He paid no attention to his two friends complaining about how long he’d taken. His mind kept replaying what that damn leonin had done earlier. Thank goodness it’d only been the two of them in there
What would have happened if someone else had been around?
What if someone was actually inside one of the toilet stalls and had been hiding the whole time because they’d been to scared to come out due to their shameless behaviour…?!
Ahhhh! He couldn't bear the thought!
“Hm? Wha—Nana, what’s wrong with this friend of yours?!?! WHY IS HE SUDDENLY TURNING RED?”
“EH—Arls! Do you have a fever?! Hey, answer us!”
Ahh! Damn you, Harith! Just you wait!!
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
The sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet academy corridor. At a time like this, almost every student and teacher was occupied with their lessons.
This time, however, things were different for him.
In the midst of working on an assignment, he was suddenly called away. Through the loudspeakers installed in every classroom, an announcement instructed him to report to the counselling room immediately.
He was one of the academy's most well-known students, so everyone could safely assume he wasn't being summoned because he'd caused trouble.
No.
Rather...
“Now, is there a specific reason for what you’ve caused, dear troublemaker?”
The question left his mouth the moment he stepped into the counselling room.
Inside, there was only him and the infamous troublemaker he was assigned to supervise, who apparently had just finished receiving a lecture from the counsellor.
Instead of looking guilty, the troublemaker brightened immediately. “Uh, correction, sweetheart—your favorite troublemaker! Hehe, will you be mad if you find out my reason?”
The academy's top student stood right in front of him.
Right in front of the student known as the Rebel Emberfang.
“Let's make this quick. I still have an assignment to finish.”
“Feisty in the early morning. Certainly—it’s because I wanted to see your beautiful face, hehe~!”
“We literally saw each other this morning, Harith!”
“A brief glance isn't enough, Harley! I need more than that!”
All because the academy's most infamous troublemaker loved causing trouble just so he could see the top student everyone held in such high regard.
Good grief.
FIN.