82. DISCREPANCY? NEGOTIATION? TEA?

Class as usual, crossing the sky bridge and campus ground, we entered the school premises. Nine, parted ways at Class C.

A concealment barrier is still necessary, albeit a weaker one to disguise Prune and my presence. After all, we stand out like a sore thumb,we were not too fond of attracting too much attention. Additionally, it’s a method of refreshing the use of magic. Magic didn’t exist in Noel’s world to begin with– most activities could be carried out without such convenience.

However, I must continue to practice so as to not have my abilities deteriorate. I wonder when I would have a chance to practise large scale magic? I should consult with Noel regarding that.

Placing my bag down on my seat, Noel and I went separate ways. The absence of the quest has relinquished my ‘duties’ and freed up some energy. Though, there was a sense of emptiness.

Saria came earlier than the day before, I headed over to her direction, Prune following alongside me.

“Morning, Saria,” I spoke.

“Morning!” Saria, whose response was delayed, tried to pounce at me. I shifted my body to the side, supporting Saria who was about to fall with an air cushion made from magic.

“Morning, Saria, Wendy,” Prune made her greeting timidly.

“Morning,” Wendy greeted, looking a little surprised.

“Morning,” the rabbit on the table also greeted.

“EEKKHH?!” Prune’s vigilance was raised against the rabbit. Indeed, it seemed that the rabbit lacked any life force. It wasn't a living creature– necromancy? It lacked the aura of death– thus it can't be necromancy either.

“Could that be the effect of your TALENT Wendy?” I asked, genuinely curious about the rabbit.

Short stubby ears, artificial fur, large black beady eyes– it was a doll. A puppet master?
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Purple hair! Purple hair! Can I touch it? Qui!” the rabbit quipped.

“By all means,” smiling, I lowered myself to the rabbit’s height. It crawled onto my head and sat there, making it much like it’s nest.

Wendy giggled, and in a soft, gentle tone she spoke, “I’m Wendy, nice to meet you Liliath. Yes, the rabbit is related to my TALENT.”

“Permission to touch the rabbit?” I asked.

“Sure.”

I pulled the rabbit away from my head– in the process, unfortunately dishelving my neatly tied hair. As an act of revenge, I brought the rabbit at arm's length while it struggled to observe it’s features.

“Let me go! Let me go! Qui!”

“It feels rather real, It’s very cute,” I giggled, placing the rabbit back down on Wendy’s table. 

“Liliath,” Noel called out. I turned my head to him out of reflex.

“Yes?”

He stood at the door with another anonymous presence who I felt beckoned me with his eyes. It seems to be something formal I have to attend to.

“I have fun, thank you for your time,” I bowed gently to Wendy, Prune and Saria before leaving.

There, I recognized the presence, it was the person referred to as the Student Council President– Elyja, as records deem her name to be.

“Morning Liliath,” she greeted me in a bright cheerful voice.

“Morning Student Council President,” I glanced at Noel, he gave me a nod which meant I addressed her with the correct title then.

“How polite. Wow, as rumor has it, you really have beautiful purple hair– that aside, could you two follow me?”
“Um, what’s the purpose of this?” Noel asked, one of his eyebrows raised in confusion.

“I want to get to know the two of you better, it wouldn’t hurt to skip class and have tea right?” Elyja said jovially.

Tea.. was there a convenient place to drink tea in school? If there was, I would like to visit by all means..

“Liliath? Earth to Liliath.”

“Ah, I spaced out.”

I turned to Noel who had been waving his hand in front of me, giving him an expectant look.

“There we have it, let’s go,” Noel, who realized my intent, voiced it out to Elyja. Though, I was sure he didn’t have the option to turn it down in the first place.

“Liliath is cute too, follow me~” 

Elyja led us both up another floor. Taking a turn, we arrived at a large double door, a sign there that said ‘Discussion Room’.

Invited to enter, we were told to take a seat.

The room was rather small to hold a meeting– though, it could just be me as my life exposure was different from the people of this world. In the middle of the room that was at least the size of our class was a long table, cushioned chairs lined both sides.

“Here you go Liliath.” 

“Thank you.”

Elyja handed me a sup of warm tea– a pleasant earthy smell tickled my nose. This was apparently a tea I have not encountered before.

The taste was gentle, and mellow, similar to barley but a note of bitterness and smokeyness could be felt at the end.

“Buckwheat,” was Noel’s impression. “Thanks for the tea.. so..” 

“Since we already know each other’s names, how about we start off introducing each other?”

“Uh..”

“Student Council President, could I ask you to get straight to the point?”

I was sure there had to be other motives behind her invitation. In appreciation of this wonderful tea she gave me, I suppose I'll not do anything to the other two uninvited guests in the room.

“Hahaha, so you’re that kind of person. If you don't mind, sure,” Elyja extended her hands out to me, “I want to invite you to join the student council as a member, Liliath.”

To her surprise invite, I turned to Noel to seek help.

Noel too was surprised by the development.

“What do you think Liliath?”

Though he asked for my opinion, I understood from his eyes that he wasn’t too fond of my involvement in the student council group.

“What are the benefits to joining?”

As any negotiation would go, the first necessary step would be to ask for the compensation– reward.

“Eh?” Elyja tilted her head.

Noel let loose an ephemeral sigh.

“D-did I say something wrong?” in panic, I asked.

“Sorry, it’s alright Liliath. Elyja, do keep in mind Liliath is from another world so her common sense might be a little off.”

That is true.. though, what could I have done wrong this time around?
“I-I see..” Elyja fell deep into thought.

“Uh.. how should I put it? Liliath, in the first place, joiningthe student council is a voluntary thing.. The benefit is really the experience of managing and leading a team.. or something like that. Of course there are the additional co curricular points for participation but it isn't much of the ‘benefits’ you are thinking about. It’s not a kingdom trade. Something like that, right Student council prez?”

“Yes, yes. But I wouldn't say there isn't any benefits..” Elyja panicked, her gaze swimming about, her eyes looked to be pleading for help from Noel too.

To the explanation, I looked down at my cup of tea.

A voluntary group with minimal benefits. Rather– from what Noel described, it’s a training simulation for governance over a small team. 

How complicated. 

“Liliath, it’s alright, I’m sorry I misunderstood,” Elyja tapped my shoulders, I raised my head to look at her.

“No, it’s my fault for my lack of knowledge, forgive me,” I smiled, “I suppose a mere human like me with inadequate knowledge wouldn’t amount to much value to the council would it now?”

So I’ve decided to use this chance to back down. Perhaps it was as Noel said, being part of this group would only amount to trouble. There are many other more important things I should invest my time in. In the first place, I wasn't the kind to accept tasks that don’t benefit myself. 

Acting selfless is one thing, but as the burden increases too much would only bring downfall to oneself. Bit by bit, if ‘yes’ kept coming out of my mouth, I would only drown myself.

“No, you’re wrong Liliath, I can tell you’re a diligent and hardworking person, it’s a valuable asset to the student council, it’s not good to belittle yourself,” Elyja said in a flustered tone, “You’re incredible in negotiations too.”

“I’m flattered,” pausing, I continued, “I will consider the offer… d-did I say something wrong??”

“Noel, when you meant Liliath is from another world, don't tell me she’s a nobel? What era did she come from? You said kingdom right? I think I understand now…” Elyja’s voice was quivering as she spoke.

“Well, if you now know this much, does that change your mind? Liliath lacks a lot of knowledge about this world, you know?” Noel said, caressing my hair. 

Which reminded me.. I had forgotten to fix my hair that was disheveled since just now– Noel was only making it worse. I pouted.

“No, I’m very sure Liliath is someone I would like to invite into the student council.”

“Suit yourself,” Noel laughed, turning to me, “Just speak casually, the princess-like way you’re speaking is very funny.”

“Princess-like way? Do negotiations not work this way? I don't understand..” hanging my head, I could only lament my lack of common sense.

“How cute,” Elyja chuckled, “Well, please consider it Liliath. Come and talk to me if you’re interested alright? I look forward to working with you.”

I nodded timidly, taking another sip of the delicious tea.

Moving outside the discussion room, I asked Noel.

“Are there any methods to drink tea in school?”

“Huh? What’s that all of a sudden? First the red tie, now the tea. Don't tell me you actually wanted to join the student council for the tea?!”

“Though it may sound embarrassing, that was the only benefit I could think of if I joined the council.”

“You know, if you join the student council, you’ll actually decrease the chances of drinking tea. It’s a busy role, you know?”

I suppose the treat just now was much like a bait. It was just the surface overshadowing the complexity behind the work of the council. How cunning.

“I see.. then are there any alternatives? I would like to drink tea in school if possible?”

“Alternative? Yeah, I do have one idea..” Noel smiled at me wryly.

And thus, I shall put into practice Noel’s idea tomorrow.

83.

Another day, a different sky. Honestly, I wonder how other artists draw the skies. If it were me, I'd just paint the canvas blue, use a cloud brush and call it a day. The more complicated ones.. I have no idea how people even draw that. But they do.. like.. how?!

Oh, commission requests are up for boots. No client yet..

It was break time, 30 minute break. Liliath and I went separate ways. She was going to the cafeteria to try out that idea I told her about yesterday.

Like seriously, fuck, the fact that she almost bought into the student council prez’s invitation was because of tea. Luckily Elyja didn't notice, she wasn't as sharp as Liliath. If she knew about this weak point of her’s, I'm pretty sure Liliath would've been tricked by her.

That said.. Liliath feels like those gluttons in light novels or mangas where the protagonist’s followers surround him mainly for food. In Liliath’s case, it was tea.

She’s truly a tea fanatic. I honestly have no clue how I should put into words this complicated feeling I'm feeling inside my heart right now. I feel like it would be possible for someone to successfully propose to her using tea bags instead of silver rings.

Damn. It’s so funny.

While thinking that, I was idling around the school garden, the stone paths that encircled the large pond in the middle. Rectangular hedges that exceeded my height were grown here and there– red flowers to accent the green space. 

Students walking around the place, food in hand, talking to each other, enjoying the scenery. 

Me? I was sitting on a wooden bench, looking at a group of students feeding the fish food. The cafeteria did sell fish food from what I've heard. And for a second there, I thought the school was absolutely nuts for allowing the worker to sell such a thing for consumption– until I learned of the real purpose behind the product.

“Hello, Noel. You’re alone this time around? Where’s Liliath?” Prune, who came from the direction of the cafeteria using the garden path, noticed my laid back self.

“Liliath is together with Saria, probably at the cafeteria now.”

“It’s odd to see you two apart,” Prune sat down beside me, taking a bite out of the small burger she bought.

“Yeah, it’s been like this ever since the system update,” I sighed. True, since Liliath and I dont need to pay so much attention to completing those stupid tasks, we’ve been able to go along doing out own stuff. In fact, it was the quests that brought us close together in the first place. 

Without it, it’s like we're drifting apart? 

“Status window open.”

“How’s the progress?”

“4 more days..”

ChibI Liliath was talking to chibI Saria, a speech bubble with the image of tea floating above her head. How cute.. it seems it’s possible to tell what each other is doing through the update window– how convenient..I wonder if Liliath realized this function. Most probably yes.

“Hey, Noel?”

“Yeah?”

“I want to eat raw meat.. do you think that sounds weird?” Prune let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Not really.. Liliath almost joined the student council because she wanted to drink tea.”

“Liliath again, you two are so close,” Prune heaved a sigh.

“I suppose..”

Prune didn’t reply and took another bite out of her burger, her ears and tail were drooping now, unlike before.

Seriously.. a love triangle? I hope not.. please no..

“Well, I'll take a walk around the place,“ I stood up and stretched, “Are you going back to class?”

“Where are you going then?”

“I don't know.. exploring the school I guess. I haven’t had the chance to do that until now.”

“Ah, me too.”

“You joining?”

Prune nodded, her tail wagged a full course. Jeez.. could I be overthinking?

She finished her burger and dropped the packaging into the trash bin beside the bench before accompanying me.

There wasn’t really much of a landmark location to begin with. It’s more like exploring routes we’ve never used before. We went to the auditorium– students playing badminton and other’s running about. Then to the open field– a group of girls actually having a picnic.

After which I went to check out the medical facility– reminded me of Miss Yeo. I wonder if she and Principal Rachel are doing alright?

The medical facility was off-limits for the most part, so we only went around the building.

Another thing to note is the number of soldiers stationed around the place.

Yes, soldiers. You heard me right. 

I suppose it’s for security purposes. I was in a school of TALENTS after all. Nobody knows what could happen if a fight breaks out between two students– especially if they are in possession of a ‘troublesome’ sombat TALENT.

In the end, Prune and I ended up at the cafeteria where I saw Liliath enjoying an actual cup of tea.

She waved at me, I waved back. 

“I can't believe she noticed,” Prune, too, waved at her.

“Well, that’s just how it is.”

“By the way, have you picked a club to join?”

“Ah, good suggestion, how about we head over to the clubroom block?”

“I’ll take the answer as not yet..”

“How about you?”

“I thought of trying baking.”

“Baking club– there’s seriously such a club? Wow, this school has everything.”

“Are you going to join the art club?”

“I don’t know. I’m not into fine arts.. besides..”

Actually, who the hell cares anyways, I need to live out my life as a highschool student right? I’ve actually wanted to have an art friend.

“Maybe I should check it out.”

Prune and I left for the clubrooms.

To my surprise, it was fairly crowded. And to my surprise again, Prune wasn’t attracting a bunch of attention?
“Did Liliath cast a barrier around you?” is what I suspected.

“Yup. She fine tuned it so I’d feel like a random passerby to the other students. Of course, if they look closer, they would notice the difference,” Prune’s wolf ear moved up and down.

“She’s a wizard.. darn, magic is convenient.”

“Truly is– hm?” Prune sniffed the air. “Ah, there's someone baking something.”

“The baking club is.. where?”

“It’s on the second floor, I think I'll go check it out.”

“Might as well take a look..”I muttered, following Prune.

Going up one flight of stairs, we arrived at the baking club. Sure enough, I could smell the butter and sugar. Not that I really liked confectionaries– Liliath’s opinion might differ.

“Ah, Prune– eh, nice to meet you, would you like to try some of our cookies,” a guy wearing a pink apron stood close to the entrance, in his hands a tray of cookies. No, rather.. the tray was floating, and his hands were tucked inside his pocket. Cool TALENT.

Prune nudged me in the shoulders.

“Ah, yeah.. thanks..”

I ate the cookie– a little confused with the situation.

“How is it? Prune? Take one too,” the guy insisted, an individual cookie conveniently flew– or levitated in front of Prune.

“Thank you,” Prune took it without reserve and munched on it.

To be honest, these cookies were really good. Like quite literally, REALLY GOOD. I don't know how best to describe the taste but– it’s like how ads say it tastes like grandma’s cookies– not that the baker is a female old lady or something..

“Thanks, it tastes amazing,” I complimented.

“Much appreciated, are you here to join the baking club?”

“Unfortunately no.. but thanks.”

“Goerge, what are you doing here? It’s recess right?”

“Nah, just here to take out the cookies in the oven since this morning. There are the other’s with me too, wanna come and take a look at the other baked goods?”

Since this morning– wait, so he literally left the oven running through class? Wait, no, rather, Prune knows George huh? Well.. not that I'm fussing but I’m surprised she’s attached to this club already. Looks like the members are pretty active.

“Sorry, Noel, i’ll be joining them here, anyways, the art club should be right over there,” Prune pointes at the far corner of the alley. A number of painted canvases could be seen leaning against the wall.

“It’s alright, thanks, then I'll be off. And again, thanks for the cookies Goerge.”

“No problem, be sure to support these bad boys in the future alright?”

“Uh.. yeah..”

Bad boys– ah, grandma’s cookies. Right. Bad boys…

Somehow those two names don't mesh. Em’ bad boys are grandmother’s cookies.. sounds iffy.

Parting with Prune, I went to the far corner where the art club was located– of course, I properly inspected the fine art paintings outside first.

The first thing that comes to mind is– incredible anatomy. The model is practically nude– something I don't get about fine arts. I know anatomy is important and all but.. why is drawing nude bodies a thing? I’m pretty sure ‘that’ part should have more hair, realistically speaking. 

Well, whatever it is.. I turned my head to look inside the art club– 

Empty… silent… a multitude of eerie paintings were arranged on the easels. HAlf-soen portraits of demon faces– impressionistic forest with stretchy alien heads. And in the far corner of the room I think it was a copy of Picasso's cockerel. One that shows the ferocity and stupidity of a cock– quite literally.

Welp..

I have two choices, advance or retreat.

I chose the former. And thus, I stepped foot inside this somewhat somnolent and creepy place.

The room was larger than I thought– there weren’t many tables, a few of them laid to the side with oil paints and dried up palates.

The room smells like acrylic and watercolour paints. Kinda nostalgic, I remember how I tried tasting paint in the past– I learnt one of my greatest life lessons from that incident.

I walked over to the tabel close to the window, looking down at the open field, the running track and basketball court.

“Ah, it’s you!”

A voice shook my soul, shivers went down my spine.

I turned around slowly, like a broken machine.

That voice–

It was a girl. Gloss balck hair–obviously– that was tied to the side with braided ornaments, large gold rimmed glasses that sat between her nose. She looked like the studious kind of person, a sketchbook wrapped around her arms.

It was the emcee from last time. The one that silenced the auditorium.

Was it just me or was every cell in my body screaming at me to run away? This was a school– not a battlefield– then why do I sense this fear?

“I heard it from the President, it seems you have resistance against my TALENT, quite a rare specimen,” she pushed up her glasses. 

“Y-yeah..”

What the hell. I should escape shouldn’t I?

“I’m sorry for coming in so abruptly..”

“No worries, it’s rare to see someone just walk in like that. You’re an artist– correct?”

Her voice was like a silver bell– literally piercing my soul. Ugh.. keep your head together Noel..

“Is your TALENT a passive thing? Cuz it’s driving me nuts.. seriously.. stop it please.”

“I’m sorry. Well.. the president told me to test it out. One things for sure, you have totally fallen for Liliath, it’s a fact.”

“Huh? What?”

Her voice didn’t sound like a siren call anymore but the contents of it were shocking.

“Ah, I'm saying some unnecessary stuff. Basically, people who already have a life partner could be said to have resistance towards my TALENT– isn’t it?”

“Is that how it works?” I inched closer to the exit–

“Nevermind that, do you want to join the art club?” her eyes were sparkling.

Ah fuck– not this again.. and I’m so close to her too.. my heart is literally about to jump out of my chest. Fuck. She’s a siren alright…

“Status window open.”

I whispered inadvertently, the chibI Liliath waving a wooden plate that had the words ‘WARNING’ on it.. cute.

Yeah. Good reminder. Only Liliath, no one else.

Taking a deep breath, having Liliath’s cuteness overpower her serenade, I replied.

“I’ll think about it..”

“Hm.. You are one tough nut to crack.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nevermind, please consider, us art members will be delighted to have an additional member,” with an angelic smile, she spoke.

“Ugh.. stop it..” 

I know I was being rude by covering both my ears with my palm but seriously.. I can't take it anymore..

Stepping outside, I turned around to look at the clubroom– then at her. Yup, serenade sucks, she looks more beautiful now. Heck, I feel like she’s rejected love letters from a 3-digit number of boys with the way she fools around.

“Right, Your name..”

“Rishell.”

“Rishell huh, well.. see you around..”
Not. That was a lie. I should stop getting involved with her…no..  why did I ask for her name in the first place?

I promptly walked away..

“Damn.. I wonder if Liliath has anti-charm magic.. now I cant get her out of my head.. fuck. I cursed in my heart.

Fuck.

Fuck..

FUCK...

84.

“Noel, where are you going?”

“Hm? I’m going to walk around for a bit, you’re going to the cafeteria with Saria right? I think she’ll be able to guide you on the process of buying stuff– oh right,” Noel then took out his wallet and passed me a few pieces of valuable paper. “Saria, i’m counting on you to take care of Liliath.”

“Sure thing Mr. overprotective, come on Liliath. I’ll make sure not a scratch comes your way.”

“Thank you Noel.”

Though.. I wish he would’ve joined me instead. Whatever it may be, I understood it would be uncomfortable sitting together with both Saria and I. Moreover, I believe this was a chance for me to stop relying on him for a bit…

Disappointment. Such a feeling welled up inside of me.

The lack of the tasks which I need to complete with Noel which I thought to be responsible before– I realized to be the string that connected Noel and I. We were growing distant.

At the same time, some distance infrequently was important for intimacy and trust to grow. I will take head on that advice.

The ‘cafeteria’ was busy, students with similar uniforms in queue, some were running about. I could see a few notable students wearing red ties– members of the student council. It was apparent their role for today was to keep everything in order.

I now believe I made the right decision to reject Elyja’s offer. I will have to notify her about this in due time.

“Liliath, do you know the process to buy things from the cafeteria?”

“I apologize for my incompetant..” 

“No worries! With me here you’ll definitely be a-okay!” Saria replied enthusiastically, grabbing my arm, she pulled me forward. “We queue up here and wait for our turn.”

It wasn't a few minutes before our turn came. An amiable woman who looked to be the merchant of the ‘cafeteria’ asked for our order.

“So, what do you want to buy Liliath?”

“Water.”

“Water?”

“Yes, water. Plain water, if possible.”

Saria’s eyes rounded into a bead.

“Water?”

I nodded. 

“Uh.. mineral water is g-good right?” 

I nodded once again, though confused by the added ‘mineral’ to the water. I believe it was a topic I've seen somewhere in biology.

“Okay.. auntie, one mineral water and a packet of fries.. is that all you want Liliath?”

“Could I request for a clean cup?” I asked the amiable lady.

“Oh my, what an exotic hair colour– “ the amiable lady looked stunned. Procuring the requested orders, I passed the valuable papers to her, Saria too paid for her portion.

With that, Saria and I sat down at a corner table.

Saria, with a sympathetic look, taught me how to open a mineral water bottle– as it was called.

“What are you going to do with the water– and why the cup? Are you actually going to drink water out of the cup?”

“I was planning to drink some tea.”

From my pocket, I took out a tea bag. Pouring the water and heating it with heat magic, I was able to raise the water to a modest temperature. From there, I tore open the packaging and dropped the tea bag inside the water. I didn’t forget to lift and drop the tea bag from time to time. It has become a habit of mine– and it helps the tea diffusion process faster.

“This was the idea Noel recommended yesterday. I plan to bring my own cup next time… Saria?

“Ha-haahh..”

She looked like she had lost her soul?

“I don't get it anymore, ha.. hahaha,” Saria clung to her head with tears in her eyes.

“D-did I do something wrong?”

“No, you did perfect Liliath, I'm proud of you,” Saria’ expression turned for the worse, a beautiful yet fake smile clung to her face. I shivered, “Liliath is an otherworlder, her common sense differs from normal people wait.. doesn't that mean Noel is also corrupted? Why did he even recommend something like this..” such a mutter could be heard under her breath.

I hung my head.

“Status window open.”

The cute Noel and Prune were there together, flowers adorned the surroundings.

I wonder what Noel was doing.. and with Prune..

“Liliath?”

“Sorry.. I was just thinking..”

“Y-Your coloured changed a little..”

“How so?”

“It became.. darker.. something happened?” 

“I’m a little too possessive… that’s all. I have to control my impulses,”I waved my hand to dismiss her concern.. though, it is surprising to hear how the colour changes depending on my emotions.

“That’s rather direct.. I see.. it must be Noel.”

I meekly smiled at her correct assumptions. Though I am concerned, Noel needs his own space too.

“Well, what about him?” Saria asked out of concern.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t dig too deep into the matter.”

“Alright,” Saria punched her fist together, “ Want some fries?”

Accepting the snack and drinking a sip of the pleasant tea, I felt Noel’s presence move close by. Turning my head, I saw him waving at me from a distance, Prune beside him.

I suppose he was at least concerned enough to greet me here. I waved back at him.

As if they came to a conclusion on something, they went somewhere.

I bit my lips in secret.

“Liliath~”

“Yes Saria?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.. Noel has eyes for you only. At least, that’s what I feel. Your colours are mixed together after all.”

“Is that so?”

Saria nodded with a wide smile. Her ability to see colours was something that she herself has yet to come to an understanding, though, it was interesting to hear how those colours interact with each other.

From her explanation, it seemed coming into contact with other people would cause the two colours to mix at times. I imagined Prune’s colour mixing with Noel’s colour.. a little displeasure could be felt from the thought.

However, it seemed I was a special case where my colour is directly attached to Noel’s. No matter how far I am from him, Saria would tell me that there exists a string that connects us, much like a master and familiar.

“Speaking of which, how did you heat the water? The tea is warm.. how? Magic?”

“Yes, with the aid of magic.”

“Can you show me?” with sparkling eyes, Saria pleaded.

Pondering a little, I raised a finger into the air, a ball of water condensed in the air.

“Uu–wow!”

Saria proceeded to poke the water with her fingers. The water would separate from the source before coming together in conheasion.

“It’s like playing with water in zero gravity– so cool..”

Zero gravity– it was the name of a spell I’ve read once before. At the same time, I felt as if Saria was referring to a different thing when she said that.

Saria’s gaze traced my finger, pointing it towards a building. More concisely, it was the window close to the balcony. I released the mass of water, it sliced the wind and hit the ‘target’ satisfyingly.

“Your magic is different from TALENTS right? There are TALENTS that allow people to use elemental magic but– from what I’ve heard, it’s limited. You can use more than one element right Liliath?” Saria who shifted her gaze from the distant building turned to Liliath with sparkling eyes.

I gave her a smile, “So I’ve heard from Noel.”

Saria nodded, taking another potato fry and tossed it into her mouth, not before dipping it into chillI sauce however.

Before taking the next potato fry, Saria paused, then looked at me.

“Why did you need to buy water? You could’ve just ‘summoned’ water can't you…”

“I wonder.. perhaps it was because I wanted to experience what it was like to trade at the cafeteria?”

Could be.. such a fact. I overlooked this option. I blindly followed Noel’s suggestion of buying water from the canteen. Else, I could also use the water I brought from home.

Perhaps I should bring an assortment of sauces for a change. Additional members to form a small daily gathering sounded like a good idea.

Saria recovered from her stupor and shifted the topic.

“Speaking of which, what is Noel’s TALENT?”

“Noel’s TALENT…” I took another glance at the status window, the little Noel was cutely munching on a cookie. I inadvertently laughed.

Saria looked at me in confusion.

Since Noel and I had discussed this matter before hand, I suppose it’s alright to let Saria know.

“How should I put it.. Noel’s TALENT could be considered a complicated one. My deduction would be that his TALENT revolves around bringing something into existence– an example would be me,” I spoke.

“I see.. but I still don't get it?”

“Take for example one of the systems Noel’s ability created. The system is such that it requires us to do daily tasks that could otherwise be considered slightly risque,” I raised a finger in explanation.

“System? But why?”

“Because I wanted to.”

Part of what I said was the truth, the other half came from my hesitance. I felt that the information regarding the points to buy items from the ‘shop’ was a troublesome aspect to explain.

“W-WHa..”

“Yes?”

Saria froze. I wondered if my explanation was lacking?

“Y-you.. two have that kind of relationship and do those things…  I can't believe you didn't deny....”

“Is there anything wrong?”

“H-have you two.. done it?” Saria sprawled across the table, casted a quick glance at me.

“Yes?”

I wonder what she meant? Though, the context sounded like something pertaining to indecent acts?

While Saria looked at me doubtfully, turning to face the status window, the appearance of Noel talking to another girl could be seen.

…

Who is that?

85.

BLARE. BLARE. BLARE.

Morning–

I raised my body up from the bed and glared at my phone before shutting the alarm off.

Stretching my arms, I got out of bed, took my uniform and headed out my room.

“Yo, morning.”

“Yeah, morning.”

It was Nine. A surprising note is that she wakes up super early. It’s 5 am and here I am, seeing Nine who’s all dressed, brushing her teeth.

Gargling the water in her mouth, she spit it out before rinsing her toothbrush.

“If anything, I'll use the other bathroom.” 

“Ah, wait,” rinsing her mouth, then wiping it with a towel, “I’m good, you head on in.”

“Thanks,” yawning, I took a shower. I made sure I chased Nine outside. Not that ‘she’ would be interested in another males’ body.

Huh.. what if the reason why she prefers her female form is because she’s into female mastur..

That’s just confusing.. if it were me, I think I would prefer to stay a male and use my female form during emergencies.

Ahem, that aside.

Finishing my shower– I just realized a super important point… I forgot to bring my own towel.. I left it on the chair to dry. Awh fuck.

I checked the bathroom for any spare clean towels– unfortunately, there wasn’t, I remember that I forgot to arrange it here. That however, didn’t mean there wasn’t any.. I think that towel over there is Liliath’s one. She left it here to dry.

Fuck. I can't believe this is actually happening.

What are my choices?

A: Use Liliath’s towel and toss it right into the washing machine. Afterwards tell her to get a new towel.

Or..

B: Call for Nine’s help.

Or..

C: Rush out into the wild and quickly escape into my room, hoping that no one is outside.

Choose..

“Seriously now..” pressing my finger to my forehead.

My uniform is already here.. 

I think A is the best option.. that is if i’m alright with using a towel LIilath used before.. ugghh..

But there were many instances of us sharing towels back at home right? Liliath didn't seem to mind, not even a bit.

Then again, there is option B but.. who the fuck knows what Nine could do in my room? She could practically set a bomb there. 

But.. It’s the safest choice of the three.

C is out. No way am I going to run outside naked.

Else, option D– wipe myself using toilet paper.

Fuck.

Option A is the best.. It’s not like I have never used Liliath’s towel..

“I’m sorry Liliath,” I dried myself with the towel and put my clothes on before exiting.

“Good morning Noel,” Liliath who sat on the living room couch voiced. A glass of water would be seen placed on the low table.

“Morning Liliath, you okay?”

“As usual, thank you,” Liliath showed a slightly forced smile, which only confused me more.

It started yesterday after recess. Liliath was obviously crestfallen. Hah.. I wonder why?

Liliath took her towel and proceeded to the bathroom, passing me, she spoke in a low tone.

“I’ll go wash up.”

“Y-yeah..”

As Liliath’s soft foot steps continued to resound behind me, I thought...

So if the towel I used wasn’t Liliath’s..

Oh fuck.

===

Tossing the clothes and towel into the washing machine– 3 sets of girl uniforms that is… including the panties and the like, I shut the door of the washing machine before adding the detergent and adjusting the setting to clean.

After Liliath got out of the bath, I quickly swapped the towel inside for a clean one. The towel– who I don't know the owner to– was now spinning inside the whirlwind of bubbles. I stared at it blankly, wondering if the towel was Nine’s or Prune’s.

Ugh..

Shaking my head to get rid of the thought, I went to the kitchen where Liliath was. I found myself mesmerized by the view of her back as she was cooking food for breakfast. 

“Noel?”

Liliath turned around, her ponytail sway as she looked at me. Meanwhile, her hands that had been stirring the food in the pan were still moving.

“Sorry, um. Let me help.”

Liliath nodded with a smile and I walked up beside her. I tossed the leftover chicken wings into the rice cooker– a cheap and efficient way of steaming food. The flavors of the chicken would also seep into the rice so there isn't any waste. Though the chicken wing would come out a little blander in the end.

“Noel, can you pass me the miso paste?”

“Yeah, got it,”

Passing her the jar, Liliath skillfully mixed the necessary amount into the soup to condense the broth, adding mushrooms and dried seaweed she had bought prior.

Truthfully speaking, I wonder if Liliath was someone who already knew how to cook? But when I asked her about it, she said she only learnt it recently.. for her skills to already exceed mine in such a short time..

I can only cook proper instant noodles for fuck sake.

I have to thank my mom and Prune for teaching her. She has become a full fledged housewife.

“Try some,” Liliath held the ladle of miso soup to my face. It was obvious what she was trying to do.

“T-thank you,” 

“How is it? Any lack of flavour?”

“I think it’s alright.”

“Alright,” Liliath tried the soup herself– it was literally an indirect kiss using a ladle. She continued to boil the soup and soon placed it on the lid of the pot and extinguished the fire.

Around this time, Prune woke up. Her hair was an absolute mess– her tail was a white ball of fur-mess. Which led me to wonder how she cleans her tail in the first place.

“Morning Liliath– Noel,” Prune, greeted with half-closed eyes.

Returning our own greetings, Prune took to the bathroom.

“Noel?” 

“Yes?”

Liliath looked into my eyes, and I did the same.

She brought me into her embrace. Since there was an obvious difference in height, her head ended up where my chest was.

Though, that wasn’t the main issue.

“What’s wrong?”

Surprising myself at my own calm voice, I caressed her beautiful velvet hair. Of course, taking care to not mess it up like last time.

“Who was that person.. from yesterday.”

“Huh? Who was that–”

Ah.. her huh..

 I could only guess her reaction was something to do with my encounter with Rishelle. And about her.. fortunately, her voice is no longer ringing in my ear.

Huh? I’m still thinking about her though?

Ah fuck, whatever. She will disappear from my memories in time.

“Remember the first time we came to the school– the big auditorium with the boring speeches.”

Liliath nodded.

“I think it was the emcee whose voice could hypnotize people.”

Liliath didn’t reply, we remained like that for a while.

That was until Prune called out to us awkwardly.

“U-Um.. sorry to disturb you two.. someone put my towel to wash right?”

“Y-yeah, I put it to wash since..”
“G-got it, I’ll just take the new one.”

Prune turned around and left for the bathroom. 

Still clinging to me, Liliath looked up with upturned eyes before her eyes narrowed to a slit. Shifting her hand forward, she pinched my hair before pulling it.

A tuft of white hair could be seen.

I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“Noel~”

Oh fuck.

OH FUCK?! 

“S-sorry…!It was an accident. I swear!”

It was an accident, definitely an accident!!

Liliath only chuckled.

She then tightened her embrace, I felt like my spine was about to be crushed from the force Liliath, I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! SO SPARE ME, PLEASE!?

As if Liliath heard my pleas, she relaxed and pulled away from me with a frown.

“Sorry..” I hung my head.

Liliath then held my face with both her hands and had me stare right into her eyes. A sharp, decisiveness could be seen from within. Then she said in a serious tone.

“Noel is mine and mine only, got that?”

“Heh? Yeah.. huh?”

Liliath pulled away– rather, she disappeared again before I could confirm anything.

The next thing I knew it, I felt like my cheeks had just touched something soft and warm.

Mysterious as always… damn.

Not that it was bad though..

86.

Breakfast was– awkward, Prune seemed to have noticed. I mean, how wouldn’t she, there was a little bit of her fluffy white hair stuck on me before Liliath took it off– she must have noticed a long time ago and left it there on purpose.

Liliath kept chuckling, Prune was.. slightly, or quite obviously embarrassed. Nine on the other hand, felt that something was amiss.

Welp, not like she deserves an explanation since the first thing Nine does after taking a morning shower is to hole herself inside her room– most probably playing games.

“Hey Noel, what in the world happened?” Nine asked, noticing my silence.

“I got found out..”

Yeah, no shit. And there’s no way I'm telling you what the hell happened.

“Found out what? You were caught cheating?” Nine narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously, her hands going round and round the plates. Bubbles continued to form on the surface.

“Maybe.”

“What?! You pervert!”

“Says the guy dressed as a female.”

“Oi, I'm a genuine female, you know? Or would you like to play with my breasts to burn the truth into your mind.”

“Uh.. yeah. No thank you.”

Wow.. so blunt. Not feminine at all. Zero points.

“Ah.. so that’s why..” Nine said suspiciously.

I decided to stop thinking about it. Nine’s only going to prattle on with some lewd topics.

“Tsk, a herbivore.”

Then a moment of silence– rather, the sound of running water.

“Noel, can I borrow Liliath later this evening?”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Oh, so you’re admitting Liliath is your property huh?”

“...”

I got played by her words. 

“Alright, alright. In short, my viewers liked her.”
“Viewers?”

“I’m a streamer–duh~. And everyone wanted to see Liliath’s appearance again.”

Nine’s a streamer? Is that why she’s always locked inside her room? Oh yeah, she told me that before. I wonder how many subscribers she has? Also, my guess is that her ‘interchangeable’ gender is the leverage around her stream.

Ah.. this explains why ‘she’ has such an ‘explicit’ and ‘perverted’ persona doesn’t it?

Though..

“I guess you can ask Liliath about that.. Yeah...why did you even have to ask me in the first place? It’s not like I can force Liliath to do something she dislikes.”

“For fun.”
This bitch.

Our hands kept moving until all the plates were cleaned.

Liliath was in the living room, reading a biology book– Prune was scrolling through social media. We have another hour to go before we leave for school.

“Nee-chan! Tell me what happened to Onii-chan!” Nine pestered Prune who was claser.

Prune glared at me, I could only lower my head.

“Prune nee-chan! Can your imouto know what happened?”

“Liliath..” Prune pleaded for help.

Liliath who took notice pointed her finger at Nine. Nine froze on the spot and turned to Liliath. Her mouth flapped up and down with an annoyed expression on her face, it was like a lecturing mime.

“You saved me Liliath,” Prune heaved a sigh.

Well.. rather.. It’s more like Liliath saved me and Prune.

“Noel?” Liliath turned to me and showed an implying look. I could guess what she wants me to do.. why does it feel like she’s my mother? I mean.. different from my mom in a sense but still quite motherly.

“Sorry Prune.. I didn’t mean it,” I exhaled.

Nine who couldn’t speak started beating at me with her weak fists.

“You have my smell on you know..” Prune whispered.

“Come again?”

“N-nothing. I-it’s an accident right? J-just forget about it..”

“Yeah.. Sorry..”

I actually heard what Prune said.. well. I suppose her sense of smell is heightened.. and.. hah.. this is complicated.. fuck.

Nine kept beating at me with her fists while I drowned myself in my thoughts.

===

Class.

Early morning, few students, pre-class.

Liliath, Prune and I shared a table.

It seems that Liliath is interested in biology. If anything, she’s constantly asking about this subject in particular. Of course.. most of her questions only bring up more questions..

One of them which I'm wracking my head around is photosynthesis. I know there is a deeper explanation of photosynthesis in the later chapters but.. just what exactly happens inside chlorophyll? 

From where Liliath came from, their explanation was that plants convert the mana from the sun into mana which is used to purify the air.

A simple explanation for a ‘simple’ process. A plant is after all– a plant. Then again, in biology, scientists just had to use an overly complex explanation– an organism that synthesizes nutrients in its leaves by photosynthesis using the green pigment chlorophyll.

The problem is chlorophyll. What exactly is chlorophyll? And how does it act as a catalyst to modify the molecules.. our syllabus doesn't cover how and why the photolysis process happens..

“Liliath likes biology a lot huh?” 

“Not quite..” to Prune’s question, Liliath said. 

“But you’re always reading and asking biology related stuff though?”

“I prefer the subject of self-development, philosophy and economics.. “

“Heehh..” 

“Prune.. how does one explain photosynthesis to Liliath?” I’m being tested to the limits.

“Photosynthesis? It’s a process of changing energy, and molecules into sugar.”

“What is ‘synthesize’ then?” Liliath pointed at the confusing lexicon.

“It’s a fancy word for ‘produce’.”

“How complex,” why does Liliath sound like she was praising the person who developed this word. Haah.. 

“Perhaps the teacher can give a better explanation, we have biology class later right?”

“That is true..” 

“Morning Noel, morning Liliath, morning Prune,” KaI who arrived greeted us before taking a seat.

“”Morning,”” Prune and I replied.

Liliath– remained silent.

Her vigilance still hasn’t subsided. I wonder why.

KaI then went to Eunice’s table and started discussing with her regarding class ‘stuff’. Whatever that may be.

“You know, I'm feeling a rather odd repulsion when it comes to Kai.. similar to when I met Liliath,” Prune commented.

Liliath then looked at me, “I don’t understand why I’m feeling this way but.. be careful Noel..”

Again with this problem.. why exactly are they wary about Kai? He’s a good, amiable person for the most part right? Or was there something deeper behind it.. what exactly is his TALENT? His explanation was rather crude.

===

Science lab. Biology class.

Um…

“Liliath?”

I was about to go to my usual table with KaI and Voux when Liliath held my sleeve. Rather than say ‘held’, it’s more like, she’s going to rip it apart if I tried to pull away.

“I suggest to not get too close to him.. it is alright to shuffle between seats isn’t it?”
“Aren’t you being over–cautious?”

I wanted to say overprotective but.. it just doesn't sound appropriate.. honestly, this feels like a ridiculous development, I mean.. What in the world is this flag?! It definitely has something to do with my TALENT. Then again, I don't really want to play around with emotions.. it’s ridiculous.. I've taken my share of pills from the incident where Liliath went to the hospital last time..

This is a school, and befriending people is appropriate isn't it? I don't think there really is any reason why Liliath has to stop me from joining Kai.. unless KaI is secretly a female, then it would make sense.

Though, I should also consider Liliath’s superior instincts. She’s a demon lord.

Then again… she told me not to trust her..

Hnngg…

What a ridiculous ‘event’... wIll it turn into an event? I’m not sure..

“How about we take a seat further back..those groups of students there.. right, you have those questions you want to ask the teacher don’t you?”

“I could always walk to the front or raise my hand. We should follow your suggestion.”

“Alright then..”
KaI and Voux flashed an expression of confusion when I chose to take a seat in another group. I could only smile wryly. 

The group we were at had another 3 people. Eunice, Wendy and Wake.

Wake– as in wa-ke. A stout two syllable pronunciation, in a japanese accent.

“Hello! Qui!”

But the person– or rather, the thing that greeted Liliath and I first was the rabbit plushie..

What. In. The. Fuck.

IT CAN TALK?!

Wendy smiled at Liliath and invited her to sit beside her. I on the other hand, had no option but to sit beside her, Wake to the left of me.

“Nice to meet you Mr. Noel. Qui!” The rabbit raised its paw. I wonder if it eats cotton carrots.

“Uh.. yeah.. nice to meet you..”

Eunice and Wake gave Liliath and I a nod as a greeting– Eunice being rather cold as she shifted her attention back to the novel she was reading. Wake on the other hand, was a typical male with a medium build and balck hair accentuated by his black rimmed glasses. 

An Asian.

Just like the rest of the class– except Liliath and Prune– who were also Asians, obviously.

“Is he your boyfriend?”I heard Wendy whisper to Liliath. I’m pretty sure she didn’t mean for me to hear it but I still heard it anyways. Technically no? I got rejected by Liliath despite her still clinging to me. Yup, serves as a good explanation.

Liliath tilted her head before asking back in a genuinely curious and innocent voice.

“Which definition are you referring to?”

Which definition? Isn’t it obvious?! 

“No eavesdropping Mr! It’s impolite,” and before I could say anything, the rabbit plushie jumped and clung to my face.

The impact was like cotton candy moving at the speed of a bullet– minus the stickiness of sugar.

Truthfully speaking.. whose rabbit is this.. It’s a plushie for gosh sake.

“Are pets even allowed in class?” I asked Wake through the plushie.

“Yes, for familiars, but..” Wake’s voice was your every-day casually-typical kind of student… oh wait. Let’s not make a mistake, every student in ModaI high had been ‘specially’ selected. I can't underestimate him like how I underestimated Nine.

Then again, It’s a courtesy for both parties to share information regarding each other’s TALENTS, not a one-sided exchange.

“QuI is a plushie! Plushies are banned from school!! But QuI is a rabbit! And a plushy QuI so QuI is a familiar! Qui!” The rabbit yelped in the most adorable manner ever. I’m surprised that it’s so clingy. So much for its violent explanation.

“Noel, i've heard from the rumors bt just to confirm, you actually summoned Liliath– is that true?”

“Pretty much,” I tore the rabbit off my face. “Whose’s rabbit is this?”

“Wendy’s.”

Ah.. so this is her TALENT? I wonder what’s the catch..

“Oh, and if you’re wondering about, my TALENT it’s the ability to locate people with a touch. I can go up to around a hundred, and delete or add people in the list at my own discretion.”

Wake poked my forearm.

Huh..

87.

“Are you a stalker?” I asked.

“Maybe,” Wake shrugged.

Huh.. I'm surprised he admitted it so easily.. what is with this anyways? I’m I that valuable?

“You can take me off your list of must-stalks right?”

“Yes.”

“Do it.”

“When I feel like it.”

“...”

Class started, Teacher Eyl elaborating on the characteristics of enzymes.

Well.. I’ve already studied this but it doesn’t hurt to refresh my memories– Liliath had a puzzled look on her face. She’s probably confused over why this is part of the education syllabus in the first place..

Wendy caressed the rabbit plushie– I think its name is Qui, since it referred to itself as ‘Qui’ and exclaims ‘Qui’ at the end of most its sentence. I find weirder how the rabbit can speak without moving its mouth– telepathically? TALENTS sure are weird.

Wendy who probably noticed my stare whispered to QuI before taking out an eraser from her pencil case. Not just an eraser– but an eraser with a smiley face. Liliath too lost concentration and began to observe what Wendy was planning to do.

She placed the eraser vertically on the lab table and–

“Hi~”

Oh fuck.. first a talking rabbit, now a talking eraser.. what the heck is this? Even the pen drawing of the face became animated. It gave us a cutesy wink.

I carefully waved my hand to greet the pesky little eraser.

Wendy moved her hand over and with a small push– toppled it over.

A soft cry could be heard– never in my life would I have imagined that an eraser could scream.

“What an amusing ability, could it be used for other objects?” Liliath asked

“So as long as the target doesn’t exceed a certain limit, I can make it come to life– temporarily,” Wendy explained.

“So it’s an external TALENT..”

Huh.. I wonder why her TALENT feels so wrong.. what if she touched someone’s clothing? She could make the clothing piece jump into a toilet now?

Class passed, everything was rather normal. Well… not for the stares i’m getting fro Voux and Kai. Sorry.

“Hm? Why did the table become empty..” Teacher Eyl who noticed how I wasn’t together with Kai’s group suddenly thought out loud. With an awkward smile, the teacher requested “Could someone tally the numbers please? It’s not good to bunch together.”

Voux turned to me and beckoned me with his eyes. 

KaI only gave a wryly smile.

“Noel? Liliath? Could you two?” Teacher Eyl was being polite with the vague way she phrased that.

“Liliath?”

She shook her head and leaned against my shoulders with a pout.

The class raised a ‘WOOO’ while eacher Eyl looked dejected.

Seriously Liliath.. what in the world gives..

In the end, two students from other groups went to fill the spot.

“Sorry Noel.. but don't you see the oddity in this?”

Oddity?

“Teacher Eyl said to limit the number to 6 people for each designated table. If we changed our seats, there would be a need to replace us. Don’t you think it’s too roundabout?”

I wanted to ask why she was so wary of KaI but hearing her explanation I shut my mouth. There was indeed an incongruence to this.

“Sorry..” Liliath looked really dejected.

“It’s alright..”

I’m more confused and worried than I am angry. 

“Is there something between you two and Kai?” Wake asked. Probably incited by the stir-up a month ago when Liliath out-right refused to become Kai’s helper.

“Maybe? I’m not too sure about it myself..”

While conversing with Wake, Liliath kept her fingers busy by ‘abusing’ the eraser– no, rather, ‘using’ is the better term. I mean, what eraser isn’t manufactured for erasing… right? The eraser kept screaming, Wendy laughing together with the indifferent Liliath.

What’s this? A sadist duo?

Sure looks fun drawing random stencil marks and putting the eraser to good use.

===

Saria, Wendy and I were enjoying our time at the cafeteria. The same seat we sat at yesterday. Oh, I can't forget the rabbit, QuI now.

An assortment of sauces were lined up in front of me, from ‘mayo’ to chocolate sprinkles. Saria stared intently at each of the various colourful bottles.

“W-why?”

“Qui! Amazing! Qui!”

“Can I have some?”

“I wouldn’t be able to finish them alone would I?”

Wendy looked pleased by the multitude of choices being presented while Saria had an odd, cramped expression. 

The three of us bought potato fries, which I had been told was a popular item on the menu. And it was popular with many students, myself included.

“You don't have to be so reserved Saria,” Confused by her expression, such was what I said to perhaps calm her down..

“Liliath.. has anyone told you there’s a little something wrong with your common sense..”

My issue with this world’s common sense again..  a problem I would overcome with experience and time..

“Noel mentioned it before.. not that I could come to terms with it in a short time either..” I hung my head.

“NO!! Saria, why did you have to say that Qui! QuI doesn’t follow common sense too Qui!”

Squeaking, the rabbit then munched on one of the potato fries.

“Qui, you can eat?” Wendy flashed a look of surprise.

“QuI can eat.. cant eat.. Qui.”

The aforementioned potato fry dirtied its mouth without any way to enter any stomach.

“Oh no.. I have to send you to the washing machine Qui.. this stain is no good,” Wendy chuckled, removing the food pieces from the rabbit’s mouth.

“Qui! NOOO!!!”

It was obvious the rabbit was not fond of the ‘washing machine’, if that meant it would be spun inside a metal container? 

Our tea break ended with Saria trying a number of the sauces I brought. It seemed the chocolate sauce didn’t pair well with the fries, as expected. I was, however, surprised to learn that chillI paste complemented well.

Finishing our tidbits, we cleaned the table and left for class.

That was when we saw Kai, he alone held a large stack of boxes. He looked to be struggling.

I thought perhaps to take this opportunity to learn why my instincts were telling me that there was something about him that made me wary. I didn’t mean to get rid of Noel’s freedom, but his safety was an absolute must.

Odd.. how come the people of this world..

“Wendy, Saria, you two can go back first, I’ll assist Kai,” I pushed a packet of potato fry I bought for Noel and the bag where I kept the various sauces to them.

Wendy and Saria looked at each other.

“I’ll help,” Saria decided to stay.

“I’ll bring this back then,” Wendy decided to carry

“Let me assist.”

Without waiting for his reply, I maneuvered the box in the air before having it land on my arms. It was rather light.

“Oh, thanks.. I need to get this to teacher Glib,” KaI stopped on the spot, allow me the chance to take away some of his load.

“Saria,” I passed the box I held to Saria before taking another one from Kai. Saria struggled with the box, it seemed the physical standard of the people in this world was rather low.

“Thanks, you two..” KaI showed a surprised expression when his sight landed on me, to that, I merely smiled. Though, this unnerving feeling of something out of the norm still stuck with me. I have to be cautious.

The three of us headed for the office where the teacher’s gathered. The last time I came here was when Noel and I wanted to confess the truth behind Noel’s ability.

“Thank you three, put it down here please,” Teacher Glib who herself was checking the contents of the boxes pointed at a spot beside all the other boxes. A number of colourful books could be seen inside.

“Wheeh, thanks Liliath, thank Saria,” KaI flashed us an amiable smile that reeked of suspicion.

“No prob.”

While I merely nodded.

The three of us left the office, Saria tugged at me but I hinted at her to return first with my eyes.

Saria gave me a look of doubt before accepting my intent and increased her pace, leaving just KaI and me.

“What is it?” KaI questioned me in a dubious voice.

“I apologize,” I said in a dull tone.

“Apologize? What do you mean?”

“I feel an unexplainable sense of repulsion towards you, thus why I asked Noel to avoid you.”

Depending on his reaction, I should be able to glean a thing or two regarding his motive.

“Well.. thanks for telling the truth. I am just that kind of person after all.. probably my TALENT.”

“Could I ask you to elaborate on it further?”

“My TALENT? Well, I would like to ask of yours too.”

The way he spoke was nonchalant, no tension, totally calm. He wasn’t faking it either. 

“I don’t have a TALENT. It’s referred to as magic back from where I came from.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Er.. about mine, it’s the ability to gauge people’s mental aptitude. But that isn’t the whole picture. There’s another ability of mine, which is to alter a person’s perception about me.”

“Is that so..”

How queer.

“It’s not like I'm using it on you, just saying. It’s up to you to believe me or not.”

“Understood.”

If he had gone so far as to explain it in this way.. I suppose my suspicion before proves correct. One this note, I think I have a better understanding of the situation now.

Perhaps. 

My first assumption was that he didn’t intend any harm, just that my instincts were right in detecting him as a minor threat.

Second was that he had no intention to begin with. The situation may have very well been a coincidence. Else, he was merely fooling around. 

“See you around,” KaI gestured with his hand before departing towards a different direction. 

Nodding, I entered the class to find Noel shifting his gaze between the potato fries, the bag of sauces and me. A questioning gaze…

“Thanks for the fries but.. when did you bring the sauce?”

He asked doubtfully.