A long banquet table had been set up in front of the willow tree and was covered in trays of bite-sized sweets: the warm smell of freshly baked sugar floated throughout the courtyard, welcoming Aida and Sue into the homey atmosphere. The teachers were milling around the front of the table, greeting students as they approached. Other than the third years, only a few second years were still at school, and they were huddled in their own group at the edge of the courtyard.
Caleb and Ezra were standing at the far end of the courtyard, both looking harried as Levi tried to force a sweet into their mouths. The boys were wearing similar cuts of clothing: long, cotton pants paired with a cotton tunic, and a heavier open-front jacket. Despite the simple fabrics, their outfits still carried their wearers’ characteristics. Ezra’s clothes were various shades of gray, with his pants being the darkest shade and his jacket nearly white. Silver thread gleamed along the seams. Levi’s attire was a lot more flamboyant and green, though it followed a similar chroma to Ezra’s. The sleeves of his pale green jacket had contrasting green vines embroidered along the opening, matching the color of his pants. Caleb’s was the most simple: dark, dependable brown pants, with a sand-colored top and an eggshell-colored jacket. The three of them undeniably looked like a matching set, fit for a dating game.
Dev, Abedi, and Shon, all dressed in their own corresponding colors (Dev in shades of blue, Abedi in yellow and gold, and Shon in more muted shades of green), were off to the side, snickering as they watched Caleb and Ezra dodge Levi’s attempted force-feeding.
As the two girls headed out to the courtyard, all eyes turned to Sue. Aida glanced over at her friend, suppressing a smile as Sue was bathed in moonbeams. With the way the pale light gleamed off of her perfect skin and hair, and somehow highlighting her lilac eyes instead of washing them out, there was no question that the world was supposed to revolve around her.
A small part of Aida was envious that Sue had the natural ability to effortlessly look amazing under all lighting conditions.
Sue was smiling as she took in the setup, taking in a deep breath of the sweet air. She reached out and looped her arm through Aida’s elbow, pulling her along to greet the teachers.
“Miss Heslia, Miss Loreh, we’re very happy you could make it,” Professor Gemma said, inclining her head courteously as they approached. “Please, feel free to have some desserts and socialize with your fellow students.”
“Don’t worry about keeping your mana pools balanced tonight,” Professor Lloyd added, smiling benignly at them. He spread his arms to take in the courtyard. “Treat this as if it were your last night in this realm and enjoy yourself!”
“That’s a bit too grim, Lloyd,” Professor Kozu interjected genially, placing a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder to pull him back. He addressed the girls next. “Enjoy yourselves, but do be responsible.”
Professors Bruce and Havi merely nodded at them, acknowledging their arrival. Aida and Sue took their time picking through the desserts on the table, giggling at the cute shapes, before finally choosing one small pastry each. Sue selected a pastel pink pastry shaped like a rosebud, while Aida chose a simple dessert that looked like a mochi: white like a full moon.
“You two finally made it,” Levi commented as they approached the three boys. “We were all about to call it a night.”
“That’s not true,” Caleb protested, embarrassed. “The night is still young.” He couldn’t keep his eyes off of Sue, while she seemed to have a difficult time maintaining eye contact with him. She smiled nervously at Levi and Ezra; Levi was amused, his eyes dancing between Sue and Caleb, while Ezra just blinked.
“What a relief,” Aida sighed. “I don’t mind heading back to my room after finishing this.” She held up her little mochi. It was squishy, with a gently powdered surface just like the regular confection in her world. She bit into it, chewing carefully.
The outside of it was gelatinous and mildly sweet, as expected. But the inside filling was something she had never tasted before: faintly salty, just enough to provide a hint of savoriness, perfectly balanced with the gently toasted sugar. Overall, the combination was extremely mild, leaving Aida with a craving for more.
“You like that one?” Levi asked impishly. He offered her another one of the addictive mochi balls, pinched gently between his thumb and forefinger. His small dessert dish was piled high with a variety of desserts from the banquet table. “Ezra and Caleb don’t seem to want any.”
Aida held out her own sampling dish, but Levi waved the dessert tauntingly in front of her. “Dispense with the needless actions! Just eat it like this.”
She gave him a deadpan look, while Ezra reached out and snatched the mochi from Levi’s fingers. “It’s not that we don’t want them, it’s just that we didn’t want you feeding them to us. Nobody does,” Ezra refuted. He spoke calmly, but his expression publicized his bad temper. Aida let out an unwilling giggle as Ezra chomped the mochi aggressively, looking very much like the meme cat celebrity Grouchy Cat. It was nice to see Ezra opening up and making friends with the other boys.
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“I agree, that’s quite unsanitary,” Aida agreed. She plucked a rosebud pastry from Levi’s plate, biting into it delicately.
It was a flaky confection. She didn’t know how the dessert was made, but each layer of the petal crumbled in the most divine way: not too dry, so that no crumbs flew out of her mouth from a wayward breath; just moist enough to melt against her tongue, wrapping it in a thin sheet of creaminess. The interior of the rosebud was just as much of a palatable experience: smooth cream oozed out of the small opening, more like a syrup than an airy pudding. I see why Sue likes this one.
Aida opened her mouth to share her thoughts with Sue, only to see that she and Caleb had drifted away from them. Sue was the perfect image of a chaste and demure maiden, gazing down at her plate with the rosebud on it as she laughed lightly at whatever Caleb said. Caleb himself looked like he didn’t know what he was doing with his body, constantly shifting on his feet and readjusting his hands. Despite the uncharacteristic unfamiliarity with his own body, Caleb could barely refrain from hiding his abashed joy at Sue’s attention. Aida swooned at their courtship. To be young and in love…
"You’re looking lovely tonight, Aida.” She caught herself at the unexpected voice, quickly rearranging her expression into a less sappy one. Levi and Ezra had both stiffened, and adopted more formal stances.
Turning around, Aida saw Dev standing a respectful distance away. He had his head lowered deferentially, and held his own sampling plate with a variety of colorful desserts on it. He offered the plate to Aida. “May I entice you in another delicacy?”
“Oh, thank you, but I’m done for the moment,” Aida said quickly, smiling at him. “The desserts that I’ve had were quite filling.”
Dev straightened, smiling at her. “I’m relieved you were able to make it.”
“We are too,” Levi said loudly with an obnoxious guffaw from behind her. He stepped up next to Aida. “It’s nice being able to gather with friends to observe the setting of the Old Moon. Maybe you should get back to yours as well?”
Aida gazed at Levi, nonplussed. What’s with the open hostility? She thought they had all become friends after the sparring session earlier in the star cycle. She glanced at Levi, trying to convey her annoyance at him. However, he refused to meet her gaze, and instead remained squared up with Dev. Ridiculous. Dev’s flirting was harmless, since Sue was safely in Caleb’s orbit right now. Even if Dev moved on to Sue after his perfunctory words to Aida, there was no way Sue would give him the time of night.
“It’s almost time,” Ezra said from Aida’s other shoulder. “Let’s head over there. It’s a better vantage point for viewing the moon than here.” Ezra’s hand ghosted over Aida’s shoulder, directing her towards the center of the courtyard without actually touching her. Levi followed shortly after, with a casual “excuse us” to Dev.
“But what about Sue and Caleb?” Aida inquired, looking over her shoulder. Dev was looking after them. She caught a brief glimpse of the resignation on Dev’s face before Abedi and Shon covered him as they approached their friend. Beyond Dev, Sue and Caleb were still flirting, completely ignorant of what had happened.
“They’ll be fine,” Levi said blithely. “They know what they’re doing.”
“But they’re not at a good—“
“They will be fine,” Ezra affirmed Levi. “Stand here.” Ezra placed Aida directly between himself and Levi, the three of them facing the banquet table. The teachers had started calling for everyone to gather, and Aida saw several school staff members join them as well. Nolem waved merrily at Aida, winking, and Charma smiled indulgently as their eyes met. Aida flushed for some reason, looking away. I need to go greet them later.
“Fellow Maglica Academy residents,” Professor Bruce began, his tone somber. “Another sun cycle is about to end. The night of the Old Moon is meant to be a gathering among family members, where we can all reminisce about our successes, sorrows, or other significant events that occurred during this past year. Despite our inability to spend this precious time with our own families, know that you all are a part of the Maglica Academy family. As you observe the waning of the Old Moon tonight, please remember that you are not alone: you are surrounded by peers, friends, and mentors who have shared memories with you.”
Aida looked up at the sliver of moon hovering over their heads as Bruce finished his speech. Maybe it was because they were in the foothills of the mountains, but for some reason the moon appeared to be bearing down on them all, pressing them against the ground. His words about family made her quiver a bit. Even though the calendar in this world was off, she had still spent a total of twelve weeks in this world - three earth months without her parents. And she was about to “celebrate” the end of the year without them. I wonder how they’re doing now.
Heavy fabric dropped around Aida’s shoulders, and her hands reached up to instinctively clutch the cloth about her, preventing it from falling to the ground. Gentle hands rested on her shoulders, further securing the jacket about her.
“There you go,” Levi said tenderly. “It’s cold. Take my jacket.”
“Oh, thank you,” Aida said blankly. She hadn’t really noticed the chill in the air - she supposed it was due to her improved VIT stat. But there was no denying that the jacket was a sensible accessory for a winter event. How come Sue didn’t tell me to wear a covering? Aida thought, mildly annoyed. Sue herself wasn’t wearing one either; her bare shoulders gleamed underneath the light from the moon and stars. She and Caleb’s arms were nearly touching as they both looked up at the moon.
Actually…none of the other girls were wearing a covering either. A couple of the younger girls were shivering, eyeing some of the other boys in their warm jackets enviously. She looked at Ezra and saw that he seemed to be particularly tense, refusing to look at her. He had his hands folded in the sleeves of his jacket. Lara was alone at the far side of the courtyard, looking up at the moon with her arms crossed. Despite her perfect posture and tranquil expression, she held the same kind of tension all throughout her body like Ezra.
She turned to her other side. Levi had a smug look on his face. “What’s going on?” she whispered. Levi leaned closer to hear her repeated question. “Why don’t the girls get to wear jackets?”