"Seth!"

"Y-yes, Mr. Parker?"

"Were you sleeping again?"

"O-of course not, I just closed my eyes to meditate on what you just said," Seth replied, provoking laughter from the class. He wasn't the smartest guy just after waking up, so that was the best excuse he was able to come up with.

"And what, pray tell, were my profound words?" Mr. Parker asked.

"Um... You asked if I was sleeping," Seth answered with fake confidence.

"Very clever, but what did I say before that?"

"Ermmmmm..." Seth tried as hard as he could to remember but he obviously hadn't heard anything since he had been sleeping.

Ring, ring, ring.

"Looks like you've been saved by the bell, Seth," Mr. Parker declared, turning to the rest of the class. "Alright, everyone, remember to study for tomorrow's test," he reminded the class as the students started packing their belongings.

‘Phew, that's twice in a row now,’ Seth thought with relief.

"Hey, Jake, let's go," Seth called out to Jake, who was still gathering his things.

"Sorry, dude, I forgot to mention it. I'm hanging out with Lea," Jake apologized.

Seth directly looked at Jake as a grin appeared on his face and slowly widened.

"Oh really? Make it worth it," he teased, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, causing Jake to blush.

"W-what are you talking about?" Jake stammered, feeling flustered. "Well, see you later," he said as he rushed out of the classroom.

Bzzz Bzzz

A notification popped up on Seth's phone. It was a message from Victor.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

-Hey Seth

-Today our class is having an additional

exam during lunchtime so Illya and I

won't be able to make it.

Oh ok-

Don't worry-

Good luck to both of you in your exam-

"Guess it'll just be me today," Seth thought, as he took his stuff and left the classroom.

After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at the entrance of the bustling dining hall. Despite the crowded tables, some still remained unoccupied.

*Sigh* ‘I hate sitting alone,’ Seth thought while standing at the entrance, contemplating ways to avoid his current situation. Just then, a girl appeared beside him.

"You're alone too?" asked a pink-haired girl.

"Hey, you too?" Seth replied, noticing the girl standing next to him.

"My class has an exam, but since I don't have to take them anymore, I'm the only one who got permission to leave," Stella explained. "Actually, I could just skip school, but then I'd be bored at home. How about you?" she asked Seth.

"My friends are busy too. Two of them are in the same class as you, so they must be taking the exam right now."

"Oh, really? What are their names?"

"Victor and Illya. Do you know them?"

"Of course, though we don't really talk, I know who they are. Speaking of which, could you introduce me to Illya? I have this feeling she doesn't like me, but I don't know why. I just want to know if I've been rude to her or something."

"Sure, no problem. But don't worry too much if she seems cold. Illya can be like that even with her friends. Anyway, since we're both alone, wanna hang out?" Seth asked, trying to hide his nervousness as best as he could.

"Sure, I was actually planning on sitting with you, even if you didn't want me to. I hate eating alone," Stella admitted with a nervous giggle.

"Yeah, I hate that too," Seth replied, his smile betraying his nerves. "Well, let's find a table," he suggested as they entered the dining hall.

After choosing a table, they activated the tactile screen and started placing their orders.

"What do you usually like to eat?" Seth asked.

"I usually go with my gut and choose randomly. I enjoy the element of surprise when it comes to food," Stella replied, swiping through the menu randomly and stopping at a particular item. "Looks like it's steak day," she commented. "What about you?" she asked.

"I usually go for something with chicken or beef, but I think I'll try your method," Seth said, swiping through the menu at random. "Italian cuisine, huh? I've never had that before," he remarked, settling on a dish topped with a rich red sauce. The description included the main ingredients and the country of origin, which no longer existed.

"What? You've never had Italian food?!" Stella exclaimed in disbelief. "You've got to try it! It used to be extremely popular all over the world before the Dark Era, and it's veeeeeery good."

"Really?" Seth asked, and Stella nodded emphatically. "Well, I guess I'll give it a shot," he said, placing his order. "I saw you on the news. You're a Black Guard cadet now, right?"

"You saw that? Ugh, I was dying of embarrassment. I don't handle crowds very well," Stella admitted, laughing nervously.

"And how does it feel? Being a Black Guard operative?"

"These past few days have been incredibly busy, with everything related to that. But at least I don't have to take any exams anymore, so that's a relief," Stella replied with a smile. "What about you? Are you participating in the tournament?"

"Because that's the only way we, mere mortals, can aspire to become Black Guard operators. We weren't blessed with such overwhelming talent," Seth joked, with a fake mournful expression.

"Very funny. Now you'll have to kneel and apologize to this overwhelming talent," Stella replied, pretending to be offended.

"I apologize, Your Highness," Seth said with a little bow. Both of them chuckled.