"You okay? You're acting kind of strange," Klay asked.

"I'm fine," Jun reassured, her smile quickly reappearing. "But since we were speaking of Finn, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

Jun fetched a neatly wrapped package from her basket and extended it towards Klay. Faint, wisps of steam were rising from it.

"Could you deliver this to Finn when you see him?"

"Cakes! You made cakes!" Klay exclaimed. He attempted to unwrap the package, but Jun swatted his hand away.

"No, those are for Finn, not you. Can you make sure he gets them?" she repeated.

Klay was about to flatly refuse when he noticed the pleading look in Jun's eyes.

"Alright, fine," he relented with a sigh. "If I see him, but only then. If not, then these are mine."

"Thank you, Klay," Jun said, her cheeks flushing a soft pink. "And tell him... tell him I miss him and wish he would visit home sometime."

"Sure," Klay replied with another sigh. He couldn't understand what Jun saw in his brother, but he had long since given up trying to comprehend the two of them. "I'll deliver your message and the cakes, no problem." A thought crossed his mind and he couldn't help but grin. "You know what, I bet I'll enjoy seeing his face turn as red as yours when I tell him."

Jun's blush deepened. "You are the worst sometimes, you know that?"

"Yep, I'm aware," Klay replied with a cheeky grin. "Now, please tell me you made some cakes for me, too."

"Of course I did," Jun replied, pulling another, less carefully wrapped, package from her basket.

Klay cheered as he grabbed the package, immediately opening it to reveal a dozen cakes. His eyes lit up as he took a bite, the soft, buttery crust and sweet plum filling meeting his taste buds.

"Thanks, Jun," he mumbled through a mouthful of cake, already reaching for another. "These are the best cakes in all of Acadia."

Jun laughed. "You're very welcome, Klay."

Suddenly, a cry echoed from behind them. Niko and Tyre's dispute had escalated into a full-fledged wrestling match, the two of them rolling around in the dirt. Jun and Klay tried to suppress their laughter, but Klay failed, sending bits of cake flying from his mouth.

Tyre, who had managed to get Niko into a headlock, shot Klay a fierce look. "Hey, you! Don't think we've forgotten about you. It's only a year, so you better not forget us!"

"Yeah," Niko managed to choke out, his face squished against Tyre's arm. "I'm sure we'll get our invites next year, and—"

"Of course. I'm sure you will," Klay interrupted with an easy smile.

"But Klay will be a year ahead of you by then," Jun chimed in.

"Shut up, Jun!" Niko snapped; though his voice was muffled by Tyre's arm. "Nobody asked you."

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Jun smirked, "Best of luck escaping that headlock, Niko."

"Jun's right," Klay said, his eyes gleaming with mischief as a sly smile spread across his face. He looked at his friends. "You know what this means, right?" he asked. "As your upperclassman, you two will be my loyal sidekicks. You," he pointed to Niko, "will be responsible for making my delicious snacks. I'm sure you can handle it, but maybe have Jun teach you a few recipes, just in case."

Niko scowled. "Wha—"

"And you"—Klay turned to address Tyre— "will take care of my laundry, keep my space clean, and other random tasks."

"Why do I get the random tasks?" Tyre grumbled, his tone laced with annoyance.

"Yup, it'll be awesome," Klay concluded with a smile. "I can't wait for you guys to join me...next year."

The two boys shared a resolute glance. Tyre released Niko, and they both rose, dusting themselves off.

"Well, none of that will happen if Klay can't leave. Right, Niko?" Tyre said.

Niko responded with a sly grin, "Exactly. Let's make sure he doesn't get to leave."

Sensing the brewing squabble, Jun promptly retreated to a safer distance. She hadn't merely been stroking Klay's ego when she said Niko and Tyre couldn't keep up with him. Perhaps she still remembered the first time Niko and Tyre had trained with Klay. The two had gone home battered and bruised, swearing never to train with him again. But they eventually returned after Klay promised to level the playing field by not using his Art.

"Guys, are you sure about this?" Klay asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips. The two boys ignored him and charged.

"Light Emission: Ray Blast," Niko cast, his face scrunched in concentration as he aimed his fingers at Klay. His fingertips ignited, charging up a beam of energy. He unleashed three volleys at Klay, each one narrowly missing and leaving slight scorch marks on the ground where they hit.

Klay smirked. "Niko, you need to work on your aim, buddy. Your finger thingies do pack a punch, but they're useless if you can't hit your target."

"Shut it, jerk," Niko snapped, his fingers glowing as he readied another attack.

"Earth Creation: Dirty Fist," Tyre cast, his fists pressed into the earth. Grains of dirt and pebbles crawled up his wrists, forming a solid crust around his hands. He examined his newfound stone gauntlets with a grin before charging at Klay. Despite unleashing a barrage of punches, Klay sidestepped them with ease. After several more attempts, Klay, spotting an opening, used Tyre's own momentum to send him sprawling with a slight nudge. Tyre stumbled, arms pinwheeling, before crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Klay spun to face him. "As for you, Tyre, you need to be quicker on your feet. You have a lot of power, but you too need to actually land a hit to be effective."

Tyre's face flushed with frustration as he sprang up to grapple with Klay. Simultaneously, Niko, forsaking his Art, barreled toward Klay from the other direction. Klay waited until they were both mid-dive before he vanished, a gust of wind swirling where he had been. The pair of boys collided and tumbled onto the earth with low groans.

Klay reappeared a few feet away, smirking at his defeated friends. "You guys have a lot to learn."

"Niko, you're right," Tyre said, wincing as he and Niko tended to their bruises. "He's a total jerk."

Klay's grin widened. "I'll admit, you were closer than before. You might have even won this time if I hadn't used my Art at the last second. Sorry for breaking my promise."

"I knew he'd cheat," Tyre grumbled.

Klay held up his hands in apology. "Sorry, you guys were serious, so I wanted to treat this seriously too. Just keep at it. Keep training, and come join me next year." He extended his hands to both of them.

Niko was the first to accept Klay's offer, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as Klay hoisted him to his feet.

"You know we will. Just don't go getting a big head in the meantime, okay?"

Klay chuckled. "No promises. It really might be best for you to learn how to cook."

"Do you know how?" Niko asked, laughing.

"Doubt it. He can't do anything by himself," Tyre teased, taking Klay's outstretched hand to rise.

Klay shot them a smirk. "Managed to kick both your butts by myself just fine."

"Okay, fair point," Tyre conceded, trading a fist bump with Klay. "We're going to miss you, buddy. Seriously, don't forget us. A year isn't that long."

"I know," Klay said, flashing an encouraging smile. "So you guys better train hard. I'll be waiting for you."

With that, Jun returned to the group. Klay said his final farewells and set off down the meandering dirt path. For the first time, he was leaving his little village, his home. Each step he took sent a surge of excitement through him. He gave one last wave to his friends, who watched on long after he disappeared into the distance.