For Thomas, early mornings were routine, but today was different; his eyes fluttered open well past the wee hours. Hearing the birds chirp, the man sprang up, knocking heaps of books and paper off his bed. In preparation for his class, he'd devoted every waking hour of the day before to reviewing his notes on magick theory and had, at some point, drifted off. And a glance at the clock beside him revealed that he'd overslept.

"I-I'm going to be late!" Thomas shouted, yanking his blanket aside and jumping out of bed.

Minutes later, the man burst from his room, sloppily dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, a pair of creased tan slacks, and worn-out loafers. As the secondhand shirt was a few sizes too small, he was unable to button it up fully, leaving his well-defined chest exposed. Clutching his binder, Thomas raced out of the faculty housing block and through the school grounds, making certain to greet everyone in his path.

Professors and pupils alike turned their heads to witness a burly man running along tree-lined, stony paths, waving to them as he dashed by; his imposing appearance, paired with his friendly demeanour, caused quite a stir around the campus. When he reached the building where his class would be held, he slowed to a jog and silently darted past the lecture theatres in session. On the way to his classroom, he spotted a familiar face striding down the hall.

"Ah! Good morning, Mirabelle!" Thomas grinned ear-to-ear. "Catch you later!"

Caught unawares, the librarian came to a halt and eyed him as he passed her by.

At the end of the corridor, the man stopped in front of a reinforced door isolated from the rest. And with brief uncertainty, he opened it, the rusted hinges emitting a grating squeak. Within lay a modest classroom: a lectern by the blackboard at the back and desks and chairs crammed together to the right. Across the left wall, sunbeams slanted through the canvas-draped windows that afforded a view of the courtyard outside, illuminating the otherwise unlit space.

"Phew, thank goodness. Looks like none of the kids are here yet..." Thomas marched in and examined the room. "Welp, better set this place up before they come."

Quickly, the man went to work, drawing the curtains to let more light in and plopping his binder on the podium; he blew the dust off three desks and chairs and arranged them neatly in the centre of the room. Using the old chalk from beneath the board, he wrote his name in big letters for when the students arrived, his handwriting crooked but still legible. Somewhat pleased with how things looked, he held his head high and eagerly waited behind the lectern.

And he waited.

Seconds turned to minutes; minutes turned to hours.

Slumped over the podium with an elbow planted firmly on its surface and a cheek resting on his palm, Thomas fell asleep, only to be awakened by a knock on the door. Excited by the prospect of his pupils showing up, he bolted upright and wiped the drool off his chin. "Yes, come on in—class was just about to..!" His voice trailed off upon seeing Mirabelle's head poking out from behind the door.

"I figured this would happen," she said, shaking her head.

And almost instantly, the man's smile vanished. It was already evening; the classroom was steeped in a warm orange hue. Though they'd seldom spoken to one another since their initial encounter, the woman knew how hard he'd worked to prepare for his class, having seen him at the library day in and day out. A glimpse of the man's face made it clear he was dispirited, and out of respect for his efforts, Mirabelle invited Thomas to join her in the courtyard.

Leaving the empty class behind, they strolled side by side to a bench beneath the tree shade. Together, they sat in silence, their thoughts occasionally interrupted by chimes from the bell tower and the chatter of nearby students. Abruptly, the librarian handed the man a paper bag.

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"Here."

Taken aback, he reluctantly accepted it. "Oh... thank you..."

"You're welcome."

"Um, what is this?"

"Sandwiches. You haven't had lunch or dinner, have you?"

"Wait, seriously? I can really have these?"

"Go ahead. It's leftovers from when I made lunch for myself."

Thomas gulped back his hunger, but his stomach growled in protest. "Then... I guess I'll dig in." Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a grease-soaked ham sandwich, one of many inside. Its savoury aroma wafted merrily into his nose. Unable to resist its allure, he took a big bite, the meat's juices coating his tongue. And his eyes twinkled with delight as he came to taste a new way to enjoy the smoked slice of salted pork. "This stuff hits the spot!"

Relieved, the woman let out a soft exhale. "Is that so?"

"Yeah! You could open a restaurant with this kind of thing. I've gone to eateries that don't do sandwiches as good as this." Thomas crammed another one down his gullet.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere."

"Mm serioush! Anywun wuld shay the shame!" Cheeks stuffed like a squirrel, he mumbled.

"Also, don't talk with your mouth full; it's improper." She adjusted her glasses and sighed. "Still... thank you, I suppose." A subtle flush crept across her cheeks as she averted her gaze.

Gobbling up the remaining food, Thomas leaned back and patted his belly. "Honestly, you're a lifesaver bringing me these. I hadn't eaten breakfast and was starved the whole day."

"Can't imagine you running on an empty stomach."

"Ah, did Grimwald tell you about the time I used all my gold up on food at a place I was staying?"

"No, but now that you have, I can't say I'm surprised. I've seen how you eat."

"You have? I don't think I feasted much during my time here. I had my hands full last week. Never knew the amount of work that went into prepping for classes until now..."

"You take your job rather seriously. How unexpected."

"Hey, I said I'd give this teaching thing my best!" Amused by her remark, the man laughed. "Besides, when I read up on the students' files, that's when I knew I couldn't leave them be."

"Why's that?"

"Because all things considered, what they're doing is wasting away their youth. Sure, they may feel like school's a drag or that classes are a pain, but to entirely throw that away would be a loss they'll undoubtedly regret later. Now's the only time in their lives when they can experience this. I want them to see the value in the little things they're missing out on, to cherish their fleeting childhoods, to make memories here they'll never forget, you know?"

Caught off guard by his thoughtful sentiments, Mirabelle took a long pause, reflecting on them.

"I see..." She murmured.

"That said, it seems like it'll take some convincing to get them to even set foot in the classroom."

"They don't call them the problem magi for nothing. Those three have a reputation as the academy's worst delinquents. Did you really think they'd drop in, no questions asked?"

"A teacher-student relationship is built on trust. I put my faith in them to attend their first day of class. It's irrelevant if they have a history of poor behaviour; it is my duty as an educator to believe in them no matter what. That's the sort of environment they should be fostered in!"

Impressed by the speed at which he bounced back and the blinding positivity that came with it, the woman rose to her feet. "Well, good luck with that. If you ever do change your mind, we at the library always have an array of combat scrolls available at your disposal."

"I won't have to refer to that... I hope." Nervously, the man chuckled. "Again, thanks for taking the time to bring me food and cheer me up, Mirabelle. I know we barely know each other, but—"

"Don't get it wrong, I didn't bring it for your sake," she coldly replied, back turned to him. "I simply didn't want the food to go to waste. That's all there is to it."

"O-oh, right." Thomas scratched his head, startled by her icy demeanour. "Sorry..."

"See you around."

Left confused, the man watched as Mirabelle disappeared from his field of vision. He peered at the afterglow through the autumn leaves and stroked his chin. "Crap... did I make her mad somehow? Maybe it's just an Alondisian thing I'm not getting? I should probably borrow an etiquette book from the library. Ah... but it'd be awkward if she were on shift that day..." Mulling over her shift in attitude, Thomas ultimately chose to table it for later. "Oh well!"