Only until we’re basically outside the living quarters, Hiro interjects, “Oops! I totally forgot ta check out a few more books! I was gonna grab more after I finished the one I was readin’.”

“So, you want us to walk all the way back?” I ask.

“Nah, ya can go back first. Take this,” Hiro says and shoves everything he’s holding onto me. He runs off and exclaims, “Be right back!”

And there he goes… I continue my way back when suddenly I hear high-pitched screaming in the distance.

“Run faster!” someone exclaims.

Three guys fully in the nude run across an adjacent hallway. I giggle and nearly drop everything. I’ve got to hand it to those guys, they’ve got some backbone. Unlike the guy who begged me to let him go, who didn’t even show up for class.

I eventually arrive in our living room and smell something nice. Soup! Luna and Marin are cooking. After that horrible lunch, I can’t wait!

“Hey. How long until dinner’s ready?” I ask.

Luna walks over to me and says, “I’m disappointed in you, Kai!”

“Huh?” I interject.

“Don’t pretend,” Luna says with her hands on her hips, frowning. “You know what you did.”

Is she mad that I didn’t show up for lunch? “Sorry, I didn’t have a choice.”

“I know you were really upset that Hiro didn’t pass his test and went as far as wanting him to leave the team, but trying to hurt him is beyond the line you should ever cross. Saying that you didn’t have a choice?”

“Huh?” I interject again.

“Don’t huh me,” Luna says and points to my right hand. “The proof’s right here.”

The pieces are starting to fall into place. Did Sitos tell Luna that I used to bet to punch him in the face? Or did he mislead her into thinking something else? I’m not sure if I should mention to Luna that I used the bet for that. She might consider that as something that I shouldn’t have done, and she would still be mad at me.

“Aren’t those Hiro’s things?” she asks and then gasps. “Did you beat him up and take them?!”

“What?! No!” I exclaim. “Why would I beat him up?”

“Because Sitos wouldn’t do it, you went and did it yourself!”

Sitos, that bastard… What did he tell her? It’s clear that he told Luna something outrageously incorrect. “What’d he tell you, exactly?”

“That you asked him to beat up Hiro, and when he wouldn’t do it, you punched him in the face.”

I frown and respond, “No, that’s not what happened.”

“What happened then?”

I’m still somewhat hesitant about telling the truth, but I’m trapped. I need to say something. Sitos is the one who said that a loss is a loss… He’s going through with the bets he made with Hiro and Luna. I don’t see why he would suddenly make up a story about ours. I’ll counter him with another lie. “I wanted to spar without using any weapons. He said he’d go easy, and when he wasn’t paying attention, I decked him. I used my bet to tell him that he has to tell everyone that I beat him in a fair duel.”

Luna stares at me for several seconds without changing her expression. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I answer. “I’ve already made up with Hiro and promised him I would hold off on my decision to change groups until after his retake.”

Her angry expression transforms into a grin as she exclaims, “That’s great! I’m really glad.”

“But, if you’re lying...” Luna mutters, her face turning glum for a moment. She’s probably thinking of a horrible punishment for me if it turns out to be the case.

I smile and reply, “I’m not.”

“Good,” she says and walks back to the kitchen. “Dinner should be ready in an hour.”

I dump Hiro’s stuff on the table and ask, “Did either of you take good notes during class in our first year?”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I’m not surprised when Luna is the first to respond, “Yeah, why?”

“You should let Hiro borrow them. I took a look at the ones he has, and they’re awful. I’m gonna help him study, so he can pass.”

“That’s a good idea. Where’s he at now?”

“He forgot some books at the library, so he ran back alone to get them,” I explain.

“Okay, I’ll organize my notes before he comes back,” Luna says and goes into her bedroom.

Marin is cutting some vegetables. She should talk more. I mean, she does with Luna, right? And a bit with Hiro too. So, she’s capable but chooses not to with the rest of us. It’s acceptable to only talk when it’s only necessary, though it makes her seem distant, and that makes me think of those teams I interviewed today.

I sneak over to the kitchen to get a glimpse of what’s cooking and get closer to Marin. There’s still that thing she has to do for me. Marin rears back a little when I’m near but doesn’t say anything.

“Umm… How’s Hiro doing?” Marin asks, her eyes bouncing from me and her vegetables.

“Oh… He’s doing good, you know. A bit quieter than usual, but he’s upbeat with a positive mindset.”

“That’s…good…I was worried...”

This is my chance to find out more. “Marin, “I’ve decided what I want you to do for our bet.”

“Hmm?” she interjects.

“Can you tell me why you seem to only talk to Luna and Hiro outside of a group setting?”

“Oh…um…” she responds, blushing. She says nothing for several seconds.

Maybe she’s not too comfortable sharing. I don’t want to give off the wrong impression. “I’ll think of something else if you don’t want to share.”

“Oh, no… I…well,” she says and then stops for several seconds again before continuing, “Luna, we’re both girls…so, we got along…and she helps me feel…more comfortable.”

“Hiro…he said that I’m…cute…and that I…should try to…talk more…because it would be…a shame…if I didn’t…and umm…I want to…be more…like…him. I feel…comfortable with him...like Luna…”

Oh? I learned something interesting. Has Hiro been secretly talking with Marin? I never would’ve guessed that he had a thing for someone who is basically his complete opposite. Then again, opposites attract? Doesn’t that mean Astrid and Daisy should get along? Considering that their…no…clear my mind. I close my eyes and shake my head.

“Kai…are you…okay?” Marin asks.

“Yeah, there was just something in my eye,” I say quickly, rubbing an eye.

“Kai, what’re you doing next to Marin?” Luna asks as she walks back into the kitchen area.

“I was just curious what’s cooking,” I say and back away from the cutting board.

Luna looks at me suspiciously and walks over to Marin. “Did he do anything bad?”

“No, he’s just asking about the cooking process,” Marin replies quietly.

“I see, well if you want to know more, let me know!” Luna exclaims.

I smile and reply, “Sure. Are those all the notes?”

“Yeah,” Luna responds and hands me the papers and notebooks.

The front door suddenly bursts open with a bang. “I’m back! Sorry I keptcha waitin’, Kai.”

Hiro walks into the room and drops a couple books onto the table. “Phew.”

I’ve got it hand it to Hiro. He doesn’t look like someone who just sprinted around the Academy and back.

“Welcome back, Hiro,” Luna says and walks over to him. “I have something to ask you…”

Oh, no. She’s going to verify what I said with him. The usual Hiro would definitely jump on the chance to screw with me. Luna whispers something into his ear.

Hiro whispers to her back. Now that’s a sight I don’t see often. What could they be talking about?

It makes me all the more interested as they continue their exchange. I ask, “What’re you guys talking about over there?”

They ignore me and continue their private conversation. Luna turns around and walks back to the kitchen after about half a minute. Smiling and humming, she passes me along the way and says, “It’s our secret now.”

Hmm… We’ll see about that.

“C’mon, Kai. I’m ready ta study,” Hiro says and sits down at the table.

I walk over and set Luna’s notes in front of Hiro. “Here are Luna’s notes. Scrap and forget everything you read on your previous notes.”

“Ehhh…” Hiro whines. “But I spent two weeks studyin’ that…”

“And that’s why you failed. Two weeks spent on low-quality material,” I say and then whisper, “What’d Luna say to you just now?”

Hiro grins and says, “It’s our secret now.”

I frown. There’s still the bet I have with Luna. I could use it to get her to spill the beans, though I feel that’s a bit of a waste. I should think of something better.

“Whatever. Let’s start with your test. You have it, right?”

“Yeh…” Hiro replies but doesn’t move.

“Show me.”

Hiro pauses for a moment before scrambling through his mess and pulls out his test.

It feels weird reading a total score of 36 points on the front page. Let’s see…he got the first question right, but the rest of the page is marked in red. He has some partial credit.

The second question.

How do we recover lost Mana?

His answer.

Our body generates it over time.

I palm my face and sigh before saying, “Okay, let’s start with the second question. Our bodies don’t automatically generate lost Mana. We slowly recover it through breathing in the inactive Mana from the air that our lungs absorb.”

“Isn’t that the same thin’?”

“Kinda, but no. You have to be specific and clear about these things. When in doubt, write more, not less.”

“Fine, I got it. Lemme write that down,” he says as he grabs a blank paper and a pencil. “Can ya repeat that?”

“Give me that,” I say and take the pencil and paper from him. I write down what I said in greater detail. By the time I finish, I realize I could’ve shown him my test answers directly.

“I’ll be back soon,” Luna says and walks out the front door while holding onto an empty bottle.

Where could she be going in the middle of dinner preparation? She already went on the supply run earlier today.

“Hmm…” he interjects and stares at what I wrote. “Is that an f or a t? I’m havin’ trouble readin’ it. Lemme write it instead. Can ya read it out loud?”

My handwriting isn’t even bad… I return the pencil and paper before doing as Hiro asks. I’ll have to verbally feed him the information.

“Got it,” he says.

I read the next question and answer.

What happens to magic after it disappears?

It’s gone.

“Okay, same issue here. You aren’t specific enough. The remnant of magic diffuses into the air in the form of inactive Mana. It’s gone because it turns inactive, not that it’s disappeared forever. Remember that Mana has to be active, or else we can’t see it.”

“Got it.”

He got partial credit again for the next one.

What doesn’t have Mana?

Bugs, dirt, water, trees, grass, meat, books

“You don’t need to list everything, literally. Also, some of your answers here are wrong. Bugs, trees, and grass are living things, and every living organism has Mana. Only non-living or non-magical things don’t have any Mana.”

“Trees and grass are livin’? How?”

“Because they have Mana. Don’t worry about it. Memorize the answer and move on.”

“Okay…”

Can having too much Mana ever be a bad thing? Why or why not?

He received zero points with his response.

No. More Mana’s better because higher Mana capacity means we can do more magic.

“This question isn’t talking about Mana capacity. It’s checking if you recall information about Mana toxicity.”

“Mana toxicity?”

“Yeah. Having more Mana than what your body can handle is toxic. This is why excess Mana automatically diffuses out of our skins.”

“Soo…too much Mana’s bad? Because too much Mana’s toxic?”

“Yep, you’re getting it.”

“I don’t get, but I won’t think ‘bout it. I’ll try ta memorize it like you said.”

We spend a little under an hour going over the remainder of the test. Luna also returns during this time with her hands covered in dirt. She’s holding onto a bottle. If I didn’t know any better, there are worms inside. I saw nothing.

I focus back on Hiro’s test. We only have the last question left, and he somehow got it wrong. You only needed to ask something that we haven’t learned about…

“How’s Mana move outta our body?” I repeat his question. “You don’t know this despite having achieved 115 points on the practical?”

“Should I?” he asks as if he honestly doesn’t know.

“Because we instruct the Mana to move outta our body…how else? There’s no way to have passed the test unless you knew that.”

“Yeh, but… I don’t completely understand. How’s it happen?”

While I’m trying to think of an alternate explanation, I overhear Marin ask, “What’s that?”

“Shh.”

The front door opens.