My siblings helped me get back to the dorm, with Kun sitting me down on my bed.

I smiled. "Thanks, big bro," I said, trying not to chatter my teeth.

He smiled back. "Don't mention it. That said, maybe you should take a warm shower first."

I sighed. I had enough of water for one day.

Kun ruffled my hair. "Is that kitty afraid of bathing?"

"Cats are fine with showers," I said.

Kun grinned. "Then you should be fine taking one, right?"

I sighed and tried to push myself up.

My brother grabbed me by the arm, supporting me. "Careful."

"I can walk myself." I rubbed my arms as I walked away from him. My upper body felt so cold.

I walked into my bathroom and removed my tattered clothes. Hopefully, hot water would flow out. The heating on this side of the dorm was as bad as the heating back home. One would be initially hit by a blast of cold water.

"Let me know if you do need help," Kun said from the other side of the curtain.

I sighed. I appreciated his help, but now it just felt like he was babying me.

I yelped as a blast of cold water did hit me.

"You okay, Lei?" Kun yelled, rushing back into the bathroom.

"No. Got hit by cold water," I said, trying to adjust the knobs.

"Sorry. Maybe it was a bad idea to have suggested a shower after all."

It really wasn't. Sleeping in those wet clothes wouldn't have helped me.

"Can you get me a clean pair of clothes ready?"

"Sure!" He ran out of the bathroom once more.

I looked up at the water and smiled as it started to warm back up. Honey tea awaited me after this ordeal.

My body felt warm after taking a shower. Maybe a little too warm.

"Think you overdid it with the water's heat," Kun said, putting a hand over my head.

I sighed as I rested my head on my pillow. So much for getting better quickly. Good thing my next match wasn't for a few days. I wonder if I would be up against Adela or if the two of us would tag team against Burai and Koharu. Her sound magic really was impressive. Come to think of it, sound mages made it to the quarter-finals this year among both the first and second years. 

Too bad Yen hadn't made it. Yen, maybe I could've gotten an ability from her like how I got one from Kun. I only had six more slots, so maybe I needed to pick wisely. They appeared to be connected to the bonds I had with people. The stronger the bond, the stronger the power. Kun's really bailed me out.

"Thanks, Kun," I said, smiling slightly as my eyes started becoming heavy.

"Huh? For what?"

I grinned. "For being my brother."

"Hey, Lei! Don't close your eyes, Lei!" Kun yelled. I wanted to tell him that I only going to sleep, but my eyes were too heavy and I didn't have the strength to open my mouth again.

After who knew how long, I felt something in my head and in my arms. Had Kun buried me? Although, it felt warm and fluffy like a newborn chick. I opened my eyes and smiled. It was a newborn chick!

Taiyang dozed away in my arms.

"Aww, thanks, little girl. You absorbed the heat I was giving off, didn't you?" I said, patting her head.

She opened her eyes and chirped.

I looked around the room. "Where's your 'Mommy'?"

The small bird chirped.

"Yeah, let's go find her!"

"Well, look at who came back from the dead," a voice called out. I turned to look at my roommate. Aya was reading a book.

"You also thought I died?"

He scoffed. "As if. But Kun really did. He dragged Arima here to check your pulse while he went to get a real nurse."

I chuckled. Thought he would do that. Kun could overreact as badly as Yen.

"Arima said your temperature was off. Adela thought of helping you regulate it with her magic, but our future doctor suggested that might be too sudden. So Pinky came up with the idea of leaving her bird to its 'Papa'."

My cheeks heated up. "She said that?"

He laughed. "No! But that little bird does take to you as if you were its dad."

She looked up at me and chirped.

I smiled. "Aww, I have a cute kid!"

Ayawamat sighed. "What a kid. Anyway, hurry and see your siblings. They're worried sick about you. If I hadn't kicked Kun out, he would be bawling his eyes out next to your bed."

I could've seen that.

"Thanks, Aya."

He grumbled. "You're a weird one."

"Well, I'm off!" I yelled, rushing toward the door. I gasped and jumped back as it opened.

"Oh, you're awake," Adela said, smiling. She had a wet towel in her hands.

"Yeah, thanks for lending me little Tai," I said, handing over the little bird to her.

Adela's cheeks turned bright pink as Tai chirped. "Nice to know Lei is very warm."

I rubbed the back of my neck and laughed.

Aya sighed. "Didn't I say to knock?"

"Sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry." She stared at the towel on the floor. "Hmm? It's more damp than it should be. Were you sweating?"

"No. It's wet because I changed it myself," Ayawamat said, turning his back to us.

I smiled. "So even you took care of me!"

"S-shut up! I only did it because everyone is being noisy!"

Adela raised an eyebrow at him. "Maybe Sowk was right about you after all."

He grumbled and walked over to his bed. "Anyway, take your loudmouthed boyfriend away. I want to read my book. We have a test tomorrow."

"I forgot about that!" I said, lowering my head.

"It's alright. I can help you study," Adela said, smiling. She glanced back at Aya. "I still find it odd how studious that guy can be. It doesn't fit what one would expect from a bully."

"I can hear you!" Ayawamat snapped, looking up from his book.

She blushed. "Sorry."

He scoffed. "Trying to talk behind someone's back. So much for being the paragon of righteousness."

Adela sighed. "Sorry."

He sighed. "Just get out already."

I smiled at Adela as Tai chirped. "Let's go and see Ny and get me my honey tea."

She smiled. "Okay."

Adela and I left the boys' dorm and headed straight for the girls' dorm.

I spotted Kun taking a stroll with Sarah. The princess was using her crutches instead of her chair today.

"Lei!" Kun yelled, running over and nearly knocking me over with his hug. "You're alive!"

I laughed. "You clown. The girls told you that earlier."

He let go of me and chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm glad to see you up and moving again. You really scared me earlier!"

I scoffed. "And now you know how Yen and I felt!"

He frowned. "Sorry about that."

I patted his shoulder. "I was just kidding." Well, partially.

My brother gave me a pencil-thin smile.

"So, is my tea ready?" I asked.

"Yuzu should be making it now."

My cheeks turned as pink as Adela's hair. "Yuzu? Wasn't Yen making it?"

He chuckled. "Yuzu wanted to do it. Yen let her, thinking it'll make you happier."

Adela scoffed. "And why did she think that?"

I fidgetted. Well, Sis wasn't wrong.

She sighed. "Well, let's get going before your tea gets cold."

"Okay!" I said, rushing ahead of her. Yuzu's honey tea, here I come!

"Woah, where's the fire?" Wanikiya asked as I rushed past him.

I laughed as I jogged in place. "Not fire, honey tea!"

He chuckled. "Thought so. Yuzu's still making it, but it should be ready at any time."

I patted his shoulder and rushed away. "Thanks."

"Hmph, I knew you were still a child," a voice called out. I turned toward my left and saw Nyima step out of her room.

"Hey, you're okay!"

She pouted as her chocolate skin turned red. "Yeah, well the same goes for you. You're bursting with energy." 

I grinned. "Yeah. Had a hot shower and took a long nap!"

"Not that long, the sun still hasn't gone down."

True. Our battle was at three, and the sun goes down a bit after six in the afternoon. So I must've slept less than three hours for sure.

"You slept for two hours, roughly. Nyima did too," Wanikiya said, checking his silver watch.

"So you barely woke up too! Explains the bed hair!"

She blushed as she patted her hair down. "I don't have bed hair."

I chuckled. "Made ya look! Well, feel!"

She grumbled. "Exactly what one would expect from a little kid..."

I sighed. "You care too much about being adult-like. If anything, that makes you more immature."

"It does not!"

"Does too!"

Wanikiya sighed as he stepped between us. "Alright, stop arguing like an old married couple."

Nyima grumbled. "Don't say it like that."

I scoffed. "Well, you do like me but are too tsun to admit it."

She glared at me but didn't say a thing. Her face just kept getting redder from a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"Cat got your tongue?" I asked, chuckling.

She turned around and walked back into her room.

I sighed. Well, I went ahead and made her mad... Oh, that reminded me! I still owed her that carrot dish I promised her!

"Gonna go cook!" I said, rushing ahead.

"Hey, don't run off again! We barely caught up!" Kun said as he and Adela walked in. Kun must've left Sarah behind. Hopefully, the princess had gone to talk to Ny. She could cheer her up.

I didn't listen, running into the kitchen.

"Oh, Lei! You're up," Yuzu said, smiling as she place a cup of tea on the red mosaic table counter.

"T-thanks for making it," I said, looking down at the white and gold tiled floor.

"Don't mention it. Happy to help!"

"Uh, while it cools, I'm gonna make something for Ny!" I said, rushing over to the fridge. Thankfully, we had carrots and other veggies available. There was also meat, including shrimp. Yen and Hika must've gone shopping again. Maybe the funds were merely delayed. Or maybe someone paid for them with their own money. We had plenty of rich kids in our ranks. My money was on Vermeil.

"Nyima, huh?" Yuzu said, using the same tone that Adela had outside. "Is she still feeling unwell?"

"I think so, but not because of fatigue. I might've made her mad, again."

She laughed. "You know, you can't fix everything with food."

"I know that, but I still want to try. Beats doing nothing!"

"I'm not sure. She might take offense to it."

True, but thus far, she seemed receptive to carrot dishes as a form of apology.

I took out a bag of carrots and placed them on the table. Next, I got bean sprouts, onion, cabbage, and some of the shrimp. Might as well do something nice for Yen too while I was at it.

"Say, where is my sister?" I asked as I went to the sink to wash my hands. 

"She's training with my brother. Seemed your fight with Nyima got her fired up, although, seeing you in such a state did put a damper on that."

Ugh, I went ahead and worried her again.

Yuzu patted me on the back. "Lighten up. Yen prefers seeing you smile."

I forced a smile. She was right. I had to think positively!

"Although, it's not good to fake it," Adela said, walking in alongside Kun.

I smiled authentically. "You caught up."

Kun laughed awkwardly. Big Bro was a master at faking it. Even I would get fooled despite knowing how he truly felt thanks to our bond!

"You got a point. Although, Yen will be happy once I finish this," I said, pointing to the shrimp.

Kun laughed as he walked over. "Let me help!"

"I'll help too," Adela said, smiling slightly. "That said, you should drink up your tea before it gets too cold."

"Is it a good temperature already?" I asked, rushing over to it.

She put a hand directly over it. "I think so."

Tai chirped as she sucked up some of the heat.

"Hey, no. Lei needs to drink it warm."

She blinked.

"Let it slide, she's still a baby," Kun said, grinning.

Adela raised her up and smiled. "Yeah."

"Well, not like Adela snapped at the little girl," Yuzu said, smiling. "She corrected her a lot better than some parents do with their actual kids."

"Well, I might get a bit more stern as she grows. But for now, a soft hand is good."

"Sounds good. But if you do become harsher, then I can be the good cop," I said as I raised my cup to my lips. "Citrusy!"

Yuzu nodded. "I added some orange and lemon to it. Figured you could use the immune system booster."

I blushed. Yuzu, always thinking about me.

Adela cleared her throat. "Drink up your tea and return to cooking. What even do you plan to make with these ingredients? Spring rolls?"

I nodded.

"We just need some flour!" Kun said, running over to the cupboard.

"Good thing Hika and Yen got a good deal on it the other day. We got plenty to last for weeks!" Yuzu said.

I chuckled. "Part of why I picked them. Plus, Ny seems to enjoy fried foods."

Yuzu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Someone is very observant."

"Haven't I always been?"

She laughed. "True!"

I blushed and put down my cup. "Well, time to get this finished! Operation: Cheer up Nyima and Yen, a go!"

"A go!" Kun repeated, laughing.

Yuzu and Adela giggled as I got to work. Hopefully, they would like them. Not just Yen or Nyima, but the others too.

***

Nyima stared at my spring rolls and blinked. "What are these weirdly shaped things?"

I lowered my head. "They're spring rolls," I said.

"I can tell those are, but these look like zig-zags," she said, glancing at the ones that Adela had made and given to the others.

"I think they're cool!" Aban said, laughing.

I smiled. At least someone could appreciate some creativity!

Nyima raised one to her lips and smiled. "Well, it's good at least."

"They are," Yen said, eating one of her own. She and Ny both got my special 'Bolt Rolls'.

"Seems Hika isn't the only one with cook potential," Aban said, chuckling.

Hikaru grumbled. "It's Hikaru to you, get it right."

"Okay, okay!"

"He said that the last time too," Yen whispered.

Indeed.

"So, uh. Thanks," Nyima whispered while everyone else was distracted by the annoyed Hikaru.

I smiled. "No need. I did make a promise. Lei Lan is a man of his word, you better believe it!"

Kun laughed. "Someone has been re-reading Orantu again!"

The abysmal core within me felt warm. Mr. Cat seemed to like Orantu as much as I did.

I laughed. "I actually wasn't thinking about it." But maybe it had impacted me on a subconscious level. It really meant a lot to me as a kid. I thanked the author, whoever he might've been. If he hadn't written it, maybe my story would've turned out differently. It gave me hope in a time when I had none.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Wrote it without the use of A.I. this time (not good to depend too much technology) xD**