Since Yukiko had started her daily life at school, many things, both good and not so good, had happened to her: she had earned a moderately good image in her dorm and made some friends and one crocodile-like enemy. But aside from having to train with her magic to stop feeling tired from just lifting a rock, she also had to prepare for the end of semester tests that were practically around the corner.

She had been able to catch up more or less with History of Magic (having a brother who had perfect notes on that subject had helped a lot) and master the parts of Physical Education that didn't require magic. She also could get the hang of creating potions. If you followed the instructions, it was almost like cooking and some of the simpler ones she learned in class were medicinal and could be used to combat stomach and muscle pains (as long as the school nurse allowed her to consume them, of course).

And as another small advantage, after reading some contents from the books, she could remember some information she heard from her brother during that inexplicable time of unintentional espionage; so it could be said that she actually attended class alongside him. But she obviously could not remember everything, let alone something she only heard once, so she still had to study everything from the beginning if she didn't want to fail...

But this was not the time to think about that, it was lunchtime and she decided to free her mind of worries if she wanted to enjoy her brother's food without her stomach turning with nerves. It was enough that this already happened once after training her magic. The nurse recommended her having homemade dishes instead of the cafeteria food to better control the amounts, in case she felt ill again after eating while she was rehabilitating her magic,

Yuu, Grim, and the others wouldn't finish their class until later, but she wasn't going to be alone. Carrying the lunch box, a bottle of water, and a long box of biscuits, she entered the school cafeteria and looked around for her new friend.

"Yuki, over here!"

Yukiko located the origin of the voice calling her name, smiled, and sat down in front of him. "I'm back, Epel!" She greeted him as she placed everything on the table. "Sorry for the wait, I stopped by Sam's store on the way."

"Don't worry, the line was a bit long, so I just sat down too," he assured. "Is that the food you made in your dorm?"

"Yes, with my brother," she replied as she lifted the lid to reveal a simple dish with white rice, egg rolls, and her favorite food: minced meat. "He insisted on makin' it himself, but I felt bad he got up a little earlier for me, so I insisted even more and helped him."

"That's very thoughtful! Do you usually cook a lot at home?"

"My mother's usually the one who cooks, but my brother always takes over when she's busy. We also work together to help her if we need to prepare a lot," Yukiko began to say. "I can cook, but not much as him. You should try his breaded fillets, they're to die for!"

At that same moment, a couple of students who also went to class 1-B noticed them and couldn't help but feel curious. It was very easy to see the change in the dynamic between the Savanaclaw girl and the Pomefiore student: the latter had not only stopped being ignored by her, but they had also become friends.

"Those two really get pretty well, it doesn't look like they started off on the wrong foot," the boy from Octavinelle commented.

"You're right. They've been spendin' time together like this since this week, right?" The other one from Scarabia replied.

"I wonder what happened."

The change took place last Sunday afternoon, when they had no class, and the twins finally had the long-awaited conversation with Riddle and Leona.

The talk gave a lot to think about, although they did not reach many new conclusions since the mysterious meeting with Leona after his Overblot incident was not much different from Riddle's, except for the visible presence of Yukiko.

Discussing that topic, Yukiko confirmed once again having seen Riddle's memories by pointing out that the small crown-shaped brooch he always wore on his uniforms was the same one he had as a child (something that not even Yuu had noticed during that confusing moment), and gave him her condolences for having such a cruel mother. Although she had not gone through the same thing as him, she told him that she had lost someone who was once important because of a similar one. Riddle soon realized she was talking about her former boyfriend, who was forced to leave her by a mother who did not accept the relationship because of her medieval prejudices.

After ensuring that she was fine and had long since gotten over it, he proposed using salt to "exorcise the demon" as they did last time. Leona did not understand the inside joke, but Yuu and Riddle burst into laughter, and the latter, while appreciating the intention, assured that it would not be necessary to go that far.

"Are you sure? Well, the offer still stands," she said in response.

"Mom said to never do that," Yuu reminded her with a raised eyebrow, even though he liked the idea.

"Mom's not here! So we'll be fine!"

After the dorm leaders left, however, Yukiko felt once again frightened by the consequences both of them warned her about, such as the excess blot and negative feelings taking over their bodies and their will, transforming their appearances, and creating a fearsome creature that would not leave their side. And now that her body would constantly produce blot if she wasn't wearing her black choker, she had to be even more careful than anyone else with using her magic.

She decided to go to the botanical garden for a walk and clear her mind there. She heard it was a good place to relax, and decided to check it out for herself, now that she had no classes that day and could explore around. She managed to calm the ghost trio by promising to use the buzzer in case something happened.

The place was even prettier inside, filled with beautiful vegetation that included plants and flowers that she had never seen before. She wondered if Leona was there since it was one of his favorite places to nap (and where he had threatened to hurt Yuu, but she was not there to remember that).

After she calmed down a little, she began to hum the melody of one of the songs she listened on her brother's MP3. She had been very careful not to find a catchy nursery rhyme that would get stuck in her mind for who knows how long, but she liked that beautiful one about a person declaring their love for another. At least that one wasn't irritating, and she didn't mind having it on "repeat mode" inside her head.

She thought she was alone since there was absolutely no one in sight, but a student who had bent down to examine something on the ground caught the voice, and curiosity made him stand up. "Is someone singing?" He asked to himself and looked around.

He gasped when he saw her with her back turned to him while looking at some white flowers. It was her! He wondered if it would be a good moment to approach and talk to her, since she seemed calm and he didn't want to ruin the moment, especially after giving her a bad welcome...

But he also felt he would lose this chance if he didn't act now, so he gathered some courage and approached her carefully. "Excuse me..."

"Oh!" Startled by the sudden voice, Yukiko gasped loudly and quickly turned around, feeling a bit embarrassed at being discovered humming by herself.

"Oh, did I frighten you?" The boy asked, surprised himself by her reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

Embarrassment turned into awkwardness as she recognized the lilac-haired classmate who yelled at her during her first Alchemy lesson. He was even wearing the same clothes as that time, with the lab coat and protection goggles over his head.

Even if he tried to apologize immediately that time, Yukiko was taking a walk to forget her worries, and seeing him there didn't help much. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go," she excused herself softly before going in the opposite direction, quickening her pace until she started running.

"Wait. Please wait!" Epel asked, but she ignored him. "Don't run away!"

First he told her to leave him alone, and now he wanted to talk? Well, now she wasn't in the mood, Yukiko thought to herself. She wasn't going to risk being hurt again, she'd had enough with Sebek.

Realizing he was still after her, she decided to enter the tropical area of the botanical garden and hid behind some bushes with long leaves to throw him off. From there, she saw him appear, and he, assuming she must not be too far away, took a look around.

"Please, don't hide! I'm not going to hurt you," Epel promised, but he knew he would only make things worse if he made her feel uncomfortable. "Alright, you don't need to come out. Just... Now that I found you, hear what I have to say: I'm sorry!!"

Yukiko jumped in surprise. Even if his first apology had been interrupted by those Savanaclaw jerks, she didn't expect him to go as far as doing it again in a way he risked being seen as weird for talking to himself. And for some reason, hearing those words produced a warm sensation on her right shoulder, accompanied by a feeling of serenity...

"I'm... I'm very sorry about the other day!" Epel kept going. "It was only your first day of class, and I was already being rude to you. And that nudge you gave me didn't even hurt; I knew it was unintentional, but I still blasted at you. Believe me, I've been tryin' to apologize ever since, but I was interrupted every chance I had. I swear I didn't mean to upset you. I know how difficult it is to start from scratch in a new school, and I didn't mean to make it worse...! I'm... I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to know I'm truly sorry..."

Yukiko paid attention to every second of that monologue and could tell he spoke sincerely and with a hint of regret. His apology also seemed genuine, unlike Sebek's, who while he felt bad when he realized how serious his insults were, was too proud to ask for forgiveness unless ordered to do so.

Having a few things to say to him as well, she came out of her hideout and kept her distance. "That wasn't cool at all, you know that, right?" She told him sternly, still upset about that time.

Epel was a bit surprised, since he didn't fully expect her actually coming out. "Er... Yes, it was awful... And I was very unfair to you."

"I don't even know what I did to you for you to act like that," she continued. "I understand that not everyone's comfortable with the idea of a girl in an all-boys school, but I don't think that's a reason for you to look at me like I stole something from you and then yell at me, you know? It's not like I had any other choice either."

"No, that wasn't the reason at all!" Epel said alarmingly. "Well, it's true I was surprised by the idea of a girl at Night Raven College, but I swear I'd never get upset about it!"

"Then why? What did I do?"

"You did nothing. It's just..." Epel blushed quickly and looked away. "I'm embarrassed to say it out loud now, but the truth is... I was jealous."

Yukiko blinked a few times, wondering if she had heard correctly. "What? You were jealous of ME? Are you for real?" She questioned in disbelief and suppressed a bitter laugh.

"I know, it's stupid. I didn't even realize it until Jack pointed it out. Even my vice-dorm leader, Rook, told me after my dorm leader scolded me for yelling at you..."

"I'm not talking about that. Why would you be jealous of me?" She cut him out. "I literally have NOTHING you can envy for: I have unstable magic that makes me sick, I have to eat carefully so I don't feel sick after using it, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm not even allowed to take part in Flying Lessons! Come on, tell me."

After listening to her saying all that, Epel felt that the reason for his jealousy was even more ridiculous than he imagined. "I... I was jealous that you were sorted into Savanaclaw," he murmured and pressed his lips, nervous about her reaction.

Yukiko frowned, confused. "What? Why would you be jealous of something like that?" She asked. She would never have imagined someone would get jealous of another for being in a specific dorm.

"When I heard the news of your arrival, lots of Pomefiore students that saw you said you looked beautiful and adorable, they even compared you to the the Fairest Queen's step-daughter. It was a big surprise for everyone when Vil told us that the Dark Mirror sorted you into Savanaclaw! Jack, Ruggie, and Leona confirmed it later, they were there at your entrance ceremony, right?"

He already knew Jack from being in the same class, but Yukiko was a bit surprised to learn that he also knew Ruggie and Leona personally.

"That's correct. And believe me, I've heard a lot about that Fairest Princess thing," she sighed. "To be honest, the only thing I have in common with her is the black hair, I think." -She saw representations of that historical figure in books-. "Some people thought I could be in Pomefiore for that only reason anyway."

"I can imagine it..." Epel sighed. "I admit I was surprised to hear that you were in Savanaclaw after all those rumors, but didn't think too much about it. At least until I first saw you in class and you had no problem talking to our Savanaclaw classmates. It really annoyed me... a lot. Oh, but I'm not trying to make excuses! I didn't realize until later that I was jealous, and I was very immature and horrible with you!"

"Glad you could admit it, but I still don't get why you'd be jealous, did you want to be in Savanaclaw that bad or somethin'?"

Epel swallowed hard, knowing he would have to get a little personal to continue with the apology. "That's right, I really wanted to. I was sure I had the potential to be chosen and become stronger there!" Epel exclaimed enthusiastically before frowning in frustration. "But the Dark Mirror sorted me into Pomefiore, the worst dorm of all..."

The frustration of not getting the desired place was understandable, so Yukiko looked at him curiously. "I don't know much about Pomefiore, but is it that bad?"

"It's awful!!!" He shouted as if he had been holding back his exasperation for a long time, but cleared his throat and quickly composed himself to keep speaking calmly. "It's full of fancypants, I mean, of frivolous and melodramatic people who won't stop talkin' about beauty and elegance, and some think I must be like them just because I'm in the same dorm."

"Oh my..." She said, bewildered. "But beautiful and elegant people can be strong too, don't you think?"

"I'm not going to deny that, but the worst part is our dorm leader: Vil Schoenheit!" Epel exclaimed indignantly. "He keeps saying that we have to achieve beauty and the best version of ourselves, so he constantly scolds me for every little thing I do. He tells me to follow very specific routines and gets angry if I make a mistake or something goes wrong. In fact, I have to wear this frilly shirt because he tells me so." He clenched his fists. "It's all very superficial! How am I supposed to get stronger with that!?"

"Wow, really?" She asked with concern. "And that's why you were envious? Because I'm in Savanaclaw, and you're not?" Yukiko asked, returning to the main topic.

"...Yes," he sighed. "I'm sure that the Dark Mirror made a mistake with me, and I didn't fully understand why you were sorted there, and I wasn't, even though we have similar looks..."

"Similar looks? What do you mean?"

"People always made fun of me for being short and having a cutesy face, I've even been mistaken for a girl," he murmured. "Some Savanaclaw guys take me for weak because of that, but that wasn't the case with you. That irritated me a lot... But then I ended up taking it out on you and hurt you... On top of that, I forgot that Jack had told me before that you were really strong, but I couldn't see beyond your appearance. Kinda hypocritical of me, right?"

Yukiko stared at him for a moment, wondering how to respond to that. "Oh, so you think I'm cute?" She asked suddenly, flashing a big smile. "Aw, thank you! That's so nice to hear! You don't look bad yourself either."

"What!? No!" He exclaimed, bewildered. "I mean, you don't look bad, but..."

"Relax, I'm just messing up with you," she said between laughs. "And if you ask me, I'd never thought you could be a girl."

"You didn't?" Epel asked, surprised. "You mean that?"

"Absolutely. It didn't even cross my head until you mentioned it right now," she said before scowling again. "But to the point. I understand how frustrating it's to not get what you hoped, and I don't know how hard things are in your dorm, but the last thing I needed was someone treating me like a pest because of that, you know? I have enough with my own magic," she said before pointing at her neck and Epel looked away once again, now remembering the moment he saw her rush out of the cafeteria alongside the prefect. "Besides, I don't know why did you take it like that, I don't even live in that dorm."

"I found out about that later, I didn't know you lived in Ramshackle dorm instead."

"Yes, with my brother. The headmaster insisted a lot about it. And I didn't even think I'd be sorted into Savanaclaw, almost everyone believed I was going to be in Heartslabyul. In fact, I really wanted to be there."

"Really? Isn't that a dorm with a lot of very weird, I mean, harsh rules?"

"Yeah, but I heard it's a very beautiful place with a huge garden full of roses!" She smiled, imagining that dorm she had not seen yet. "And it's not like I'm going to die for not eating steak burgers on Tuesdays as long as I have cake at some party, you know?" She added, making him chuckle. "But I don't know why you idealize Savanaclaw that much, I don't think it's the best thing in the world."

It hadn't occurred to him that she would say something like that about her dorm too, so Epel couldn't help but be surprised once again. "Why do you say that? You don't like it?"

"I don't hate it, but it's full of awful dudes!" Yukiko answered energetically and clenched her fists. "Except for Jack, almost everyone I've seen is a brute who loves to use force to scare and hurt people, mock those weaker than them, and attack before thinking!"

As much as he liked that dorm, Epel couldn't deny those general characteristics about Savanaclaw. It had been a big shock when he found out what had happened at the Magical Shift tournament, he never thought that such an incident would happen at school. In any case, the resentment in her voice made it clear that she meant it personally. "Is it true that a Savanaclaw student tried to attack you when you were injured?" He asked sadly, remembering what he knew from Jack and the rumors he heard.

"Yeah... I knocked him down twice after that, but let's just say he wasn't the best first impression of the dorm, you know?"

"I'm so sorry. It must've been terrifying..."

"It was. But I didn't come here to think about that again," she said and took a deep breath to stand firm again. "We're here because you wanted to say sorry. We'll complain about our dorms another day, okay?"

"Oh, sure...! We started talking about something else again," Epel commented, surprised by her ability to calm down so quickly. But she was also reminding him that they still had the issue of the apology. "This... I'm really sorry, what I did was awful and..."

"Don't worry, I forgive you," Yukiko interrupted with a small smile. "I can tell you mean it."

Epel gasped softly and widened his eyes. "Really!? You forgive me?" He asked, almost not believing what he was hearing. "Even after everything?"

"Yes. Just don't do it again, alright?"

"I promise! I won't let you down," Epel swore with a big, contagious smile.

"Alright then. Hey, I know! That time you got mad for not getting paired with someone from Savanaclaw. What do you think about pairing with me next Alchemy class? We could assure us both a partner this way."

"What?" Epel asked, not sure if he misunderstood.

"Well, only if you want. I'm still new, so if you'd rather be with Jack or someone else..."

"No, no! I mean... I think that would be fine, I could also make it up to you that way," Epel responded, accepting her proposal. "Also, I'm good at taking care of plants, I could help you if they ask us to do something about it."

"Really!? Then it's a deal!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, a little help like that wouldn't hurt her at all, and she extended a hand to him. "Your name was Epel, right? What do you think? Clean slate?"

Smiling shyly, Epel nodded and shook her hand gently. "Yes, Epel Felmier. And you were Yuki, right? Nice to meet you."

"Same here. I'm Yukiko Oshiro, but you can call me Yuki," she introduced herself. "Speaking of plants, what were you doing here? Looking for something for the next class?"

"Something like that. Follow me, I can show you."

They returned to the place where they bumped into each other and Epel pointed at five pots resting on the floor. In each of them, a dozen seedlings with closed flower buds were planted. Yukiko wrinkled her nose as she felt the notorious stench of natural fertilizer.

"We learned it in class a few weeks ago, but do you know what lanternblossoms are?" Epel asked her.

"I read something about them. They're bright flowers that accumulate energy with magic, right?"

"Yeah. Well, the thing is..."

He told her that Professor Crewel had scolded him severely for accidentally breaking an entire vial of nectar from those flowers, a resource difficult to obtain, and had given him two months to recover what he spilled or else. But a week later, Cater told him that it was impossible to collect the nectar in just two months since those flowers usually take two to three years to bloom and the teacher gave him that timeframe so only he would give up. And on top of that, some classmates underestimated him... But instead of backing down, he decided to make them eat their words and make the flowers bloom as planned.

"Looks like you made some progress, but how do you plan to do it?" Yukiko questioned curiously.

Epel smiled from ear to ear, excited to explain his process. "Professor Crewel said that these flowers convert nutrients in the soil into magic, so I figured if I feed them lots of nutrients non-stop, they'll grow much faster. And since the fertilizer from the school store wasn't enough, I decided to create some myself." He pointed to a closed sack that was resting near the flower pots. "I just used some, so maybe it smells bad around here."

Yukiko assured that she did not mind the stench and Epel explained that he had made it himself by combining organic garbage from the cafeteria and, as the main component, horse manure from the Equestrian Club. This way he would not only create the necessary nutrients for the flowers, he would also feed the soil and the flowers would grow even faster.

"Wow, with a fertilizer like that, these should bloom on time," Yukiko commented, bewildered by the main component. "Seems like you're right on track!"

"Right?" Epel stated and smiled proudly. "This is what I have planted for the moment, I estimate that by next month I'll have at least a hundred and I'll obtain much more nectar than I have to compensate. I can't wait to see Professor Crewel's face!"

"Man, that's great!" Yukiko exclaimed, infected by his enthusiasm. "Even I look forward to watching them bloom now! I'm sure they'll be very beautiful."

"It's that so? Then I'll let you know when they bloom, I'm sure they'll shine a lot with the nutrients in the fertilizer.

"Really? Thank you!"

They began to talk more frequently after that, and Wednesday was the day they found a chance to sit down, have lunch together, and get to know each other a little better.

"And what's that other box?" Epel asked as he pointed to the package Yukiko brought with her.

"Biscuits! I just bought them at Sam's store," she revealed as she carefully opened the wrapping. "I was told to be careful with what I eat, but I bought them in case I'm still hungry. There's a lot, do you want one?"

The white biscuits were correctly aligned in the box and were rectangular in shape, simulating the cards of the French deck with their respective symbols engraved in red and black dye. They looked tasty, but Epel let out a frustrated sigh. "I'd like some, but Vil was stern when he said I should be careful with sweets. To take care of the skin and all that..."

Yukiko became even more irritated with that dorm leader every time she learned something new about him and how strict he was with Epel. She looked around to make sure no undesirable witnesses were near and slid the package over the table closer to him. "But just one or two won't kill you, right?" She responded with a sneaky smile. "Come on, take it. There's no one else from Pomefiore here. And if you get caught, I'll say it was my fault! I'll make up something. As my aunt says: 'You can't get these muscles with just salad!'" She said that last sentence imitating a deep voice while flexing her right arm.

Epel laughed at the funny way she had said that and smiled shyly, also touched by her thoughtfulness. "Thank you, then I'll have one later," he assured.

"So do you have rules about food in your dorm, like in Heartslabyul dorm?" Yukiko asked as she looked at the simple fish fillet with vegetables and some chopped onion that he had secretly added, since the type of food that Vil recommended (or rather said, imposed) did not have as much flavor as he would like it.

"No, but Vil insists on a specific menu to keep us fit, take care of our health, and obtain energy. He also tells me to take the chance and practice some etiquette."

"That doesn't sound too bad, but must he really tell you to follow all that?"

"Vil takes his position as Pomefiore's dorm leader and the Fairest Queen's ideals very seriously, and our vice-dorm leader usually humors him, so..."

"Well, that won't be enough to stop my 'illegal biscuit traffic'," Yukiko replied as she smiled a sly smile and slid her fingers over her package with a sly expression. "They'll never catch me alive!"

Epel couldn't help but laugh once again with her joke until he was interrupted by a notification sound from his phone. "Just a second, that must be my family," he guessed as he took it out, and looked at the screen tenderly.

"What are they saying?" Yukiko asked, curious.

"My uncle and aunt are at a city zoo with my cousin, and they've just sent a photo to the family group chat. Looks like they're having a good time," he revealed before texting a reply. "They wanted to take him there for the first time; they said it was important to introduce him to animals early."

"How old's your cousin?"

"He was born in summer, so he's only a few months old."

Yukiko brightened up just after hearing that. "A baby? Aw!!" She exclaimed, completely moved. "And he's a newborn, congrats on your new addition to the family!"

"Hehe, thank you! Do you like babies?"

"Yeah, I find them cute," she nodded. "Back at home, my brother and I used to help my mother and her coworkers at the daycare center. We used to take care of the children from 3 to 6 years old, but sometimes we'd also help out with babies."

"Such an adorable job!" Epel exclaimed and quickly slid his fingers over the screen of his phone as if he were searching for something. "Then I could show you photos of him if you want. Look, this one is from when I held him for the first time."

"Can I?" She asked hesitantly before looking at the picture of him sitting on a sofa with a baby just a few days old. "Aww, so cute! He's so tiny!"

"Right? He's a bit bigger now, but back then he was this small. And this is the one I just received, with them at the zoo."

"And he's got the same hair color as you, you two look like brothers!"

"You think so? I'm actually an only child, but I feel like my cousin is like a little brother to me. So hearing that makes me very happy!"

"Oh, you don't have any siblings?"

Epel shook his head. "No, but we are still a fairly big family: there's me, my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandmother, my uncle and his wife - the ones who had my cousin. We're eight people living in the same house."

"Wow, that's a lot of people. Your house must be big," she commented, surprised, before putting an egg roll into her mouth.

"To be honest, not really," Epel sighed. "It's all little crowded there. But there's no problem, we all manage and get along well. And what about you? I know that the prefect of Ramshackle is your brother, but I'd like to know more about your family too, if you don't mind, of course."

"No problem," she assured with a smile. "My twin brother and I lived with our mother; my aunts - my mother's sister and her girlfriend - live together in the same city as us; and there's also my grandma, who lives alone, but she goes out a lot with her friends and we usually visit her."

"Six people," Epel commented out loud. Now it was his turn to be curious: "Don't you have any cousins?"

"Nope," Yukiko denied. "My father was an only child, and my aunts are not planning to have any kids yet: Aunt Sakura wants to focus on her work, and Aunt Yoshiko says that my brother and I are like her own children to her, so she's not in a hurry. In short: the two of us are the youngest in the family."

"I see. Your aunt is really sweet saying that," Epel said. He supposed it was best not to ask about her father, the fact that she mentioned him only once in the past tense implied several not-so-happy reasons.

"Yes, she's great," Yukiko said while flashing a smile that reflected her nostalgia. "I'm sure you would have loved to visit her gym, she has plenty of dumbbells and exercise machines."

"Really!? That's so cool!" Epel exclaimed, amazed. "Oh, that reminds me: have you thought about what I told you yesterday?"

After a better understanding of why she was not allowed to take part in Flight Lessons, Epel suggested she join the Magical Shift club, so she could work out and use her magic at the same time. She could also practice riding a broom until she was allowed in class.

"The Magift club thing? Yes, but I don't know..." She answered with a frown. "Everybody's recommending it a lot, but... Leona's the captain of that club, right?"

"Is that what you don't like?" Epel asked. "He's really strong and takes his role in the club seriously, and he's also your dorm leader. Do you still dislike him?"

"Yes, I don't like him!" Yukiko admitted without hesitation. "I appreciate that he respects me and wants to help, but... I still don't trust him. He's arrogant, he uses force to impose fear..." Epel paled as someone walked behind her. "And he's precisely right behind me, isn't he?"

"Bingo!!" Ruggie exclaimed while suddenly grabbing her shoulder, causing her to scream and attracting the attention of some nearby students.

"Would you stop doing that!? This is the third time!" She exclaimed irritably as she turned around, finding Ruggie holding a tray of food and Leona looking at her with a sly smile. She was starting to get sick of the surprise scares her upperclassman had given her since she visited their dorm.

"Shi, shi, shi! I told ya the other day that if you don't watch your back, you'll end up as someone's dinner, remember?" He shrugged and showed the tray he was holding. "But luckily for you, we already have our own food."

"This... Good afternoon, Leona and Ruggie," Epel greeted them, nervous.

"It's good that we ran into you two," Leona said before grabbing the meat sandwich he had left on the tray for Ruggie to carry for him. "There aren't many seats left, I guess you won't mind if we sit here, right?" Before any of the first years could say anything, Leona sat next to Epel and Ruggie, next to Yukiko. "Curious to see you two together, I see that the rumors that you became friends are true. I think you were having a very interesting conversation," Leona commented and closed his eyes, feigning sadness. "Although I admit that you've broken my heart, Yuki, I thought we got along better since that day."

Yukiko rolled her eyes at that sarcastic comment and Ruggie suppressed a laugh. "Give her time, Leona. She'll end up seein' with her own eyes how powerful dominance can be," the latter said before looking at Yukiko's box. "Oh, biscuits! Do you mind if I steal one or two from ya?" Without saying anything, she sighed and brought the box closer to him. "Oh, what a generous first year! Thanks!"

"And what about you, Epel?" Leona greeted him with a sly smile. "I assume Vil made sure you don't misbehave with her again, right?"

Epel gulped and looked away. When Leona found out from their classmates what happened in class, he decided to tell Vil instead of scolding him himself. "Yes, I apologized appropriately," he murmured.

"Well, at least you're more decent than that noisy first year from Diasomnia. And to think he wants to be a knight of the royal guard, he'd never be accepted into Sunset Savannah's royal palace with that kind of attitude."

"Sebek's indeed been pesterin' us lately, but it didn't even think he'd do the same with you, Yuki," Ruggie added. "And he really crossed the line with ya."

"I've talked to him a couple of times and he seemed nice, but I never thought he'd say something like that to someone," Epel commented softly, who had recently found out about the little incident Yukiko had had with him during club activities. "I knew he was very protective of his dorm leader, but didn't imagine he would go that far..."

"Being protective is very different from being an idiot who insults people for having a hard time doing something," Yukiko growled, all she wanted to do was to stop thinking about him. "Yes, I know I just got my magic, but you don't need to say I'm pathetic for that!"

"Is that why you wanna join our club?" Leona questioned. "So you can become stronger and control your magic? Because I highly doubt that I am the reason."

Ruggie chuckled, and Yukiko, without denying that last statement, frowned as she blushed. She had already been caught talking about someone else for the second time, but now she was finally realizing that anyone could overhear her at the worst possible moment if she didn't pay attention to her surroundings. "They have recommended me a lot since my first day," Yukiko answered. "I think it'd be the perfect club for me to fix my magic faster, or at least until I can use it in Vargas' lessons. I'm slow with my own training, and Alchemy and Potionology lessons are not enough, since I'm not doing much with magic yet."

"I see," Leona said after swallowing one more bite. "And what's stopping you from signing up, apart from my presence? Are you scared?"

"It's not that, it's just..." Yukiko swallowed hard before revealing what worried her most. "I'm already having a hard time doing simple spells, you know? How am I supposed to play a sport that relies on magic? I don't think I can do much as the state I am. Will it be even worth it?"

The three young men looked at her calmly, understanding that the situation was distressing her. Even Ruggie felt it weird not seeing her as cheerful or fierce as he had gotten used to.

"Are you letting that nasty idiot's words get into your head?" Leona asked her with severity.

"What? No! It's just..."

"Then let me tell you something," he interrupted and pointed at her with an index finger. "I won't repeat myself, so pay attention: if you think what you're doin' now isn't enough, you'll have to look for a better resort. The other sports clubs barely use magic and don't count on that teacher's classes. And with this snail's pace, you'll get nothing if you paralyze yourself out of fear, and you'll only be left behind like some insecure coward."

"Hey, you're being too hard on her!" Epel tried to defend her, worried, seeing that Yukiko was feeling worse with those words.

"No, no. He's got a point, let him continue," Ruggie stopped him.

"I'm telling you this so that you keep in mind that if you want to move forward and make a change, you'll have to start at some point," Leona said, now with a little more composure. "If you want to join us, I have no problem gettin' you in. And if you have trouble using magic or riding a broom, you can start with small things until you get the hang of it. You can even watch others play to see what it's like. But the point that I must emphasize is that this is to make you stronger, so if I ever see you slackin' off or not makin' enough effort..."

"Ok, ok! I get it!" She interrupted him, feeling overwhelmed. "Just let me think about it, alright?"

"It seems like a good offer to me, you're not gonna turn it away, are ya?" Ruggie asked although he didn't do it to pressure her. "Let me tell ya that he's bein' WAY more considerate than usual."

Trying to think about it, Yukiko clenched her fists on the surface of the table. That proposal was tempting, and he was giving her the chance to improve herself. She even began to fantasize about taking her brother through the air to experience flying on a broom for the first time... But snapped back to reality as she remembered that she hadn't even started doing it in class.

"If it helps, I also had a kinda hard time when I started at the club," Epel intervened, "but after training hard for a while and looking for new strategies, I could say I've improved a lot. You should try it, I'm sure you'll like it! Well, maybe... At least I like it."

"It's true, you used to keep getting hurt and endin' covered in mud, but at this rate, you could even be in the next game and everything," Leona said with a sly smile.

"Wait, really!?"

"Maybe, but don't let it go to your head, I can still change my mind," the dorm leader responded and turned to Yukiko again. "I'll wait if you need to think 'bout it, but I think it'd be really satisfying to show that stupid crocodile that..."

"Okay, I accept!" Yukiko interrupted him insistently and looked at him with a frown, this time with determination, but she cleared her throat to calm down and not look desperate. "I mean, I've made up my mind, I want to join the Magift club."

The three young men looked at her in bewilderment. The mere mention of the Diasomnia student she detested so much had removed her doubts immediately.

"That was fast," Ruggie commented without hiding his astonishment. "I get that you're angry with Sebek for what he did to you, but do you hate him that much?"

"Yes! And I want to see his face when he realizes he has to eat his words!" Yukiko answered energetically before taking a deep breath to calm down. "Plus this deal sounds good, and if Epel thinks I might like it, I think it'll be worth at least trying once."

Epel gasped softly as he recalled saying something similar in the botanical garden and smiled. Now both of them were going to work hard to prove that the people who doubted them were wrong.

He was going to say something about it but got interrupted by Leona: "I like it when people don't take long to decide. You better not have cold feet, because you're in," he said, accepting her request. "Ruggie will give you the form after class, then you'll go with him to the sports field this afternoon so you can start."

"Hey, it doesn't hurt to tell me beforehand!" Ruggie complained since it was the first time he had heard that indication.

"Wait, I'm starting today!?" She questioned since she expected to start the next day, not right after signing up.

"If you want Vargas to let you have a normal Flying Lesson soon, yes," Leona responded indifferently. "Also, final tests are coming soon, so fewer people will go to the activities, that's why I recommend you start as soon as possible."

"Oh, of course... The tests..." She had almost forgotten that dilemma: aside from working with her magic, she still had to finish studying a whole month of new subjects...

"I can help you with that if you need it," Ruggie offered with a seemingly innocent smile. "With Animal Languages, perhaps?"

"Would you!?"

"Yes, but not for free," he said and took three more biscuits from her box. "And with this, I'm getting in advance the interest of taking you to today's activities."

"Hey! If you want more, I'll buy you a box, but don't steal mine!" She said, annoyed.

Ruggie laughed in his typical hyena style and tried to eat all three in one bite, but paled when he felt Leona's piercing gaze over him. "You're right, these are yours," he murmured with a nervous smile as he returned them to the box. "Besides, I haven't finished lunch yet, dessert must wait..."

Epel swallowed his food with difficulty as he felt the hostile aura from the third-year student, especially since he was sitting right next to him. "Anyway, we were planning to study Alchemy and Potionology one of these days, right, Yuki?" He said to try to relieve the tension in the atmosphere, and she nodded. "Rook has also offered to help if we have any questions."

"If you're going to be with him, count me out," Leona growled as he put a hand to his temple. "It's annoying enough having to endure his persistent gaze on me in class.

"Oh, it's true. You said you are together in class 3-A, right?"

Ruggie ate a piece of meat from his plate but then noticed something that caught his attention and quickly swallowed to talk. "Speaking of sinister guys, those two are at it again."

He pointed his fork at two tall students who seemed to have finished eating and were walking around the cafeteria with an observant air as if they were looking for something that could interest them. Yukiko had seen them once from afar but had no idea who they were.

"You two, you should turn your necks more, or they won't catch you gawkin' at them like some hungry vultures," Leona growled sarcastically to call out the lack of discretion of both first-year students, who jumped startled and hurried to fix their eyes on the table.

"Sorry..." Epel murmured, imagining Vil scolding him severely for being rude.

"Who are they?" Yukiko asked in a low voice and went back to eating to dissimulate.

"The twins Jade and Floyd Leech, from Octavinelle," Ruggie answered. "They're the ones who do the dirty work for their dorm leader, Azul Ashengrotto. Apparently, they're also offering help this year to pass final tests without studying so much, or that's what I heard during my last shift at Monstro Lounge. They offered me a deal too, but I flat out refused."

Yukiko recognized that name, belonging to one of the students in her entrance ceremony. She remembered him as one of the first to express his disbelief at being sorted into one of the least expected dorms for her. "Why? What did they tell you?" She asked, intrigued to know more about that tempting offer.

"That octo-punk would never miss the chance to take advantage of stupid people or guys desperate enough to fall for his tricks," Leona intervened and turned to the girl again. "Hey, Yuki, I don't care what ya think of me, but if those two or their dorm leader try to convince you with their silver tongues or offer you somethin' tempting, reject it no matter what. They may offer you everythin' you want, but all you'll get are problematic consequences, and you'll regret ever seeing them."

It was true that Yukiko was interested in knowing more about this help for the tests, but that stern warning took the idea out of the table.

"He's so hard..." Epel whispered, shaken by Leona's severity, although deep down he also felt admiration for how strong his character was. "Vil once told me that he made a deal with him in exchange for a new skin lotion, but I don't think he said anything about such a high price. And he's not the type to be fooled easily."

"It depends on the type of deal, but it's usually worse if he sees an opportunity and approaches you first," Leona added. "Since last year, he's proven to have the means to offer you anything you want for a price."

"Have you ever made a deal with him?" Yukiko asked, feeling that Leona was speaking by experience.

"I made an exchange with him a few days ago, and I paid him what he wanted, nothing more," he sputtered wearily, making it clear that he didn't want to talk about it. "I'll just say that it was the one who approached him and not the other way around like those delusional herbivores they just hunted for themselves."

Just as he had said, one of the twins was talking to two interested Scarabia students with a polite smile, while the other one nodded as if they had agreed on something. "It'll be a matter of time before they seal the deal in their dorm, but that ain't our business," Ruggie said as he shrugged and returned to focusing on his food. "If they get in trouble, it'll be their problem."

"What does he usually ask for in return? Money?" Yukiko asked. From the way they were talking, the price had to be really expensive, which meant that she wouldn't even be able to afford it if she ever came to him.

"He already earns quite a bit from his restaurant in Octavinelle, so he's more interested in gettin' other things people already have in their possession like he did with Leona," Ruggie responded.

"Alright, I'm gettin' sick of this topic," Leona grumbled, not exactly appreciating that his underclassman even dared to mention that humiliating detail. "How 'bout we talk about our new addition to the club, who'll come to train hard this afternoon? You still know the rules, don't you?"

"Yeah, it sounds a lot like a sport my father used to play when he was young. But what else is there to do, aside from throwing the disk into the goal?"

"We can explain it to you. I could also show you videos of professional players, so you can see what an official match is like," Epel proposed.

"Who knows? Maybe even a fierce, little beast like you will end up in the pro leagues thanks to us, but you know that now you'll have to listen to everything Leona tells you, right? Are you ok with that? Shi, shi, shi!" Ruggie laughed teasingly.

"Meh, maybe," she answered with a sly smile that was imitated by her dorm leader. "But first, I wanna finish eating this. The biscuits are waiting for me, and Epel has one on his name."

"Can you reserve another one for me too?"

"No! You've had enough, Ruggie!"

"Nope, I hadn't! I also need energy for this afternoon, y'know? Shi, shi, shi!"

As they kept eating amidst conversations about Magical Shift and funny attempts to steal food, they barely noticed that the twins, who had been talking business with the students, were now watching them from a distance.

"Well, look at that. It seems like she's starting to get along with her dorm leader," Jade commented out loud as he watched the girl. "I remember Azul saying she had suddenly behaved in a rather hostile way with him."

"Man... I would've loved to see that!" Floyd complained with disappointment. "It's hard to see a small fry face a shark and not end up gobbled immediately. Although I dunno if that would've been THAT interesting, honestly, no one fought hard in the end."

"Who knows? But I can't even fathom the situation of that poor, unfortunate soul..." Jade murmured in a sad tone that was clearly faked. "Having to study so hard for finals and deal with this matter of her... peculiar magic at the same time."

"You're right, poor sweet child!" Floyd exclaimed, imitating his brother's false pity. "It sounds like a very serious problem. If only there was somethin' we could do..."

Then, at that moment, both twins exchanged looks and outlined a synchronized, sinister smile. There was a sense of hostility about them that would give anyone the chills just by taking a look.

"But there IS something. Azul would find this situation very interesting. Don't you think the same, Floyd?"

"I totally do, Jade."

[Published on 28/10/2023]

To Be Continued...