The following morning.
"Nngh~" Iyuna stretched in her bed, spreading her arms wide as her blanket slipped to the side. She appeared to have just woken up, her eyes still half-closed against the morning light filtering through the curtain gaps. She glanced at the clock; the short hand pointed to 5:55 AM. Classes started at 7. And today was Iyuna's second day of high school.
Iyuna quickly rose from her bed with a swift movement, stepping onto the cold floor with her bare feet, acting as if nothing had happened the previous day. She then lifted her nightshirt over her head in one smooth motion, leaving her pale skin exposed to the cool air, and pulled down her pants with one tug, preparing for a shower.
After showering, water droplets still clinging to the ends of her damp hair, she put on her school uniform—white with a dark blue-black short skirt. Her fingers deftly buttoned her shirt one by one from bottom to top. Then she stepped out of her dormitory room, closing the door with a soft 'click.'
Meanwhile, on the other side, "Where is she?" Lucy muttered, tapping the tip of her shoe on the ground anxiously. She was standing in front of the dormitory gate, apparently waiting for someone, her eyes constantly scanning the area with hope.
"Come on, who are you waiting for?" Fyona said beside Lucy, tilting her head curiously.
"I-I'm waiting for Iyuna," Lucy answered, her hand twirling the end of her hair in circular motions.
Fyona giggled, her eyes gleaming mischievously, "You want to be friends with her, don't you..." she teased, nudging Lucy's shoulder with her elbow.
"Y-yes, but I think she's the type who's difficult to talk to," Lucy said, looking down, sighing deeply while staring at the tips of her shoes.
Fyona held Lucy's shoulder, her fingers giving a reassuring pressure, "Lucy, who was friends with everyone in middle school, couldn't possibly fail, right?" Fyona said, comforting Lucy, her lips smiling encouragingly.
Lucy looked down for a moment, then lifted her face with a wide smile, "Yeah!" Her spirit returned, her eyes sparkling with determination.
Iyuna appeared from the gate, walking slowly with her gaze fixed straight ahead without looking around, her shoes scraping against the gravel courtyard. "There she is!" Lucy said excitedly, pointing toward Iyuna who was walking, her index finger raised high.
"Iyuna!" Lucy called while waving her hand enthusiastically and running toward Iyuna, her white hair billowing in the breeze.
Iyuna glanced back briefly, her eyes narrowing slightly, trying to respond with a small wave, almost imperceptible.
Fyona followed them from behind, her feet moving quickly, her breath slightly labored, "H-hey, wait for me!" She called, her hands waving trying to get their attention.
The two then walked together beside Iyuna, adjusting their steps to match Iyuna's calm and steady pace.
As they walked, they tried to engage Iyuna in conversation, exchanging meaningful glances. "Hey Iyuna, have you forgiven my brother yet?" Lucy said, leaning her body slightly to see Iyuna's expression.
"Your brother?" Iyuna evaded, her eyebrow raising slightly, pretending to forget.
"Yes!" Lucy said, nodding enthusiastically.
"What happened between Iyuna and Rakha-Senpai?" Fyona chimed in, her eyes widening with curiosity.
Lucy then moved her mouth close to Fyona's ear, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Last night..." She whispered all the events to Fyona, her hands moving to illustrate her story.
Iyuna only glanced at them briefly from the corner of her eye, then walked with firm steps as if nothing had happened, her right hand tightening her grip on her bag strap.
"Hee? Really?" Fyona said excitedly, her mouth wide open, her eyes rounded in disbelief.
Fyona then glanced at Iyuna with a scrutinizing look and approached her, her shoulder touching Iyuna's. "Is that true?" Fyona teased, a mischievous smile painted on her face.
Iyuna only glanced at Fyona briefly, her flat eyes meeting Fyona's sparkling ones. "No, that's not true," she denied, her head shaking subtly.
"Hee? But I saw it myself yesterday..." Lucy responded, her hand raised to emphasize her statement.
"No, you didn't see it," Iyuna denied, walking even faster.
"Ha³, you're funny, Iyuna!" Fyona said, laughing softly while patting Iyuna's back.
"Oh yes, did you sleep well last night?" Fyona asked, tilting her head closer to Iyuna's face.
"What do you mean?" Iyuna asked, her eyes still looking straight ahead.
"Huh? H-how could that be?" Fyona responded in shock, her hand dramatically covering her mouth.
"What do you mean?" Iyuna asked curtly, her lips pressed together forming a thin line.
"You know? If I were in your position—" Fyona took a deep breath, her eyes gazing into the distance.
"—I wouldn't be able to sleep because I'd keep thinking about it!" Fyona said enthusiastically, her head filled with flowers imagining Rakha, her cheeks blushing red.
"Besides, yesterday he did that thing to you, right?" Fyona teased, gently elbowing Iyuna's arm.
"Did what thing?" Iyuna asked flatly, her eyebrow slightly raised.
"You know? Like a prince pinning the princess between himself and the wall," Fyona said, her hands making a gesture as if pushing something against a wall.
"I don't understand. What's the benefit?" Iyuna asked, stepping over a small puddle in the road.
"W-well..." Fyona answered, tapping her finger on her chin, thinking.
Lucy sighed, a thin vapor escaping from her mouth in the cool morning air, then whispered something to Fyona, her lips almost touching Fyona's ear. "Iyuna is an innocent girl; it will be difficult if you want to talk to her," she whispered.
"I-I see..." Fyona responded in surprise, her eyes widening.
Iyuna just kept walking at a constant rhythm while occasionally glancing at them from the corner of her sharp eyes.
After walking for almost 30 minutes, their feet began to feel sore and warm. They finally reached the school gate, the magnificent building towering before them. They entered class 10F, walking through corridors bustling with students.
Iyuna walked to her desk with light steps without looking around, carefully placing her bag beside the desk. Meanwhile, next to her, Eid was reading a book, his fingers deftly turning the yellowed pages. "Good morning, um, Eid?" Iyuna greeted flatly, pulling out her chair.
Noticing this, Eid's body tensed immediately, his eyes widening in surprise. "E-e-eh? Y-yes, good morning," Eid replied, his fingers trembling slightly as they gripped the edge of the book.
Shortly after, their teacher entered, her firm footsteps echoing on the classroom floor. "Good morning, children," Ms. Rheine greeted enthusiastically, her smile blooming wide.
"Good morning, ma'am," said the entire class, their voices responding out of sync.
"Today is your second day in class 10F. How is it? Have you gotten to know each other? Have you memorized the routes around this school?" asked Ms. Rheine.
And yes, some students answered that they had with nods, while others answered that they hadn't, shaking their heads slowly.
"Alright, I have a message that I must convey to you all," said Ms. Rheine, her expression turning serious.
"What message is that, sensei?" asked Lucy, raising her hand high, her fingers extended.
"Because this year's student admission was considered too easy, there will be an exam," said Ms. Rheine, her tone serious, her eyes gazing sharply across the entire room.
"An exam?" muttered Arga, his hand clenched on the desk.
"An exam that will determine your future at this school—" Ms. Rheine walked slowly in front of the class, her high heels clicking on the floor.
"—and if you get a score below 50—" Ms. Rheine said seriously, her hand drawing a line in the air.
"What will happen, sensei?" asked Lucy, her eyes widening with concern.
"You'll be dropped out!" Ms. Rheine stated firmly, her hand hitting the desk with a loud sound.