The next day, early morning.

When Moen woke up from his dreams, he saw Senior Anna still sitting sideways by the window, where the blue curtains were swaying. She rested her face against her hand, gazing at the scenery outside.

The gentle morning sunlight filtered in through the window, casting a jade-like radiance upon her fair profile.

At this moment, her allure had faded away, leaving her sitting in the light, appearing utterly sacred.

Moen couldn't bring himself to look away.

"Awake?"

His soul was tugged back by the soft greeting. Moen came back to his senses and saw Senior Anna looking at him with a bright smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"I… I feel great, better than ever. My mind feels light…"

Moen responded instinctively, then paused as realization dawned on him. "The potion yesterday…"

"It was a sleep-inducing potion to help you rest well. No matter what, keeping in good condition before the exam is the most important thing, isn't it?"

"Ah, I see…"

Moen's mind cleared, and he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Unknowingly, he had become somewhat obsessive.

After all, no matter how resilient his mental strength was, the past month of only sleeping two hours a night while studying intensely had left exhaustion piling up unnoticed.

If Senior Anna hadn’t forced him to rest for a full night using the potion, allowing him to wake up refreshed, even if he had managed to study a little more, his performance in the exam would likely have been subpar.

For any exam, being in the right state of mind is a critical factor.

"So, Senior, have you been here all along?"

Looking at Anna still seated in the same spot, seemingly never having left, Moen couldn’t resist asking.

"How could that be?"

Anna rolled her eyes at Moen, teasingly.

"As your senior, I do have my own life, you know. You were just sleeping for far too long, that’s all.

But…"

Anna suddenly crossed her arms, leaning forward slightly with a playful smile teasing her lips.

"Is it that you’re trying to say you wish for me to sleep beside you, dear junior?"

"This… Since Senior has suggested it,"

Moen sat up straight instantly, replying with deliberate righteousness:

"Then I, as your junior, wouldn’t mind sacrificing myself just a little."

"Ahaha! Saying that with a blush isn’t very convincing, dear junior~"

Anna chuckled gleefully, utterly amused. Then her tone shifted:

"While you were sleeping, I made a few little adjustments. I hope you won’t mind, dear junior."

"Little adjustments?"

Moen was puzzled, but then he saw Anna handing him an adorable, compact mirror.

Moen took the mirror, glanced into it, and was instantly stunned.

The person in the reflection had neat, closely cropped golden short hair, brighter than the sunlight outside. His stubble had been shaved clean, revealing a fair and charmingly refined face.

"This… Did Senior do this?"

"Who else is here, aside from me?"

Anna sighed softly and explained,

"Yesterday, seeing your disheveled appearance, I couldn’t resist tidying you up a bit. I hope you won’t mind, dear junior."

"No, not at all."

Moen fingered a strand of his short hair, gently curling it between his fingers as he exclaimed in shock:

"I just didn’t expect Senior to be able to cut hair, let alone be so good at it. I nearly thought it was the work of a skilled professional."

"Haha, you do love sweet-talking, don’t you, dear junior."

Anna giggled, covering her mouth.

"Actually, it’s been a long time since I last cut someone’s hair. Back when I lived at the orphanage, though, I used to do it often."

"Orphanage?"

Moen’s senses caught onto the word quickly.

"Asking casually about a woman’s past isn’t good manners, dear junior."

Anna extended a finger, flicking it lightly against Moen’s forehead.

"The exam is around the corner. Shouldn’t you be preparing?"

"Ah, right!"

Moen jolted awake, quickly checking the time, finding that there was only about an hour left before the exam.

"I slept for nearly fifteen hours, didn’t I?"

Moen swiftly calculated the time, beginning to understand Senior Anna’s earlier comment about him sleeping too long.

Sleeping fifteen hours straight — even a pig wouldn’t sleep that much.

"I had hoped to review my notes one last time before the exam, but now there’s no time."

Moen sighed lightly, preparing to bid Anna farewell:

"Senior, I’ll be heading off now."

"Take care, and best of luck."

"I will."

Moen was ready to leave, but at the doorway, his gaze instinctively swept across the room one last time.

In the spacious potion classroom, his senior stood against the wall, solitary, staring out of the wide and vacant window. The blue curtain dyed her shadow an icy hue, making her appear… so lonely.

Moen’s heart stirred slightly:

"Senior Anna."

"Hm?"

"About that matter you mentioned earlier,"

Moen turned back and spoke earnestly:

"I’ve decided to join the Ancient Potion Club."

“Oh? Saying this out of the blue?”

Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise, then smiled gently:

“Finally, dear junior has developed an interest in ancient potions?”

“Yeah, somewhat...”

Moen replied seriously, but in truth, he was lying.

To be honest, Moen wasn’t that interested in potions at all.

For someone like him, who pursued power intensely, potion-making, while versatile, provided little to no direct benefit to strength, making it not worth his time.

But…

Moen suddenly remembered that yesterday marked the last class Anna would teach him.

In other words, the bond between teacher and student had already ended.

Yet, Moen didn’t want their connection to fade so easily. He needed something new to link himself to his senior.

Whether it was potions, magic, or even magical illustrations — no matter what kind of club it was — Moen would join.

"Alright then."

Anna gazed at Moen, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and smiling warmly:

"Welcome to the club, dear junior."

And so Moen smiled back:

"Is there anything I need to do to join officially?"

"My little club doesn’t have that many rules. Just make sure to stop by every now and then — I’m usually here in the afternoons."

"Got it."

Moen nodded:

"Then, I’m off to the exam. See you later, Senior."

"Yes, see you later."

“Oh, by the way,”

Moen suddenly remembered something else, but discussing it made him feel a bit embarrassed.

“Um… Senior, do you have plans during the open days?”

Santa Maria College operated under closed-campus management, but after every exam, students were given three days of free time known as "open days."

These were moments for students to restock their supplies at home or let loose after being cooped up.

The commercial street outside the campus was only open during these three days each month, earning bountiful profits. Even the inns lining the street reportedly required reservations made a month in advance.

“The open days, huh?”

Anna thought for a bit, “I got something to do on the first day, but I’ll be free afterward.”

“Then…”

Moen took a deep breath and asked:

“Senior, would you like to go out with me on the second day?”

“Oh?”

Anna seemed momentarily surprised, then quickly caught on and broke into a playful grin:

"So what you’re suggesting, dear junior, is to invite me on a date?”

“A date, huh? That’s a good way to put it.”

Moen said, thickening his skin despite the slight blush:

“But honestly, I just wanted to thank you a bit, Senior.”

“To thank me?”

Anna twirled her finger around the ends of her hair and averted her gaze slightly:

“But I haven’t even decided what kind of reward I’d like.”

“This isn’t a reward.”

Moen responded seriously:

“It’s just a small gesture from me.”

“A little gesture?”

Anna blinked in surprise, then smiled softly. Her eyes curved like crescent moons.

“Well, alright then. Since it’s an invitation from dear junior, I’m in.”