A faint glow lit up in my palm, carrying a trace of warmth. A hexagonal rune array appeared on the inner side of my right arm.

*Success.* Seeing I’d formed this detection Runic Spell on the first try, I couldn’t help but feel a little happy.

Back when I was under sixteen, before completing my awakening as a Demon Hunter, forming Runic Spells always carried a risk of failure—even for a genius like me.

Since Dad always comforted me whenever I failed, maybe I shouldn’t exploit him so harshly when he returns.

Eh, eh, eh—it’s not exploitation! It’s just a good daughter sweetly asking her dad for gifts at the right time. (facepalm)

*How did my thoughts get sidetracked again…* I muttered to myself in exasperation, tapping my little head like a punishment.

Ow~ (sob)

The chatter around me quieted down a bit. Could the opening ceremony be starting?

I straightened my petite body, trying to see what was happening up front. But even then, I couldn’t make out the front row. It’s not my fault I’m short!

Just as I worried about how to see better, a sudden voice sounded by my ear. It was pleasant but caught me off guard. My foot slipped, and I leaned back uncontrollably, sinking into the soft seat.

“Excuse me, may I sit here?” The voice was polite yet warm.

“Hmph…” I puffed out my cheeks in displeasure, giving an aggrieved look at the person who’d startled me. Who’d be so rude to jump out and scare me like that?

I looked over and saw a girl with light blue shoulder-length hair. She gazed at me apologetically. “S-sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you…”

“I-it’s fine…” Her ready apology stirred a strange feeling in me, making me uneasy. My old “friend” was about to surface again.

Every time a cute girl like this appeared before me, I remembered Dad’s words from childhood:

“Misty, when you grow stronger, you must protect other girls well. They’re precious resources. If anything happens to them, I won’t forgive you.” Because of this, I used to get so shy around classmates that I couldn’t speak. Only now am I slowly improving.

Silly Dad—I’m a girl too! Why doesn’t anyone protect me? Hmph!

“I’m Xialin from Class 134. Hi. I didn’t like the noisy atmosphere over there, so I came here. May I sit beside you?” Xialin smiled slightly, explaining herself. After I nodded lightly, she sat down naturally beside me.

“I-I’m Misty from Class 136… You can call me… Wu.” I whispered, trying to sound normal. But my stuttering betrayed me. Shy, I quickly turned my head away, afraid she’d notice.

Oh no, I’ve made a bad impression at our first meeting. What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? (／_＼)

“…Wu?” Xialin asked uncertainly. “Are you okay? Should we go to the infirmary?” She leaned closer. A gentle floral scent drifted into my nose, magical and soothing. It calmed my startled little heart, melting the tension in my chest.

*Looks like I’ve overcome it this time.*

“I’m fine, Xialin. I’m okay.” I took a deep breath, relieved, wiping away the last trace of discomfort. Then I turned and smiled to reassure her.

Seeing my smile, Xialin’s face flushed. Her gaze grew dazed, leaving me puzzled.

“Xialin? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing… Wu, just call me Lin.” Her voice sounded oddly like mine earlier. Could she have the same weird symptom?

She hesitated before continuing, “Wu, has anyone ever said you’re… special?”

Her sudden question confused me. “No, why?”

As I answered, I noticed Xialin’s body trembling slightly, as if holding back something. What’s wrong with her?

“What I mean is~~~ Misty, you’re really cute!”

Before I could react, Xialin grinned mischievously. She leaned in, her hand sliding from my hand to behind my back, pulling me into her warm embrace.

“Wu-wu-wu, Wu-chan~~”

“Ahhh… meow?” Her aggressive move startled me completely. My well-trained body rebelled automatically, squirming to escape. But afraid of hurting her, I held back my restlessness. I let Xialin have her way, hoping it was just a joke.

To my surprise, Xialin’s hands seemed magical. Wherever she touched, my magic flow slowed and stopped, replaced by a tingling numbness. Soon, this subtle sensation seeped through my whole body. The gentle itch cut off my control, leaving me unguarded.

“Mmm…” My strength vanished. I slumped into Xialin’s arms, mouth slightly open, wanting to tell her to stop. But she gazed at me excitedly, like she’d found treasure. “Wu-chan, you’re like a little kitten. Come, hug~”

From my view, her expression looked strange…

“S-stop… touching… If this continues… it’ll get… weird… ah~~~” I couldn’t see, but I felt my cheeks burning. Under Xialin’s relentless assault, my body lost all resistance, becoming her captive.

Strange sensations washed over me again and again, like poison dissolving my mental defenses, tempting me to sink deeper.

Feeling Xialin’s soft body and the floral scent, I gradually stopped struggling, immersing myself in this strange yet comfortable state.

The fatigue from last night’s late hours burst out completely. My consciousness grew heavy. Xialin seemed to sense my drowsiness; her hands eased up, but her face kept moving. She rubbed her smooth cheek against my dimple, like a gentle mother caring for her child.

“Mmm…” My eyelids drooped. The students’ chatter faded lower and lower, until silence swallowed everything. My mind and body disconnected. I fell asleep.