"Ah..." My eyes slowly opened. Bright sunlight from nearby flooded my vision. Xialin beside me sensed my movement. She turned her head, gazing at me with concern. "You little lazy cat," she asked, "awake again?"

"...What's wrong..." I instinctively tried to sit up. But shifting slightly, I realized my body was leaning against Xialin's. I needed her to move aside. Apologetically, I said, "Xialin, could you—"

Wait. I recalled something. Xialin and I had been strolling around the sports field after dinner. Then, as we walked, something happened—I suddenly blacked out.

I fell silent instantly, remembering something strange.

I gently twisted my wrist, clearing the magic flow in my arm. The capacity at my wrist had expanded significantly. Rich, natural magic pulsed slowly within, rising and falling with my magic core's beat.

After clearing that flow, dormant magic throughout my body awakened. Channel by channel, it began circulating around my core. Instantly, I entered a strange, euphoric state.

Just as I wanted to savor this magic surge, Xialin's "devilish claws" crept toward my waist again.

"Hmph!" Brimming with magic, my reflexes sharpened. An instant before her fingers touched me, I scraped my shoe heel against the ground. Friction propelled my agile body out of her reach.

"This time, you won't get me, Lin! That was way too much before! (ﾉ｀⊿´)ﾉ" I bent over, left knee on the spectator seat, hands gripping the front railing. I stared at Xialin warily. But no matter how you looked at it, my posture really resembled...

a startled kitty?

Ah, whatever! I still had to guard against her attacking the moment I moved. Blocking those claws was urgent.

Seeing my wary face, Xialin burst out laughing. She turned away, covering her mouth, leaving me on high alert.

After a moment, she calmed down, but her voice still bubbled with cheer. "Alright, enough joking, Wu. We should head to the dorms. If we're late, all the good rooms will be taken." She elegantly shook her skirt hem, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Eh?!" My expression froze. "Not attacking me anymore?"

"What? I never knew you had such a preference, Wu-chan. Next time, I'll definitely satisfy you." Xialin winked mischievously. While I was dazed, she grabbed my hand and pulled me from the seats.

"N-no... that's not it at all! I don't have such preferences!" I protested weakly. But under Xialin's knowing smile, my voice faded until I could barely hear myself...

"Though this sports field is closest to our dorms," Xialin led me to the dorm area entrance, "it still takes ten minutes to walk here." Ahead stood a card-access gate and a large red-gold kiosk for duty shifts.

"We'll take shifts too," she explained, noticing me staring at the kiosk. "Our dorm has no resident manager. Discipline relies on us and the Student Council's mobile patrol team. For any issues, call the duty kiosk from your room phone. But late at night, all gates—including each dorm's surveillance doors—automatically lock. So..." Xialin glanced at me playfully, "if I visit you, Wu-chan, and get locked out, I'll have to stay with you."

"What? That... that's impossible, Lin. After what you did to me, I won't forgive you easily!" Memories from before I slept flooded back. My cheeks flushed. My tone lost its anger, melting into a feeble, coquettish whine.