CHAPTER 101: AFTER LUNCH

After lunch was over, Byun and Jae strolled back toward the classroom, their footsteps echoing against the polished stone floors of the academy halls. The chatter of other students faded behind them, leaving only the occasional clang of a distant bell or the soft rustle of papers in open lockers.

Sunlight filtered in through the tall windows, falling in thin, golden stripes across the floor, warming the otherwise cool and slightly sterile air. The smell of the cafeteria lingered faintly, a mixture of fried food and sweet pastries, but it faded with every step deeper into the quieter corridors.

Jae kicked a small pebble of dust absentmindedly, watching it skitter across the floor as he turned toward Byun, curiosity tugging at his brow. "Hey," he asked casually, "why do you hang out with Sun? He’s... I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like much fun to be around." His tone carried a hint of genuine puzzlement, the kind that wasn’t meant to provoke but to understand.

Byun exhaled slowly, a soft sigh escaping him, and the faint clink of his bag strap brushing against his side punctuated the pause. "Believe it or not," he said, his voice calm but carrying a subtle undertone of amusement, "Sun is actually fun to be with."

He gave a small pause, eyes narrowing slightly as if recalling some distant memory. "Or, he used to be. Ever since you showed up, he’s... been moodier. Sulky, especially when you’re around."

Jae tilted his head, squinting slightly as he processed that. "Why? Why does my presence vex him so much?" The question wasn’t just idle curiosity; he genuinely tried to figure out the undercurrents in his relationships.

Byun shrugged, tossing the answer lightly, though a wry smile tugged at his lips. "I don’t know, man. People just react to things sometimes. Don’t overthink it."

He reached out and clapped Jae on the shoulder, a brief, grounding gesture that carried more reassurance than the words could. "Sun will warm up. You don’t need to worry about that. He’ll come around."

Jae raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What do you mean?" He could feel a twinge of doubt, the kind that lingered whenever someone assumed a conflict could simply resolve itself with time.

Byun leaned back slightly, shrugging again but in a more reflective way, his gaze distant for a moment as he thought of Sun’s past moods and temperaments. "Once he gets past his initial distrust of you... once he stops reacting so strongly whenever you’re around... you’ll see. He’s actually a fun guy. You’ll get along eventually, and you’ll understand why I hang out with him."

Jae snorted softly, a short laugh escaping him. "I don’t know. Maybe he’ll warm up to me, sure. But I’m not so sure about me warming up to him. I’ve felt his dislike, like... intentional dislike, for no reason. Hard to just brush that off."

Byun gave a slow nod, though his inner thoughts were a tangle. He wondered how he would navigate this delicate balance if his two closest friends refused to see eye to eye. The thought tugged at him subtly, a knot he hadn’t yet found a way to untangle.

"It’s alright," he said finally, pushing the worry aside with a practiced ease. "Look, why don’t you come hang out at my dorm tonight? Just the two of us. We can chill, play some games, talk. Forget the drama for a bit."

Jae considered it for a moment, the warm sunlight falling across his shoulders as he looked down the corridor, and then nodded. "Yeah, sure. I’ll come." The decision felt light, casual, but underneath it was the comfort of knowing he could trust Byun in ways that didn’t need to be explained.

xxx

Evening settled over the academy like a gentle curtain. Shadows stretched across the hallways as the sun dipped low, streaking the sky through the windows in shades of orange and violet. The air carried the faint scent of evening meals being prepared, mingling with the subtle musk of worn stone and polished floors.

Lanterns flickered to life in the common areas, their warm glow spilling into corridors and bathing the world in soft, golden light. The distant hum of students moving about created a gentle backdrop, a muted rhythm of life that felt almost peaceful after the chaos of the day.

In her room, Elise stood in the center, her bare feet brushing against the smooth wooden floor. The room was warm, lit by a combination of soft lamps and the last amber light of sunset filtering through the wide, open window.

Outside, the faint chatter of the dorm hall floated through, mixing with the occasional creak of the floorboards as students walked by.

She was practicing, moving fluidly in a series of controlled motions. Each punch, each sweep of her leg, carried weight and intention, cutting through the air with a soft whoosh as her muscles tensed and released.

Her hair fell in loose strands around her face, sticking slightly to her forehead with the warmth of exertion. A bead of sweat traced a line down her temple, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand, not breaking her rhythm.

Her roommate, Kalia, stood opposite her, hands resting casually on her hips, a playful smirk on her face.

Her auburn hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, but several strands had escaped, giving her a slightly disheveled, approachable look. She leaned slightly forward, ready to act as the living target Elise needed, her eyes bright with amusement and sharp attentiveness.

The technique involved drawing mana to subtly sap an opponent’s lifeforce, weakening their magic in the moment. Elise took a deep breath, feeling the faint hum of energy in the air as she stood across from her roommate, who was bracing herself like she always did.

Her roommate, Kalia, had agreed to act as a practice dummy, a sparring partner willing to take the brunt of Elise’s new techniques.

Elise flexed her fingers, feeling the tingling threads of mana extend invisibly from her hands toward Kalia. She focused, envisioning the flow, imagining each thread like a fine filament connecting her consciousness to Kalia’s energy. A bead of sweat slid down her temple, but she ignored it, eyes narrowed. Slowly, deliberately, she began siphoning mana, feeling the subtle tug of her power threading into Kalia’s reserves.