CHAPTER 814: CHAPTER 126 - FRIENDS (1)

It had been two years since then, and now we were on the edge of stepping into our fourth year at the academy.

At this point, Gabrielle seemed more determined than ever with her eyes having that quiet fire whenever she talked about running again, like she’d already carved it into her bones that she was going to win this time.

Rose, though, didn’t bother to step onto the podium. She didn’t try to run and didn’t write speeches. But that was fine. By now, the three of us—Gabrielle, Rose, and me—had become so close that words like "candidate" and "rival" felt almost silly.

Some people still gave us weird looks when they saw the three of us together, like we were some strange constellation that shouldn’t exist. And maybe they had a point. I mean, we really were the kind of group that made people tilt their heads and whisper.

But to us, it felt normal. Rose, Gabrielle, and I... deep down, we were just regular girls, even if everyone else thought we were something else entirely.

I could understand why people thought that, though. From the outside, we must’ve seemed hard to figure out. It was like puzzle pieces that shouldn’t fit but somehow did.

"It seems like you’re handling your campaign pretty well," I told Gabrielle as we walked side by side, the late afternoon sun streaking the stone path with gold. "And with the election coming up so fast, I’m guessing you’re already starting to lock things down."

Right now, she was neck-deep in campaign prep. The election was only two months away, and every day she seemed to be either planning, talking to students, or buried in paperwork.

Back then, she’d struggled so hard just to think of ways to win people over.

To win, you had to be a people pleaser—even if just a little.

But that was never who Gabrielle was. She’d always had that strict, almost severe vision of how the academy should be run, and naturally, most students didn’t want to vote for someone who seemed so unbending.

That’s why, over these last few years, I kept trying to help her see which things mattered to fight for—and which ones she could soften on.

Both of us had joined the student council too, and being there gave Gabrielle a real chance to earn trust, especially among the lower years.

Now, with us moving into our fourth year, she’d be aiming to take the president’s seat—and I’d be by her side as vice president. And there was a good chance Rose might fill a spot too, since Gabrielle honestly didn’t know how to fill out the rest of the council.

That’s why if Gabrielle lost now, it’d be her last chance. Fourth year would be our final year in the academy.

She absolutely had to win.

But honestly, looking at her now—so focused it felt like she was burning a hole in the ground with every step—I wasn’t that worried.

Gabrielle had built a solid following after serving on the council during our second and third years. And on top of that, the current president was openly backing her, which practically sealed the deal.

At this point, it’d take something wild and unpredictable to knock her down—and the chances of that were so tiny it felt like worrying about lightning striking twice.

While I was matching her steps, trying to keep up with how deep in thought she was, Rose was already leaning against the wall outside the council office, arms folded and staring off into space.

"Why’re you standing there waiting for us?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Shut up. Can’t I?" she shot back, her voice carrying that stubborn edge but with something soft buried underneath.

"It’s not like that," I said, letting out a little laugh. "Alright, since tomorrow kicks off a new week, let’s go to the pub and get ourselves smashed again."

"That’s why I was waiting," Rose replied, and that grin of hers spread like sunlight breaking through clouds.

So, the three of us headed out together, our footsteps falling into an easy rhythm.

It had become almost a ritual for us—going to the pub at the start of every week, letting go of rules, pressure, and everything else we carried.

Gabrielle didn’t even bother protesting about breaking academy rules anymore. Seeing her ease up like that, letting herself bend just a little, felt strangely heartwarming.

After a while, we reached the familiar old pub, the worn sign swaying slightly in the breeze. We stepped inside, the smell of wood, spilled ale, and fried food wrapping around us like an old coat.

We found our usual spot, tucked into a corner where the light was low and laughter from other tables blended into a warm background hum.

Then, without hesitation, we started drinking. The sharp bite of alcohol burned our throats, loosening words and laughter in its wake.

"Hahahahaha!"

It was halfway through our second round that the memories started bubbling up.

"I still remember that!" Rose blurted out, nearly spilling her drink, eyes bright with mischief. "When we came back to the dorm, the dorm mother was glaring at us so hard, hands on her hips like she was about to scold us into dust! Gods, it was hilarious!"

Rose broke into cackles, the sound so loud people at nearby tables turned to look.

"It wasn’t funny!" Gabrielle snapped back, her voice cutting through the laughter. "Do you even realize how much trouble you caused? We got detention, had to fix the door you kicked in, and we were reported for drinking too! My ranking dropped back then. And you even got demoted to Silver Class!"

She was talking about that time when Rose had kicked Gabrielle’s door clean off its hinges.

"It was funny, though! You can’t deny it!" Rose insisted, wiping tears from her eyes.

"You’ve gotta admit," I added, chuckling despite myself, "the way she just stormed in like that was kinda epic. And hey, Rose clawed her way back from Silver to Gold Class in just a few months, so what’s the harm? And Gabrielle, you bounced back to top one again."

"W-Well, yeah... it was surprising she managed it so fast. But if she hadn’t, then what?" Gabrielle muttered, her voice softening just enough to show something real.

"Aww...~ Were you that worried I’d be stuck in Silver Class and you’d miss me? That’s actually kinda sweet, Gabrielle," Rose teased, her grin lazy but gentle in its own strange way.

For a second, the noise of the pub felt like it faded.

"I mean... I-I wanted to graduate with you two... and become Magic Knights together..." Gabrielle mumbled, her head dropping a little, cheeks flushed red from the alcohol—but with that unmistakable blush that had nothing to do with drink.