“Hmm. So, there might be no classes next year? Of course, it wouldn’t be a minor issue if the royal palace urgently needs the academy professor’s opinion.”
“Yes, the exact details will be clear once I go, but it seems to be about the resurgence of black mana across the continent.”
“And there’s no set duration for this?”
“I want to finish it quickly and return to Basamiel, but… I can’t guarantee I’ll solve a problem that numerous experts haven’t resolved yet.”
“I see. That’s unfortunate. The Spirit Department’s curriculum really starts to pick up from this year.”
The voices of Olivia, the Spirit Department professor, and Headmistress Declaire echoed from beyond the bush wall. Adrian still had his index finger pressed against his lips, his gaze fixed intently beyond the bush.
‘Was Herbology part of the Spirit Department’s curriculum?’ Adrian wondered, his brow furrowing slightly in thought.
Mikhail quietly blinked, tilting his head as he watched Adrian. There was no reason for them to be eavesdropping on the conversation between the headmistress and the professor. Especially not in secret. After a brief moment of silence, Mikhail opened his mouth.
“Why do we have to hide and- mph!”
Thud. Adrian’s palm covered Mikhail’s lips, silencing him. Adrian looked annoyed as he forcefully kept Mikhail quiet, ignoring his plea to be silent.
“Shh, be quiet,” Adrian whispered softly. He was so close that Mikhail could only widen his eyes and stiffen, feeling Adrian’s breath on his face.
However, the figures beyond the bush were not ordinary. Headmistress Declaire’s eyes gleamed as she sensed the suspicious presence. She scanned the tall bush wall up and down, then murmured, “Hmm.”
Damn, we’ve been caught already.
Adrian quickly assessed the situation upon hearing Declaire’s voice. He removed his hand from Mikhail’s lips, wiped it on his sleeve, and straightened up. Mikhail, his face flushed, rubbed his lips vigorously with his own hand, trying to erase the sensation of Adrian’s touch.
“Is my hand that dirty?” Adrian asked, glancing at his palm before shrugging. It looked clean to him. Mikhail, after rubbing his lips raw, finally spoke up.
“I’ve told you countless times not to touch me without permission.”
Just then, Adrian’s head snapped to the left. Headmistress Declaire was approaching, having sent Professor Olivia away after hearing the strange noises. She discovered the two students who should have been enjoying the Serichane Festival.
“Mikhail and Adrian. What are you doing in the central garden—”
Declaire’s gaze paused on Mikhail’s reddened lips, then noticed his flushed cheeks and the grass and dirt stains on his uniform pants. She recalled the snippets of their conversation she had overheard. Don’t touch me? Her head tilted slightly, her gray hair swaying gently. Where exactly had he been touched?
“Ah.”
If they were meeting secretly in the central garden, alone…
Were Mikhail and Adrian more than just friends? Having discovered a deeply personal secret about Mikhail, whom she had known since childhood, Declaire’s mouth slowly opened in shock. She had never been interested in her students’ romantic lives.
“Um… I’m sorry for interrupting. I’ll leave you two alone.”
She awkwardly scratched her cheek, her expression uneasy. Adrian and Mikhail exchanged glances, puzzled by her words.
‘What does she think she interrupted?’
‘Who knows.’
They shrugged, communicating silently with their expressions.
“Still, it’s the first day of the Serichane Festival, so don’t be late returning to the main building. See you later.”
Having confirmed that the eavesdroppers were not intruders, Declaire quickly left the garden.
Left alone, Adrian watched the headmistress’s retreating figure and murmured, “Next year, Professor Olivia might not be teaching.”
“Oh really? Couldn’t care less,” Mikhail replied, uninterested.
Mikhail gazed at Adrian with a sullen expression. However, the absence of Professor Olivia’s classes seemed to weigh heavily on Adrian’s mind. Ever since overhearing the conversation, Adrian had worn a distant look.
***
Whoosh!
Against the twilight backdrop of the academy’s main building, a firework soared in a high arc before exploding with a loud bang. The single streak of light split into multiple branches, illuminating the entire sky with a series of booming bursts.
“Looks like the festivities are starting in earnest,” Adrian remarked, leaning against a tree trunk by the academy lake. He had heard about a party happening that evening, but it held little interest for him. Mikhail seemed to share the sentiment.
“Mikhail, stop hiding and come sit with me,” Adrian called out, patting the ground beside him as he watched the calm lake. Mikhail slowly emerged from behind the tree, grumbling to himself about being overly sensitive to his surroundings.
“I wasn’t hiding,” Mikhail muttered as he approached Adrian.
“If you say so,” Adrian replied nonchalantly. The sky continued to light up with colorful fireworks as Mikhail took his place beside Adrian. After a moment, Adrian turned to Mikhail.
“Still in your uniform? I heard today’s party was casual. The martial arts tournament champion shouldn’t be out here like this,” Adrian commented, glancing at Mikhail’s attire. Mikhail simply stared at the moonlit lake, ignoring the remark. Adrian, too, was still in his uniform.
“What about you?” Mikhail asked.
“Me? Well… you know I’m not into these kinds of parties,” Adrian admitted.
“Same here,” Mikhail replied curtly.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the gentle ripples on the lake. Despite the peaceful scene, Mikhail found himself stealing glances at Adrian’s face, noting the familiar distant expression that hinted at deeper thoughts hidden beneath his usually warm demeanor.
“Is it fun?” Mikhail finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He wanted Adrian’s honest opinion but feared what he might hear.
Adrian turned to face Mikhail, his eyes reflecting the bursting fireworks. “What do you mean, is it fun?”
“Attending the academy. The parties, the tournaments—you don’t seem interested in anything besides your plants,” Mikhail clarified.
Adrian’s expression darkened as he considered the question. “Not at all,” he replied coldly. “But telling you that won’t make this situation any more enjoyable.” He had been looking forward to the herbology classes next year, but with those potentially canceled, his boredom was quickly returning. A smirk of disdain played at the corners of his mouth.
“Imagine if everything in life was already predetermined,” Adrian mused. “If your victory in today’s tournament was decided before you were even born, and you knew the outcome before stepping into the arena.”
Mikhail listened intently, sensing the rare glimpse into Adrian’s true feelings. “What do you mean by predetermined? That sounds like some far-fetched fatalism,” he replied, tilting his head in confusion.
“I don’t know who or what decides it,” Adrian explained. “But the point is, everything is already set in stone.”
“Isn’t that the most important question? Who decides my fate? I do,” Mikhail asserted.
Adrian shook his head. “Even your belief in free will could be predetermined by someone or something else.”
Mikhail couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of the conversation. “More strange talk,” he said, chuckling softly. He found comfort in Adrian’s philosophical ponderings, knowing that his roommate had been grappling with these thoughts for some time, likely influenced by his recent work assisting Kyle with research on Ordinas.
“Well, it might seem strange to you,” Adrian conceded, his expression softening. He checked the Tilon he had on hand, feeling a sense of resolution from their conversation.
