Yuna’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing a bright pink, a mix of shock and excitent dancing across her face.
"I’d like to," she admitted, her voice soft, almost shy, her earlier boldness tempered by a hint of nervousness, "but it’s against the rules, and I’m terrible at sneaking." Her pout returned, her fingers fidgeting more with her uniform, her mind clearly spinning with the thrill of the idea, the forbidden nature of it sparking a nervous excitent in her eyes..
"Don’t worry about sneaking," he said, his voice low and teasing, carrying a mischievous edge as he leaned slightly closer to Yuna. "I’ve got a cloak that can hide you completely."
Yuna’s brows shot up, her expression a mix of disbelief and curiosity, her arms crossing tightly over her chest, her pout tinged with skepticism.
"No way," she said, her voice sharp but intrigued, her blue eyes narrowing as she studied him.
Jae chuckled, a warm, rumbling sound, as he reached into his inventory and pulled out the cloak, its dark, flowing fabric shimring faintly with intricate mana runes that glowed in the dim light.
He draped it over his shoulders with a flourish, vanishing from sight for a brief mont, only to reappear with a triumphant grin, relishing
Yuna’s shocked gasp. Her eyes widened, her mouth forming a small, perfect "o" as she stared, clearly captivated by the cloak’s magic, her earlier doubts forgotten.
"Okay, I’ll co," Yuna said, her voice softening, a shy smile tugging at her lips, though she pointed a finger at him, her cheeks flushing a faint pink. "But no sex, got it?"
Jae’s face burned, mortified by her bluntness, his mind scrambling for a response as his heart raced. "Of course not!" he blurted, his voice pitching higher than he ant, his thoughts drifting unbidden to Clara, her fierce, direct nature, her fiery spirit so similar to Yuna’s.
He shook his head, pushing the mory away, his grin returning as Yuna nodded, her smile growing, shy but brimming with excitent, her earlier jealousy over his casual ntion of other girls fading into the background.
As Jae continued toward his dorm, his boots clicking rhythmically on the cobblestones, he nearly collided with Ms. Alira, his teacher, her curvy figure striking in the soft glow of the mana lanterns, her dark hair pulled back in a neat bun, her robes hugging her form in a way that caught his eye.
"Hey, Ms. Alira," he said warmly, his voice carrying a friendly lilt, "goodbye for now."
She turned, her eyes catching his as a soft, genuine smile spreading across her face, softening her usually stern features. "Jae, congratulations on winning the tournant," she said, her voice rich with pride, her words laced with warmth. "I was truly impressed by your raw passion, your heart."
Jae’s chest swelled with pride, his grin widening as a flush of warmth spread through him. "Thanks," he said, then added, his tone sincere and unguarded, "you look really nice today."
Alira’s smile faltered for a mont, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink, her eyes widening slightly before she thanked him quickly, her voice a touch unsteady.
She hurried off toward the faculty hall, her steps brisk but slightly uneven, as if caught off guard by the complint.
Unbeknownst to Jae, his simple, heartfelt words had stirred sothing deep within Alira, a flutter she hadn’t felt in years.
She had been married once, her husband lost in a tragic, freak accident long ago, his death leaving a hollow void in her heart that she had carefully sealed off, avoiding any romantic connections with n ever since.
Complints were rare, especially ones so genuine, and Jae’s kind words ward her chest, sparking a soft, unfamiliar feeling that caught her by surprise.
She shook her head, trying to push the sensation down, her blush lingering as she disappeared into the faculty hall, the heavy wooden doors closing behind her with a soft thud.
Jae, oblivious to the ripple he’d caused, continued his walk to the dorm, his mind buzzing with thoughts of Yuna’s upcoming visit, the cloak’s clever magic, and the strange, persistent pull of Clara’s mory, her fiery presence lingering like a shadow in his thoughts.
xxx
That night, Jae’s dorm room was warm and cozy, the air tinged with the faint scent of worn leather from his gear and the subtle hum of mana radiating from his stored equipnt.
He lay on his bed beside Yuna, their shoulders brushing lightly, the soft, golden glow of a single mana lantern casting warm, flickering light across the rough stone walls, creating a soft, intimate atmosphere.
Yuna’s blonde hair spilled over the pillow in a cascade of gold, her blue eyes bright with curiosity as she propped herself up on one elbow, her voice lively and eager.
"How did you break through Byun’s shadows?" she asked, her tone brimming with excitent, almost urgent, as she leaned closer, her eyes searching his face. "I’ve sparred with him before, and his shadows are like this... wall around him. It’s crazy hard to get through, even with so S-ranked weapons."
Her words tumbled out, her enthusiasm palpable, her fingers absently twisting the edge of the blanket as she waited for his answer.
Jae thought back to the fight, the way his arms had moved without stopping, how he’d kept slashing at Byun again and again with his mana blade, not even sure if it was doing anything at the ti.
His hands had ached afterward, and his breath had co in short gasps, but he hadn’t slowed down, not for a second.
He hadn’t had ti to think about whether the blade was working, he’d just kept going, pushing mana through it with everything he had.
He gave a small shrug now, like it wasn’t that big of a deal. "I just kept swinging," he said quietly. "Poured mana into it and hoped it worked."
Yuna tilted her head. "You make that sound like nothing, but that level of damage? Your mana core’s got to be stronger than it looks."
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