[Raven Larkspur POV.]
Exiting Ren's room, I left him to prepare for the day. The image of his shirtless physique lingered in my mind, leaving flustered and unable to shake off the embarrassnt.
How does soone even achieve such chiseled perfection? It felt as though there wasn't an ounce of fat on him, just pure, lean muscle. I ntally shook my head, my face heating up at the thought.
Descending the stairs, I noticed the other students casting sideways glances at . No one apart from Mrs. Penny had engaged in conversation with . Nevertheless, it was sowhat comforting knowing Ren now occupied the dorm we once shared, even if it was Adam's forr room.
There was a sense of shared space due to that arrangent.
"Hey there, girl! t the guy?" Mrs. Penny chid in cheerfully as she set down food at the table where other juniors had congregated. It brought back mories of my own first year.
I nodded in response, surveying the room before addressing Mrs. Penny, "Can I ask you sothing?"
Arching an eyebrow, she replied, "Sure, but it better be about that pretty boy upstairs." She chuckled, eliciting a huff from a scrawny guy seated to the left of the dining table.
"How's Ren in his daily life? Like, what does he do when he's in the dorm?" I questioned.
"Hmm... nothing," she answered. "The boy is quite the type. He never leaves his room after four in the evening—there's not a single noise till dinner ti. Sotis he takes his food back to his room to eat. I've tried stopping him, but he seems like the type that doesn't want to listen if it's not..."
"In his benefit or heart," I completed her sentence for her and imdiately regretted it.
Mrs. Penny stopped and looked at , then began chuckling quietly to herself, nodding as if she had understood sothing.
"W-wha-what?" I stuttered.
"Haha, nothing, girl. You should be attentive about your own changes," she spoke to herself.
I sighed. It's always been like this with Mrs. Penny; she's always been quite odd to talk to, at least for .
Glancing towards the stairs, it seed Ren still had plenty of ti before getting ready. I left the dorm and headed towards the second-year dormitories.
A few minutes later, I returned to my dorm and found everyone there.
Adam was holding two large trunks, Vexa had a single small suitcase and a satin bag, and Cecelia wasn't around—she might have been with the scumbag first prince, which made feel sorry for her.
Elsa stood next to Alia, while Helga stood a bit farther away than usual from Adam. The loss in the match had definitely taken a toll on her.
"Raven!" Helga waved enthusiastically as she spotted . I smiled back and walked towards them. Adam noticed and asked worriedly, "Where have you been? I thought I wouldn't be able to see you before leaving."
"Oh, I went to et Ren," I stated bluntly.
There was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere.
I don't know why, but last night, I had a strange feeling that Ren would visit . It was odd to think that, but for so reason, I expected him to co so we could spend so ti together before he left. However, he didn't show up, and instead, I found myself sitting alone by the window as morning arrived.
Stepping out imdiately, I stood in front of his dorm. Thank goodness I did; he was still asleep. Didn't he know everyone would be upset if he was late?
"Listen, Raven," Adam sighed, pulling out of my thoughts. "I know you beca friends with that guy after we left the academy. You might have felt lonely, but do you think he's a good guy to be around?"
Ren... being a good guy?
I don't know why, but I never thought Ren was or would ever be a good person. That much was evident. But...
"He's not a bad guy at all," I explained, perhaps weirdly. "He's not weird in any sense. Rather, he's weirdly normal—"
"That 'weirdly normal' guy put Helga in the infirmary bed for the past three days," Adam's jaw clenched with irritation.
"So did Mary to and Cecelia. You don't see a problem with that?" I retorted.
Silence took over after I said that—I ssed up. I didn't even know why I said sothing like that. What did it matter? My injuries weren't even close to what Helga and Cecelia had suffered.
For the last few days, I felt a lump in my throat whenever I was around Adam and his friends...my friends, I an. Nobody ever said anything to Mary for what she did, but the mont Ren... Ren, I an, did it, he suddenly had a problem with it.
Tud*
The trunks in Adam's hands fell as he bowed his head deeply, surprising . "I am sorry for what Mary did to you and for not ntioning it to you at all. I am sorry," his voice was sincere.
I stood there, stunned by Adam's unexpected apology. It felt strange yet strangely comforting.
"It's... alright," I stamred, feeling a mix of emotions. "I an, I understand. It's not like you could have controlled what Mary did."
Adam slowly lifted his head, his expression a mix of remorse and gratitude. "Thank you for understanding, Raven."
Elsa, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. "Hey, let's not linger on this. We've got the Gambit ahead of us, and we need to focus on that."
Alia nodded in agreent. "Yeah, you're right. Let's stay positive and make the most out of this opportunity."
"Where's Mary though?" I asked, not holding anything against her. It's just that there's a small part of that feels like she might not like .
"In her room. She said she'd be there and co before we leave," answered Elsa.
I still rembered she said the sa things Adam did, but for so reason, her intensity made doubt her words. The gossip about Ren from girls, the professors' occasional jokes about him—it all made him seem like an ideal bad student.
But then, I've seen another side, a kind of controlled madness. When I compared that to what I witnessed in the ring against Helga... Match seed mild....not in techniques or fight but...just intensity.
I followed everyone as we began towards the academy grounds- I just hope that Ren isn't that last one to arrive.
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