Over the next two weeks, Veil became a frequent participant in Aura and Fenix's morning walk to class. Fenix, to say the least, was not pleased.
"How did you sleep?" Veil asked, smiling as he walked close beside Aura.
"Fine," she replied coolly.
"What about you, Fenix?" Veil asked, if only out of courtesy.
"Don't talk to me, you little shit," Fenix answered in a low tone, turning his face away from both of them.
Aura sighed. Veil decided then and there to never be courteous toward Fenix again.
After Veil left, Aura spoke.
"Your animosity toward him is only increasing."
Fenix relaxed his shoulders and smiled.
"That's true. It's taking all my self-control not to jab my hand through his ribcage and incinerate him from the inside out."
Aura stared at him, straight-faced—then let out a small giggle.
"You're so scary, Fenix."
Fenix smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
"I like it best when we're alone like this," he said, seemingly forgetting the hundreds of students around them—and the dozens watching in bafflement… and disgust.
Students whispered:
"They're always like that.""Are they dating or what?"
The murmurs grew louder, so Aura decided to just head into class—Fenix's arms still hooked around her.
"Fenix…" Ms. Emerald began. "Can you please let go of Aura and take your seat?"
Fenix pouted but did as he was told. Aura, without a word, sat beside him.
"And Aura… you little slut, don't you know that PDA is not only disrespectful but also disgusting?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Aura replied.
"You should be. Now… let's begin class."
Fenix fell asleep in Herbal Studies, but Madam Vanessa didn't seem to mind.
"As long as he keeps passing my tests, he's allowed to sleep."
At that moment, Aura decided Vanessa was her favorite teacher.
On the way to Martial Arts Combat, Janx met Aura in the hall to speak with her. Fenix hated having to go to class without her, but after receiving a few death glares, he relented.
Janx began,
"You look well."
Aura said nothing.
"I mean… you look happier than usual." He ran his fingers through her hair. "You even combed it."
Aura slapped his hand away.
"Is there something important you need to say? If not, I'm leaving."
Janx cleared his throat.
"Actually, the principal wanted me to thank you formally for watching over Fenix. Apparently, he's General Torch's adoptive son and was having a hard time before. But there have hardly been any incidents since he's been with you. So the principal asked me to tell you to continue staying close to him. I hope that's not a problem."
"I… enjoy his company, so it's not a problem at all."
Aura avoided Janx's eyes, but she could feel his surprise.
He cleared his throat again, then stepped around her and left.
Fenix brightened the moment Aura entered class. A match was already underway—Fenix versus a boy named Wisp.
Wisp was hunched over, coughing in the corner, just as the final score was announced.
"That's 30 to 0. Fenix wins."
The class clapped enthusiastically as Aura took a seat.
Fenix rushed off the sparring field and sat beside her, throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her against his chest.
"I missed you."
Aura poked his chest.
"Odd. You just finished fighting, but you're not sweaty at all."
Fenix laughed.
"You notice the strangest things."
Cleaver spoke up.
"It's time for the next match. Any volunteers?"
Everyone turned to Aura. When they saw her hand wasn't raised, a boy volunteered—only for Aura to raise hers immediately after.
"Wonderful. Both of you, to the field. Remember—no powers. Hand-to-hand combat. Begin."
The boy raised his guard defensively. For a split second, his arms blocked his vision—and in that instant, Aura vanished.
She reappeared beside him, delivering a spinning kick to his stomach just beneath his guard. As his stance faltered, she followed with two quick strikes to his face.
Cleaver clapped.
"Round one ends! Thirteen points for Aura."
While Wisp caught his breath and drank water, Aura stretched calmly.
"Round two—start!"
They charged again. This time, Wisp dodged her punch—but not the knee to his side, nor the overhead strike from her clasped hands.
"Round ends! Aura now has twenty-one points. Wisp still has zero!"
Wisp wiped blood from his lip.
"Whoo! Good job, Aura!" Fenix cheered.
Aura didn't look at him, but her face was visibly red—likely from embarrassment.
"Final round," Cleaver said with a grin. "Wisp, try to score at least one point. You're looking pathetic out there."
"I am trying!" Wisp snapped.
"Yeah, yeah. Makes it worse. Begin."
Aura opened with a low kick. Wisp jumped—but while he was still midair, she tackled him, slamming her shoulder into his gut.
Clap.
"That's twenty-four points. Aura wins!"
The class applauded, but Aura frowned.
Fenix had scored higher.
Wisp was handed water and pain medication, and both fighters returned to their seats.
"You did great!" Fenix said brightly.
Aura met his eyes—and immediately looked away, her face flushing deeper. She pulled her knees up and hid behind them.
"Thanks… but you did better."
Fenix giggled and gently stroked her head.
"That's not true. I just landed more hits. You were still wonderful, Aura."
His hand was warm—pleasantly so—but it only made her blush worse.
Aura wondered if her experiments were working… or if her hair was dulling the heat.(Fenix couldn't burn hair unintentionally.)
"Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me."
He pulled his hand away.
"Let's go to lunch," Aura said.
Right then, Cleaver called out the previous match results.
"Alright! Vera has seven, and Micholas has three. Vera is the victor!"
Vera jumped up and down excitedly while Micholas pouted.
"Why are the girls in this school so freaking tough…?"
Mirror and Veil were both waiting outside the cafeteria. Fenix's expression soured at the sight of Veil, and when Mirror's gaze dropped to Aura and Fenix's clasped hands, Aura quickly pulled away, embarrassed.
"You two are getting along quite well."
Everything in Aura wanted to deny it, but she somehow managed to hold her tongue.
Mirror didn't press further. She simply gestured for them to follow as she got in line for lunch.
Fenix was uncharacteristically quiet while they waited for their food, so Aura leaned closer and whispered,
"I have a little extra money… so tomorrow we can go out to eat again, if you want."
Fenix glanced at her and smiled.
"If we go, I'm buying."
Aura pouted.
"No, I can pay for myself," she whispered back. He laughed softly.
"What would you like to eat today?" the cafeteria worker asked politely.
Fenix's smile weakened as he tapped his chin.
"I think I just want cheesecake today."
Aura lightly hit his arm—though she clearly wanted to hit him harder.
"It's not good to eat sweets on an empty stomach," she said quietly, gripping his sleeve.
Fenix laughed.
"Why not? What, will I die earlier? Get a stomachache? I'm okay with either."
Aura hesitated.
"…If you get sick, I'll feel sad. And if you die, I'll miss you… I know it's selfish, but… please eat something else first."
Fenix covered his mouth, shoulders trembling with laughter. Flustered, Aura let go of his sleeve and looked down.
"I'll have baked chicken and a salad, please," he said once he'd calmed down.
Aura glanced up—and noticed he was blushing. Not nearly as much as she was, but enough.
Having a close friend is emotionally intense, Aura thought.
Wanting to protect him—even in small ways—wasn't something she regretted… but it was definitely something she found bothersome.
After Fenix received his food, Aura stepped forward.
"I'd like the Asian special—sesame chicken with white rice. And a cream puff for dessert, please."
She took her tray and made her way to her seat between Vision and Fenix.
"Oh wow, you combed your hair today," Vision remarked.
Aura pouted.
"Shut up."
She stabbed her food and took an aggressive bite. Vision laughed.
"I was just making an observation. You must know you don't do it often if you're this upset."
Aura's cheeks were too full to respond, so she focused on chewing.
"He's only saying that because you look cute like that," Fenix added, casually running his fingers through her hair before returning to his food.
Aura swallowed hard.
The atmosphere at the table shifted.
"So… you two aren't dating, right?" Vision asked, staring at her.
Aura flushed.
"We're friends!" she blurted, then immediately resumed stuffing her face.
"Interesting…" Mirror said with a wicked grin.
The next morning, Mirror was banging on Aura's door.
"Hurry up or we'll be late for weekend class! Aura, what the heck are you doing?"
Aura was only five minutes late, but Mirror was strict about punctuality and growing more irritated by the second.
After a few more knocks, the door finally opened.
Aura stood there—her bangs trimmed, her hair neatly combed. She was also wearing the female uniform… paired with leggings and knee-high boots.
"Sorry I took a while…" she said shyly.
All of Mirror's irritation vanished. She stepped closer, looked Aura over, then even pinched herself to make sure she wasn't imagining things.
"The uniform suits you," Fenix said.
Aura immediately looked down, blushing.
"Really?" Her voice squeaked. Embarrassed, she covered her face.
Both Fenix and Mirror laughed.
Weekend classes were held as public lectures for students across all divisions. Aura and Fenix were in the S-ranked division—meaning if they continued performing well, they could graduate by next summer. Mirror, an A-rank, only got to attend class with Aura during sessions like this.
As Mirror walked ahead, Aura took the chance to quietly take Fenix's hand again.
Her experiment had worked.
His hand didn't feel as hot anymore. She knew it was still the same temperature—but she couldn't help feeling pleased.
Janx stood at the front of the room.
"As you know, the school festival is coming up. As usual, there will be a tournament against rival schools. Our strongest fighters from each division will participate. Yes—even you, F group."
Some students laughed.
I guess people weaker than you are funny, Aura thought.
(The F rank consisted of struggling students or new entrants who hadn't performed well on the entrance assessment.)
"Today, you'll be helping prepare for the event. Yes—decorating day."
Groans spread across the room.
Aura, however, didn't mind. Students who contributed significantly earned extra credit—and that was right up her alley.
Fenix made sure to stay near her as they worked.
By the time preparations were finished, both of them were exhausted. Too tired to return to the dorms, they sat behind the school, staring up at the starry sky together.
"It's cold…" Aura said, unsure what else to say.
In response, Fenix draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. His body was warm—almost hot—but it felt comfortable.
"Thank you."
Fenix kept his gaze on the sky. Even like this, he was careful not to touch her skin.
"I… I'm resistant now!" she blurted, looking up at him.
His eyes dropped to meet hers, and he gave his usual smile.
"What the heck are you talking about?" he asked, still smiling—but there was an edge of annoyance in his voice.
Aura sat up, gently pulling away.
"You don't have to worry about touching me anymore… You won't burn me… so…"
She fumbled with her fingers as she spoke.
Fenix laughed softly.
"You're usually so good with words," he said. "But today, I can't understand you at all."
His tone cooled slightly.
Aura flushed.
"You can touch me now… You won't hurt me anymore… so don't worry!"
Fenix tilted his head.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his expression turning unusually serious.
"Yes… You can touch me wherever you want. Even my face or neck is fine, so don't—"
Before she could finish, Fenix leaned in and kissed her.
Aura jolted, pulling back and covering her face.
"H-Hey—!"
"Hold stoill…" he murmured, gently pulling her hands away.
He studied her lips, visibly relieved when he saw no burns.
"S-see…" Aura started again—
That's when he kissed her a second time.
"W-wait—Fenix—mm—"
Her words dissolved between kisses. She flailed slightly, then lost her balance and fell back as she felt his lips press more firmly into the kiss and his tongue slip into her mouth and move against hers. Aura gasped and turned away,
"Fenix! F-friends don't kiss—especially like that!"
He laughed and helped her sit back up, then pulled her into a gentler embrace. He chuckled again, clearly amused by the frantic pounding of her heart against his chest.
"Then… let's stop being friends," he said.
Aura froze, her eyes beginning to water.
"I—I didn't mean that! I don't want you to stop talking to me—"
Fenix laughed softly and rested his forehead against hers.
"I mean… I want to move forward," he said more quietly. "If I can touch you now, then there's nothing stopping me from being honest anymore." He paused and inhaled deeply before adding, "Aura… I like you." Her eyes widened, as she took in his words and his voice softened as he continued with, "You like me too, right?"
Aura's face turned bright red.
"I didn't know you could say things like that…"
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around him.
"So… does that mean we're… boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
Fenix scoffed lightly.
"What? Are you that simple-minded? I kiss you and suddenly you're my girlfriend? It doesn't work like that, Aura."
Aura shrank a little.
"I'm sorry… maybe it's too early for labels—"
"Instead," he cut in, leaning closer, "Aura… will you marry me?"
She stared at him, completely speechless—then burst out,
"That's not the next step! You skipped like twenty steps!"
Fenix laughed, his face still close to hers.
"Is that a yes?" he asked, smiling brightly.
Her face burned even hotter.
"…Yes," she said after a few seconds. "Once we graduate."
Fenix cupped her cheeks and kissed her again.
This time, Aura closed her eyes, and didn't pull away.