I woke at 8:30 A.M., my body weighed down by the exhaustion of yesterday's events. As my vision cleared, I turned my head. There, sleeping peacefully beside my bed, was a girl with long black hair. It was a very long story.
After leading me from the academy, Cherry had confessed everything. She was on a secret mission to uncover an evil magus hiding within the Magica Academy's staff. But he had found her first, using his magic to weave a trance that clouded her mind and led her to that dark room.
The man we saw was undoubtedly that same evil magus—the very "Victor" she had once trusted for training. Worried for her safety and shaken by her ordeal, I had offered her my home for the night. I didn't know if I could truly protect her from a threat that powerful, but leaving her alone felt like an unthinkable risk.
On the bus ride to my house, she had begun to tell me her story, speaking as if she needed someone to remember her if the magus succeeded in draining her mana. I listened, my heart aching with every word. The injustice of it all was a heavy stone in my chest. I wanted to protect people like her, but faced with such darkness, I felt utterly useless. I could devise plans, but I lacked the power to execute them.
Why am I so weak? The thought was a bitter echo. I had to get stronger. No one should have to endure such tragedy.
My brooding was interrupted as I watched the sleeping girl. She looked utterly defenseless, her expression serene and unexpectedly cute. Was it because she trusted me? Or for reasons I couldn't yet comprehend?
Her face, resting against my pillow, was pure and beautiful—a stark contrast to the sorrowful mask she wore while recounting her past.
---
[Past]
A girl was born with magic, strong and deep,
A power that she forever had to keep.
But when she came, her mother passed away,
Her father died while driving there that day.
A kind new family gave her a home,
But when she turned sixteen, more grief had come.
A void attack, with monsters running wild,
Took them and left alone their orphan child.
At school, the other kids were never kind,
They teased her for the body she left behind.
They talked about her chest, so large and round,
Where all her magic power swirled and drowned.
She learned to not let all their words bring pain,
She let their silly comments fall like rain.
She put her hobbies and her fun aside,
With no one left, she had no place to hide.
She had to focus on her work instead,
A path for one as good and strong as dead.
Now she's a Magus, brave and standing tall,
She'll fight for justice, and will give her all.
She'll save the people, like she wished to be,
She'll use her cursed magic to set them free.
---
She was on a mission to confront a magus far stronger than herself. What excuse did I have? None. If she could rise from such ashes, then the least I could do was find the courage to do what was right.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
Her familiar voice pulled me from the depths of my thoughts. I touched my cheek instinctively and felt the wet trails of tears. Ah, I remembered now—my latent ability to empathize with others also meant I absorbed their sorrow. It was an unfair power, allowing me to feel the pain of others as my own.
I quickly rubbed my face and looked at the girl beside me. Cherry. Her name was Cherry.
"It's nothing," I said, deflecting. "How did you sleep?"
She studied me for a moment before sighing. "Well, it was good, for a change. I used to sleep in a rented room, you know. My bed there wasn't this comfy, hehe." She bounced lightly on the mattress to test its softness. The sight was endearing, and a genuine smile touched my lips, happy to see a moment of simple joy from her.
She caught my gaze and pouted. "Why are you looking at me like some old man? Like someone who's feeling sorry for a child having fun." Her observation was so unexpectedly funny that I laughed out loud. I hadn't realized my contemplative face looked like that.
"Stop laughing!" she protested, and hurled a cushion directly at my face.
Bam! Ouch! The physical strength of a Magus was no joke, even in jest. I set the pillow aside. "Now you've done it!" I yelled in mock outrage. I launched a pillow back, scoring a perfect hit! My strength might not have matched hers, but my aim was true.
We devolved into a playful pillow fight until we both collapsed, breathless and laughing. I guess we were skipping the academy today. It was now 9:40 A.M.
She stood up from the bed with a natural grace. "I'm going to take a bath. Don't you dare take a peek," she warned, a playful glint in her eye.
Just before she shut the bedroom door, I called out, "What's the plan for today?" It would be a shame to waste the day doing nothing.
"Hmm," she mused for a second. "Let's go get all my possessions from my rented room." She smiled, her gaze meeting mine directly.
Was she implying she wanted to move in with me?! "A-are you for real?" I asked, completely stunned.
"Well, I live in a rented room, and it's very costly for me," she explained matter-of-factly. Then her expression shifted to one of pure, theatrical pleading. "Are you that heartless to let a woman like me go through such suffering?" Her puppy-dog eyes were a critical hit against my defenses.
"Okay, okay, no need for so much drama!" I said, my face flushing completely. "You can stay as long as you like!"
Her cheeks puffed out as she tried to stifle a laugh, and then she disappeared from the doorway. "Thank you, Sparx!" her voice floated back.
As the sound of the bathroom door closing echoed down the hall, I was left alone in the bedroom. Well, now that I've said it, there's no going back, I thought. In truth, it was probably safer for her to be here anyway.
Overthinking it wouldn't change things now. I decided we could do some shopping while we were out retrieving her belongings.
Sigh, life sure is unpredictable, I thought, but I couldn't suppress the small, hopeful smile that remained.