He gave a grateful bow, then ran off to join his friends, who were disposing of their garbage. Only Fenix and Mirror witnessed it since Aura was already inside.
Fenix rushed up behind her, giving her a giant hug and lifting her off her feet.
"Hey! Get off!" she yelled in protest, but he only held her tighter. Even though he was being affectionate, Aura noticed how careful he was not to touch her skin. He was still scared to hurt her again, and she wanted nothing more than to put him at ease.
So she stopped trying to pry his arms off. Plus, he had no intention of letting her go. Aura closed the door and sat on the carpet, dragging Fenix down with her.
Mirror studied them.
Aura sat stiffly, an indifferent, borderline annoyed expression etched on her face,
while Fenix, who was cuddling her, looked completely ecstatic.
"You two might as well start fucking if you're already acting like that." She commented to agitate both of them.
"What?"
"We—"
"I—"
"Are—"
"Don't—"
"Just—"
"Know—"
"Friends!"
"What are you talking about, Mirror?! Shut your stupid face!"
Fenix and Aura spoke over each other, nearly incomprehensible, as they scrambled apart, both blushing.
Mirror laughed, enjoying their reactions, then she asked,
"Anyway… what do you two even do together?"
Fenix raised his hand, as if he needed permission to answer. Mirror pointed to him and said,
"Go ahead,"
"I usually sleep." His answer made Mirror roll her eyes and stand up.
"Aren't you bored, just sleeping and talking?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip, and looking down at both of them.
"No. As long as Aura is in the room, I'm completely satisfied."
Aura blushed brightly at his straightforward statement, but he didn't notice. He meant what he said and almost expected Aura to be disgusted with him for it. So he avoided looking at her face, sparing himself the sting of rejection.
Mirror grinned mischievously, tapping a finger against her glossy lip.
"Oh, really? Hmm…"
A knock at the door interrupted her before she could continue. Aura opened it, and Vision entered with Veil, his brother, and the boy Aura had battled in the Nationals only a month and a half earlier.
"Hey, guys. We heard everyone was hanging out in Aura's room, so we decided to drop by," Vision said as they both entered. Aura sat back down at Fenix's side, and Vision wedged into the gap between them on the floor.
Word must have spread after the scene they made in the hall earlier.
Mirror groaned, plopping down onto Aura's bed. (There was no division between the living room and bedroom, so she was still near everyone.)
"If the three of us count as everyone, then yes," Mirror explained, a hint of irritation in her tone and a hidden suggestion for Vision to "Get lost."
"I've never been to your room before, Aura… " It's cleaner than I expected," Vision added, ignoring Mirror and subtly moving closer to her.
"Why does everyone say that?!" Aura threw up her hands, then let her head drop.
Vision opened his mouth to respond, but his collar was suddenly tugged, forcing him to turn toward Fenix—who was smiling, as usual.
"Do you want to die?" Fenix asked in the sweetest voice imaginable.
His tone was so cheerful that it was, quite frankly, unsettling. Because it was clear that the threat wasn't a joke.
"Is something bothering you?" Vision asked, tilting his head. He somehow did not notice the warning signs that everyone else in the room had.
"Yes. The fact that you're still breathing."
Fenix's tone didn't change. In fact, his smile grew sweeter. But as the seconds passed, it began to look more sinister, and the room's temperature steadily rose to an almost unbearable level.
Aura quickly wedged herself between them and sat down.
"He's mad… because you took his seat," she explained.
The temperature instantly returned to normal. Fenix leaned his shoulder against Aura's and relaxed back against the wall.
"Ah… he's just immature, huh?" Vision said, sounding slightly shaken. Fenix glared at him, but Vision regained his composure to say, "We have a few days off soon, so… Aura… I was wondering—"
"If you'll hang out with me for a while." Veil finished Vision's statement, speaking for the first time.
When all eyes turned to him, his face slightly flushed red, and he covered it with his hands.
"Vision was getting ahead of himself, speaking on my behalf." He muttered, "I told him I wanted to get to know you better. It's not fair that we don't have any classes together… so I
what do you say?"
Everyone was preparing for Vision to ask her out, so it was a surprise coming from Veil. But Aura smiled and politely said,
"Thank you, but I'm taking extra classes during that time, so I won't be free."
"That's so boring! You stupid overachiever. Veil was really looking forward to us all getting together during the Festival," Vision said, folding his arms. "You should make time for your friends," he added.
Aura blinked.
"We're friends?" She sounded genuinely shocked, which unnerved Vision.
He looked at her incredulously,
"We've known each other for three years! What did you think we were?!" His voice was heavy with confusion.
Aura stared at him, pondering his question, when an extremely warm hand turned her face toward its owner.
Fenix.
"I liked it better when it was just you and me," he muttered, reminding everyone just how tactless he was. "If you make time for anyone during the festival, it'll be me," Fenix stated, looking only at Aura. Her eyes widened upon hearing his declaration, leaving her frozen in place. Her lips parted. She desperately wanted to reply, say anything, but she was at a loss for words.
"I thought you said you weren't her boyfriend," Vision pointed out, lightly tugging Aura away from Fenix and knocking her out of her trance.
"I'm not," Fenix replied coolly. His eyes darted down at Vision's hand as it touched her shoulder.
That answer clearly didn't satisfy Vision.
"Then what right do you have to monopolize her time?" he asked, his voice growing testier as the seconds passed.
"I'm only saying what I want to say," Fenix answered with a shrug.
Vision glared at Fenix, who, uncharacteristically, showed no expression. But the air around him still felt heavy, as if he could snap at any moment. It looked like Vision was getting ready to say more, but then Mirror clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention, and said,
"Alright! Let's play a game or something."
"Yay! A game!" Fenix said, instantly brightening. Veil and Mirror joined the others on the floor. Then, Mirror pulled a deck of cards from her purse and began shuffling them while going over the game's rules.
Hours passed, and it was late when Aura finally got fed up and kicked everyone out so she could sleep. No one had really wanted to leave, so they all complained, begging to play another round, but she was more than happy to shut the door behind them.
A few minutes later, before she could even change into her pajamas, there was a knock.
"GRAAH… who is it now?!" she snapped, yanking the door open.
Veil stood there.
"I'm sorry… just… tomorrow, is it okay if I walk with you to class?" he asked shyly, staring at his feet.
"I don't care. Do whatever the hell you want," Aura muttered, slamming the door. Sleepiness had stolen what little sensitivity she had left, so she went straight to bed.
It wasn't until the next morning that she realized how rude she'd been, so she was surprised to see him waiting outside
along with an unhappy Fenix.
"Good morning," Veil said with a soft, innocent smile.
"Hey, Aura," Fenix added, grinning, though there was irritation hidden beneath it.
"Hi," she replied with a sigh, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
They walked beside her with Fenix on the right, Veil on the left.
The air around them felt tense.
When Veil edged a little closer, Fenix leaned in slightly in response, barely giving Aura any breathing room.
"If you touch her, I'll kill you," Fenix warned cheerfully.
"Ah… but why would you? You're not dating," Veil replied.
Fenix's smile vanished, and his eyes turned cold.
"I'll still kill you." This time, his voice was deep and eerily serious.
Veil quickly put some space between them.
Aura sighed again, annoyed with both of them.
Veil had to separate from them once they reached their class, so he waved to Aura and said,
"I'll see you at lunch." She nodded in agreement and waved bye to him.
Later, when lunchtime came, Fenix took Aura's wrist gently.
"Let's eat out today," He pleaded. Aura studied his expression. She didn't know why, but it seemed like this was something he wanted desperately, so she replied,
"Okay, let's do that."
The two hurriedly left the school grounds for the only Restaurant within the school's Containment Barrier.
Once inside and seated, he scanned the menu with visible excitement.
"Why did you want to eat out?" Aura asked.
"The lunchroom is... noisy," he replied, his grin faltering as if he was remembering something unpleasant.
Aura sighed. "Fine… I actually wanted to ask you something, anyway."
"Really? What is it?"
She fidgeted with her fingers.
"I… want to know why you're so unhappy."
Fenix blinked.
"You think… I'm sad?"
"Yes," Aura said quietly. "You're the saddest person I think I've ever seen. I understand if it's not something you want to talk about... I just want to understand you better."
He leaned back in his chair. Fenix stayed silent until the waitress came over and asked for their orders.
"I would like the barbecue chicken," Aura said, handing over her menu, eyes still fixed on Fenix.
"I would like the vegetable soup with cheddar cheese, please." He said, sitting upright and handing over his menu.
"And for drinks?" The waitress asked, looking from Aura to Fenix.
"Sweet tea." They said in unison. That made them both smile despite the tension.
The waitress wrote everything down, then bowed politely, saying,
"It will be just a moment. I'll be back soon with your order." Once she was out of earshot, Fenix began speaking in a hushed tone.
"When… I was younger… I accidentally set fire to my hometown."
Aura didn't flinch, and her expression didn't change as Fenix spoke.
"I… didn't know I had powers until I was eight. My parents were arguing, and because of this, I became very upset… They fought a lot, but this time it was worse than the others. Before I knew it, both my hands were engulfed in flames. This freaked me out, so I panicked and fell to the floor, starting a fire in my room.
"On the bright side… once they smelled smoke, my parents stopped arguing. They both rushed out of the house—forgetting about me completely… they just didn't care about me.
"I was in my room, panicking, and the more I did, the bigger and more intense the fire got. It was then that I realized... I was the cause. I could no longer feel the heat or smell the smoke… even though I was completely surrounded by it.
"The fire burned everything. Bricks, glass… It even burned across water. It was inextinguishable until I managed to calm down..."
Fenix looked up into Aura's eyes.
"Both of my parents died, dozens of other people died as well, and I was arrested… My body was experimented on until recently. They created devices capable of controlling me, and because of that, I was allowed to attend this school. So, if I seem sad… that's probably why. I can't escape the memories of that day."
Catching him off guard, Aura reached across the table and took his hand. Fenix's temperature rose sharply, but Aura didn't seem fazed at all.
"I can't say I know how you feel, but… when I was born, my village declared me a cursed child. It was a very traditional, strict, old-fashioned place.
"When they told my parents to kill Mirror and me, of course, they refused. Most of the villagers felt it would weigh too heavily on their conscience to kill babies themselves, so they allowed us to live. Mirror is older than me by a year, by the way.
"Her power is less noticeable, so she wasn't bothered much. But wherever I stayed for too long, things became very… green. Flowers would bloom, grass stayed lush even in winter, dead trees came back to life… things like that.
"The villagers called my power evil and ordered me to stop using it, but... I couldn't control how plants reacted to me.
"Eventually, they found out about the laws regarding people like us. So, Mirror and I were forced to attend this school until we could fully control our abilities—or graduate and serve in the military.
"My parents tried to take us back, and because of that, they were arrested. They'll only be released if one of us graduates and joins ALPHA… I want that to be me. So, Mirror and our parents can finally live a peaceful, happy life."
Fenix had been listening intently. When she finished, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips.
"You're… really something, Aura."
She flushed and quickly pulled her hand away. Fenix laughed and added,
"It's hard to stay sad, now that you're in my life." She met his eyes, ready to say something in reply, but, right on cue, their food arrived, and they ate in silence.
On the way back to the dorms, Fenix glanced up at the sky.
"I heard that once you join ALPHA, you can never retire."
Aura lightly bit her lip.
"That's true… but don't worry, I do get vacations. And as long as my family is okay, I don't mind."
She looked down at the pavement as they walked.
"Well… if you join, I'm going with you. I don't want you getting lonely… You hate being alone more than anyone."
Aura's heart fluttered. She squeezed her eyes shut.
She had always pretended to like being alone. That way, when she and Mirror eventually separated, Mirror wouldn't feel guilty for not joining ALPHA herself. It was… unsettling that he had seen through that.
"How did you know?"
Fenix held out his hand. After a moment, she reluctantly took it.
"I knew for the same reason you knew I was sad… Because we're friends, right? Because we care about each other."
He swung their joined hands as they walked. Aura grumbled, her face turning red.
"Just… don't tell Mirror," she muttered, squeezing his hand.
Fenix laughed.
"I don't know. When you tell me not to do something, it just makes me want to do it more."
"Stop being so rebellious!" Aura argued, playfully nudging him with her shoulder.
"But I had three bottles of rebellion juice this morning. I have to rebel." Fenix replied sarcastically.
"That's not even a thing!"
He chuckled, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Alright, I won't tell her," he murmured, resting his cheek on top of her head.
Aura hesitated a second, then she hugged him back, gripping his jacket tightly.
"Good," she said softly.
Two seconds later, she shoved him away, flustered.
"You've held on long enough!" She shouted. He laughed again, but there was a hint of disappointment in his voice, as if he wished to hold her longer.
Fenix walked Aura to her room before they parted ways. Mirror was waiting inside on the couch. Noticing they had spent the evening together, she smirked and said,
"So, were you on a date?"
Aura frowned.
"Don't be ridiculous."
Aura barely had time for friendship, much less romance. She sat down on the floor and crossed her legs, appearing to be very focused.
"What are you doing?" Mirror asked, watching her curiously.
"I'm… infusing botanical traits into my DNA."
Mirror tilted her head, clearly confused.
"Certain plants, like cacti, coneflowers, and celosia spicata, are resistant to heat. I'm using traits like those to strengthen my own resistance."
Mirror's eyes widened, then she grinned.
"I didn't know you could do something that useful. I thought all you could do was those thorny attacks and healing."
Aura ignored her and focused.
She exhaled slowly, feeling the swelling in her blistered hands begin to subside. The pain dulled, little by little.
If she wanted to stay close to Fenix… she had to make sure she wouldn't hurt him...
By being hurt by him.
She would do whatever it took to protect him from that.
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 pissed off by this arrangement.
"How did you sleep?" Veil asked, smiling as he walked close beside Aura.
"Fine," she replied coolly.
"What about you, Fenix?" Veil asked, 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 increasing daily."
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 for a short time, then she let out a small giggle, saying,
"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. They were not alone at all, and dozens of people were 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 with 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… don't you know that PDA is not only disrespectful but also disgusting?" Ms. Emerald's tone was harsh and critical when speaking to Aura,
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Aura replied. She wanted to say more, but retaliation towards a teacher is not tolerated at all in this school.
"Yes, you are sorry. Now… let's begin class."
Fenix fell asleep in Herbal Studies, but Madam Vanessa didn't seem to mind, and even said,
"As long as he keeps passing my tests, he's allowed to sleep."
At that moment, Aura decided Vanessa was her favorite teacher, because not even a moment later, she lay her head down and joined Fenix. Madam Venessa had to accept it.
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 from her, he relented.
Once they had some privacy, Janx began,
"You look well."
Aura said nothing.
"I mean… You look happier than usual." He explained, running his fingers through her hair. "You even combed your hair today..."
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 had already been completed Fenix versus a boy named Wisp, with Janx's assistant, Cleaver refereeing.
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 in the bleachers.
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 take note of the strangest things." She scowled, irritated slightly that he'd gotten so many points effortlessly.
Cleaver spoke,
"It's time for the next match. Any volunteers?"
Everyone turned to Aura. When they saw her hand wasn't raised, a boy named Gust volunteered, only for Aura to raise hers immediately after.
"Wonderful. Both of you, to the field." Janx gestured for them to come down to the sparring area, and Cleaver continued speaking once they were in front of him, " Remember, this is hand-to-hand combat only. And you are classmates, not enemies... NOW BEGIN." Cleaver moved aside, signaling for the fight to start.
The boy raised his guard defensively. He put them up too high, so for a split second, his arms blocked his vision, and in that instant, Aura vanished from his sight. He began anxiously looking around for her. That's when she popped back into view at his side and delivered a spinning kick to his stomach just beneath his guard. The hit caused his stance to falter, and as soon as it did, she followed with two quick strikes to his face. Knocking him down on his knees.
Cleaver clapped.
"Round one ends! Thirteen points for Aura."
While Gust caught his breath and drank water, Aura stretched calmly.
"Round two—start!"
They charged towards each other in unison this time. When Aura swung, Gust dodged her punch, but... failed to evade the knee to his side, and the overhead strike from her clasped hands after that.
"Round ends! Aura now has twenty-one points. Gust still has zero!"
Gust wiped blood from his lip.
"Whoo! Go Aura!" Fenix cheered.
Aura didn't look at him, but her face reddened, embarrassed by his behavior.
"Final round," Cleaver said with a grin. "Now, Gust, try to score at least one point in this one. You're looking pathetic out there."
"I am trying!" Gust snapped, glaring sharply at Cleaver.
"You are? That makes it worse. Anyways... Final round! Begin!"
Aura quickly closed the gap between them and opened with a low kick. Her opponent jumped over it but Aura reacted quickly and tackled him while he was still midair. Slamming her shoulder into his gut, which knocked the wind out of his lungs and left him heaving.
Janx and Cleaver clapped.
"That's twenty-four points. Aura wins!" Janx announced the final score and
The class applauded, but Aura frowned. It wasn't good enough because... Fenix had scored higher.
Gust was handed water and pain medication, and both fighters returned to their seats.
"You did great!" Fenix said, with a bright, genuine smile.
In that moment, when their eyes met, her heart quivered, so she immediately looked away, her face flushing deeper. She pulled her knees up onto her seat and pressed her face into them so he wouldn't see.
"Thanks… but you did better," Aura muttered begrudgingly.
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 his touch only made her blush worsen.
Aura wondered if her experiments were working… or if her hair was dulling the heat. (Fenix couldn't burn hair unintentionally because it was made of highly durable fibers due to her powers.)
"Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me."
He said as he pulled his hand away.
"Let's go to lunch," Aura suggested, turning to meet Fenix's eyes.
Right then, Cleaver called out the current match results.
"Alright! Vera has seven, and Micholas has three. Vera is the victor!"
Vera jumped up and down excitedly, and giggling over her win, while Micholas sulked and grumbled,
"Why are the girls in this school so freaking tough…?"
The chatter inside the gymnasium quieted as they exited into the hallway. Fenix kept glancing at Aura, at her face, then down towards her hand. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Gritting his teeth.
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 hands, not even an inch from each other's. They were standing close, and when she realized how intimate they appeared, 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. Instead she 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... Just us."
Fenix glanced at her and smiled.
"No, 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. It was now their turn in line.
"You go first, I'm still thinking," Aura said while glancing over the menu one more time.
Fenix's smile weakened as he turned to the worker. He tapped his chin, saying,
"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 early, I'll miss you… I know it's selfish, but… please take care of yourself."
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 to be visible.
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. Still, if she didn't say how she was feeling, she would regret that.
After Fenix received his food, Aura stepped forward.
"I'd like the 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. I've been doing it regularly for a while now!"
She stabbed her food and took an aggressive bite. Vision laughed.
"I was just making an observation. You must know it's unusual for you 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," Fenix commented, casually running his fingers through her hair. "And you're still cute before without any effort," he added, then returned to eating 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.
"How many times are you going to ask that?! We're just 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, with Fenix patiently waiting with her.
"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 and put up in twin buns. She was also wearing the female uniform… paired with red leggings and knee-high black leather 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 new uniform suits you," Fenix said.
Aura immediately looked down, blushing.
"Really?" Her voice squeaked. Embarrassed, she covered her face with her hands.
This reaction made both Fenix and Mirror laugh.
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 take hold of Fenix's hand subtly.
She saw anxiety spike on his face, and he looked down at their hands. Fenix didn't want to let go of her hand but was worried about hurting her, and this fluctuation of emotions made it even harder to control his powers. Luckily, her experiment had worked.
His hand didn't feel hot at all. She could tell the temperature of his skin was high, so high that any normal person would scream and pull away, but she couldn't help feeling pleased. There was no pain at all. Aura wanted to give Fenix the good news right then, but decided to wait until they were alone.
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! It's decorating day."
Groans spread across the room.
"No complaining if you all do your jobs, we'll be done in no time!" He assured, which elicited more moans and verbal complaints.
Aura, however, didn't mind because students who contributed significantly earned extra credit, and that was right up her alley.
Fenix made sure to stay near her as they worked. He was relishing the time together, even doing mundane tasks.
By the time preparations were finished, both of them were exhausted.
Since they were too tired to return to the dorms right away, they sat behind the school, on the grass, staring up at the starry sky together. There was a heavy silence, so Aura decided to break it, saying,
"It's cold…" Unsure what else to say.
In response, Fenix draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. His body was hot, but it felt comfortable in the night air.
"Thank you." She muttered softly.
Fenix kept his gaze on the sky. Even cuddled like this, he was careful not to touch any of her bare skin. His muscles also felt tense as if he was ready to move away in an instant.
"I… I'm resistant now!" Aura 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 confusion in his voice.
Aura sat up, gently pulling away and turning to face him.
"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, and her head drooped low.
"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. Her words had made his temperature skyrocket, and he was in a hurry to see if it was true. Could he really touch her with no restraint? He decided that if he burned her, he'd never touch her again.
Aura jolted, pulling back and covering her face.
"H-Hey—!" He couldn't tell if her reaction was pain or surprise... he needed to be sure.
"Hold still…" he murmured, gently pulling her hands away.
He held her chin, tilting her head upwards, and studied her lips. A smile spread across his face, relieved to see no burns.
"S-see… Isn't that great?" Aura started again, her voice trembling. Fenix didn't respond, his eyes still trained on her lips. A spark of realization lit up inside his eyes, that's when he kissed her a second time.
"W-wait Fenix—mmmnn!"
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. Fenix followed after her, not letting their mouths disconnect even for a moment, parting his lips slightly and slipping his tongue into her mouth, moving it against hers. Aura gasped, pushed him back slightly by the shoulders, and turned away,
"Fenix! F-friends don't kiss—especially like that!" Her voice was full of a mixture of emotions, the most heightened one being surprise.
He paused, seeming shocked by his own actions and said,
"I'm sorry... when you said I could touch you anywhere... I got too excited..." He helped her sit back up, then pulled her into a gentler embrace. He smiled, clearly amused by the frantic pounding of her heart against his chest, and stroked her back to comfort her.
"I think we should stop being friends." he said.
Aura froze, her eyes beginning to water.
"I—I didn't mean that! I don't want to not be friends! I don't want you to stop talking to me—"
Fenix laughed softly and rested his forehead against hers. And Aura stopped speaking bracing herself for more kissing.
"I didn't mean it like that... I mean… I want to keep kissing you. I want to move forward," he said more quietly. "I can touch you now, so there's nothing stopping me from being honest anymore." He paused and inhaled deeply "Aura…" he said more quietly. "I like you." Her eyes widened as she took in his words, and his voice softened as he continued by asking, "You like me too, right?"
Aura's face turned bright red.
"I didn't know you could say things like that…" She thought she didn't care about romance at all but there was no platonic way to describe how she felt for him.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around him in return. There was nothing but silence around them and, as he held her, Aura realized there was nowhere else she'd rather be.
"I do... 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 panicly blurted,
"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, even when the keven when the kiss deepened, lingered longer than before and his lips moved down to her neck.
Later...
They walked hand in hand back to Aura's dormitory. Unable to help herself, Aura asked,
"…How long have you liked me?"
Fenix tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, actually… I love you," he corrected.
Aura blushed and looked down.
"I started loving you right after I realized you liked me."
Aura jerked away from him. Fenix stopped walking, turned toward her, and smirked.
"But… I wasn't even sure I liked you until you kissed me…" Aura mumbled.
Fenix took a step forward, forcing her to back into the corner of the hallway.
"That's one of my talents," he began. "I always know what others are feeling.... even when they don't. Did you really think I would dare to kiss you if I wasn't aware of how you felt?"
For a brief moment as he asked this, something in his expression shifted, as if he was heartbroken .
Aura couldn't stand it.
She threw aside her embarrassment and hugged him tightly.
Fenix froze for half a second… then wrapped his arms around her just as tightly.
"Hah… you fell for my façade," he murmured. "Now I'm never letting you go."
Aura's heart pounded at the thought. Fenix spun them around, keeping her locked in the embrace.
Right then, Mirror stepped out of Aura's room and approached them.
When he noticed her, he released Aura, because he knew she'd feel embarrassed if her sister saw them.
"I was worried when you didn't come back, so I waited. Wasn't expecting to find you two together at this hour," Mirror said with a smirk.
Aura was still flustered and couldn't respond. Fenix, however, slipped effortlessly back into a calm expression.
"We got tired after helping with festival preparations and sat down for a while," he said. It wasn't a complete lie, but it definitely omitted the reason they were so late.
Mirror sighed, rubbing her temples.
"There are, like, five thousand kids at this school. You wouldn't be tired if you did as little work as possible, like a normal person." She said, directed at her sister. Then she gestured toward the door,
"Come on, Aura. Let's go inside."
Aura stepped forward, and Fenix followed.
Mirror paused, eyeing him,
"…It's a little late for you to be hanging out in her room." She remarked.
"Same to you," Fenix replied.
Mirror gave him a flat look, one hand settling on her hip.
"I'm her sister." She stated, rolling her eyes and sneering at him.
Fenix brushed his hair back, revealing the golden eye he usually kept hidden.
"And, I am her fiancé."
Aura's mouth dropped open, then she bit her lip and turned her back towards her Mirror. Mirror stood frozen in shock for almost a full minute before echoing,
"Fiancé?"
Fenix reached into his pocket and pulled out a platinum ring set with a large red stone. He placed it in Aura's palm. Aura unfurled her fingers and then held the ring up to the light. She couldn't help but wonder when he brought this? Was he planning to propose to her regardless?
"I wanted to give that to you while we were alone," he said casually. "But since that won't happen tonight… I'll give it to you now. Make sure to wear it every day." Fenix then held up his hand to show Aura the matching ring on his finger, "So that we'll match."
Realization sparkled in her eyes, then she smiled softly and nodded.
Aura put the ring on and held it up to the light; even in the dimly lit hallway, the stone sparkled brilliantly.
Mirror's jaw dropped as she watched their exchange.
Fenix held Aura's cheeks and placed a kiss on her forehead,
"Now that I've done this, I'll go. See you tomorrow." He released her, then gave a small wave as he stepped backward toward the exit.
Then he turned and walked out.
"When did this happen?!" Mirror demanded, eyes wide.
Aura kept her gaze fixed on the ring, was still thinking about how the ring fit perfectly, and was buzzing from everything that had happened that day.
When did he have time to buy this? When did he figure out my size? and similar questions flew through her mind.
"Aura!" Mirror rose her voice to get her sister's attention. Aura sighed then replied in a neutral tone,
"…Just now. You were here. You saw it,"
"I mean, when did you become a couple?" Mirror pressed.
"…Today." Aura concealed her giddy feelings and kept her tone blunt and flat.
Mirror gasped dramatically and shouted,
"But he just called himself your fiancé!"
Aura lowered her hand, her gaze lingering on the ring.
"It all happened today," she repeated, sounding almost bored.
"Was he planning this? Why would he carry a ring if you hadn't even dated before?!" Mirror asked, baffled.
"…Because he's weird," Aura said, a faint smile forming.
Then, in a softer voice added,
"He's a crazy oddball that I love."
She turned away, unlocking her door, and asked,
"Any more questions?"
Mirror shook her head. "No."
Aura walked into her room, leaving the door open behind her. Mirror followed after her, closing and locking the door behind herself.