friend chapter 17

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I barely managed to pull myself out of bed. Pulling back the curtains and opening the window, I saw the academy still shrouded in the pre-dawn gloom. To think I had to be ready this early. A fresh wave of resentment washed over me for Professor Ias. He’d insisted on a dawn departure, claiming the morning mountain air was invigorating. 

“Jade! Wake up. Time for our morning hike.” 

“Ugh… I want to sleep more.” 

I poked Jade’s cheek, trying to rouse her, but she showed no signs of stirring. Even with her hair a mess from sleep, she was beautiful. I gazed at her long lashes, then whispered in her ear, “If you don’t wake up, your future husband, Cain…” 

Thud. The blanket covering Jade fell to the floor. I giggled, and Jade shot me a playful glare. We had to pack quite a bit for our two-night, three-day trip. Even with most of our belongings stored in a subspace box, the bag was heavy. It was only after adjusting it with a weight-reducing spell that my shoulder felt somewhat comfortable.

At the academy’s main gate, Edward and Cloud were already waiting for us. Cloud was reading a book, while Edward was kicking at the emperor’s statue, clearly bored. It seemed Senior Hannah and Professor Ias were running late. Speaking of those two, they were truly a sight to behold, almost radiating an ethereal glow. I didn’t want to get too close—they were a bit intimidating—but Edward spotted us and waved. He had a knack for that. 

Yawning, I waited for the others. Perhaps my drowsiness was contagious, because one by one, everyone started yawning. I noticed Edward, yawning with his hand over his mouth, and a mischievous thought struck me. This is my chance for revenge. I stared intently, waiting for the moment he yawned again. Finally, as Edward’s mouth opened slightly, I swiftly poked my finger inside. 

“Gotcha!” 

I giggled, delighted with my successful prank. Edward seemed quite startled by the sudden intrusion into his mouth. His golden eyes flickered noticeably. Just as I was about to pull my finger back, satisfied, Edward closed his lips. He carefully enclosed my finger, making sure his sharp teeth didn’t touch it. Now it was my turn to be flustered. A soft, warm sensation touched my fingertip. The moment I realized it was Edward’s tongue, I recoiled, yanking my hand back. 

“Wh-what was that?” 

“You’re the one who stuck your finger in.” 

Edward’s teasing smile, his head tilted to the side, was infuriating. 

“Some battles you just can’t win,” Jade commented, shaking her head after observing our exchange. Annoyed, I snapped back at her, declaring I’d sing at her and Cain’s wedding. Jade immediately retracted her previous statement, horrified.

Just as the rising sun became visible in the distance, Hannah and Professor Ias finally arrived. We passed through the main gate and stood before the magic carriages. They were similar in size to Ashford’s. We had to split into two groups of three for each carriage. 

I knew who I wanted to ride with—Jade or Cloud would have been fine. The other three… well, not so much. 

“Let’s draw lots for the seats,” Hannah said, rummaging in her bag and pulling out six sticks. Their ends were colored with ink—three red, three blue. Humming, Hannah covered the colored tips with her hand. I’d never seen someone so excited about drawing lots. 

“Come on! Pick one!” Jade was the first to take a stick. Red. Praying for red, I closed my eyes and picked one. Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes to find a blue-tipped stick in my hand. I wanted to snap it in half, but maintained my composure for the sake of appearances. There was still hope. If Cloud and Hannah picked blue, I’d be safe. 

“Yay! I’m riding with Jade! Let’s have a nice, long chat, little sister.”

“Ugh. Don’t get too clingy.” 

Hannah, having drawn a red stick, hugged Jade. I mentally braced myself. Next, Cloud, with an unusually serious expression, picked a stick. It was a tense moment for me. He frowned as he looked at the stick in his hand. It was unusual to see any change in his normally stoic expression. But I had no time to dwell on it. The moment I saw the red tip of his stick, I knew I was doomed. Because the remaining people were…