friend chapter 20

“You seem quite shaken. Are you alright?” Lost in thought, I looked up to find everyone, including Edward, staring at me with concern. Jade, in particular, looked as if she were about to cry. “I’m fine, thanks to you. Edward saved me, you know? My heart was racing.” I covered my face with my hands, feigning shyness. Don’t misunderstand; it’s all an act. I had to maintain the charade with Jade watching. Everyone’s expression, except Edward’s, darkened slightly.

“My heart was racing too.”

“What? I think I misheard you.”

Edward chuckled, amused, and stepped behind me. I felt the firm pressure of his hands on my shoulders. He gently caressed them, then lowered himself slightly, his cheek brushing against my ear. “You were leaning against me like this. I thought I was going to lose my mind.” His warm breath tickled my ear. My face flushed. Startled, I pulled away from him, a shiver running down my spine. I rubbed my ear repeatedly. The culprit, meanwhile, was chuckling leisurely.

“See? I told you Luna wouldn’t stand a chance,” Jade sighed, adding insult to injury.

***

According to Professor Ias, the snake had been a venomous magical beast. Its bite caused instant paralysis, preventing the use of magic. “They inhabit the upper regions of Mount Hebes. You were in grave danger,” he explained. I glanced at Cloud as the professor spoke. His blue eyes flickered before dropping to the ground. Mount Hebes was the mountain behind the academy. A habitat for monsters, it was often used by the Knight Department for practical exams. I’d been planning a trip there, but knowing about these monsters, I’d need to be thoroughly prepared.

After a long and arduous climb, we finally reached the summit and began our descent. My clothes were soaked with sweat. I undid a couple of buttons on my shirt and fanned myself. Edward, who had been watching me, conjured a gust of wind. It was so strong, I felt chilled. Glaring at him, I re-buttoned my shirt. He finally withdrew the wind with a satisfied smile. What a strange fellow.

“Oh, is this our lodging?”

“Better than you expected, right?”

Hannah was still brimming with excitement. Her energy was admirable. She’d been running around on the mountain, seemingly casting spells. Her stamina was incredible. I hadn’t had high expectations for the accommodations. Resigned, more like. It was a building constructed by the academy for training purposes. How nice could it be? …Or so I thought. It was a magnificent, old-fashioned mansion. It served as another reminder of the academy’s wealth. Hooray!

There were enough rooms for everyone to have their own. Of course, it didn’t mean much when Jade barged into mine. “I’m so sleepy after lunch. Can’t we skip the recreational activities and just play dead?”

“Do you want to become a corpse, Lumina~?”

“…No, I’d like to live a long life.”

Under Hannah’s playful threat, I reluctantly headed to the auditorium after lunch.

“Alright, everyone, listen up!” Hannah climbed onto the stage and bellowed as everyone, except Professor Ias, gathered. The professor was reportedly napping in his room. Lucky him. “The first game is a transformation magic contest. Remember, it was my idea?”

“Wow, show-off.”

“Lumina, I can hear you. Anyway! Gather around, we’re choosing who guesses.”

Another lottery. I briefly wondered if a lottery was too complicated for selecting just one guesser. But suggesting an alternative was more bothersome, so I drew a lot without complaint. Blue again. Blue was obsessed with me. Suddenly, I couldn’t bear the thought of another lottery. I was sick of blue. So, I introduced them to “rock-paper-scissors.” A world without rock-paper-scissors was simply unacceptable.

“Oh…”

“Lumina’s it. It’s always the person who suggests it.”

Right, that jinx existed in this world too. I became the ultimate loser, tasked with guessing.

“Wait outside while we transform.”

I trudged out of the auditorium. The transformation magic contest. The other four would use transformation magic to disguise themselves as the same person. This time, it was Cloud. He was also the one who’d engaged in a fierce rock-paper-scissors battle with me in the finals. My task was to identify the real Cloud among the four identical copies. What happened if I failed? Cloud and I would have to treat everyone at the next gathering. And if I succeeded? The other members would foot the bill. ‘Will Cloud be angry if I fail?’ I had to win. Besides, I already knew how to identify Cloud.