friend chapter 24

Edward let out a soft, breathy laugh. The heavy atmosphere from earlier had completely disappeared. He looked down at our clasped hands, then brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. The touch was soft. The gesture was so fluid and natural that it didn’t feel out of place.

A moment later, after processing the situation, I recoiled in shock, pulling my hand away. “I-I didn’t say you could kiss it!”

“I know.”

“Then why…!”

“Because I wanted to.” Edward grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. The fact that he looked so handsome in that moment made it even more infuriating. I could feel my face burning with anger. The favorable image of Edward that had briefly formed in my mind shattered once more. I’d almost let my guard down because he was soft with children. This guy was dangerous, after all.

***

It was evening by the time we left the Greenfield Orphanage. Perhaps because we’d spent almost the entire day together, I’d grown quite fond of the children and felt a pang of sadness at leaving. Some of them even cried, clinging to me, begging me not to go. I felt a lump forming in my throat. These were the same children who had struggled to even draw a magic circle at first. Yet, in just one day, they had made remarkable progress. 

They had even managed to create water and manipulate its form. They were quick learners. A wave of regret washed over me again. I’d have to submit a proposal in the name of the student council, requesting the official assignment of a teacher. Then, the council members wouldn’t be involuntarily dragged here next year. Two birds with one stone.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I enjoyed a hearty dinner at the lodging’s dining hall. The chefs seemed quite skilled. The perfectly grilled steak tasted divine. Bliss.

“We’re done now, right?” I asked Hannah, expecting an affirmative answer. But my hopes were dashed.

“Don’t be silly! There’s still the top-secret program I created.”

“When did you even prepare something like that?”

“I’ll tell everyone the details when we gather later.” Hannah giggled, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. I, on the other hand, was not thrilled. My plans to relax with Jade, chat, and drift off to sleep were now ruined. How sad.

Dragging my feet, I joined the others at the designated meeting spot. Surprisingly, it was the entrance to Mount Cambert. Why here again…? I have bad memories of this place.

“The final program of the executive training camp! The highlight! It’s treasure hunt time~!” Hannah clapped her hands, trying to elicit a response, but only silence followed. Looking around, I saw that everyone had the vacant stare of dead fish. Myself included. I wanted to go home. I was tired.

“I carefully hid them with magic while we were hiking yesterday. I hid boxes about this big,” she gestured with her hands, “green leather boxes, so try to find them.”

A palm-sized box hidden somewhere on that vast mountain? I couldn’t do it.

“I forfeit.”

To my bold declaration, Hannah calmly replied, “For the record, what’s inside those boxes are your student IDs.”

“……That’s completely unfair……”

“Now! Let’s divide into teams.”

I couldn’t help but sigh. Student IDs were proof of our enrollment at the academy. We needed them to access the dormitory building, scanning them at the entrance. So that’s why they collected them before we left. I trusted them, thinking they had some legitimate use for them, but who knew they’d be used for this. You should never trust people easily.

“I’m the referee, so I’ll sit this one out. We’ll divide into two teams and see which side finds more. The losing team buys dinner.”

“What about you, Senior?”

“I’m the referee.” In other words, Hannah was getting out of it scot-free. A delinquent school breeds a delinquent president. I gave up resisting and participated in the drawing of lots. I hoped I wouldn’t get blue this time. No, the color wasn’t important. I just hoped I wouldn’t be on Edward’s team.