Shina's laughter echoed through the room, a nervous, high-pitched sound. "Ha-ha, I'm so clumsy!" she exclaimed, swiftly pulling her hand out of Crinix's.
Crinix's gaze lingered on her, his expression unreadable. Takahishi, meanwhile, rose from the carpet, his eyes darting between the two. "It's getting late, Shina. I wish we could sleep over, but we really must get going now."
Shina's face fell, her voice tinged with disappointment. "Oh, yeah... it is late. I guess we'll see you tomorrow, then. Bye."
Takahishi waved goodbye, heading for the door with Crinix following closely behind. But just as they were about to leave, Shina called out, "Hey, guys, wait!"
They turned around, curious. "What's up?" Takahishi asked.
Shina's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I can open a portal for you that will take you straight to your room."
Takahishi's eyes widened in awe. "Wait, you can do that?"
Shina nodded, a confident smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, I can. Just watch."
She stretched out her hands, palms up, and muttered, "Aperio portal." A blue light appeared in the middle of the room, and a doorway opened, revealing a glimpse of their own room.
Takahishi's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Wow, that's so cool!" He stepped forward, his hand reaching out to touch the portal.
Crinix followed suit, his movements more cautious. As they stepped through the portal, they could see Shina waving goodbye on the other side.
"Goodnight, guys. See you tomorrow," she whispered, her voice barely audible as the portal closed behind them.
Takahishi collapsed onto his bed, letting out a long sigh. "Ahh, tonight was weird. Did I really get my hand cut for real?" He stared at his hand, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
Crinix removed his jacket, tossing himself onto his own bed. "Goodnight, Takahishi," he whispered, already half asleep.
Takahishi switched off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. "Goodnight, Crinix," he whispered back, his voice barely audible.
But Crinix was already fast asleep
Morning came and the sound of birds chirping and footsteps moving outside their room Woke Crinix up as he realized it was already morning.
Crinix sat up with a start, his eyes scanning the room. "Hey, Takahishi, wake up! It's already morning!" he yelled, shaking Takahishi awake.
Takahishi groggily opened his eyes, his voice slurred. "Am coming, Shina..."
Crinix's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Hey, knock it off!" he snarled, throwing a pillow at Takahishi's face.
The pillow hit Takahishi with a soft thud, and he instantly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Ouch! Man, I was having a great dream. Couldn't you just let me sleep for a few minutes?"
Crinix was already getting dressed, his movements swift and efficient. "We don't have much time. We have to get going."
Takahishi knelt down, stretching his hand under the bed to retrieve his shoes. Just as he was tying his laces, the door slid open, and Shinro's angry face appeared in the doorway.
"If those two fools haven't woken up yet, I swear, today I'm going to flood their room!" Shinro shouted, his eyes blazing with annoyance.
Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a confused glance, before turning to face Shinro. "Oh, you guys have already woken up," Shinro whispered, his anger deflating.
Crinix was already dressed, his jacket zipped up. Takahishi, meanwhile, was still struggling with his shoes. "Hurry up, you fool!" Shinro yelled, his patience wearing thin.
Takahishi rolled his eyes, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Okay, okay, I'm done."
Shinro turned on his heel, heading out the door. Crinix and Takahishi followed closely behind, their footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Shinro's eyes narrowed as he craned his neck to glance at Crinix and Takahishi, who were quietly following him from behind. "I heard you two got yourselves into trouble yesterday," he said, his voice low and even.
Takahishi's face lit up with indignation. "It wasn't our fault! That Niski kid was the one who caused all the trouble!"
Shinro's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. "Fool, who said it was your fault?" he growled, his voice dripping with annoyance.
Takahishi's eyes widened, his face pale. "I-I was just saying... Niski was the one who almost killed Crinix!"
Shinro stopped walking, his back stiffening as he turned to face Takahishi. "I wasn't even here yesterday, I was on a solo mission," he said, his voice cold. "And another thing, fool, I'm not always around to babysit you two. You need to learn to take care of yourselves."
Takahishi's eyes dropped, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Oh, I guess that makes sense," he muttered, scratching his head.
Shinro's expression softened slightly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of warning. "Word of advice, stay away from Niski. He nearly killed his teacher last year, and now he's back for his second year at the academy. He's definitely not someone to be trifled with."
Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a nervous glance, their faces pale. They knew they had to be careful around Niski.
Shinro's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "I also heard you two went to my sister's room yesterday."
Takahishi's eyes widened, his face flushing with guilt. "Oh, yeah... she was the one who told us to come over," he stammered.
Shinro's expression darkened, his voice dripping with menace. "You two better not try anything funny, or else I'll kill you. You got that?"
Takahishi's eyes dropped, his face pale. "Oh, yeah... we got it, right Crinix?" he whispered, glancing at Crinix.
Crinix nodded silently, his eyes fixed on Shinro's face.
Shinro's gaze lingered on them for a moment, before he turned and walked away. "You two go on inside, I don't see the need to escort you inside today. Don't get into trouble!" he yelled over his shoulder, disappearing into the crowd.
Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a relieved glance, their faces pale. They took a deep breath, steeling themselves for the day ahead.
As they entered the school building, the sounds of chatter and laughter enveloped them. They made their way through the crowded hallway, searching for their classroom.
After a few minutes of navigating the maze-like corridors, they finally found their classroom. .