"Impossible." Flare said, sounding more active than usual.
Her eyes narrowed. "Sybil... pulled this?"
The idea seemed absurd. It was inconceivable... unless, of course, Azel had a strange fetish for small boobs and bad attitude.
That was the only way she could explain why he would even want to date her.
Her gaze shifted toward Sybil, who looked nothing like someone who had pulled anything clever.
The green-haired girl was leaning on the table with both palms pressed against her cheeks, staring dreamily into space.
Her lips were parted, and a thin trail of drool slipped down one side.
It would have looked innocent, almost childlike, if not for the fact that it was Sybil.
’She really is weird,’ Flare thought, shaking her head slightly before forcing her attention back on Azel.
"You’re right," Azel said casually. "I was just looking to see your reaction."
Flare rolled her eyes, trying to mask the flutter she felt in her chest.
She bent back over her paper, pretending to focus. But her pen slipped from her fingers.
She stopped writing, hesitated, and then looked up at him with a small and vulnerable smile.
"We’re friends now, right?" she asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Azel blinked, caught off guard.
"We go to the same classes, and we’ll be seeing each other a lot lately." Her voice wavered slightly as she tried to sound casual. "So let’s be friends?"
Her smile was faint, but her eyes gave her away. She really wanted him to agree.
Inside, her chest was tight.
She hoped he would say yes, but she also knew why he might say no.
Friendships were rarely simple. In her experience, only people with something to offer could form bonds that lasted.
Status, power, wealth — those things held people together.
And she had none of them.
No allowance.
No extra clothes.
No freedom to even buy her own lunch like the others in the cafeteria.
What did she have to offer?
Still, she loved talking with him. Even if today was the first time she felt it, she wanted it to last.
"I thought we already were," Azel said without hesitation.
Flare froze.
Her face brightened so suddenly it looked like sunlight breaking through clouds.
She smiled wide, unable to stop herself.
"Th... th... thank you."
Azel tilted his head. "What’s th—"
"Mr. Azel."
The voice came from beside him. He turned and saw the maid from earlier standing there, bowing politely with a menu in her hands.
"I’ve brought your menu," she said. "Please feel free to choose from all the available dishes."
Azel took the menu with a small nod.
’If I remember correctly,’ he thought, sneaking a glance at Flare, ’she doesn’t buy lunch. She only cooks a little for dinner. A doughnut won’t fill someone with Everbright blood. It’s not enough for her.’
The idea of a hungry heroine didn’t sit right with him at all.
"Flare," he asked suddenly, "why aren’t you eating a proper lunch?"
She froze, caught off guard.
"Uh... uhm..."
"She’s too broke to—"
Sybil didn’t finish the sentence because Flare’s hand clamped over her mouth instantly.
Flare’s glare could have melted steel.
"Mmfff—" Sybil tried to speak but was muffled.
Flare sighed heavily, pulling her hand back and avoiding Azel’s eyes. "I... I... I don’t like eating lunch."
Azel raised a brow.
’What kind of lie is that?’ he thought.
But he didn’t push her.
He knew her type, If you wanted to share food with Flare in the game, you had to give her a reason that didn’t make her feel pitied.
She hated the idea of being looked down on.
"Well then," he said smoothly, "let me buy you some food."
"I don’t need—"
"As a toast to our friendship," Azel interrupted.
Flare froze.
Her lips trembled as she considered it.
That... didn’t sound so bad.
She could accept that without feeling like a charity case. She swallowed, then sighed softly.
"Okay," she whispered. "Thank you."
"You say thank you a lot," Azel teased lightly.
He turned to the maid. "I can use my ID to get her food too, right?"
The maid blushed at being addressed directly. "Y-yes, Student Azel," she said quickly.
Before he could finalize the order, Sybil tugged on his sleeve, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Hey, buy food for me too," she said, smirking. "I forgot my wallet."
Azel gave her a sharp look.
Her smirk only grew wider.
He sighed, defeated. "...Fine."
’I mean, what could go wrong?’ Azel thought.
...
It turned out, a lot could go wrong.
A few minutes later, chaos erupted.
Plates of food were flying through the air like missiles, spells propelling them faster than any human arm could throw.
Trays clattered against enchanted barriers, pies exploded across uniforms, and the smell of gravy filled the air like smoke on a battlefield.
"FOOD FIGHT!!!"
The roar came from a boy standing on top of a table, both hands raised triumphantly.
His victory pose lasted only a second before a platter of mashed potatoes, hurled by wind magic, slammed directly into his face.
He toppled backward with a muffled scream.
Azel ducked as a bread roll zipped past his head.
’The fuck... are they kids?’
He looked around in disbelief.
These were supposed to be elite students of Astralis Academy, mages and swordsmen destined to become pillars of the empire.
And yet here they were, screaming and hurling roasted chicken legs like savages in a tavern brawl.
One table had already been overturned, students crouching behind it like soldiers in a trench, returning fire with cupcakes.
Another table floated into the air, the students riding it whooping like pirates as they dumped soup down on those below.
"Eat vegetables, you dogs!" someone screamed as a salad bowl whirled across the room.
"Take this! Meat pie bombardment!" another voice yelled.
’Where is the disciplinary committee when you need them?’ He thought, how did everything even get like this.
His eyes flicked to Reinhardt whose eyes met his, a grin was on the Protagonist’s face as he raised a pie at him.
"Attack that man! Don’t let him leave here unstained!"