C24 – My Fault
Bo Miaojiao was brimming with excitement as she reached for her personal information form, but the teacher wouldn’t release it.
“Do you realize what joining Class D entails? At Sacred Heart Academy, resources aren’t distributed equally. Class A’s resources could be more than tenfold those of Class D! Are you sure about this?” the teacher responsible for Bo Miaojiao’s awakening asked earnestly.
“I’m well aware, but it doesn’t bother me,” Bo Miaojiao replied, yanking the form from the teacher’s grasp with a determined tug.
“May I ask why?” inquired the teacher, chin in hand and a curious smile on his face.
“Because he’s in Class D.”
With those words, Bo Miaojiao clutched her personal information form with glee and hurried off.
Watching her retreat, the awakening teacher shook his head in a mix of pity and amusement before laughing and sighing, “Ah, the enviable days of youth!”
Qin Hongyu, spotting Bo Miaojiao approaching, eagerly pulled her aside and blurted out, “Jiao, did I just see you awaken a fireball?”
“A fireball? Silly brother, that was a fire spirit!” Bo Miaojiao laughed, amused by Qin Hongyu’s mistake.
“Right, right, a fire spirit—an Elemental Spirit! So you must be in Class A. Go give that ice spirit and light spirit a thrashing, and you’ll be the head of Class A. Just thinking about it gets me excited,” Qin Hongyu beamed, more thrilled than he had been for his own Elemental Spirit awakening.
“I’ve been placed in Class D, too,” Bo Miaojiao interjected coolly.
Qin Hongyu froze, his brow furrowing as he stared at her, struggling to find words.
He knew Bo Miaojiao’s talents were too great for Class D; it had to be her choice. He understood her reasons, yet a whirlwind of emotions engulfed him—regret, admiration, and a touch of self-reproach for feeling like he had let Jiao down.
“How can I ever become excellent enough to deserve your sacrifice?” Qin Hongyu lamented inwardly, feeling the weight on her shoulders grow heavier.
Collecting herself, Qin Hongyu turned to Fu Tian with a look of mock resentment and grumbled, “This is all your fault, you jinx!”
“What does this have to do with me? You guys are way over the top!”
So, I have to put up with being the third wheel, and now you’re making me the scapegoat too?
Just then, the Tortoise Spirit pattern he held began to squirm restlessly, making its way up Fu Tian’s clothes to perch on the hood of his sweatshirt, peering forward.
With a resigned chuckle, Fu Tian said, feeling a bit aggrieved, “Fine! I’ll carry this burden.”
The three burst into laughter together, the tension dissolving into the air.
“It seems our connection really runs deep! Qin Hongyu, Bo Miaojiao, we’re classmates now. I’m looking forward to your support,” Fu Tian declared warmly.
“Absolutely. I just turned fifteen this month, and Jiao is a month younger than me. How about you, Fu Tian?” Qin Hongyu inquired with a friendly grin.
“My sixteenth birthday is just around the corner. Calling me ‘big brother’ shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?” Fu Tian replied, his eyes crinkling with mirth.