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twst novel. ( episode i: the crimson tyrant ) pg. 170-205.
Morning classrooms were typically a bustle of restless activity, and in this world it was no different.
"Yo, check it out."
"Isn't that the guy from the entrance ceremony, and the monster who went haywire and got thrown out?"
"What, you don't know? Just yesterday, after school in the cafeteria..."
Students started whispering gossip to each other as soon as they noticed Yuuya and Grim sitting at the edge of their very wide classroom.
"Nyahahah. Everyone's got their eye on me. It’s hard bein' so popular, y'know?"
"I don't think that's it..."
"Wha—"
As Yuuya hung his head, made uncomfortable by their stares, he recognized a few familiar voices. Then, when he next looked up, two playing card suits caught his eye: the heart and the spade.
"If it ain't Ace and Deuce. What're you guys doin' here?" Grim pondered aloud as newcomers took a seat in front of them.
“That’s my line. What, you two’re in the same class as us?”
"Uhm, but that would mean—"
"—That Ace and I are also in Class A. Guess that makes us classmates from now on."
Deuce saw the look on Yuuya's face and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Anxious about your first day? Yesterday was basically just class introductions and the outline, so I don't think you'll be too far behind."
"Look, Deuce. Could you quit it with the goody-two shoes class leader act already? Especially since you’re as stupid as you are.”
"Who're you calling stupid?!"
“Do me a favor and see me first before you ask this dork to bail you and everything falls apart, Yuu. I don’t want a repeat of yesterday.”
“Oh, uhm. Right.”
Meanwhile Yuuya felt even more restless in the presence of the lecturing Ace and the beaming Deuce.
He was, of course, thankful to them both. When he was in danger they had saved his life, and it was only because of their help that he was able to attend Night Raven College. He might've been lost right about now if he'd ventured out on his own to find that magic gem.
“Who says we need YOU guys? All we need’s me!”
“Keep telling yourself that, tanuki.”
But no matter how hard Yuuya tried to have a conversation with his classmates like a normal person, he just couldn't figure it out. Even in his own world, he’d never taken part in the early morning clamor. For someone like Yuuya, who typically avoided social situations, it’d be too difficult to engage in the lighthearted banter that everyone was currently exchanging.
And if he had to be honest, he was still a little scared of Ace. If he responded casually, he was afraid the red-haired boy would start making fun of him like he did at the start, and tack on a “As if I’d take you seriously” to boot.
He gave it some thought, then bent his head and murmured, "Thank you." It was the best Yuuya could manage, despite the awkwardness of his smile. “Let’s have a good school year.”
Ace started to speak, but stopped to turn towards the loud click of the classroom door opening.
“Good morning, pups.”
A man in a gaudy, voluminous black-and-white coat moved to stand behind the podium, hard shoes clacking upon the cold floor as he walked. He wore glossy red gloves, and his hair, bicolor like his coat, was parted to the side. Even the front of his shoes were pristine and polished.
The classroom fell quiet as he flicked the pointer in his hand. The man offered a modest nod as he spotted Grim and Yuu from the podium.
“If it isn’t my new arrivals.”
Every student in the room turned to face them.
“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, a pup… or two, has joined our pack. Go on. Be polite and introduce yourselves.”
Grim sprang upon his desk after the pointer was aimed his way.
"The name's Grim-sama, the guy’s who's gonna be a great mage!"
"Kuroki Yuuy—... uhm, Yuu. Pleased to meet you."
“Yuu, and Grim. My name is Divus Crewel, your homeroom teacher. You may call me Crewel-sama.”
Was someone this gorgeous meant to teach? Yuuya simply nodded, uncertain whether the dramatic self-introduction was a joke or not.
Crewel squinted as he cast a glance around the room, “Listen up. The first thing that needs to be pounded into those little heads of yours is that, despite the unconventional coat of fur, the headmaster has deemed them acceptable, so refrain from your petty squabbles. Everyone here is a student of mine.”
"Yes, sir!" the students replied enthusiastically.
“Good boys.”
Crewel's demeanor didn't soften in the slightest despite his remarks. His eyes, accentuated by sharply drawn eyeliner, scrutinized them even further. He must’ve learned from experience that the boys of this generation tend not to listen to grownups.
Eyes filled with strong curiosity surrounded Yuuya. Maybe this is what happens when you throw a mouse into a pack of bored dogs. He felt as if he were surrounded by completely different creatures, never mind talk of fur, and the daggers with which they glared at him said it all: "You're not one of us."
“I’m exhausted…”
He groaned, stretched out on a chair next to Grim. Morning classes were over and it was finally time for lunch.
They followed their classmates into a large dining hall, imitating their lunch choices. While the ghosts working in the cafeteria might’ve made him uneasy by pointing at him to cry out about the chandelier, the food itself was pretty tasty. Whenever he bit into a slice of shepherd's pie, the umami of the meat and the savory flavor of the charred potatoes spread across his tongue.
The cafeteria at Night Raven College provided basic menu items that could be purchased for free. There were options to edit or add meals for a cost, but the day-to-day basic menu thankfully provided a wealthy range of options. His financial support from the headmaster was, after all, limited.
“Hey, Yuu. Aren’t you gonna eat?”
But for some reason, his own fork felt weighty in his grasp. Every student in the sizable cafeteria was whispering to one another while giving Yuuya a sidelong glance. Not that he needed to strain his ears to know what they were prattling on about.
This morning's potions lesson had been a disaster, what with him being unable to comprehend most of what Crewel was saying.
The table of contents in their textbook had entries on plants, fungi, and medications, which seemed to correspond to what Yuuya had learned in his high school science classes. However, there were a handful of unfamiliar names, and even if they were readable, he couldn't properly grasp them.
It might've been partially because the curriculum was advanced, but on first perusal, he discovered things he knew were for sure foreign to his world such as: "a plant that screams when uprooted," or a "see-through mushroom that only grew at high altitudes where the mana was thickest." He'd had his hands full going from one shock to the next.
As a result, the faces surrounding the befuddled Yuuya were likewise a little dumbfounded. They would cast their inquisitive glances his way and as soon as he turned his face, would look away as if an insect had flown by. It was hard to ask questions when they were treating him like a tumor.
Grim was their only hope, although he knew as much as Yuuya, if not less. Their future looked bleak.
"If you ain’t gonna eat that, I will!"
"I'm eating, I'm eating."
As he fought with Grim about who owned his plate, someone stood across from them; It was Deuce, holding a tray.
"Just taking this seat."
"Oh, uhm. Sure."
Deuce, who had seated across from him, began to talk as he took up his fork.
"Good. Don't know what I would've done if I couldn't find somewhere to sit."
Yuuya looked to his left and right: empty seats. He and Grim were the only ones in this overcrowded cafeteria with no one next to them. The other students were avoiding him so aggressively that it was almost amusing.
"Uhm, so. Don't you find it hard to eat like this?"
Now that Deuce had joined him, the murmuring around them—most likely from people wondering who just sat down—started to become louder.
Deuce glanced up with a mouthful of food as Yuuya timidly posed his question.
"What’s that mean?"
"I mean, well..."
“...oh yeah, it really is everybody, huh. They’re all looking this way, now that I think about it.”
Deuce looked around as though he’d just noticed, following Yuya's gaze.
"They don’t bother me."
He acted quite frantic when he used magic, but now he seemed like an altogether different person—completely at ease and not at all troubled by the curiosity of everyone around them. This had to be Deuce's genuine self: not exactly mature, but certainly brave. His fear of being a burden was completely unwarranted.
"Wow. Your mental fortitude's amazing."
"Really? Seems normal to me." Deuce stated matter-of-factly as he carved a huge slice of pie with his fork and brought it to his mouth. Then, as if he were competing with Grim, took a huge bite and ate it with gusto.
How nice it'd be if he could be that way. How much easier life would be if he didn't have to care about his surroundings. Yuuya couldn't help but be jealous of Deuce and Grim's bold behavior as he mulled over his afternoon lessons, managing to wash down the pie with water.
"I'm beyond exhausted."
After summoning up the strength to shower, Yuuya hit his breaking point and collapsed onto his bed in Ramshackle Dorm.
"I don't want to do anything else today."
Afternoon flying lessons were apparently an exercise that involved riding a broom through the sky, a subject entirely divorced from someone without any magical talent.
As if that wasn’t enough, Vargas, who was in charge of the class, told him “If you can’t use magic, then use your muscles to cover it up,” and then had him repeatedly work on his abs and back muscles for the rest of the class.
Vargas was the spitting image of a PE teacher sporting bulging muscles, slicked-back bangs, and a gallant, well-groomed beard.
"Feast your eyes on these muscles!" He struck a pose that highlighted his well-defined chest and collarbone, muscles spilling out of his red jersey. "Everyone goes wild for me since, as you see, I've got biceps to spare. If you put on some muscle too, your worries will vanish!"
The teacher pledged to prepare a special training routine for Yuuya before their next lesson, and while he was grateful, he couldn't reply as he was all out of breath. Consider him tired not just in mind, but also in body.
"I don't wanna move an inch neither..."
Even though Yuuya had just been watching from the sidelines, the art of flight itself seemed extremely difficult. Grim laid out on the bed as limp as Yuuya after an afternoon of hopping on and falling off his broom.
The ghosts had apparently made their bed while they were in class, with a brand new mattress and white sheets that smelled of detergent. It was even big enough for both of them to lie down on. He couldn't have asked for a better gift to celebrate their acceptance.
"First period tomorrow is History of Magic."
"Sigh... I wanna attend classes that teach us flashy magic."
"I'm up for whatever sounds simple to do, but... history, huh."
It wasn't difficult to imagine how challenging the material in that class would be for an otherworlder like Yuuya. It would likely be just as hard if his situation were reversed.
Would he have to feel this way for the rest of his life— feel that he had nowhere to go? Just wandering aimlessly, with no sense of purpose and no home to return to? The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became.
"... I'm going to bed. Good night."
Yuuya slipped into a deep, deep slumber in the blink of an eye, unaware of whether Grim had responded to him or not.
Card Soldiers: Hurry and paint those roses red! Slather them quickly, for they’ll soon be dead!
Ace of Clubs: Hurry, hurry! There’s still roses left to paint!
“They’re painting… the roses?”
Alice: Why must you paint them red?
Card Soldiers: Huh?
Two of Clubs: Well, the fact is, miss: we planted a white one by mistake.
Ace of Clubs: And the queen, she likes them red. Leave them white and we’ll lose our heads!
Alice: Goodness.
Three of Clubs: Since this is the thought we dread, we’re painting the roses red.
Abruptly, Yuuya's world shifted. There was a sound— a thump, thump, thump echoing throughout the room. At first he thought it might have been the ghosts running amuck, but then he heard a voice, too high-pitched to be them, cry for him to open up. Someone was banging on the door of the dorm.
All Yuuya could see through his curtainless window after slightly opening his eyes was that it was pitch black outside—that's to say, still night. He faltered out a few words.
"I think someone's here..."
“Nnah…? Who’s botherin’ us… this late at night…”
He closed his eyes again and pulled the blankets up over his head, following Grim's example and suggestion to "just ignore 'em." But the banging didn't stop; in fact, it got louder and more frequent. He and Grim argued over who should go check on them until they were both wide awake. But in the end, they both opted to walk to the front door.
“Shuddup! Who’s makin’ this racket in the middle of the night?!”
The noise finally stopped when they flicked the front door light on.
“Who is it? Is that you, Headmaster?”
“It’s me, Ace.”
“A-Ace-kun?” Yuuya and Grim exchanged shocked looks over their unexpected visitor. “What brings you here at this hour?”
When he answered the door, Ace was actually standing there, looking super irritated and still in his uniform as opposed to the other boy in his pajamas.
Unfortunately, Yuuya’s eyes were fixed on one thing and one thing only:
The huge, eye-catching red-and-black pillory that was shackled around his neck; the very same collar that Riddle had punished Grim with during the entrance ceremony, and upon seeing it, Grim exclaimed, "B-Bwah?!".
Ace then shouted, trembling with anger in front of the dumbfounded duo.
“I’m never, EVER going back to Heartslabyul. I’m joining your dorm starting now!”
Following the entrance ceremony, the enormous school grounds were overrun with new students who couldn't find their way around. It was a Night Raven College early fall custom to see ghosts floating around with lowered directional signs to guide them.
Still, why the heck did they have to build this place to be so confusing? After a long journey, Ace arrived at Heartslabyul's little kitchen and opened the door with slouched shoulders.
Despite the fact that he'd taken three wrong turns on his way here from his room, navigating the school's actual perimeter was simple for Ace; after all, he had a great memory and wasn't half-bad at multitasking. He'd already drawn a rough map of the campus in his head.
Yet even then, his own dorm had knocked the wind out of him. It was perplexing and astonishingly effortless to get lost in, with little doors he wasn't sure who could walk through, windows that opened to reveal nothing but flat walls, and deranged interior decorations of various sizes that made him feel like he was losing his equilibrium.
"Ugh, I'm starving. Isn't there anything to eat?"
Unfortunately, the fruit basket on the table was empty. He knew there was nothing he could do about it this late, but he didn't want to give up just yet and began to search through a cupboard.
He'd been far too worried over something after lunch to truly appreciate supper: namely two students who were being shunned by the entire school body.
While he was debating whether to say something or simply keep ignoring them himself, Deuce had arrived just to chat with someone else entirely, and he had done so until mealtime was through. To make matters worse, Ace was still a growing boy. The food he'd shoveled down was digested in no time, and now his empty stomach ached.
But as he opened the refrigerator in the kitchen, something caught his eye instantly—an enormous tart. Three whole ones, in fact.
"Ohhh, man. They look so freakin' tasty!"
Ace seized the opportunity and oh-so-gently lifted the glass dome. That all three were in this container and not in a paper carton like when you purchase them in a store made him question whether or not they were homemade, although they sure didn't look it. The tightly-packed strawberries were coated in nappage and sparkling like little jewels. His thoughts were mesmerized by the mouthwatering aroma of butter, which urged him to place his nose even closer.
"There's so much to go around. One little slice won't hurt."
At first, Ace was a little hesitant to break off a piece of the beautiful tart, but hey, sweets were ultimately made to be eaten. He looked around before smiling smugly. Given that it was in this refrigerator, it had to belong to everyone in the dorm, right? He'd just apologize for it later if he was wrong.
He snatched a slice of tart and stuffed his cheeks with it. In a split second, the dough's savory flavor, the cream's softness, and the fruit's bittersweet taste flooded his mouth.
He finished the slice, which was the size of his fist, in just three bites.
"... The hell? That was SO good!"
"As one would expect. Trey always bakes the most exquisite tarts."
"So it IS homemade. I mean, when it's this crazy good—," is all Ace could get out before he froze.
He turned around in terror to find hair even more violently red than the strawberries he'd just gobbled down.
"D-Dorm Leader?!"
There was Riddle, standing with his arms folded intimidatingly over his chest. Ace shook at the sight of his slate-gray eyes burning with rage.
"By the decrees of the Queen of Hearts, Article 89: 'One shall not eat the Queen's tarts without permission.'"
"No, uh, this isn't what you—"
"No excuses! You've got some nerve, daring to lay a finger on what's mine. Tart theft is a grave felony!"
"Th-These were yours?!"
Riddle raised his magical pen before the panic-struck Ace.
“Off With Your Head!”
“And there you have it.”
Yuuya and Grim exchanged indescribable glances as Ace, who had brought them to the common room and was now reclining on the sofa, now sulking over their reactions, finished explaining.
"What's with the look? Think about it. This sealing my magic business? It's like binding a mage's arms and legs. All this just for eating some tart. Brutal, right?"
"It's a two-way street, buddy."
"There were three whole tarts and I only took a PIECE. There's gotta be a limit to how narrow-minded a guy can be."
"If it were my slice y'took a bite out of, I would've chased ya down and made you pay for it."
"Yeah, maybe you would've."
Ace turned the conversation around to Yuuya, who remained silent.
"What do you think?"
"Uh, me?"
Looking at the flustered Yuuya, he whispered “Think reeeal hard. You remember, right? How super arrogant our dorm leader is? I mean, he totally dogged you out in front of everybody.”
A wave of tension passed between them before Yuuya answered with a meager “I don’t know” and turned away. Ace’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Come on... Not a single person's got my back?"
"Oh, uhm. Why were you so hungry? Did you maybe skip dinner?"
"... I ate. It just wasn't enough!" Ace stated while wearing a furious expression. Guess that meant there were no extenuating circumstances.
"B-But, you know, I bet even someone like Riddle-senpai would forgive you if you apologized."
"...You think so?"
"Yeah. If it's heartfelt, I'm sure he will."
Yuuya gave an encouraging nod as he reflected on Riddle's appearance at the entrance ceremony. The rage that made his hair stand on end, his face as red as molten magma, and that commanding tone of voice.
It'd be tough to persuade him to accept an apology, but surely it wasn't impossible.
When he said this, Ace finally folded.
"Fine. I'll apologize tomorrow."
“Great.”
“So, for now, lemme stay for the night.”
"Huh?" Yuu and Grim both raised their voices. “Why should we?!”
"Oh, c'mon. What's the big deal? Besides, everyone was making such a fuss this morning, like chandelier this and Heartslabyul student that. Going back now after shooting out of there would be awkward."
Ace leaned forward with his hands clenched together, pleading with eyebrows lowered, as if he knew exactly how to pull off a look that said he was the most pitiful person in the world.
Then he cocked his head to the side wryly, persuading one to want to overlook his sly behavior.
"Please? You're the only ones bunking in this huge mansion, right? One night's all I need. I swear I'll pay you back."
Grim nodded reluctantly, as though it was okay as long as he held up his end of the bargain.
"We'll take ya in, but you gotta fork over ten cans o' tuna in exchange."
"Okay, we've got a deal."
"A brand-new friend~." The ghosts soared around with tremendous glee after slipping through the walls.
"Never thought we'd live to see the day our beat-up little dorm could turn out to be so lively. And we didn’t!"
“Shaddap! Scram, all a’ ya!”
Grim flapped his paws in the air in an attempt to swat them away like bugs. And so the chase had begun.
He was standing back a bit, watching the ghosts and Grim's animated ruckus, when he heard Ace call out "hey" to him. He'd turned around to face Yuuya, a dissatisfied frown on his face.
"Oh, sorry. What is it, Ace-kun?"
"You still mad at me?"
"Uh," Yuuya blinked. "Over what?"
"You know what I mean. The first time we met, back in front of that statue of one of the Great Seven."
Yuuya's heart lurched forward with memories of everything he'd been trying to forget.
Being deceived by Ace after he'd approached him in such a friendly manner. Let down and humiliated. Told he was pathetic. That malicious laughter.
He didn't know what to say. He wasn't upset, just terrified. He didn't know how to deal with someone who was so blunt and flung words at him.
And what, after everything that had happened, was his real reason for asking? Yuuya contemplated, but with Ace's expression obscured since he was gazing down, he had absolutely no clue what he was thinking. He'd best respond fast, though, before the other boy grew fed up with him and said, "How long are you gonna hold a grudge?"
Ace, meanwhile, muttered a few words while looking down obliquely, wondering what was going through Yuuya's frazzled mind.
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
Yuuya couldn't believe his ears. Could he repeat that, just a little louder?
"Ughhh, fine." Ace raised his eyes to meet his gaze, and said: "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know anything about your situation, so I probably said... some dickish things. The thought of some magicless wonder stealing a spot from someone who worked hard on their own merits to get here just kinda struck me as unfair, so I was a little ticked."
His head dipped again as he muttered his words quickly and awkwardly.
"Sorry."
He glanced up briefly, anxious for a glimpse of the other boy's reaction.
"... Will you forgive me now that I've apologized?"
It was such a polished performance that Yuuya couldn't help but laugh.
"Sure. I mean, I'm not even mad at you. Not in the slightest."
Ace might've been slick and made plenty of snide remarks, but whatever he said was usually right. Yuuya finally realized that must've been why he was so terrified of him, that maybe he'd been way too easily offended by a boy his own age.
On reflection, Ace had offered some consoling words in his own way, hadn't he? Even this morning, he'd called out to him, but Yuuya had been terrified and mistaken in assuming he'd had some ulterior motive. How had Ace felt every time he witnessed Yuuya's ongoing fear of him?
In hindsight, he realized he'd also failed to say something really important.
"I really appreciate your help yesterday."
Now it was Yuuya's turn to lower his head in a bow. If Ace hadn't helped him escape that monster by the skin of their teeth, he wouldn't have been able to express his gratitude to him like this.
"I don't think I'd be here right now if it weren't for you, Ace-kun."
"This isn't some snooty rich kid's school. Just call me Ace."
"Thank you... Ace."
Ace laughed, his cheeks going the tiniest bit red, and for once his age showed on his face.
"Okay. Now that that's settled, time to make myself at home."
"Hey!" Grim lifted one of the pillows the ghosts had provided them and shoved it towards Ace. "For the record, everywhere 'sides the room we're sleepin' is covered in dust, so find your own place to crash.”
"This is how you treat a guest? You can’t spell ‘grimy’ without Grim, so why don’t you go in one of those crusty rooms? You can sleep anywhere, unlike Yuu.”
"I'm too dainty t'sleep anyplace but a bed."
"Liar! You were conked out in potions class today."
Grim was incensed by the ghosts' mocking comment, "on the very first day?!". Ramshackle Dorm's lounge was especially lively now that Ace's cheerful personality had added to the atmosphere, and he laughed, beaming at them as though his recent melancholy had all been a lie.
There was still so much he didn't know or comprehend, but maybe things were getting a little better. If so, he might be able to work a bit harder tomorrow. Yuuya went back to bed, left with warm feelings.
An odd, scratchy electronic sound, far too weak to be from an alarm clock or a smartphone, caused Yuuya to roll over in his sleep.
Grim, who'd had his head shoved under a pillow, leapt up as though he'd had enough.
"Ughhh, who is it NOW? It's too freakin' early for this!"
He changed into his uniform and followed Grim out into the hallway, only to run into Ace, who had seemingly just woken up.
"Morning, Yuu."
"Good morning, Ace."
Speaking to him without using honorifics still seemed a little weird, but at least Ace didn't seem to mind. In fact, he looked refreshed. Even after spending the night on a couch in the lounge, he still managed to get a good night's rest.
Ace then hurried to the front door and opened it as if he were the boss here.
"I figured you'd be here."
"Eugh, Deuce."
On the other side of the door was Deuce, the white morning sun peeking from behind his back. Ace stared at him as though he was still dazed from sleep as he peeked inside with a good morning for Yuu and Grim.
"I heard what happened, about you pinching a tart from our dorm leader and getting collared," Deuce said, snorting scornfully in reply: "You really are an idiot."
"Shut it. I don't wanna hear that from you."
"What're you going to do about class? You can't participate if you can't use magic. Honestly, why're you even going to a mage school at this point?"
Deuce heckled Ace, sneering at him as if to get back at him for all the teasing he'd done. Even Grim laughed at him, remarking, "This place could use a janitor," but whether Ace had an opinion on the topic or not, he couldn't try to argue with them, growling in frustration as he glared Deuce down.
"What. You came all the way out here just to wisecrack at me?"
"I don't have that much time on my hands. I just came to get you. Aren't honor students supposed to reach out to their outcast classmates?"
"Every little thing you say ticks me off! I was going to apologize even if you didn't tell me to."
With that, Ace and Deuce began to head back to the Heartslabyul dorm, and Yuuya thought it only appropriate to walk them to the front door to see them off. With everything that had happened the night before, it only seemed fitting.
Ace turned to face Yuuya, who was beaming and standing at the doorway, with a puzzled expression on his face. "What're you doing? Let's go, Yuu."
"Wh—I'm going too?!"
"You were the one who said I should apologize. Or what? Are you just gonna abandon poor little me?"
"No, that's not what I... I mean, do you really need me? You'll be alright on your own, right?"
"You're headed to school anyways, right? It's just a little detour."
Watching others apologize was nerve-wracking, and it was to that terrifying Riddle person of all people. Yuuya didn’t want to involve himself at all if possible, but at the same time, he didn’t have the heart to turn Ace down. When he reluctantly agreed, the red-haired boy only laughed.
Deuce shook his head as he watched their exchange.
"Was this how you guys were yesterday?
"Like what?"
"I don't know, just. You look closer."
"It's all in your head," Ace quickly changed the subject in order to throw him off, "Anyway, keep spacing out like that and class will start without us. Let's get moving already."
Before Yuuya could ask Grim what he wanted to do, he had already eagerly sped out the door, shouting: "I'm comin' too! I wanna see this Harts... Hartslalool place 'a yours."
"Heartslabyul."
Ace nudged Grim to the side, while Deuce continued on next to him, unable to hide the eagerness in his voice. "Our dorm’s gonna blow you away when you see it. Count on it." He spoke every word with pride, thumping his puffed-up chest toward Yuuya and Grim with confidence.
It was still early in the morning as he, Ace, Deuce, and Grim made their way to the Mirror Chamber, passing all the ghosts along the way.
It was a smallish structure with seven mirrors placed inside, facing one another in a circle, as viewed the day before yesterday from the top of the steps.
When they arrived, they walked through the mirror that was adorned with playing cards and roses.
"Th-Th—"
As soon as their surroundings changed, Grim started to shout.
"This place is AWESOME!"
And it was. Yuuya couldn't help but mumble in admiration at the gorgeous scene that unfolded before his eyes as well.
He inhaled deep from the pit of his stomach, refreshed by the calming aroma of the lush, green foliage of the nearby trees. There was a faint sweet smell mixed in, which he belatedly recognized as the aroma of neighboring roses.
“And over there’s Heartlabyul’s famous labyrinth.”
Ace pointed towards a beautifully lined hedge, the greenery full of twists and turns. Yuuya couldn’t find the end of it no matter how hard he looked. He marveled at how big it must be.
"I've yet to enter it myself. I mean, our senpai told me not to until I master my beginner flight lessons, just in case I got seriously lost. It's gotta be, like, insanely huge."
The hedges, which reached Yuuya's shoulders, were straight and without any jutting branches. Their glossy, dark green leaves were glistening in the sun, the morning dew still clinging onto them. It was a glorious, piercing sight, with the sun's invigorating rays casting the sky an entirely different hue than Ramshackle.
"It's so dang fancy here... not like our dorm at all."
"Comparing them seems kind of unfair..."
At the end of a brick-paved walkway, a sizable structure could be seen. Its crimson exterior walls and castle-like appearance set it apart from the main campus. Maybe that was their dormitory.
At both ends of the road, there were rows of trees covered with stunning red roses in bloom, and upon closer study, each one revealed that they had been trimmed into the shape of a heart.
"Man, oh man. I gotta hurry and paint these roses red!"
Someone's voice could be heard from the back of the garden. The remarks drew Yuuya's attention as he came to a standstill.
"Oops, that was close. Leave any of 'em unpainted and my head'll fly."
Yuuya swore he'd heard this somewhere before, but he couldn't remember for the life of him where.
While he pondered, the owner of the voice seemed to notice him.
"Huh? Isn't that..."
Their gazes locked, and a set of eyes, the color of rose leaves, lit up.
"I knew it! You're that magic-free normie from the entrance ceremony!"
"H-Hello, and good morning."
The individual approached Yuuya and the others with a smile on his face.
"And you guys are the brand-new first-years that broke the billion madol chandelier! Judging by that collar, aren't you the daring soul who ate Riddle-kun's tart last night?"
"Great... Glad my era of shame's what you remember me by."
Ace's shoulders sagged, but their new acquaintance didn't appear to mind as he tightly embraced Deuce by the shoulder.
"Running into the hottest topic on campus this early in the morning? Am I lucky or what?! ♪ Hey, hey, let's take a pic together. It's cool if I upload it, right?"
"Uhm, sure. I don't mind. And your name was...?"
"Oh, I'm Cater Diamond, a Heartslabyul third-year, but you can call me Cay-kun. Nice to meetcha."
He was a free-flowingly expressive young man with a mature demeanor, with gentle eyes that drooped somewhat and orange hair pinned back and piled on top of the head so the sides hung and brushed against his face, giving him a kind appearance. Like the other two Heartslabyul students, he wore the suit of a playing card on his right cheek: a diamond.
Cater turned his in-phone camera toward the pair of them and bent down, leaning so close to Yuuya that his diamond mark was nearly touching Yuuya’s ear. Clearly a more sociable-type, his sense of boundaries seemed a bit skewed. Yuuya was nervous to be in such close proximity to someone his own age, being so unused to it as he was. As if on cue, the sound of a shutter went off.
"Wanna gimme your names so I can tag you on Magicam?"
Was that the name of some SNS? The four identified themselves one by one.
"Ace-chan and Deuce-chan, with Yuu-chan and Grimmy-chan. Aaand posted." Cater laughed softly as he slipped his phone into his pocket, his little high canine tooth peeking out, making him seem even more approachable. "But man, you guys showed up just in time. Our meeting here must've been some kinda predetermined fate. Wanna help me paint some roses?"
All of them, not just Yuuya, tilted their heads in confusion.
"Paint the roses?"
"Yep!"
Cater nodded and pointed to where he'd been standing before, near a heart-shaped tree with red roses .
"Hm? Hey, look up top. Something looks off."
When he looked up, as Deuce instructed, the pale color jumped out at him.
A white rose was blooming on the red rose tree, or... —no. It wasn't a red rose tree. A closer look revealed that its petals were white on the bottom and red on the top.
"By paint, you mean—"
"It's really a white rose tree?" Ace was taken aback, just like Yuuya. "And you're just painting them all red?!"
"Pretty much!"
Cater sighed, cracking his neck and lowering his brows.
“I’ve been looking up so much this morning that my neck is super killing me. But if I’m not done painting by tomorrow’s party, it’s gonna get way worse, if you catch my drift.”
“Why do you have to paint them, though?”
Cater just laughed as if it were nothing out of the ordinary when asked.
"Like, red roses are the most photogenic when you're throwing a party... or something?"
Deuce couldn't seem to get his head around the photogenic concept. "I'm not sure I totally get what's going on, but are you using your magic to change the color? That's some real attention to detail."
"Uh huh. But I've gotta get to coloring all the flamingos for the croquet tournament we're hosting at the party, so I'm reeeally feeling any help I can get with how busy I am."
"Colorin' flamingos?" Grim squinted his eyes. "Don’tcha do anything normal around here?"
“Everything we do here is totes important. Especially since tomorrow is our dorm’s traditional ‘Unbirthday Party.’”
"Unbirthday party?"
Yuuya glanced at the other two first-years for an explanation, only to find them cocking their heads in confusion.
"Oh, geez. You’re not in the know? It's our dorm's legacy, a super dignified tea party that's specially held on a day that isn't anyone's birthday whenever our dorm leader feels like it."
"Did you know this was a thing?"
"Nope. Really starting to think I might've joined the weirdest dorm here."
Cater lightly patted Ace and Deuce on the back as they whispered to each other.
“All that matters right now is painting these roses red! Deuce-chan and Grim-chan—I’ll show you how it’s done, so just follow my lead. ♪”
He returned his gaze to Yuu.
"Yuu-chan and, let's see, Ace-chan, whose magic is currently on lockdown, you two stick to using paint."
"Eugh."
Ace reluctantly accepted the can of paint offered to him, maybe figuring that if Cater was going to such lengths, he couldn't reasonably refuse his upperclassmen. Yuu, too, took a can and a brush in hand and began gradually painting the roses.
Cater used his magic to recolor the roses one by one, coating them with tiny grains of light until they burst like popcorn and became red.
As Deuce and Grim hummed a charming little tune, Yuuya assumed the magic involved must've been simple. But as they struggled to change the color or keep it from going the incorrect hue, it became evident that this was far more difficult than he anticipated.
"Aughhh, it went pink!"
"Err, and this one's green."
"Not pink, not green, not aquamarine. We're painting the roses red, 'kay?"
While the three of them were enjoying themselves, Ace was casting gazes their way while sulkily brushing the petals.
"Man, screw this slow pace! I could do better than Deuce if I could use my magic."
“Yeah, sure. You just keep running your mouth over there.”
“Haah? What’d you just say?”
"Whoa, whoa. No throwing hands, okay?" Cater then noticed Yuuya, who was silently repainting some roses. "You're a huge asset, Yuu-chan. Seriously."
"It's nothing," Yuuya remarked, shaking his head as he stared at the roses that Deuce and Grim had completely muddled up, their white petals splattered with so many different colors that they looked indescribably bizarre. "Casting magic looks harder than I thought it'd be."
"Mmm, well, that's just how it is for our newbies. Long as they start cultivating their imagination from here on, everything'll be a-okay ♪."
"Imagination?"
“Yeah. You’ve gotta ask yourself what type of magic you’re using. What kind of effect is it supposed to have? And the most important thing is what you’re trying to achieve. If you can put all that together, the magic’ll be that much more precise. If you can’t, your magic’s doomed from the start.”
"Oh. Then that's why... "
So you couldn't use magic if you didn't have a concrete vision of what you were trying to produce. That had to be why Deuce hadn't been able to wield it efficiently in his haste at Mt. Dwarf.
"Well, there're a couple of other hang ups here and there," Cater said as he spun the pen in his fingers before tucking it back into his pocket.
The next thing he knew, every rose in his line of sight had turned red. The second half of their job had gone quickly, most likely due to the competing colors of Ace and Deuce.
"Great work, guys. You really helped Cay-kun out!”
“Ugh, I’m beat. I was standin’ on my tiptoes to reach and now my legs hurt.”
"Same. My neck's sore from gazing up at these roses. Literally the worst."
Cater then smiled as he clapped his hands together and turned to face Ace, whose head hung lower with the heavy collar about his neck.
"By the way, since you came here before class, does that mean you're looking for Riddle-kun, Ace-chan?"
“Huh? W-well…” He turned to glance at Yuuya before his mouth turned up and he answered tepidly. “I snuck a bite of that tart, which I guess was kinda bad, so I figured apologizing was the right thing to do.”
“Good on you for being so honest. So, did you bring your apology tart?”
“The… what?”
Ace rolled his eyes at the unexpected comment.
“Nope. I mean, I came here first thing, so I’ve got nothing.”
Cater dramatically bemoaned his underclassmen’s statement, hands raised in exaggerated surprise.
“That so? Aww, man. Then you’re violating the decrees of the Queen of Hearts, Article 53: “What was stolen must be returned at all costs.”
“Uh, decrees?”
“Sorry, but I can’t let a kid who’s in violation of her rules back in the dorm.”
“Wh—the hell?! Even after we helped you paint?”
“Sorry. Everything’s according to the rules in our dorm, so. I’d just end up losing my head too if I let this pass.”
“Are you for real?!” Ace attempted to grab him, but Cater dodged the move with ease.
“Wh, Ace!”
As Yuuya yelled, Deuce clutched the hem of Ace's uniform to restrain him.
“Stop it. We can't cause another commotion like the day before yesterday.”
Roasting the Great Seven statue to a crisp. Destroying a 1 billion madol chandelier. Every incident came flooding back with humiliating clarity.
If they assaulted an upperclassman before the heat from their last predicament subsided, their recently revoked expulsion might actually become a reality.
Ace gritted his teeth in frustration as he was reminded of this fact.
“Don’t come back without that tart, ‘kay? Do that, and we'll gladly welcome you back!”
“Dammit!”
Ace stamped his feet as Cater disappeared back into their dormitory with the wave of a hand.
“He could see I went in empty-handed and still had the nerve to make us help paint the roses… Cater-senpai can’t be trusted.”
“I was just thinkin’ to myself ‘why the heck did I just do all that rose-paintin’,’” Grim said, as if he just realized what happened. “Now I’m just worn out! Apologize already, Ace! A-PO-LO-GIZE!”
“Shut it. Don't say ‘apology’ in front of me right now.”
Putting the two noisy ones aside, Yuuya found himself wondering what time it was. When he asked aloud, Deuce looked at his smartphone with a huff.
“Crap. Class is about to start. We’d better get moving.”
“Right. We don’t want to be late.”
“You want me to show up for class in this collar? Seriously?”
Ace let out a deep sigh as Yuuya and the others left Heartslabyul behind them and dragged him onward.