It was the first break of the day.
In class 2-A,
Students were hustling to gather their snacks or find a good spot to unwind.
Grey was still in class.
He seemed a little exhausted from the few classes they'd had thus far.
'I don't understand why we need to learn magic theories, I mean, isn't it called a theory because it wasn't consistent enough to be classified as a principle... Tsk, these losers will do anything to make even unaccomplished mages from the Elden Era look important, I swear it's annoying...'
The young man stretched his arms and glanced at Olivia, the silver-haired girl, who was busy fiddling with her camcorder.
She was still seated in class even during recess, completely disinterested in her surroundings.
Slightly concerned, he uttered a subtle, "Hmm."
Out of nowhere, a girl with short brown hair blocked Grey's view of Olivia.
"Uhhhh..." the girl didn't know what next to say.
Grey sighed internally. "Yeah, what's up?"
"Um, welcome to the academy," she chirped.
Grey, unimpressed, replied with an indifferent, "Uh, sure."
The girl adjusted her brown hair bangs, dressing them to the side.
"So uh, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to the cafeteria... So we could go, you know, grab a bite?"
"What would be the point, though?" Grey calmly shot back.
Confused, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"Don't you understand? I mean... it's a really easy question," Grey kept his bland, blue eyes on her. "I'm failing to see the entire purpose of the two of us going to the eat at the cafeteria together. So..." he gently tapped the head of his pen against his smooth wooden desk. "...tell me."
The girl, her voice shaky, suggested, "So we could... Well, get to know each other better..."
"Oh, I see," said Grey with an emotionally absent voice.
He stopped the constant tapping of his pen against his desk.
'Desperate girls and their constant boring answers, I don't like boring girls, not one bit... If it was the journalist girl from earlier, I'd definitely like to go to the cafeteria with her. She was so confident.'
He then looked back at the brown-haired girl.
'This one, she's so average... There's nothing special about her, so why should I get to know her better?'
Grey thought all these as he closely looked at the girl, his stare made her feel intensely insecure, self-aware.
She felt like she'd reach her breaking point if he kept on staring at her on that cold, distant manner
And then, Elsinia returned to the class.
"My darling Grey, I'm back from the little wom..."she paused. "Huh?"
She noticed the interaction between Grey and a girl.
'A girl... He's talking to girl... A girl that isn't... Me?'
Elsinia's thoughts turned chaotic in an instant.
She marched towards them, tightly grabbed the girl by the wrist and pulled her aside, leaving Grey bewildered.
"I'll be back honey."
Those were the words she said to him before departure.
Grey sighed, "What's her problem now."
He couldn't hear what Elsinia said to the girl, but as she left the classroom, tears streamed down her face, leaving Grey speechless.
Elsinia returned, exuding an angelic smile. She seemed "proud" of herself for some reason.
"That sounded harsh," Grey remarked.
"Oh, don't worry," Elsinia reassured him with a giggle. She then casually told him, "I was just telling her where babies come from."
Grey raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Mhm," Elsinia replied sweetly as she took her seat behind him.
Grey's stomach let out a small grumble as he absentmindedly placed his hand on it.
Elsinia's long ears twitched as she heard the sound. "Hmm?"
She glanced up from her desk and, leaning over, gently pressed her soft cheek against his, examining his stomach with concern.
"Are you hungry, Darling Grey?" she asked
Grey didn't seem fazed by the sudden closeness. "Nah, don't worry. My sister packed something for me, so I'll be fine," he assured her.
"Ah, I see," Elsinia responded, maintaining the intimate distance between them.
The other boys in the class shot him intense glares, some even resorting to biting their uniform to suppress their anger and jealousy.
Sensing the tension, Grey gently placed a hand on Elsinia's face, nudging her back.
"See? I've got something to eat. No need to worry, right?"
But Elsinia refused to be pushed away.
Instead, she boldly moved from her desk to Grey's, stationed just in front of hers.
"Well, you can always eat whatever your sister prepared you another time, maybe during the second break... For now, we should go eat at the cafeteria, come on, I'll show you the way."
'If the other girl gave me this as an answer, I'd have easily followed her to the cafeteria, average or not.'
Relieved at the suggestion, Grey agreed with a short nod.
"That'd be really helpful, haha. Wouldn't want to get lost again, right?"
Elsinia flashed a mischievous grin as she stared at Grey with the usual disturbing look in her eyes that was only ever frequent when she looked at him.
"Don't worry, Grey. As long as you're in this magic academy, my eyes will always be on you," she declared with fervor.
Unnerved, Grey gave a hesitant nod. "Uh, okay," he muttered, feeling slightly unsettled by her intensity.
Grey rose from his seat, a smile tugging at his lips as he agreed to Elsinia's suggestion of visiting the cafeteria.
"Alright, we might as well go to the cafeteria."
Elsinia beamed, her white teeth flashing as she grabbed Grey's hand with an excited look in her eyes.
"Let's not waste time so we can secure the best spot by the large windows!"
Grey chuckled, unable to resist her infectious energy. "Alright, alright," he replied, letting himself be led by her.
As they walked, Grey's eyes fleetingly returned to Olivia, still engrossed in whatever she was watching on her camcorder. It struck him how isolated she seemed, devoid of company or food. In a bustling school like Lyronia, it was unusual for someone to be alone during break time. Students would usually come from other classes to come join the flock or talk with their friends.
However, she looked like a lone sheep.
Elsinia's sudden tug on his arm pulled Grey's attention away from Olivia, and soon they were making their way to the cafeteria.
As they strolled through the hallways, Grey couldn't help but notice the stares and whispers of the other students.
"Uh, Elsinia," he began tentatively. "Is it really okay for us to walk like this?"
Elsinia's arm was entwined with Grey's, and she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder as her shapely, masterpiece of a breast pressed against his arm.
"Yes, my darling Grey," she affirmed. "Since when has it become a crime to intimately share a space with my darling husband..."
"Husband?" Grey repeated.
Elsinia realizing she came on too strong then said, "Eh?"
There was no point focusing on that topic.
Grey hesitated as he gingerly broached the actual topic of their current discussion. "I'm not saying it's a crime, but, well..."
Elsinia peered up at him with her big blue eyes. "But what?"
Grey let out a frustrated sigh and decided to let it go. "Nevermind, let's just keep going," he said, eager to change the subject.
Upon nearing the cafeteria, Grey posed a question to Elsinia.
"What's the point of the two of us going to the cafeteria together though?"
It was the same question he'd asked the girl from earlier.
Elsinia responded with a puzzled expression. "Hm?" she inquired, cocking her head slightly. "Does there really have to be a point to anything?" she countered, her gaze plain.
Grey found himself smiling softly. "You're right. There doesn't need to be a point," he mused, allowing himself to be swept up in her spontaneous charm.
Measuredly, Grey thought to himself.
'That's an interesting answer, one an average girl would never respond with. You really are something... Elsinia Verdigris.'
Whenever Grey was asked about what girls were his type— a question that came up times too many, he would always give the same answer.
An above average girl...