Unleashing more power and speed than before, Aura once again charged at Fenix, a punch aimed at his chest, but, to her surprise, he caught her fist in his hand and spun her away from him.
She remained disoriented for a moment before launching into a spinning kick, this time aimed at his head.
"My, my," Fenix said in a pleased voice as he back-stepped out of range of her assault.
"Let me hit you!" Aura yelled.
Fenix laughed and backed away, saying, "No thanks. That would hurt."
Aura growled and launched herself at him, punching as fast as possible at his face. Somehow, he dodged every attempt, remaining cheerful as if this was a game... until... her knee connected with his stomach. As Fenix hunched over from the impact, she followed up with a right hook to his jaw.
"Alright, 8 points to Aura, bringing her total to 10. The victor of this sparring match is Aura." Janx announced.
Her classmates erupted in cheers. They weren't used to seeing such an intense match during class.
"I knew Aura would win!" one said.
"I never doubted her for a second," added another.
Aura exhaled heavily, then extended a hand to help Fenix up. He declined the gesture, swatting her hand away and standing on his own. At first, he looked upset... his formerly permanent smile gone, eyes glaring at the floor. But a split second later, the smile returned.
"You got me," he said casually. "You did a good job, Aura."
Aura lowered her hand and replied plainly, "That's right. I did."
"Great match, both of you!" Cleaver praised, clapping his hands. "You're excused for the rest of class."
Aura bowed and thanked him humbly. Fenix quickly gathered his things and left. Aura, in contrast, took her time getting dressed. As she was leaving, she heard Cleaver announce the next pair of fighters, but didn't stay to watch.
Mirror was waiting outside Aura's room, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Oh, God. It's worse than I heard!" She rushed forward, grabbing Aura's arm. Aura didn't resist; she knew why her sister was upset.
Mirror dragged her inside and immediately began moisturizing her face. Then, roughly combing the knots and tangles out of Aura's hair.
"You really need to take better care of yourself! You're a girl, you know." She scolded,
Aura said nothing, so Mirror continued,
"You're really pretty too, so it's a shame when you don't take care of yourself."
Aura frowned and finally spoke. "But... It's a bother."
Mirror smacked her lightly on the head. "Ow!"
"This is something girls have to do! We make sacrifices to keep up appearances. Heck, even guys brush their hair most days."
Aura sighed. She knew there was no point arguing; Mirror wouldn't understand her point of view. Aura spent so much time studying and doing coursework that the thought of doing anything else mentally exhausted her. She was burntout but that didn't matter. Aura knew she couldn't rest anytime soon.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you... But I won't always be around. You can't depend on me to fix you up forever," Mirror added more softly, gently braiding Aura's hair.
"...Okay. Thank you," Aura mumbled.
Mirror scoffed."Your hair is tough—I was pulling with all my might, and not one strand broke. My comb lost a few bristles, though."
Aura laughed. "Sorry."
"Let's hang out today," Mirror offered, now combing more gently to slowly untangle the strands. "but first... change out of that nasty-looking uniform."
Aura pouted. "There's nothing wrong with it! I washed it two days ago."
"It's full of holes, it has stains, and to make it worse, it's the boys' uniform!" Mirror retorted.
"It's more comfortable! I couldn't possibly wear one of those skimpy skirts!"
"Says the girl who fights in her underwear," Mirror argued back.
"That's different! I just need maximum mobility when I fight!" Aura protested.
Mirror hit her again. "Just change!"
Aura held her head and grumbled, "Fine!" She ran to her room to change clothes.
Mirror dragged Aura to the shopping district and bought her a mountain of clothes, forcing her to accept them. Aura was a bit bashful about it. It made her uncomfortable to receive so much, so for every gift Mirror gave her, she bought something in return. Afterward, they stopped at a café, where Aura insisted on paying for two cups of tea with milk and honey, a slice of vanilla cake, and a slice of strawberry shortcake.
"I can pay for my own food, you know," Mirror grumbled.
"But you're always taking care of me... I wanted to do something for you, this time," Aura said, blushing slightly.
Mirror laughed. "You're so cute." She reached over and patted Aura's head. "If you don't start caring about yourself, no one but me will ever know how cute you are."
"I don't care."
Mirror sighed and pinched Aura's cheek. "You're at that age. You should be interested in romance by now."
Aura jerked away and ignored her, sipping her tea. (That's all Mirror ever thinks about) She thought.
"Oh yeah, I heard some new guy actually landed a hit on you," Mirror said, changing the subject for Aura's sake.
"That was just a lucky shot," Aura replied coolly.
"My friend said he had impressive reflexes, caught you off guard, and that you tried harder to hit him than anyone else."
" That's because! ...He was... annoying," Aura admitted.
Mirror's eyes lit up."You mean you were bothered by him? ~"
"Yeah..."
"You usually only get annoyed by people you're close to... but this guy managed to get under your skin on your first meeting?! There may be hope!"
"Go to hell, Mirror."
"Ha-ha, maybe later. Anyway, spill! Was he cute? Do you like him?"
"I didn't even look at him. And of course not! I barely know him. Stop being stupid." Aura vehemently denied what Mirror was implying. Even considering Mirror's questions made her feel unease and caused an unfamiliar feeling in her chest.
"That's the most you've spoken all day," Mirror teased, chin resting in her palms, smiling.
Aura facepalmed. "Can you please stop acting like an idiot?" She hoped that insulting her sister's intelligence would make her drop the subject.
Mirror shook her head, grinning.
"It's just... my situation with him is unique." Aura explained, "I don't care for him, and I don't want to talk to him more than necessary. He's a hindrance."
"Oh! How... unromantic," Mirror groaned.
Aura shrugged and took a big bite of cake, getting whipped cream on her face. She didn't care. Before they left, Mirror wiped her sister's face clean with a napkin.
They separated at the dorms, because Mirror had a friend to meet later.
Aura walked to her room with her bags of gifts, only to find Fenix standing near her doorway.
"Ah... you're back. I was worried I had the wrong room," Fenix said, his tone cheerful—something Aura had started getting used to.
"What do you want?" she asked, annoyed.
Fenix ran a hand through his hair. His hair was dark red near the roots, lightened gradually, and shone gold at the tips. When he moved his bangs, Aura saw that he had heterochromia, one crimson colored eye and one gold.
"I just wanted to apologize for embarrassing you. Your fists told me you weren't happy with what happened. I hope you can forgive me."
"I don't care enough about you to hold a grudge," she responded, not even glancing at him while unlocking her door.
"Oh, that's good! I was really worried." Fenix said, then he waved and walked away.
His lighthearted response caught her off guard. She was dumbfounded, paused a moment, then went inside, unpacked her clothes, and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning...
Aura woke up early, completed a quick workout, and took a shower, this time remembering to wear a shower cap.
Then dressed in a rush and shoved a chocolate Pop-Tart into her mouth as she ran to class. Fenix was already there, staring out the window with a blank expression. Aura considered saying something to him. For some reason, she wanted to greet him, but ultimately she decided against it and quietly sat at her desk.
Hearing her chair move, Fenix turned in her direction and smiled, saying,
"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask: why do you wear the boys' uniform?"
"That's none of your business," Aura replied bluntly.
Fenix's smile didn't fade. "You're right. I was just curious. Sorry if that annoyed you." They sat in silence for a moment, then he added, "You look better rested today. That's good."
Aura was surprised that he noticed her fatigue yesterday. "Yes... that is true," she said, staring at her desk. "Although your concern is... completely unnecessary."
Fenix hummed. "Yesterday, I was afraid to fight you... because you looked tired... and because you're a girl. But I was wrong to underestimate you. You're a very skilled fighter. The most impressive person I've ever sparred with."
Aura blushed. She knew that already, but the compliment still embarrassed her.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
Fenix nodded, still smiling. At that moment, Ms. Emerald walked in.
"Alright, shut up, you bunch of fucking brats."
Everyone tensed. She'd clearly been drinking again.
"I hope all of you did your damn homework, or else you'll be punished so bad you'll beg me to kill your miserable asses."
Papers flew out of backpacks as students scrambled to turn in their homework. Two who hadn't done it ran out of the room. Ms. Emerald cursed through every sentence during instruction, and the atmosphere during class was tense.
Aura felt relieved when the bell for the second period rang. She packed in a hurry and headed to their next class. It was Herbal Studies.
"As you know," Madam Cantarella began in her shy voice, "if you're ever lost in enemy territory without rations, you must know what is safe to eat and which herbs are medicinal. That's why this class is important. Foraging is something you may need to do if you're ever deployed for battle." She adjusted her glasses. "Can anyone tell me which herbs help minimize pain?"
Aura raised her hand, but Cantarella gently declined.
"Someone with an Earth affinity has an unfair advantage. Let's hear from someone else."
Fenix raised his hand.
"Yes, Fenix?"
"A few are cannabis, yarrow, cloves, and arnica."
"Very good."
Aura pouted, again denied the chance to answer in her favorite class.
She sighed heavily over and over, slumping in her chair. She laid her head on her desk only to see Fenix grinning at her, proudly. She flicked him off and stuck out her tongue.
He laughed.
Martial Arts Combat followed, but today was lecture-based. They discussed strategy and the importance of retreat.
"Your lives are important," Cleaver said. "Never discard your self-preservation instinct. It may be your best defense."
Aura took notes diligently, while Fenix was nodding off like most of the class.
Then came lunch, Aura's second favorite subject.
As soon as Mirror saw Aura, she waved her over to sit at the same table. Mirror was sitting with three of her friends, but the seat across from her was empty. Aura joined her.
"Is that the boy who annoys you here?" Mirror whispered, scanning the cafeteria.
"No," Aura replied flatly.
"Too bad. I wanted to meet him." Mirror's voice was full of disappointment.
Aura started eating, shoveling food into her mouth and forcing it down with water.
"Eww, Aura! We have company. Show some manners." Her older sister scolded.
Aura swallowed, then wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Looked at the other people sitting around them and flatly said, "Pardon me."
"Aura?" a familiar voice called from behind her.
No...
"Hey! Mind if I sit with you? I don't know anyone else... I sat alone yesterday..."
It was him... Fenix. He looked around the table. "Is it okay if I sit with you all?"
Mirror and the others nodded, so he took a seat next to Aura. For some reason, Aura suddenly felt self-conscious and couldn't take another bite of her food.
"Who is he?" Mirror whispered to Aura,
"Fenix," he answered for himself.
Mirror smiled. "...Oh! You're the annoying guy! It's him, right, sis?"
Fenix's smile faltered. "I suppose so." He muttered silently, glancing at Aura, who began clearing her plate in a hurry, hoping to excuse herself as soon as she was done eating.
"Aura," Mirror whispered again, "You should be more ladylike when he's around."
Aura ignored her, finished her food, and left the cafeteria.
Back in her room, she flopped face-first onto her bed. The awkwardness was unbearable. She'd never felt so mortified.
A few minutes later... there was a knock at her door.
She sat up and realized, again, she had forgotten to close her door. She'd been caught sulking by the very last person she wanted to see her like that.
Fenix stood in the entrance.
"Hey there." He greeted,
Aura looked down.
"May I come in?" He asked gently,
She nodded. Only then did he step inside, closing the door behind him. He sat beside her on the bed. After a pause, he said,
"Your room's a lot cleaner than I expected."
Aura puffed her cheeks. "What's that supposed to mean?! Are you looking down on me?"
Fenix reached out and brushed her cheek. "You've got a little spaghetti sauce here."
Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned crimson. She slapped his hand away, then muttered, "Shut up."
Fenix laughed, "Honestly... I might be looking down on you a little." He admitted.
"Well... stop," Aura replied coldly.
"I can't... I'm taller than you."
Aura paused for a moment... glared and flicked his forehead.
"Ow. You're so violent," he stated, chuckling. Once his laughter died down, he continued by saying, "Your sister explained everything to me," he added.
Aura's stomach twisted. (What did she say...? Hopefully not any nonsense about me liking him...)
"She said that you get annoyed with me so easily because we're already close. So, me being annoying is a good thing."
"That traitorous sow!" Aura hissed, flustered.
"But... I know it's really because I accidentally broke through your defensive wall. Thanks to an unfortunate event... well, unfortunate for you..."
"Get to the point." Aura retorted sharply,
"I want to be friends with you, Aura. Is that okay?" His request stunned her. That wasn't what she was expecting at all.
"Friends are nothing but unneeded accessories," she still replied dismissively, before looking away.
"That's true... but even so, I always wanted one."
Fenix sat patiently, waiting for her response. While she fidgeted beside him, quietly panicking inside.