27 Hidden Talent

Classes in the afternoon began and ended without much fuss. In all honesty, Ara was even surprised because the atmosphere in the classroom had changed drastically compared to that morning.

After returning to the classroom when the lunch break was over, she was welcomed by her classmates' smiling faces. Some even looked apologetic, while some tried having small talks with her before the teacher came. She even ended up with random pieces of candies, and snacks as their peace offerings.

In short, the frosty treatment, the judgmental stares, the obvious animosity of that morning vanished like it never happened. Even Yashiro Nanako and her gang came to her seat to apologize, it was so weird.

Then again, after Rin and Miharu's explanation earlier, all of them knew by now that her man-crazy, yandere character rumors were all untrue and that it was all a huge misunderstanding.

Suzuki Ara felt exhausted suddenly that she leaned back on her seat and sighed heavily.

With more and more people knowing the truth, her debt would be paid in full very soon. However, even if the original Ara didn't want to implicate Okada Koharu in her accident, she knew that it wasn't over yet.

The more Ara's reputation cleared, the more and more people would connect the dots and lead them to the mastermind of all this fiasco: Okada Koharu.

Being a yandere was not just a random nickname – it's a mental disease.

Without someone to receive the possible backlash from her veiled bullying and evil machinations, who knew what Koharu would do next? She had already reached a point where she was ready to kill and sacrifice someone in order to get what she wanted. From there, it could only get worse.

Just this lunch, she tried to make Ara look bad again, but Rin and Miharu spoke up for her. The moment she got reprimanded and people called out how selfish she seemed with her words, her gentle heroine façade had already cracked.

When Ichihara Midori and Sonoda Hiroaki cleared her name to more people, Okada Koharu would have to reach a point where people would corner her and demand some answers – starting from the love letters she sent Sonoda, and the harassment that she claimed she was forced to do or she'd face Ara's wrath – she would have to explain all those, and it would be soon.

The time when Okada Koharu would be the most dangerous would come not too long. Who would be her target? It would most likely be Ichihara – or her again, the girl who lived.

The bell rang indicating that the day's lessons ended. Normally, people would go to their respective clubs, but since they're already graduating, most of them had already retired. But some who had time before going into a hectic study schedule for the final exams still dropped by their clubs to hang out.

Koharu, Rin, and Miharu belonged to the baking club, and they usually went there right after class, so they rarely went home together. Today was no exemption. They dropped by her classroom to say goodbye before heading to the home economics room.

As for her…

Suzuki Ara belonged to the "going home" club – a term used for students who didn't belong to any clubs and preferred to go home after class.

She lazily left her classroom and marched down the hall towards the gate when her phone rang. It was Aki.

"Ara?" her brother's voice filled her ear, and she smiled. "I'm so sorry, but brother can't come to pick you up."

She was a little bit disappointed, but she understood that Aki's at an important time at work now. He had too many backlogs because of her so she shouldn't be upset about it.

"It's okay big bro. I'll just take the bus or the taxi," she answered.

"No. Wait at school. Chiaki will come to pick you up. She's already on the way. She'll be a bit late so go back to your room for now. She'll give you a call when she arrives in the car."

Chiaki was Asou Chiaki, Aki's secretary who was also her brother's best friend. She was a nice pretty young woman who might be a bit on the clumsy side, but really good at her job. The original Ara liked her a lot because she was one of the few who would really show her concern. Plus, she was familiar with her since Chiaki and Aki had been classmates since pre-school.

"Okay. I'll wait for her."

Oh well…

Without any idea how long she'd have to wait, Ara turned around, ready to walk back to her classroom when Midori spotted her.

"Ara!"

Ara turned to see the girl running towards her with a grin. After their talk earlier, Ichihara became totally friendly with her.

"What's up?"

"You're still not going home?" Midori's face was flushed from her run. In her arm was a big sketchbook.

"My lift will be late so I have to stay and wait for a while."

"Then come with me to the art room," Ichihara invited. Since Ara had never been there, she was curious and so she tagged along.

As expected of an art club, the room smelled of paint. Many finished works from members were displayed around the room and on the walls, but not in a snobbish way like in museums or art galleries.

There were still three people inside from the lower years doing their art projects, but they all looked up and smiled at them warmly in greeting before turning their attention back to their creations.

"I will have to go finish my painting over there, but you can have these." Midori handed her a huge sketchbook and some soft pencils.

"What am I going to do with these?"Ara had never tried drawing before.

"Just sketch something. It'll help you pass time while you wait for your lift." Ichihara then left her to go to her easel just a few feet away and started working on her canvass.

Left on her own, Ara sighed as she opened the sketchbook and picked up one of the pencils.

Hmmmmnnnn what to draw?

An image of her friends flashed in her mind: five mighty warriors who wore carefree grins on their faces as they wielded their prized weapons.

As if in a trance, Ara's hand moved automatically, the soft lead glided across the white paper as she drew her friends' likeness.

The first one was Horgall, a huge Viking warrior with his heavy armor and a monstrous battle-ax. A scar across his left eye made him appear menacing, and yet he was the gentlest among her vassals.

Lounging next to Horgall, were two handsome warriors wearing light leather armor. Both carried longbows in their hands, and sheathed daggers on their waists, and arrow quivers on their backs. One had his long hair tied into a ponytail, while the other had a short crop haircut. They were her archer friends, Rubic and Lucius.

Next was Midas, a middle-aged, long-bearded, warrior who wore a paladin's armor. In his hand rested a heavy sword blessed by the son of Kresnik, the first flame emperor.

Last, but not least, she drew another huge warrior with light armor. He had a bulky physique, but his face wore a boyish grin. He had his hands in his pocket, a habit he had. He was Sven, their little team's healer, and earth caster.

Ara had no idea how long she had drawn her friends. But it wasn't long she assumed as Chiaki still hadn't called, and the office was not that far from her school. But, as soon as she finished, she lifted her eyes from her work to find everyone in the room surrounding her, their eyes on her work with expressions of awe on their faces.

"Ara, that's awesome. You have a hidden talent," Midori finally snapped from her amazement to give her the compliment as she shook her shoulder excitedly. "You should come here with me every day until our exams start!"

The others followed with their praises, but Ara, seeing her friends come to life on paper was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Just earlier that day, she had been lamenting on how much her memories with her vassals had started to feel like a lifetime ago. There were no cameras in Ritz. Life there was actually medieval compared to this world. She had nothing to remember them by – until now.

Tears fell suddenly from her eyes alarming Midori and the others, so she gave them a reassuring smile. "Sorry, my eyes get dry fast when I focus too much," she lied as she wiped her tears.

As the news of her eyes changing in color due to the severity of her accident was already out, they didn't have trouble accepting her excuse.

Just then, her phone rang. Chiaki had arrived and so she bade the others goodbye, but not before promising to come back the next day.

Midori gave her the sketchbook seeing how Ara was attached to her drawing, and she happily took it with her. She will have it framed in her room. At last, she now had something to remember her friends by.