Chapter XXXVII - The Greenhouse Pt. II

The president makes some kind of concoction in a little pot, filling the greenhouse with a slightly pungent smell.

"How do you just have the things to do this here? ...Does the school normally keep burners inside of a space full of plants?" I asked, speaking after a long moment of silence.

"Believe it or not, this is a classroom. For the botany, herbology students." Minuet said, still focusing on her herbal mixture as she carefully stirs the liquid, "If you're taking outdoor survival you might also be in here." She taps her stirring spoon against the lip of the pot, taking it off the heat, "Don't worry, it's not like I will burn down the greenhouse with you in it."

"...I don't know if I should be more worried or just afraid now."

She offers me a wry smile, blue eyes twinkling with subdued amusement, "Why don't you stay and find out? I promise I won't poison you." She pours her little mixture into a porcelain cup,(Rich people and their fancy china), sliding it over to me.

It was muted greenish color, not exactly the color I would associate with tea. It looked like offset matcha tinted imitating potion, whose aroma did not make one exactly want to consume it. I gingerly lift the cup toward my mouth, steam still curling off the liquid's surface.

"..." I quietly down the whole thing, the drink having a surprisingly cool undertone and feeling but almost immediately, the bitter aftertaste hit my taste buds like a saved sucker punch. I must have made the sour face because the president giggles as I scrunch up my nose, swallowing the remnants of the intensely flavored concoction.

"Hehe...you look like a childhood friend of mine whenever they were made to eat cold medicine...like that, it's good for you, a sort of miracle cure around here." She covers her mouth with her hand, maybe to hide another giggle. She then clears her throat, starting to clean up the table, "I need to go on my morning patrol now, if don't feel well enough for class, I can give you a pass for your teachers."

I stare at my hands for a moment, then nods absentmindedly, "It's okay. I'm okay. I can look after myself."

Minuet finishes clearing her workspace, the lens of her glasses flashing slightly in the light of daybreak outside, an almost despondent expression in her eyes, as quickly as that, it returns to her usual calm demeanor. "...Okay, just tell me if you need anything. I will see you around, Kusouishi." She turns, her smooth dark hair fluttering behind her as she disappears out the sliding door, sliding closed behind her.

My headache seems to have subsided, only leaving the fatigue from the night before. I sigh, wishing it would go away as easily as the air from my mouth.

"Hahh...classes, huh..." I blink up at the ceiling, the early morning sky visible through the full panels of glass. I felt like I was forgetting something important, something I was told...

The sound of the door opens again, and this time North was one to appear.

"Sister! Are you feeling better? What happened?" He approaches me with that worried crease in his eyebrows, the faintest of dark circles can be seen under his eyes.

"I'm alright North. Did you manage to sleep? You look like you had an all-nighter, brother." I said.

He lets out a surprised laugh, some of the usual cheery gleam returning to his eyes, "More or less. Couldn't rest too well when my only family here just passed out on me so suddenly."

I smile dryly, hoping it was somewhat assuring to him, I spread my hands, gesturing toward myself, "See? I'm fine, I can even go to class. I know you were looking forward to them." I bring myself up from the cot I was sitting on, making sure to fold it up and set it aside.

North shakes his head slightly in what looked like exasperation, despite that he cracks a small smile, "If you say so...and you didn't even fold it up properly, but it's rare enough that you would do so anyway...so I will give you points for effort."

"Whatt? How would you know anyway? Hm, Smartypants? But you can't say I didn't try," I hit his shoulder playfully, making my way out the door.

"I consider it part of my job as your brother to point out all the little things, like how you tried to fake your way in a high-class restaurant as an Italian ambassador?" He teased.

"...I rolled my r's like a pro! I feel attacked you know, " I said, mockingly, the mood definitely lifted by the light-hearted banter.

We both walk the path leading away from the greenhouses, students starting to come out of the dormitories, tired and bleary-eyed to start the new school day.

"We have the same homeroom, don't we? What other classes did you choose?" North asked.

"All the standard classes, I think...did we even get our schedules yet?"

"It's on the timetable we got when we first arrived, that's what Kyle told me." He returned.

I pull out the piece of paper from my back pocket, crumpled after being forgotten there for such a while, magically, my name had appeared on the top of the sheet, with my student ID and everything.

"Rank of Class? Isn't that what determines what your fighting class is?" I said, my eyes darting to the space next to it- it was blank. My stomach drops a little in disappointment, even if I knew exactly what I would've been, or not been.

"Mine's blank too. I don't think they have released that yet." North said, glancing at my paper, "Look's like our classes are much of the same, except for ancient literature and physics."

"...I see. That's too bad-"

"Hey, I'm new. Would you mind showing me to the campus dorms?"

The low, oddly familiar voice makes both of us look up to see who it is.

The face of someone I thought I never have to see again stands before us.

His one eye glints the color of pure obsidian as he flashes a wolfish smile, the rose emblazed on his eyepatch stood out with a burning crimson under the shock of dark mousy-colored hair.

"You can call me Darius."