Chapter 264: Tohru's Curse
"Snow, forest, fire? What does that mean?" Yoshino asked curiously.
"Those are the three themes for this semester's final exam," Erina explained, "but I don't know the specifics yet. It will depend on the school's instructions."
Usually, such information wasn't revealed to students ahead of time, but Erina, eager to divert the conversation away from the topic of her and Sui, reluctantly shared it.
"I wonder which theme I'll get?" Ryoko mused, placing a finger thoughtfully on her chin.
"No matter which one we get, we can do it! Let's give it our best effort!" Megumi clenched her fists, trying to encourage everyone.
"Yeah!" The others nodded in agreement.
That afternoon, the official notice for the final exam was released.
At that moment, Sui was sitting in Erina's living room, enjoying tea with her. Erina's tea-making skills were exceptional, and Sui savored the rich flavor of the brew.
As he opened the exam notice, he saw that he had been assigned to the "snow" session.
"Erina, which one were you assigned to?" Sui asked.
"Snow. What about you?" Erina asked as she glanced up from her notice.
"Looks like we'll finally be in the same group!" Sui chuckled.
Erina was quietly pleased, though she quickly added with a frown, "There are dozens of students in each session. We might not be together."
"What exactly does the 'snow' part involve? Do you think we'll get to relax in a hot spring?" Sui joked, picturing the snowy mountains.
Erina blushed at the suggestion and shot him a disapproving look, but said nothing.
That night, before going to bed, Sui informed Tohru that he would be away for a few days.
"Eh? Sui, you're leaving again?" Tohru asked, looking disappointed as she clung to his arm. Nearby, Kanna had rolled off the bed and was sleeping soundly, curled up in a ball.
"Yeah, I'll be gone for a few days to take the final exam," Sui nodded, knowing it was part of his responsibilities as a student.
Tohru bit her lip, visibly upset, but she understood. After a moment, her expression brightened mischievously.
"Then... I'm going to put a curse on you!" Tohru declared suddenly.
"A curse?" Sui blinked in surprise.
"Mhm!" Tohru grinned, flashing a sharp little fang before biting Sui's shoulder.
Sui winced, thinking to himself, 'Why do girls like biting me so much?' First the Nakiri sisters, and now Tohru. Tohru's bite, however, was much more painful. When he looked at the spot, he saw two small tooth marks, resembling a snakebite.
Suddenly, a small magic circle formed around the bite.
"What is this? Is this really a curse?" Sui asked, feeling a little uneasy.
"Yep!" Tohru replied gleefully, resting her face against Sui's chest. "Every time I think of you, that spot will get warm, so you'll know when I'm thinking about you."
Sure enough, Sui felt a gentle warmth spreading from the bite, like someone had placed a small heating pad there. Despite being speechless at Tohru's antics, he was touched by her gesture. He stroked her soft hair and smiled.
"Alright, I'll come back as soon as I can," Sui promised.
"Mhm!" Tohru agreed sweetly before closing her eyes.
——
The next day, Tohru handed Sui his packed luggage and waved him off happily. Her tail wagged behind her, like a puppy saying goodbye to its owner.
"Sui, come back soon!" she called out cheerfully.
"I will," Sui nodded with a smile.
"Sui, come back quickly! I want to eat something delicious," Kanna added, hugging Sui's waist with an innocent expression.
"Got it," Sui said, patting her head. He waved goodbye to both dragons before heading to Erina's mansion.
Erina was already waiting for him in the living room.
"By the way, where is the final exam being held this time?" Sui asked.
"I'm not sure yet. The location and specifics haven't been announced. We'll find out when we get to the airport," Erina replied, shaking her head.
The two of them took a car to the airport. Upon arriving at the waiting area, they were greeted by Megumi, who came running over, waving her hand excitedly.
"Sui, Miss Erina, you're here too!" Megumi beamed, followed closely by Yoshino and the others.
"Which theme did you get assigned to, Megumi?" Sui asked.
"I got 'snow,'" Megumi smiled.
"We're all in the snow group," Sōma chimed in with a grin. "Along with Aoki and the others, Ryoko and Yoshino are also in snow."
Erina remained quiet, lost in thought.
"Erina, what's wrong?" Sui asked, noticing her expression.
"I was just thinking about the exam," Erina said thoughtfully. "In the past, the top ten students in each grade were grouped together and given more challenging tasks. I wonder if the same will happen this time."
"Really? Is that a tradition?" Sui asked, surprised.
"Yes. The top ten students in each grade often develop strong friendships, since they work together to tackle these harder exams from first grade all the way to third. It helps them bond."
Just as Erina finished speaking, a loud argument broke out nearby.
"Kuga, you idiot! Do you have a death wish?" Nene shouted angrily.
"What's your problem, Nene? Are you on your period or something?" Kuga retorted, the two of them bickering as they walked into the terminal.
Isshiki followed behind them with a helpless smile, while Eizan trailed along silently.
"Is this what you mean by deep friendship?" Sōma asked sarcastically.
Erina blushed and quickly added, "Those two are exceptions."
Just then, the third-year students arrived as well.
"I don't want to get on the plane! I want to go home!" Momo, the normally stoic queen of desserts, was crouching on the ground, hugging her teddy bear and whining like a child.
"Enough. Let's go," Saito Soumei said calmly, grabbing the bear's arm and pulling her along.
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