While you were distracted

"You've got it all wrong, miss." Tenji cut in before she could say anything.

Her eyebrow raised in disbelief and she looked at Rumi who didn't seem to mind the misunderstanding.

"Rumi, let go of my arm!" Tenji warned through gritted teeth, wanting her to do so herself and politely.

Shaking her head, she reminded him of the promise he made before she opened up a portal, loud enough to the hearing of the healer.

The healer watched the two and rolled her eyes, "I refuse to be a part of this."

Walking towards the door, she opened it and was about to leave when she let out some advice, "it's best you don't draw attention to yourself, professor."

Slamming the door behind her, Tenji had his mouth gaped open and was left speechless.

'Who says I want attention drawn to myself?!' He frowned.

He had barely been able to control his emotions lately, any outburst was going to put all of Maiyu's effort in vain.

Inhaling and exhaling, he tried to calm himself before he spoke.

"Rumi, let go or this marks the end of the training you get from me." He threatened and looked down at their interlocked arms.

Rumi made a pout, sad about the condition. If he canceled their training, there was no way she could get stronger at a limited time, try to get closer to him or win his affection and find out what hidden energy he had lost control of today.

Reluctantly, she pulled away and stood shyly in front of him and muttered, "I'm sorry, professor. I went too far with my words."

"Save that for the healer you just incited with unfathomable thoughts about us." Tenji snapped and rolled his eyes at her pathetic attempt at winning his favor.

"Am I that repulsive that you would never give me a thought?" Rumi whispered, unsure about the response but speaking out anyway.

'It isn't that you're repulsive, rather I am not interested in any relationships nor one with a student.' Tenji explained in his thoughts.

Instead, he went with the conventional, not wanting to give her any hope with his words, "I am not interested in you, so I would appreciate it if you know your bounds as a student."

'Liar!' Rumi sneered in her thoughts and recalled the way Tenji's mood would always light up at the sight of her headmistress.

She couldn't understand what was so special about Maiyu other than her position and her close age bracket with Tenji.

"You're lying to yourself." Rumi asserted and her mood darkened with jealousy.

"What?" Tenji questions immediately, confused as to why she would say that.

'If he doesn't realize it, I would make sure he never does. I should be the one who can make you smile.'

"Nothing." She replied and teleported on her bed with a light bounce.

Tenji stood awkwardly and watched her glare at him. "I need you to work on your little admiration game, can you do that for me?"

"..."

Rumi merely looked to her side and tucked herself under her bedsheets.

'Why are teenagers so annoying these days?!' Tenji hissed in his thoughts, with his brows twitching in irritation at being ignored.

"I need some alone time, professor. You should be with the one who was almost in a life-threatening situation." Rumi said with a yawn and an eye of indifference.

'I can give you all the time you need, you just saved me the stress of finding an excuse to leave.'

There was something strange in the tone of her voice that made Tenji think for a moment about his decision.

"It's just a hand that's already healed, nothing to be worried about, so you don't need to pity me." Rumi continued and urged him to leave.

"I'm glad you're okay, that's what matters," Tenji replied with a nod and relished in leaving to check on Maiyu.

Slam!

Rumi pulled the bed sheet over her head to cover her face as a trail of tears crossed over the bridge of her nose and joined the other on her right eye.

'I was abandoned once, I won't let that happen again. Enjoy what you have now!'

*****

Tenji had his back to the door and he was relieved when he saw Aki rush toward him.

"The healer didn't give me access to the ward," Aki whined to her brother.

She had tried to maintain a positive attitude while in a family with magical abilities but was faced with daily activities that seemed to always slap the fact in her face.

"It's alright, I'm sure it was just safety precautions." Tenji consoled her and pulled her in for a hug.

Aki squirmed out of his grasp and shook her head. "Are you insinuating I'm a threat?"

'Why does this always end up being one big misunderstanding?'

"You and I both know you can barely hurt a plant."

'But you sure can break a few of my bones.' Tenji completed in his head as he forced a smile.

Nodding her head in agreement, she pulled him by the collar, "you aren't getting my main point. I had asked the healer why she had done that and she had replied that the student had specifically requested no other entry apart from you–that's just sick!"

Tenji internally facepalmed, that there was no need to verify if this was true, judging the nature of Rumi, it was likely a possibility.

"Could we not talk about that?" Tenji rolled his eyes and wished to be done with that chapter.

Pulling her hand away from his collar, he straightened out the creases and cleared his throat.

"How about Mai? Any news while I was gone?"

"You mean while you were distracted?" Aki corrected with a harrumph.

"It would interest you to know that beauty had decided since you were busy, there was no need to inform you that she had gone back to the academy–her students come first." She made a dramatic expression with her hand close to her lips like a chef's kiss.

Tenji could only pick and process two words, 'beauty' and 'academy'.

'You've got to be kidding me!' Tenji thought in a panic.

There was no way she would have been discharged from her ward–unless...

"You need to get back home and don't wait for me." He ordered.

"What are you doing going back in there?!" Aki challenged, displeased that her brother was going in the same door he had come out of.

"To find out the truth." He replied hurriedly, opening the door and slamming it shut in front of Aki again.

*****

A/N

When I had participated in WPC#306(under the academy theme) I gotta say I had little faith that I would win which was why I didn't solicit 'voting for my WPC book' in this novel, and I'm positive some might have been clueless about this book participating in anything of such.

While some had just joined the journey after the announcement/temporary feature was made.

After the results were in, I was ecstatic to have managed to win a spot of bronze!

Thankyou all so much for your support.

I would really appreciate your comments and support of this novel with your power stones. Your active comments would motivate me to write more chapters.

¶ What connection do you think Rumi has with Maiyu's action?