Chapter 5

The sun shone brightly from outside the classroom window, and the weather was pleasant with a gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of the cherry blossom tree, causing them to scatter throughout Elysentient Academy.

The refreshing breeze wafted through the open window, relieving the stifling heat inside the classroom. Miyu, just like the wind, found solace as she gazed out of the window.

The picturesque scenery lifted Miyu's spirits and filled her with a sense of tranquility. However, her smile abruptly faded as she recalled something from the previous night.

Miyu's eyes glinted with a fiery intensity, her body tensing up as she recollected the night when Chronoir defeated and humiliated her. The stark realization of the vast power disparity between them weighed heavily on her mind. However, it only fueled Miyu's determination further, compelling her to push forward relentlessly toward her goals.

"Chronoir..." Miyu's gaze turned piercing as she stared out the window, her hand clenched into a tight fist. Suddenly, an adult man's voice broke her focus, drawing her attention to a man wearing a white shirt and blue tie, holding a stack of books and calling her name repeatedly since earlier.

"Miyu!" The man stood upright next to her desk as Miyu turned her head and locked eyes with the teacher.

"Miyu, could you please answer number 4?" The teacher raised an eyebrow as he stared at her. Miyu, who had been lost in her thoughts about Chronoir, started to sweat as she realized she hadn't been paying attention to the teacher. Her anxiety grew when she noticed that her book remained closed and hadn't been opened to the designated page.

Sakura tried to get Miyu's attention by whispering to her discreetly, but Miyu remained oblivious. When the teacher asked a question, Sakura attempted to help Miyu by whispering the answer, "144!"

Miyu, in a moment of panic, shouted out an unrelated answer to the teacher's question, exclaiming, "The answer is Volcano of Mao, sir!" She looked at the teacher with hopeful eyes, beads of sweat rolling down her face, only to find him with his hand on his face in exasperation. Meanwhile, her classmates burst into laughter at her unexpected response.

And Sakura, unable to believe what she had just witnessed, couldn't help but feel hesitant about their friendship. She wanted to look away, as Miyu's random and incorrect answer made her appear like a female clown. "I can't believe what I just saw," Sakura muttered to herself, a mix of disbelief and disappointment in her voice.

"Eh?" Miyu's confident expression quickly turned into confusion as the teacher grew angrier with her. "Yeah, right, Miyu. Volcano of Mao. But the question wasn't about the highest volcano in the world. Instead, it was about when the Elyse war occurred," the teacher clarified sternly.

Miyu became the center of attention and the subject of laughter as she realized that her answer was completely off. "Heh-heh, oh yeah, sorry, sir," Miyu nervously chuckled, scratching her head in embarrassment, while the teacher stood there with a book in his hand.

But the man in the white shirt showed no tolerance and shouted at her, "Reflect on your actions, young lady! Step outside the class now!" Miyu's eyes widened as she heard her teacher's shout, instructing her to stand outside the class

Reluctantly, Miyu had no choice but to comply with the teacher's request despite her strong desire to avoid embarrassment. She lowered her head, nodded in acknowledgment, and made her way outside the classroom.

*SWOOSH!!*

The teacher resumed his class after Miyu stepped out and closed the sliding door behind her. "I hope you all take a lesson from her example. Focus your attention on me, as you are dedicated to acquiring knowledge, and I am dedicated to teaching. Give your best efforts in this school," he emphasized, motivating his students to concentrate on their studies.

The teacher's words echoed through the school corridor as Miyu stood there, bracing herself for embarrassment. Just as she feared being seen, Tsukasa suddenly appeared, catching her eye in that very moment.

"Tsu! Tsukasa!?" Miyu exclaimed in surprise as she caught sight of Tsukasa looking at her from the school corridor. She hadn't noticed him approaching, as her classroom was situated at the edge of an L-shaped corridor, while Tsukasa had come from the other side.

She didn't expect to see him there, observing her while she stood outside her class as a form of punishment. Tsukasa, with an air of mystery surrounding him, piqued her curiosity. "What are you doing here?" Miyu inquired, her voice filled with curiosity, as Tsukasa tilted his head in response

Tsukasa maintained his usual cold demeanor, but a smirk played on his lips as he observed Miyu standing outside her class. "First, got dragged from your house to the principal's office, and now standing in front of your class. What a great day for you," he chuckled, teasingly."

He taunted her about having a string of bad experiences throughout the day, but Miyu refused to stay silent. Pouting and filled with anger, she retorted, "Well, I'm sorry for being such a terrible influence in this school. I bet you think you're better than me, huh?" A smirk played on her lips as she stared at Tsukasa, her eyes filled with sarcasm.

Tsukasa's laughter grew even louder in response to Miyu's sarcasm, causing a teacher from inside the classroom to step outside and intervene. With an intimidating expression, the teacher fixed his gaze upon Tsukasa, his intention clear.

*SWOOSH!!*

"I hope you realize the gravity of your actions, young man," the teacher sternly replied, his voice filled with authority. Tsukasa, raising his hand as a sign of apology, maintained his smirk while assuring the teacher that he would not repeat his behavior. The teacher, slightly appeased, decided to let the matter go without further consequences, though his expression still held a hint of caution.

Once the teacher returned to the class, Tsukasa lowered his hand and shifted his gaze back to Miyu. His smirk gradually faded, replaced by a more neutral expression as he looking at her again.

Miyu smirked as she looked at Tsukasa, her eyes filled with amusement. "Seems like someone else had a close call today," she teased, placing her hand on her waist. She locked eyes with Tsukasa, waiting for his response, and to her surprise, he immediately bowed down. "Ah, hello, miss," he said politely.

Thinking that there might be a teacher approaching from behind, Miyu swiftly turned her body and head, ensuring she didn't cause any more trouble on what was already a difficult day for her. Following Tsukasa's example, she also bowed in the same direction as him.

"Good day to you miss"

However, when Miyu finished her bow and returned to her normal posture, she realized that there was no one walking towards them. The corridor was empty, adorned only with green bushes in front of each classroom.

Miyu became furious upon realizing that Tsukasa had played a prank on her, pretending that someone was standing right behind her. She couldn't contain her anger and exclaimed, "Tsukasa, you're— AHHHHHHHH!!!"

Miyu let out a high-pitched shriek when she felt a cold touch on her cheek, as Tsukasa placed something cold on it.

*SWOOSH!!*

And once again, the bald man in a white shirt emerged from inside the classroom, wearing an expression of anger towards both Tsukasa and Miyu. "You two are causing a lot of trouble, young people. Miyu, I expect better behavior from you. This is a school, not a jungle. And you, young man, you don't belong here during class time. Return to your own class," he scolded them sternly.

Both of them were scolded by the teacher, but Tsukasa didn't seem bothered and instead smiled and bowed down in response. On the other hand, Miyu looked down, feeling distressed and guilty as she was being scolded. She didn't want to face any more trouble, so she simply nodded and kept her gaze lowered, feeling a sense of remorse in her heart.

The teacher nodded and continued to gaze at them with sharp and intimidating eyes. Miyu swiftly turned her head to face Tsukasa, clearly upset with him for being the cause of her shriek and subsequent scolding.

"You know, that was really-" Miyu's words were interrupted when she noticed that Tsukasa was holding an energy drink in his hand, which he pointed towards her. It meant that he was offering her the energy drink. "Here, drink it and get some energy. You look like you're about to pass out ever since you arrived at the principal's office," Tsukasa said. Miyu's eyes widened as she realized that Tsukasa understood how drained she felt throughout the ordeal.

But it still felt surreal to Miyu that someone as cold as Tsukasa, with his usual attitude, could notice that she was feeling down and would spend his money to buy her an energy drink. Miyu felt a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment, realizing that her initial anger was unwarranted as Tsukasa had shown her his generosity.

"Uhm.. well, thanks.." Miyu stuttered as she took the energy drink from his hand, quickly opening it and chugging it down. The taste and the coldness of the energy drink refreshed her and made her feel alive again.

*GULP**GULP**GULP*

Tsukasa, who didn't expect her to chug it all in no time, could only laugh at her. "Ahhh ~~ I feel so refreshed, thanks Tsukasa," Miyu exclaimed. While Tsukasa continued to laugh, he took the bottle and walked away from her.

"Don't mention it. I'll throw this out for you later," he said as he walked through the empty corridor towards a nearby trash can. He threw the bottle into the trash can and waved at Miyu before walking away.

Miyu felt something peculiar about Tsukasa. "What a strange guy," she thought, contemplating his behavior and how he treated her despite only meeting earlier that morning.