Faint smile

On the first day, class stopped by a pond.

A glistening pond with lots of large fish.

Catfish.

"Don't bother jumping into it. They'll suck you alive-" Sarveisa warned the kids.

The sun was about to set.

They'd already made some tents- ready to turn in. 

"How do you catch them?" Mihael asked, standing next to her. 

Some large grass growing.

Not just catfish but there were also some shellfish but kind of too small. Probably just babies. 

"Oh- you just-" She lifted her arms up- and some fish also rose up-

Floating her way-

Big- long, meaty…

Mihael rolled his eyes, going back to the group.

He hadn't said anything during the trip.

He honestly, wasn't that interested.

He was interested in something else though.

Namely-

The journey itself.

Why?

In his last life for some reason, he could instantly teleport around. He traveled all across the world but… never traveled in the sense of the word.

He never spent time on the road-

He never… experienced the adventure as humans liked calling it.

Thus-

This time-

He stared-

He saw the world-

He-

Just… enjoyed the trip…. Even if the enjoyment wasn't really all that much.

*** 

The sun set, and the campfire burned.

Crackling, sizzling sound along with that roasted charred aroma. Not just that but also the smell of herbs, spices and… fish. 

Sarveisa had set up camp.

Eleven tents.

Ten for the kids, one for her. All huddled in a circle with hers in the middle.

She also made a campfire, broiled some fish, burned some, made curry out of the rest and served it to the kids.

The starving kids gulped it down like it was nectar from the gods-

None of the kids knew that the nectar was just the bodily fluids of the gods but it was better that way… for their sanity.

Ahem! "Alright, since we're all gathered here- that's the bathroom. The left one is for boys, the right, for the girls. There's two of each, so you shouldn't have trouble. It won't be dangerous here, as I set up a defensive spell but even so, don't let your guards down and definitely do not go out of the barrier space. Understood?"

They all nodded apart from Mihael who was too busy eating the charred fish.

It didn't taste all that good. Smokey, a little burnt and just with salt.

Yet-

Yet- his eyes were lit-

So different- in his own words.

Sarveisa rolled her eyes but she had to agree.

This kid-

Despite his weirdness… did have a certain charm to him. 

Almost always… making her smile.

However faint.

Yet-

Her smile vanished as she stared at the rest of the kids…

'Tonight… they'll…' 

*** 

Mihael slept in his tent, without a worry.

He slept like a log.

Two of his groupmates stared- no particular emotion.

Meanwhile, the other one, the girl Miseli, was just next to Mihael, separated by the barrier.

Two soft golden bangs sticking out of her head, short hair, hearts in her eyes… as she stared at the boy with her arms acting as support on her bed.

Dreamy?

"What do you see in him?" The other girl, Raine asked. She made her bed next to Miseli's. 

There was more space to the other side where Ereal made his.

Despite how the tent looked like from the outside, it was fairly spacious on the inside. 

Clean, and structurally sound. It even came with free hot chocolate dispenser!

"Wish, I could just touch his pretty face…" She almost drooled…

The floating light above their heads provided enough for them to see each other without a problem,

Slightly disgusted. "Never mind…" Raine sighed and just lied down.

"He looks like my little brother-" Miseli said. "Cute!"

"Oh…" A bit surprised.

Meanwhile-

The boy didn't bother saying a thing. 

He just sat against the tent, eyes closed, relaxed; meditating.

"Ah- wish, I could pet that cute hair…" Miseli glided her hand in the air-

Flick!

Mihael's eyes fluttered open, as he glared north- 

"Wh-what!?" Miseli yelped back, shocked. 

"There's something there- something… big…" His eyes focused-

Breathing normal-

A faint smile.