This was the first time Wentworth had ever met someone his age with such powerful magic. Judging by magical strength alone, the seemingly harmless girl before him was even stronger than Cedric, whom Lupin had praised on multiple occasions.
A few minutes later, Wentworth was sitting on his bed, staring at Uesugi Yukina, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with an apologetic expression. He couldn't help but shake his head and asked:
"Why were you in my room? Under my bed, no less?!"
Yukina glanced left and right, as if something around her demanded attention. But she said nothing, pretending not to hear him.
Seeing this, Wentworth's face twitched with exasperation. He stood up as if to leave, saying:
"Forget it. I can't be bothered to ask anymore. Yusei is just down the hall, I'll hand you over to him..."
Before he could finish, Yukina suddenly sprang forward and clung to his leg, looking up at him pitifully and pleading:
"No, please! Please don't turn me in!"
Now imagine this: a sweet-looking girl with big, pleading eyes clinging to your leg. What would you do?
Wentworth's answer? Of course he gave her a chance!
He sat back down on the bed, looking down at Yukina with mock sternness and said:
"Fine, I won't tell Yusei. But you have to answer me truthfully, why were you in my room? Under my bed?!"
Yukina pouted, then finally replied in a soft voice:
"There's always an Anti-Apparition Charm over this place. It's only lifted temporarily when important guests arrive.
"When I saw you all today, I figured the charm might not be active, so I sneaked up here, hoping to Apparate out. But to my surprise, they reactivated the Anti-Apparition enchantments so quickly!"
By the end, her cheeks puffed up in frustration.
Wentworth nodded in understanding, then asked:
"Aren't you a day student? You're allowed to leave after school. What, do you hate school that much?"
Yukina fell silent for a moment, then replied quietly:
"No. I like school. What I really hate... is going home."
Her answer stunned Wentworth. Yukina gave a bitter smile and continued:
"School is actually the easy part. But every time I go back to that island owned solely by the Uesugi family, sitting alone at that enormous dining table, eating those elaborate meals that never repeat across an entire month... it just makes me feel utterly miserable."
Wentworth covered his forehead and groaned.
"I honestly can't tell if you're venting or bragging."
Silence fell between them for a moment.
Then, suddenly beaming, Yukina asked:
"Wentworth, have you been to a lot of places? Could you tell me about them? I've never left Japan!"
Seeing the eager sparkle in her eyes, Wentworth smiled and nodded.
"I've been to quite a few, actually. Just before coming to Japan, I was in Africa."
Her eyes lit up as she sat up straight, awestruck.
"Africa?! That's so far away! I can't even imagine it! Tell me everything, please!"
Seeing her so enthusiastic, Wentworth didn't keep her waiting.
"Have you heard of Uagadou, the wizarding school in Africa? I just came from there. At Uagadou, Animagus transformation is incredibly popular, it's practically a required skill for students! And don't even get me started on the magical creatures in Africa. There are so many, like..."
And so, Wentworth began telling story after story. The hours passed, and night had already fallen, but Yukina remained wide-eyed and thrilled. Yusei even stopped by once to invite Wentworth to dinner, but Wentworth had waved him off, claiming he was too tired from the day's travel.
"You really met Newt Scamander? Merlin's beard! I love his book Fantastic Beasts! When I was little, I used to fall asleep hugging that book every night!"
Wentworth gave a tired smile and nodded.
"That's right. I spent an entire holiday at Mr. Scamander's home. The food, sorry, I mean the magical creatures, were unbelievably diverse and fascinating. Look, this little guy was a gift from Mr. Scamander before I left—"
As he spoke, Wentworth let his pet Bowtruckle, Greenbud, crawl out from his sleeve.
Yukina's eyes widened in delight as she watched Greenbud inch its way toward her. At Wentworth's nod, Greenbud climbed into her hand, and she immediately began gently stroking it with pure joy.
Watching her play with Greenbud, Wentworth rubbed his grumbling stomach and finally spoke:
"Yukina, aren't you hungry? Should I go find something to eat?"
Startled, Yukina glanced at the window and the dark sky outside.
"Goodness, is it that late already?! But where are you going to find food?"
Wentworth responded naturally:
"The dining hall, of course!"
But Yukina shook her head.
"We're very frugal in Japan. At Mahoutokoro, the dining hall never has leftovers."
Wentworth froze for a moment, but then quickly said:
"That's fine! I can cook myself. I'm actually really good at Chinese food!"
Still, Yukina kept shaking her head.
"The ingredients here are all bought fresh every morning. The kitchen never keeps anything overnight."
Wentworth was finally at a complete loss. He stared at her and muttered bitterly:
"What kind of ridiculous school is this?!"
Still playing with Greenbud, Yukina replied with a smile:
"It's fine. I know a place with plenty of food. And you can even order from a menu. If you like, they even serve sake!"
Wentworth perked up immediately.
"Oh? Where?"
Yukina grinned and said:
"My house!"
——————————
TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]