"Skipping class again! Skipping class again! I'll just add a few more layers to the walls and see how you skip class then."
Theresa lay on the sofa, muttering to herself in frustration as she flipped through the "St. Freya High School Renovation Project Report."
But when she came across a bookmark tucked inside, a happy smile involuntarily spread across her lips.
"Auntie, don't forget to eat, even if you're busy~"
Underneath the bookmark, Kiana had drawn a little picture of a happy Kiana.
Theresa took out the bookmark Kiana had left, looked at it quietly for a moment, and then her face darkened again.
"Eat, eat, eat, all she thinks about is eating…"
If she hadn't seen Himeko's message in the group chat today about Kiana skipping class again, Theresa would have felt very gratified right now.
Originally, Theresa had planned to go to Kallen's place to lie in wait for Kiana and also to tell Kallen not to be a bad influence. But Kallen had guessed that Theresa would lecture her too, so she had grabbed Judah and run off.
Theresa took out her phone and called Mei.
"Mei, do you know where Kiana is? I'm going to teach her a good lesson this time."
"I don't know… but Kiana didn't have dinner with us tonight, and it's unlikely she would go eat alone, so she probably hasn't eaten yet.
Principal, when Kiana gets hungry, she'll definitely come back to the dorm to find something to eat…"
"Eat, eat, eat, is there anything else in that child's head besides food?!"
Theresa grumbled, then made a request to Mei.
"Mei, I'd like you to teach me how to make a dish…"
——————————————
"What do we do… Mei and Yae Sakura are both waiting for us. I don't dare go home…"
"What are you afraid of? The worst that can happen is a scolding… Kiana, it seems your mastery of the Kaslana skills is not yet proficient enough. Here, I'll teach you how to shut down when you're being scolded…"
"Okay, okay…"
Judah watched the two white-haired furballs, who had hit it off immediately and were now squatting in a corner discussing techniques to ignore scoldings, and sighed deeply.
She grabbed one white-haired furball in each hand and lifted Kiana and Kallen up.
"You don't learn the good things, but you're a master of learning the bad things… Kallen, can't you teach her something useful?"
"But besides fighting, I don't have much else to teach… I can't exactly teach her the Kaslana sense of justice… does she even need me to teach her that?"
Kallen shrugged helplessly, then grabbed Judah in return and said excitedly to her and Kiana:
"Judah, why don't you turn back into your weapon form, and I'll teach Kiana how to use the Oath of Judah!"
Kiana & Judah: "Um…"
Kiana looked at Judah, and Judah looked back at Kiana.
"Actually, I prefer dual pistols…"
"I think things are fine as they are…"
The three of them fooled around outside until late. Finally, as the night grew deep, Kallen and Kiana's stomachs started to rumble, and they prepared to go back to the dorm to find something to eat.
Kallen looked at the wall surrounding St. Freya High School and scratched her head in frustration.
"I seem to remember this wall wasn't this high when I first came here…"
"You think so too, Kallen? Me too! I used to be able to just hop over it, but now it's such a pain to climb." Kiana, like Kallen, scratched her head in frustration.
After a moment, both Kiana and Kallen looked at Judah with pleading eyes.
"Don't even think about it."
Judah took two steps back, putting distance between herself and Kiana and Kallen. She wasn't going to be their stepping stool. She was done with her days as a height booster.
So, Kiana stepped on Kallen's hands, and with Kallen's help, she climbed up first, then reached down to pull Kallen up.
"Oops…" "Ouch…"
Kiana didn't control her strength properly, and the sudden pull caused Kallen to slam into her. Then, with a thud, both of them fell from the wall.
"That's you two, alright."
Judah landed lightly beside them, gave them a thumbs-up, then flipped her wrist and gave them a thumbs-down in a gesture of contempt.
Their entire wall-climbing escapade was witnessed by Theresa from a window far away.
"Three idiots… can't even climb a wall without falling…"
Even with Kallen and Judah's help, Kiana still managed to fall… what if she didn't have help? Or what if she made the wall even higher, making it even more difficult for Kiana to climb?
"Ah, this is so annoying…"
Theresa took out the bookmark Kiana had left in the "St. Freya High School Renovation Project Report" and placed it in a drawer along with the one Hiyokumaru had left.
As for the "St. Freya High School Renovation Project Report"… Theresa threw it directly into the trash can and also sent a message to Himeko to cancel the fourth plan to heighten the school's walls.
After doing all that, Theresa went to arrest the wall-climbing trio.
"Hahaha… Auntie, what are you doing here…" Kiana, caught red-handed, laughed awkwardly and scratched her head.
"Perhaps out for a stroll to enjoy the scenery… Theresa, would you be interested in joining us to admire this beautiful moonlit view?" Kallen, with a wildflower in her mouth, struck a cool pose and invited Theresa.
Thwack—
Thwack—
Theresa grabbed Kiana by the back of her collar and Kallen by the leg and dragged them back to the dorm.
——————————————
At the dinner table, Kiana sat upright, her mind racing with all the ways Theresa might scold her.
"Sister Kallen, do you think it's too late for me to learn the Kaslana secret technique from you now?" Kiana looked pleadingly at Kallen, who was lying on the table pretending to be unconscious.
Kallen, pretending to be out cold, opened one eye, cautiously looked around, and then gave Kiana a "you're on your own" look.
"It's too late. Good luck. I'm going to continue playing dead." With that, Kallen closed her eyes and lay motionless.
Kallen was knocked out by Theresa. Yes… knocked out.
But the scolding Kiana had expected never came. Theresa didn't scold her. Instead, she brought her a large plate of fried chicken wings.
"Eat up. Mei said you didn't have dinner, so you must be hungry."
Kiana tremblingly picked up a chicken wing, her heart filled with resistance. Theresa could only cook with bitter melon… surely these chicken wings weren't made of bitter melon too? Was this Auntie's way of punishing her?
*How is it? Is it good? Is it not sweet enough? Why isn't Kiana eating yet! Sob, sob, sob… I really can only make bitter things.*
It wasn't just Kiana who was having a brainstorm; Theresa's thoughts were also running wild.
"Mmm, so delicious! It's so sweet, and there's even mashed potatoes inside!" Kiana couldn't help but smile happily. As expected, the Principal still loved her!
"If it's delicious, then eat more… It wasn't in vain that I specifically learned from Mei." A weight was finally lifted from Theresa's heart. She had been afraid that Kiana wouldn't like it.
"Mhm, mhm!" Kiana hugged the plate and scooted closer to Theresa, getting as far away from Kallen as possible.
"Auntie, you have some too."
"Okay~"
*Strange… why does it seem like Kiana isn't getting scolded?* Kallen, having blocked her hearing, lay on the table playing dead, but the longer she pretended, the more something felt off.
*Why do I smell something fragrant…*
Kallen stealthily opened one eye to peek, and then both her eyes flew wide open.
"Kiana, you're eating delicious food and you didn't call me!!" Kallen slammed her hands on the table and pounced on Kiana like a hungry tiger.
"Serves you right for playing dead and trying to make me take the fall alone. I'm not giving you any, nya nya nya." Kiana stuck her tongue out at Kallen, then stuffed the remaining mashed potato chicken wings into her mouth all at once.
"No—!"
Kallen despaired, holding the plate that Kiana had licked so clean that not even a speck of seasoning was left.
"Seeing everyone so energetic, you must all be full now!" Theresa, sitting on Judah's shoulder, lifted both Kallen and Kiana up. "Well then, today's training is about to begin!"
"Why now?!!"
"Because it's better to get beaten up on a full stomach!" Theresa waved her small fist and dragged Kiana and Kallen towards the training room.
"I hid all day, didn't get to eat, and now I have to get beaten up by Judah because of Theresa. Sakura, my life is so miserable!" Kallen wailed to Yae Sakura, complaining about her disastrous day.
"Is that so? But my punishment hasn't been decided yet! For encouraging Kiana to skip class… Kallen, don't forget that I am also a music teacher at St. Freya High School now~" Yae Sakura smiled sweetly, grabbed Kallen, and dragged her into the training room once again.
"No~o~o~o!"
——————————————
Carrying large and small bags, Ryn, who had just gotten off his bird, circled Judah once.
"How come you're the only one here to greet me? Where is everyone else?"
"You should see what time it is… it's three in the morning. Everyone has class tomorrow, they're already asleep." Judah took Ryn's luggage and retorted irritably.
"Right, I forgot about that." Ryn patted his own foolish head, then pointed at Judah's shoulder. "You still have a footprint on your shoulder. Were you being a stepping stool for Theresa again? Didn't you say you would never be a height booster again?"
Judah rolled her eyes at Ryn and walked ahead with the luggage.
"Would you refuse to carry your own child on your back?"
"That's so you. I knew you were raising Theresa like a daughter."