On campus, Ellen formally introduced Sam Li to her classmates.
Hearing this, several students quickly turned their attention to Sam Li.
He had a refined, handsome face, an air of quiet melancholy in his expression, and moved with a kind of graceful poise that made him seem much older than he looked.
On top of that, he wore a vintage-style outfit that made him look like he had stepped straight out of a movie—more striking than most popular actors.
In an instant, several classmates were completely smitten.
Ellen scoffed impatiently, snapping them out of their daze.
One girl smiled.
"Ellen, your brother's so handsome. Is he an idol or maybe a movie star? Can you tell us what films he's been in?"
Ellen shook her head.
"He's not an actor. He's a..."
Halfway through, she realized she was about to slip up.
Quickly, she changed course.
"He's a... uh... what was it again?"
She glanced helplessly at Sam Li.
She couldn't tell them the truth, and she was too lazy to come up with a fake job. This was part of the commission anyway, so she gave Sam Li a look, signaling him to handle it himself.
One classmate frowned.
"You don't know what your brother does? That's kinda weird..."
Ellen didn't bother responding.
"..."
After a brief pause, Sam Li spoke calmly.
"I'm... a magician."
He wasn't interested in overthinking it, so he made something up on the spot.
Immediately, a classmate lit up.
"Ooh! Like sleight of hand? Cards, pigeons—that kind of magician? Can we see a trick?"
Sam Li: "..."
Ellen quickly shut it down.
"No. We've got a parent-teacher conference."
The class groaned in disappointment.
"Aww, too bad..."
Still, they glanced over Sam Li again—his vintage outfit, the birdcage in his hand.
Realization dawned on them.
"That birdcage must be a prop, right? The teacher said there'll be a field activity after the conference, and we're going to an old construction site. Your brother should totally do a performance for us!"
Seeing her classmates pestering nonstop, Ellen just wanted to end it and waved them off.
"Fine, we'll see later..."
Sam Li said nothing.
It was part of the job, after all.
As Ellen started leading Sam Li into the building, another classmate called out excitedly.
"Wait, Ellen! You forgot something important!"
Ellen turned, confused.
"????"
The classmate grinned.
"It's your brother's first time meeting us—you didn't even introduce him properly. What, scared we'll steal him away?"
Ellen took a deep breath.
"His name is Sam Li."
The classmate looked expectantly.
"That's it?"
Ellen nodded.
"That's it."
...
After that brief interruption, Ellen finally led Sam Li into the school building.
Just like outside, Sam Li's old-fashioned style, striking looks, and that curious birdcage drew plenty of stares.
They hadn't even made it to the classroom yet, but rumors about "Ellen and her handsome brother" were already spreading through the entire building.
As soon as they stepped into the classroom, a crowd swarmed them.
"Ellen, your brother is so good-looking!"
"Isn't it weird, though? Why doesn't he have a tail?"
"Classic Ellen. She brings a different guardian every year. Last year it was that cool maid, the year before it was some Wolfkin gentleman…"
"Her family must be something else…"
"Hey Ellen, think you could get me his number?"
...
Ellen had had enough.
She shoved her way through the crowd, dragging Sam Li with her to a seat by the window.
Looking at her overly excited classmates, she felt a bit helpless.
She'd just wanted someone to breeze through the parent-teacher meeting for her—but now this had turned into a whole spectacle.
Suddenly, she regretted not picking the robot freak. Maybe then no one would have paid attention.
Sam Li, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind the attention at all.
He took the window seat in the back row and sat down.
"Not bad."
Ellen raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Sam Li smiled faintly.
"Objectively speaking, this is a good seat."
Ellen nodded.
"I agree. Sometimes, when I don't feel like listening, I just stare out the window."
After a short pause, she added,
"Anyway, just sit here for a bit. It's almost time. The meeting's about to start."
...
While waiting, Ellen leaned against her desk and closed her eyes to rest, trying to conserve her energy.
But her classmates weren't done.
They came swarming over again, voices buzzing.
"Ellen, your brother's supposed to be a magician, right? Can he show us a trick?"
"That birdcage is for his act, right? It's so pretty!"
"Mr. Sam Li, teach us something easy!"
"Hey Ellen, can I call him 'Brother Sam Li'? You won't get jealous, will you?"
...
The kids crowding around were her usual group of friends.
Ellen was annoyed, but what could she do?
She turned to Sam Li.
"Sam Li... brother, do you actually know any magic tricks?"
Sam Li gave a calm smile.
"I know a few."
Geo was versatile.
To most people, its manipulation looked just like magic. Piper had even mistaken his rock constructs for illusions during the incident in the Hollows.
Ellen sighed and stomped her foot.
"Then show them something, or they won't shut up."
Ugh, what a pain.
Why do parent-teacher meetings even exist?
Seeing her give in, the group lit up, eyes full of anticipation as they turned to Sam Li.
He smiled gently.
"Well then, since you're all so eager... I'll do my best."
With that, he spread his hands open to show they were empty.
Then, he brought them together, channeling the Geo energy around him, shaping it to match the image in his mind.
A soft golden glow began to radiate between his palms, prompting gasps from the students nearby.
And that was just the beginning.
Moments later, Sam Li slowly opened his hands.
A tiny butterfly, etched with golden patterns and glowing faintly, emerged between his palms.
Its wings fluttered softly...
And then—it took off into the air.