The lunch bell rang across the wide campus of the Noble Academy of Training and Magic, signaling a short break before the next lessons. Students poured out of their classrooms, chatter filling the air, bento boxes opening with savory smells, and the usual rush of footsteps echoing down the polished halls.
Ryujin's group gathered in their usual spot, unpacking lunches and talking about the morning's events.
Kenji leaned forward, chewing loudly. "So, uh, what's this test Sensei mentioned? The one he hyped up before sending us off?"
Ryujin set down his chopsticks and shrugged. "The Trial of Harmony."
Kenji blinked. "Trial of what now? Sounds like some weird couple's counseling."
Ryujin smirked. "How should I know? Yamada-sensei just said the words. Something about pairs. He told us to be ready."
At once, the group went quiet, everyone remembering the exact announcement.
Flashback—Yamada-sensei's voice still rang in their minds:"Be ready for the Trial of Harmony. You will make a group of two—it is a necessity for the test to come. For now, rest."
The memory faded, and reality returned.
Kai leaned back with a sigh. "Great, so it's some weird team thing. Hope I don't get stuck with Kenji."
Kenji puffed his chest. "What's wrong with me, huh? I'd carry you in anything."
Ryujin chuckled. "Yeah, carry him straight to failure."
They laughed together until Ryujin suddenly stood up. "I need the washroom."
Kai followed instantly. "Me too."
Brod stretched his arms and got up as well. "Guess I'll go."
Kenji groaned. "Fine, I'll tag along, even though I don't wanna."
Chizuru raised an eyebrow at them. "You're all seriously going together?"
Ryujin grinned, throwing a peace sign. "Buddies forever."
And so the four of them set off down the corridor.
The hallway was strangely quiet, just their footsteps echoing. Then a girl appeared, walking toward them from the far end. She had golden-yellow hair tied neatly, her uniform sharp and proper.
Kenji's eyes widened instantly. He whispered way too loudly, "Yo… she's a yellow-haired baddie!"
SMACK. Ryujin's hand landed on his head. "Idiot, she heard you!"
The girl didn't flinch, didn't stop—she just kept walking toward them with steady steps, her presence somehow intense despite the distance.
Ryujin tugged at Kai. "Bro, I can't hold it. Washroom, now!" He bolted.
Kai, panicking, sprinted after him. "Same here, I'm not dying out here!"
Brod froze in place, glancing between Kenji and the approaching girl. "Oh wait, I just remembered—I gotta hit the gym."
Kenji squinted. "At noon? During school hours? Who the hell—" He looked back, but Brod had already vanished.
The girl kept walking. Step by step. Closer.
Kenji turned toward the readers—yes, the readers. "You guys seeing this? She's taking way too damn long. Feels like an anime slow-mo intro, right?"
Then he spun back toward her and blurted, "BRO, why are you walking like a snail baddie?!"
The girl stopped. For a second, silence. Then—fwip. She broke into a sprint.
Kenji's soul almost left his body. "SHE'S RUNNING?! Oh hell no!"
He turned on his heel and ran for his life. Down the stairs, across the hallway, out into the courtyard. The girl chased relentlessly, closing the distance like a fox after prey.
Meanwhile, in the washroom, Ryujin leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief. "One of the best washroom trips of my life."
Kai washed his hands, staring at the mirror. "Uh… did we forget something?"
Ryujin shook his head. "Nope. Let's head back to the ladies."
Back outside, Kenji's screams echoed across the ground floor. He sprinted in wide circles, panting hard. Above, from the classroom window, Nami, Ayase, and Chizuru watched the scene unfold.
"What in the world is happening down there?" Ayase muttered.
Nami squinted. "Wait… that girl. Isn't she… a light-user?"
Chizuru gasped. "Yes. The Yellow Noble."
Kenji kept screaming as he ran. "I'M SORRY! I SAID YOU'RE A SNAIL, BUT YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE A FOX! A BEAUTIFUL FOX, OKAY?!"
The girl only ran faster, her golden hair flashing in the sunlight.
Finally, Kenji cornered himself against the wall, gasping. He raised his hands. "TIME OUT! TIME OUT!"
The girl stopped in front of him, breathing lightly despite the chase. "Why were you running?"
Kenji stammered. "B-Because you were chasing me!"
The girl's eyes narrowed. "You… really forgot me, didn't you?"
Kenji blinked, staring at her face more closely. "Wait. Hold on. Don't tell me… You're… Kobala Shido?"
BONK. She slammed her forehead into his. "It's Konoha Shido, you dumbass!"
Kenji winced, rubbing his head. "Ow—! Right, right, Konoha! My bad. You've changed so much. Bro, it's been like… four years?"
Konoha smirked faintly. "Yeah. Four years."
Before Kenji could say more, the bell rang loudly across the academy.
He scratched his head. "So uh… which class are you in?"
She folded her arms. "Next to yours, dumbhead."
Right then, the loudspeakers crackled, Yamada-sensei's voice booming:
"Attention. Classes MH-2-1 and MH-2-2 will gather for the Trial of Harmony. Prepare yourselves."
Kenji froze, realization hitting him. "Wait. Together? With her?!"
The chapter ends there, tension and comedy mixing into the weight of what's coming next.