Jia was ready for a confrontation. She was determined to show off her new resolve not to let herself be pushed around anymore. She was prepared for anything they could possibly throw at her—except for both of them bowing deeply as she approached.

“I am so sorry! It doesn’t justify my actions, but I now know that I was mistaken about you. I hope that you can forgive me, and I promise to make no further trouble for you.”

Sun Jaehwa’s voice was shrill and urgent as she spoke while staring at the ground, still bent in a ninety degree bow. Tae In-Su added his own apology.

“I’d also like to apologize for my involvement in the incident, though I did not contribute directly.”

It was a much less fervent apology, but it was still odd. Jia turned to Eui, communicating telepathically.

“Eui, what is going on right now?”

“I’m guessing they got caught, and this is part of their punishment. Jaehwa definitely wouldn’t do this on her own.”

Jia took a deep breath, then frowned deeply.

“No.”

Tae In-Su, Sun Jaehwa, and even Dae all stiffened.

“Do you really expect some empty words to be enough to earn my forgiveness!? Neither of you even actually admitted to what you did! Don’t try to act like you regret anything when if you hadn’t failed, you’d be here gloating instead of apologizing!”

Sun Jaehwa rose abruptly, her fists clenched angrily.

“How dare you!? Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to have to apologize to someone like you?”

Jia scoffed incredulously.

“Someone like me? Oh, this should be enlightening—please tell me what you mean by that.”

Tae In-Su rose as well, giving Sun Jaehwa a sidelong glance of warning. Sun either missed it or ignored it as she went on.

“Some common muck pried up from the gutters of a backwater shield city near the border! You should consider yourself blessed just to be in the presence of a true noble like myself! You don’t belong here! You belong in some cheap whorehouse serving—”

SLAP

Jia’s hand moved faster than her mind, and her strike sent Sun Jaehwa sprawling to the ground with a bloody nose—she had put ki into that slap. She took another deep breath as Sun Jaehwa rose unsteadily to her feet, cradling her cheek. Jia pushed down the fiery heat of her anger, and when she spoke, her tone was ice cold.

“That’s about what I thought. Look, Sun, I don’t care what you think about me. I’ve worked hard to make a place for myself here, and I’m not going to let you threaten that anymore. If my existence is some kind of insult to you, then that’s your problem, not mine. Leave me alone, and I’ll return the favor—but if you cross me again I won’t hold back next time.”

Sun Jaehwa glared balefully at Jia and spit a mouthful of blood at her feet before storming off. Jia watched her go for a moment before turning to Tae In-Su.

“And you?”

He raised his hands in a placating gesture and took a step back from her.

“My apology was in earnest, Miss Lee. When Miss Sun approached me for advice on a three-part barrier formation, I didn’t know what she intended to do with it.”

Jia paused.

“Wait, that’s what you’re apologizing for? You didn’t draw it yourself? Or...coordinate with Zheng Long to trap us?”

Tae In-Su shook his head.

“Absolutely not! I’ve never even spoken to Zheng Long. I’ll admit, my pride was a bit wounded when you stole my token, and I let my prejudices get the better of me when we met again, but I hold no further grudge against you.”

“You don’t hold a grudge against me!? You didn’t have to have me beaten before you threw me out of Nayeong, you know.”

Tae cringed and averted his eyes.

“Yes, well, I hope you were sincere when you said you wouldn’t hold it against me. I ran my city to the best of my ability. Deterring thieves such as—ahem—deterring thieves was part of my duty as an administrator. We’re both commoners, and I am sure that by now you can relate to the pressure common mages like us face from nobles like Miss Sun.”

Thinking back on it, the other students from noble backgrounds really had been a problem. Aside from Eunae, most of the nobles she had met had caused her some kind of trouble or another. Yan Zhihao, Yan Yue, Sun Jaehwa—even Hayakawa, more recently.

Tae In-Su nodded slowly, as he read her expression.

“I can see that you know what I’m talking about. Just remember you’re not the only one who’s faced such discrimination. It is ubiquitous to the mage colleges—Dae and I both experienced it, and if your friend hadn’t been under Miss Sun’s protection, she surely would have as well.”

Eui swept her hair aside, pointedly revealing the brand on her forehead and crossing her arms as she glared at Tae In-Su.

“Don’t you worry—I saw plenty of discrimination.”

Tae hesitated for a moment before nodding curtly.

“Of course—my apologies for insinuating otherwise.”

Jia’s brows furrowed in consternation. She didn’t get it—was this even the same Tae In-Su that she’d met in Nayeong city? It hadn’t even been a year since then and he seemed like a completely different person—then again, so was she.

Out of the corner of the eye, she noticed Dae smiling at her from behind Tae In-Su. He’d been quietly observing them from the beginning without ever interjecting. It suddenly clicked for her just how Tae In-Su’s opinion had managed to change so much in a few short months. While Sun Jaehwa had been spreading her poisonous rumors throughout the academy, Tae In-Su had been sharing a dorm with Dae, working under the same master, and probably studying together.

It was Dae. He had vouched for her, reminded Tae In-Su of the struggles they had both faced as commoners living in the mage colleges, and highlighted how hard she had worked to survive here. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was. Dae had done so much for her since she had come to the academy, and she had taken him for granted. It shook her resolve to turn down his affection, but she owed it to him to be honest about her feelings.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Dae was addressing her.

“—shouldn’t keep the magi waiting any longer, Miss Lee. Shall we go inside?”

“Oh, right! Actually, why is Tae In-Su here?”

Tae In-Su sighed, looking incredibly worn-out all of a sudden.

“Master has asked me to assist with his research, along with Dae. When I realized that you would be here as well, I took advantage of the chance to apologize and contrived to invite Miss Sun to do the same—though I didn’t imagine it would turn out quite the way it did.”

“Why did she apologize if she was just going to be so backhanded about it, anyway?”

Magus Hwang’s voice cut off Tae’s response.

“Because I told her that if she didn’t, I’d send her home on the next caravan out of here and strip her of her rank as a mage. This academy may be light on laws, but I am still a Magus representing the interests of the colleges, and her behavior was unbefitting of her station. Now, come inside already—we haven’t got all day!”

Jia jumped in surprise at his sudden interjection, and bowed apologetically.

“Sorry, Magus. Um, actually I needed to talk to Dae about something first, so the rest of you can go ahead if that’s okay.”

Hwang Sung sighed dramatically, then chuckled.

“Oh, very well! Just try not to take too long.”

As Tae In-Su and Magus Hwang retreated into the lab, Eui shared a meaningful glance with Jia and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Good luck. I love you!”

Jia smiled and squeezed back.

“Thanks. I love you too.”

With that, Eui left her alone with Dae, who cocked his head curiously at her.

“What can I help you with, Miss Lee?”

Jia took a deep breath and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

“Um, could you cast a privacy spell? I’d really rather this conversation stay between just us.”

Dae blinked in surprise, but didn’t hesitate to withdraw a talisman and cast the spell. A dull gray bubble snapped into place around them, and the background noise of the academy disappeared.

“What’s wrong, Miss Lee? Are you in some kind of trouble again?”

She chuckled a bit—of course that was the first thing he would go to. She must have seemed like an incorrigible troublemaker.

“No, it’s not that. I just, uh, needed to talk to you about—oh, ancestors, this is difficult.”

Dae’s concerned expression did very little to help as he took a step closer.

“Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it. I promise not to betray your confidence. If you need my help with something—anything—don’t hesitate to ask!”

Jia swallowed nervously—did he even realize how much more difficult he was making this? It felt as though the words were getting caught in her throat, making it hard to breathe.

“I know you like me!”

The words came out in a staccato burst, and Dae froze upon hearing them. His ears and tail perked up, and his eyes widened. Jia didn’t have time to read the emotions on his face as the words that had been failing her came rushing out as if a dam had burst.

“I’ve known for a while because people kept teasing me about it but I didn’t really want to admit it because I kind of like you too and I’m not very good with this kind of thing but Eunae said that I had to talk to you about it but I didn’t because I was scared and now it’s too late but I have to anyway because I’m going out with Eui now and—”

Jia only stopped because she ran out of breath, but instead of catching her breath again she started hyperventilating. If this was supposed to be her trial run at being more assertive with Hayakawa, then she was pretty sure she was failing miserably. Dae stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, his brows twisted together in a tight knot of concern.

“Slow down, Miss Lee! Just focus on breathing—like meditation. Take your time.”

The reminder about meditative breathing techniques helped—they were second nature to her at this point, and after a moment Jia had her breathing under control again. She stared at her feet sheepishly.

“S-sorry. That was embarrassing.”

Dae shook his head and smiled.

“Nothing to apologize for. I, erm, did catch some of that—should I take this to mean that I am being rejected?”

Jia cringed at that, but meekly nodded her head. The way Dae’s ears and tail drooped was like an arrow through her heart as he let out a dejected sigh, but he forced a smile onto his face.

“Well, that’s a bit disappointing, hehe.”

Jia hated this—Dae was supposed to be one of her best friends and now she was hurting him. She wanted to reassure him that she still liked him—that maybe one day when she was more ready, there might still be a chance—but Eui had warned her not to. It wouldn’t be fair to make him wait.

“I’m sorry, Dae. You’re still an important friend to me, I just—I don’t think I can have that kind of relationship with you.”

It took every ounce of Jia’s self control to keep herself from appending ‘right now’ to the end of that statement, and Dae’s smile tested her limits even further.

“No need to apologize, Miss Lee. I appreciate your honesty, and you’re an important friend to me as well. I would hate to lose a friend over something as petty as a failed romance—especially one that never began in the first place, hehe!”

Jia didn’t know how to respond to that. She shouldn’t have been surprised by his understanding, in hindsight—since they’d first met, he’d never judged her, nor had he ever hesitated to help when she asked. He had always been forthright with her, and now she wanted to return some of that trust.

She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

“Thank you, Dae. You’re a better friend than I deserve.”

Dae was taken aback by the embrace and awkwardly patted her on the back rather than return the hug outright.

“Ehehe, nonsense, Miss Lee. You do yourself a disservice.”

Jia released Dae before he could get any more flustered and stepped back again.

“Dae, can I tell you something? It’s...not something I’ve ever really talked to anyone about before, but I think I can trust you.”

Dae blinked a few times in surprise.

“Um, well I’d be honored, but—uh, is it urgent? Hehe, Magus Hwang and my master are probably getting impatient.”

Jia frowned—she’d forgotten that they were keeping the magi waiting.

“It’s not urgent, no. It is important, though—to me.”

Dae took a deep breath, then nodded once.

“Very well. My master can wait—if they complain, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Jia covered her mouth and giggled.

“Thanks, Dae. This is, um, pretty personal—and even Eui’s only heard parts of it so bear with me, okay?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need.”

Jia took a deep breath to steady herself before beginning to explain her past. She told Dae about the orphanage, about Lee Jung—her adopted big sister—and about the fate of sexual slavery that awaited most of the girls raised in the orphanage. She told him about how she’d run away, abandoning Lee Jung’s child to her fate, and how she’d spent years on the run from Boss Lee’s gang, jumping at shadows and moving from city to city to stay ahead of her pursuers.

She tried to keep things as brief as possible, as she summarized her life story—as much to keep herself from breaking into tears as to save time. Dae listened intently, never interrupting, as Lee Jia finally got to the part that she’d never spoken of to anybody—not even Eui. She’d barely even thought about it, herself—tried not to, really.

“Nayeong was the last city I lived in—well, not in but, you know. I had a hideout on the outskirts—not quite inside the shanty town, since it’s not safe for a mortal girl alone in the slums. It was just an old abandoned cellar—I don’t know who built it, but it was easy to cover up the entrance, so it made a really good hideout. At least, that’s what I thought.

“I probably should have clued into the fact that nobody else had claimed it. I just assumed it was because it was too small for most people. I would make trips into the city, sneak past the guards, snatch a few things, and then disappear before anybody could make too much of a fuss. I stuck to simple things, mostly—linens that had been left out to dry, a handful of rice, or some cooked food from a vendor if I was feeling indulgent. It wasn’t really a good life, but I survived.”

Jia held her own hand to keep herself from trembling as she remembered how she had been driven out of Nayeong—what had made her so desperate that she had tried to turn herself in and stolen from the city administrator, Tae In-Su.

“Someone must have noticed me—some gang member, maybe. I guess they followed me to my hideout and thought I was stashing valuables there. Three men came in to rob the place, and that was when I realized why nobody else had been using such a ‘perfect’ hideout—there was only one way in or out.”

A shudder went through Jia’s entire body, but she pushed herself onward—this was as much for her as it was for Dae.

“They weren’t very happy to find out that all I had was rags and dry rice—and not even very much of it. They dragged me out and set the place on fire just to spite me—which was actually pretty lucky, even if it didn’t feel that way at the time. Those blankets and clothes were all I had to get through the winter, and nearly impossible to replace—people don’t hang their laundry when it’s that cold out.”

Jia paused, and Dae waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. Her mouth felt dry, but she continued to the conclusion of her story.

“One of them recognized me—or maybe just had connections to Boss Lee. Either way, he told the others that they could sell me to Lee’s gang. They were going to drag me off to the nearest brothel, but one of them decided they should s—’sample the goods’.”

Dae’s eyes widened in alarm, and for the first time since she’d begun, he actually interjected.

“Did they—!?”

Jia shook her head urgently.

“No! I mean—they were going to. One of the disgusting bastards had his pants off, but they started fighting over who would go first. My hands were tied, but not very well. I had skinny wrists and sharp claws, and it wasn’t the first time I’d been caught. I managed to get away, but it was the closest I had ever come to—”

Jia shuddered.

“If they had been a little bit smarter—if they hadn’t dragged me out of my hideout first, or if they had tied me up better—I still have nightmares about it, sometimes. That’s why I tried to turn myself in to Tae In-Su—I was desperate to get as far away from Nayeong as possible. I think Eui knows about it, but she also knows that I don’t like to talk about it. It...feels better—to get it off my chest.”

Dae’s expression was solemn as he bowed formally.

“Thank you for trusting me with such a personal story, Miss Lee. I promise that I will hold it in confidence as long as I live.”

Jia smiled and hugged Dae again, and this time he gently returned the embrace.

“Thank you for listening. And um—now that you know where the name ‘Lee’ comes from...I think I’d prefer it if you just called me Jia from now on. I’ve been calling you Dae this whole time, anyway—it seems only fair.”

Dae broke away from the hug and nodded.

“Very well, Miss Jia. I hope you’ll forgive me a bit of formality—habits are hard to break, and too much familiarity might give people the wrong impression.”

It felt like a double standard that she could call him by a nickname without any issues, but it would be inappropriate for him to use her given name without honorifics. She let out an annoyed huff.

“I guess that’s fine.”

Dae chuckled as he dispelled the field of privacy, and the sounds of summer once again filled the air around them.

“You know, Miss Jia, it’s funny—I can’t help but feel as if we’ve grown closer after you rejected me than we would have if you had returned my feelings.”

“Hmm, maybe we have. Who knows? Anyway, let’s get inside before the magi lose their minds.”

Dae paled as he realized how long they had been talking, Jia smirked playfully as she skipped ahead, glancing back at him.

“Don’t forget that you promised to take responsibility!”

Dae hung his head miserably.

“R-right. That I did...”