Monday the 5th of January started with a rather powerful storm. Pras was lucky he brought his umbrella today because it started to drizzle when he was already halfway towards school. He felt even more lucky since he just entered the northern main building when it started downpouring as if the sky was waiting for him to get to relative safety.

To be fair, Pras felt he was kind of lucky even since last week. He got saved by Grok, managed to get some kind of deal with Arkengrad, and also made some new acquaintances. Grisna and his friends were actually much nicer than what they seemed at first. Perhaps they were just desperate for some PvP recognition.

For normal people, the series of luck would bring them some happy feelings or perhaps confidence they needed to face the day. But, not for Pras. He dreaded that something bad was looming ahead. Too much good luck in itself is the bearer of dread days ahead. The sound of heavy rain crashing on the land also added enough fear to make him even more wary.

Also, the mention of Vertoc’s name yesterday might be another sign of bad luck. However, he still couldn’t believe that Vertoc would be so close and didn’t seem to change much. Therefore, it could be someone else with the same in game name which in a sense would null the bad omen sign.

Usually, Pras would just go into his class without thinking much even though it was still dark. However, this time he hesitated before he opened the door. There was an eerie aura emanating from the still dark classroom as if someone was already inside.

Convincing himself that the eerie aura he felt was some sort of aftertaste he got after travelling to Plagued Continent yesterday, Pras emboldened his will to press on.

Small lightning bolt flashed through the window as Pras opened the door, giving enough light to show a female figure sitting at Mana’s seat. The silhouette seemed like Mana’s, but Pras was rather unsure. She never reached school faster than Pras.

After drawing a deep breath, he greeted the shadowy figure, “M-mana? G-good morning.”

A huge lightning bolted outside the window as the figure turned slowly at Pras. The bright light almost blinded Pras, but he managed to take a glimpse of Mana’s extraordinarily pale face. Moments later a loud thunder followed right as the unfazed Mana-like figure answered, “Good morning.”

The lack of ‘deskmate’ and any weird adjective added to it alarmed Pras’ defensive instinct. It was a clear sign of danger, not to mention that the figure just turned to watch outside the window again.

Pras quickly approached the lamp switch just to make sure the figure sitting across the room was a human. If it was not, he hoped the light from the lightbulb would be enough to shoo it away.

And the figure was still intact. It was probably the real Mana, though something was kind of amiss about her.

“Are you okay?” Pras asked as he sat next to her. From up close, Mana was not as pale as what the lightning had made her appear to be.

“Am I?” Mana answered softly. Her eyes were still gazing blankly outside the window. “Alas, who are we to decide?”

Steven’s advice yesterday rang in Pras' ear as soon as he heard of Mana’s lifeless answer. Perhaps there was something bothering her. Considering she lost her parents in an accident years ago, she might have some psychological scars.

Someone who seemed so perfect in his eyes actually had some deep scars, and that drew his pity.

“So… you need an expert’s help?” He braced himself to ask. “I mean… my father was a psychiatrist, so he might be able to help a bit.”

Mana’s eyes widened, her cheek blushed, and she quickly took some distance away. Turning her gaze elsewhere, she answered haphazardly, “It… it would be too early for me to meet a potential father-in-la… your parents. N-not with how things are currently going between us.”

“What?”

“Yes,” Mana answered, still with her gaze away from Pras. “No such further action is required w-with.. The… condition between us.”

“Oh….”

Perhaps this was how it really felt to be struck by Nubram’s [Winterblade] right in the heart. It was not her rejection that stung him. But more of the way and reason Mana had used. How things currently went for them might mean that they were not close, not even as friends. Then, it would’ve been normal for her to keep some distance.

“Sorry, I overstepped my boundaries,” said the tall teenager. Images of Mana’s smile and seemingly sincere attitude started to become hazy. He pushed himself to believe that all of those sweet behaviour she had shown to him was just her being a genuinely kind person.

He quickly stood up and abruptly made a lie, “I… I have archery practice.”

Pras didn’t even look at Mana as he left the room as silent and swiftly as possible. He had braced himself for some bad luck. But this was not what he had been preparing for. Again, it was not Mana’s view of their friendship that messed up his feelings, But it was his assumption, his audacity to hope that made him disappointed with himself.

He felt a little calmer the more distance he walked away. And when he reached the archery room, it was already lit as Karina was practising alone. With her usual positive grin, she greeted him, “Look who’s early. How’s your date last week?”

“What date?” Pras grumbled. The mention of anything that reminded him of last Saturday and Friday just triggered a negative reaction.

“With that girl, Mana.”

“Stop it, senior,” Pras snapped almost with the same tone as how he opened his locker.

Karina sighed, she gazed at Pras and softly said, “We’ve been in this extracurricular together for two years, I know exactly when you are distressed. Come on, I’m always all ears for you.”

Pras stopped, then looked at his senior. There was a bit of mellow feeling driving inside his heart when he remembered the times they have spent in this place to practise archery. She was the person who dragged him here in the first place and she was always kind to the people in the club.

Like Mana, she is also the shining star of her batch. Someone who draws the attention of others due to their radiance. Yet, she chose to be in the archery extracurricular.

And this person who had taught him how to shoot an arrow, to learn more about this fascinating hobby, a good senior in general, and a good friend would soon graduate. Perhaps they would never talk nor meet again afterwards. There was a melancholic feel to realising that he is about to lose someone he knew for quite a while.

“It’s okay, senior,” Pras lied with a smile as he prepared his equipment. Of course he didn’t want to burden someone like her with his worries. Not when she soon would graduate.

The senior sighed once more, she protested, “Sometimes I envy her, you know?”

“Why?” Pras tilted his head in confusion. “You are more popular.”

“Because she always got someone's attention right off the bat.” Karina smiled lightly. There was a clear mischief in her eyes. “She never knew how lucky that is.”

“Yuck,” Pras groaned. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”

“Gross! That would feel like incest!”

The laughter of the two filled the spacious room with a small joy among the harsh sound of storm outside. They both continued their small practice for quite some time since there won’t be any flag raising ceremony anyway.

Near the end of their training session, Karina smiled softly at Pras while closing the distance between them into a rather uncomfortable range for Pras. “You should enjoy your remaining days in highschool, you know,” she said, “Study hard and play hard, don’t think too much about getting heartbroken or anything. You mull too much about everything, you know?”

There were no words of affirmation coming from Pras’ lips. He just nodded solemnly since he started to think that Karina might have a point. Yet, for certain things, he still thinks that it’s better to not step over some boundaries made by others.