The dining hall's smells were becoming a familiar, welcoming scent for me. The warm smell of the kitchen, the sound of students chatting in the background, the clanking of plates and glasses, and the taste of delicious food were all becoming familiar and comforting to me.

Natasha and I swiped into the dining room with our meal cards, and we headed to the line.

Natasha frowned. "Do you mind if we eat quickly today?" she asked, glancing towards the door. I frowned as well.

"What's up?"

"I... well, I don't want to run into anyone today. And, I just... I'm sorry. It's not like me to just avoid people, and I know it's not very mature, but..."

I smiled and nodded.

"Of course, don't worry. It's okay. I understand. I get it."

She smiled back, looking a bit more relieved.

"Thank you, Ikki. Really. And, um... thank you for this. For being here. For listening." She said, looking at me earnestly.

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

She smiled again, and I could tell she was grateful.

"You should pick out a table for us, and I'll grab us some of those drinks. Sound good?" I suggested.

"Perfect. Thank you." She smiled and left for an empty table. I headed for the cafeteria's juice bar. It was pretty nice - they blended fresh fruits and veggies for you. It was a great way to start off your morning.

"Hello, what would you like today, sir?" A young girl asked from behind the counter.

"Hey."

Hmm, I wonder what Natasha would like. There were a number of options, from green smoothies with kale, apples, and kiwis to tropical fruits and berries. There were also teas and coffees. I didn't really know what her tastes were. Something sweet and fruity, or something more savory? Hmm.

I remembered back to the seaside cafe she'd chosen when we'd hung out last weekend. They had served some delicious tea there. Maybe she liked that?

And I did notice she wore a pink ribbon and liked the color a lot.

"Let's start with some sakura tea and coconut milk with a strawberry, banana, and dragonfruit blend," I decided. "I'll have a kale-apple-banana-kiwi blend."

"Sure, sir." She started making the drinks and I decided to check over by the table where Natasha had gone.

She was staring at her phone, and her brow furrowed in concentration. I couldn't make out the details on her phone's screen from the distance I was, but she was staring at it very intently.

I frowned, wondering if something was wrong.

I was curious and worried. I wanted to ask, but I also didn't want to be nosy. So I decided to wait for the drinks and then head to the table. I didn't know what was going on, but I figured it was best to leave it be.

"Hey," I said, walking up and setting down the tray with two cups.

"That one's for me, isn't it?" Natasha grinned, pointing to the pink, reddish drink.

"Sorry, I realized I didn't know what you liked. So I took a guess. Is it okay?" I asked hesitantly, sitting down across from her.

She tilted her head slightly to the side, and her eyes met mine. "Well, mister. What'd you bring me?"

"Sakura tea and strawberry-banana-dragonfruit. With coconut milk. And mine is a green smoothie."

She smiled and reached for the drink I'd guessed for her, taking a long, slow sip. She let out a contented sigh, her lips curving into a smile.

"I spent half my childhood in a sub-tropical Chinese city," Natasha murmured. "I love the contrast of tart flavors from berries and tropical fruit against something soft, like milk or a floral note, and I don't mind the taste of tea at all, so the combination is lovely. I really appreciate that. I know it was a gamble, but If I had to be honest that was a safe bet for me. Almost perfectly so."

I chuckled and nodded. "I figured. I wasn't sure if you liked something like that. Or something more subtle."

"I can be a little picky, I'll admit," she replied, her eyes suddenly twinkling. "But it's good to have a variety, isn't it? Keeps life interesting."

"Yeah, I suppose it does." I agreed.

Natasha set her drink down and sighed.

"God, where'd they pluck you from?" she murmured.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it. But you're something else, Ikki."

I raised my eyebrow.

"Something else," she repeated with a smirk.

I smiled and shrugged.

"You too?"

We both chuckled at that. I didn't know what to make of it, so I just let it slide. Maybe I was missing out on an inside joke.

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We drank in comfortable silence for a minute, but I noticed Natasha's eyes kept darting around, and she looked like she was thinking. Her face was serious and contemplative, and I could tell that she was trying to figure out a solution to a problem. She was fidgeting with her heart-shaped silver locket, too, as though she was thinking deeply.

"Hey, I'll be right back alright? There's a call I have to take..." she suddenly looked up from her smoothie. "Do you mind watching my stuff? And I won't be long."

"Of course, take as much time as you need."

"Thanks," she smiled gratefully and left, taking her smoothie.

I was left to myself. And that's when I noticed a girl staring at me.

A petite, thin, pale girl with amethyst eyes and long, silky purple hair was sitting alone at the other side of the cafeteria, looking directly at me.

She wore a black jacket over her uniform. And she was looking at me. And then, just as suddenly, she turned away. She seemed to be talking to someone.

"Rai-chan," I reached out. "Who is that girl in the corner with the purple hair and the jacket?"

"Ikki," Rai-chan's voice chimed in my ear.

She sounded... disappointed?

"Yeah?" I asked, still watching the girl.

The purple-haired girl was now talking to another person, who I recognized. It was that blue-haired bitchy girl who'd stunned me with magic when I jumped in while they were bullying Natasha and Cordelia.

I frowned.

"Before we talk about that, I think it's time we have a discussion about the rules of this game," Rai-chan replied, sounding serious.

"Game?" I asked.

"Ugh. You know what? Forget it. You're hopeless."

"What?"

"Forget. It. I ran a search just now. That's Eleni Palaiologos, a Greek student. She's from the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium, as you might know it," Rai-chan replied. "That's the same girl from before who stunned you, too. She and Natasha are not on good terms, and the girl in the corner is a French baron's daughter, a minor noble from Bretagne."

"Ah," I murmured, my eyes narrowing.

I saw a familiar face in my peripheral vision. Pink hair and strawberry-like eyes, with a nervous gait.

"Hold on," I said. I waved at the distant figure. "Hey, Cordelia!" Cordelia's face brightened and she waved, quickly walking over.

"U-Um h-hi! Hey Ikki. H-how are you?"

I smiled and shrugged. "I'm good. You?"

"I'm well," she replied, fidgeting. She was shy, but her eyes were full of warmth. "S-Sorry I'm... Um... Nervous... Was supposed to meet someone here."

"Ah, it's okay." I said.

She looked over at the half-finished smoothie on the table and backpack next to me, then at the table where Natasha had been.

"W-Was someone sitting there?"

"Oh yeah, I was about to get lunch with Natasha. She had a call to make, but she'll probably be back soon," I said. "Wanna join us? The more the merrier, and you look a little overwhelmed. We can talk about whatever."

"I-I... Uh, well, I guess..." she hesitated, looking around, before grabbing a chair. She put her bag down and took out a lunch box, setting it down. It was a simple bento box, and I could smell the rice and other ingredients.

"I-Is there anything you like? Or... Um..." She opened it and I saw it had three tiers, and was stuffed full of delicious-looking food.

"O-oh, wow.

"I... Um... I cook a lot, so... It's not a big deal..."

I grinned. "No way. That's awesome."

She blushed and smiled shyly. "I mean, I er, have access to the buffet and I like the drinks, but cooking is nice and... It helps with stress, so..."

"You know, that's cool. I'm not all that great at cooking, so I'm impressed. What did you make today?" I asked, eyeing the bento box.

She opened the top tier. "Well, I was actually looking for a friend to share with this with. But she got caught up with some of her own stuff... She's in a really good mood, and I'm not sure what she's up to, but... I think she'll be late to lunch, and, um, I don't want this to go bad. If it's okay, you can try some of it?"

I looked over and saw the food in the container. It was a mix of rice, veggies, and some stewed meat, all arranged neatly in the bento. There were also neatly carved little animal shaped fruits and some sort of pastry.

"Sure, I'll have a little," I said. "You made all of this yourself?"

She nodded. "Yes, my family doesn't have a lot, so I learned to cook a lot when I was younger and, well, it's cheaper and healthier to bring your own lunch, so..."

"Well, this looks great, thanks for sharing," I replied, taking out a little of the food. "Do you want me to pay for my share?"

"Oh, no! That's fine, don't worry about it!" She said, waving me off. I shrugged and took a bite of the meat. It was delicious. I could taste the spices and flavors in it, and the rice and vegetables were perfectly cooked.

"Oh my god, Cordelia, this is delicious," I said, surprised.

She blushed and smiled. "That friend of mine wanted to meet you, actually. She's, well... She's the one who found the pull to get me in here. And, um... I'm really grateful to her for that."

"Is that right? She must be really generous, then."

Cordelia nodded, looking at her phone and then putting it back in her bag. "Yeah... I'm very lucky. We haven't known each other long but she and I clicked, and she's really sweet. She just has a lot going on, so... She's a busy person."

I nodded. "I see. Well, that's nice. What's her name, by the way?"

"Oh, uh... She's—" Cordelia stopped suddenly and looked up.

"Cordelia?"

Rai-chan chimed in my ear. "Ikki. Hate to say it, but I'm detecting a mana surge. It's Chelsea's mana. And a bunch of people's."

I heard a distant shout. And I looked around the cafeteria to see what was up.

The purple haired girl stood up, her expression hard to read, and the girl next to her turned towards her, her face in an angry scowl.

Cordelia bit her lip. "Ikki, we need to go. Now."

"Cordelia?"

The nervousness was gone from her voice.

"We need to go. This will be ugly."

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

She grabbed her bento and shoved it into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

Cordelia started walking towards the door. I was confused but stood up and followed.

"It had to be her..." Cordelia muttered under her breath as we exited the cafeteria, and the shouting voices from the cafeteria started to get louder. "Can't leave us alone..."

I frowned, looking at her.

"Chelsea's mana is spiking," Rai-chan warned. "I think a duel is about to break out."

"It's Chelsea, isn't it?"

"It's always been her. Always. Her! Since I got here."

"I'm going back. Natasha was headed that way," I said, looking back.

Cordelia froze. "Oh. Shoot."

She suddenly turned around, running back with me with her fists clenched and a look of anger on her face.

I swear I could see sparks flying from her fingers. Her hair seemed to stand up, and she was muttering furiously under her breath.

"Y-You know what? D-Dammit. I'm not leaving you to get hurt! Or her. I've seriously had enough of this."

I didn't know what'd come over her, but she followed me.

"Come on," she hissed. "I am. So done. With her."

I could only side-eye her nervously as she reached into her bag, pulling out something that looked like a chrome yo-yo with a glowing pink string.

But what stuck out to me most of all about it, was an intricate-looking insignia with a white ferret painted on the surface, set in the middle of a pink heart.

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