Over the next two weeks, Veil became a frequent participant in Aura and Fenix's morning walk to class. Fenix, to say the least, was pissed off by this arrangement.
"How did you sleep?" Veil asked, smiling as he walked close beside Aura.
"Fine," she replied coolly.
"What about you, Fenix?" Veil asked, only out of courtesy.
"Don't talk to me, you little shit," Fenix answered in a low tone, turning his face away from both of them.
Aura sighed. Veil decided then and there to never be courteous toward Fenix again.
After Veil left, Aura spoke.
"Your animosity toward him is increasing daily."
Fenix relaxed his shoulders and smiled.
"That's true. It's taking all my self-control not to jab my hand through his ribcage and incinerate him from the inside out."
Aura stared at him, straight-faced for a short time, then she let out a small giggle, saying,
"You're so scary, Fenix."
Fenix smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
"I like it best when we're alone like this," he said, seemingly forgetting the hundreds of students around them. They were not alone at all, and dozens of people were watching in bafflement… and disgust.
Students whispered:
"They're always like that."
"Are they dating or what?"
The murmurs grew louder, so Aura decided to just head into class with Fenix's arms still hooked around her.
"Fenix…" Ms. Emerald began. "Can you please let go of Aura and take your seat?"
Fenix pouted but did as he was told. Aura, without a word, sat beside him.
"And Aura… don't you know that PDA is not only disrespectful but also disgusting?" Ms. Emerald's tone was harsh and critical when speaking to Aura,
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Aura replied. She wanted to say more, but retaliation towards a teacher is not tolerated at all in this school.
"Yes, you are sorry. Now… let's begin class."
Fenix fell asleep in Herbal Studies, but Madam Vanessa didn't seem to mind, and even said,
"As long as he keeps passing my tests, he's allowed to sleep."
At that moment, Aura decided Vanessa was her favorite teacher, because not even a moment later, she lay her head down and joined Fenix. Madam Venessa had to accept it.
On the way to Martial Arts Combat, Janx met Aura in the hall to speak with her.
Fenix hated having to go to class without her, but after receiving a few death glares from her, he relented.
Once they had some privacy, Janx began,
"You look well."
Aura said nothing.
"I mean… You look happier than usual." He explained, running his fingers through her hair. "You even combed your hair today..."
Aura slapped his hand away.
"Is there something important you need to say? If not, I'm leaving."
Janx cleared his throat.
"Actually, the principal wanted me to thank you formally for watching over Fenix. Apparently, he's General Torch's adoptive son and was having a hard time before. But there have hardly been any incidents since he's been with you. So the principal asked me to tell you to continue staying close to him. I hope that's not a problem."
"I… enjoy his company, so it's not a problem at all."
Aura avoided Janx's eyes, but she could feel his surprise.
He cleared his throat again, then stepped around her and left.
Fenix brightened the moment Aura entered class.
A match was already underway—Fenix versus a boy named Wisp with Janx's assistant Cleaver refereeing.
Wisp was hunched over, coughing in the corner, just as the final score was announced.
"That's 30 to 0. Fenix wins."
The class clapped enthusiastically as Aura took a seat in the bleachers.
Fenix rushed off the sparring field and sat beside her, throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her against his chest.
"I missed you."
Aura poked his chest.
"Odd. You just finished fighting, but you're not sweaty at all."
Fenix laughed.
"You take note of the strangest things." She scowled, irritated slightly that he'd gotten so many points effortlessly.
Cleaver spoke,
"It's time for the next match. Any volunteers?"
Everyone turned to Aura. When they saw her hand wasn't raised, a boy named Gust volunteered, only for Aura to raise hers immediately after.
"Wonderful. Both of you, to the field." Janx gestured for them to come down to the sparring area, and Cleaver continued speaking once they were in front of him, " Remember, this is hand-to-hand combat only. And you are classmates, not enemies... NOW BEGIN." Cleaver moved aside, signaling for the fight to start.
The boy raised his guard defensively. He put them up too high, so for a split second, his arms blocked his vision—and in that instant, Aura vanished from his sight. He began anxiously looking around for her. That's when she popped back into view at his side and delivered a spinning kick to his stomach just beneath his guard. The hit caused his stance to falter, and as soon as it did, she followed with two quick strikes to his face. Knocking him down on his knees.
Cleaver clapped.
"Round one ends! Thirteen points for Aura."
While Gust caught his breath and drank water, Aura stretched calmly.
"Round two—start!"
They charged towards each other in unison this time. When Aura swung, Gust dodged her punch—but failed to evade the knee to his side, and the overhead strike from her clasped hands after that.
"Round ends! Aura now has twenty-one points. Gust still has zero!"
Gust wiped blood from his lip.
"Whoo! Go Aura!" Fenix cheered.
Aura didn't look at him, but her face reddened, embarrassed by his behavior.
"Final round," Cleaver said with a grin. "Now, Gust, try to score at least one point in this one. You're looking pathetic out there."
"I am trying!" Gust snapped, glaring sharply at Cleaver.
"You are? That makes it worse. Anyways... Final round! Begin!"
Aura quickly closed the gap between them and opened with a low kick. Her opponent jumped— but Aura reacted quickly and tackled him while he was still midair. Slamming her shoulder into his gut, which knocked the wind out of his lungs and left him heaving.
Janx and Cleaver clapped.
"That's twenty-four points. Aura wins!" Janx announced the final score and
The class applauded, but Aura frowned. It wasn't good enough because... Fenix had scored higher.
Gust was handed water and pain medication, and both fighters returned to their seats.
"You did great!" Fenix said, with a bright, genuine smile.
In that moment, when their eyes met, her heart quivered, so she immediately looked away, her face flushing deeper. She pulled her knees up onto her seat and pressed her face into them so he wouldn't see.
"Thanks… but you did better," Aura muttered begrudgingly.
Fenix giggled and gently stroked her head.
"That's not true. I just landed more hits. You were still wonderful, Aura."
His hand was warm, pleasantly so, but his touch only made her blush worsen.
Aura wondered if her experiments were working… or if her hair was dulling the heat. (Fenix couldn't burn hair unintentionally because it was made of highly durable fibers due to her powers.)
"Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me."
He said as he pulled his hand away.
"Let's go to lunch," Aura suggested, turning to meet Fenix's eyes.
Right then, Cleaver called out the current match results.
"Alright! Vera has seven, and Micholas has three. Vera is the victor!"
Vera jumped up and down excitedly, and giggling over her win, while Micholas sulked and grumbled,
"Why are the girls in this school so freaking tough…?"
The chatter inside the gymnasium quieted as they exited into the hallway. Fenix kept glancing at Aura, at her face, then down towards her hand. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Gritting his teeth.
Mirror and Veil were both waiting outside the cafeteria. Fenix's expression soured at the sight of Veil, and when Mirror's gaze dropped to Aura and Fenix's hands, not even an inch from each other's. They were standing close, and when she realized how intimate they appeared, Aura quickly pulled away, embarrassed.
"You two are getting along quite well."
Everything in Aura wanted to deny it, but she somehow managed to hold her tongue.
Mirror didn't press further. Instead she gestured for them to follow as she got in line for lunch.
Fenix was uncharacteristically quiet while they waited for their food, so Aura leaned closer and whispered,
"I have a little extra money… so tomorrow we can go out to eat again, if you want... Just us."
Fenix glanced at her and smiled.
"No, if we go, I'm buying."
Aura pouted.
"No, I can pay for myself," she whispered back. He laughed softly.
"What would you like to eat today?" The cafeteria worker asked politely. It was now their turn in line.
"You go first, I'm still thinking," Aura said while glancing over the menu one more time.
Fenix's smile weakened as he turned to the worker. He tapped his chin, saying,
"I think I just want cheesecake today."
Aura lightly hit his arm—though she clearly wanted to hit him harder.
"It's not good to eat sweets on an empty stomach," she said quietly, gripping his sleeve.
Fenix laughed.
"Why not? What, will I die earlier? Get a stomachache? I'm okay with either."
Aura hesitated.
"…If you get sick, I'll feel sad. And if you die early, I'll miss you… I know it's selfish, but… please take care of yourself."
Fenix covered his mouth, shoulders trembling with laughter. Flustered, Aura let go of his sleeve and looked down.
"I'll have baked chicken and a salad, please," he said once he'd calmed down.
Aura glanced up and noticed he was blushing. Not nearly as much as she was, but enough to be visible.
Having a close friend is emotionally intense, Aura thought.
Wanting to protect him, even in small ways, wasn't something she regretted… but it was definitely something she found bothersome. Still, if she didn't say how she was feeling, she would regret that.
After Fenix received his food, Aura stepped forward.
"I'd like the Asian special—sesame chicken with white rice. And a cream puff for dessert, please."
She took her tray and made her way to her seat between Vision and Fenix.
"Oh wow, you combed your hair today," Vision remarked.
Aura pouted.
"Shut up. I've been doing it regularly for a while now!"
She stabbed her food and took an aggressive bite. Vision laughed.
"I was just making an observation. You must know it's unusual for you if you're this upset."
Aura's cheeks were too full to respond, so she focused on chewing.
"He's only saying that because you look cute," Fenix commented, casually running his fingers through her hair. "And you're still cute before without any effort," he added, then returned to eating his food.
Aura swallowed hard.
The atmosphere at the table shifted.
"So… you two aren't dating, right?" Vision asked, staring at her.
Aura flushed.
"How many times are you going to ask that?! We're just friends!" she blurted, then immediately resumed stuffing her face.
"Interesting…" Mirror said with a wicked grin.
The next morning, Mirror was banging on Aura's door, with Fenix patiently waiting with her.
"Hurry up, or we'll be late for weekend class! Aura, what the heck are you doing?"
Aura was only five minutes late, but Mirror was strict about punctuality and growing more irritated by the second.
After a few more knocks, the door finally opened.
Aura stood there... her bangs trimmed, her hair neatly combed and put up in twin buns. She was also wearing the female uniform… paired with red leggings and knee-high black leather boots.
"Sorry I took a while…" she said shyly.
All of Mirror's irritation vanished. She stepped closer, looked Aura over, then even pinched herself to make sure she wasn't imagining things.
"The new uniform suits you," Fenix said.
Aura immediately looked down, blushing.
"Really?" Her voice squeaked. Embarrassed, she covered her face with her hands.
This reaction made both Fenix and Mirror laugh.
Weekend classes were held as public lectures for students across all divisions. Aura and Fenix were in the S-ranked division—meaning if they continued performing well, they could graduate by next summer. Mirror, an A-rank, only got to attend class with Aura during sessions like this.
As Mirror walked ahead, Aura took the chance to take hold of Fenix's hand subtly.
She saw anxiety spike on his face, and he looked down at their hands. Fenix didn't want to let go of her hand but was worried about hurting her, and this fluctuation of emotions made it even harder to control his powers. Luckily, her experiment had worked.
His hand didn't feel hot at all. She could tell the temperature of his skin was high, so high that any normal person would scream and pull away, but she couldn't help feeling pleased. There was no pain at all. Aura wanted to give Fenix the good news right then, but decided to wait until they were alone.
Janx stood at the front of the room.
"As you know, the school festival is coming up. As usual, there will be a tournament against rival schools. Our strongest fighters from each division will participate. Yes—even you, F group."
Some students laughed.
"I guess people weaker than you are funny," Aura thought.
(The F rank consisted of struggling students or new entrants who hadn't performed well on the entrance assessment.)
"Today, you'll be helping prepare for the event. Yes! It's decorating day."
Groans spread across the room.
"No complaining if you all do your jobs, we'll be done in no time!" He assured, which elicited more moans and verbal complaints.
Aura, however, didn't mind because students who contributed significantly earned extra credit, and that was right up her alley.
Fenix made sure to stay near her as they worked. He was relishing the time together, even doing mundane tasks.
By the time preparations were finished, both of them were exhausted.
Since they were too tired to return to the dorms right away, they sat behind the school, on the grass, staring up at the starry sky together. There was a heavy silence, so Aura decided to break it, saying,
"It's cold…" Unsure what else to say.
In response, Fenix draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. His body was hot, but it felt comfortable in the night air.
"Thank you." She muttered softly.
Fenix kept his gaze on the sky. Even cuddled like this, he was careful not to touch any of her bare skin. His muscles also felt tense as if he was ready to move away in an instant.
"I… I'm resistant now!" Aura blurted, looking up at him.
His eyes dropped to meet hers, and he gave his usual smile.
"What the heck are you talking about?" he asked, still smiling—but there was an edge of confusion in his voice.
Aura sat up, gently pulling away and turning to face him.
"You don't have to worry about touching me anymore… You won't burn me… so…"
She fumbled with her fingers as she spoke.
Fenix laughed softly.
"You're usually so good with words," he said. "But today, I can't understand you at all."
His tone cooled slightly.
Aura flushed, and her head drooped low.
"You can touch me now… You won't hurt me anymore… so don't worry!"
Fenix tilted his head.
"Are you sure?" He asked, his expression turning unusually serious.
"Yes… You can touch me wherever you want. Even my face or neck is fine, so don't—"
Before she could finish, Fenix leaned in and kissed her. Her words had made his temperature skyrocket, and he was in a hurry to see if it was true. Could he really touch her with no restraint? He decided that if he burned her, he'd never touch her again.
Aura jolted, pulling back and covering her face.
"H-Hey—!" He couldn't tell if her reaction was pain or surprise... he needed to be sure.
"Hold still…" he murmured, gently pulling her hands away.
He held her chin, tilting her head upwards, and studied her lips. A smile spread across his face, relieved to see no burns.
"S-see… Isn't that great?" Aura started again, her voice trembling. Fenix didn't respond, his eyes still trained on her lips. A spark of realization lit up inside his eyes, that's when he kissed her a second time.
"W-wait Fenix—mmm!"
Her words dissolved between kisses. She flailed slightly, then lost her balance and fell back as she felt his lips press more firmly into the kiss. Fenix followed after her, not letting their mouths disconnect even for a moment, parting his lips slightly and slipping his tongue into her mouth, moving it against hers. Aura gasped, pushed him back slightly by the shoulders, and turned away,
"Fenix! F-friends don't kiss—especially like that!" Her voice was full of a mixture of emotions, the most heightened one being surprise.
He paused, seeming shocked by his own actions and said,
"I'm sorry... when you said I could touch you anywhere... I got too excited..." He helped her sit back up, then pulled her into a gentler embrace. He smiled, clearly amused by the frantic pounding of her heart against his chest, and stroked her back to comfort her.
"I think we should stop being friends." he said.
Aura froze, her eyes beginning to water.
"I—I didn't mean that! I don't want to not be friends! I don't want you to stop talking to me—"
Fenix laughed softly and rested his forehead against hers. And Aura stopped speaking bracing herself for more kissing.
"I didn't mean it like that... I mean… I want to keep kissing you. I want to move forward," he said more quietly. "I can touch you now, so there's nothing stopping me from being honest anymore." He paused and inhaled deeply "Aura…" he said more quietly. "I like you." Her eyes widened as she took in his words, and his voice softened as he continued by asking, "You like me too, right?"
Aura's face turned bright red.
"I didn't know you could say things like that…" She thought she didn't care about romance at all but there was no platonic way to describe how she felt for him.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around him in return. There was nothing but silence around them and, as he held her, Aura realized there was nowhere else she'd rather be.
"I do... So… does that mean we're… boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
Fenix scoffed lightly.
"What? Are you that simple-minded? I kiss you, and suddenly you're my girlfriend? It doesn't work like that, Aura."
Aura shrank a little.
"I'm sorry… maybe it's too early for labels—"
"Instead," he cut in, leaning closer, "Aura… will you marry me?"
She stared at him, completely speechless—then burst out,
"That's not the next step! You skipped like twenty steps!"
Fenix laughed, his face still close to hers.
"Is that a yes?" he asked, smiling brightly.
Her face burned even hotter.
"…Yes," she said after a few seconds. "Once we graduate."
Fenix cupped her cheeks and kissed her again.
This time, Aura closed her eyes and didn't pull away, even when the keven when the kiss deepened, lingered longer than before and his lips moved down to her neck.