“You know, though you call yourself a capable person, you got knocked out from the headmaster’s single punch.”

Inoyva, less unresponsive in already knowing what his reality was, became the recipient of Cai’s constant ranting. In part, she was a close friend that obviously carried a certain degree of concern. He laid witness to peeling the skin off the red apple, within arm’s reach.

“I know already.” Shrugging it off as a sense of responsibility he already knew off, but was at a stage of lessening the burden of her seething anger, Inoyva’s voice rang with a happy tone.

“If only you didn’t laugh, that would have been a big help. What exactly was that made it so funny?” Inoyva could feel the stinging sensation of being pricked by the edge of the knife. She made an outward expression of seemingly elongated eyes that peered deep within his soul.  

After some thought, he was quite sure of that she would be in a less joyous mood than before, ‘I saw this coming a mile away.’

The good aspect about my lengthy stay would be at that I could be admitted into the infirmary for a long time. However I could not simply ignore the lessons we were required to learn. Cai, already having released the various texts and books to the side of the bed, moaned.

“Well, you know how they same it is, “the serious the situation, the harder it is to not actually laugh.”” Inoyva was lying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with that nonchalant face.

“Was there such a long saying? Or are you just making it up along the way?” Although she would not be informed of a saying particularly catching, Cai squinted her eyes at Inoyva with traces of suspicion.

As time passed by quickly, she finally peeled it off. The remnants that made up the inside of the apple were cut up into bite-sized pieces. “So, how are the lessons?” Inoyva asked, lifting his self up from that bed when drawing near those enticing pieces.

Cai raised her hand accordingly with a piece of the apple and made way towards his mouth. She replied, “I can’t find anything too negative to say about it. The training exercises are harsh and extreme, as any elite academy would have it. And the bounties that come after are a reward for working hard on that day.” 

Inoyva was feeling the pretentious, yet caring necessity of knowing if she was doing well away from him. Without any lingering regrets, he knew of that it would an untimely task at achieving the desired results of the academy.

“That’s good to hear. However it seems like you brought guests with you…”

Inoyva faintly said to Cai, who at the side found the contradicting nature of that statement. Where there people outside of the room waiting to enter inside for the sake of meeting him?

“Since there’s only one injured person here, that being you, I can strongly think of the nurse being that person.”

Well, maybe a nurse. But from that strange presence that I recalled from my past memories, it can only be you… 

As Inoyva recalled those unfolding things referred to as memories, an emergence was made.

As this was a resting area of sorts, no one could attack him within the sliver of the daylight. As such, it could not be anyone or any people that harbored ill-intent, coming his way even when a guard was let down. A calm observation then was issued.

 “Ouch!” 

Inoyva yelped.

Suddenly, a sharp pain sent impulses throughout his body. A pain generated by someone squeezing the skin from his body tightly. Someone audaciously just pinched at him. 

Looking to the other side of the bed, a cheery demeanor encircled this person as she smiled at him. It was in that moment his expression turned from utter surprise turned to bitter annoyance.

“Hey!”

{Mixo Risse.}

That small girl, released a somewhat giggle at the pair. 

“You left yourself unguarded. The chance to pounce was obviously clear for the taking. However I’m glad though since that tall body of yours is still wonderful and irresistible, in terms of pinch-bility at that.”

Cai halted at any attempt to subjugate that maiden with a flurry of questions, looking to the girl with a short stature. Her eyes widened even more.

Tsk! Out of all the elite academies, you chose this one?!

Inoyva’s face frowned and become furious at the same time. Apparently, the simp-like mood that enshrouded him before steadily disappeared.

He gave an answer, “And, you’re still short as ever, Mixo. If you could gain ten centimeters, key word: could, I would perhaps consider letting you pinch me every time we meet.”

The now annoyed lad shifted gaze onto her. That gaze held many meanings to it, the most apparent being annoyance. Energy-conserved, Inoyva u-turned to his out-blown personality! To their side, Cai looked puzzled but said no words, signaled in a different way. 

“Is that an attack, dear cousin?!”

Indeed, their reactions to each other glinted at that, the young woman wearing a black cap on top of her head, a “dear” family member. However short in stature, her cheeky demeanor gave off an intense presence!

Cousin…? It was not a headache-inducing task to notice that word which now floated about in her mind. Cai could gathered up an explanation of sorts with certainty.

“You were here? Why do you wander all the time? Do you want to get lost intentionally? Anyone would think that you’re a middle schooler.” Strangely enough, their conversation is further interrupted with an introduction of another individual. Inoyva was visibly annoyed at it, but his energy-conserved nature came out as the lad held back a sigh.

To the other side, Cai appeared with widened eyes and lifted brows. Even without saying anything, he knew perhaps introducing her to the short girl could not be avoided. Gesturing a hand to Cai.

“Cai, let me introduce you to Mixo. Due to unfortunate circumstances, she’s my cousin.”

“Hey!” She released a single moan.

“…And, Mixo, this is… well, you probably know her. This is Cai, she’s an old friend of mine.” He made a verbal declaration, threading the line of exactly what kind of relationship he shared with the boundless beauty.

‘Old friend? Are you a pensioner?’ Mixo thought to herself.

Inoyva gestured at Mixo to his side, after the introductions of the two, one still remained.

“Hello.”

Cai, casually waved back at both girls with an welcoming expression.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“So, you are related to this tall glass of water?”

“Yep!”

The conversation took another turn, with the limelight being pointed at him, Cai, nonchalantly pointed. Not to his surprise, Inoyva was one of the tallest people she knew and at times of gatherings his height would be spark at opportunities for ridicule.

“…And, for the latest of introductions, this is my best friend, Nyiko. She might look like she’s intimidated by your presence, and somewhat of a geek, but her personality is the best!”

Tall!

Unlike Mixo, Nyiko boasted a height equivalent to one hundred and eighty centimeters. That tall girl wore glasses that complimented at her beautiful appearance with a mole slightly lower to her bottom lip.

“Why am I being painted as an anti-social person here?” Nyiko groaned with a distasteful recognition. For people she had only just had met, her utter existence was painted as being weird.

“Anyway, so how are you holding, the academy’s “trash”?”

Mixo nudged a response from Inoyva. In that same instance, the word trash spilled forth from her mouth, they all knew of the matter. Well it was not like anyone would not know. A new candidate having berated the headmaster got punched in the gut and ended up in emergency care, that was a story for the ages.

“As you can see, I am still alive.”

Inoyva could not find a disheartening response to direct towards Mixo.

“Even so, you should have been careful about your actions. Now, Cai would have toppled the place just for you stupid ass.” Her fingers twirled at the air, pointing a memorable picture from what she would call toppled.

What? Did another matter occur after what I did? Because of me…?

At the moment, Mixo and Nyiko, who were less of participating members made a quick glance towards the other maiden there. Cai’s cheeks reddened slightly.

An absolute seriousness was once again worn across Inoyva’s expression.

“I wouldn’t say exactly topple the academy. Just that one headmaster would suffice. Since the legal process of a lodged complaint takes time, well with my backing it won’t, I think drastic measures need to be taken.”

Cai spoke her guts out. To what he could think of, she challenged the headmaster with a formal complaint towards his conduct. However Inoyva shuddered slightly at the moment she brought up her knuckles.

Clearly, she wanted to beat him up for just him.

However in that situation, Inoyva could only find a response through patting Cai on the head with a certain glimmer.