“...Hi.”

“...Hi.” When she opened the door of her house, Sanya found Talia in front of it as usual. However, the moment she laid her eyes on Talia, she understood that something was wrong. The energy that she displayed the day before seemed to have been swept over by the fake smile she currently had on her face.

Well, Sanya also had a fair load of things to think about after yesterday. She caressed the surface of the bell, before removing the hand from it. ‘...Aah, what is the point to have my mind entirely on it when my girlfriend seems to have a problem. Get your priorities right, girl.’

Sanya’s body sprung forward and hugged Talia from the front. The blue-haired girl opened her eyes wide as she failed to understand the reasons behind. But, Sanya didn’t say anything. She was just squeezing Talia with her weak arms. Even if people were walking past them she would not let go.

Talia narrowed her eyes and returned the embrace with traces of happiness on her face. She lightly whispered. “...Thank you.”

It was only after a few minutes that Talia moved a bit away. Her hand still went to grab her lover’s one. Sanya looked up. Talia’s expression was a lot better. It seemed the thing that concerned her was gone.

Timidly, Sanya asked. “...Are you okay? Does your stomach hurt?”

However, Talia shook her head with her lips lightly curled up. “No, I just had a bad dream last night...Yes, a bad dream.”

Talia started to march forward with Sanya on her side. Sanya was still a bit worried about her, but she seemed fine now.

When they arrived at school, they found a crowd of students standing in front of the bulletin board. The numerous small conversations taking place created a ruckus.

Talia and Sanya spotted Zesty alone, her eyes looking at the board. Her expression indicated her worry. The two girls arrived next to her shortly after. Sanya turned her face toward Zesty, while Talia took a look at the board.

“Hi, Zesty. What is going here?”

Zesty’s head turned in surprise only to see her two friends. She waved her hands in front of her in a hurry when she saw that Sanya seemed worried about her. “N-No, it’s nothing serious...It’s just that they put up the dates for our final exams and two other notices. One about the school competition and another one about this year’s school trip.”

“Oh.” Sanya understood why so many students stopped to take a look.

The school competition was held a few weeks before the exams. The reason was to let the high schools a chance to show off in front of the middle schoolers. The participants were selling the names of their school during this moment. If a school won a lot of events, the future freshmen would think that they could develop their ability further than in another school.

The other big thing was the trip. The students had the possibility to make a trip alongside their fellow classmates. It was not mandatory, but the school covered a part of fees and was in charge of the planning.

This two-day trip was generally popular and a big part of the students would participate. Well, it would also depend on where it was taking place. Also, the third years would generally not take part. During this period, some would try to find a stable job while others would prepare their college life.

Sanya looked at the sea of people in front of her and frowned. She increased her height by going on her tiptoes, but even the additional few centimeters were not enough to allow to see what was on the board.

Being short was not always an asset.

Talia noticed her and opened her mouth. “...Want a shoulder ride?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sanya responded immediately. Knowing Talia it was surely a joke, but she was clearly strong enough to lift her. Not answering might result in her really being carried.

Instead, Sanya turned to Zesty and asked her. “You saw it, right? What does it say?”

Zesty recalled the information that she had just read. “Hmh, the trip will take place on the West Coast of Pacifica at the end of the month of July. Between the 29th and the 31st. As for the activities, I think there would be a visit of some local factories and other places... Ah, there will also be a free time at the beach.”

“West Coast, huh?” Sanya nodded after hearing the details.

Then, Talia also asked her share load of information. “What about the competition? “

Zesty tilted her head as she tried to retrieve the pieces that she had read. “Mmh, It depends on the events. The sport events are the 13th of June and the abilities battles are the 14th. So it will be in a few weeks. As for the location...I think it will at the Chrysalide Stadium, near the Abilities Research Institute.

“I see, thanks.” Talia nodded with a smile. Due to the deal she had made with the vice-headmaster, she would participate in the battle tournament. The prize was a throughout visit of one of the major sweets factories.

Sanya looked up at her girlfriend a bit in surprise. ‘Maybe she is curious about those fights. Well, it’s during a weekend’

The three girls arrived at the classroom and saw that Ellen was already at her place with two older sisters around her. She might had been an S-ranked ability user, but she was still a small girl. Which meant that she able to awaken the pampering nature of a few in the class that secretly sought to have a younger sister.

However, when Ellen spotted Talia and the others she abruptly raised her hand in their direction. “Hiiii!”

The girls around her also turned their head. The overall cautiousness of Talia in the class had mostly disappeared, but it was not like they could easily start to act all friendly.

As a result of that, when Talia waved in greetings, the two girls waved back in return, but they quickly left Ellen after giving her a few pats on the head.

Talia was not so bothered by that, so she acted normally as she placed her bag on her desk. The group of three flowers grouped around Ellen as she was already sitting.

However, Ellen’s face was turned toward the two girls that had previously pampered her. Unlike her usual energetic self, her eyes were a lot calmer. Even traces of confusion were present.

Talia noticed her and smiled thinly. “Did I perhaps interrupted something?”

Ellen still had her eyes on the distant group of girls. She didn’t immediately respond. “Did Talia do something bad? Is it the reason they avoid you?”

Talia thought for a moment about this unexpected question. Finally, she placed her head on top of Ellen’s head and smiled. “You don’t always have to do something wrong to have people avoid you. However, it’s still important to understand why they avoid you. Solving this can takes time, though.”

Ellen cast her eyes downward and whispered after a few seconds of silence. “...I don’t think I understand.”

Talia’s face was blank for a moment. ‘Did something similar happened to her in the past?’

Talia was still not aware of Ellen’s background. She had thought that she could search for information on the internet, but she had let go of the idea. Doing something like this behind her friend’s back felt horribly wrong.

So, to brighten her expression, she made her phone appear out of nowhere. Due to the invisible spatial ripples caused by the use of Talia’s earring, Ellen turned her head in her direction.

Talia browsed through the phone and held it toward the black-haired girl after finding what she looking for. The moment Ellen saw the photo on the screen, her eyes opened glittering. “Big cat!”

Ellen snatched the phone from Talia’s hand and held it right in front of her eyes. Despite this, Talia was not the least angry by her action. In fact, she seemed pleased by the reaction. “Fufu, that’s Sanya’s cat. Fluffy Paw.”

On the screen was a big ball of fur who could barely be considered as a simple cat. Fortunately, the pointy ears, bushy tail, and the squishy paw were features that could allow to classify it as a feline.

“Fluffy Paw...Soooo cute.” Ellen as a cat lover herself could already imagine her little hands passing through the smooth fur, massaging the fluffy bases of the ears and scratching under the chin. All of this along with the melody of the purring coming from the adorable animal.

Next to them, Sanya had turned her head upon hearing her and her cat’s name. After coming closer, she saw Talia’s phone in Ellen’s hands. She directly understood what was happening. She could not help but chuckle as Ellen’s reaction was really similar to a certain blue-haired girl a few years ago. “She looks just like you when you first saw Fluffy Paw at the store.”

Talia moved her head to look at her and tilted it a bit in confusion. The next second, she gasped as she remembered. “Aah, this time. Well, when you enter a bakery to get a pastry and you meet such a cat, of course I could not hold back. Luckily, Fluffy Paw is too lazy to be bothered by strangers petting it.”

Sanya smiled bitterly after hearing her reply. “I still can’t help but be sad by the fact that our bakery is mainly known because of its mascot.”

Talia thought for a moment before speaking up. “There is also the owner’s daughter. I heard she was really cute.”

“...W-Wait, what?” Sanya blushed in response to her girlfriend’s smooth remark.

“....” Meanwhile, Ellen finally looked up from the phone and stared at Sanya. The later noticed her and asked her a question.

“What is it?”

“...Can I come to see your cat later today?” Her expression was completely firm. The seriousness surprised Sanya, but she still replied.

“I don’t mind.”

Ellen gasped in a smile as she was obviously happy about the answer. “Thanks!”

Her sunny expression was plenty enough to brighten one’s day.

A few moments later, the math teacher entered, which made the remaining standing students sit down. Mr. Smith looked over all the students in front of him and didn’t immediately start the lecture. “The dates for the finals have been decided. For those that hadn’t see them, they are put up in the main hallway. You still have time, but don’t start reviewing the day before.”

Talia looked at Sanya from the corners of her eyes. She more or less knew her level in the different subjects, so she thought that she might be able to help her study.

‘I also have to get my head into Pacifica’s history.’ Due to her incredible selective memory, Talia’s worst subject ended being history and geography.

Truth to be told, the first years’ tests were not so hard. The length and difficulty were still just above average for freshmen. So normally, the pressure should be too much for those teenagers.

...Except for two of them.

One of them had bangs hiding her eyes. Her developed body was a total contrast to her shy nature. ‘A-aah, I always get nervous before tests... No, I have to do my best!’

And the other was a cute little girl with a cat hoodie. Her eyes were blank as she tilted her head. ‘Tests? I also have to do them?’

The lecture passed relatively normally.