‘What an unfortunate turn of events…’ Natasha frowned, as she walked with the two boys.

  Natasha pursed her lips, listening to the uninteresting chatter of the boy, Taro. Occasionally, she would say a few words and then remain silent.

  If she had to be honest, Natasha thought that the guy was going to go on talking about this and that forever, but thankfully, the calm one who looked like he had brains stopped him in his tracks.

  ‘Thank you, Iino…’ Natasha nodded internally. ‘This guy Taro, how can he be so talkative? I wasn’t even responding much but he seemed to just like speaking.’

  She blinked, and looked at the drone that flew back into the air moments ago.

  That’s right, she was fine. There was no evil mastermind or something, neither was there going to be any kidnapping of any sort.

  This was, after all, a boarding school with high prestige and even if the apocalypse was underway, there were still many people that could control themselves.

  Regardless of that Natasha couldn’t be said to be happy in the slightest—she was, after all interrupted during her monologue by that annoying noise made by the drone.

  Now, Natasha didn’t know much about these modern marvels of technology and engineering but she faintly recalled that they weren’t supposed to be that loud when they were hovering in the air.

  ‘Then again, my hearing has gotten significantly sharper, as well as my other senses. I'm pretty sure I can see further than I ever have, even while my eyes are narrowed like this.’

  She counted this as a blessing, as she really wasn’t that comfortable with her sight before as she was now.

  ‘This medical condition…’ Natasha sighed, and dropped the thought.

  It was no use to mourn again and again over the same matter. She seemed to have been born this way, and it couldn’t be changed, so it was better to forget.

  ‘It’s very hard to forget when I literally “see” the problem at every moment though, how infuriating!’

  Before Natasha could give in to any sort of loathing or hatred, she heard various sounds emitting from beyond the doors to the auditorium—like stated before, the place was huge.

  Unlike the square buildings, and building complexes all over campus, this place was circular and had a roof of the same style but with a little more rough edges. The windows were not abundant, and the main area was further in.

  Natasha stopped, and looked at the two by her side that she had rarely spoke to as she said:

  “Thank you for your hard work…”

  She said solemnly, bowing her head a little.

  Somewhat flustered at the beautiful girl who was bowing, the two boys quickly did so as well and returned her statement of gratitude—even though she did not deserve the gesture at all.

  She looked at Taro for a few moments, making the young boy flustered, and after deliberating for a few moments she said, “I do not know your feelings toward me, but it would be wise to find another girl. I cannot return your attention, I am sorry.”

  Natasha bowed her head again, and then without any fanfare or explanation, left without waiting for a response from the pair. However, just because she left didn’t mean she couldn’t hear.

  “How? No way, how did she notice so fast…?” Taro mourned, crouching down.

  Iino looked at him in disdain and couldn’t help but reveal a mocking smile, “In all my years around you, I see you haven’t changed at all. A few moments with her and you turned into a bothersome idiot.”

  “Ahhh…! Leave me alone! Can’t a man dream,” Taro mumbled, head in his knees.

  “Thinking of getting the prettiest girl in school to be your girlfriend after a few words? You’re really dreaming,” Iino chuckled and said a few life-threatening words, “This type of unmannerly behavior, like you’re an animal trying to impress a mate, it’s really embarrassing. I’m telling big sis Amanai.”

  “Wait, wait!” Taro seemed to jump to his feet and frantically tried to grab onto the other boy but he wasn’t having it and evaded him.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Lower your voice idiot! If any one of those things come over here because of you, I’ll kill you first before I die.”

  “You wanna fight? Run the ones then!”

  “Stop speaking like that! Now I’m really going to tell sis…”

  “Stop speaking how? Why don't you stop with your “higher than thou” tone huh?! You're not a movie character!”

  “How dare you!”

  Taro laughed, “Oh golly, “how dare you!” Shiver me timbers!”

  Hearing the utter sounds of tomfoolery behind her, Natasha smiled. She was very happy, although she didn’t care for any other guy but Leon, hurting the feelings of others had always been an inevitable burden for her.

  Seeing that he had been averted and seemingly forgot her after a few moments brought her a decent amount of joy. Inwardly, she nodded in approval.

  ‘That’s right! If someone doesn’t like you, just forget it and find some who does or you really really like. In that case, make them yours no matter what. Scheming, lust baiting, stalking, and so on, if you have the ability, then do it! All is fair in love and war…’

  Pleased that the guy she rejected wasn’t depressed, she strolled through the short corridors separating the reception from the actual auditorium.

  Like the rest of the prestigious looking boarding school, the interior of the entrance of the auditorium was lavish but not tacky. There were no chandeliers or shark tanks or anything ridiculous and over the top like this.

  However just because it wasn’t at the peak didn’t mean it was average either—the reception hall was quite frankly, for a lack of a better word, exquisite.

  The ceiling was high, and while the lights were no chandeliers, they were modernly unique in their appearance. They looked like diamonds and emitted special light that wasn’t exactly white or gold, somewhat like platinum—just in the middle or at least close.

  The rugs were red and eye catching, as well as clean to a fault but they weren't worn out in the slightest. Seeing this, Natasha appreciated the capable cleaner and janitors even more.

  The seats, and refreshments like plants and such were place strategically to take in the view of all of this majesty. With the main booth in the middle and on both side corridors that led to a different section of the building.

  The floors were a black shine, like obsidian and the walls were made of some unknown wooden material that was dark and seemed to absorb light.

  It could have been ebony wood or spruce or something—all she knew was that the things here were too expensive looking to just put in a school.

  ‘Sheesh… My brain always goes into overdrive when I come here,’ Natasha rubbed her head a little.

  “The second years are really amazing…!” Natasha, who suddenly heard a voice, curbed her annoyance at her likely encountering more nuisances and turned to see who was there.

  She instantly recognized her.

  Light brown hair and eyes, with a budding body of a pubescent girl and glaces that framed her adorable face—Sasha Fernandez was another first year that could be seen around Leon just like the last two.

  However, unlike the last two idiots, Natasha wasn’t interested in holding a conversation and after a polite nod, she turned to leave. Normally, after she had begun leaving, she wouldn’t have bothered with anything else.

  Unfortunately, her hearing had increased, and so she was now forced to hear people’s ramblings of her.

  Something she hoped wouldn't become routine in the future.

  “Amazing… She’s really as the rumors say, the beauty from Russia. Cold as the ground of the nation she came from, and sharp as the ice in winter.”

  Sasha revealed a genuine awe, she had just came to this school and didn’t know the ropes. She had a few friends, but those friends had other friends to so she was often alone, and now this terrifying situation occurred…

  She was very scared. But strangely, when the senior passed by, she felt very safe and her tense posture relaxed.

  This mystical feeling of reassurance and security… This must be the power of the seniors!

  “Amazing, amazing, awesome…” Her eyes sparkled, “So cool…”

  She repeated the same words over and over, making Natasha quite annoyed.

  ‘Girl, you came to a freaking luxury ass boarding school, surely your vocabulary isn’t the same width as a dog house!’ Natasha’s brows contorted as she slowed down slightly and she felt like something was wrong.

  Was her eyes backward or something?

  She, Sasha, hugged the Apple Notepad she had taken out to her chest, and pushed up her glasses.

  She sneakily pointed it at her and Natasha swore she heard a snapping sound, and then the girl started furiously typing for some reason.

  Her face was red and her body language slightly fearful, as if she was caught doing something wrong but seeing her determined gaze—it could be seen she was intent on her objective, unclear as it is…

  ‘Wait? Did she just take a picture of me...?’ Natasha’s brows furrowed, ‘Strange I have a feeling this isn’t it—I’m not so bothered by unprompted picture taking…’

  At this time Natasha had long stopped walking and crouched down to the side, faking as if she was checking in her bag to discover what was wrong.

  Then, Sasha made another excited sound, as if she wasn’t satisfied if her mouth wasn’t running constantly with what could only be called visible exclamation marks:

  “Whoa! So pretty…” She mumbled, “Everyone is bubbling.”

  “Who the hell are you talking about…?” Natasha whispered, rummaging in her bag with a frustrated expression.

  She didn’t have to wait for long.

  Because a moment after her question landed, her senses stirred and she suddenly felt like her entire body was tingling.

  It was like she had suddenly awakened, not the Corastrum and Witch Factor kind but something else—like she had finally found her phone she searched the entire house for, only for it to be in her hand or pocket all along.

  What happened was she obtained visual clarity.

  It was the that she saw it—soft brown hair and eyes, short stature with a cute face and glasses. With a large Apple Notepad in her arms and an excited expression as she twirled on the chair in the reception area freely.

  She saw Sasha Fernandez.

  Her back was turned, but she still saw the girl in full clarity—no, that wasn’t right.

  She didn’t “see” her or at least not yet.

  ‘I felt her?’ Natasha who received an idea from her own mind, and aimed to trust it, titled her head in confusion.

  How was this possible…?