Gratia's Irony and Shared Punishment
With the guardian spirits' return, the dormitory assignment system had been completely overhauled. It was only natural that a bit of friction arose between the first-year freshmen and the returning students... All dorms had their issues, but Gratia Dorm was especially bad.
Originally, Gratia had gathered kids from diverse non-English-speaking cultures, regardless of talent or skill. The cultural differences among students were minor, and they didn't lag behind other dorms in achievements. But once the guardian spirits started handpicking students, things changed. It became a dumping ground for those rejected by the other spirits—a so-called camp for stragglers.
How ironic... And hilariously, most of this year's Gratia first-years were heirs from prestigious magic families. Kids born into wizarding households. Versus kids from ordinary families. For those from renowned lineages, enrolling at Eldmier Academy was a given. Meanwhile, kids from normal homes usually wandered aimlessly, unaware of their own magic, until it fizzled out.
So, for a common kid to make it here meant they'd shown signs so potent that some wizard had noticed and guided them in. They had to squeeze through that narrow gate of fortune. Those who did usually carried something beyond the ordinary.
However—the kids from families who naturally waltzed into Eldmier when the time came. Many hadn't stood out enough to catch a guardian spirit's eye... And they all ended up in one place.
The result? A bizarre landscape in Gratia. Free-spirited seniors from mixed cultures, and first-years with big-name pedigrees but no standout talent. Squeezed in between were Seojun and Lily—neither from families, yet somehow in Gratia. They were total outsiders.
With no background to speak of, they were even too pathetic to lump in with the other "losers" in the eyes of the noble kids. No talent, no roots. Just lucky flukes.
That was the full extent of how they viewed Seojun and Lily.
"Hoo..."
Tuma Al Ruguz, head of Gratia Dorm, let out a deep sigh.
Student squabbles were commonplace. But when they targeted one person repeatedly—especially among fresh first-years—it was a different story. As dorm head, should he mediate? Or draw a line with warnings or punishments? He couldn't decide.
Every dorm had its quirks, but with only about ten kids per year, Gratia was no different. In this tight-knit group, if tensions deepened from the start, who knew where the fallout would land? It surely wouldn't be good.
He had to nip it before it spread like poison... 'How do I handle this?'
His vision blurred. Punish them how? And whom? Everyone had sparked it somehow; no one was blameless. On the surface, the noble kids were isolating Seojun and Lily, but punishing them outright lacked clear justification.
It was blatant bullying, yet an awkward imbalance that defied easy fixes. Tuma sank into thought.
'Mediation's tough, but punishment's necessary.'
Three ganging up on one was clear-cut. Outwardly one-sided mobbing, but dorm rules judged the commotion as much as the outcome. The instigators, or Seojun who'd escalated it with his sharp retort...
Tuma picked up his pen and listed the four names side by side.
Punishing one side would invite bias claims, shattering the already shaky bonds. He added a final line, organizing his thoughts.
Private retaliation and use of force between students is strictly prohibited, regardless of reason.
By bundling victims and perpetrators alike in this cowardly yet convenient rationale, Tuma chose to warn both sides without picking favorites. No one would be unjustly spared, but pinpointing true victims didn't matter. A simple leash of "don't make trouble" would suffice.
He stared at the ink still drying, then closed the file. For now, he hoped the noise would die down.
After morning classes and a hearty lunch, drowsiness hit hard. With only a short break before the next lecture, I figured I'd catch a quick nap back in my dorm room. But on the table sat a drab bundle of clothes and an unfamiliar sheet of paper.
"What's this crap?"
I poked the paper open with a finger. At the top, in stiff font: [DISCIPLINARY NOTICE].
I yawned massively and flopped into the chair. I'd scrapped in class openly, so this was predictable. Self-defense debates were too much hassle anyway.
"Alrighty—let's see the details."
I skimmed the bureaucratic text.
DISCIPLINARY NOTICE
Private retaliation and use of force between students is strictly prohibited, regardless of reason...
Thus, effective immediately, you are assigned to cleaning duty for 14 days.
Sigh, two weeks locked into nothing. My precious evenings. My freedom!
I skimmed it, folded the paper sloppily, and shoved it in my pocket.
"What a pain."
But thinking it over, was this fair? They started it! I'm the wronged one here. Lumping good folks like me in with them? No way.
Outrageous... Screw the punishment. Nap time.
Three minutes after crashing on the bed—
Knock knock!
Some annoying noise; I buried my face in the pillow, thinking it was a hallucination. But it persisted, more insistent.
Knock knock knock!
Argh, who the hell?
"Who is it?"
"Uh, hi?"
A timid, awkward greeting from beyond the door. A frail voice that might vanish any second. No need to look—I knew.
"Oh, it's Lily."
We'd just split after lunch. What epic drama unfolded in those minutes to chase me here? And this was the boys' wing—how'd this shy girl sneak in?
I dragged myself up and opened the door. Sure enough, Lily stood there, shoulders hunched tight.
"What's up? Weren't we crashing till lecture?"
"W-well... I heard you got punished..."
I'd just found out myself—how'd she know? No friends to gossip with. Spy cam in my room or what?
"Uh-huh... And?"
I leaned on the doorframe. Sleep weighed heavy in my voice, but I waited for her to spill.
Under my sluggish gaze, Lily ducked her head lower, staring at her toes.
"N-no, just... worried. Wanted to check if you're okay..."
She looked ready to crumple at a touch. Why so down? A few days scrubbing outdoors ain't the end of the world.
I shrugged. "No biggie. Two weeks of cleaning—call it a stroll. Don't sweat it."
"O-okay."
She'd trekked here out of worry, so her little nod felt kinda cute. Bold for this timid type to invade the boys' dorm.
I patted her head lightly. "Thanks for caring. Now go rest—you too. See ya later."
Relief washed over her face as she nodded, more relaxed.
"Yeah, later!"
Her bouncy steps fading away drew an unwitting dad-smile from me. Whew—now for that nap.
Back in her dorm room, Lily flopped onto the bed.
'Again... couldn't say it right.'
Lily often got called clueless or oblivious. Spacey, even. But that didn't make her dumb.
She hid behind that "airhead" rep, reading people's gazes sharper than most. Who truly cared, who snickered behind backs—she spotted it quick.
So she knew. Seojun played it cool, but he'd stepped up for her gladly.
Thanks to him, the bullying aimed at her had dropped off. But she'd clearly seen the backlash: growing hostility toward him.
She was deeply grateful, yet it weighed on her—this all felt like her fault. Hiding cowardly behind his bold stand crushed her.
That must've been why. Hearing about his punishment, she couldn't hold back and rushed over...
To that gruff kindness, she just wanted to convey her true feelings somehow.