The New Semester
Everyone’s been waiting for this moment for so long!!
Ceceet burst into the classroom with a wide grin and called out cheerfully, her voice bouncing off the walls like a firecracker.
The long vacation had finally ended, and here they were again—old friends reuniting at the academy. A handful of students met her energy with warm welcomes, while others offered soft smiles and light nods.
But the boys? Their reactions were noticeably cooler.
“Oh, Ceceet. Long time no see.”
“You’ve gotten even prettier since I last saw you. That bright smile of yours never fails to light up the room.”
That wasn’t exactly lukewarm. It felt… off. Almost smug, like the words had been copied from a textbook. The boys sat at their desks or leaned against the walls, striking every cool, composed pose they could manage, eyes locked on Ceceet with a heavy, lingering gaze the moment she stepped through the door.
Even their outfits screamed overkill. Bright, slightly uncomfortable clothes—more suitable for a party than a simple new-semester welcome. Ceceet tilted her head, staring at them in mild confusion before a small laugh escaped her.
“Because of Seria’s Day, huh?”
Every single boy flinched at once, snapping their heads away in perfect unison.
“Ah— oh, that was a thing. Must’ve slipped my mind.”
“Seria’s Day is a wonderful occasion. But I’m not the kind of guy who gets caught up in those sorts of trifles.”
They rattled off half-hearted lines, pupils darting everywhere as if trying to escape the truth, forcing smiles that didn’t reach their eyes.
Seria’s Day.
A special holiday unique to the Bernies Empire. Simple in concept—girls gave boys sweet treats, and boys responded with gifts to express affection. Strangely enough, Seria’s Day and the new semester only three days apart. The boys who had missed seeing their favorite girls over the break were now scrambling, and Ceceet had to stop in her tracks, watching one of them pretend to ruminate while she stepped inside.
“Rai~! Show me your panties~!”
She wasn’t the only one in that odd pose. The instructor, Rai, was sprawled across the back corner of the classroom like he owned the place, staring at the ceiling as if he were on a bed. Ceceet dropped into a squat right in front of him and waved.
“You’re here? I wanted some peace and quiet, so can you step outside?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? If you wanted me gone, you should’ve said so instead of playing games.”
“I had to come late or you’d kill me. And if I don’t show up now, I might not come at all.”
She didn’t need to say who had threatened him. Rai flicked a glance at her, then immediately looked back up at the ceiling. Ceceet followed his gaze, scanning the ceiling once before giving up. The ceiling was empty.
“No panties up there. Unless you’re checking them out with that famous eyesight of yours.”
“Why do you keep bringing panties into every conversation?”
“You’re in the perfect position to be checking panties. Look—none of the girls are coming this way.”
“...”
Rai sighed, pushed himself up, and retreated to the corner, still staring at the ceiling.
“Now I’m finally on the same page as the other guys. Lonely wolf vibes? You want to give me something sweet?”
“If I give it to you, you’ll eat it. Why are they doing that?”
“Because Seria’s Day is coming up.”
“What is it?”
Rai, who had no idea it was an imperial holiday, tilted his head. Ceceet looked at him with pitiful eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Rai… you don’t have to pretend you don’t know.”
“No, what the hell are you talking about? Take your hand off me. It’s making me mad.”
She poked his shoulder lightly and returned to her seat without another word. Rai watched her go, completely ignoring her, and went back to staring at the ceiling. Joshua’s old words still echoed in his head.
I told you not to rebel. These guys never listen to reason.
While he was lost in thought, Leila entered the classroom and gave the Class B students a quick orientation about the new semester’s schedule and the added courses.
The boys’ eyes all drifted to one corner. Leila noticed and followed their gaze.
Rai was standing by the window, lost in the scenery outside. His face remained blank, but the tendons in his forehead stood out. She stopped mid-sentence and walked straight over to him.
“Focus. This is check-in time.”
“Whatever. I have things to think about. Leave me alone.”
She did exactly as he asked—kicked him in the back, sending him tumbling out the window. A loud crack of breaking branches echoed, but not a single scream came from him.
Leila turned back to the class as if nothing had happened and resumed her lecture. The instant the break began, Aria had left for home. Zeroa had been overjoyed to see his old friend again, but the moment Leila’s ruthless move registered, he snapped back to attention and focused on her.
While Aslan peeked out the window to check on Rai, the check-in went off without a hitch.
After classes ended, Ceceet stepped out with Philia into the city streets.
“It’s so fun seeing everyone again! They’re all so energetic and adorable.”
“That’s weirdly cute coming from you, Ceceet.”
Philia couldn’t understand the logic, but her maid Lin gave a tiny nod of agreement.
“Yes, they all have overflowing energy.”
“Speaking of energy… Rai was strangely quiet lately. Is something up with him?”
The moment the word “energy” left her mouth, she remembered Rai’s unusual silence. Ceceet always found his laziness hilarious, but this time it felt different. Too different.
“He’s probably up to his usual nonsense again.”
“Even the weirdest guy still gets Seria’s sweets from Philia.”
“W-why would I give those sweets to that kind of person?!”
Seria’s sweets were the traditional gifts exchanged on Seria’s Day. Philia’s stutter turned into a full shout. Ceceet grinned, completely unfazed.
“But Philia gives them to people she’s indebted to.”
“...”
Philia had never confessed love, so Seria’s Day wasn’t about that. It was gratitude, respect, or simple appreciation. Philia had given them every single year.
She owed Rai too much—assassin incidents, the value of her mana-circulation bracelet, and all the times he had helped her. She couldn’t leave him out of the list. The thought made her furious.
“What’s so charming about a guy who only talks nonsense and flirts with other boys?”
Ceceet poked fun at her, and Philia looked away in irritation. Lin quietly corrected her posture.
“Philia usually chooses people I can guess. Leila, Etila, Dudley, Zeroa, Phil, Roa, Xenia, and Rai… that’s about it. If there are only three girls, won’t people get the wrong idea? Oh right—I forgot myself. Four girls? Philia must be very bold.”
Philia stared at her in stunned silence. Ceceet counted on her fingers with a satisfied smile.
“Then who are you planning to give them to?”
“Me? I’m… Rai, Zeroa, Aslan, Seiban, Delen, Cuthbert, Vollin, Mizir, Tonka, Toto, Geric, Derek, Eric, Steven, James, Diamond, Redick, Julius, Randle, White, Karin, Fritz, Pritchard…”
Name after name poured out of her. She didn’t stop until she ran out of breath.
“Hah… hah… is that enough?”
“You’re giving sweets to everyone at the academy?”
“They’ll return the favor.”
Ceceet flashed a wicked grin.
Usually, men answered with jewelry or dresses. Dresses were tied to the annual ball, while jewelry covered every possible meaning.
“A day when you can get back a hundred times more than you invested. Sugar turning into jewels—this is the pinnacle of alchemy! Ahahaha~!”
“Please behave yourself.”
Lin’s hand sliced through the air and silenced Ceceet’s head.
Ceceet rubbed her throbbing temple and turned to Lin with a pout.
“I’m serving the poor boys who got rejected that day. You don’t understand my noble heart at all, Lin. You’re heartless.”
“I would have praised you if money hadn’t come up.”
“You can’t do good deeds without money. There’s no endless bread raining from the sky.”
Ceceet laughed unrepentantly while they walked toward the store that sold ingredients for Seria’s sweets. Most people just bought ready-made ones, but handmade items tripled in value the moment the word “handmade” appeared.
They had been making sweets together since they were children. Now it was almost a tradition. Even though Ceceet claimed she wanted money, she simply enjoyed spending the day creating something with Lin.
Lin knew it and only gently corrected her manners without scolding the joke.
***
Zeroa let out a shaky breath when he got home, trying to steady his nerves.
Aria had grown even more beautiful than he remembered. Several students who had seen her at once lost all their composure and sat down hard. Aria was usually quiet in crowded places, but the moment her eyes met Zeroa’s, she gave a small, gentle nod. That alone made Zeroa’s heart feel like it would explode.
Even after all these years, she had grown more mature, closer to a goddess. The thought made him smile without realizing it—too broad, too shameless.
“…”
“…”
Zeroa thought he was alone. But his little sister Kara sat at the dining table, munching on strawberry bread with a creepy smile.
She flicked her chin at him and pointed to the seat beside her.
Zeroa’s face burned red with embarrassment. He sat down properly and lowered his head.
“Bro, tell me the truth. Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Huh? No, no, no, that’s—”
“You do? Or you don’t?! Just say yes or no!”
Kara slammed the table like a cop interrogating a suspect. Zeroa answered instantly.
“No.”
Zeroa had no girlfriend, but Kara had figured it out by combining his usual smug smile with the coming Seria’s Day. She rested her elbows on the table and glared at him.
“From now on, only answer yes or no. You said you have no girlfriend, so do you have a crush on someone?”
“…”
“Yes or no, only!”
“Yes.”
Kara nodded in satisfaction and tore into her bread. Zeroa assumed she was influenced by some novel she had read and decided to check her book later.
“Do you have a crush on someone who has feelings for you?”
“Uh… no… yes… that’s…”
Zeroa struggled for words, thinking of Aria. She barely spoke to anyone, so she felt closer to him than others, but that didn’t mean he should have romantic interest.
Kara read his hesitation and sighed. “Just charge forward. Women fall for confident guys. You’re too shy and haven’t shown your real charms yet. This is your chance to dazzle her.”
Zeroa had no idea why a random love-advice session had started, but Kara sighed again and said seriously, “Bro.”
“What?”
“If you don’t get any gifts on Seria’s Day, you can’t come home. So charge forward and get at least one.”
Zeroa thought for a second. He had never received gifts before—only from his mother and sister—so he had low expectations. But confessing to Aria and getting Seria’s sweets in return? It sounded easier than going after a demon king.
Zeroa shook his head. “I probably won’t get any.”
“Then you can’t come home. I’ll tell Mom about all those dirty books you hide in your room.”
“…”
“I don’t have any of those—”
Zeroa tried to play it cool, but Kara’s gaze drifted toward his open bedroom door—specifically the closet. He swallowed hard.
A slightly spicy novel he had received from a friendly male classmate was hidden behind his clothes. How did his sister know?
“Bring a gift. It’s all there—your future.”
Kara gave his frozen shoulder a light pat and left.
Alone again, Zeroa’s only worry was how he was supposed to get Seria’s sweets from the other girls.