Chapter 17

The rest of the week passed pretty fast. Rhythmed by watching matches, helping in some, listening to the music students and... Getting teased to death by Eliza and Anna. I feel like they are getting bolder and bolder.

Last night was... Herm. Let's say I was not prepared to have a very naked twin sister clinging to my back when I went to sleep. Even worse when my tail brushed against her thighs. I barely stopped Eliza from doing the same. I think if blood could seep through cheeks... I would have lost all of it at that moment.

I don't even know how I survived that night keeping my sanity. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep... But I just passed out from too much stimulation.

It's now the morning of our real admission to the Academy and I'm glaring at Anna over our breakfast. She doesn't even look guilty at all. She just have a very innocent look on her face as she eats. She's even humming a tune! Meanwhile Eliza is trying hard to restrain her laughter. But her shoulders shake so she's not doing a good job at all.

I swear I'll get back to them at some point!

I just aggressively spear a piece of bacon with my fork before biting viciously on it, my tail swishing behind me and my ears folded back on my head. It's not that I'm angry. I'm not annoyed either. Well, maybe a little. Damnit Anna think of the impact of those actions!

Anyway. I think I understand. But... Why? Understanding is one thing. Accepting... I don't know if I can. Maybe I just need some pushing... They are quite pushy. I have no clue what to think.

I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts. Right, today's the real first day. I still don't know what our room arrangements will be. Is it single rooms? Will I have roommates? Maybe a dormitory with more than five people ? I'm pretty exited to know.

Oh the uniforms! How will they be? Cute? Cool? Cute AND cool?!

My tail starts to swish excitedly behind me while my ears perks up again on my head. I really can't wait to see it. I just hope I don't look too weird in it.

"Eliza. Please hold me back or I'll do it. She won't be able to breathe properly." Anna whisper to Eliza, thinking I couldn't hear it.

"You may have to hold me back too." Eliza whispered back, her tone serious.

I freeze for a second but try to ignore the outrageous thing I just heard coming from both girls. I lift my head from my breakfast and stiffen again when I see their eyes. There's love and affection. But there's also something dangerous hidden in those. A shiver run through my spine out of anxiousness and... Anticipation? I'm a bit confused, so I get up abruptly.

"H-hm let's go! It's time!" I say, my voice a little bit louder than I wanted and tinged with a faint tremor.

I don't wait for them to answer and go straight for the exit. A few dozen minutes later we are back to the Academy. As I swipe my gaze around I notice that there's way less people than before, all of them can fight. They must have separated the different divisions then. Makes sense, the crafters don't need to learn how to fight or the dangers of dungeons. Beside some form of self-defense in general, if there's a monster invasion like in my hometown and they reach the crafters... It's already too late.

Once again Virina is floating in the air in front of the crowd. She swipe her gaze over everyone, stopping on me with the corner of her mouth curling up for a second before reverting to a neutral expression.

I have a feeling that Headmistress won't let me have a peaceful Academy life...

"Hello everyone. Now I can really call you our students. After a week of 'exams' you will finally enter Euclydia Academy. I already said it last time. But don't think you are geniuses. I think some of you got humbled already." She says, her tone tinged with disguised amusement.

Multiple gazes fall on me immediately at her words but I ignore them, my face a mask of innocence. I still grumble in my mind.

Hey, there was no need to remind them! Damnit Virina.

Both girls at my sides get closer, like they want to shield me from the eyes around us. But I put my hands on their arms with a smile as I shake my head. There's no need to do that. I'm not interested in any of them. One gaze does catch my attention though. A certain lavender-pink haired cat girl looks at me with interest. I meet her eyes from where I am and smile at her. She immediately goes red and look away, it makes me wonder if I'm that frightening.

"At our Academy you will learn how to fight properly, how to dive dungeons and most importantly how to survive. Nobody can become strong and defend themselves without learning. You will be each given a room. But if you want a multiple room dorm can be given. It's in case you already have a team you want to live with. Simply tell the attendant."

I can practically feel Anna and Eliza vibrate of excitement. Of course I'm happy too.

Maybe having different rooms will stop them from sneaking into my bed

I have high doubts about that, but one can hope right? While we were giddy about those arrangement Virina continued her speech.

"Your uniforms will be later brought to your chosen dorms. Please do tell the attendants if you want specific classes. They have a list you can consult. Please, enjoy our Academy."

She vanished the instant her voice stopped ringing through the sky. After that a swarm of attendants of all races stepped forward to help us register for our living arrangements. Of course we asked to be in the same dorm. We don't intend to look for another party to dive dungeons at all. Certainly new members. Anna can't be the one doing almost everything, even if she has four elements.

We finally arrive in front of our dorm and I'm sure of it now: there is, or was, a very powerful mage or at least user of the Space element in the Academy. Even if the castle look big from the outside, there's no way this much space is in. A simple exemple: the door to our room seems to lead to a simple room. But when we open it we see a vast living room with a kitchen attached. Fully functional at that. Two big sofas are placed in the middle.

One wall has a door leading to a bathroom. On another is three doors. On each of them a wooden tablet rest, bearing our names in fine golden calligraphy. Most of the dorm is quite bare but I'm sure it won't stay like that for long. I know my twin.

"Well then. Let's settle in?" I turn around to smile at them.

They both nod so I take out their luggage out of my Space. I really need to find a name for that technique though. After they take their belonging, I see Anna walking toward the door to my room. I grab her arm, an eyebrow up.

"Where are you going? Your room is over there." I say and point to her own room.

"Hmm? I know?" She answers, her face perfectly innocent.

Why is that a question?!

"So, again, where are you going?" I repeat with exasperation.

"In your room?"

I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose slightly. If I accept that I feel like I'll be in some kind of danger. Not the injury inducing danger but something else. The preceding night flash by my mind and I shake my head sternly.

"No. Each with their room." I try to make my tone as stern as I can but her puppy eyes she instantly form makes me waver a bit.

"Pleaaaase! It's comfortable to sleep with youu!" She whines while shaking my arm.

"I agree on that, so warm." Eliza chimes from the side.

I shot a glare at her as I narrow my eyes.

"Don't encourage her please Eliza." I turn back toward my twin. "And stop acting spoiled this time Anna!"

She pouts mightily and changes direction as she drags her feet to her own room, not forgetting to send me glances from above her shoulder. I ignore her and go straight inside. It's not like I said we'll never sleep together ever. It's a simple bedroom with a vanity and a desk against one wall, a closet with a full length mirror on another. And in the middle of all that is a bed way too big for only one person to sleep on.

It doesn't take us much time to tidy up everything we brought here. I've put my violin in one corner of my room and I hope I'll have some time to play it a bit so I don't get rusty.

A knock on the living room's door makes me open it. A maid is behind the door with three cases in her arms. She curtsy slightly before speaking.

"Hello Miss Denki. I brought you the uniforms. Please don't worry about any kind of race characteristics you may have. They have been taken into account. In those case are three sets for each of you. They are made with very resistant materials from dungeon monsters. So they can withstand regular training. If you need them washed please bring them to the washhouse and attendants will wash them for you. Please take them."

She bid me farewell after I take the cases of her arms and turn around, disappearing in the corridor.

I immediately open the case with my name on it. From the inside I can't really see what it would look like. Although I do see a tie and I already love the idea.

I don't waste time and strip on the spot, one hundred percent forgetting where I am. I'm half undressed, top off and thumbs hooked on the waistband of my shorts when Anna and Eliza comes back to the living room.

"Who was it Ja-" Anna's voice gets cut-off the instant she sees me.

Her eyes widen a lot and starts to flicker between her original violet and her vampire red. I hear a weird strangled sound coming from her throat as her face goes bright red. Eliza too and she lets out a little 'wow' then 'ah fuck'. Her arm catches Anna's collar in mid-air the instant my twin jumps. She's now dangling of our best friend's hand like a kitten caught stealing something. But her eyes never leaves me.

"Erm... It's uuuh, it's our uniforms?" I answer with hesitation, frozen with my face as red as Anna's, not knowing what to do.

My tail is swishing restlessly behind me under their scorching gazes. After a few second of silence I finally move. Clutching the case with my uniform to my chest I flee to my room and close the door behind me.

Uh. That was careless.

I let out a sigh. Yeah. I do understand when I see that. Why though... I don't think I'll ever understand. Whatever. Let's try that uniform now.

So I finish undressing and carefully put the clothes in the case. Then I go to the mirror on the closet to examine what I just put on.

It's a tailored blazer in a deep forest green falling on my shoulders and waist, looking like a formal attire from an old noble house. The lapels are stitched finely and an embroidered emblem rest over my left breast, surely Euclydia Academy's emblem.

Beneath it is a white blouse, contrasting with the blazer and the teal ribbon-tie. I really love that part, the tie just goes almost too well on me.

Let's not be narcissistic Jane.

Under all that is a high-waisted pleated skirt with a plaid pattern that combines multiple colours: pale green, gray, cream and some very subtle reddish lines. It stops around the middle of my thighs.

Knee-high dark green socks comes around my legs and the whole outfit finishes with a pair of dark brown almost black school loafer, an inconspicuous metal detailing on it.

I love it. It's not as cute as I'd hoped, but it's very very very cool. I do wonder how they look in it though.

I freeze slightly as my hand hover above the doorknob, but finally open the door slowly.

They already finished changing and are in the living room, their gaze fixed on my room. I see them tensing when they notice my head peeking out from the gap. Their stare is so intense that I shrink back a little, blushing. I take a deep breath and finally get out of my room.

When I look at them I'm stunned. I already think that uniform is cool. But on them? It's just... Wow. Their higher height makes it even better. I pout slightly, arms crossed, as I realize that.

"As I thought... Being taller is better..." I whisper in a grumble.

They look at each other for a second and both burst out laughing. I pout harder at that, my tail swishing aggressively behind me. Eliza approaches me and, before I could react, scoop me in her arms to hold me in a princess carry. I yelp and instinctively put my arms around her neck. She looks at me from above, a smile on her lips.

"Look, we can hold you better like that since you are smaller." She says calmly.

"I'm clearly the one that carried you both more often though." I answer, still grumbling with my cheeks pink.

"And I can see the advantages of that. Hmm I should do it more often."

"No way!" I instantly refuse. I have a feeling it wouldn't be for anything proper if she carries me like that. "Let me go now you made your point!"

"Nope." She refuses, her voice not allowing any argument.

"Uh? Why?!" I shout in disbelief.

She taps her cheek with a little smile and I see my dear twin widen her eyes in surprise. I have a feeling she's silently crying 'traitor' to Eliza.

"I'll let you go with a kiss here." Her smile is mischievous as she totally ignore my sister silent scream.

"I-uh, you, what?" My mind goes completely blank and I can only stutter and splutter my answer.

It only makes her smile more as my eyes widen. It's not that I don't want to kiss her cheek. It's just that, a kiss on the cheek. The problem is the current situation. And... The possible meaning it could take.

"So? I don't mind holding you until we get to class you know. You are quite light. Do you eat enough ?" She jokes, her eyes never leaving mine.

"I... Hm... O-okay." I answer, my voice as quiet as a mosquito.

She beams even more and bend her back a little so her head is closer to me. She then turn her head to present her cheek. I deeply breathe to gather courage. Then I lean toward her. The moment my lips makes contact with her skin I feel her tense a little, her head trembling almost imperceptibly like she's restraining herself from turning at the last moment. I don't linger long, only a short second, just enough so the warmth of my lips stay a bit on her cheek.

"S-satisfied? Can you let me go now?" I ask, my voice even lower. Carrying a fragility I didn't know it could.

She nods and finally set me down on the floor on my feet. I let go of her neck and take a single half-step backward, one hand on my chest as I try to calm my wildly beating heart.

One second later I'm slammed on the side by a warm body that instantly crushes me in a hug. We fall on the soft sofa and when I turn my head I see Anna looking at me at the corner of her eyes.

"I want one tooo!" She whine loudly.

It makes me laugh a little and I reach out to smooth out her hair, hugging her tight too. It's always funny to see her acting spoiled when I know she's very reliable. I wouldn't have survived until then otherwise. I'm so grateful of her presence that I have a lot of difficulties to ever say 'no' to her. Well, there are some exceptions though.

"Alright alright. Turn your head silly." I smile indulgently, my voice full of affection.

She immediately smile, the tears around her eyes disappearing like they were never here in the first place. I roll my eyes at her poor acting. She turn her cheek toward me and I lean toward her.

The exact moment my lips should have landed on their expected destination, she slightly turn again. It makes me end up kiss the corner of her lips. I freeze, stunned by her gesture as my face burn.

She uses the opportunity to get up and run straight to her room, her own face red. It takes me a good minute before my blank mind reboot.

My neck slowly turns toward that now closed door before looking at Eliza. She's also stunned by what just happened.

"I... Did... What the heck?" I stammer out.

Eliza seems to regain her composure at that and sigh heavily, her palm on her face. She looks at me with affection in her eyes and a little bit of exasperation. This confuses me even more.

"Let's... All go to rest. Calm ourselves. Alright Jane?" She says slowly, her tone coaxing.

She approaches me and smoothen my hair a bit before kissing the crown of my head, right between my ears that folded back without me noticing. She then disappear into her own room and I'm left alone on the sofa, my fingertips touching my lips, my mind a mess and my heart beating like a drum.