Chapter 106: Chapter 100: "What will be next? A kiss maybe?"

The classroom was still buzzing after the earlier chaos. Venti leaned casually on Lumine's desk, his playful grin practically glued to his face.

“Well, well, well,” he began, tapping his chin theatrically. “What’s next, Lumine? A kiss maybe?”

Amber gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “Oh no! Scaramouche, our Lumine is blushing!”

Ayaka hid a smile behind her hand. “Perhaps we should give them some privacy next time…”

Lumine’s face was bright red as she waved her hands frantically. “W-What are you all saying?! It wasn’t like that!”

Scaramouche, sitting at his desk with his arms crossed and an amused smirk plastered on his face, chimed in, “Hah. As if I’d waste my time.”

“Oh? You seemed pretty focused earlier, Mr. Sassypants,” Venti teased, earning chuckles from Amber and Ayaka.

Aether, sitting silently at the corner of the group, didn’t join in. His arms were crossed, and his golden eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at Scaramouche.

“Enough,” Aether muttered darkly. “Let’s just focus on the next subject.”

But Venti wasn’t done. “Aw, come on, Aether! Don’t ruin the fun. Your sister’s love life is the highlight of our day!”

“She doesn’t have a love life!” Aether snapped, glaring at Venti.

Lumine groaned, burying her face in her arms. “Can the ground just swallow me whole already…”

Scaramouche, satisfied with the chaos he had caused, leaned back in his chair and smirked.

---

Later: PE Class – Lumine, Kazuha, and Aether

The sun shone brightly over the school’s oval field as students jogged, stretched, and chatted with their peers. Lumine stood with her hands on her knees, catching her breath after finishing her laps.

“Man, PE class is going to be the end of me…” she panted.

Aether walked past her with Amber beside him, both carrying Snowball in a little makeshift basket Amber had brought along. Snowball let out a soft meow, and Amber cooed at her.

“Come on, Lumine!” Amber called out cheerfully. “One more lap! You can do it!”

“Nope, I’m done,” Lumine said dramatically, flopping onto the grass.

Just then, Kazuha walked over, his usual calm smile in place as he handed Lumine a cold water bottle. “Here, you should hydrate.”

Lumine smiled up at him, taking the bottle gratefully. “Thank you, Kazuha. You’re a lifesaver.”

Kazuha chuckled softly, his crimson eyes glinting in the sunlight. “It’s nothing, Lumine.”

Amber and Aether were too distracted fussing over Snowball to notice the soft exchange, but it wasn’t unnoticed by someone else.

---

Meanwhile: Science Class – Scaramouche, Albedo, and Ayaka

The classroom was quiet, with the sound of papers rustling and the faint scratch of pencils filling the air. Scaramouche sat near the window, absentmindedly twirling his pen as he stared outside.

His sharp indigo eyes immediately zeroed in on Lumine and Kazuha. He watched as Kazuha handed her a water bottle and smiled gently at her.

His pen stopped twirling.

Ayaka, noticing the change in his expression, followed his gaze and let out a soft oh.

“Scaramouche…” she started, but he ignored her.

Albedo glanced up from his notes, his sharp eyes also catching the scene. “It’s quite fascinating how emotional responses can be triggered by simple gestures.”

Scaramouche’s head snapped toward him. “What’s that supposed to mean, Albedo?”

Ayaka giggled softly. “Are you perhaps… jealous, Scaramouche?”

“Jealous? Me? Over that guy?” Scaramouche scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Don’t make me laugh.”

But his sharp gaze returned to the scene outside, and his grip on the pen tightened slightly.

Albedo pushed his glasses up and smirked slightly. “Your reaction says otherwise.”

Scaramouche clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face. “He’s just… handing her a water bottle. Big deal.”

Ayaka smiled knowingly. “Oh, but you’re staring so intently. Are you sure it’s not a big deal?”

Scaramouche turned his glare onto Ayaka. “Don’t you two have better things to do than analyze my feelings?”

Albedo shrugged nonchalantly and went back to his notes. Ayaka exchanged a glance with Albedo and stifled a laugh.

Scaramouche looked back out the window, his brows furrowed slightly as Lumine laughed softly at something Kazuha said.

What’s so funny? And why is she smiling at him like that?

His thoughts were interrupted by Ayaka’s soft voice.

“You know, Scaramouche, if you keep glaring out that window, you might just set Kazuha on fire.”

Scaramouche slammed his textbook shut and glared at her. “I swear, Ayaka—”

But before he could finish, the teacher called their attention back to the lesson.

Still, for the rest of the class, Scaramouche’s sharp indigo eyes flickered back to the window every few minutes, watching Lumine and Kazuha with a scowl on his face.

Oh, he was definitely not happy.