Chapter 113: Chapter 106: "Unspoken Apologies"

The day carried on in an uneasy rhythm. Classes passed by in a blur for everyone, but there was a noticeable absence—Scaramouche.

Lumine walked down the hallway with Ayaka and Amber, clutching her books to her chest. The chatter of students around them felt distant, muffled by the heavy silence lingering in their group.

“Is he still not back?” Ayaka asked softly.

Lumine shook her head. “No… I haven’t seen him since last night.”

Amber sighed. “That idiot… He’s probably sulking somewhere. Why does he always have to act so tough when it’s obvious he feels bad?”

They turned a corner and found Aether leaning against a locker, arms crossed as he stared out the window. The bruise on his face was starting to fade, but his expression remained tight.

“You guys heading to class?” he asked.

Lumine hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. Are you… okay?”

Aether looked at her for a moment before sighing and pushing himself off the locker. “I’ll be fine. I’m just… annoyed. At him, at myself—at everything, honestly.”

Amber placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. You both will.”

---

Later that afternoon…

The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink as the sun began to set. Lumine wandered around campus, Snowball cradled in her arms. The kitten purred softly, her tiny nose twitching at every breeze.

“Where are you, Scaramouche…?” Lumine whispered, her golden eyes scanning the area.

As she walked past the old campus garden, she noticed something—small paw prints scattered across the dirt. Her heart skipped a beat, and she followed the faint trail until she reached a tree tucked away from the main path.

There, curled up at the base of the tree, was a familiar midnight-furred cat—Scaramouche.

He was staring at the horizon, his tail flicking lazily. His ears twitched slightly at the sound of Lumine’s footsteps, but he didn’t move.

Lumine knelt down a few feet away, setting Snowball down beside her. The kitten hesitated before approaching Scaramouche, sniffing him curiously.

Scaramouche finally turned his head, his violet eyes meeting Lumine’s.

“Hey…” Lumine said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Scaramouche didn’t respond—not in words, at least. His ears flattened slightly, and his tail stilled.

Lumine hesitated before reaching out a hand, her fingers hovering just above his fur. Slowly, carefully, she began to scratch behind his ears.

“You’re such an idiot, you know that?” she said softly, her voice trembling slightly. “You didn’t have to run away like this… We—I—just want to talk to you.”

Scaramouche’s form shimmered faintly before, in a soft flash of light, he transformed back into his human form. He stayed sitting on the ground, knees pulled up to his chest, his face partially hidden behind his arms.

“I didn’t mean for it to go that far,” he said, his voice low and rough. “I didn’t mean to hit him… I just… I lost control.”

Lumine’s chest tightened at his words. Slowly, she sat down beside him, pulling Snowball into her lap again.

“We all make mistakes, Scaramouche. But running away won’t fix anything.”

Scaramouche finally looked at her, his violet eyes glimmering with guilt and hesitation. “Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”

Lumine smiled faintly. “Aether’s stubborn, but he’s not heartless. You’ll have to talk to him, though. You can’t avoid him forever.”

Scaramouche let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his dark hair. “Talking isn’t exactly my strong suit.”

“You don’t have to be perfect,” Lumine said gently. “Just… try.”

For a moment, they sat in silence, the cool breeze rustling the leaves above them. Snowball purred softly between them, breaking the stillness.

Finally, Scaramouche sighed and stood up, brushing dirt off his pants. “Fine. I’ll talk to him… but if he throws another punch, I’m punching back.”

Lumine laughed lightly as she stood up as well. “No more punching, okay?”

Scaramouche rolled his eyes but nodded. “Yeah, yeah…”

They began walking back toward the dorms together, Snowball following close behind. The air between them felt lighter, the weight of unspoken guilt beginning to lift.

But as they approached the dorm building, Scaramouche paused at the entrance.

“You’ll… stay with me, right? When I talk to him?” he asked quietly, his voice almost vulnerable.

Lumine smiled softly and nodded. “Of course, Kuni.”

With that, they stepped inside, ready to face whatever came next.