Chapter 115: Chapter 108: "From Calm to Chaos"

The following day started off surprisingly calm. The group had gathered in their usual spot near the campus fountain before classes began. Albedo was sketching formulas in his notebook, Ayaka and Amber were chatting quietly, and Venti was balancing a pencil on his nose while lounging on the bench.

Lumine sat beside Aether, Snowball nestled in her arms, purring contentedly. Scaramouche leaned casually against a nearby tree, hands stuffed in his pockets, his usual annoyed expression plastered across his face.

For once, everything seemed… peaceful.

“So, did you two talk it out yet?” Amber asked hesitantly, her gaze darting between Aether and Scaramouche.

Aether sighed and crossed his arms. “We’re… fine. For now.”

Scaramouche clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, we’re all rainbows and sunshine now.”

“Boys…” Ayaka muttered with an exasperated sigh.

Before anyone could add more, the school bell rang, signaling the start of the first period.

---

During Lunch Break

The group had gathered in the cafeteria, occupying their usual corner table. Aether was eating quietly while Lumine fed Snowball tiny pieces of fish from her bento. Venti was dramatically retelling a story about how he once fell out of a tree, complete with exaggerated hand gestures.

Scaramouche sat across from Lumine, casually sipping on his drink while shooting occasional glares at Aether.

But then—chaos began.

It started with Venti accidentally knocking over his juice box. The liquid splashed onto Amber’s sleeve, making her yelp in surprise.

“Venti!” Amber scolded, waving her arm.

“It wasn’t me! It was the juice box! I swear!” Venti defended, holding up the now-empty container like it was evidence in court.

Amber lunged for Venti’s head, ruffling his hair in retaliation, causing him to flail dramatically.

Meanwhile, Snowball jumped off Lumine’s lap and dashed across the table, knocking over Ayaka’s neatly arranged lunch.

“Snowball!” Ayaka gasped, reaching out, but it was too late—the little kitten was now on a mission.

Scaramouche let out an annoyed groan, attempting to grab Snowball, but the kitten was faster. She weaved between containers, jumped over Albedo’s notebook, and skidded across Aether’s tray.

“Control your furball!” Scaramouche snapped at Lumine, barely dodging a flying piece of sushi.

“It’s not her fault!” Lumine defended, trying to stand up and catch the kitten.

In the middle of the commotion, Aether reached out to grab Snowball but ended up smacking Scaramouche’s drink instead, sending the liquid splashing directly onto Scaramouche’s face.

The entire table went silent.

Scaramouche froze, his bangs dripping with iced tea, his violet eyes twitching in irritation. Aether stared at him, wide-eyed, hand still outstretched.

“You—” Scaramouche started, but Aether interrupted.

“It was an accident!”

Before Scaramouche could retaliate, Snowball leaped onto his shoulder, meowing innocently.

The sight of the tiny kitten perched on an angry Scaramouche’s shoulder was enough to make Amber and Ayaka burst into laughter. Even Albedo allowed a faint smile to tug at his lips.

Venti, however, was on the floor wheezing. “Pfft—K-Kuni! You look like an angry wet cat!”

Scaramouche turned his death glare onto Venti, and for a split second, it seemed like he was about to flip the entire table.

But then, Lumine stepped forward, holding Snowball in her arms again. “Scaramouche… please.”

Her soft voice seemed to cut through his rising anger. Scaramouche closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Fine. Whatever. I’m done,” he muttered, grabbing a napkin to dry his face.

The group sat back down, their laughter gradually fading into light chuckles. Amber was still wiping juice off her sleeve, and Aether was poking at his now-soggy tray of food.

“Well,” Albedo said calmly, adjusting his notebook. “That escalated quickly.”

Ayaka giggled behind her hand. “At least Snowball seems happy.”

The little kitten was now curled up in Lumine’s lap once again, purring contentedly.

Scaramouche leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, still looking annoyed but notably calmer. He glanced at Lumine and then at Snowball, letting out a small sigh.

“Next time, leave the demon furball in your dorm,” he muttered.

Lumine smiled softly. “No promises, Kuni.”

The group slowly returned to their meals, the earlier chaos settling into a warm, familiar comfort. The bond between them—despite the teasing, accidents, and occasional arguments—felt stronger than ever.