The school courtyard buzzed with its usual energy as students milled about during lunch break. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and somewhere in the distance, Venti was probably causing mischief. Lumine sat on a bench under the shade of a tree, scrolling through her phone while nibbling on her sandwich.
However, peace was never destined to last long.
Scaramouche, hands tucked in his pockets and an all-too-confident smirk plastered on his face, strolled up to Lumine. His indigo eyes glimmered with mischief as he leaned against the tree beside her.
âHey, princess,â he said smoothly, his voice low enough to send a shiver down her spine. âYou look lonely. Mind if I keep you company?â
Lumine sighed, already sensing where this was going. âScaramouche, Iâm literally just eating my lunch.â
âCanât a guy enjoy lunch with his favorite girl?â Scaramouche quipped, sliding onto the bench beside her, his arm casually draped over the backrest behind her shoulders.
From across the courtyard, Aetherâs overprotective sibling senses tingled. He had been talking with Kazuha and Amber when he spotted the interaction. His golden eyes narrowed as he clenched his juice box so tightly it exploded, juice spurting onto Amberâs sleeve.
âAether!â Amber shrieked, waving her soaked arm.
But Aether was already on the move, storming across the courtyard like a sibling on a mission.
âGet your arm off her,â Aether said sternly, his voice sharp as he loomed over Scaramouche.
Scaramouche merely smirked and tilted his head back to look up at Aether. âOh? And what are you going to do about it, big brother?â
âOh no,â Kazuha muttered as he and Venti casually joined the scene with their snacks in hand, already anticipating chaos.
Amber facepalmed. âNot againâ¦â
Aether leaned closer, practically nose-to-nose with Scaramouche. âI said. Move.â
Lumine, still seated in the middle of this testosterone-fueled storm, sighed and took another bite of her sandwich. âCan you two not do this right now?â
Scaramouche, ignoring Lumine entirely, grinned at Aether. âWhatâs the matter, Aether? Afraid your sister might actually like me more than you?â
Aetherâs eye twitched. âOh, youâre dead.â
And with that, Aether lunged at Scaramouche. The bench tipped backward, Lumine barely managing to leap out of the way with her sandwich still intact.
Students nearby erupted into excited cheers and gasps, forming a circle around the chaos.
âFIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!â someone chanted from the crowd.
Kazuha stood off to the side, eating his rice ball calmly. âAt this point, we should start charging admission.â
Venti was doubled over in laughter, clutching his stomach. âTen bucks on Aether this time! Anyone else betting?â
Amber sighed deeply. âThis is embarrassing.â
Meanwhile, Lumine stood a few feet away, dusting off her skirt as she watched her brother and Scaramouche wrestling on the grass like children.
âDo they ever get tired?â she asked aloud, her tone laced with exhaustion.
Kazuha glanced at her. âYouâd think so, but no. Chaos is their love language.â
At one point, Aether had Scaramouche in a headlock, but Scaramouche somehow flipped them over and pinned Aether to the ground.
âSay it, Aether!â Scaramouche shouted triumphantly. âSay Iâm cooler than you!â
âNever!â Aether retorted, trying to break free.
The principalâs voice suddenly boomed across the courtyard, cutting through the chaos like a knife. âAETHER! SCARAMOUCHE! MY OFFICE. NOW!â
Both boys froze, tangled awkwardly on the grass, while the crowd collectively gasped.
Lumine facepalmed. âHere we go againâ¦â
As the principal marched toward them, Lumine turned back to Kazuha, Amber, and Venti. âIâm going to pretend I donât know them.â
Venti, barely holding back his laughter, gave her a thumbs-up. âGood call.â
And with that, the two troublemakers were hauled off to the principalâs officeâagainâleaving Lumine, her friends, and half the school with yet another ridiculous memory of Scaramouche and Aetherâs never-ending rivalry.
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