Lumine let out a long sigh as she walked into the quiet sanctuary of the school library. The peaceful atmosphere, filled with the soft hum of air conditioning and the faint rustle of pages turning, was a welcome relief after the chaos of lunch.
âFinally⦠some peace and quiet,â she muttered, setting her tray down on an empty table by the window.
She had barely taken two bites of her pasta whenâ
Thud.
A chair scraped against the floor, and someone plopped down across from her.
âHey, angel.â
Lumine froze mid-bite, her fork hovering in the air. Slowly, she looked up to see Scaramouche lounging across from her with his usual smirk plastered on his face.
âYouâve got to be kidding me,â she deadpanned.
Before she could even process his sudden appearance, another chair scraped on her left side.
âLumine!â Aether said brightly, sitting down with an innocent smile. âMind if I join you?â
Her eye twitched. âWhy are both of you here?â
Scaramouche shrugged, leaning his chin on his hand. âThe cafeteria was too noisy. Besides, you left us all alone, angel.â
Aether crossed his arms, giving Scaramouche a sideways glare. âSomeone had to make sure he didnât follow you.â
âClearly, you both failed at that,â Lumine muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.
---
Scene: Library Chaos â Silent Edition
The three sat at the table, and for a brief, fleeting moment, silence reigned. Lumine resumed eating her pasta, hoping theyâd somehow settle down.
But, of course, that was wishful thinking.
Scaramouche pulled out a bookâHow to Win Arguments and Annoy Golden Retrievers. Aether squinted at the title and clenched his jaw.
âOh, for the love ofâcan you stop?â Aether hissed in a whisper-yell.
Scaramouche turned a page dramatically. âCanât hear you, sunshine. Iâm busy educating myself.â
Aether grabbed a random book off the tableâFeline Behavior for Beginners. He held it up and smirked. âOh, look. It even has a chapter on how to deal with smug stray cats.â
Lumine stared at them in disbelief. âAre you two seriously having a book duel right now?â
The librarian peeked around the corner, shushing them harshly. âQuiet! This is a library!â
Both boys froze, glaring daggers at each other but saying nothing.
Satisfied, the librarian disappeared again.
Lumine sighed and continued eating.
---
After a few moments of relative calm, Scaramouche suddenly slid his chair closer to Lumine.
âSo, angel, what are your plans after school today?â he asked, voice low and smooth.
Aether immediately leaned in from the other side. âSheâs busy. With me. Family bonding time.â
Scaramouche smirked. âOh? And what, youâre planning on watching dog training tutorials together?â
Aether gritted his teeth. âBetter than chasing laser pointers, whiskers.â
Lumine slammed her fork down.
âEnough!â she whisper-yelled. âIf you two donât stop acting like toddlers, I swear Iâm leaving and locking myself in the art room!â
Both boys froze, guilt flashing across their faces.
âSorry, Lumine,â Aether muttered, looking down.
âYeah⦠sorry, angel,â Scaramouche said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Lumine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose again. âYou two are impossible.â
---
For a few blessed minutes, peace returned to their table. Lumine continued eating, Aether sulked, and Scaramouche fiddled with a pencil.
Then, from across the library, a loud thud was heard.
âVENTI!â the librarian shouted.
Everyone turned their heads to see Venti, standing in front of a toppled bookshelf, holding a juice box.
âOopsie~â Venti said with an innocent grin.
Lumineâs head hit the table.
âWhy⦠are my friends like this?â she mumbled into her tray.
Scaramouche smirked. âBecause chaos follows you, angel.â
Aether patted her back sympathetically. âYouâre not alone in this, sis.â
The librarian stormed over to Venti, chaos erupted in the background, and Lumine came to one conclusion:
There was no escaping these three. Not in the cafeteria, not in the library, not anywhere.
And somehow⦠she wouldnât have it any other way.