Chương 97: The Third Day

The third day began with everyone together. From early morning, the hallway and Joker and Harley's room had become a single shared space. Mattresses were dragged over. Blankets were spread out. Graciela showed up with real food and, as always, complained about the academy kitchen while handing out the snacks. Astrid was sitting on the floor arguing with a deck of cards. Harley was cheating without even trying to hide it. Marina released small clouds of colorful vapor just to annoy the two of them.

Rina and Sylvara sat side by side, talking quietly. Kuroe occupied her usual corner of the bed, silent, watching everything with those calm eyes. Lysithea was sitting near her. Elara, Mirella, and Graciela completed the group. Joker was lying with his head on Harley's lap, playing with her fingers without much hurry. The atmosphere was light. No one talked about the results. No one seemed to be carrying the weight of the following day. After a while, Astrid threw the cards on the floor and stretched her arms.

— I'm bored of just sitting around. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Harley raised an eyebrow. — What do you want to do then? Astrid shrugged. — I don't know. Go out. Walk. See the capital for real. Joker opened a lazy little smile. — I'm in. No one needed to argue much. In a short time the entire group was getting ready. Even Graciela, after grumbling that "walking around for no reason doesn't fill your stomach," grabbed her bag and went along.

They left through the academy gates without hurry. The capital was noisy and full of life. They had no set destination. They just walked. Ate street skewers. Stopped to look at stalls. Marina almost spilled a cup of juice from laughing so hard at one of Harley's jokes. Rina challenged Astrid to a short race and won. Sylvara kept stopping to look at any flower that appeared. Kuroe always walked a little behind or to the side, quiet, but never far.

Every now and then someone pulled her by the arm to show her something, and she let them. Joker and Harley walked at the front most of the time, holding hands, exchanging quiet comments and laughing at things only the two of them understood. At one point, while waiting in a line, Elara looked at Lysithea and spoke quietly: — They're doing well today. Lysithea smiled, watching the group spread out ahead. — They are. And it's good to see that. Later, they stopped at a small park near the river.

They sat on the grass, ate what was left of Graciela's food, and stayed there without hurry. Someone lay down. Someone laughed. Someone stayed silent. No one seemed in a rush to go back. When the sun began to set, they got up and walked slowly back to the academy. They moved in a scattered group, but always close enough not to lose sight of each other.

Already near the gates, Lysithea looked back and saw the familiar mess: Joker and Harley stuck together, Astrid carrying Marina as a joke, Rina and Sylvara talking, Kuroe walking a little farther back with Elara beside her, Mirella and Graciela closing the group. She smiled to herself. The third day had been only that. A quiet beginning together in the room. A walk without destination through the capital. And the way back still together. Tomorrow they would know the results. But today…

today had belonged only to them. End of Chapter 97