The final match had concluded, and the training hall buzzed with murmurs as students began to file out, their conversations blending into an indistinct hum.
"The last match is over. You may all leave," the announcer called out, signaling the official end of the training session.
One by one, students trickled toward the exit, some discussing the matches, others lost in thought about their performances. Among them, Lance strode back toward his group of friends, wearing an expression of mixed frustration and determination.
Before he could say anything, Eric burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Man, Lance, you're such an embarrassment! You're the only one out of the top five who lost!"
Lance's jaw clenched, but before he could retort, Lily stepped in.
"That's enough," she said firmly. "Lance losing isn't the end of the world. His opponent was Robin, and we all know how strong he is."
Hearing this, Lance exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he turned to her with a small, appreciative smile. "Thanks, Lily." Then, straightening up, he smirked. "And next time, I won't lose so easily. I made some stupid decisions in that fight, but I won't make the same mistakes again. I'll come up with a transformation that's better suited against Robin's darkness abilities." His voice carried confidence, but there was a fire in his eyes—one that spoke of determination rather than arrogance.
Eno clapped his hands together, bringing the group's focus back. "Alright, now that the matches are over, I think we should all meet later to talk about the upcoming tournament and go over what we learned from this training session."
Everyone agreed, exchanging nods before preparing to leave.
Just as they were about to step out, Arthur suddenly slowed his pace, his gaze locking onto a figure across the training hall. Cora.
She stood near the far wall, seemingly waiting for someone. The sight of her after all these years stirred something deep inside him—a mixture of emotions he wasn't ready to confront.
Noticing his friend's hesitation, John followed Arthur's line of sight, quickly catching on. A knowing look crossed his face, and he stepped closer, patting Arthur on the back. "Hey, man. Go talk to her."
Arthur flinched, startled by John's sudden proximity. "What? No, it's… it's not a good time," he muttered hastily. "She's waiting for someone. I'll just talk to her later."
John raised an eyebrow. "Arthur, campus is huge. If you don't talk to her now, you might not get another chance. You don't have her number, and if you don't set something up now, you might not see her again anytime soon."
Arthur hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides.
John sighed. "Look, I get it. But if you keep putting it off, you'll just regret it later."
Arthur exhaled, forcing down the nervousness creeping into his chest. He knew John was right.
Taking a steady breath, he squared his shoulders and, before he could second-guess himself, took a step forward toward Cora.
Arthur felt his heart pound as he closed the distance between them, his steps slowing as he finally reached her. He hesitated for a brief moment before speaking.
"…Cora? Is that you?"
Hearing her name, Cora turned around, her expression shifting from curiosity to surprise the moment she saw him. For a second, she just stared, as if trying to process whether this was real.
"Arthur?" Her voice held disbelief. "Is that really you?"
Arthur gave a small, awkward smile. "Yeah… it's been a while, huh?"
A short silence followed, neither of them quite sure what to say next.
Eventually, Arthur cleared his throat. "So… you're in the number one academy, huh? What's that like?"
Cora blinked, then gave a small nod. "Yeah… and you?"
Arthur scratched the back of his head, exhaling. "Honestly? It's tough. Most people here either come from money or have talent with some ridiculously strong ability." He let out a dry chuckle. "But me? I got in by winning some dumb lottery. So, I guess I'm the odd one out."
Cora tilted her head slightly, listening intently.
Arthur hesitated before adding, "But I really thought you'd be here. You had the talent and the ability to make it in easily."
At those words, Cora stiffened, the light in her eyes dimming just a little. "I… went to Song Academy instead," she said, her voice quieter now. "It was… for personal reasons."
Arthur noticed the shift in her tone right away. There was something she wasn't saying, something weighing on her. But he couldn't just pry into it out of nowhere. Instead, he stored the thought away for later.
"Well," he said, trying to keep his tone light, "I should probably get going. My friends already left, and if I don't catch up now, they'll probably make fun of me for disappearing."
Cora seemed to consider something for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
"Maybe we could meet up tomorrow?" Arthur suggested, testing the waters.
She thought about it for a second before giving a small smile. "Yeah… that sounds nice."
Arthur felt some of the tension in his chest ease. "Cool. See you later, then." He gave a small wave before turning to leave.
Just as he was about to step away, Cora's voice called out behind him.
"Hey, Arthur!"
He turned back to see her smiling—not just any smile, but one that was warm, genuine.
"I'm happy you made some friends," she said. "And that you're doing well for yourself."
Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He wasn't sure what to say.
So instead, he simply nodded, then turned and continued walking, a mix of emotions swirling inside him.