After the judges finished recording their scores, they turned and left the exhibition platform.
Just as their figures gradually disappeared from view, Serena, who had been silent all this time, suddenly lunged forward and hugged Lucien tightly.
Lucien was clearly startled. His entire body stiffened, and his eyes showed a mix of confusion and panic. He had never been overwhelmed by such sudden emotion—especially not from Serena.
"Thank you," she said softly, her tone brimming with uncontainable joy. "I know it was you who made our project truly complete… and also made me feel that you genuinely recognize our team."
Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had finally let something go. Lucien looked down at the girl in his arms, slowly relaxing his shoulders. His previously stiff hands lifted slightly, as though preparing to return the embrace.
But just then, Serena suddenly turned to look at Aiden and Elena standing nearby. Her tone was light but sincere: "And you two—thank you for joining me in this competition. Yay yay yay!!!"
With a bright smile, she released Lucien from the hug and quickly ran toward the other two.
And Lucien's hands… remained frozen in midair, never quite falling.
Serena bounced up in front of Aiden and Elena, her face glowing with joy. "I really didn't think we could work together so perfectly! It's all thanks to you—my most reliable teammates!"
Aiden responded cheerfully, "Yes!! It's such a relief after all that tension! Serena, we're definitely going to win!!"
The two of them jumped up and down like a pair of excited monkeys, high-fiving each other as if they had already won the competition.
Elena, standing to the side, crossed her arms and muttered, "The results aren't even out yet. Aren't you two getting a bit too hyped too early?"
Meanwhile, behind them, Lucien said nothing. He simply stood where he was, silently watching Serena, his gaze deep and unreadable.
"…Yeah, we're going to win," he murmured quietly. His voice was soft, but carried a sense of unprecedented calm.
Looking at the three of them before him, Lucien suddenly thought—
Even if he woke up tomorrow and this moment was forgotten, she wouldn't regret the choice she made today.
——
After the competition, life seemed to slow down all at once.
The campus returned to its usual calm. Classes remained packed, and while Serena and the others were still awaiting the results, they gradually returned to their normal student routines.
Yet in this quiet period of waiting, Serena was once again up to "something new."
During lunch break one day, she silently pulled out a table full of colorful cheer sticks, magic pom-poms, a handmade banner that read "Go, Brother!", and even a tiny bottle of illusion glitter that sprayed sparkles.
"…What kind of experiment is this now?" Aiden came closer for a look and almost choked on the glitter. "Don't tell me you're entering another competition?"
"Nope!" Serena stood with hands on her hips, smiling brightly. "Did you all forget? In two days, it's the school sports day! My brother's one of the participants in the tug-of-war match—it's a once-a-year event, only open to fifth and sixth years! As his loving little sister, how could I not put together a huge cheer squad?"
"…Does your brother even know you're doing this?" Elena asked, holding a magic pom-pom while giving her a skeptical side glance.
"If he knew, he'd never let me do it!" Serena said confidently. "That's why it has to be a surprise—we'll give him a big 'wow' moment on the day!"
Lucien silently watched the table full of sparkling "surprise weapons." The corner of his eye twitched, but he said nothing. Instead, he quietly picked up a pair of scissors and started trimming the banner's edges.
"In the end… you just can't sit still, can you," Aiden sighed. But even as he said it, he picked up a magic cheer stick and started waving it. "Well… as your devoted friend, I'll reluctantly join you in cheering him on!!"
Serena's eyes lit up instantly. "Yay—!! In that case, let's give it our all and show everyone that us first-years can't be underestimated!!"
The two struck a dramatic pose as if plotting something big, but all they were doing was cutting sparkly paper with scissors.
Serena grinned like a triumphant little fox, her eyes bright and crescent-shaped. She and Aiden were now playing like the best of friends.
At that moment, a clear knock sounded at the classroom door. Teacher Stephen walked in carrying a grade book. At the sight of him, the whole class immediately returned to their seats.
Serena quickly cleared the glittering mess off her desk.
Teacher Stephen cleared his throat and announced, "Students, we will now be rearranging the seating chart. At the same time, we are launching the first round of the 'group point system.' Starting today, each group will earn or lose points based on their behavior. The group with the highest score at the end of the term will receive a commendation."
A small wave of chatter rippled through the class.
Serena raised her hand high, wearing a serious yet slightly pitiful expression. "Teacher, may I not change seats? I really love my current seatmate, and I don't want to be separated~"
Lucien, sitting beside her, widened his eyes slightly in surprise. He turned his head to look at Serena, and there was even a hint of emotion in his gaze.
But the teacher flipped through the grade book and said, "You may. However, your group will automatically lose 50 points."
Serena's expression froze. Then, in a flash, her face broke into a professional smile and she said rapidly, "You're absolutely right, Teacher! I'll pack up right away. Of course we'll follow the rules—change seats it is, I fully support your decision~!"
Lucien: "…"
The look of emotion on his face instantly froze. His mouth twitched slightly. The warmth he had just begun to feel was doused in cold water, and he quietly turned his head away, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
The classroom burst into laughter.
Aiden walked over from the back row, laughing and patting Lucien on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it, trust me."
Teacher Stephen frowned. "Aiden, get back to your seat."
"Yes, Teacher!" Aiden said cheerfully and returned to his place.
Standing at the podium, Teacher Stephen adjusted his glasses and said sternly, "Please pack up all your belongings, including anything in your desks. I will now call names and assign new seating arrangements. Please sit according to instructions."
Seated in the third group at the front, Serena immediately began hurriedly stuffing the mess in her desk—colorful paper, half-used sticker books, and random trinkets she had no memory of ever putting there. She muttered to herself, "How did I collect so much stuff…"
Just as the teacher called her name, she quickly looked up, grabbed her backpack off her chair, and was about to move when she suddenly felt a pair of intense eyes on her.
She followed the sensation and saw Lucien quietly watching her, a look of unmistakable disappointment in his eyes.
Serena paused for a moment. Then she smiled brightly, raised a hand, and waved to him.
The next second, she slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to walk toward her new seat, her steps as light and carefree as always—seemingly unaware of the waves of emotion in his gaze.
Under the teacher's direction, the students quickly found their new places.
Lucien was still in the front row, now in Group 2. To everyone's surprise, he was paired with Elena, while Serena and Aiden were both assigned to the window-side seats in Group 1.
Lucien and Elena were a little surprised—but neither objected.
Lucien silently moved his chair closer and began organizing the space between them. Elena glanced sideways at him and gave a brief, casual greeting:
"Hey."
"…Hey," Lucien replied, his tone calm and polite.
Elena didn't say anything more. She looked down at her textbook and began flipping through it, not planning on chatting further.
Lucien was a little unused to the silence. Compared to Serena, Elena's presence was much quieter.
But at least, it was peaceful.
Meanwhile, Serena and Aiden had happily settled into the window seats in the corner. The moment the teacher stepped out of the room, they instantly started whispering and discussing their cheer squad plan, excitedly flailing their arms and nearly poking the students in front of them several times.
Elena quietly looked in that direction, raised an eyebrow, and said, "They sure settled in fast."
Lucien: "…"
Elena's tone was flat, but Lucien couldn't help glancing toward the window seats as well.
Aiden was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes, while Serena patted his back like a fellow soldier. Her grin was wide and unrestrained, like a little sun that never ran out of energy.
Lucien's gaze softened just a little.
He turned back to his own desk and slowly opened his notebook. On the cover was a sticker, placed there not long ago.
It was a star with a smiling face, and under it were three small handwritten words:
"For Lucky Lucien."
His fingers paused over it, and then he gently flipped the notebook open.
Class resumed shortly after. The room gradually quieted down.
But in a warm corner by the window, a soft murmur of laughter continued—bright and cheerful, like the rustling of leaves in a summer breeze.
And Lucien, seated just a few steps away, quietly looked toward that corner.
He couldn't help but smile.