475 Chapter 475: Making Friends (1/2)

”Miura La Noir,” I greeted her as she approached, and then turned toward her companion with a nod. ”And Kufa Van Peer.”

”Well met, Richard Huang,” Kufa replied formally and slightly stiffly. I pushed up my glasses as I regarded him. He maintained a neutral expression, looking neither pleased nor upset to see me. Why did he even bother coming along if he wasn't interested in meeting me? Either that or he was good at concealing his emotions.

”The hell?!” In contrast, Miura was all fire and anger. She jabbed a finger right at my chest, but I managed to back away before she could make any physical contact. ”You've been here for a month and you didn't come to say hello?! That's so cold of you!”

”Oh, uh…it didn't occur to me.”

Miura raised a hand to her eyes dramatically, miming a sob. ”Was that all I was to you? A brief, short-lived fling? To be discarded once you were done with me?”

”Yes,” I replied seriously. It was the truth, after all. Miura was just another opponent in the high school tournament over a month ago, and I had never regarded her as anybody more than that. She wasn't a friend, just an acquaintance. Hell, I had a lot more contact with Kureha Franklin, and I couldn't even be bothered to say hello to her because I knew we were never on such good terms to begin with.

As if she had read my mind, Miura giggled while covering her mouth. Lowering her hand, she shook her head.

”If you're looking for Kureha, she's miffed that you decided to waste your time and efforts training her cousin. She thinks that Melina should focus her efforts on training her magic, not trying to learn swordsmanship.”

”What Melina wishes to master is not for Kureha Franklin to decide. It's her life, only she has the right to decide what she wants to do. Nobody else has the right to decide on her behalf…not even her father.”

Kufa nodded in approval. ”I agree.”

”Ugh…” Miura clutched her head and groaned in exasperation. ”Why are you guys always so serious? Geez, you ruined the mood!”

”Now, now…” Rossetti raised both of her hands in a placating manner. ”It is fine, isn't it? You finally have a chance to meet. I still remember you were looking for him about three weeks ago. Isn't this good enough?”

”Where did you go three weeks ago?” Miura turned on me, her hands on her hips. ”We looked for you, but Teacher Einsberg said you applied for leave to take a mission.”

”Well…yeah, I did.”

”After that, we went on a mission of our own, so we weren't able to look for you afterward.” Kufa offered the information indifferently. I nodded, and he continued. ”That was about two weeks ago, and it took us a while to return. And last week, we had to focus on theory exams, so we missed each other again. I'm glad we didn't miss you this time.”

”We have practical exams today,” I remarked, wondering what the theory exams had to do with missing each other, except that the writer completely decided to randomly make this meeting up all of a sudden and had to justify why we somehow missed each other throughout the month or so I had been here.

”Yeah, but unlike the theory exams, which we took by classes, the practical exams are more free-flowing. We're randomly assigned to fight each other, regardless of classes.”

”Heh!” Miura smirked and wagged her finger at me. ”If we meet in the arena again today, you'd better watch out! I've improved a lot ever since that match. I won't lose to you so easily again today!”

”That's assuming you're his opponent,” Rossetti reminded her, smiling in amusement. She of all people knew how fickle the heavens could be.

”All right then…we had best get prepared for the practical exams. We'll catch up again after this. And don't you dare run away! Make sure you meet up again! We're friends, after all”

I was flattered that she thought of me as such after a single match, but wasn't sure how seriously I could take her. Well, I wasn't going to ignore her good intentions, and if she wanted to befriend me, I had no reason to object.

”Good luck.”

”You too!”

After exchanging pleasantries, I bade them farewell, and turned back to my overawed charges. Adrian and Melina were watching Miura and the others depart, amazed that I could so easily speak to such legends in their school. Those three were the core members of the representatives of Saint Teresa Academy, part of the team who led them as far as the quarterfinals in the tournament just over a month ago. It was like meeting their idols in real life.

”You two should get going too,” I informed them gently, gesturing toward the middle school section. Smiling encouragingly, I showed them a thumb's up. ”Good luck! I'll try to be there to watch your matches!”

”Thanks, Brother Richard! We'll do our best!”

”Yes, Sensei!”

The two of them did a pseudo salute, and then ran off in the direction of the middle school buildings. I watched them with a smile, and then turned back to follow Miura and the others. Unlike the theoretical examinations, the practical examinations would not be taking place in the classrooms. They were instead held within the gymnasiums, which doubled as coliseums. Basically the same as Jing Tian Academy.

Before I could get very far, though, a voice cut through my thoughts.

”I finally found you.”

I almost fell over from surprise when the smooth, feminine voice spoke out behind me. Turning around, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the speaker.

It was none other than Nan Gong Zhao Yan.

Unlike Ji Yan, who adopted a doll-like appearance with her twin-tails, pink frilly ribbons, and lots of makeup, Zhao Yan went for a simpler look, merely tying her long brown hair into a ponytail and ditching the mascara altogether. She was no longer wearing the practical suit that she donned last night, and was instead clad in the standard Saint Teresa Academy uniform that was white and maroon. And boy, did she look good in it. Somehow a skirt suited her better, but that was just me being biased.

The air she gave off was also different. If Zhao Yan hadn't possessed the same pretty face that Ji Yan did, I would never have been able to tell that they were twins.

”You aren't in the same class, so it was pretty hard to find you.”