_Make your divine pick

"The greatest markers in a high house scholar must be their appearance. Why? Because before getting to know how smart you are, how powerful you are, what the whole line will see first is your appearance and I must say— our dear matron and butler had done a great job"

There was a pause from the fitness coach again. The silence that followed was weird and more than before, Afina wanted to clap.

They were supposed to clap in such a situation.

The fitness coach, however, resumed his speech. "You all are twenty, correct?" he asked rhetorically.

His question was supposed to be rhetorical but in this case, an answer was needed.

Not wanting to be the one who jumps ahead and embarrasses herself again, Afina waited for the others to talk.

When no one spoke, a maid took to do the talking. "No divine coach Jedrek. A scholar has been expelled"

"Already?" the coach had both of his eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Only nineteen are left now" the maid further affirmed.

If anything, it was apparent that coach Jedrek wanted to pry no further on that topic. "Alright, how do we do the grouping now?" he asked more to himself.

"Is anything the problem coach?" The girl who had sworn she saw Afina's qi asked.

Coach Jedrek sent his hands on his hips, looking thoughtful. "We need to do some groupings. Two girls must partner up to be in a group" he explained.

"Well then, a maid can be used as a substitution" Giada suggested.

Protests from the divine girls resounded in the air. "No, never!"

"I don't want to partner with a maid!"

"This is about high-house scholars. Why should maids be included?"

Afina had to cover her ears with her palms. The selfish protests of the girls were something she would never get used to.

Cher seemed to come up with an idea. "I suggest we all make our picks and whoever is left with no partner should partner up with their maid"

Afina saw what Cher was doing.

She probably thought Afina would eventually be the only one left with no maid and consequently, she would be the one to partner with a maid.

Not that Afina could care less about being partnered up with a maid.

As a matter of fact, it would increase her chances of winning.

Gia was someone who she had come to get comfortable with. If she was partnered with someone else, the cooperation might not flow as the person would be new to her.

Maybe this was a good idea. She would just stand back and allow the others to make their pick just like the last time when they were picking maids.

"That is a great idea" Coach Jedrek clicked his fingers. "Is everyone up for the idea?" he asked.

Again, none of the girls answered. They only looked at on at the coach with their hands either on their hips or waists.

Okay, this was absurd.

She was definitely answering the coach now. "Yes. It is a splendid idea" she beamed and turned her face to meet Cher's eyes just to show the girl she had accepted the challenge.

What she got in return from Cher was a fast twitch of her nose as she tore her gaze away from Afina.

"Okay then" Coach Jedrek began to clap. "Make your pick" he announced.

Now, the battle of who was more reserved had begun. The girls were now stylishly traveling their eyes around.

Cher was already with her friend. The two girls who disclosed Giada's identity were also with each other. Two other girls who were in the other section of the duplex had also picked themselves.

"I want to partner with Hera!"

"I want Hera!"

"Hera, can I be your partner?!"

These were all the remarks from almost three of the divine girls. Indeed, everyone wanted a strong partner so, they went for the best.

Afina was desperate to see Hera's performance. One in many times had she ever had such a situation where she wanted to see the capability of another divine person but the hype on this girl was just too much.

She wanted to see for herself just how great Hera was.

Since Afina was not expecting anyone to wish for her as a partner, she only stood and watched but it broke her expectation when two voices said to her at once.

"Let's partner up"

"Can I be your partner?"

It was the voice of the divine girl who saw her qi and the voice of Giada.

It was obvious that the other girl wanted to partner up with her for her qi but Giada?

Giada wanted her as a partner?!

At a loss for what to say or whose proposal to accept, Afina only stood transfixed and blinked rapidly.

Come to think of it, she owed Giada one.

Giada had stood up for her in front of those girls while they were taunting her but then again, this girl had also done the same.

It might not be as direct as Giada's but she did something close.

The voice of coach Jedrek broke Afina's thoughts.

"I guess we have only seven girls left to form a group. Please pick your partner now. The race starts in minutes" he instructed.

Hera took a step from where she had stood transfixed since she arrived at the starting line without saying a single word.

The first words she would say now were...

"What are the level and stages of your qi?" she coldly inquired from three divine girls.

"I have a yellow qi of the third stage" one proudly said.

A smile formed across the other's face knowing she had won regarding her and the first girl. "I have a yellow qi of the fourth stage" she beamed

Hera had a disapproving look on her face still.

"How about you?" she questioned the last girl, her voice ever so gentle and calm.

The last girl seemed skeptical to talk but she had no other choice than to speak. "I have an orange qi of the ninth stage" she announced in the lowest voice Afina had ever heard.

The debate was settled then.

Hera hesitatingly pointed at the second divine girl who grinned in victory and went to stand beside her.

The other two gazed at each other first then at Afina and the others before standing beside each other.

"I guess we have just three divine girls left standing" Coach Jedrek announced and all attention sank on Afina and the two girls.

Afina's eyes darted from left to right, wondering who to pick and who to dump.

The sound of dumping a request did not quite sit well with her but she knew she had to.

"Girls?" Coach Jedrek called sounding impatient.

Giada grew impatient too. "Make your pick" she blurted, hands akimbo.

Could she really do this?

Pick one and refuse one?

She had thought she would be the one with no partner. It did not cross her mind that she would have two divine girls wanting her as a partner.

Still, she was behind Hera. Hera had three divine girls wanting her while she had two.

Not that she cared about competition anyway.

"I'm sorry" she gulped with remorse as she addressed the two scholars in front of her.

"I am going to choose my maid and leave you divine girls to partner up with yourselves" she announced.

She needed to sacrifice herself for peace.

This was supposed to be a workout. Not a competition for who is best.

"What more can you expect from a slum girl?"

"How can they want to partner up with blue with the blue qi?"

"Yikes! I'd shed my divine skin before partnering up with such a girl"

Came the spiteful comments from the rest of the girls.

If Afina did not recognize the voice of the others, she knew what Cher's voice sounded like.

Swiftly, Giada turned her face to them. Her masculine body fazed Afina yet again.

"The whole line is watching" she reminded the girls sternly and pointed at the other girl.

"You, come" she moved away from the front of Afina to stand beside her. "She doesn't want us. Let's be partners" her voice sounded cold but there was a fake smile on her face.

Left with no choice, the girl went to stand beside Giada, and then, divine coach Jedrek clapped his hands.

"I will give you the instructions now. There is a reward for the winner" he declared.

Winner?!

Was this not just a healthy workout routine?

Why was the high house saying one thing and doing another?