TESTING MY NERVES

     I was awakened by the laughter of the patrons outside. Blinking, I looked around and found myself in a small room with only two beds on opposite sides. There was a single lantern on the wall, casting a dim, flickering light.

In the bed next to mine, Barton was snoring loudly. He was smelling like a wet stray dog. This man…

Stretching, I got out of bed and opened the door, stepping into the bustling tavern. I found myself behind the counter where Mira stood, drinking a beer she had poured herself. I hadn't known she drank; she always told me how horrible and foul the smell of alcohol was.

"I didn't know you drank," I said, closing the door behind me.

"Oh, Axel." Her concerned eyes met mine. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm okay. Those two didn't do anything to me," I reassured her, waving off her concern.

"Are you sure? You were bleeding from your nose and your left eye for some reason."

"Yeah…" I mumbled, not even trying to find a suitable lie. I hoped a simple 'yeah' would suffice.

"You're acting very strange since you've stolen that artifact, Axel." She leaned back against the counter, her eyes searching mine. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yep… so, hey, quick question." I said, steering the conversation. "Are we… like, you aren't angry with me anymore, right? We good?"

"Ugh…" She turned her back to get a customer a mug of beer. "I can't believe you."

"It's my seventh beer!" the customer said, slurring his words. "You're not my wife. Shut up!"

"I wasn't talking to you, Larry. Get out of here!"

"Oh… my bad." He said, his face falling. "Sorry."

"Look, it was an accident. I didn't mean to look at her." I shook my head, trying to make her understand. "I mean, I'm a teenager. Still growing up. What if I looked at her breasts? That doesn't make me a pervert instantly."

"Just shut up. If you're okay now, go away. This part of the area is workers only."

"You…" I sighed, feeling defeated. "Fine, okay. I'll go."

"Hmph. Finally."

"Where's that redhead?" I asked, scanning the tables. "I still need to ask her a few questions."

"I don't know. I kicked them out."

"Damn… well, okay." I said, smiling slightly despite everything. "Thank you. You saved my butt yet again."

"Go away, Axel. Don't get mushy-mushy with me, I'm not in the mood."

"Okay, okay… I'll go," I said, raising my hands in surrender as I backed away from the counter. "See you at school?"

She didn't say anything back and turned her back to me, sipping her beer. 

'That could've gone worse… I think?'

     Nearly a week passed by, and Mira was still giving me the cold shoulder. She kept her distance, not even looking in my direction. It was like she had gained a sixth sense; as soon as she felt I was near, she would change locations. However, she sometimes glanced at me during lessons, when she thought I was sleeping. Every time she did that, I could see concern in her eyes.

I ate the pie I had made, which was just… just horrible. Sura was the chef in our house. Although her cooking was subpar compared to mine, at least she made interesting things, unlike my bland pie.

"The weakling," a girl whispered to her friend. "Look what he's eating! It looks like shit."

"Yeah, it does! You think the rumors are true? That he has a scat fetish?"

"It must be true. How else would he get that shity face otherwise!"

'Oh, come on, now. First a weakling, then a pervert, and now a scat fetish rumor? Get me out…'

I kept my expression neutral and finished eating the last piece of the pie. Then, I got up from my desk and decided to go out for a while. If I had stayed there, I would've heard more unhinged rumors about me. I doubted my heart could have taken that.

End of the corridor, I came across with Haruko. She greeted me with a simple nod and kept talking with her friends, who were giving me uneasy glances. 

"He looked at our way!" One of her friends said. "Disgusting."

"Aw, come on girls." Haurko replied. "Isn't he cute? Don't be like that."

"Cute? Have you seen her dead-looking eyes and boring face? He's the opposite of cute. He's a creep."

I slumped my shoulders and descended the stairs, exiting the building. In the arena, two girls were fighting while a short-haired teacher served as the referee. The first girl was throwing fireballs at her opponent randomly. The second girl, however, was deflecting the spells with ease, searching for an opportunity to counterattack.

With a deft movement, the second girl deflected a fireball back at her opponent, then ran toward her. She swung her dagger, hitting her opponent in the forehead. The teacher quickly ended the fight, and the magical barrier covering the arena disappeared.

After the match ended, I sat on a nearby bench and directed my tired eyes to the ground. The whole deal with Dorothea was just too much for me. I needed to rest, gather my thoughts, and decide my next move.

"You cheated!" the first girl yelled. "I want a rematch!"

"I didn't," her opponent said calmly. "I won fairly."

"Come back here! Don't turn your back on me!"

"We're done here. I've – what are you doing!"

The first girl deflected a fireball coming at her direction, making it hurtle toward me. I couldn't react in time, and the spell hit the bench I was sitting on, sparks flying and dissipating in the air.

I stood up angrily, throwing my hands to my sides and fixing my eyes on the girl who threw the fireball. "What are you doing!" I yelled. "You nearly killed me!"

"Shut up, first-year creep!" the girl snapped back. "Don't get involved in this!"

"You almost killed me, you moron!" I shouted, my anger rising. "You're acting like –"

"Moron?" The girl strode toward me, standing right in front of me and grabbing the collar of my school uniform shirt. "Say that again!"

"Moron!" I yanked her hand off me and shoved her away. "You lost. Get used to losing if you act like this!"

"You..." She gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with rage. "You'll regret this, first-year!"

She walked past him, intentionally hitting his shoulder as she did so.

"I swear…" I muttered to myself. "This school testing my nerves."