Chapter 105: Chapter 104 – Friend

Yuna flopped down on her dorm couch, her damp hair gently waving around behind her back. A sigh escaped her as she stared up at the ceiling of her room. She had just returned from eating dinner out in the city and had taken a shower. During the entire exam, she didn’t have the time to wash up properly. 

‘I wish I could do that cleansing spell Yuki always uses.’

She sat there quietly, letting her mind go blank as she stared at the white ceiling. All she heard where her soft breaths that escaped her as she relaxed. After a while, she sat back up and stretched her arms up, her fingers interlocking as she pushed them away from herself.

‘It’s that time of the month,’ she sighed. ‘Again.’

Tapping on her watch, she opened her contacts screen and stared at her list of exactly two people. Her finger hovered for a bit as reluctance sprouted in her. 

‘Let’s get this over with.’

She pressed the second name with a firm finger and waited as the little phone icon did its little shaking animation. Exactly three rings later, the line opened and Yuna was met with the shadow covered face of her captain.

“Good evening, sir,” Yuna said, her voice growing stiff as she enunciated each word carefully. “I am here to give my monthly report.”

“Ah, yes. I nearly forgot,” the captain replied. “Thank you for being diligent. Now, begin your report.”

Yuna launched into a detailed summary of her past activities for the last month. She started from her classes where she talked about what was taught and how it was taught. Then she transitioned into the break where she described her school trip to Fenrir and her attempts to spend time with Yuki. 

“Do you know what he was doing during the times you were separated?” the captain interrupted.

“No sir,” she replied. “I had asked but he told me that he was just going to go around and explore the city. I manage to talk to him later in the day.”

“How did that go?”

“It was just idle chit chat,” Yuna said, remembering the semi personal topics that conversation contained. “Nothing of note.”

“Alright. One small thing before we continue,” the captain said. “What rank did you get for your class?”

“I’m rank three in my class and rank fifty six overall for the entire school. I didn’t directly participate in the tournament so this rank is based on my class performance.”

“And I take it that you’ve been trying to keep as low of a profile as you can?”

“That is correct. I am confident that I could reach the top of my class and at least the top thirty of the school if I applied myself more.”

“I believe so too. How about Yuki?”

“He was given rank twelve in the entire class and rank sixty seven for the entire school.”

“So about average as well. His ranking probably increased because of his performance in the tournament. You may continue with your report.”

Yuna nodded and went on to describe the troll nest extermination assignment and the events that went on inside the forest. She conveniently forgot to mention the things that Yuki told her not mention.

“I see,” the captain said contemplatively. “Good report, cadet.”

“Sir, if I may.” The captain signaled with a shadowy hand for her to continue. “What are your thoughts on that barrier that surrounded that troll village?”

“The barrier? I don’t have enough information to make a judgement yet. It could have just been the product of that troll chieftain. Although that would be one very powerful troll.”

“But sir, Yu—,” Yuna started before catching herself. “You don’t think that it should warrant an investigation?”

“I don’t think it’s necessary that we investigate,” he explained. “You’ve stated that the Academy has started an investigation of their own already. And so it would be a waste of personnel to put more men on this case.”

“I understand.”

“Anyway, back to one of your main assignments. Yuki. How close are you to him?”

“I do not have experience in this type of relationship so I do not know if I’m close to him or what is considered close.”

“Well, how are your interactions with him?” the captain asked. “I can help you judge if you are close or not.”

“He seems to not mind me?” 

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“Is that a question, cadet?”

“I mean that he does not seem to find me annoying,” Yuna clarified. “I seem to be able to talk to him without a problem.”

“What do you normally talk about?”

“A variety of topics, sir. Sometimes it’s about school and school related activities. Other times we chat about food, shopping, and whatever comes to mind. He rarely initiates conversations.”

“How is he around other students?”

“I’m sorry sir?”

“How does Yuki interact with other students in things like conversations and assignments?”

“I do not know how he thinks but from what I have observed, other students seem to annoy him. It was fairly obvious during the troll assignment.”

“Does he communicate with them?”

“Not from what I’ve seen,” Yuna said. “He only replies when spoken to and usually only has a few words to say.”

“But he talks to you.”

“Yes, sometimes initiating communication when we are alone.”

“Then I believe that it would be safe to say that you are at least closer to him than anyone else at the moment,” the captain concluded. “Based on your observations, you seem to be the only one that he would hold a conversation with.”

Yuna tilted her head, not quite understanding what her captain was getting at.

“Cadet, I think it would be safe to assume that Yuki sees you as a friend in some way.”

“A friend, sir?”

“Yes, a friend. Good job, cadet,” he praised. “You have accomplished one of the targets we assigned you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Just keep up the good work, cadet,” the captain nodded. “I expect a report again next month.”

“Understood.”

“Good to see you’re doing well.” Yuna blinked at the out of place sentence and the captain disconnected.

‘He’s never said that before to me.’

Yuna shook her head and brushed it off. It was probably because of something she had described in her report. She had more important things to think over. She went to her room and laid down in her bed, turning the lights off using her watch as she did so. Then, like she did on the couch, she stared up at the ceiling. But this time her mind was racing, making loops around one thought.

‘I have a friend?’

For all of Yuna’s life, she had never had a close relationship with anyone. Certainly not a relationship that she could call friendship. From the orphanage where she spent her toddler years to the training camps of LIA, she kept to herself and rarely spoke to others when it wasn’t necessary. Friend a foreign word to her.

‘I never considered what I had with Yuki to be a friendship. It was just conversation.’

But now that she looked back, she realised that it wasn't just conversation. They talked about frivolous topics. They joked around with each other. They had even spent time together inside of a hot tub. 

‘But is it really friendship if I had ulterior motives? What would he think if he found out? Would he get angry? Would this end?’

What “this” was, Yuna wasn’t quite sure yet. If it was friendship, then it was a foreign land that she didn’t recognize. And if it wasn’t, then she didn’t know what it could be called.

‘A friend.’