Tuesday, Mana Manipution Css

  Professor Alden Graves stood before the css with his usual cold, razor-sharp tone that could freeze even the most energetic student in pce.

  "The six students who passed the test st week are excused from the next two csses," he announced. "Those who passed on their second attempt may skip next week's css. As for the rest…" His gaze swept across the room like a bde. "Those who fail three times will not graduate. You will be expelled from the Academy."

  The silence that followed was heavy, a mix of dread and relief depending on which group each student belonged to.

  Thinking the announcement was over, the css began to murmur, whispers breaking out across the room—until Graves lifted a single finger.

  "One more thing."

  Silence instantly returned.

  "The Academy has appointed a repcement for the vacant Alchemy position. Starting today, Potion Crafting will officially begin. Your first css is scheduled for today at 14:00 in Alchemy Lab Number Three. Do not be te."

  With that, he turned and exited, coat trailing behind him like a shadow.

  The cssroom immediately erupted into chatter again.

  "A new css, huh?"

  "Finally! I thought they’d never get around to it."

  "Did anyone say what the new professor is like?"

  The sound of Professor Graves’ sharp cp cut through the chatter like a whip. Instantly, the room fell silent once more.

  “That’s all for announcements. Now that it’s clear—those who need to retake the test, follow me to the meditation room.”

  He didn’t wait for questions or hesitation. With his usual stiff, unyielding posture, he turned and strolled out the door, expecting the struggling students to follow in line.

  Daniel gave Ethan a thumbs-up. “See you ter, Ethan!”

  “Yeah, see you ter!” Oliver chimed in, looking a bit nervous.

  “Good luck to both of you!” Ethan replied, waving as the two joined the group filing out.

  In the cssroom, only six students remained: Ethan, Misha, Eliza, and three others who had passed early. The room, once filled with murmurs and footsteps, now echoed with a peaceful stillness.

  “So,” Ethan muttered aloud, stretching his arms behind his head, “self-study now?”

  He hadn’t expected an answer—but one came.

  “Yes, that’s right…” Misha said softly.

  Ethan gnced her way and caught the faint blush rising to her cheeks. She stepped closer, shifting her weight from one foot to the other like she was fighting herself, then leaned in and whispered in his ear.

  “Hey, Ethan… Can you help me out again?”

  Her voice was barely audible, warm and unsure, but the meaning was clear.

  Ethan fought hard to keep his expression composed, though deep inside, he was grinning ear to ear.

  “Eh? Are you still having trouble with it?” he asked, sounding just the right amount of concerned.

  Misha’s face turned even redder as she fidgeted in pce, eyes glued to the floor.

  “No, it’s not like that… I’m not having trouble per se… it’s just…”

  Her voice trailed off, and she seemed to be at war with herself. Ethan leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

  “Just that?”

  It was the gentle nudge that tipped her over the edge.

  Misha trembled. She peeked up at him through her bangs, cheeks burning, and in a barely audible whisper, murmured, “It feels a lot better when you’re the one guiding me…”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow, pretending not to hear. “Hmm? What was that?”

  Misha’s embarrassment ignited into full-blown panic. She snapped.

  “God damn it! It’s your fault! You made me like this! Take responsibility, you bastard!”

  Her voice echoed through the mostly empty cssroom like a sp.

  The other four students who had just reached the door froze mid-step. Slowly, all four turned around in perfect sync, eyes wide, faces red, each interpreting the scene in their own very creative way.

  Misha, finally realizing what she’d just screamed out loud, let out a squeak and bolted out of the cssroom like her life depended on it.

  Ethan stood there, blinking after her, stunned. Then slowly… very slowly… he brought a hand to his face.

  “…I pushed her too hard.” he muttered.

  Behind him, one of the students coughed awkwardly. Another quickly shuffled out.

  “…That’s not what it sounded like,” Ethan called after them, though it was already too te.

  Ethan sighed softly, leaning his forehead against the door. “I would, but then I’d be a real bastard, wouldn’t I?”

  There was a pause from inside. No reply. Just the silence of someone clearly still fuming.

  “I didn’t mean to tease you like that,” he continued, his tone quieter now. “Okay, maybe I did mean it a little. But I wasn’t trying to embarrass you. I just… didn’t expect that kind of reaction.”

  Still no reply.

  Ethan scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Look, I don’t know what kind of thoughts are running wild in your head right now, but I’m not going to pretend that what we’ve been doing is exactly normal. It’s not. I know that.”

  He took a deep breath.

  “But I do take responsibility. I’m not going to run away from it—or from you.”

  From inside the room, he heard the faintest sound. A sniff. Then silence again.

  “Just open the door for a second, alright? We can pretend it’s about mana flow, or technique theory, or whatever excuse you want. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  More silence. Then… the faint click of a lock turning.

  The door opened just a crack, and one crimson eye peeked out. Her cheeks were still red, her eyes a little misty.

  “…Idiot.”

  Ethan smiled. “That’s the most accurate thing you’ve said all day.”

  She hesitated another moment… then sighed and opened the door fully, stepping aside to let him in.

  “…Five minutes,” she muttered.

  “I only need three,” Ethan said as he stepped inside—then immediately winced. “Wait, I mean—”

  “Idiot!” she growled, smming the door shut behind him.

  From somewhere down the hallway, the faint sound of giggling echoed… followed by a soft whisper.

  “…Did you see Ethan sneaking into Misha’s room?”

  "See! I told you it was a great idea to follow him!"

  "Hehehehe! I can't believe their guts! Meeting inside the girl's dormitory!"

  The rumors were already beginning.

  Inside the room, Ethan stood awkwardly by the door as Misha crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, still red-faced and clearly doing her best not to look directly at him.

  "So," she said at st, voice tight, "you came here to tease me in person?"

  Ethan raised his hands in surrender. “I came here because I felt bad. You ran off like I’d just stolen your family heirloom or something. I wanted to check on you. No teasing—unless you start first.”

  Misha huffed. “As if I would…”

  She didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she turned away and walked toward her desk, where notes from their mana training were still spread out. She ran her fingers over the pages absently, like she was stalling for time.

  “I just…” she started, then stopped.

  Ethan waited patiently.

  “I didn’t think I’d… enjoy it that much, okay?” Misha finally confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was supposed to be training. Just training.”

  Ethan scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I wasn’t exactly expecting to become your… what, personal mana masseur?”

  That earned him a side gre, though it was weaker than usual.

  “I’m serious,” he added. “I wasn’t expecting it either. But if it helps… and if you’re okay with it… I’ll keep helping you.”

  Misha lowered her head, her hair partially covering her eyes. “It’s not just that it helped… it worked. Better than anything else I’ve ever tried. You’re the only one who can guide it like that. And now every time I try to do it alone, it’s just… not the same.”

  Ethan blinked. “You mean—?”

  “I said it’s not the same!” she snapped, face turning bright crimson again. “Don’t make me say more!”

  He chuckled despite himself. “Alright, alright. No more teasing.”

  They stood there for a moment, the awkward silence slowly giving way to a more comfortable one.

  “…Thanks for coming after me,” she said softly, sitting down at the edge of her bed. “I would’ve sulked all day if you hadn’t.”

  Ethan walked over and leaned on the desk beside her. “So. Five minutes?”

  Misha looked up, surprised.

  “For mana training,” he added, smirking.

  “…Five minutes,” she said, turning away to hide the shy smile forming on her lips. “Don’t get greedy.”

  Ethan nodded with a grin. “Five minutes. Strictly professional, Miss Florentia.”

  “Oh shut up,” Misha muttered under her breath, but she was already pulling her chair out of the way, and stripping her upper clothes, then her skirt, leaving herself wearing only underwear.

  Ethan patiently waited beside her, watching as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Despite all her bluster and embarrassment, she really did want to get better. He could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she focused.

  “All right,” he said, voice lower now. “Let’s start from the heart.”

  Misha nodded.

  He reached out, lightly touching her, hovering his finger as he transmitted his own mana inside her chest, the same way he’d guided her before. “Feel the flow gathering here. Now focus on pushing it gently toward your shoulders.”

  “I’m trying…” she said softly, her brow furrowing. “It’s sluggish again…”

  “That’s because you’re tense. Breathe.”

  Misha exhaled slowly.

  Ethan’s fingers moved to lightly through her arm. “There. Better. Now move to your hand. Slowly. Don't forget the chant. There's no need to speak out, but you should at least mentalize it in your head.”

  Misha nodded, gathering her focus in that single pce.

  "Good. Now we move all the way back, and head toward your right leg. Slowly, orderly, peacefully." Ethan expined, moving his finger across her skin.

  Noticing the sudden increase in her Mana flow as they reached the back of her legs, Ethan warned. "No need to rush it—”

  “Like you rushed my dignity in the cssroom?” she murmured.

  Ethan winced. “Low blow.”

  She cracked a tiny smile. “Still mad.”

  “Noted.”

  Another silence fell between them—comfortable this time—as Ethan continued to guide her, helping her adjust the flow with small nudges and directions.

  Finally he reached the st part after guiding her mana all the way through her arms, hands, legs, and feet, reaching back at her sternum.

  "Now, give me your hands. From here we will divide the flow and-" As Ethan extrained the st proceedure, Misha interrupted him with a single word.

  "No."

  "Eh?"

  Misha stared straight at his eyes and ordered with the dignity of a queen. "Do me yourself."

  Flustered Ethan tried to take a step back "But-" but Misha grabbed his hands before he could escape.

  "It's your punishment for teasing me this much!" she said in a tone that would accept no excuses.

  "Fine..." Ethan resigned to his fate with the sentinel between his legs saluting in high spirit.

  Positioning both his hands over her sternum, he slowly moved his fingers, making a line in direction of her nipples.

  "Wait!" Misha stopped him, making him feel both a sense of relief and disapointment.

  "These are in the way!" As she spoke those words, she unlocked her bra, allowing him the full view of her budding peaks.

  Ethan froze in pce, almost scared by how the situation was evolving so fast.

  Glup!

  "Beautiful." A single word escaped his mouth. An honest reaction of someone how had never reached second base through both his lives.

  "Idiot..." Misha answered pouting in a meek way as her ear turned even redder than before.

  He couldn't stop now, so he took a deep breath before continuing, and more carefully than touching a sand castle, he touched her breasts again.

  "Ah..."

  Stopped by her reaction he gced at her, but her eyes were begging him to continue, so he nodded and moved, trailing through her body, right hand following counterclockwise, left hand following clockwise, both expanding like spirals, one single centimeter per loop, until both his hands joined together gain just beneath the colrbone.

  "Gaaah~~"

  Her expression shifted. A subtle tremble ran through her shoulders as she drew a shaky breath.

  “Now hold that flow, recite the final lines of the chant… and lock it in.”

  Misha bit her lip, her eyes fluttering shut as she focused on controlling her mana. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. Her legs trembled like a new born calf.

  "Ahhh~~"

  Misha's mind went bnk as a soft pulse of magic resonated through the room and Misha's body fall into Ethan's embrace.

  "Well done. Good girl." Ethan praised her, patting her head.

  She hugged him back. Her grip was tight, almost needy, as she pressed herself against him, burying her face into his shoulder.

  Ethan blinked, confused but not resisting. “M-Misha…?”

  She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, letting out a quiet breath… and then—

  “OW! What are you doing!?”

  Her teeth sank into his neck without warning, making Ethan jump back in shock.

  Misha pulled away, her expression triumphant as she showed off the faint imprint of her bite on his skin. “That’s for embarrassing me in css!”

  “You bit me!” he said, rubbing the sore spot. “Who even does that?!”

  “Hmph,” she huffed, turning her head to the side with an almost devilish little smile. “I feel much better now.”

  “You’re seriously twisted…” Ethan grumbled, still rubbing his neck.

  Ethan blinked as Misha pulled him closer by the colr, her eyes still burning with pyful fire.

  “You better get used to it,” she said in a low voice, a wicked grin pying on her lips. “And remember—it’s all your fault.”

  Before he could even respond, she rose up on her toes and pnted a kiss right on his lips. Not a short peck. Not some flustered brush. It was long, confident, and full of the chaos she brought into his life.

  Then, lips barely an inch from his ear, she whispered, “You better not tease me like that again… or next time it’ll be even worse.”

  With that, she shoved him back out into the hallway, closing the door before he could recover from the shock.

  Click.

  The lock snapped into pce.

  Ethan just stood there, a bit stunned but with a smile on his face.

  “…Crazy girl...Even worse? Sounds good to me!”

  Shaking his head, he headed off in light steps.

  From the other side of the door, Misha threw herself onto her bed, burrying her face into the pillow, kicking her feet wildly.

  "I can't believe I did all that! Wah!!!" she squealed, her voice half-muffled and half-screamed. “What’s he going to think about me now!?”

  She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, face flushed as red as a boiled tomato. Her hands clutched her pillow to her chest like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

  “I showed him everything! I even let him touch me!”

  Her heart thumped in her chest like a war drum, and her cheeks only got hotter with every second.

  "I bit him! I kissed him! And then I shoved him out and locked the door! Why am I like this!?"

  But despite the panic, a soft smile curled on her lips.

  “…It's all his fault!” she muttered, hugging her pillow tighter. "All his fault!"

  Her legs kicked lightly in the air as she buried her face again, squealing into the fabric.

  "I wanted to do more..." she whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself.

  The memory of his lips, his scent, the warmth of his presence—everything was still vivid in her mind, making her squirm under the covers.

  "...Stupid Ethan..." she whispered, her smile growing wider. "You better not forget that bite."