章 11: Closing Relation With Catlin

When he went to bed, Ardent plagued with something he had never experienced before, both previous and current life, the inability to sleep.

Despite closing his eyes, he could not go to sleep. Then again, how could one easily feel to slumber when they realize they might have cut off their chances of becoming a Mage.

"Should I be more kind with her? But she might find it suspicious. Children might not be as experienced as I am but they could be intuitive in their own right." underestimating someone will not be the death of him, as Ardent did not plan on making the mistakes many would make.

"What should I do?" for few more hours, Ardent think of anything that could increase his chance of becoming close to Catlin, but nothing come to mind.

After few hours of heavy thoughts, Ardent decided to try and go back to sleep.

"I will just have to keep things are as before. I should not do something that could make her suspicious of me." he decided.

After having such an idea, that's when Ardent could finally go back to sleep.

-x-

After the lesson, Ardent wondered if the girls would be joining them or if they would not be able to do so.

He get his answer when he see the sight of long blonde hair charging in his direction. Literally. Catlin ran towards him like a rhino on steroid.

'Crap!' he try to move out of the way but she was too fast, resulting in her crashing into him and them both hitting the ground. Him more than her.

"Aaawww. Do you have to run at me like a bull?" Ardent asked.

"Hummff!" Catlin scoffed before getting of him, dusting all the soil and dirt clinging to her clothes from the impact.

"Yes." she replied after removing all the dirt of herself. Ardent rolled his eyes, before walking towards her menacingly.

Catlin tried to stand tall but the glare he gave her was enough to paralyze the blonde. Unable to move, she watched as Ardent's hand went to her cheek, before he pulled on it, hard.

"Ooowww owwoo," Catlin yelped as he stretched her cheek, causing to turn slightly red.

"Next time, don't do something like that again." Ardent threatened.

"Phe-wine," she managed to say. Ardent released her cheek, allowing Catlin to rub her aching cheeks.

"It hurt so bad," she whined, tears threatened to fall.

"You crash into me, I think pinching your cheeks is punishment enough." he retort.

Catlin's tears stopped, but she did not stop sniffling. Letting out a sigh, Ardent put a hand on her cheek. Catlin flinched before relaxing when she did not feel any pain.

Instead, a soothing sensation reduce the pain, causing the girl to let out a relieved sound.

Ardent kept his annoyed expression, hiding the relief in his heart over the fact he does not burn the bridges between the two of them.

However, whatever relieve he find was destroyed when he heard snickering from the other children. Turning his head slowly to be as creepy as he could, Ardent saw the others hiding their mouth with their hands, trying to hide the fact they have laughed just now.

Too bad covering one's mouth make them look more guilty.

"Frank, do you have anything you want to say?" his light tone did not match the oozing death coming from him, as other children took a few step away from Frank, not planning on being in the death zone.

The blonde gulped, hiding his terror with a smile. It would have work if not for his legs shaking wildly.

Realizing death is the only option, Frank seem to let leave all thought of living as he say his final words.

"You both are like a married couple."

His screams can be heard all over the villages, as Frank learned not only the terror of Ardent, but also the ferociousness of Catlin.

As for those watching from the side, all of them have the same thought.

'I should not enrage the couple.'

-x-

After brutally beating up Frank, the children continue playing. However, they constantly see a sight they no doubt would see daily, as long as the girls and boys play together.

"Come on! Its my turn to play with that!"

"No, it's my turn!"

"I get you now!"

"Do you have to tackle me like that!?"

"You get my cloth all dirty!"

"You did the same thing to me!"

"And they wonder why we think of them as a married couple," Celine sighed, seeing her best friend arguing with Ardent. She wondered how long this game will last.

"I think they will be engaged when they are twelve." Curt said calmly, though he deigned to whisper, not wishing to share the fate Frank had to suffer.

Speaking of Frank, "I'ff fwink dey will learn dey feeling when dey are 9." his said, his bruised lips and bump making his speech harder to understand.

"Jokes on you guys, I bet they will become a couple this year." Celine said with great confidence.

The children looked at one another before what could be described as a vicious smile formed on their face.

"In that case, let's bet on it. The losers have to do what the winners want for a day. Agreed?" everyone agreed before going back to watching the comedy drama in front of them.

'They knew I can hear them, right? Then again, probably not.' Ardent thought to himself as he and Catlin continue arguing like a married couple, or so they say.

To be honest, he was glad that they think of him and Catlin liking one another through their arguing.

'But, their logic is absolutely flawed.' in the first place, while arguing between couples and spouses probably be inevitable, it probably does not start so early.

Second, he did not have such feeling for Catlin. At least not now.

'Ughh, I sound like a pedophile.' even thinking such way make him want to strangle himself. However, he have to get close to her if he want to become a Mage. It's the only way that did not have himself traveling the world.