Six hours of ultra-compressed leaning at the very limit of their processing power, and it struck Oliver that going further without pausing to collect themselves would be actively harmful. He voiced that concern, and the upperclassman teaching them accepted it with a grin—and stood up, only to swoon and collapse. Only half awake, he was carried out by the other seminar members. The preparation fatigue had clearly caught up with him.
“…Transport requires supervision by four or more mages, including the one granted express permission. Am I right, Katie?” Oliver asked.
“…Wait, there might be another restriction. There was an example…”
Oliver and Katie were left behind, with only one older member to keep an eye on them.
For a long time, they busied themselves reviewing what they’d been taught, making sure it was all steeped into their heads. Oliver was keen on the daily acquisition of new knowledge, but it had been a long time since he tried to force quite this much in at once. Alone, he’d have suffered, but with Katie at his side, it went down easy. He’d always admired her passion for her studies, and the desire to keep up gave him boundless energy. The empty focus potion bottles continued to mount.
Ultimately, they hit the time limit before their concentration petered out. The corner of his eye saw the clock at midnight, and he closed the file with a thump.
“…It’s awfully late. Katie, let’s call it a day. The others are waiting for us at the base.”
“…Oh, is it that time?” she asked, looking up. “It is! I’ve gotta prep for tomorrow…”
She vaulted from her seat and started putting the documents away. Oliver helped her get it done quickly. They bowed their heads to the upperclassman on monitoring duty and left the seminar room. They’d agreed to spend the night in their workshop, not the dorms—and so they raced down the corridors, the threat of encroachment present but no longer posing any danger.
“The moment the lecture began, you got your stride back. Nobody focuses like you. It was all I could do to keep up.”
“Th-that’s hardly true. I just keep racing on ahead, heedless, and you forcing us to turn back and take in the big picture really helped.”
“Oh? Then maybe we’re a good match as research partners. Maybe that’s why he said we had synergy.”
He hadn’t paid that comment much attention in their first visit but was nodding at it now. Katie watched his profile, feeling emotions welling up inside. As they lined up by the painting to the labyrinth, her lips parted.
“…Um…”
“Mm?”
“…Maybe a bit late for this, but I’m really glad you joined the seminar with me. If it was just me today…I bet I’d have been there till dawn.”
She knew just what she’d been like during the cram session. She knew that was a bad habit but had never been able to stop herself. Once she got her head buried in something, both pain and time disappeared. Pete had similar propensities, but he was nowhere near as bad as Katie got on certain subjects. More than once, a magical beast had torn her arm off, and all she’d done was stop the bleeding and go right back to making observations.
“And the whole time I was reading tír documents, I felt secure. When I’m studying on my own, I get lost in it, but with someone I can trust, like you or Guy, I know you’ll pull me back. S-sorry, that’s so weirdly dependent. I shouldn’t—”
Shame got the better of her, and she tried to walk it back, but Oliver shook his head, looking deeply relieved.
“There’s nothing strange about it. I’m glad I can play that role for you. Yeah, that works. While Guy’s gone, let me be your anchor.”
He smiled at her, like this thought filled him with joy. And when she saw that—the emotions swelling up inside Katie shot way over a threshold, trying to race off without her consent. Barely keeping them in check, she yelped his name.
“…Oliver!”
This was quite loud. He looked surprised, and she squeaked the next words out. As if she could barely stand to wait for them.
“…C-can I get…a hug?”
“…? Uh, sure…”
A modest request, and he spread his arms. As he did, Katie pulled him into an embrace. Feeling his warmth against the length of her. His scent, his weight. Something that hovered right there at her side, but with which she dared not make contact. Only allowing herself to accept the occasional overflow, desperately waiting for it like a desert waited for rain.
“…I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
“What for? We’ve had this free-hug policy for ages. If anything, you’ve held off on it for too long.”
He mussed up her hair as he spoke. Ordinarily, Oliver didn’t do this to her, even when they were hugging. A habit of his that Guy had unsuccessfully warned him of—but he knew Katie had always rather liked it. Now that he was filling in for Guy, he gave himself free reign.
“”
And in this moment alone, that unfettered expression of affection melted Katie’s restraints with terrifying ease. Appalling thoughts flooded her mind.
He would probably agree to anything she asked of him. An act akin to helping yourself to water from a well dug by your neighbor, diving into the communal spring waters with dirty boots on and scooping handfuls to your lips. But the boy before her would likely allow it all.
“…Haah! …Haah…”
“…You okay there, Katie? Your breathing’s kinda…”
Maddening—this impulse, this thirst. To her disgust, she was barely holding herself a half step away from acting upon it. Adoration, longing, and carnal desire melded into a single need, haloed by the inherently dicey instincts of a mage. A rejected part of her mind was screaming at her: Don’t you dare let him go. No matter the consequences, you must make him yours. You can’t let him get away. This is something you cannot live without.
It would get the best of her. That warning bell rang before her rationality slipped away, and Katie bit down hard on the flesh of her cheek.
Pain and blood followed, a harsh cure that woke her sanity up—this was little different from what Valois had done in the combat league. But it worked. While the pain distracted her, she freed herself from the embrace, prying her body from the warmth that tempted her heart astray.
She knew better than to let the blood escape her lips. She swallowed it all—and did her very best to plaster on a smile.
“…Thanks. I’m okay now,” Katie said. “Let’s go! They’re waiting for us at the base!”
With that, Katie spun around and leaped into the painting. Sensing something highly unstable in her act, Oliver followed, spurred by his own anxieties.