Chapter 2:

II - Encounter

A Last Hope: Dawn Wing

Charlotte's gaze didn't move, wide and focused at the transferred student, her heart thundering against her ribs, feeling agitated? Anxious or… excitement?

That girl with that Dawn Wing. S-S-She is real?!

Aurora's eyes wide, in disbelief and realization, mismatched eyes shining on the sunlight ray, dark blue hair with gradient crimson with streaks fluttering behind her, hand flew over her mouth with small gasp.

Oh no, that girl wearing a light shining armor on my dream… s-she's real… she thought to herself, her face began to return in red as ripe strawberry.

Then, a tomboyish voice echoed around her mind. Followed by another word.

"Really? You thought you could stop me by rescuing my 'princess'?"

"Your majesty, Princess Aurora! I'm coming to save you!"

It can't be…? Why is she so attractive even though she was just a simple student!

She just appeared to love me?! O-Or… she's here to give me those flowers in front of my friends?

What if she—

"Aurora?!"

"Eep—!?" Aurora yelped in surprise, ears lifted, almost jumping off in front of her classmates.

"W-w-what? W-w-what d-do you want?!" she asked anxiously, although her face was still red from embarrassment, already exposed.

"Aura? You seem red? Is there something interesting to explain?" her friend, Quincy asked eagerly with her eyes blinking, lashes catching the sunlight.

Sarah clasped both of her hands, pleading with puppy eyes to respond.

"Please...?~"

Quincy blinked in confusion, then grinned mischievously, followed after her friend, mimicking her movement.

"Please…?~" both repeat in unison with those puppy eyes glimmering, making Aurora's one of her mismatched eyes twitch in frustration, fingers curling on her sides, grinning.

"You think I would say this, don't you?"

"Eh?! But Aura please, say anything about the girl on shining armor! I'm so excited to hear about her!"

"Just once!"

"Please! My heart is overreacting!"

"I'm begging you!~"

"Oh, shut up guys! Just stop teasing me in front of the entire class or I'll smack both of your heads!" Aurora hissed fiercely, face burning.

Before her friends could whine defeatedly, a sharp rap of the wooden ruler against the chalkboard interrupted the whisper conversation, Professor Grimm, raised one of his eyebrows in suspicion over in spectacles.

"Ehem?"

The trio froze, rising from their desk, asked anxiously. "Y-Y-Yes, Sensei?"

"Miss Chu, Miss Einar, Miss Madden? If your private conversation is more interesting than my lesson, perhaps if both of you would like to share this to us?" Professor Grimm asked, adjusting his spectacles with one finger.

Aurora froze, dropping back into her seat after her friends, both mouths clamped shut.

Charlotte's gaze from the back row didn't leave at Aurora despite the transferred student getting scolded by Professor Grimm, over nonsense conversation, her friend whispered to her ear teasingly.

"Psst! You are staring."

"Kya—!"

Charlotte let a yelp almost fall from her seat, everyone froze once again after Aurora, this time they're all staring at the back row including her friends as the entire classroom became silent once more, some of them murmured to their friend beside them.

Charlotte panicked, her heart pounding even louder against her ribs, the rushing blood filling her ears fully in dizzy heat.

Under the sudden spotlight of dozens of staring eyes—even Aurora's piercing gaze, Charlotte scrambled, straightening her uniform clumsily but she didn't realize it was too late. She was definitely in doom.

"I-I'm f-fine!" she stammered, rising up so fast her chair screeched against the floorboards rubbing the back of her neck and offering a sheepish grin to the teacher.

"Just a little bit dizzy this morning. The late-night at the dining hall is still chasing me up to me, I guess…"

Aurora stared at her with wide eyes, one of her ears flickered while her friends murmured with giggles.

At a dining hall? Wait… it means—she IS A WORKING STUDENT!? she thought to herself, hand over her mouth as the teacher sighed, shaking his head.

"Just try to stay awake, Miss Rayburn. We've only just begun."

The class shifted their attention towards the board, Charlotte sank back into her seat with a long shaky breath while desperately avoiding eye contact from the front row.

Aurora flew her hand to her mouth, too forced to hide her smile, while staring at the vulnerable warrior who was already losing her composure before she shifted her attention back towards the board, with a low chuckle.

She's so weird, anyway.

꒰ა ✦ ໒꒱

The buzzing sound of students chatting about their magical related conversation, their daily magical practice before the test begun after lunch period, however for Charlotte Rayburn still embarrassed from earlier, breathing heavily alongside of her friends kept teasing her, gaze stubbornly focused on the other table where Aurora, the transferred student chatting with her friends.

One of her friends, Louie nudged her shoulder teasingly, leaning closed whispering to her ear, while on her hand a piece of honey bread.

"Yo, someone is in love at Miss Chu~"

"!"

Charlotte snapped, distracted by whispers. Oh, come on! Someone is distracting my fantasy! she thought to herself, grumbling one of her friends Sammy let out a low whistle.

"Ugh, guys stop teasing me!" Charlotte hissed, cupping her face with both hands, still embarrassed from earlier.

"Why? You keep looking at her for hours, you know?"

"Shut up, that's none of your business!"

"Are you sure about that~?"

Louie and Sammy leaned close, biting their lower lip in excitement and anticipation, hands clasped together hoping she would finally announce her crush on the gorgeous yet piercing transfer student.

"Come on, Char, don't be shy~" Louie whispered, nudging her teasingly.

Sammy curled her arms around Charlotte's neck, tapping her cheek with finger.

"If you keep staring at her for a thousand years from across the common room, she's going to challenge you to the magical duel instead of being… friends."

Charlotte groaned, peeked through her fingers catching the glimpse of Aurora laughing with Quincy and Sarah, her fan blocking her face except those mismatched eyes.

Wait WHAT?! No way I just wanted to meet her instead of duel with her!

Ugh! My heartbeat is getting wild! I need to introduce myself, come on Char you can do this… you can do this.

Her fist curling against her lap, lowered her gaze avoiding eye contact with her friends, however as the footsteps grew closer, not one—but three of them.

Oh no…I think she heard me.

"Char, look at me! The transfer student is approaching!" Sammy whispered to her ear, gaze darting between the upcoming trio.

"Wha—?!" Charlotte immediately straightened her posture, sweat forming on her forehead as the three shadows loomed above her.

Slowly, cautiously lifted her head to face the most beautiful student that had the Dawn Wing appeared in her dream.

No way… that girl, s-s-she is so… gorgeous.

Aurora froze, mismatched eyes wide and locked onto Charlotte's brown ones up close, her fan folded back on her hand, she looked like the paladin from her dream was undeniable as the bustling sounds of the cafeteria began to fade away leaving two of them trapped in breathing silence.

She stammered, her regal posture faltering for a moment, the familiar strawberry blush rising up her neck.

"You… you're the one from the classroom and why are you always staring at me like, did I know you?"

Charlotte opened her mouth slightly, not a single word came.

The entire cafeteria seemed to hold its breath around them.

Aurora tapped her feet on the floor, hands on her hips, waiting for her to respond, piercing gaze narrowed, sighed and whispered softly.

"Ah, It's really you. The clumsy, hard working student."

Charlotte's heart made a violent flip against her ribs.

Oh no, s-she remembers me too…

She realized, hands curling against the fabric of her skirt.

Quincy leaned over Aurora's shoulder with a playful wave at the vulnerable Charlotte with a mischievous grin, grew massive before she whispered to Aurora's ear.

"Did you see this, Aura? Is that the girl you've talked to us wearing dirty armor to protect you?"

Aurora facepalm, hissing fiercely blushing. "Shut up, Quin! Don't embarrass us in front of the cafeteria!"

"Oh, my bad hehe." she offered her a sheepish grin before shifting her gaze back at Charlotte.

"Oh, hello, knight student! I'm Quincy! This is Sarah." she gestured her hand towards the other girl with glasses, book on her chest, bowing.

"And this is our new flustered princess here is Aurora. We've noticed you staring at us and we just wanted to say hi to each other?"

Aurora's ears puffed up.

"Quincy! Shut up!" she hissed, cupping her face with both hands, wishing she could activate her Dawn Wing to escape from embarrassing scenarios and hide.

"Oh, sorry I'm just excited."

Charlotte tilted her head in confusion, still embarrassed, rising from her seat to extend her hand, the other on her back introduced herself.

"Greetings, our princess."

"E-E-Eh—?!"

Aurora froze, mismatched eyes, wide soul almost leaving her body.

What did she say??

"I'm Charlotte Rayburn, a hard working student yet stronger feminine than you think." she smirked despite exhaustion from the night shift, she asked.

"What's your name, Princess?"

Aurora just stared at her, shocked but she placed her hand anyway against Charlotte's, shaking without saying a word, and responded calmly.

"Aurora, Aurora Chu. It's a nice pleasure to meet you, Dummy." she said, pulling her hand away.

Louie leaned over Charlotte's shoulder, whispered to her ear asking.

"What did she say?"