"Wait... Aerin?" I froze. She was sitting at the front, and I hadn’t even considered her as a possibility. It was the same girl I’d given my emblem to a week ago.

Aerin stood up, walking toward me with her usual soft, almost hesitant step. She didn’t say anything, just stood silently next to me. As we looked at Mabel, she gave a satisfied smile.

"Mhm, you guys look good for each other. Now, partner up." Mabel's words hit me like a ton of bricks. What?

"Erm... why do Aerin and I have to partner up...?" I couldn't help but ask, my disbelief clear. I mean, I didn’t even really know her, and I hadn’t expected to end up with her as a partner.

"You two are like twins, that's why," Mabel replied, laughing lightly, like this was some kind of joke.

Twins? What? I stared at Aerin in confusion. She's shorter, with longer, messier hair than mine, but otherwise, I didn’t see how we were alike at all.

"You both have the same hair color, same eye color, pale skin... You guys look like you came out of the same womb," Mabel continued, her tone teasing. "And not to mention, you both have that quiet, loner personality. Just like how you can't find a friend in your class... so I'm just doing you a favor, hehe."

What? My face flushed a little, but Aerin didn't seem bothered at all. She just stood there, quietly accepting the situation, her face as unreadable as ever.

"Understood," Aerin replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper, before turning her gaze toward me.

I couldn’t understand her at all. How was she so... calm about everything?

"Yes, good!" Mabel clapped her hands together in approval, ending the exchange.

Now I had no choice but to work with this girl... the quiet, clumsy one who I barely knew.

As we began to turn toward the combat area, Aerin suddenly grabbed onto my shirt. She was clenching her hands together in front of her, looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes.

"Let's do our best..." she said softly, her voice so cute that it made my heart skip a beat. But then she accidentally bumped into my shoulder, her face turning pink as she looked down at her hands, clearly embarrassed by her own clumsiness. 

It made me feel strangely warm inside.

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly, Great, now I'm the one blushing.

The class had dismissed us, and we were given five days to prepare for the physical assessment. I sat in the canteen with Aerin, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being stuck. "What should I do?" I muttered to myself, frustration creeping into my thoughts.

I glanced at Aerin. She was holding a small sandwich close to her chest, chewing on it delicately. Despite her clumsiness—like how she stumbled during our match—I couldn’t deny her elegance in moments like this. Everything about her seemed calm and composed, like she was in her own little world.

“Sooo... dodmsd have anyny ida..?” Aerin mumbled between bites, making it nearly impossible for me to understand her.

“Don’t talk while eating,” I said, my words coming out more stern than I intended. Maybe I overreacted, but it was just... distracting.

She gulped down her food and repeated her question. “Soo, do you have any idea what we can do...?” she asked, her expression blank.

I sighed, trying to think of something useful. "We have to figure out how to synchronize our soul energy and stuff like that... and uhhh, I don’t know..." Even trying to answer felt so difficult. I had no real clue what we were supposed to do, especially with the pressure hanging over us.

"Wouldn't the library be useful for stuff like this?" Aerin suggested.

A library, huh... wait, that makes a lot of sense. I can't believe Aerin actually thought of that. Thinking it through, Aerin isn’t stupid—she’s just clumsy. I’m pretty sure she’s really smart in all the academic areas, especially when it comes to school.

"OHHH, YOU'RE RIGHT!" I slammed my hands down on the table in excitement.

"Wuahh..." Aerin looked up at me, her cheeks puffed out slightly, as if she was quietly surprised by my outburst.

We headed to the library, searching for what we needed. As we entered, I was immediately struck by the vastness of the place. The main floor featured towering bookshelves that stretched all the way up to the ceiling, with ladders that glided on their own, allowing easy access to the high shelves. The space was bustling with students, many of them paired up with someone, chatting and laughing together.

Is this some sort of dating area...? I couldn’t help but think to myself, noticing how comfortable everyone seemed.

Couples were everywhere—holding hands, sitting side by side as they wrote together, reading together, even playing games on their phones. It was like a social hub, but in a library.

"Wuah..." Aerin let out a soft, surprised sound beside me. Don’t think too much about it, Ero, I told myself. We're not like those lovey-dovey couples.

As we walked further into the library, we spotted the Study Room and another area filled with signs labeling various categories of magic books. That’s probably where we’ll find what we need, I thought, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a voice broke through my thoughts.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A student approached us. She looked a bit different from the others, wearing a red cloak over her school uniform.

"Hi, uh, I just—" I fumbled, not really sure how to respond.

"Oh, I see! You couple must be new here," she said with a knowing smile. "Don't worry, I'll assist you. I’m one of the librarians, Elizabeth!" Her voice was confident, like this wasn’t the first time she’d helped newcomers. Wait... did she just say "couple" as in...?

"Uh, we're not cou—" I started to correct her, but she continued speaking over me.

"As you can see," Elizabeth went on, motioning toward the various sections, "we have a category for magic books, where you can find everything you might need for your assessments. And over there, by the couches, are the social spots where you can settle down to write, study, or just relax." She smiled brightly and gestured for us to follow her.

We moved to the second floor, where I was greeted by even more bookshelves and a maze of doors. "What’s all this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, this is the private rooms section," she explained, her tone implying something more. "You can study there, rest, or even consume drinks and food. And... well, you know, other things, too." She winked, clearly trying to imply something else, but I didn’t want to go there.

"Well... that’s all for now! Feel free to explore!" Elizabeth said, waving at us with a bright smile before she ran off. I was left standing there, still processing the strange experience. Private rooms, huh...

"Wuah, I’m sleepy..." Aerin muttered in her usual monotone voice. Without another word, she wandered into one of the private rooms.
『Beep! - Room 520 will now be occupied』 

A mechanical voice echoed through the library, sounding almost too official for its own good.

I watched her step in, then thought about it. "Oh... so if you enter an unoccupied room, it detects you and notifies you about it?" I murmured to myself, more curious than anything.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed her in. As I stepped inside, I was met with a surprisingly cozy setup—a small table on the floor, sitting pillows neatly arranged around it, a small fridge, and a bed tucked in the corner. The room was designed with every necessity in mind.

"This is more like a bedroom..." I muttered, taken aback by how comfortable and homely the space looked. I had imagined a study room, not something that resembled a personal living space.

In an instant, Aerin immediately plopped down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. "Hey... we're not here to nap. We need to find the books for our assessment..." I said, trying to keep my focus on the task at hand.

"Mmm... kay... good luck, and let me know once you find the books... and also, buy me some strawberry milk... and sandwiches... zzz..." She trailed off, already sound asleep, her last words barely audible.

I let out a soft sigh, shaking my head in disbelief. Is she always like this...? I’m supposed to be working with her, not doing everything on my own. "Welp, I guess I don’t have a choice," I muttered, resigning myself to the fact that I’d be handling this by myself.