It was broad daylight as I surveyed the rectangular room—gray concrete floors, plain white walls. Long wooden desks were arranged in rows, and about twenty students filled the space, chatting and laughing loudly. I wasn’t bothered, just bored.

At the front of the room, a blackboard was covered in chalk scrawls, and a small wooden podium stood next to it where my magic instructor lectured, her voice drifting in the background as she spoke about the history of our world.

I sat in the far corner, where I could look out the window in peace. No one sat next to me, which didn’t matter. My goal was never to make friends, unless it was necessary. My focus was on getting the proper licensing to become an adventurer and find out where my sister was. I’d been through enough to know how to compose myself, to not let emotions get the better of me. I was patient—waiting for the time to come when I could finally move forward.

A few minutes passed, and the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The instructor dismissed us, and I stood up, ready to move on with my day. But just as I stepped into the hallways, my stomach growled.

"Kay! It’s time for lunch!" I muttered, eager to fill the emptiness in my stomach. I was about to walk out when I passed by a scene that caught my eye. A girl was surrounded by two boys, both of them looking far too smug for my taste.

"Come on, just don’t move and let us enjoy ourselves," one of them said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

I could already tell what was going on. Bullies, and not the kind I usually cared about, but the kind who were after more than just making fun of someone. The moment it became something else, something... inappropriate, that was when I’d step in.

I watched as the girl suddenly struck one of them—right in the balls. He dropped to his knees with a yell.

"Dammit, you little brat! Get her!" he shouted to his friend, who immediately grabbed her by the hair, yanking it painfully.

"Stop it!" she cried out in pain.

Seeing the situation, I approached the guy pulling at her hair and, without a second thought, slammed my fist into his face. He crumpled to the ground with a howl.

"Damn it! Who the hell are you? You want a piece of this too?" he shouted, glaring up at me.

I locked eyes with him, giving him the coldest death stare I could muster.

"Wha—what? Why are you looking at me like that?" he stammered, his ego fading.

"Yo, let’s get out of here. This guy’s a creep," his friend muttered, and the two of them scrambled away, vanishing down the hallway.

I turned to the girl, who was sitting on the ground, her face streaked with tears. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice softer now.

She glanced up at me, her expression sharp. "Obviously not. Are you dumb?"

"Dumb?"

Wait, did she just insult me after I saved her? And why did she look so... stubborn? As I took a better look at her, I realized she was actually kind of cute. Long, blonde curly hair, the ends almost reaching her waist. Her blue eyes were piercing, her pale skin flawless. She was dressed in the school uniform, her skirt pulled up high, which gave her a noble air—though something about her didn’t seem to fit the typical noble mold.

"Well, you could at least thank the person who saved you," I said, trying to maintain my composure.

"I didn’t ask for help, so why should I thank you?" she shot back, her tone dismissive.

"You say it to be nice, and respectful, young lady."

"Ugh, why are you acting all noble and royal with that attitude? I hate people like that."

Her words stopped me cold. For a moment, I couldn’t think of a response.

"Oh, you see, I’m actually a noble," I said through gritted teeth, my fist clenched tight. Endure it...

"Well, so am I, blehh." She stuck her tongue out at me, as if daring me to respond. What kind of noble acted like this?

"Okay, well... out of curiosity, may I know your name, young lady?"

"First, stop calling me 'young lady.' We’re the same age, and I’m pretty sure I’m older than you." 
No, you're definitely not.

"My name’s Aerin Laiora. Now, leave me alone." She stood up, brushing dust off her clothes, then gave me one last glare. "I don’t like nobles at all, so don’t bother me. See you never."

And with that, she walked off, disappearing into the crowd. I stood there, confused but... well, at least she was safe. That was a better ending than I expected.