As soon as Professor Kain left the room, Julia groaned dramatically, slumping forward onto her desk. "Ugh, another report? Seriously? I’m so done with this!" she whined, her voice carrying over the murmurs of the other students. "Why do we always have to write these stupid things? We’re hunters, not writers!"
Ethan chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. "I mean, she’s got a point. Writing reports after every exercise does get old."
Lucas, sitting nearby, smirked faintly as he adjusted his tablet. "You’re acting like this is new. It’s the academy. You had to know there’d be another report coming."
"Expected or not," Julia said, shooting Lucas a glare, "that doesn’t make it any less annoying. I’d rather be in a dungeon fighting something than stuck in my room analyzing formations."
Lilia, who had been quietly packing her things, raised an eyebrow. "We’ve been writing reports since the start of the semester. You should’ve gotten used to it by now."
Julia shook her head vehemently, crossing her arms. "Getting used to it doesn’t mean I have to like it."
Irina, seated a few rows behind them, smirked faintly as she listened in on the conversation. "You could always delegate it to someone else," she said dryly, her fiery yellow eyes glinting with amusement.
Julia spun around to face her, her blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you volunteering?"
Irina chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "Not a chance. You’d probably ’critique’ my writing style the whole time."
Julia groaned again, flopping back into her seat with exaggerated defeat. "I’m not cut out for this academic stuff. Can’t we just skip the reports and prove ourselves in the field?"
Ethan shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "You know that’s not how it works. Kain’s right—reflecting on what we did helps us get better."
Julia shot him a look, her lips pursing. "You’re starting to sound like a professor, Zeus. Don’t let it go to your head."
Lilia chuckled softly, her tone light but teasing. "Don’t worry. He’s just trying to keep you from complaining the whole week."
Julia huffed, shaking her head as she grabbed her bag. "Fine, fine. I’ll do the stupid report. But don’t expect me to enjoy it."
The group laughed, the tension of the assignment easing into their usual camaraderie as they gathered their things and prepared to leave. Despite Julia’s grumbling, they all knew she’d get it done—probably with a few more complaints along the way.
Julia, unable to sit still in her frustration, spun back toward Irina, a mischievous glint sparking in her blue eyes. "You know what, Irina?" she said, crossing her arms on the back of her chair and leaning toward her classmate. "How did your practical lesson go? With your ’Mister Cool’ here, you should’ve had quite a lot of fun, right?" Her tone was laced with playful mockery, each word exaggerated for effect.
Irina raised an eyebrow, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing slightly as a faint smirk played at her lips. "Mister Cool?" she repeated, her voice calm but edged with warning. "Are we giving Astron a new nickname now, or is this just your way of fishing for gossip?"
Julia grinned, undeterred by Irina’s sharp tone. "Oh, I’m not fishing. I’m hooking. Come on, Irina, you’ve got to admit, partnering up with someone like him must’ve made things… interesting."
Irina’s smirk deepened, but her tone remained steady. "If by ’interesting,’ you mean him silently doing his part without much fuss, then sure. Fascinating stuff."
Julia wasn’t about to let up, her grin widening as she draped her arms over the back of her chair like a cat preparing to pounce. "Oh, come on. You’re telling me you didn’t notice the way everyone in the dungeon was sneaking glances at him? The silent brooding, the impossible precision—classic ’Mister Cool’ energy. Bet you were swooning the whole time."
"Indeed. The guy has a way of making everything look effortless. It’s obnoxious." Read latest chapters at freewebnovel
"Exactly!" Julia said, pointing at Lilia as if she’d just solved a great mystery. "Obnoxiously cool. So, Irina, what’s the verdict? Did he swoop in to save you at the last second, or were you too busy trying to keep up?"
Irina leaned back in her chair, her expression as calm as ever, though her narrowed gaze carried a subtle edge. "First of all, I don’t need saving. And second," she added, her tone dripping with mock sweetness, "if you’re so fascinated by Astron, why don’t you ask him yourself? I’m sure he’d love to entertain your endless curiosity."
Julia gasped, her hand flying to her chest in mock offense. "Irina Emberheart, are you suggesting I’m the one interested in him? How scandalous! I’m just here to make sure you don’t miss your moment with our resident enigma."
"Moment?" Irina repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Please. The only thing Astron and I have in common is the desire to finish assignments without dealing with nonsense like this."
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