A black luxury car glided through the early morning dawn, its sleek frame cutting along nearly empty streets. Streetlights blinked off one by one as the sky gently shifted from dark to a soft, uncertain gray. The car passed scattered bus stops where lone students waited in silence, their faces half-lit by the fading glow.
The driver sat with calm precision, a man dressed in a sharp overcoat and a low-brimmed cap. His slightly tousled hair framed a pair of neat, reflective glasses. Hands steady on the wheel, his gaze never left the road, focused and unreadable.
In the back seat, a short pink-haired girl swayed her head to an absent tune, her legs swinging freely as if the stillness around her didn't exist. A soft hum escaped her lips, cheerful and restless, filling the quiet cabin with something almost bright.
Beside her, another girl sat in silence, a dark blue hood drawn low over her head, shadows veiling her features. Only the curve of her chin and the pale strands of blonde hair escaping the hood caught the weak morning light. Her hands rested loosely in her lap, her posture still, her lips pressed together in quiet thought.
The pink-haired girl paused mid-hum, her gaze shifting sideways.
She watched the hooded figure for a moment, her grin fading into a curious little tilt of her head. Slowly, she leaned in, the side of her head drifting closer — just enough that when it brushed the other's for the faintest instant, the hooded girl jolted in surprise, snapping from some invisible trance.
"Oh! Uh—" the hooded girl yelped, startled out of her thoughts.
"So," the pink-haired girl grinned, leaning in playfully, "on a scale of one to ten… how excited are you~?"
"W-what—?! Why would you even ask that, capisce?!" she stammered, her lips twitching into a fleeting, embarrassed grimace — like her mouth had betrayed the fluster she was desperately trying to hide.
"Nothing, just breaking the silence~" the pink-haired girl said brightly, kicking her legs and swaying her head again. She paused, tilting her head with a teasing glint in her eye.
"You're all red, y'know."
"R-really?!" The hooded girl's hands shot up to her cheeks, patting them as if she could physically grab the embarrassment out of the air. "W-what happened to my face—?!"
"Just kidding~" The pink-haired girl stuck out her tongue, tapping her own cheek teasingly.
But then, her grin faltered for half a second — her glassy eyes widening just a touch, a flicker of realization catching in them. She blinked, lips parting mid-breath.
"Well… prior to that, you weren't, but uh—" she snickered. "Yeah, you actually are all red now."
"W-WHA?!"
The pink-haired girl chuckled, watching as the hooded girl — cheeks burning — fumbled to pat them down in vain.
"Miss Rose," the driver called gently from the front, a faint smile in his voice. "Do try not to tease the poor girl too much."
"I'm sorry~!" Rose grinned, not looking the least bit sorry. "But I mean, it's true!"
The driver let out a quiet, amused breath.
"Yes, well… Miss Claire is also the type to cry over a stepped-on ant." His tone was formal, but the warmth behind it was clear.
Claire, still flustered, let out a tiny, indignant squeak from beneath her hood.
"I guess I'm just excited, is all!" Rose grinned, leaning forward to twirl a lock of her pink hair. "It's our first day! Magic! Stellar Arts! Hot third-years—" she gasped, covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers, eyes sparkling. "Oops, maybe skip that last one~"
"F-F-For what?" Claire stammered, instinctively flustered before realizing how dumb that sounded. Idiot, she just told you. She scuffed the floor with her boot, ducking her head lower beneath the hood. "I-I mean… yeah. Exciting."
A small, unintentional chuckle escaped her lips, and for a second, the warmth in it eclipsed her shyness.
"Like I'd forget..." she mumbled, almost to herself.
From the front, the driver spoke, his voice calm and good-natured.
"It does sound intriguing, Miss Rose, Miss Claire. I've heard quite a lot about Celestial Sword Academy myself. Though I should warn you — it's not exactly a leisurely stroll in the park."
"Oh, we know that, silly!" Rose waved him off with a grin. "I humbly swear we won't be as reckless as we are with you!"
"That does put me at ease." The driver smiled, amused. "In any case, we should arrive in about twenty minutes. Perhaps a bit of stretching is in order. We wouldn't want poor Miss Claire toppling over the moment we arrive, now would we?"
"H-Hey! Why is this about me?!" Claire yelped, her face flushing again as Rose burst out laughing.
Claire's laughter faded, leaving a soft warmth in its place. She leaned her cheek against the window, watching the trees slip by in a blur of green and gold.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she murmured, almost to herself,
"Guess this is my destiny that I must follow…"