"Fucking hell…"
Soren rubbed his neck with the heel of his palm and glared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
The dormitory's bathroom was cold at this early hour.
Normally, it was a quiet, neutral place to start the day.
Today, it was a crime scene.
"Did I go overboard…?" he muttered.
He leaned closer to the mirror.
It wasn't the usual, neat pair of puncture marks that remained on his skin after Lilliana fed.
Those were small, faint dots that he could easily cover with his collar or erase with a flicker of divine power.
This was different.
On the side of his neck was a large, obvious bite mark.
Not two dots, but every tooth.
The skin was reddened and slightly swollen, the imprint clear enough that anyone with eyes could see it wasn't from an accident.
It looked less like "feeding" and more like he had been subjected to rough play.
"...Lilly, you bitch…"
Last night, he had gone to Lilliana's dorm to ask for her help as club supervisor.
He had gotten what he wanted.
But he hadn't left unscathed.
They had talked, he had explained the whole club situation, and she had agreed.
Then he had teased her a little about her reading habits as revenge for all the times she had teased him.
However, she didn't take it well…
He remembered the way she had flushed, how her eyes had sharpened, how she had suddenly lunged.
His hand drifted to his neck again.
"And then you say that," he groaned.
The memory of her last words when he had tried to heal the wound with divine power flashed through his mind.
– If you heal or cover it, I won't supervise your club.
It had been said sweetly, with a smile.
Soren had frozen.
He had tried arguing, tried asking if he could at least dull it a little, but Lilliana's answer had been clear.
– No.
And that was how he had ended up here, the next morning, with a giant bite mark on his neck and a threat hanging over his head.
Not only was it embarrassing, but he wasn't dense; he knew exactly what people would think when they saw it.
He splashed some water onto his fingers and gently washed the area again, more out of habit than necessity.
The skin was no longer bleeding, just sensitive.
'At least she seemed fine by the time I left…'
That was the only positive thing.
By the time he had left Lilliana's dorm, she had been in a much better mood.
Her eyes had looked brighter, her smile softer, especially whenever she glanced at his neck.
He was pretty sure that was when she decided to weaponise it.
Soren pressed his lips together, turned off the tap, and dried his face with a towel.
He gave the mark one last flat look in the mirror.
"It's not like I can do anything about it," he muttered.
He left the bathroom.
His cloak hung on its usual hook by the door.
He grabbed it and shrugged it on over his uniform.
For the first time, he fastened it all the way up to his throat, tugging the fabric until the high collar brushed against his jaw.
He checked himself in the small mirror sitting on his desk.
If he kept his chin down, the worst of the mark was hidden, but if the collar shifted or he turned his head too far, it would peek out.
'This is the best I can do…'
He let out a deep exhale, trying to gather his courage.
Then he placed his hand on the doorknob, turned it, and stepped out into the hallway.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"I'm going to go insane…"
He slumped forward onto his desk, burying his face in his arms.
It had only been a few minutes since he had left the dorm, and the day was already a disaster.
In the dormitory, on his way down the stairs, the boys he passed had looked at him with open disgust.
Not the usual mix of curiosity or mild envy, but pure, unconcealed "you're disgusting" expressions.
He had heard snippets.
– Seriously? Him?
– Show-off.
– At least cover it up, bastard.
Then, once he escaped outside and crossed the campus, the atmosphere shifted.
The gazes turned curious, some were jealous, and a few were even impressed in a sleazy way he didn't appreciate.
– Who bit him?
– Must be nice…
– I didn't know he had it in him…
By the time he reached the Arcane Studies building, the looks had sharpened once more.
Bitterness.
Hatred.
Some from students who already disliked him for his grades or past actions.
Some from boys who clearly didn't succeed in their own romantic endeavours and now saw him as another target.
And that was just the looks.
The gossip had been worse.
He had caught fragments as he walked past groups in the hallway.
– He finally followed in Felix's footsteps, huh?
– I heard it was the professor.
– Gross. Does he have no shame?
– Showing up like that on purpose is a bit much…
Soren had wanted to sink into the ground.
Now, seated at his usual spot in Lilliana's classroom, he pressed his forehead against the cool wood of the desk, face burning.
He deeply regretted teasing Lilliana.
'One joke. I made one joke,' he thought miserably. 'Was it really worth biting my entire neck off…?'
The classroom gradually filled as other students arrived.
He kept his cloak fastened up to his throat, his shoulders hunched, hoping it would at least mute the impact.
The door at the front of the classroom opened.
Soren lifted his head automatically.
Lilliana stepped inside with her usual composed expression, a bundle of papers in her hands; her gaze swept the classroom as she walked to the front.
For a heartbeat, their eyes met.
Then her gaze dropped, instinctively, to his neck.
The collar of his cloak had shifted slightly when he had moved, just enough to reveal the edge of the reddened mark.
Her cheeks turned a light pink.
A small, satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her lips before she smoothed it away and turned to face the rest of the class.
Soren felt like crying.
'She's enjoying this,' he thought.
He quickly looked away, turning his gaze toward the window with a slight pout, doing his best not to react more.
If he showed too much resistance, he was afraid she would find some way to make it worse.
Lilliana placed her materials on the desk and began taking attendance, her tone calm and professional.
But a couple of students in the front row glanced between her and Soren, their expressions thoughtful.
They had seen the way her eyes had softened for a second.
They had seen the faint blush.
A few rumours started up that morning.
Soren buried his face back in his arms, unaware.
He had a bad feeling that today was only going to get worse.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"Soren…"
"Cutie?"
"..."
Felix, Esper, and Amelia all stared at him with identical strange expressions as he sat down at their usual cafeteria table.
The lunch rush had filled the hall with noise: students lined up for food, tables were packed, and the smell of various dishes mingled.
Soren, however, didn't look at any of that.
He dropped his tray onto the table, slid into the seat, and kept his head low.
His cloak was unfastened now so he could eat, but he pressed one hand tightly to the side of his neck, fingers covering the mark.
His cheeks were still faintly pink.
He shovelled food into his mouth quickly with his free hand, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
Felix poked at his own meal, eyes narrowed.
"...There's no way that rumour is real, right…?" he asked.
Soren didn't answer.
Esper leaned forward a little, her chin resting on her hand.
"Cutie, you know people have been saying some awful stuff about you today?"
No response.
Soren continued eating mechanically, as if he could drown the day in food.
Amelia watched him silently for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"Soren. Show me your neck."
His grip on the mark tightened.
He didn't move.
Amelia's eyes narrowed.
She reached out and grabbed his wrist.
Her hand was firm, her grip absolute.
Compared to her strength, he might as well have been a child.
She pulled his arm away from his neck with no effort at all.
"Wait—!"
He couldn't stop her.
With his hand forced aside, the mark was fully exposed.
The bite was obvious.
Not a dainty little mark, but a clear, full set of teeth on the side of his neck, still slightly red at the edges.
Felix's jaw dropped.
"Oh my god," he muttered.
Esper's eyes widened for a second, then narrowed in curiosity, her expression shifting quickly into something more interested than shocked.
Amelia's expression, on the other hand, darkened.
Her gaze flicked from the mark to Soren's face.
The air around her felt a degree colder.
Soren swallowed and looked away, staring at his tray instead.
"...I can explain," he said.
Felix snorted.
"Go ahead, I'm sure there's a great explanation for this."
"It was Lilly."
Felix blinked.
"...That just makes it sound worse," he replied.
"She bit me because I made fun of her," Soren added.
Esper's lips twitched.
"What could you have possibly said for her to act like that?" Felix asked, half in horror, half in fascination.
Soren stayed silent.
He was not going to expose Lilliana's secret stash of smut; he valued his life.
Felix sighed.
"So why didn't you just heal it? Or at least cover it. You have magic, you have divine power, you have a cloak, you—"
"She said if I did," Soren interrupted weakly, "then she wouldn't supervise the club I'm making."
All three of them stared at him.
Esper blinked once, then a slow smirk spread across her face as something clicked.
Felix leaned forward.
"Wait a second, you're making a club?"
"Ah. Right," Soren said.
The chance to change the subject was a gift.
"Actually, I was going to ask you all to join."
"Sure," Amelia said immediately.
She didn't even hesitate.
"I don't mind," Felix said with a shrug. "As long as it's not something too stupid."
"Sounds fun, I'll join too, Cutie. So what's the club called?" Esper asked, smiling.
Soren smiled back.
"..."
The silence stretched.
Felix frowned.
"Do you seriously—"
"Thanks," Soren said quickly. "I'll write all your names down then."
"Soren…" Felix muttered.
Soren pretended not to hear him.
"Now I just need to ask Sis, and then find a final member…" he said, more to himself than to them.
"Want me to help with that? I can look around for someone to fill the spot. Then, while I'm doing that, you can think of a name," Esper offered.
"It's fine, it's fine," Soren said, waving his hand. "I still have a day left, don't I?"
"""..."""
None of them looked convinced.
But after a moment, they let it go.
For better or worse, they trusted that he would pull something together.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Later that day, after classes had ended, Soren sat across from Louise in a familiar cafe.
The place wasn't as crowded as Etheheart, but it had a similar calm atmosphere, warm lighting, wooden tables, the quiet clink of cutlery, and a soft melody playing in the background.
Louise had a parfait in front of her, layers of cream, fruit, and jelly arranged in a tall glass.
Soren had opted for a simple coffee; he wasn't sure how much sugar his body could handle after the day he'd had.
"I'd love to join," Louise said with a smile between mouthfuls.
Soren let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.
"Great," he said, pulling out the club application form and writing her name down carefully. "Now there's just one problem left."
Louise tilted her head.
"What's the club about?"
"...I haven't decided yet," Soren admitted.
Louise blinked once, then chuckled.
"Hmm…"
She tapped her spoon lightly against the rim of her parfait glass.
"Then why not do something fun? You wanted to do this because you found the other clubs boring, right?"
"Yep," Soren replied without hesitation. "They were all awful."
"Then it doesn't need to be serious. You might not get much funding from the academy, but that's irrelevant with the members you have. Think of it as a place to relax."
Soren thought of his group.
Lilliana, a professor.
Amelia, a princess.
Alex, the hero.
Esper, a duke's daughter.
And Louise herself, a viscount's heir.
Funding was the least of their concerns.
"So you're saying I should make a Relaxation Club or something?" he asked, half joking.
Louise shrugged.
"I mean, that would work. You have a supervisor, and the students involved in the club are impossible to ignore."
"That feels too bland, though," Soren said.
Louise scooped up a spoonful of parfait and held it out toward him.
Absent-mindedly, Soren leaned forward and let her feed him a bite.
Sweetness spread across his tongue, cream, soft fruit, and a hint of syrup; he chewed slowly as he thought.
Louise watched him, then smiled.
"Why not do something related to sweets?" she suggested. "You like them, don't you?"
Soren swallowed.
"I do, but wouldn't that be difficult? We'd need to find a clubroom with a kitchen, and we would have to write reports based on what we make."
Louise tapped a finger on the application form lying on the table between them.
"Look at your members, Little Brother. Do you really think they'd turn you down?"
Soren sighed.
She wasn't wrong.
This world was one where power and status changed everything.
The academy wouldn't want to offend a group like theirs over something as minor as a club facility request.
If he pushed even a little, doors would open.
"I think sweets might be too limiting, though," Soren said after a moment, thinking of Lilliana's tastes. "How about desserts as a whole?"
"That sounds fun," Louise said, taking a bite of her parfait with a satisfied expression.
"Then I guess it's decided. Let's see… what should I call it?"
"Keep it simple," Louise advised. "If you personalise the name too much, it can turn people away."
"That doesn't really matter. I'm only making the club for our group. I won't be accepting anyone else," Soren replied.
Louise pursed her lips thoughtfully.
"Then how about this?"
She picked up the application form and pen, thought for a moment, then started writing in neat, looping letters.
When she was done, she turned the paper around so Soren could see.
He looked down at the name.
He stared.
Then he looked up at Louise.
"Sis… you're kidding, right? How old are you again?"
Louise puffed out her cheeks faintly.
"It's cute, though?" she said, her voice sounding like she had been wronged.
"You really want to tell people that you're part of a club with this name?"
"Is it really that bad…?" Louise asked, eyes wavering.
"Yes…" Soren said honestly.
He looked back at the form.
Louise pouted.
"Do you have anything better?" she challenged.
Soren thought for a moment.
"Dessert Tasting Club?"
"If you call it that, I won't join," Louise said flatly.
"Dessert Research Club?" he tried.
"That's so boring."
"...Cafe Club?" he offered, already knowing how bland it sounded.
"Denied."
She folded her arms and leaned back with a smug little smile.
"We're going with my suggestion," she declared.
"Come on, really?"
"Unless you can think of anything better by tomorrow evening," Louise said, still smirking, "that's what we're submitting."
Soren slumped back in his chair and stared at the offensive name written in bold letters.
And so, another problem had appeared in the planned creation of a club.
————「❤︎」————