"Lead the way, Captain Slacker," Zinia said, her smile warm and bright.
The two of them walked toward the food stalls side by side, completely leaving the crowd of screaming students behind. Jasmin followed them, her face still red, but she was smiling too. The heavy, lonely shadow had been completely blown away by a lazy boy's ridiculous jokes, and Zinia felt a deep, comfortable warmth growing in her chest. She was not invisible today. She was right where she belonged.
---
Ken Eliot took a massive bite of the warm sweet bun. The vanilla cream spilled onto his chin. He did not care. He chewed loudly. He closed his eyes. A huge, goofy smile spread across his face.
"This is the absolute best food in the entire city," Ken announced. He swallowed the sweet bread. He wiped his chin with his sleeve. "I could eat fifty of these. I am going to buy the entire stall. The cooking club deserves a massive gold medal. This is true culinary art."
Jasmin stood next to him. She held her thick math textbook against her chest. Her face turned a bright shade of pink. She looked around the crowded school courtyard. She felt very embarrassed.
"Please stop yelling, Ken," Jasmin whispered. She nudged his arm. "People are staring at us. You are getting crumbs all over your nice suit. Naomi is going to be very annoyed if you ruin your clothes again. She just washed that shirt for you."
"Naomi is very nice to me lately," Ken replied lazily. He took another large bite. "She will totally forgive me. I will just buy her a sweet bun. Food solves all problems. It is a flawless strategy."
Zinia stood on the other side of Ken. The strong earth mage wore a simple green shirt. She held a sweet bun in her hand. She took a small bite. She chewed slowly. A warm, genuine smile touched her lips. She really enjoyed the taste.
"This is very good," Zinia admitted. She looked at the wooden food stall. "The students did a fantastic job. The bread is very soft. I usually eat tough rations during training. This is a very nice treat."
"See? Zinia gets it," Ken cheered. He pointed his half-eaten bun at his sister. "You need to relax, Jasmin. This is a school festival. You are supposed to have fun. You are supposed to eat junk food. Stop worrying about your math test."
"I have to study," Jasmin argued. She crossed her arms. "University exams are very difficult. I cannot just take a nap all day like you."
Ken slouched his shoulders. He shoved his free hand deep into his pocket. His white shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He looked around the bustling courtyard.
The high school festival was incredibly lively. Colorful paper banners hung from the brick walls. Long rows of wooden stalls lined the dirt paths. Students wore bright, festive clothes. They laughed and played games. Some students sold fried meat skewers. Other students ran small carnival games. Lively music played from a set of magical speakers.
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"This is exactly like a classic slice-of-life anime episode," Ken analyzed casually. He looked at the different stalls. "The school festival arc is totally mandatory. It always happens right after a big battle. We just need a haunted house and a maid cafe. Do you guys have a maid cafe? I would totally pay for a fancy omelet with a ketchup smiley face."
Jasmin rolled her eyes. "We do not have a maid cafe, Ken. This is a normal school. We just have academic clubs and food stalls."
"That is very disappointing," Ken sighed dramatically. He finished his sweet bun. He dusted his hands on his pants. "You guys are missing out on peak entertainment. But I will settle for the food. I smell fried noodles. I am going to find the fried noodles. My stomach has a second compartment just for noodles."
Zinia chuckled deeply. She finished her own snack. She liked walking around with Ken. He made her feel very comfortable. He did not treat her like a walking shield. He just treated her like a normal person. She felt completely visible today.
"Lead the way, Ken," Zinia said warmly. "I will follow your nose. It seems to know the best routes."
"My nose is a highly advanced tracking device," Ken bragged proudly.
The three of them walked down the dirt path. They navigated through the massive crowd of students. Ken dragged his cheap shoes on the ground. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He slouched his posture. He looked completely lazy. He ignored the strange looks from the students.
They reached a large stall selling hot meat skewers. Ken instantly reached for his pockets. He wanted to buy three large sticks of meat.
Suddenly, a loud, terrifying screech echoed across the courtyard.
The lively music completely stopped. The students froze in their tracks. Everyone turned their heads toward the front gates of the school.
A massive, dark shape crashed violently into the brick wall. The wall shattered into pieces. Dust and rocks flew into the air. The impact was absolutely deafening.
The students gasped. They stared at the broken wall.
A giant insect crawled out of the dust cloud. It was a massive green beetle. It was the size of a large carriage. Its outer shell looked incredibly thick and sharp. It had huge, jagged pincers on its face. The beetle let out another horrific screech.
"What is that thing?!" a student screamed in pure terror.
Before anyone could answer, more bugs poured through the broken wall.
Giant praying mantises leaped over the rubble. Their scythe-like arms sliced through the air. Huge, terrifying centipedes slithered across the dirt. They moved with blinding speed. A massive swarm of oversized wasps flew into the sky. Their wings buzzed with a loud, sickening drone.
The school festival turned into an absolute nightmare in a single second.
The peaceful courtyard erupted into total chaos. Students screamed at the top of their lungs. They dropped their food. They abandoned their wooden stalls. They ran wildly in every direction. Complete panic took over the crowd. People pushed and shoved each other. They desperately tried to escape the giant bugs.
"Run! Get to the main building!" a teacher yelled loudly.
A giant praying mantis lunged forward. It slashed its massive scythe arm. It completely destroyed a wooden food stall. Fried noodles and hot oil splashed across the dirt. The stall collapsed into a pile of broken wood.
Ken stood near the meat skewer stand. He stared at the destroyed noodle stall. His dark eyes widened in pure horror.
"No!" Ken shouted loudly. He pointed a dramatic finger at the ruined food. "The fried noodles! They just destroyed the fried noodles! That is totally unforgivable! Food waste is a massive crime!"
Jasmin grabbed Ken's arm. Her hands shook violently. She looked absolutely terrified. "Ken! We have to run! Those bugs are going to eat us!"
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