do you want to grab some coffee or something after school tomorrow?" he asks casually, trying not to make it sound too much like a date request. Mina blushes again at the thought of spending more time with him outside of class, but she likes the idea nonetheless.

"I'd like that," she replies shyly, looking down at her feet. "That sounds really nice." They exchange numbers then and decide to meet up in front of the school tomorrow afternoon.

The rest of the day passes quickly for both Mina and Deadnarwall as they finish their classes and go about their separate businesses. But despite having other things on their minds, neither can deny the butterflies that flutter in their stomachs at the thought of meeting up with each other again tomorrow after school. As they drift off to sleep that night, both are filled with anticipation and excitement for what might happen next.

do you want to grab some coffee or something after school tomorrow?" he asks casually, trying not to make it sound too much like a date request. Mina blushes again at the thought of spending more time with him outside of class, but she likes the idea nonetheless.

"I'd like that," she replies shyly, looking down at her feet. "That sounds really nice." They exchange numbers then and decide to meet up in front of the school tomorrow afternoon.

The rest of the day passes quickly for both Mina and Deadnarwall as they finish their classes and go about their separate businesses. But despite having other things on their minds, neither can deny the butterflies that flutter in their stomachs at the thought of meeting up with each other again tomorrow after school. As they drift off to sleep that night, both are filled with anticipation and excitement for what might happen next.

With a quiet gasp, she feels him lift her skirt, exposing her bare legs to his touch. His lips find their way to the sensitive skin at the base of her neck, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. Her hips rock forward instinctively, seeking more contact with him as he continues to kiss and nibble on her exposed skin.

Her words are lost in a moan as he pushes her panties aside, finally granting him access to her bare flesh. With shaking hands, she reaches down to help him guide himself to her, knowing that this is what she wants more than anything else right now. The head of his erection presses against her entrance, and then he thrusts forward, burying himself inside her in one swift motion.

"I need to apologize for what happened earlier," he says quietly, looking down at his hands. "I shouldn't have assumed that you wanted to sit with me just because we had dinner together." He glances up at her, a sheepish expression on his face.

Mina smiles reassuringly and reaches out to take his hand in hers. "It's okay," she says softly. "I understand why you thought that." She pauses, thinking for a moment before adding carefully, "

"But... I don't want us to avoid each other or pretend like nothing happened just because of what everyone else thinks." Her heart is racing as she says this; the thought of spending more time with Ram , getting closer to him, fills her with both excitement and trepidation.

Ram looks at her for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Okay," he says finally. "I'll try not to worry so much about what they think."

I try not to let Str` notice how different I am, but it's obvious that he has. He asks me about it several times, and each time my heart races and I stammer out some half-truth or lie. It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the charade, especially when he starts asking if there's anything he can do to help.

I want to tell him everything, but I'm too scared of what he might think of me now that he knows how "easy"

it was for him. The weight of my secret grows heavier every day, and the more time passes, the harder it is to keep from crushing me completely.

One afternoon after school, Str` finds me alone in the library, looking through a book on pregnancy. He walks up behind me and leans over my shoulder, browsing through the pages as well.

Her eyes widen in realization as she recalls something Candra once mentioned about his family's past. The Octa family was known for being skilled in elemental magic, and one of their skills involved manipulating temperature. Suddenly, it all makes sense. She looks back at the two boys fighting, her heart pounding in her chest

With a sigh of relief, Mina watches as Jason slowly lowers his weapon. Candra meets her gaze over Jason's shoulder, their eyes locking for a moment. A small smile plays at the corner of her mouth as she nods slightly, silently thanking him for backing down. The arena begins to warm up again as the tension drains from the air, allowing everyone to breathe easier