NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34: The Prodigious Nim, Part Three
A week later, Melisa woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She blinked, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings before remembering where she was.
[Right. Syux Academy. My new home.]
She sat up, stretching her arms above her head and glancing over at the empty bed across from her.
[Still no roommate, huh? Guess I get this place all to myself for a little while longer.]
Part of her was relieved. Sharing a living space with another person, especially a woman, while still adjusting to her newfound desires... well, it was a daunting prospect, to say the least. Mainly, because every year, just when she thought she had this all under control, they would get even worse.
Puberty was an even bigger bitch in this world than it was on Earth, apparently. And, it lasted longer. For nim, anyway.
But another part of her, the part that craved a bit of camaraderie, couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment.
She wondered what kind of person her roommate would be. A darian? Another nim? A kitsune? She hoped it would be someone cool, at the very least.
[All these years and I still haven't made any friends, really,] Melisa sighed. [Oh well. Plenty of time for awkward cohabitation later, I suppose.]
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her eyes falling on the sheet of paper sitting on her desk.
Her class schedule, neatly laid out in black and white.
Melisa picked it up, scanning the list of courses with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
[Elemental Magic, Introduction to Spellcrafting, Magical Theory... looks like I'll be getting a crash course in all things arcane, as per Javir's recommendations.]
But as her gaze traveled further down the page, she frowned, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features.
[No swordsmanship classes. Damn.]
Although Melisa was making slow, steady progress toward becoming the most powerful mage in the world, she had made next to no progress when it came to her second goal. Becoming the best fighter.
She'd asked Javir for some lessons in the particular craft but Javir refused, saying:
"Teaching you how I fight would be a disservice if you're trying to be the best. You'll learn all my mistakes, my bad habits. Right now, you're a clean slate. We need to get you a good teacher."
But, over the last eight years, that faceless individual had remained elusive.
[Guess I'll just have to keep looking,] Melisa thought, setting the paper back down with a sigh. [Maybe I can find the "right teacher" in the city. Who knows?]
She glanced at the clock, realizing with a start that she was going to be late for her first class if she didn't hurry.
Throwing on her uniform and grabbing her bag, she raced out the door, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and anticipation.
---
As Melisa stepped into the classroom, she felt the weight of a dozen gazes falling on her shoulders.
Some were curious, assessing, and in some cases, openly hostile.
[Well, look who's the center of attention,] she thought wryly, fighting the urge to fidget under the scrutiny. [The freak nim who thinks she can play with the big kids. I'm guessing that's what they're thinking.]
She took a deep breath, remembering the exercises her mother had taught her. The ones designed to help her keep her cool, to stay centered and in control, even in the face of temptation.
[In through the nose, out through the mouth. Focus on the breath, let everything else fall away.]
It was hard, though, with so many beautiful girls surrounding her and the hormones in her body going crazy at this age.
The urge to let her eyes roam, to drink in every curve and bit of skin, was almost overwhelming.
But she resisted, keeping her gaze fixed firmly ahead as she made her way to an empty seat near the back of the room.
[Keeping myself calm should stop my nim pheromone production too. Need to keep that in mind.]
As she sat down, a flash of movement caught her eye.
She glanced up, her heart skipping a beat.
The darian girl, the one Melisa had seen during the headmistress's speech slid into a seat a few rows ahead.
[Oh great. Like I needed another distraction.]
The darian was just as striking as Melisa remembered.
Huge, with arms that would already put Melistair, a man who'd been working in manual labor for YEARS, to shame. This girl, with her golden scales, white hair, and piercing orange eyes, simply huffed and crossed her muscular legs, her tail curling behind her.
[... My fujo senses are tingling. She's going to be trouble,] Melisa thought. [I can feel it in my bones.]
Suddenly, the classroom door burst open.
A girl stood in the doorway, her chest heaving as if she'd just run a marathon.
"AM I LATE!?" She asked loudly.
No one answered.
"I..." She blinked. "I guess not... hehe..."
She stepped into the room. The girl had big, pink, fluffy ears and an equally fluffy tail.
What stood out, however, were her big green eyes. Familiar eyes that soon locked with Melisa's.
Both girls literally gasped.
[No way,] Melisa thought, her heart pounding in her chest. [It can't be...]
"Melisa?" The girl asked.
"Isabella?"
Melisa's cousin, the girl Melisa had only seen one time, was standing right in front of her.
And she was making a beeline straight for Melisa's desk, her grin widening with every step.
"Melisa!" Isabella squealed, practically launching herself at the nim girl. "Oh my gods, I can't believe it's really you!"
She wrapped Melisa in a bone-crushing hug, nuzzling her cheek against Melisa's like an overexcited puppy.
Melisa's face flushed.
"I-Isabella! You... Huh!?"
Isabella pulled back.
"It's so good to see you, cuz! Ah, mom told me you'd be here, but I didn't think we'd be sharing classes! Wow! Haha."
She punctuated her words with a series of loud, smacking kisses to Melisa's cheeks, her pink tail swaying back and forth behind her, each one sending a fresh wave of heat to the nim girl's face.
Melisa just blinked. Isabella seemed completely oblivious to her current state.
[... Things got kinda lively all of a sudden, huh?]