Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

My eyes darted around the classroom, and soon enough, I found the source of the mana surge.

The green-haired elven girl, who had spoken earlier, summoned a small clump of hardened earth in her left palm. She picked it up with her right hand and hurled it straight at Lucy.

"Wind Arrow," I whispered.

A sharp gust of wind shot toward the clump, knocking it off course. It smacked against the wall to the right and tumbled to the floor, rolling to Fumiko's feet after.

"Who threw that?" Miss Fumiko asked, her gaze falling to the rock at her feet.

Chairs shuffled slightly. Then all fell quiet.

No, I thought, you're not getting off that easy.

"Inferno," I whispered, pointing a finger at the elf.

A bright, flickering flame leapt up on her desk.

She let out a loud yelp, and pushed back from the desk, trying to escape the flame. Instead, she toppled backwards, slamming her head on the stone floor.

The entire class burst into laughter. Some students stifled theirs soon after to avoid getting in trouble.

Lucy threw her gaze down, staring at the rock. Miss Fumiko frowned.

"You know you're not allowed to use spells in my class without permission, Dana. One week of detention. In the library."

Dana glared around the class, her lips twisted in a scowl. Defeated, she picked up her chair and slumped back into it.

I was in the class now. No one was going to mess with Lucy. Not anymore.

*****

Right before the next tutor arrived, I slipped out of class, chasing after Miss Fumiko.

By the time I found her, she was already in her office.

She was seated at her table, her eyes on the door. As usual, she already knew I was coming.

"A wand?" I asked, closing the door behind me. "How exactly is a wand going to help me?"

Miss Fumiko nodded. "They have more uses than you think."

"I know... I used one for years - until I realized it was limiting the power of my spells."

"Exactly."

"Oh..." Finally, it clicked in my mind. "You want me to get a wand, for Lucy?"

"Yes... I thought you got the message during my class."

I had assumed she was telling me to get a wand for myself.

"I can't find much about House Daevalia, or Dark Affinity spells," she continued, "At this point, I still have no idea how her magic works, or what triggers the Shadow Queen. But until we do, the best thing is to teach her to control her magic properly, by using a wand."

As always, Miss Fumiko was right.

Using a wand wouldn't just guarantee precision... It would also keep Lucy's spells from getting out of hand.

I immediately recalled the gravity well in the sky, and the horrified look on the Shadow Queen's face when she realized she could no longer stop it.

I wasn't going to let Lucy end up in a situation like that.

"If I'm going to get a wand, then I need to head into the main city, but I can't leave the academy without permission."

"I already thought about that, Rin."

Miss Fumiko pulled out two neatly folded notes from behind her back. I stepped closer, taking them from her.

Quickly, I unfolded one of the notes. It was a permission slip to leave the academy for a day, duly signed by Dean Zerella.

"You really are ahead," I teased.

"Just doing my part," she replied, her voice lowering.

"Thank you," I said, a warm smile on my face. "I wonder what I'd do without you."

Her cheeks flushed soft pink, and a faint glow flickered across her yellow eyes, the way they always did when her heart raced.

"You're welcome..." she replied in a soft voice, barely above a whisper.

For a moment, we stood in silence. Her fingers brushed against the edge of the desk, like she was wondering what to do next.

Then, stepping forward, I gently placed my lips on hers, while wrapping my palms around her waist.

My breaths quickened as my heart began to pound in my chest. I had no idea what I was doing, but... it felt... it felt good.

To my surprise, Fumiko leaned closer to me, parting her lips to make more room for mine. She eagerly revealed her tongue, sliding it over while searching for mine. At the same time, she carefully wrapped her hands around my neck and pulled me closer.

I brought my left arm forward, gently cupping her right breast as I pushed her even closer with my right. But suddenly, she pulled away.

"We... can't..." she whispered, drawing in short breaths.

I stepped back.

"I'm sorry..."

"No... It's... It's fine," she stuttered, shifting over to the shelf in her office.

I walked to the door, hesitating for a moment, wondering if I should say something else. When the words failed to come, I turned the handle and left the room.

*****

My strides grew quicker as I hurried to get back into class.

The next tutor was Professor Long, who already had it out for me. If he noticed my lateness, I'd be in quite a bit of trouble.

At the same time, the thought of kissing Fumiko lingered on in my mind.

Despite the awkwardness of it all, I was filled with a longing – a low-burning need to do it again.

When I placed my lips on hers, something strange happened to me.

For the last two weeks, I had spent every waking hour worrying about the new apocalypse. Thoughts of Lucy haunted me all day, and thoughts of the Shadow Queen gave me nightmares at night.

But the moment I kissed Fumiko, everything vanished. The memories... The hourglass... The Shadow Queen... Everything faded.

For the first time in a long time, I felt something other than anxiety and dread.

I felt desire.

It was selfish of me, but all I could think about was feeling that way again. I could give up the entire world right now, just to have one more second of that kiss.

"Aldrin Stormborn," a masculine voice called out behind me, breaking my thoughts.

My heart skipped for a moment. I never realized someone was following me. Even worse, I couldn't detect any pressure from him. Whoever he was, he was hiding his mana, just like I was.

I quickly turned around, eager to meet this fascinating character.

It was a tall figure, just as tall as I was, with an oval-shaped face, ivory skin, and a lean, athletic build. His eyes were blue, which easily complemented his light blue hair, and a pair of square spectacles sat on his thin nose.

He extended his arm forward, his thin lips curving into a smile. It wasn't a genuine one; just one you wear when trying to look like a polite person.

"I've been dying to meet you, Aldrin Stormborn."