Cermin could see the baffled look Ronin was giving on his little gift basket, which he took great care of arranging neatly and wrapping with with a little gold bow and a note saying ‘Good luck on exams!!! You can do it!’.
He scratched his head.
“Er, I know it seems weird at first….. But from where I’m from, all these things have meaning to give us good luck during exams!”
“I see…..”
Ronin actually knew what they all meant.
They were exam traditions in China, where Min Cheng was from.
‘This idiot…..’
‘Why is he practicing Chinese traditions in a medieval fantasy setting!????’
[0)??? Cermin proceeds to explain each gift on the basket one by one.
“Apples sounds like the word for ‘safety’ from where I’m from, and so it’s like ‘safety’ during the exams! Getting a safe grade and not failing!”
“Kiwis sounds like ‘easy to pass’, and cashews are also ‘wishes to pass’!”
He presented them all enthusiastically, like a door to door salesman trying to convince Ronin of their effectiveness as exam charms.
“And these talismans are prayers of sorts! You can keep them in your pocket to ward off bad luck like sudden illness or headaches or forgetting that one answer that you just can’t remember!”.
Ronin could only sigh.
Ah, typical Min Cheng indeed. Going through all these nonsense.
“Thank you. But you don’t have to, I can pass these exams just fine.” Ronin told him plainly.
“O-Oh, I know that! You’re very smart, someone told me. You even had the highest entrance exam score in the Academy’s history! Haha, I wish I could be that smart…”
He looked down, trying to keep his cheerful smile. “I just…. wanted to show some support as a friend, I guess.”
He sighed dejectedly. “But if you don’t want them, that’s fine too….. Sorry for bothering you so late at night. I realize now that it must be silly to you.”
There he was again, being so unbearably stupid that Ronin was left no choice but to entertain his antics.
“….. Alright. I’ll take it, Your Highness. Wouldn’t want your effort to go to waste.”
Cermin’s sad eyes quickly lit up like a light bulb that’s turned on by a switch. “Really!? Nice, nice, here you go! Eat them before the exams and tell me if they worked, okay!?”
“Ok….” Ronin awkwardly took the basket.
Cermin just blinked at him, still standing there and smiling.
“What is it?” Ronin asked tiredly.
“Hehe, um….. Can’t you at least invite me inside?”
“Why?” Ronin asked harshly.
“Oh, I just, well…. I went all this way from my dorm room to yours. And I gave you that basket so…. Wouldn’t it be rude to keep me standing here?”
Ronin clicked his tongue. ‘Ah, so this basket was just a bargaining chip to get inside my room all along.’
He would obviously remain persistent until he get a glimpse, and so Ronin told him:
“I’ll go clean up first. Stay there.”
Cermin immediately become exited. “Ok—“
SLAM!
He locked the door, then went over to Don who’s in the bathroom.
“We have a problem.” He announced in a more tired tone rather than panicking.
Don blinked. “Yes, I heard Cermin Drychsoiel outside. What does he want?”
“To be a nuisance to me.” Ronin sighed. “So, here’s what we will do. He can’t see you in that form.”
He summoned a communication crystal out of thin air.
“Take this with you, I can use this to talk to you from afar.” He told him. “You would have to jump out of the window and hide for a bit until I say that it’s all clear.”
“You want me to go outside like this? In my nightgown?” Don was aghast. “But Brother—-‘
“It’s dark, and there’s no one allowed on the school grounds at this time because of the curfew. No one will find you outside.”
Ronin gripped his shoulder, the crystal floating on his palm. “Or would you rather be seen by that annoying golden prince like this?”
Don grumbled. Eventually….
He took the crystal. “How do I respond to you?”
“Draw this rune on its surface.” He drew the rune on his palm.
It looked like arrow, the triangle pointing upwards.
“It will take a bit of your Flame, so respond only when necessary. All you ever really need is the signal from me for you to get back here, when he’s completely gone.”
Don nodded and headed for the window. “Alright, Brother. Just…. chase him away as fast as you can.”
Ronin nodded. “I will. I don’t intend for him to stay any longer than 5 minutes.”
Don leapt, and Ronin closed the window like nothing happened, going back to the door.
“Come in.” He said in the most robotic way.
“Wow…. So this is your shared dorm room….” Cermin looked around like he’s child in Disneyland instead of a grown teenager in someone’s dorm room.
Then, he frowned. “Wait, where’s Don?”
“He went over to visit a friend.” Ronin told him.
“He’ll be back soon, so you’ll have to go eventually, Your Highness. You know how much he despises you.”
Cermin rolled his eyes. “Hah, and I wouldn’t want him around either. I’m glad it’s just you and me.”
He looked at the two beds. “Which one is yours?”
Ronin pointed at his bed, and—
Cermin just dived into it and jumped up and down!
“Hey, it’s pretty bouncy! Haha!”
Ronin felt the murderous urge coming, and held it back by clutching the basket tighter.
“What are you doing, Your Highness?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just testing the bounciness so I’ll know that you sleep well in here.” He stopped jumping. “And good sleep is needed to get good grades, as they say…..”
(I really want us to have a sleepover so badly but he’s not loosening up at all!!! He’s treating me like I’m not even his best friend, aww!!!)
Ronin: ….. ….. ….. …..
“Your Highness, I think you should go—“
His crystal appeared so fast in front of him, sending a message from Don himself!
Ronin took the crystal immediately and stopped it from showing Don, and hid it in his pocket.
“What was that?” Cermin asked, as it appeared and disappeared as fast as he blinked.
“Nothing…. Let me go use the bathroom for a bit.”
Cermin blinked. “Ok…. I’ll go set the basket over your desk.”
Ronin rushed inside, then took out the crystal.
“Ronin, there’s a bit of a problem….” He saw Don’s concerned face on the crystal’s surface. “Well, it’s not as major as I thought, but—“
A familiar voice interrupted him.
“Hello, Ronin~ Long time no see, I didn’t know you were serving this handsome young lord~ Or lady, hahaha!”
He could only rub his forehead.
“Ah, just when I thought this night couldn’t get any worse….”
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