The S-Class Mage is a Gyaru!?-Chapter 88: Arcane Jungle, Part Fifteen

{Akari}

"What’s good, besties!" I grin into my phone’s camera. "Your girl’s about to show these international hoes what’s up! Like and subscribe for more magical mess!"

[Ooh, perfect thumbnail face!]

"Nakamura!" Chen’s voice cuts through my recording. "No social media at dinner!"

[That’s a rule!?!?]

I quickly hit post before tucking my phone away. The Grand Arcane’s main dining room is giving "rich people wet dream" vibes with these golden plates and enough fancy silverware to cover my rent for a year.

[Why do we need three different forks? Is one for stabbing bitches?]

"Remember," Reina whispers next to me, "the polite way is soup spoon first, then-"

"Pfft, baby, I got this!" I wink at her. "Worst case, I’ll just copy whatever you do."

"... Okay then."

But she’s smiling, and holy SHIT that black dress she’s wearing is attacking my heart. The way it hugs her curves, the little slit up the side, the way her cat-like tail keeps brushing against my leg under the table accidentally...

Across from us, Svetlana takes one look at my outfit and smirks.

"In my country," she says just loud enough to carry, "we dress for success, yes?"

She’s talking about my crop top/jacket combo that’s basically like I never took off my bikini. I raise a brow as bitchily as I can before saying:

"In my country," I smile sweetly, "we don’t have to compensate with designer labels."

Next to Svetlana, some French girl nearly chokes on her water.

Svetlana’s smile fades briefly.

[Ooh, seething? 1-0, bitch.]

"How... quaint." Svetlana’s smile could freeze hell. "I suppose when one relies on raw talent alone they need not care about their... subpar presentation."

"Better than relying on daddy’s credit card~"

Reina’s tail wraps around my ankle under the table. Whether as a warning or encouragement, I’m not sure which.

"Oh?" The British girl next to Svetlana perks up like she smells tea. "Are we finally addressing the... scholarship situation?"

[The fuck is that supposed to mean?]

"Elizabeth," her friend whispers, but apparently...

Tea Time just got started.

"I mean, really, some of us earned our places through proper magical lineage, while others..." She eyes me like I’m something stuck to her overpriced shoes. "Well."

[Bitch, I know you’re not-]

But before I can end this girl’s whole career, the French girl across from her actually laughs.

"Proper magical lineage?" She sets down her wine glass with a click. "Is that what we’re calling your great-grandfather’s donations now?"

[... What?]

British Tea Time’s face goes nuclear.

"How dare- At least I didn’t have to sleep with-"

She gets cut off.

"Bold words from someone who got caught giving the practical examiner a very practical examination~"

[HOLY SHIT.]

And, suddenly, the table erupts.

Apparently, while I was back home fucking, all these people just spent their time getting dirt on each other, cause everyone has something to say. The Singapore crew’s throwing shade about "bought scores," while the Americans are getting into it about legacy admissions.

Through it all, Svetlana’s getting redder and redder, especially when someone mentions something about "second attempt entrance exams."

[This is better than my ManaGram feed.] 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Well, you did it."

"Huh?" I turn toward Reina, who’s smirking at me.

"Babe, you just started an international incident." That tail of hers is still wrapped around my ankle. "How’s it feel?"

How’s it feel?

HOW’S IT FEEL????

I don’t care.

Because, right now, something else is on my mind.

"... Did you just call me babe?" I grin at her.

Her face flushes. It’s like she didn’t realize it herself.

Instantly, like I just burned her, her tail unwraps.

"Aww, come on, it’s fine!" I say as she looks away. "You can call me whatever you want~"

"... If I were you, I’d stay focused on the matter at hand," Reina says. "Professor Chen looks like she’s going to personally put out a hit on you."

"Well," I put my kicks up, placing my feet on the table. "Right now? I’d go out feeling pretty happy."

---

"And then-" Haruka can barely get the words out through her cackling, "-when that British bitch tried to throw her drink but hit Marcus instead-"

"Girl, his ABS DEFLECTED IT!" I fall back on the bed, wheezing. "Like, the water just... bounced right off! And then the French girl was like ’zat is why we don’t waste good wine!’"

"That’s physically impossible," Reina mutters, but she’s fighting a smile. "Water doesn’t just... bounce."

"Baby, those abs defy physics. You saw them! Even YOU were staring!"

"I was not-"

"You totally were!" Haruka jumps in. "Right after Svetlana tried to hex Elizabeth and hit that chandelier instead!"

[God, that dinner was better than any reality show I’ve ever seen.]

We’re all changed for bed now - well, what passes for "changed for bed" when you’re sharing a room. Haruka’s in basically nothing, as usual, those K-cups barely contained by a stretched-out tank top. Nao’s got on PJs, I’ve got on my cutest sleep shorts and crop top combo because a bitch has standards, even in rest. And Reina...

[Holy SHIT, is that silk?]

The black nightgown she’s wearing is downright stunning. It’s not even that revealing, but something about the way it flows around her curves, the way it feels like it’s almost glowing in the night. I’m salivating over here!

"Oh, fuck, remember when Sato tried to restore order?" Haruka’s literally rolling on her bed now. "And Zhang was all like ’let them fight’? Ha!"

"Pretty sure I saw Chen pop a blood vessel," I grin. "Especially after I put my feet up!"

"A frequent occurrence with you, for anyone, I’m sure."

"Maybe."

"Well!" Haruka bounces up suddenly, dragging a very red-faced Nao toward their bed. "Time for sleep! Or... whatever~"

"We are NOT-" Nao starts, but Haruka’s already yanked her down. Resistance truly is futile, huh?

Which leaves me and Reina... staring at our bed.

[One bed. Just one. Very one. Much single bed. Wow.]

I glance over at her. Reina’s... got an odd look. Not one I’ve seen on her too much. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I can tell this is not the optimal situation for her.

"I can sleep on the floor," I offer, trying to be gentlewomanly or whatever. Even though the thought of being that close to her all night is making my dick do very ungentlewomanly things. "If you’re not comfortable-"

"No," she sighs, "no, no, it’s fine. I’m just... not used to this."

I raise a brow.

"This?"

"Sharing." She sits on the edge of the bed like it might bite her. In the moonlight streaming through our window, she looks almost ethereal. "Even with Jun, we never really... I mean, he always had early meetings, or I had late practice, or... Well," she smirks up at me, more like the Reina I know. "Let’s just say, with just this one night you’re probably getting dangerously close to tying him in the amount of times you’ve slept with me."

It takes literally everything I have not to make it sexual. And, I try not to, since I get what she means. Her ex was literally just that distant.

"Weeell," I plop down next to her, trying to keep just enough space between us that I don’t spook her. "If you need a bit of security, we can build a pillow wall if you want! Or I can sleep upside down like a bat! Or horizontally at the foot of the bed like a dog! Though that might get weird with my morning wood-"

"Jesus, Akari."

But she’s laughing now, tension broken, and holy shit she’s pretty when she laughs. Like, unfairly pretty. The way her nose scrunches up, the way her fangs peek out just a little...

[God, I’m gay. So, so gay.]

"Just saying!" I hold up my hands. "Gotta think ahead! Be prepared! Isn’t that the magic scout motto or whatever?"

From the other bed, there’s a suspicious squeaking sound followed by Nao going "I swear to god, Haruka-"

"Ooh, you guys hear that?" I stage-whisper to Reina. "The sweet sounds of sexual tension~"

"Speaking of sweet sounds," Haruka calls over, "when are YOU two gonna-"

A pillow flies across the room and hits her square in the face. I turn to see Reina lowering her hand, magic still sparkling around her fingers.

"Nice shot, princess!"

"I have excellent aim," she smirks.

"And, speaking of aims and goals," I grin at her as we finally climb under the covers, "maybe we should invest in noise-canceling headphones? You know, for when certain tiger girls finally snap and rail certain gyarus into next week?"

She grabs another pillow and smacks me with it, but she’s still laughing. Not just that, but her tail’s wrapped around my ankle again, like it was during dinner.

Nao’s a blushing mess, but, well, if my new feynal roommate has to be embarrassed to get my goth princess to laugh, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

"Night, sluts!" Haruka calls out, followed by some very suspicious rustling.

"Go to sleep!" Nao growls, but it turns into something that’s definitely not a growl halfway through.

"Make me~"

"I swear to god-"

[... Yeah, definitely gonna need those headphones.]

I glance over at Reina, who’s determinedly facing away from me but whose tail is definitely still wrapped around my ankle.

[Sweet dreams, princess... We’ll get there eventually.]