247 Night visit

"Are you sure?" I asked once more.

She paused momentarily, then offered a light smile and reiterated, "Yeah, I am fine... Why are you here?"

Why am I here? This was the question I pondered myself.

After Blaze mentioned that Raven might be crying and feeling down, I couldn't just leave her in that state.

"Well, I watched your fight. Can't say I wasn't disappointed," I clarified.

Raven blinked in surprise, then glanced downward briefly. "Haha, it wasn't that great of a fight," she admitted, lifting her gaze to meet mine.

She pointed at her swollen face. "This is the proof. For some reason, Mary wasn't holding back her punches."

"You should've forfeited the match when you let go of your sword. There was no need for..." I stepped a bit closer, trying to explain.

"Easy for you to say," Raven turned away and headed towards her bed.

"No, I was just saying that... there was no need for you to get beaten like this," I responded awkwardly.

Raven seems to have pride and low self-esteem simultaneously. It's a perplexing mix that somehow works for her.

"I'm not strong enough to knock my opponents out of the ring with one blow," she complained.

"Well, she's taking a jab at you," chuckled Blaze. "I'll give you two some space, until then~" With that, Blaze hopped out of the window.

"If that's all you came to say, you should go back. If anyone heard or saw you here, it'd be problematic," she warned, grabbing a book and nestling deeper into the bed.

"Well, true... right now, I'm risking a lot. The whole Adam gang is in the building alongside the warden, and it's even more problematic since this is a girls' room and it's about midnight," I explained.

"Haaa, I just wanted to see you..." I sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment.

"Took you two to three days and one defeat to show up in front of me to show sympathy," she retorted, turning the page of her book.

Ouch, she's angry.

It's true, I hadn't seen her often in the past few days because of two reasons—first, the selections, but the major one is Adam.

I tried to give them some time, but... excuses, I just forgot.

I pulled a chair, placing it in front of the bed. Raven adjusted herself, pulling her feet in a bit.

Seated on the chair, I glanced at her, one hand delving into my pocket to retrieve a small bottle. It contained a green, algae-like substance—a healing potion gel, as it's aptly named.

"Come here," I called out.

"No need," she replied, turning another page in her book.

"I told you to come here," I reiterated, feeling frustrated. Why did this have to be so difficult?

"I said no," she replied firmly, unwavering in her response.

Was this curse at play?

Shaking off the notion, I pondered. She hadn't pushed me away or shown any signs of discomfort, but this situation was undoubtedly my fault.

I might have initially pursued a relationship with Raven out of self-interest, but now I could confidently say that we had developed a good friendship. She was someone I valued and was willing to make efforts for.

Observing her feet retract slightly, I noticed her left foot peeking out from under the blanket she had wrapped around herself, almost as if it was a subtle display of her anger.

"Eek!!" She yelped in surprise as I grabbed her ankle and pulled her closer, covering her mouth with my right hand.

"Relax," I assured her.

"This is something I searched for two hours in the bargain alley," I gestured toward the bottle with my eyes.

Her gaze shifted to the bottle, and a tiny glistening tear formed at the corner of her eye.

Nom*

Wait, what?

"Pffffffffffffffff," I released her and burst into laughter, leaning back deeply in the chair.

She bit my palm... as if she thought that would suffice.

That was funny.

Raven swiftly withdrew her hand from my grasp and stood up, her palm pressing firmly against her lips as she urgently whispered, "Shhh, keep quiet, you'd wake up everyone!!!" Her expression was riddled with concern and worry.

For a brief moment, the world fell into silence as I watched Raven's face change rapidly, her emotions shifting from concern to surprise, and then transforming into shock.

I nodded toward the bottle, attempting to ease the tension. Raven sighed and released my mouth, starting to say, "Give it to my I'd--"

Before she could finish her sentence, I reached out and gently guided her shoulder, maneuvering her to sit slightly twisted with her back towards me and her face directed at the wall. In the midst of the movement, a book slipped off the bed, landing with a soft thud on the floor.

"You don't know how to apply this one, it'll hurt," I informed her calmly, sliding the chair back a bit to ensure her head had enough space as I positioned it onto my lap. It became an awkward lap pillow situation.

"What are you doing!??" she questioned, a mixture of surprise and confusion evident in her voice.

"Making it up to you," I replied casually, trying to lighten the mood.

As I opened the potion gel bottle, the herbal aroma filled my senses. Inside, there was a cotton bud; I retrieved it and dipped it into the liquid gel, preparing to apply it.

I engaged in small talk to ease the tension, attempting to distract Raven as I slowly and gently applied the gel to her face. The herbal scent wafted through the air as I delicately touched the cotton bud to her skin.

"You know," I started softly, "it's pretty risky to get into fights like that." I made sure my tone carried a mix of concern and understanding. "Especially without proper preparation or defense."

Raven winced slightly as the cold gel touched her skin but remained quiet, listening intently.

"I understand you're strong and all, but being rash in battles can lead to unnecessary harm." My voice conveyed a hint of empathy. "It's important to pick your battles wisely, considering your safety... forfeiting isn't a bad thing sometimes."

She seemed to relax a bit under the touch of the gel, the soothing gel starting to work its magic on the irritated areas. I continued to apply it gently, ensuring it covered the affected skin.

"It's admirable how determined you are," I complimented her, trying to boost her spirits. "But sometimes, taking a step back doesn't make you weak. It's a smart move to strategize and plan before diving into conflicts."

Raven remained silent, but her body language softened, indicating she was starting to absorb my words. I finished applying the gel and set the cotton bud aside.

"There," I said gently, "let that sit for a while. It'll help ease the irritation."

She turned her head slightly, meeting my gaze with a softer expression than before. I smiled reassuringly, hoping my words had gotten through to her.

"I wasn't trying to do anything... I just tried my best," she finally murmured, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Her best? Like her best was until the moment her sword fell down, and after that, it was just a struggle.

I nodded in acknowledgment and leaned back, giving her some space. As she sat there, the tension seemed to melt away, replaced by a sense of understanding.

"I am sorry," she apologized, "I shouldn't have—ouch."

I gently tapped her forehead, "Well, it's not only you who's at fault."

"...yeah! You are at fault too! How can you not meet me for two days! What were you doing!" She immediately flipped.

I listened to her rant for a while.

It was a lot, as if she wanted to catch up with me. What surprised me was her lack of interest in the battle.

I expected her to ask me a load of questions regarding my matches, but she didn't. She just talked about what I was doing and who I was meeting, nothing deep.

"So, I'll go back now," I stood up from the chair.

"Take care, Ren," I heard her say softly.

With a slight nod, I climbed out of the window, onto the ledge, and began my descent. Her faint voice lingered, echoing her words, "Be safe!"

As I reached the ground, I took a moment to adjust my clothes, then melded into the shadows, grateful for her genuine concern.

***

[Raven Larkspur's POV]

Seeing him off, I almost forgot about the defeat.

My hand touched the cheek where he had applied the gel—why hadn't he just brought the potion? Well, potions are expensive too, but gels... ugh, whatever. Yet, strangely, I felt lighter now.

The one thing I couldn't explain to him was why I had tried so hard. I knew I was defeated the moment I let go of my sword, but I still made the effort.

"Is it bad that I wanted to join the tournament alongside him?" I sighed deeply, leaning a bit to check if he was completely gone. That's when I noticed a small tail in the dark and two pairs of yellow eyes—Blaze, his cat.

The cat appeared for a moment, seemed to nod at me, and then disappeared into the shadows, as if acknowledging the oddity of its master and his pet.

Knock*

A knock on the door startled me—I hope it's not...

Shaking my head, I approached the door, twisting the knob open to find my morning rival, Mary, standing there. Surprisingly, she didn't have a single scratch on her face.

...Well, having a few bruises doesn't seem that bad.

...I could feel my face heating up slightly.

"Hm?" I looked at Mary, taking in her appearance.

"Hey, sorry for this morning. I didn't expect it to hurt that much. I just lost control," she apologized.

"No, it's fine. I don't hold a grudge," I replied honestly.

"Can I come in? I wanted to talk a bit," she asked, her tone softer now.