A new year at Nine Petal Academy means a new crop of students, including a boy who can't control his magic, a thief, an angel, and even a suit of armor? Adela, Lei, and their friends are tasked with welcoming the new class of first years and helping...
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"There we go," Ling said as we finished putting away her clothes into the closet. Yen, Arima, Xue, and Yuzu had taken Kanja and Mira out shopping. Turned out that neither of them had brought any luggage with them. Likely due to the nature of how they joined.
Tamara stared at her bag as I turned around.
"Having trouble opening it?" Ling asked, pointing at the zipper. It did appear to be jammed.
Tamara blushed and nodded.
"Here, let me help," I said. Holding my right hand out, I poured prana into the jammed zipper and moved it from a distance.
Tamara jumped as her clothes slid out of her bag, catching them. Most of them were dresses.
"Sorry," I said. Should've opened it slower.
She smiled, closing and opening her hand.
"What does that mean?" Ling asked.
Tamara reached into her clothes and pulled out a black necklace. Though, it didn't resemble a piece of jewelry. It reminded me of some digital watches from ages long gone.
Once firmly on her neck, Tamara grabbed her phone.
"It means 'it's fine'," a mechanical girl's voice echoed from the necklace.
Ling gasped. "You had that all this time? Why didn't you use it prior?"
Tamara typed rapidly on her phone. "I don't like using it. The voice is so monotone. Not cute at all."
"But, isn't it more convenient?"
"Yeah," Lidia said, sitting up from the bed.
Tamara nodded. "But, I like using sign language better. Maybe because I grew up learning it before I even knew how to write."
"Who taught it to you?" I asked.
She lowered her eyes. "I taught myself."
"Huh?" Ling said.
She climbed on to her bed and continued to hug her wad of clothes. "Back when I was little, I found an old book in Benny's room."
"Benny?"
Tamara smiled. "My big brother. I sat in his bed and continued reading it. Or so that's what Benny says. I was too young to recall. Guess it's unfair to claim I taught myself when he read it to me and helped me practice."
"Wonder why he had a book on sign language," I said, putting a hand against my chin.
"He isn't mute too, is he?" Ling asked.
Tamara shook her head. "No. He can talk. Not that he does so often. Big brother is the reserved type like Huo. When he does, it's usually because he has something important to say, or he's angry at you."
"That so? Sounds nice. Adela and I are stuck with loudmouthed brothers."
I laughed weakly. "I wouldn't call Xun a loudmouth."
