My Roleplay System-Chapter 228: Night Stroll

The sun was dipping below the horizon as Lake returned to his dorm, casting long shadows through the hallway. He still had preparations to finish for tomorrow, and the quiet of his room was a welcome thought.

The key turned with a soft click, but the door had only swung open a few inches when he stopped. His eyes dropped to the floor.

’...Shoes?’

A pair of high heels lay discarded just inside the entrance, kicked off with familiar carelessness. Noticing the way it was thrown to the side, Lake couldn’t help but get a strange feeling. Letting his senses stretch through the dorm, he immediately locked onto a presence in his bedroom—a chaotic, familiar energy that was as comforting as it was irritating.

Resisting the urge to sigh, he stepped inside, locking the door behind him as he made his way pass the living room. He noted the scatter of snack wrappers and crumbs near the couch but didn’t break stride, heading straight for his bedroom.

As he walked through the open door, lo and behold, there she was lying on her stomach across his bed, heels kicking idly in the air as she scrolled through her phone, a soft giggle escaping her. It seemed she hadn’t noticed him yet.

He cleared his throat gently to announce his presence.

She turned with a start, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second before settling into a look of pure nonchalance. "Oh, you’re back already?"

His eyelid gave a single, involuntary twitch seeing her reaction. "...And what are you doing here, sis?"

"Hehehe, isn’t it obvious?" Lilia said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. A sly grin played on her lips. "I came to show my support for my dearest little brother!"

"...Is that so?" he asked, his tone flat. "Then do you mind explaining why you’re in my room?"

"Naturally, I had to see what kind of living conditions my only family was enduring." She said it with such conviction that it was almost believable.

"Mhm. I can understand that." He proceeded to point a finger toward a corner of the room. "But what about the suitcase?"

An open suitcase was thrown haphazardly against the wall, a small explosion of clothes erupting from within in a messy pile.

"Hm? Isn’t it obvious? I need clothes if I’m staying the night."

Lake pressed his lips together, a familiar tension settling in his jaw.

"Right," he said, the word heavy with resignation. "Because it was obvious you’d be staying the night."

Shaking his head, he walked over to his desk and dropped into the chair. The holographic interface of his wristwatch flickered to life. At this point, he didn’t want to waste another thought on the absurd situation. He didn’t even bother to ask how she had gotten inside in the first place.

Of course, Lilia had other plans to disrupt his silence.

"So," she began, still scrolling on her phone. "What’s with all this talk about you on the internet?"

Similarly, Lake didn’t even bother to look up from the interface as he responded, "Be more specific. There’s too much noise about me right now."

"Fine. The magic thing. What’s that about? When did you learn to use it?"

"Not much to explain. I just know a bit." He kept his eyes on his screen. "Picked it up around the time I entered the Academy."

He heard the rustle of fabric as she rolled over to face him, her phone forgotten. "Can you teach me?" she asked, blinking her lashes dramatically.

He paused, putting on a thoughtful expression. "I can. But it’s a lot of work. I estimate at least 5 years for you to learn it. You sure you want to learn?"

"Ugh, never mind." Lilia immediately rejected the idea. She flopped onto her back with a frown. "I’m already too busy keeping my guild off my back to spend time learning magic tricks. Do you even have any idea how much pressure they’re putting on me to recruit you? Everyone’s desperate to get to you."

Lake’s ears twitched slightly as a small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. "Is that so?"

"Hmph." In a flash, she snatched a pillow and hurled it at him.

Lake didn’t even bother to look up. A shimmering barrier flickered into existence inches from his face, and the pillow dropped harmlessly to the floor.

Lilia’s face fell for a second before she collapsed back onto the bed in a puff of frustration, arms crossed. "Since when did you become so cold?"

"Always have been, sis."

"Urgh, what a bad brother I have." She rolled her eyes, but there was no real heat in it. "And the exam? How did you end up fighting a Rank Three creature?"

"Correction, I participated in a raid against one. The Martial Warriors did the heavy lifting. I just assisted."

"And the other students?"

"They were brought in as extra hands. Good experience for them."

"Fine," she said, her tone shifting, becoming deliberately casual. "What about the other rumors?"

"What rumors?"

"You know. The one about you and the fairy?"

"...."

The room went quiet. Lake’s fingers stilled over his wristwatch. Lilia’s keen eyes didn’t miss it, and a slow, triumphant smirk spread across her face.

"You know," she pressed, "the rumors about you dating a fairy? That one."

Lake slowly spun his chair to face her, his expression carefully neutral. "Where did you hear that?" he asked, his voice low and even. Inside, a cold dread coiled in his stomach. If this had leaked beyond the academy walls, the delicate truce with the Fairy Elders was in jeopardy.

"What’s the big deal? I overheard some students talking, so I asked. Lo and behold, they showed me a picture. You, holding a fairy girl. Looked pretty cozy."

Lilia’s smile was still just as teasing but the tension in Lake’s shoulders eased almost imperceptibly hearing her response.

’So, it was still contained within the student body.’

He let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding and turned back to his work as if nothing had happened.

"It’s just a rumor," he said, his voice returning to its usual flat tone. He deployed the one defense he knew she’d accept. "Do you think I’d try dating after what happened to Evelyn?"

"Hmm. I suppose not." She tapped a finger to her chin, studying him.

Then, with a long, exaggerated sigh, she slid off the bed and drifted over to him. Before he could react, her hand shot out and gripped his collar.

"You’re really annoying, you know that?" she said, her voice a mix of fondness and exasperation.

He looked up, waiting.

"Come on. Take your big sister out to experience the festival and relax. You can tell me all about your academy life in person."

Before Lake could even form a protest, Lilia had dragged him from his chair. He had more than enough strength to resist, but a quiet, resigned part of him knew it was futile. He allowed himself to be steered by his collar out the door.

The moment they crossed the threshold, Lilia’s demeanor shifted. She released him with a slight shove, then immediately looped her arm through his, pointing a determined finger toward the glittering festival in the distance.

"Onwards!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Lake sighed, the sound heavy with feigned exhaustion, and let her pull him along.

As they walked, he made a subtle gesture, layering a concealment spell over them both and activating his personal stealth skill. He didn’t mind the walk itself, but the last thing he needed was another strange rumor about him going around.

"Ooh, that stall looks fun!" Lilia chirped, pointing.

"I think that one’s run by the second-years," Lake commented.

"Wait, the students run these?"

"Not all of them. Some just volunteer."

They fell into an easy rhythm, weaving through the stalls. The air was filled with the scent of sweet snacks and the cheerful cacophony of games. Lilia dragged him from booth to booth, trying her hand at a ring toss, buying a stick of candied fruit, and admiring some of the handmade trinkets. Lake followed, his earlier annoyance melting into a passive tolerance as they traded light stories, catching up on the mundane details of their lives since they’d last met.

By the time they returned to the dorm, the moon was a bright coin in the sky. Lilia stumbled inside and collapsed onto his bed with a dramatic groan.

"Ughhh, I’m exhausted..."

"At least take a shower before you pass out," Lake said, his eyelid giving a familiar twitch. But no retort came. Instead, the only answer was the soft, rhythmic sound of her breathing.

’Did she really fall asleep that fast?’

Shaking his head, he returned to his desk and sat down. Lilia’s surprise visit had thrown off his evening, but not his resolve. He called up his notes, the blue light of the interface illuminating his focused expression.

"Now," he murmured to himself, the outside world already fading away. "How should I run tomorrow’s scenario...?"