Over the next few days, Yavi tried to return to his usual academy life, but reality left him deeply troubled.
Ever since he had made a name for himself in the swordsmanship tournament, his name had spread throughout almost the entire academy. Whenever he walked down a path, people would point at him and whisper; whenever he went to the library, unfamiliar students would come up and strike up conversations.
But what gave him the biggest headache was the sudden surge of "suitors."
"Yavi! I made these treats myself. Please try some!"
"Yavi, shall we pair up next class? I'm really interested in alchemy~"
"Yavi, are you free this weekend? I know a wonderful café..."
Whenever this happened, Yavi would give a wry, slightly apologetic smile and take half a step back to put some distance between them. "Sorry, I have something to take care of."
His refusals were always polite and distant, but that attitude only made some of the girls more enthusiastic. Several times in crowded corridors, he had even felt someone "accidentally" fall into his arms or "inadvertently" grab his arm. In the most outrageous instance, an older female student had outright pretended to fall, throwing her entire body at him.
Yavi reacted swiftly and stepped aside. The girl nearly fell to the floor, drawing a burst of laughter from those around them. Humiliated and angry, she glared at him before storming off.
"This is getting ridiculous..." Yavi rubbed his temples and decided to take less crowded paths whenever possible from then on. Even so, he could not guard against everything.
Just as several girls cornered Yavi at a turn in the library yet again, a slender hand suddenly settled on his shoulder from behind.
"What are you doing?" Mel's voice was cold as ice. She had appeared behind Yavi at some point, and her sharp gaze swept over the girls. "Harassing fellow students violates academy rules. Do I need to report this to the Disciplinary Committee?"
The girls immediately went pale. After apologizing in a panic, they practically fled.
Yavi let out a long breath. "Thanks. Perfect timing."
Rather than answering immediately, Mel studied him thoughtfully. "This is already the third time this week... Yavi, would you consider officially joining the Popular Election Faction?"
Yavi raised an eyebrow, signaling for her to continue.
"If you become an official member of the Popular Election Faction," Mel lowered her voice, "we'll have legitimate grounds to assign people to protect you. Besides..." She gestured with her chin toward a few boys in dark blue uniforms nearby. "The Royal Election Faction hasn't exactly been looking at you kindly lately."
Yavi followed her gaze and, sure enough, saw several Royal Election Faction students staring menacingly their way. Ever since he had defeated their ace in the swordsmanship tournament, they had been looking for a chance to retaliate. If they had not been wary of his strength, they probably would have already made a move against him in secret.
"All right, I'll join." Yavi agreed almost without hesitation.
Mel seemed not to have expected such a ready answer and froze for a moment. "You... don't want to think it over?"
"There's nothing to think over." Yavi shrugged. "I've been tied to you all for ages anyway, haven't I?"
Mel chuckled at that. "True. Then it's settled." She raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll take care of your paperwork tomorrow. Once it's done, I'll have someone deliver your uniform to your dorm room. As for the badge, you can just wear the one you already have. Once you're wearing our Student Council uniform, you can formally warn anyone who harasses you. If things get serious, you can even request special protection from the Disciplinary Committee."
"That'll be a huge help," Yavi said sincerely, some of the weariness finally easing from his brow.
They walked side by side toward the dining hall. Early winter sunlight streamed through the corridor's glass windows, casting dappled patches of light and shadow across the floor. Suddenly remembering something, Mel took an exquisite coin purse out of the small bag she carried. "Oh, right. This is the money I took from you last time... I thought I should give it back."
Yavi glanced at it without breaking stride. "No need."
"But..."
"The weather's getting colder," Yavi interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Buy yourself a few more warm clothes."
Mel's fingers tightened slightly around the coin purse, and a faint blush rose in her cheeks. "I can't do that... How can an older sister take money from her little brother..." Her voice grew quieter and quieter, tinged with embarrassment.
Yavi stopped and turned to look her straight in the eye. "I'm fairly well-off now." A faint smile curved his lips. "I can afford a mere thousand or two crowns. Spend it without worrying. If it's not enough, tell me anytime."
Mel opened her mouth to refuse again, but gave in when she saw the resolve in Yavi's eyes. With a soft sigh, she put the coin purse away. "...All right, then. But just this once."
"Mm, just this once," Yavi replied casually, though a trace of slyness flashed in his eyes-he knew this sister of his, who said one thing and meant another, all too well. The next time she needed help, he would lend a hand without hesitation just the same.
The aroma of food wafted through the dining hall, and the two found seats by a window. As Mel cut the steak on her plate, she kept going over things he should bear in mind after joining. Yavi listened quietly, nodding in agreement now and then. Sunlight streamed through the glass window onto the tips of Mel's hair, bathing her in a warm golden glow.
At that moment, Yavi suddenly felt that perhaps becoming an official member of the Popular Election Faction was not such a bad thing. At least he could now stand by her side with good reason and protect this sister who was always worrying about others.
Over the following days, Yavi's life gradually returned to peace. Sure enough, his fervent suitors dwindled considerably. Occasionally, a few bold girls would still approach him with blushing faces to invite him out, but after his polite yet firm refusals, they had the sense not to bother him again. This peace and quiet finally allowed Yavi to focus on his studies and cultivation once more.
Every morning, without fail, he still appeared in the alchemy classroom and buried himself in thick tomes; in the afternoons, he went alone to the training grounds to practice various magical spell seals over and over. Only when Mel personally came to "drag him away" would he temporarily set aside his work and reluctantly attend the Popular Election Faction's publicity events.
"Just stand there," Mel always told him. "You don't need to speak. Just stand there."
Mel's strategy proved remarkably effective. Whenever Yavi appeared at a Popular Election Faction presentation, large numbers of students would quickly gather around. His tall, straight figure and stern demeanor lent the Popular Election Faction an added measure of appeal without him doing anything. What delighted Mel even more was that some students who had originally belonged to the Royal Election Faction also began appearing frequently at their events. Eventually, some even publicly announced that they were switching to the Popular Election Faction.
"This is simply unbelievable," Mel said after one event, excitedly looking through the list of new members. "Even third-year members of the Royal Election Faction have joined us!"
Yavi leaned by the window, absently polishing the silver badge in his hand. "Really? I didn't notice."
"Honestly, you..." Mel shook her head helplessly. "Do you have any idea how popular you are now? The whole academy is saying that joining the Popular Election Faction gives you a chance to get close to 'Yavi, the top swordsman.'"
Yavi's hands paused, and his brow furrowed slightly. "...Who started that rumor?"
Mel immediately looked away, pretending to focus on sorting her documents. "Who knows~"