Chapter 121: A Reciprocated Gift

Flora scratched the back of her neck with a foolish, sheepish grin. "Then ignore what I just said."

"You don’t have to join, but how about we exchange contact number instead?" Flora remained intently focused on Shani.

"I have Shani’s contact. I’ll give it to you later. Look, there are students over there who want to ask questions, go over there!" Eric cut in before Flora could press any further.

Flora looked disappointed, but she finally nodded after turning to Shani. "I’ll contact you so we can grab lunch together, okay?"

Shani was dumbfounded. She could only blink as Eric nudged Flora away.

She turned to Jeryon, her expression asking what on earth had just happened. Jeryon simply shrugged, equally bewildered.

Shani’s question was answered after Club Affairs ended and they returned to the Panther Building.

"You know how when we first enrolled, there was a bet among the upperclassmen about which first-year pair would successfully hatch their egg, and which pair would have the highest baby beast rank?" Eric asked.

Before anyone could answer, he continued, "Flora was the only one who picked Shani and the Prince’s pair. She won big. Ever since then, she’s been praising, no, practically worshipping, your pair every single day, especially Shani."

Realization dawned on Shani and Jeryon. No wonder Flora had been genuinely friendly toward them from the start.

"Shani, if she invites you to lunch, you definitely should go. As far as I know, that bet was huge," Kiran chimed in.

Shani gave no definitive answer. If the timing worked out, she wouldn’t mind going, but certainly not because she felt responsible for Flora’s windfall.

If anything, she found Flora intriguing. While everyone else regarded the cursed prince and his partner as hopeless, Flora had placed all her faith in them.

’Looks like another anomaly has popped up in my life. Still, it’s not a bad anomaly, though.’

...

The next day, after lunch, Shani and Jeryon reported to Elias to inform him of their chosen clubs.

Jeryon’s choice was obvious, the Ribbon Club. As for the Shooting Club Shani picked, Elias offered no complaints.

That instructor from Nova City pulled a handgun from his desk drawer.

"The Heath boy will pass you no matter your test results, but you don’t want to embarrass yourself, do you? Learn every part of this pistol and study it!"

Shani accepted the gun, her eyes gleaming with interest.

She had tried shooting standard handguns during practical Essence Combat class, but the weapon in her hands now was entirely different.

This was an Essence Pistol, a firearm that used beast essence as ammunition.

Seeing the plain excitement in Shani’s eyes, Elias continued, "Just because you’re busy with resonance and preparing for club trials doesn’t mean you can slack off on your essence control training."

Sure enough, Elias’s words instantly dimmed the sparkle in Shani’s eyes.

Shani nodded. "I’ll train hard every day."

"Since you can’t train in the afternoon, you will report here starting at six in the morning for an hour of daily training," Elias commanded.

Shani nodded, quietly biting the inside of her lip to hold back her frustration. She had actually planned to set aside an hour in the morning to practice anyway.

However, she hadn’t planned on training in the Training Hall. She had intended to practice in her own room to save time.

Ignoring Shani’s frustrated look, Elias moved on to another topic. "The test to select qualifying students for the Tower Competition team will begin at the end of this month."

"The two of you are guaranteed spots by my order, but unless you want to face scorn from the other students, you’d better prove you actually deserve those spots."

Both students before him nodded, their expressions no longer showing resentment, but pure, focused determination.

After receiving additional instructions from Elias, Shani and Jeryon headed back to the Panther Building.

"Jer, how’s your training going?" Shani asked, glancing up at the tall boy beside her.

"I’m starting to get the hang of it," Jeryon replied briefly, never one for long answers.

"When we stopped by the Ribbon Club booth yesterday, I saw so many colorful ribbons on display. It turns out essence ribbon athletes have their own custom ribbons tailored to their specific techniques," Shani remarked as if casually bringing up small talk.

Jeryon reflexively checked his smartwatch, realizing today was Wednesday. A suspicion formed in his mind.

Sure enough, the moment they arrived at the Panther Building lobby, Shani abruptly asked Jeryon to wait. She dashed off toward the elevator, leaving Jeryon staring after her with an exasperated look.

What Shani didn’t expect was that when she came back down to the ground floor holding a gift bag, Jeryon was nowhere to be seen.

As she looked around in confusion, the elevator doors that had closed just minutes prior chimed with a soft ding and opened.

Shani turned around to see Jeryon stepping out. "Where were you?"

"My room," Jeryon answered nonchalantly.

Shani didn’t press further. She held out the gift bag in her hands. "I found a golden ribbon that matches your hair color. I thought it suited you perfectly."

Shani’s heart pounded. Whenever she gave him an expensive gift, she always worried Jeryon would decline it.

But this time, without hesitation or questions, Jeryon accepted the gift bag. "Thank you, Shani."

A radiant smile bloomed on her face, accompanied by a system notification. The gold ribbon had cost 3,500 Credits, one of the highest-spec ribbons available for beginners.

Just then, Jeryon brought forward the hand he had been hiding behind his back, extending it toward Shani.

"For you," he said in a calm, soft voice, offering a velvet box resting in his palm.

Shani froze.

Her eyes darted between Jeryon’s tranquil face and the velvet box bearing the RR logo, the exact same brand as the watch box she had once given him, except this one was smaller.

"I haven’t given you a proper gift since we became partners, have I?"

To Shani’s ears, Jeryon’s words sounded suspiciously familiar!

...