For the rest of the day, I noticed my classmates' behavior change. They were more relaxed around me, friendlier. They didn't talk with me — it's not like I'd want them to — but they didn't avoid me anymore. At lunchtime, they invited me to join them, and we spent the time until my afternoon alchemy classes started discussing baseball and horseracing.
I guess seeing I was a normal dark mage, willing to stand up for myself, but at the same time, not dismissive of my romantic partner, made them reconsider their position toward me. They weren't my buddies, but neither did I want them to be.
At the end of class, when I headed to work, after being absent for three days (a lot had happened during the week, but I should have at least called. It's not good for the Head of the Alchemy Department t
