It didn't matter how hard you tried to win Nanami's favor. He, being your mentor, often demanded a lot from you, not giving you a chance to rest. After all, you aspired to become the best sorcerer, the best copy of Kento himself.

Pain and fatigue have ceased to matter to you. You tried to please Nanami at any cost, even if your muscles were cramping, bones were cracking and fatigue was clouding your inebriated mind. The fight has become something integral, and you almost began to enjoy it.

The more you developed, the more you wanted to see a glimmer of pride in Kento's eyes. But behind the thick lenses of his trademark glasses, you could only see his cold, indifferent pupils. Every time his rare and coveted praise was received by anyone, but not you. Envy was eating you up from the inside.

Even now, when you were sitting across from him, demanding his attention with your eyes, he remained unshakable. He had a weekly news paper in his hands, the one he preferred to read every morning.

"You don't have to sit here doing nothing," he said in an even tone, not even deigning to look at you. And yet... you managed to see him squint at you out of the corner of his eye. It was not interest, not curiosity, but rather a challenge. He was testing whether you were able to resist him.