This embrace and silence lasted for quite a while, until Sefina’s chaotic thoughts and shame began to take over again. She took a light breath, opened her mouth somewhat stiffly, and unwound Kefi’s arms from around her waist.
Neither of them spoke; the room was left with only the gradually calming sound of breathing. Sefina’s body still retained lingering tremors and a scorching temperature.
Then, Sefina quickly turned around, lay on her side with her back to Kefi, and grabbed the nearby blanket, wrapping herself tightly from head to toe, curling up into a small ball.
That appearance was completely like a shy young girl overwhelmed with shame after experiencing something unspeakable; there was no trace of the cool, self-possessed teacher demeanor she usually had when standing at the podium.
Kefi looked at the slightly trembling “Bed Roll,” and a complex light flashed in her eyes.
She did not leave, nor did she try to get closer again; she simply quietly lay down beside the “Bed Roll,” and then carefully rested her head gently on the “Bed Roll.”
Sefina stayed muffled under the blanket for quite a while, her body still tense. She could feel Kefi’s approach and that quiet snuggling, which made the shame in her heart burn even hotter, yet strangely… she did not dislike it.
‘It happened… it happened again. But reason still struggled to surface. And this time, it was even hard to blame it entirely on the magic crest’s loss of control; at some moment, her own desire was clearly…
No, this cannot continue. At least for now, she needs space, needs to sort out this tangled mess alone.’
After hesitating for a moment, Sefina finally let out a muffled voice from under the blanket:
“It’s getting late… you should go back to your room and rest first. I… I need to calm down by myself.”
Kefi’s head resting on her back moved slightly, and then came the girl’s soft response:
“Okay…”
She did not linger, nor did she ask anything more; she simply slowly sat up as instructed, and the room was filled with the rustling sound of clothes being adjusted.
“Teacher, rest well.” Kefi said softly at last, her voice betraying little emotion, yet carrying an inexplicable sense of appropriateness.
Then, there were light footsteps, the sound of the door opening, and then gently closing.
Sefina remained wrapped in the blanket, motionless, until she confirmed that she was the only one left in the room; only then did she slowly release her fingers that had been tightly clutching the corner of the blanket, yet she still did not have the courage to immediately poke her head out.
Outside the door, in the hallway.
Kefi had just turned around, ready to walk to her own room, but her steps suddenly halted.
Under the slightly dim wall lamp of the hallway, two familiar figures were quietly standing there, as if they had been waiting for a long time.
It was Mia and Ellaria.
Neither of them had their usual relaxed expressions; Mia’s blue eyes were wide open, carrying a complex look mixed with surprise and a bit of awkwardness.
Ellaria’s emerald eyes seemed deeper, her lips slightly pressed together, making it hard to tell her exact emotions, but that quiet gaze alone was enough to explain the situation.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
In the end, it was Mia who spoke first, her voice very low, sounding a bit subtle: “You… are done?”
The three words “are done” were like a small hammer, gently tapping on Kefi’s tense nerves.
Her pale blue eyes instantly widened, and her pupils slightly contracted from shock.
‘What Mia meant was self-evident. Could it be… could it be that everything that happened in the room just now, those blush-inducing sounds and movements… were all heard by them?!’
A huge wave of shame and embarrassment swept over her like a tsunami; Kefi felt her cheeks burn “whoosh” with heat, even her ears and neck turning crimson. Her voice involuntarily became trembling, shaky and soft:
“How… do you know?”
Mia seemed taken aback by Kefi’s direct reaction, then her own face grew even redder, and her gaze drifted.
Ellaria took a light breath, and a clear blush also appeared on her face; she seemed to find it hard to speak, but still explained in a low voice:
“Teacher Sefina’s room… is not too far from our room. The walls… are not particularly thick.” Ellaria paused, her voice even lower, almost a whisper, “Your… your voices… were a bit loud.”
These words echoed in Kefi’s ears, and she could almost reproduce in her mind the uncontrollable sound fragments from the room just now…
OH MY GOD!!!
Kefi froze completely; her hands uncontrollably rose to tightly cover her burning face, wishing she could immediately find a crack to crawl into; the shame almost drowned her.
‘It was heard… everything was heard… so embarrassing… so shameful… how will I face them in the future, how will I face Teacher…’
Seeing Kefi like this, wishing she could shrink away, a flicker of pity passed through Ellaria’s eyes, but more than that was some complex emotion.
She looked around; although the others in the villa seemed to be asleep, the hallway was not a place to talk after all.
“Let’s go inside and talk?” Ellaria pointed toward her room, carefully suggesting.
Kefi covered her face, peeking out a little from between her fingers; she looked at Ellaria, then at Mia beside her, who also looked embarrassed but clearly curious. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally gave a slight nod.
The three of them, like thieves, crept quietly into Ellaria’s room, then closed the door behind them.
Only a small bedside lamp was on in the room, casting a warm and hazy light.
The three girls sat on the bed or chairs, and for a moment, no one spoke first. An indescribable awkwardness and shyness filled the air; the three looked at each other, yet hesitated to speak.
In the end, it was Kefi who broke the silence first. She lowered the hand covering her face, but still kept her head down; her brown long hair fell, covering most of her still blushing cheeks. Her voice carried a slight tremble and a trace of guilt:
“I’m sorry… it was me… who did that kind of thing with Teacher Sefina… I know, Teacher was like that… because of the magic crest’s outbreak, it was a situation out of necessity…”
Kefi took a deep breath, as if mustering all her courage, “But I… myself… couldn’t control it, purely… wanted to get close to Teacher, took advantage of Teacher… I’m truly sorry.”
Kefi raised her head; her pale blue eyes were misty with moisture, mixed with shame and sincere apology, her gaze sweeping over Mia’s and Ellaria’s faces.
“Clearly… clearly I can also feel that you both also…”
She did not finish, but the meaning was already clear. Kefi had long noticed that Mia and Ellaria also held attachment and affection for Teacher Sefina.
And yet she herself, took advantage of the time when Teacher’s magic crest broke out and her consciousness was unclear…
Kefi lowered her head again, her hands tightly twisting together, her shoulders slightly shrinking.
Mia looked at Kefi’s self-blaming and ashamed appearance, listened to her confession that was so honest it was almost cruel, and some chord in her heart was gently plucked.
As if possessed, perhaps due to the atmosphere, or perhaps moved by Kefi’s confession, her throat moved, and she also spoke softly:
“Actually… actually I also…”
Mia bit her lip, her blue eyes quickly glanced at Ellaria, then she lowered her head again, her voice growing softer, yet clear enough:
“I also… also with Teacher Sefina… had… a similar thing happen.”