Golden light streamed through the towering windows of the academy's central tower. The crystal announcement board in the courtyard shimmered with a new notice. Students crowded around it, whispering excitedly. Jin Hoshin stood beneath a cherry blossom tree, arms folded, watching the scene unfold like a general reading the battlefield before the war.
> [Notice: All students must form a team of seven. Team-based missions and battles begin tomorrow. Each team will be assigned a shared dormitory. Choose wisely.]
Bo Lang popped up beside him, munching on a rice cracker. "Seven people in one team?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's either a dream or a disaster."
Jin smirked. "Let's make it a dream."
That evening, under the deep pink sky, Jin gathered his thoughts beneath the silver lanterns of the Moonlit Courtyard. One by one, he called out the names in his journal:
1. Bo Lang – Loyal, reckless, and hilarious. Jin's longest friend and partner in crime.
2. Mei Qi – The sharp-tongued healer who could mend wounds and crush egos in the same breath.
3. Rei Han – The silent swordfighter, elegant and deadly. His blade danced like falling snow.
4. He Wang – The "gangster boss," tattooed and towering, but with a strange love for gardening and bubble tea.
Jin paused, glancing toward the dorm path where shadows lengthened. His fingers tightened slightly around the pen.
5. Yooha – Cold, unreadable, powerful… and someone he couldn't stop noticing.
Just then, Xie Luan appeared behind him like a breeze in the night. He leaned over Jin's shoulder with a faint smile.
> "Already writing her name without asking?"
Jin raised an eyebrow. "You're reading over my shoulder?"
Xie grinned, not answering the question. "She's always in your mind, isn't she?"
Jin clicked his pen and smiled.
> "It's not about that. I trust her strength. That's all."
6. Xie Luan – The storm with a quiet voice. Friends with Yooha. Enigmatic and sharp-eyed.
For the seventh spot, Jin scribbled his own name.
7. Jin Hoshin – Half-divine, son of a trickster god, with no map but his will. A leader without a crown—yet.
As the moon rose, the seven stood in front of their new shared dorm. It was a wide, wooden hall built on the edge of the northern waterfall cliffs. Lanterns floated above the walkway, and wind chimes sang softly.
They stared at each other… an unlikely mix. Some smiling. Some skeptical.
Mei Qi sighed, "I'm not doing laundry."
Bo Lang grinned. "Dibs on the bed near the window!"
He Wang cracked his knuckles. "No fighting unless I start it."
Xie Luan smirked. "This is going to be… interesting."
Yooha said nothing, but her eyes landed on Jin for a second—quiet understanding passing between them.
And Jin? He just stepped forward, pushed open the dorm doors, and said with a half-smile,
> "Let's make this chaos… beautiful."
End of Episode 34( continue)