I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 11
Being paired with a friend I was close to would of course be pleasant. If not, it could be tiring.
Being sensitive about scholarships, I had to perform well regardless of the circumstances, so I couldn’t really enjoy either one.
Most aimed for graduation, not necessarily for outstanding grades.
“Ah, why do I have to be paired with someone like you?”
Being grouped with Class 10 really tested my luck.
“Come here, Willai.”
Fate had it that I was paired with Willai.
Even if being paired with Edwin was acceptable, Willai was someone I’d rather not deal with.
“Please sit with your group.”
The professor’s instruction had everyone moving to their designated tables.
There were five groups in total.
With Class 10 joining, the combined space of our class and theirs had doubled in size.
The professor waved his wand, and a cauldron the size of a glass cup appeared at each station.
“Creating a Potion of Fortune is tricky. Today we will prepare some ingredients, and you’ll need to bring more next time.”
As the professor waved his wand, text began to appear on the chalkboard.
I opened my notebook and started jotting down the information from the board with my fountain pen.
“To ensure the Potion of Fortune is highly effective, the ingredients you bring tomorrow must be imbued with significant sentiment. The more precious, the better.”
I absolutely hated this type of assignment. Group work that required something valuable? It seemed like the score would depend on who made the greatest sacrifice.
But before me lay Edwin, seemingly resigned to whatever fate, Willai who would do anything to ruin my grades, and Marian, a girl who had been sneaking glances earlier.
Wondering if Marian was looking at Edwin, I glanced her way. She quickly averted her gaze when our eyes met.
Perhaps Edwin’s wariness towards me stemmed from such attention. The interest people had in him had changed from when he was the Crown Prince.
Now, as a demoted prince, he must feel surrounded by enemies.
If I could just get him back to his status as crown prince, perhaps, he wouldn’t fall for me. Even now I’ve successfully distanced myself from his ideal type.
But I wasn’t entirely reassured. Without a definitive measure to cement this distance, there was still some uncertainty.
“Now, we will start the first combination for the Potion of Fortune.”
After the professor’s explanation, I tapped my book with my wand.
The book floated up and stayed suspended in the air.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“What do you mean? We need to start the combination.”
“Huh.”
Willai watched my actions with arms crossed, seemingly uninterested in participating.
“I’ll do the slicing.”
“It’s risky to slice them directly. They should be boiled first.”
Marian offered help, so I shared a tip.
“Won’t boiling change it?”
“I’ve tried it; it’s fine.”
Marian looked at me curiously, so I gave an involuntary smile. She smiled back shyly and nodded.
“Then I’ll boil and prepare them.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll pluck Keleb’s fur, melt the rubens, and then mix the yellow red peacock feathers with frog tears.”
Marian seemed a bit overwhelmed.
“You’ll do all that by yourself?”
“Uh, probably?”
Though taken aback, our eyes met again, and I smiled. Her expression softened, perhaps out of sympathy.
“Let’s do it together. After boiling and mashing the peas.”
“Sure.”
She ignited the cauldron with her wand.
As Marian kindled the fire, I filled the pot with water.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Then, I waved my wand at a nearby Keleb.
Kelebs, being generally gentle creatures, didn’t react aggressively when a bit of their fur was cut.
Next was melting the rubens, a type of gemstone that didn’t melt easily. It required intense heat.
“I’ll handle melting the rubens. Can you check if the peas are boiled well?”
“Is Marian a fire attribute?”
“Yes.”
Confidently, Marian reached out for the yellow rubens I held, indicating she wanted to take over.
“It’s fortunate. I’ve always been envious of fire abilities.”
“Why?”
Marian’s genuine interest led me to unconsciously share my feelings, which seemed to puzzle her.
“Fire abilities are just cool. They’re flashy in attack and powerful. Being water attributed myself, I can’t help but envy that.”
“What’s there to envy? I find water abilities more desirable. They’re rare, aren’t they?”
Water attributes were indeed rare. Fire was the most common among attribute holders, followed by wind, earth, and then water.
Water attributed individuals were scarce for reasons unknown.
“I’d prefer strength over rarity. I like powerful abilities.”
Marian easily melted the rubens with a wave of her wand, then skillfully directed it into the pot in the center with another wave.
“What’s there to envy about a water ability that’s practically useless in attack? Marian, you’re strange.”
Willai’s taunting tone drew a look of annoyance from Marian.
“Is it as useless as you who does nothing?”
