Behavior problems...

Physical and mental torture.

Deuce sighed. "Can we at least get through breakfast without any drama? That's all I'm asking."

"Dream big, Deuce," Yuu teased, piling some scrambled eggs onto her plate. "Dream big."

And with that, they settled into their usual table,

They sat into their seats in the dining hall, their trays filled with food. Grim was already halfway through a towering stack of pancakes, syrup dripping everywhere.

"Grim, slow down! You're gonna drown in syrup at this rate," Yuu said, wiping at a sticky spot Grim had somehow managed to flick onto her sleeve.

"I'm building energy!" Grim declared, not even pausing between bites. "A top-class mage needs a hearty breakfast, Yuu!"

Ace leaned back in his chair with an exaggerated groan, balancing a piece of toast on his finger. "Speaking of top-class mages, when do I get credit for carrying this team? I'm basically a hero, you know. You should all start calling me Ace the Amazing."

Yuu gave him a deadpan stare. "The only thing amazing about you is how you're still alive after all the trouble you cause."

"Yeah, Ace, remember when you almost blew up the potion lab? Or the time you set off a spell trap in the library?" Deuce added, shooting Ace a pointed look.

"Hey, I didn't see you stepping up to disable that spell trap!" Ace said, mock-offended. "I mean, yeah, it was a little explosive, but no harm, no foul, right?"

"The librarian banned you from the library for two weeks," Yuu reminded him.

"Details, details," Ace said, waving her off and taking a smug bite of his toast.

Deuce shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Unbelievable."

Meanwhile, Grim was now licking the syrup off his plate, much to everyone's horror.

"Grim! That's disgusting," Yuu snapped, trying to wrestle the plate away from him.

"It's efficient!" Grim countered, clinging to the plate like his life depended on it.

"You're going to be banned from the dining hall at this rate," Deuce said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, please, like Ace hasn't done worse," Grim retorted.

"Why am I the scapegoat for everything?!" Ace exclaimed, throwing up his hands dramatically. "I'm an innocent victim here!"

Yuu shook her head, laughing despite herself. "You're about as innocent as Grim is tidy."

The group's lighthearted banter continued as the dining hall gradually filled with more students. Yuu found her gaze wandering across the room, taking in the various faces. At a nearby table, Vil was seated with Rook and Epel. Vil looked as polished as ever, gesturing gracefully as he spoke, while Rook nodded along, clearly enraptured.

"You okay, Yuu?" Deuce asked, nudging her arm gently.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Yuu replied quickly, shaking off her thoughts.

"Daydreaming about someone special?" Ace teased, grinning like he'd caught her red-handed.

"Nope, just thinking about how I've managed not to murder you yet," Yuu shot back, smirking.

"Ha! You'd miss me too much," Ace said confidently, earning an eye-roll from her.

Grim, now licking his paw clean, let out a loud burp that echoed through the hall.

"Grim, seriously?" Deuce groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What? It's a sign of satisfaction!" Grim said, utterly unrepentant.