Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece
Chapter 122: The Confession [1]

The Solvayne Academy cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime noise.

Trays clattered as students moved through the food line.

Dozens of conversations overlapped, blending into a constant hum of voices.

Laughter echoed from one corner, followed by the sound of a dropped fork hitting the floor.

The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat, buttery bread, and something overly sweet.

Long wooden tables filled the room, packed with students in uniform.

Some chatted excitedly about combat drills, others groaned about the upcoming midterms.

A few just focused on shoveling food into their mouths, barely looking up between bites.

At one of the tables near the window. Kyle Valemont was fast asleep, face-down on his folded arms.

His bluish-black hair stuck out at odd angles. Like he'd rolled out of bed and never bothered to fix it.

His shoulders rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm. Completely dead to the world.

In front of him. A full plate of food sat untouched.

Steam no longer rose from the mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables. Even the bread roll had gone a little stiff at the edges.

Across from him. Reo was elbow-deep in lunch.

He held a chicken leg in one hand. Biting into it with zero concern for manners.

"Man, I swear the cooks are trying to kill us with salt," he muttered through a mouthful.

He licked his thumb and reached for his drink. "This is my third glass of water."

Luna, sitting next to him. Rolled her eyes and poked at her salad with a fork.

"That's because you dump half the salt shaker on your food before even tasting it," she said. Raising an eyebrow.

Reo pointed at her with his chicken leg. "That's called seasoning. You should try it sometime."

She ignored him and leaned over the table. Eyeing Kyle's sleeping form.

"Should we wake him up? He's gonna sleep through the whole lunch break."

Reo shrugged. "Let him rest. He looks like he got hit by a truck."

Luna frowned. "He's been like this for days now."

She reached across the table and flicked Kyle's forehead. "Hey. Wake up."

Kyle let out a low groan. Lifting his head just enough to glare at her with one eye half-open.

His voice was rough, heavy with sleep.

"What?"

"You've been avoiding us," Luna said, resting her chin in her hand.

"Three days. No training. No sparring. You just disappeared. What gives?"

Kyle rubbed at his face with both hands. Trying to wake up. "Been busy," he muttered. "Training."

Reo let out a short laugh. "What kind of training makes you look like you've been awake for a week straight?"

Kyle didn't answer. He just let his head drop back onto his arms with a tired sigh.

Luna wasn't letting it go. She picked up a single pea from her tray and flicked it at him. It bounced off his sleeve.

Kyle didn't even react.

Before anyone could say more. Two figures approached the table.

Eleanora and Serena.

Both carried trays and wore the crisp, clean look of people who actually got sleep.

Eleanora's pale blonde hair was pulled back neatly, her posture straight as ever.

Serena stood just behind her, eyes cool and unreadable. Her violet gaze sweeping over the group.

"Mind if we join you?" Eleanora asked. Her voice was polite, but it had that usual chill edge to it.

Kyle blinked and sat up straighter, though his movements were slow.

Reo grinned and gestured at the empty spots. "Go ahead, Your Highness. Table's all yours."

Eleanora gave him a mildly annoyed glance before sitting next to Kyle.

Serena followed. Placing her tray down and starting to eat without a word.

Luna, of course, jumped at the chance for gossip.

"So, Eleanora," she said, leaning in a bit. "Is it true your sister made a third-year cry during sparring yesterday?"

Eleanora sipped her water, then replied flatly, "He just hyperventilated."

Reo barked a laugh. "Same thing."

Kyle, eyes half-closed. Mumbled into his arms, "She'd make a demon hyperventilate."

Eleanora's lips twitched. For a moment, it looked like she might smile. Almost.

The group kept talking. Classes, training, the usual academy gripes.

Reo launched into a story about Professor Hale's "training from hell," and Luna chimed in with dramatic reenactments.

Kyle listened, sort of. Most of it was just background noise now. His thoughts were fuzzy. His eyes heavy.

Then. A shadow fell over the table.

A girl with fiery red hair stood there. Clutching a folded piece of paper like it might catch fire in her hands.

She was tall, with freckles dusting her pale nose and wide hazel eyes that looked everywhere but directly at Kyle.

She looked like she wanted to run.

"Um," she squeaked. Voice barely louder than a whisper.

Everyone at the table turned to look at her.

The girl swallowed hard, her knuckles white around the paper.

Then. Suddenly, she stepped forward and thrust it toward Kyle. "H-Here!"

Kyle blinked, still half-asleep. His mind taking a second to catch up. "...What?"

"It's… for you," she stammered. Her cheeks were bright red, and her voice cracked at the end.

Before Kyle could say anything. She dropped the note near his tray and turned on her heel.

She practically sprinted away. Nearly slipping as she rounded the corner and vanished into the crowd of students.

Silence fell over the table like a dropped curtain.

Then—

Luna burst out laughing. "Oh my gods. Was that a love letter?!"

Kyle stared at the folded paper like it was some kind of trap. "What? No. That can't be. Why would—?"

Before he could finish. Reo snatched the letter off his tray. "Only one way to find out!"

"Reo!" Kyle reached across the table. But Reo leaned back, holding the note just out of reach with a huge grin.

"Nuh-uh," Reo teased.

"This is important social information. I gotta read it for science." He cleared his throat and began in a dramatic voice.

"Dear Kyle. I've noticed you in Advanced Mana Theory—"

"Give it back!" Kyle growled, lunging forward again.

"—you're really smart and, um, really—" Reo was halfway through the sentence before his hands suddenly went empty.

Serena had snatched the letter from him without a word. Her expression was unreadable as always.

She passed it back to Kyle with a single, quiet gesture.

Kyle took it. Shooting Reo a glare. "Thanks," he muttered. Brushing his thumb across the folded paper.

Luna tilted her head. "You're actually gonna read it?"

Kyle nodded slowly. Still a bit red in the face.

"Yeah. I don't know her. But she went out of her way to give me this. The least I can do is read it properly."

Luna let out a dramatic sigh. "Aww, look at you. So thoughtful."

"I'm not gonna ignore someone who had the guts to do that in front of a whole room."

Reo leaned in. Teasing grin in place. "So, what if it is a love letter?"

"Then I'll give her a proper answer," Kyle said, his voice calm. But a little more serious now.

"I'm not looking for that kind of thing right now. But I won't just laugh it off."

That earned a few surprised looks around the table.

Luna blinked. "Huh. That's... actually kinda nice."

Even Eleanora glanced over with the faintest smile on her face. Like she had expected him to say that.

"She's Mira Farrow," Eleanora said suddenly. Breaking the short pause.

Kyle turned to her. "You know her?"

"She's in our mana theory class. From class C1. She always sits in the back row."

Kyle nodded slowly. He remembered seeing a girl with red hair sitting near the window. Quiet. Didn't speak up much.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

Eleanora picked up her glass of water, sipping slowly. "I pay attention."

Luna smirked. "Ohhh, someone's a little too observant. Jealous much?"

Eleanora's hand paused on her fork. Grip tightening just a little.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said coolly.

Reo leaned back, clearly enjoying himself. "Nah, nah, it's okay. I mean, if Kyle starts getting fan mail now. We all gotta watch out. Next thing you know. He'll have a fan club."

Kyle groaned. Leaning his head into his hand. "Please no."

Luna nudged him with her elbow. "C'mon, pretty boy. Take the compliment."

"I'm not a pretty boy."

"You kinda are," Reo said with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

Kyle didn't even lift his head. He just flipped him off with a lazy hand.

Serena. Who had stayed quiet through most of this, finally spoke, her tone flat. "If the clown show is over. We have combat drills in twenty minutes."

Luna let out a dramatic groan. "Ugh, don't remind me."

Kyle sighed, fingers still brushing the folded note. "I might skip."

Eleanora raised an eyebrow. "You can't skip."

"Watch me," Kyle muttered.

Reo grinned. "If you don't show. I'm dragging your half-dead body there myself."

"I hate all of you," Kyle mumbled into the table.

Luna giggled. "You love us. Deep, deep down."

The bell rang, sharp and loud. Signaling the end of lunch.

Everyone began picking up their trays. Kyle stayed seated for a moment longer, eyes on the note in his hand.

This day had taken a weird turn.

———

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