Chapter 54 - The damsel and her knight

As both women walked through the long collegiate corridors of the prestigious institute's building, they giggled at the memories Mana recollected.

"This was the one class we had together in International Law." Mana explained as they entered a beautiful high-ceiling classroom.

The building was old, so it still carried the timeless aura with it's aged architecture and stoned walls.

Lina wished she could remember these memories of having acc.u.mulated a world class education. It was amazing that she could still handle her work with everything she had studied deeply ingrained.

But it was the pleasure of college days, messing around, hanging out with Mana and the invaluable lectures she'd sat through that left an emptiness in her heart.

Seeing her downcast expression, Mana threw her arms around Lina.

"Don't worry Li! If there was anyone who could recover from what you've been through, I'd place my bets on you!"

"Thanks, Mana." Lina sad eyes brightened a little.

"Okay, enough of boring classrooms. Let's head to the key destination!"

Lina followed as Mana grabbed her hand and beelined towards and open air theatre-like area.

Her eyes widened as they stepped out of the building corridors and into the wide, expansive atrium.

The entire place was surrounded by dense trees and beautiful, exotic plants. It was almost like a designed garden in a medieval palace. The seating could hold a crowd of at least 2000 people and the stage was massive.

"It's pretty impressive, isn't it?"

"Yes..." Lina's mouth was agape in wonder.

Mana laughed at her wonder. It confounded her how surprised and wonderstruck her best friend was to see the place they spent so many hours and breaks at.

"This is where we met for the first time..." Mana's voice drifted as she thought back to the first time she set her eyes on Lina.

Mana had never been one to confront people who stood in her way. She preferred to hide and ignore and focus on her work. She made an easy target for bullies, especially because of her lack of confidence.

She had never been a stunning woman or a cute girl at school, so she chose to keep a low profile.

The first day at Capital City University was daunting, not knowing anyone or anything. A lot of people came in, already knowing each other before, or having connected online. But Mana came from a smaller city in J Country and was all alone.

The first day was the orientation mixer in this very outdoor theatre. All the other girls were wearing pretty frocks and heavy makeup, trying to impress the boys and the seniors who were welcoming them, but Mana was dressed in a plain shirt and a longer skirt up to her shins.

Her conservative style and her plain face didn't make her stand out much, and she seemed drab to all the new comers and someone uninteresting who faded in the background to the seniors.

She had kept her eyes down and tried to stay out of everyone's way, but unfortunately for her, she wasn't careful as to where she was walking and bumped into a tall, very beautiful freshman girl from an influential background.

The girl pushed her and slapped her in front of everyone even though Mana apologised to her. But the beautiful girl and her friends kept picking on her.

"That's when you came rushing in on your white horse, Li." Mana smiled and winked at her best friend.

"I had a white horse?!" Lina's eyes widened in child-like wonder.

Mana burst out laughing.

"No, you idiot! I meant, you were my like my knight on a white horse, and I was the damsel in distress!"

"Haha oh, I see!" Lina giggled.

"How many brain cells did you lose in that coma, Li?"

Mana got whacked playfully on her arm.

"Ow! You haven't changed at all, you crazy violent woman!"

"I was that violent?" Lina asked, excited to hear about her own past escapades. She carefully thought about how 'violent' she had been lately.

Shen was definitely annoyed at his security systems and doors being destroyed by her, as well as his entire security team at the capital city Moshi Corp offices, as well as breaking poor Ayu's arm the first time she met her....

"Earth to Lina!"

She heard Mana's voice beckoning her back to reality.

"Sorry sorry, got lost in thought! So tell me, how was I always so violent?"

Mana cleared her throat as if to prepare herself to tell a long story.

"So when that bitch was bullying me and beating me up, some crazy girl pulled her by her hair and tossed her aside like she was a banana peel being chucked into a garbage bin. And that, Li, was you!"

Tossed a girl like she was a banana peel being thrown into a garbage bin?

Was she really that brutal?

"And then nobody dared to mess with you or with me ever again."

"Mana, didn't I get into trouble? Didn't that girl have an influential backing?"

"Well, she was the daughter of a wealthy businessman and her father came to the University to make a complaint the next day, but somehow you never got into any trouble. I even asked you if you came from an influential family but you said you were an orphan so...I assumed you just got lucky!"

Mana's voice trailed off.

It all sounded a little suspicious.

Lina fell into thought again. Why did it feel like someone was always pulling some strings behind her?

Not even Mana knew anything about her family.

Who knew?

Tachi?