[Rest Room at the Cafeteria —]
Valkyrie burst into the restroom like she had just outrun a fire-breathing dragon. Her hands gripped the sink as she leaned forward to it, she was breathing so fast—even her reflection in the mirror looked like it might pass out from watching her. Her hair was sticking to her forehead and her cheeks flushed like it was melting together with her eyes in panic.
"Val, seriously?" Soda’s voice followed from the doorway, half exasperated and half amused. She closed the door behind them, setting her bag on the counter with a loud clatter. "You ran like the cafeteria was about to explode."
Valkyrie turned sharply, pointing a finger at her. "I had to! Did you see Sky? The way he was looking at me?"
Soda rolled her eyes dramatically, tossing her long hair back as though she was on stage. "Oh, poor you. The most handsome angel in the entire academy— who literally every girl in school would pay to be noticed by decided to make eye contact with you. And your brilliant solution?" She spread her arms. "Stuffing your mouth like a squirrel and sprinting out of there like the world’s ending."
"It was survival instinct!" Valkyrie shot back, still panting. "Do you realize how uncomfortable it is having someone like that focus all his attention on you? Like, his whole charm thing is... suffocating. It’s not normal to me Soda"
Soda crossed her arms, tilting her head with a smirk. "Not normal? Val, that’s literally his normal. He walks into a room and angels faint. Did you miss the girl who dropped flat on her tray just because he walked past?"
"Exactly my point!" Valkyrie retorted, pointing toward the hallway like the scene was still happening out there. "That’s not healthy! People shouldn’t collapse like dominoes every time someone smiles at them."
Soda’s laughter filled the room, echoing against the tiles. She stepped closer, leaning on the counter beside Valkyrie. "You’re impossible, Val. If it were me? I’d have introduced myself, smiled, maybe fluttered my wings a little—" She lifted her hands and mimed batting her eyelashes dramatically. "Bam. Instant golden opportunity."
Valkyrie narrowed her eyes. "You mean instant humiliation. He’s way too... too..." She searched for the right word, her hands waving around. "Perfect. You know? Like he’s carved out of sunlight or something. And I don’t trust people who look like they don’t even know what a bad hair day is."
Soda gasped theatrically, clutching her chest. "Blasphemy! You dare accuse Sky of being too perfect? You’re officially the only angel in Monster Academy who isn’t tripping over herself for him."
Valkyrie smirked, straightening up a little. "Good. Someone has to be sane around here."
They stared at each other for a beat with tension rising—then Soda burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. Valkyrie cracked a grin despite herself, shaking her head.
Their laughter settled into silence, broken only by the faint dripping of a faucet. Valkyrie reached for a paper towel, pressing it against her flushed face.
And that’s when a voice drifted out from one of the stalls. A calm voice with lplayful edge.
"Interesting take. Personally, I think sanity is overrated."
Both Valkyrie and Soda froze. The stall door creaked open, and out stepped Jasmine, her long robes swishing softly against the tiles. Her dark, intelligent eyes sparkled with mischief as she adjusted the silver headband keeping her curls in place.
Soda blinked. "Jasmine? How long were you—?"
"Long enough," Jasmine cut in smoothly, smiling at them both. "Let’s just say your little debate was better entertainment than anything I’ve seen in class today." She looked at Valkyrie, tilting her head with curiosity. "And it’s good to see you again, Val. Or do you prefer Valkyrie?"
Valkyrie, still flustered from her cafeteria escape, stammered a little. "Uh... Val is fine."
Soda nudged her shoulder, grinning. "See? Even Jasmine calls you Val now. It’s official."
Jasmine leaned casually against the counter, arms folded. "You know, Val, I actually agree with you. Sky is... dazzling, sure, but people like that rarely reveal what’s beneath the shine. It’s a little too easy to get lost in the performance."
Soda’s mouth dropped open. "Not you too! First Val, now Jasmine? What is this, the Anti-Sky Club? Do I need to file a complaint with the council of angel fangirls?"
Jasmine chuckled, her voice was low and thoughtful. "I wouldn’t call it anti-anything. It’s just perspective. Some of us are drawn to mystery—to depth. To the ones who don’t always shine the brightest in the room but leave the strongest mark when you get close enough."
Her words lingered like smoke in the air, and Valkyrie found herself meeting Jasmine’s gaze. For the first time since arriving at the academy, she felt seen—not as the awkward new girl fumbling her way through introductions, but as someone with potential worth noticing.
Soda groaned, waving her arms. "Ugh, you two are going to turn me into the dramatic one if you keep this up. I’m supposed to be the fun bestie, not the shallow one drooling over Sky."
Valkyrie smirked. "Too late."
Jasmine laughed softly, pushing off the counter. "Well, shallow or not, Soda, you bring the life into any room. That’s your gift, don’t underestimate it." Then she turned back to Valkyrie. "And you too Val— don’t underestimate yourself either. You’ve barely scratched the surface of who you are, but trust me, there’s something rare in you." Official source ıs novᴇlfire.net
For a second, Valkyrie didn’t know what to say. The sincerity in Jasmine’s voice and the calm assurance in her eyes— made her chest tighten in a way she couldn’t explain.
Soda, sensing the heaviness in the air, clapped her hands together. "Alright, enough with the philosophical life lessons, thank you very much! We still need to figure out how to get Val to survive Sky without choking on her food again."
Valkyrie groaned. "Huh? I did not choke."
"You absolutely did," Soda teased. She mimed shoving food into her mouth. "— nom nom nom— don’t look at me, handsome angel boy!"
Even Jasmine chuckled at the impression, and soon all three of them were laughing, the sound was echoing through the restroom like a promise of the friendship slowly forming between them.