The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains as Aoi hurried out of Shirakuma Academy. Throughout the day, she had felt her classmates' stares and heard whispers about her sudden "secret ability." Some looked at her with admiration, others with suspicion, and a few with mockery.
However, what concerned her most wasn't the students—it was the teachers. Especially the one who had overseen her duel with Hikari. Even though he hadn't found any traces of magic on Ren, Aoi sensed he wasn't entirely convinced.
She sighed and stopped at a nearby park. Pulling Ren out of her backpack, she held him in her hands.
"Finally, some fresh air!" Ren exclaimed, wiggling his tiny fabric hands.
"Shut up," Aoi whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching her talk to a puppet.
Ren looked amused. "Still upset about the rumors?"
Aoi puffed her cheeks and blushed a little. "Obviously! Everyone thinks I've got some kind of amazing secret magic!"
"Well, at least they're not underestimating you anymore," Ren replied with a teasing smile.
Aoi glanced at him sideways before sighing. "What really worries me is that the teachers seem suspicious too. I don't want them to find out about you."
Ren nodded. He himself was confused about his existence. Ever since he woke up in this world inside a puppet's body, he hadn't fully understood how he functioned.
"We should dig deeper into this," Aoi said as she slipped him back into her backpack.
---
A Troubling Lesson
The next day, during Magic Theory class, the professor spoke about "enchanted items" and "cursed objects."
"Throughout the history of magic, some objects have gained special abilities. Some became trusted magical tools, while others were banned for being dangerous. Cursed objects, in particular, often possess consciousness or influence their owners."
Aoi swallowed hard. The description fit Ren a little too well.
"If anyone were to use such an item within the academy," the professor continued, "they'd be violating school rules and would face severe consequences."
A few students turned to glance at her. Clearly, the rumors had spread this far.
Ren, tucked inside Aoi's backpack, sensed the tension. He couldn't see what was happening, but he could feel the heavy atmosphere.
"If they find out I can move and talk... they might separate me from Aoi—or even destroy me," Ren thought.
---
After class, Aoi headed to the library to research more about cursed objects. What she didn't realize, however, was that Hikari was secretly following her.
"I'm sure that puppet's hiding something," Hikari thought, her face tight with frustration. Her pride wouldn't allow her to accept that she had lost to Aoi without some kind of trick.
From behind a nearby shelf, she watched as Aoi flipped through books on summoning magic and enchanted items.
"If I can prove she's using a forbidden object, Aoi will get expelled, and I'll clear my name."
---
That night, back at her home, Aoi decided to experiment with Ren.
"Alright, let's test if you really have magic!"
"Huh? What exactly do you want me to do?" Ren asked, confused.
Aoi set him down on the floor and crossed her arms.
"Yesterday during the battle, you summoned puppets to help me. But I don't know if you can do it again."
Ren tried moving his fabric hands and focused. At first, nothing happened.
"Maybe it only works during combat," Aoi said, thoughtful.
But then, as Aoi reached out her hand toward him, she felt that strange magical connection again. Suddenly, human-sized puppets began appearing around them—similar to Ren, but in different colors and shapes.
"It worked!" Aoi exclaimed in surprise.
The puppets began moving like soldiers, mimicking Ren's gestures.
"Amazing!" Ren said, astonished. But then Aoi noticed something even more shocking—the puppets were using her spark magic.
"They're throwing little fireballs!" she gasped.
Ren looked at his fabric hands. "It seems that when I summon puppets, they can replicate your magic."
Aoi fell silent for a moment.
"If that's true… we could train and become a really strong team."
Ren smiled. "Sounds fun."
But before they could continue testing, Aoi remembered something important.
"Wait! If someone finds out about this, they might accuse me of using forbidden magic!"
Ren didn't say a word.
"Then we'll have to keep it a secret," he said seriously.
They looked at each other, understanding that they had just discovered something powerful—but dangerous.
Aoi sighed. "Alright... tomorrow at school, we act like everything's normal."
Ren nodded. "Just make sure no one else gets their hands on me."
But at that very moment, a shadow quickly disappeared from the window.
Hikari, who had followed Aoi all the way to her house, smiled with satisfaction.
"So it's true… that puppet is alive."
Aoi walked through the hallways of Shirakuma Magical Academy with her heart pounding in her chest. She had just returned to class after her unexpected victory against Hikari, and the atmosphere was completely different from that morning.
The sound of footsteps and chatter filled the corridors, but every time Aoi passed by a group of students, their voices dropped and their eyes followed her discreetly.
"Is that Aoi, the one who beat Hikari?"
"Yeah, but... how? I thought she only had spark magic."
"She must've been hiding her true power..."
"But why is she carrying a puppet? Isn't that weird?"
Aoi felt her face flush with embarrassment. She pressed her lips together and clutched Ren tightly in her hand. She hurried to her seat and slumped into her chair, trying to ignore the stares that clung to her.
Ren, still in her hand, tilted his head slightly toward her and whispered:
"Well, looks like you're a celebrity now."
"Shut up," Aoi hissed through gritted teeth, feeling more eyes on her every time she spoke.
Ren let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry too much. In a few days, they'll find something else to gossip about."
Aoi sighed and crossed her arms, trying to calm herself. She wanted to believe him, but the murmurs kept buzzing around her.
"Must be puppet summoning magic."
"That would explain how she fought like that..."
"But if she always had that magic, why didn't she ever use it?"
"Maybe she was just pretending to be weak so no one would challenge her."
Aoi lowered her head, a mix of discomfort and irritation twisting in her chest. She had never wanted to stand out, and now everyone was talking about her like she was some kind of mysterious fraud.
But then, the rumors took an even worse turn.
"And what about the puppet?"
"Maybe it's her magical familiar..."
"Or maybe it's a cursed object?"
"What if she's just a weirdo who needs a puppet to have someone to talk to?"
A chill ran down Aoi's spine. Her grip on Ren tightened, and without thinking, she stuffed him hastily into her backpack—like that would somehow make the rumors disappear as well.
For a moment, everything went quiet.
Then, from inside the backpack, Ren murmured:
"That was a little harsh..."
Aoi closed her eyes in frustration. She couldn't respond without drawing more attention, so she just covered her face with her hands, wishing the day would end as soon as possible.
END OF CHAPTER 8.