The lecture hall buzzed with the low hum of students chatting, their voices blending into a monotonous drone. Cain sat slumped in his seat, arms folded across his chest, his head tilted back against the chair. His eyes were half-lidded, heavy with exhaustion. The midterm exams had finally ended, and while he had survived barely, the toll they had taken on his energy reserves was evident. He felt like a deflated balloon, drained of all motivation.
At the front of the room, Orion stood with his usual air of smug superiority, his sharp eyes scanning the class. The faint smirk on his lips suggested he was about to drop some kind of bombshell. Cain braced himself, though he couldn't muster the energy to care much.
"Before we continue," Orion began, his voice cutting through the chatter like a knife, "we have a new addition to our little group. A transfer student. Try not to scare her off."
Cain rolled his eyes. Great. Another overachiever to make the rest of us look bad. He slouched further into his seat, already dismissing the newcomer as irrelevant to his life.
The door creaked open, and all eyes turned toward it. In walked a girl who looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Her silver-blue hair was lazily tied into a loose ponytail, strands escaping to frame her face. Her uniform was slightly disheveled, the tie hanging loosely around her neck, and her blazer was unbuttoned, as if she couldn't be bothered to dress properly. She had an easy-going smile on her face, her hands stuffed into her pockets as she sauntered into the room.
"Hey," she said, her voice soft but carrying a hint of amusement.
The room fell silent. Cain blinked, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Wait a minute… she looks… lazy? He sat up a little straighter, his curiosity piqued.
Orion gestured toward her. "Introduce yourself."
The girl yawned, stretching slightly as if she were waking up from a nap. "Mira Solstice," she said, her tone casual, almost bored. "I was told I needed a faction, so… whatever. I'll just go with you guys."
The entire class stared at her, stunned. Cain's jaw nearly dropped. Just like that? No tests? No trials? She just… picks us?
"Wait, wait, wait—" Cain interjected, leaning forward in his seat. "Just like that? No tests? No trials? You just… pick us?"
Mira shrugged, her expression unchanging. "Seemed like the least stressful option."
Cain narrowed his eyes, studying her. There was something about her nonchalance that struck a chord with him. This girl… she gets it.
Later that day, the faction's hideout was alive with activity or at least as much activity as a group of self-proclaimed slackers could muster. Ravena was scribbling notes in the corner, Selene was flipping through a book with mild interest, and Cain was sprawled on the couch, staring at the ceiling as if it held the secrets of the universe.
Mira, the new addition, had already made herself at home. She lounged on the other couch, her legs stretched out, her head resting on the armrest. She looked like she had been there for years, not hours. Her silver-blue hair spilled over the edge of the couch, and her eyes were half-closed, as if she were on the verge of falling asleep.
Cain couldn't help but watch her. There was something about her demeanor that both intrigued and annoyed him. She was the embodiment of everything he aspired to be utterly unbothered by the world around her.
"So…" Cain finally broke the silence, his voice laced with curiosity. "What's your deal?"
Mira glanced at him, her expression unimpressed. "My deal?"
"Yeah," Cain said, sitting up slightly. "Why are you here? What's your skill set? How much effort do you actually put into things?"
Mira grinned, a lazy, self-satisfied smile that made Cain's eye twitch. "Oh, I put in effort when I need to. But most of the time?" She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Why bother?"
Cain nearly dropped the drink he was holding. *Did she just…?* The others in the room turned to watch, their expressions a mix of confusion and amusement.
Ravena frowned, her arms crossed over her chest. "You can't just slack off in a place like this."
Mira smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Really? I've been doing fine so far."
Cain was fascinated. She wasn't just lazy—she was *proud* of it. It was as if she had taken his own philosophy and cranked it up to eleven. He couldn't decide whether he admired her or wanted to challenge her.
"Alright," Cain said, setting his drink down and leaning forward. "Prove it. Fight me."
Selene perked up, her book forgotten. "Oh? This I have to see."
Mira sat up slowly, stretching her arms above her head as if she were waking up from a nap. "Mmm… nah."
Cain blinked. "Nah?"
"I'll win," Mira said with a shrug. "No point in fighting."
Cain narrowed his eyes, his competitive streak flaring up. She understands my philosophy… but she's even worse than me at hiding it. He felt a strange mix of admiration and frustration. I have finally met my match.
The next day, Cain decided to test Mira's limits. If she was going to out-lazy him, he was going to make her work for it. He left chores undone, hoping she would take the bait and pick up the slack. But Mira simply walked past the mess, her expression one of mild amusement.
He challenged her to a battle, hoping to provoke her into showing her skills. She yawned and walked away, leaving him standing there like a fool.
He even tried to annoy her into reacting, making snide comments and poking fun at her laziness. But Mira just smirked, her calm demeanor unshaken.
Finally, after a particularly frustrating attempt to get under her skin, Mira turned to him, her silver-blue eyes glinting with amusement. "Cain, you don't get it," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You try to be lazy. I am lazy. There's a difference."
Cain was speechless. He had no comeback, no witty retort. She had outmaneuvered him without even trying.
Selene burst out laughing, her voice echoing through the hideout. "I like her."
Cain groaned, slumping back onto the couch. Damn it. I might have finally met someone I can't out-slack.
As Mira returned to her spot on the couch, stretching out like a cat in the sun, Cain couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for her. She was everything he aspired to be utterly unbothered, effortlessly lazy, and completely unapologetic about it.
And for the first time in a long time, Cain felt a spark of motivation. If Mira could out-lazy him, then maybe, just maybe, he needed to up his game.
But for now, he was content to sit back and watch. After all, there was no point in rushing things.