Ch. 79 - Bai Yu’s Bestie

Not far away, a senior with a killer figure—and clothes that were barely regulation—was yelling across the field, waving her wand in one hand like a traffic baton.

“Slower! I said slower! Control your speed!—Hey! What are you doing, braking with your foot?! Do you think you have extra shoes to waste? You can’t stop a broom with your foot!”

“…Haha,” the senior who’d brought me here gave a nervous laugh. “Our coaches are actually really gentle, you know. See? Even when things get this bad, she’s still holding back from punching anyone. That’s… professionalism!”

“R-right…” I nodded stiffly, though my mouth twitched a little. I really, really hoped this “coach” wasn’t the type who took out her stress on new students.

“Anyway,” my guide said quickly, “wait here a sec. I’ll go talk to her—you’ll be training under her today.”

“Okay…”

I clasped my card tightly, watching as she jogged over.

“Hey, Tu Qingxue! Got a new trainee for you—take her for the afternoon, yeah?”

“What? No way. I already got assigned one today, I’m full!” The hot-headed coach immediately waved her wand in protest.

“Not my call—it’s a system assignment. You have to take her.”

“System-assigned? Wait… is she Bai Yu’s little sister or something?”

The other girl blinked. “Name’s… Yang Yuehan, I think? You know her?”

“Yang Yuehan… Yuehan… Oh, that Yuehan. Got it.” Qingxue’s expression shifted in an instant. “Alright, fine, I’ll take her. You can go now. And watch your step—you’ll get rammed if you stand around too long.”

That last bit came out half under her breath, but I still heard it. 

Wait—she knew Bai Yu? She’d said my name like she’d heard it before.

Bai Yu even arranged this?

So thoughtful!

“Great! Then I’ll leave her to you,” my guide said, clearly relieved. “See you!”

She bolted before I could even say goodbye. Maybe getting “rammed” here really was a genuine occupational hazard.

“Uh…” I blinked, still holding my card.

The front-desk girl waved from a safe distance. “You’re in good hands—she’s Tu Qingxue, your instructor! She knows you. Byeee!”

And just like that, she vanished.

“Yuehan, right?” The fiery senior finally turned toward me, a grin curling at her lips. “Come on over~ Your Sis Bai Yu personally asked me to take special care of you.”

Her tone flipped from annoyed to teasing in the span of a breath.

“Go on,” she added with a playful glint in her eyes. “Let’s hear it—‘Qingxue-sis.’”

“Q–Qingxue-sis…” I stammered, my voice coming out softer than I meant it to.

If Bai Yu had gone out of her way to arrange this, I couldn’t afford to make a bad impression. First impressions mattered—especially when I had no idea how terrible my flying skills might be.

If I turned out hopeless and didn’t know how to act cute, that’d be a disaster.

“Good girl~” Qingxue laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “From today on, you’re under my wing. And just so you know—” she leaned closer, her chest pressing against my cheek as she grinned, clearly aware of what she was doing, “I’m Bai Yu’s best friend. Her best bestie.”

I froze, heat rushing to my face.

Whether it was on purpose or not… I had a feeling training under her was going to be a lot.

After admiring how quickly my face turned red, Tu Qingxue finally decided she’d teased me enough. She let go of my shoulder and tugged me along.

“Come on~ You're shy? Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Come on, let’s get you a broom.”

“Mm…”

My face was still warm as I followed her.

For the record—it wasn’t that I was that flustered.

Honestly, what she just did wasn’t even much.

The reason my face was red was purely physiological betrayal.

It’s not like I have a lot of experience being pressed up against gorgeous senior witches… Bai Yu doesn’t count. And just because I lack real experience doesn’t mean I’m lacking in theory or imagination, okay?!

“Yuehan, how much do you know about flying brooms?” Qingxue asked as we walked, tone casual—but I could tell she was evaluating me. She had to know where to start, after all.

“Not much. I’ve only ridden with Bai Yu a few times, but I don’t know any of the principles behind it,” I admitted.

“So you basically know nothing…” She let out a sigh. “Seriously, your Bai Yu didn’t tell you anything before dragging you here?”

“…Mm.” I lowered my head.

“Hey, hey, I’m not blaming you.” She waved her hand quickly. “Alright, I’ll start from the top.”

She cleared her throat and her tone shifted, suddenly a bit more formal:

“A flying broom isn’t the same as a normal broom. It’s an alchemical construct—a magic tool. Even freshmen can use it.”

“Brooms fly using the mana core inside your body. Since you’re still new and haven’t learned to channel your mana properly, you must keep physical contact with the broom. If you disconnect, your broom loses power—and you fall.”

So basically: Don’t let go or you die.

Got it.

While she explained, she led me to the equipment racks. There were dozens of brooms—some with sleek bristles, others puffed out like exploded feather dusters. After a long, thoughtful search, she picked one and handed it to me.

“This one. It’s the best-conditioned training broom here. Next time you come, get this one. If you can’t find it, choose the best broom available. Never settle. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Choosing the nicest broom is just a basic survival instinct.

The broom felt smooth and warm to the touch, the grip polished from frequent use. If Qingxue hadn’t told me it was an alchemical tool, I would’ve thought it was just very, very well-crafted wood.

She led me back to a practice zone where several students were already gathered—presumably the ones under her instruction. The moment she arrived, her expression snapped into drill-sergeant mode.

“You lot, behave yourselves! I’m teaching a new flier today—a freshman. Think about what you were doing at her level! Stop making trouble!”

“Yes ma’am…”

The group responded weakly, all of them looking sun-baked and half-asleep. Yeah… I could see why afternoon flight training was considered brutal.

Once Qingxue got the satisfactory chorus of surrender, she turned back to me with the brightest smile. Like a completely different person.

“Alright~ Yuehan. Let’s start from the basics. First, the standard riding posture—step over like this.”

I followed her demonstration, swinging one leg over the broom and gently squeezing the shaft between my thighs.

The wood was smooth—too smooth—and worn-in just right.

It almost felt… lived-in.

Like the broom itself remembered every person who had ever flown on it.

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