Jane glanced at Jordan.
Her eyes clearly said: I don't want to work with this bitch.
Jordan smiled slightly, his look answering: You choose, I'll follow.
Jake, sitting beside them, looked like he wanted to smack both of them.
"I'll study with Ava and Luna," he said suddenly.
The room turned to him instantly.
A girl—ranked seventh and one of Sophia's friends—stood up, frowning.
"The hell, Jake? What do you mean by that?" she snapped. "Studying with people ranked twentieth and nineteenth? I get they're your friends, but still—Sophia's plan makes more sense. What exactly are you gaining from that?"
Several students nodded in agreement.
Sophia stepped in smoothly, her voice softer but no less firm.
"Jake, you're ranked fourth," she said. "I know you want to help your friends, but think practically." She turned slightly. "Ava… tell him. I'm sure you wouldn't want him making a bad decision because of you."
Jake rolled his eyes.
Jane nearly gagged.
"Why the hell does she always try to make Ava the villain?" Jane muttered.
Jordan simply crossed his legs, amused.
Ava, who had been scrolling through her phone the entire time, finally noticed the silence.
She pulled out one earpod and looked up.
Dozens of eyes were on her.
She sighed.
"The amount of times you people keep staring at me these days is getting annoying," she said lazily, running a hand through her red hair. "Don't you value your eyes?"
A few students stiffened.
Luna grinned.
"Jake wants to study with us," she said.
Ava blinked once.
"Oh." She shrugged. "Then what's the problem? Does he need permission to choose?"
The simplicity of her response made the room even more tense.
Sophia's friend scoffed.
"So you'd rather drag him down with you instead of letting him study with people who can actually help? Like Matthew and Sophia?"
Ava's gaze shifted.
Slowly.
She looked straight at Matthew and met his eyes.
"I don't think I'd lose if I study with Ava," Jake said, flashing a confident smile.
Aiden chuckled.
"Seriously?, Ava ranked twentieth what will you gain?" the guy who got ninth scoffed.
Jake leaned back casually. "Her brother is teaching her. You've heard of Luis, right? Sophia, you should know him—your cousin. Seventeen years straight in the top five of the global student rankings—human or hybrid, public school or elite worldwide. He's won national, international, and even worldwide awards. He's finished the entire high school curriculum already. So… do you really think I'll gain anything studying with Ava?"
The auditorium went silent.
Sophia's eyes widened as she turned toward Ava. "Luis is helping you study?"
Ava shrugged, slipping an earpod back in.
"We're helping each other. He's teaching me and giving me the Year 12 curriculum to revise. He's taking the university exam with us, so it's smart to get ahead."
The crowd went even quieter, absorbing the weight of that.
"Right, Matthew—are you in that group?" Felix asked softly. The words carried enough that everyone heard as the hall was already quiet.
"I joined this week," Matthew replied calmly.
"That means you haven't gone far yet… which means I'm ahead of you," Felix said, grinning. "You'll have to learn from me. I like that feeling."
Matthew blinked, then chuckled softly. "I'm ranked 150 now."
Philip, Rick, Kai, Derek, Felix, and Big V all turned to look at him.
"Every night, I don't just do missions," Matthew continued calmly. "I compete with people ranked way higher than me. That's how I climbed from last to 150 in one week. Tonight, I'll compete with the hundredth spot, then move on to missions to gain points instead of competition and taking their rank I will use points to boast myself if I'm board I can compete again"
"You are truly worthy of being the king of studying," Felix muttered, impressed.
"I'm ranked 1,000," he added with a shrug.
"I'm 200, Jay's 30—he's been helping me study—Kai's 20, Derek's 35, Philip's 31," Rick said matter-of-factly.
Matthew nodded. "Which means Felix and I are the ones who need the most help. Felix, we're teaming with Rick. Jay's already helping him, so you better start studying."
Matthew casually draped his left arm around Felix's shoulder.
"Hello? No way. I'm going to die from studying. Hell no!" Felix exclaimed, making everyone laugh.
"Why don't all of us just study together?" Big V suggested.The auditorium had gone completely silent again.
Everyone listening felt like their ears weren't even working properly. They had to remind themselves—this ranking system wasn't for ordinary students
. Only the absolute top geniuses in the world could even pass the first round to qualify.
Out of the one million students in the system, 500,000 were human and the other half were hybrid.
The ranking system had three separate ways to compete:
Hybrid-only
Human-only
Both hybrid and human
And everyone wondered—was Matthew talking about the mixed category, or just the human-only ranking? Either way, hybrids were terrifyingly smart. Their brains were like computers.
Even Luis—who most people already considered a genius—had ranked first in the human-only category, third in the mixed ranking, and somewhere in the top ten in the hybrid-friendly competitions he joined just for fun.
The crowd was tense, their curiosity bubbling.
Jane smiled slyly. "Looks like your plan won't work, Sophia," she mocked softly. "Matthew's studying with his friends too. Too bad."
All eyes turned to Matthew's friends, silently warning them to behave.
Sophia's voice cut through gently. "It's okay. If you all want to study as friends, forget about my opinion."
A guy from the back spoke up. "Come on, guys. Sophia's being friendly. Her opinion actually matters."
"Yes, stop being a leech," another added.
"Kai got fifth, Jay sixth, Philip eighth—they can stay. But Felix, Derek, Rick, Big V—you shouldn't be partnering with Matthew. What kind of leech behavior is that?"
Felix's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? I know someone ranked 200 just called me a leech with his stupid score. And so what if Matthew wants to help me study? What's your problem with that?"
Rick chuckled. "This isn't—what do you call it—the real deal. The teacher said it, so shut up," he added with a smile.
Jane leaned back, clearly enjoying the drama. "I am so loving this," she whispered. Jordan smiled at her knowingly.
Luna got up, nudging Jake. "Let's go. If anything juicy happens, Jane, you better tell us later."
Ava stood and made her move. Under everyone's stunned gaze, she walked straight to Matthew, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and ran back into the crowd.
Silence followed—like the entire auditorium was absorbing what had just happened.
Jane gasped. "Oh. Something juicy just happened."
"I see that," Luna said, running to catch up with Ava.
Jake, ever the sarcastic one, picked up both their bags. "Right. Run and forget your bags. Your servant will handle them," he said, smirking as he jogged to keep up.
Jordan wrapped an arm around jane waist, leaning close. "See? Even Ava knows how to show love in public. Why don't you even care about me?" he whispered.
"Shut up, I want to watch the drama," Jane said, rolling her eyes at him.
Sophia sighed acting like Ava did not just do that. "I know you guys want to study with friends, but it would ruin the team formation. Please… just go with it."
Kai shrugged. "I'll study with Derek alone. If teachers ask, we say we're in an Ava group. That makes five. Solves the number issue. Simple."
Sophia's friend opened her mouth to argue, but Sophia stopped her.
Then she announced firmly, "Our team is me, Matthew, Aiden, Philip, Jay, my friend, and the rank-nine guy." She paused.
"Then—me, Jordan, and Felix…" Jane completed hand crossed . "It's not a hard name. So why'd you stop?"
'Cause you, Jane, are Ava's friend," the guy ranked ninth sneered, "and friends of a feather flock together. You and Jordan are just going to be a distraction especially with your relationship ."
Jane's eyes narrowed. "The audacity that a guy referred to 'the guy who got nine'—has the face to give opinions? Like dude the only achievement you have is your score without that even the losers club won't know you so shut it".
Jordan leaned forward, smirking. "Do you know what a distraction is, idiot? It's thinking of a name for someone or even trying to remember their face . That's hard to register like you At least we have names."
The boy's face turned crimson with embarrassment.
"Damn, I love this very savage," Felix whispered with a grin.
Sophia groaned. "This was supposed to be peaceful."
Jane shot back, "Baby girl, peaceful left the group chat ages ago. And your friends said it—we're Ava's friends. We don't do peaceful. Don't expect it from us. Text us when it's time to study."
She got up, and Jordan followed her with a satisfied grin.
"Well, that was entertaining," Aiden muttered, getting up and leaving with his friends.
Matthew stood quietly, letting them go.
Class Two – Empty Classroom
Rick leaned closer, curiosity written all over his face. "Dude… I was dying to ask. Do you like Ava? Are you… dating?"
Felix snorted. "Yeah, bro. She kissed your cheek in front of everyone! That's basically getting hated from your admires. One more reason to be public hated."
Matthew shrugged calmly. "I'm not in her mind."
Philip raised an eyebrow. "What about you? Do you like her?"
Matthew looked up at them, expression calm as ever. "No. I don't want a relationship. And anyway, with her around, she can chase away all the other girls pestering me and sending gifts."
Big V tilted his head, considering. "So… she's basically like a bodyguard? Protecting the gate, keeping those pests away from you? And all you have to do is smile at her to keep her happy?"
Matthew didn't answer, just glanced at them.
They had no idea Ava had overheard everything.
Outside the School Gate
"Where's my purse? Did you bring it?" Luna asked.
Ava waved her off lazily as she walked toward them. "Nope. Turned back just as I got to the door." She ran a hand through her hair.
"Go get it yourself. Jake, let's go smoke," Ava added with a smirk. "I'm trying not to punch someone in the face today."
Jake shrugged and followed as she climbed into her sports car.
Luna blinked, stunned, then turned back toward the school after Ava zoom off in the hallway leading to their class she bumped right into Matthew and his friends. She froze, folding her arms.
"What did you guys say about Ava that made her mad?" she asked Matthew.
" That she went.... forget it "
"She must really like your face," Luna continued, voice low, "to be able to control herself from punching you and your friends until your parents wouldn't recognize you. Luna paused
"Next time you want to talk about someone, don't let them hear you. I would have punched you for her, but she didn't tell me what she heard. Stay away—who knows if next time she'll be kind?"
And with that, Luna turned and entered the classroom.
Felix and the others were wide-eyed, shocked—but Matthew remained calm. His eyes flashed ever so slightly, betraying his thoughts.
"Damn… I'm going to die, aren't I?" Derek muttered, looking at him with pity.
"Just avoid her," Philip said, glancing at Matthew.
Matthew, still quiet, finally spoke. "I'm going home."
And with that, he left—calm, collected, untouchable.
When Matthew entered his house, he tossed his bag onto a chair and loosened his tie as he walked into the kitchen. The place was quiet—too quiet.
He poured himself a glass of water.
She overheard what you just said.
Luna's voice echoed in his head.
Matthew paused slightly, the rim of the glass just touching his lips before he took a slow sip.
He placed it down on the table, his expression unchanged, then pulled out his phone and opened his messages.
His finger tapped on a contact saved as "Do Not Disturb."
He stared at it.
For a second… two…
His thumb hovered, then stilled.
Without typing anything, he turned off the phone and set it on the counter before heading to his room.
He sat on the edge of his bed, pulling out the black contact lenses from his eyes.
The moment they came off, his real eyes were revealed—soft pink, faintly red from wearing the lenses all day, giving them a slightly irritated but strangely beautiful look.
He didn't linger.
Opening his cupboard, he took out a syringe already filled with a faint blue liquid.
Before he could move, a figure stepped out from the shadows.
"We have information about your sister. All her movements are secured. Just like you said… the spies are already in place," the man said, his face hidden in darkness.
Matthew didn't reply. He simply injected the liquid into his arm without hesitation.
"Keep an eye on them," he said calmly. "And prepare something stronger. I need a more intense supplement."
The man blinked. "The symptoms came early today… taking stronger suppressants—won't that be dangerous?"
Matthew turned his head slightly, giving him a quiet side glance.
The man immediately lowered his head. "I understand."
He turned to leave, but his eyes lingered for a moment
Matthew sat there, sleeves slightly rolled, uniform messy—buttons half undone, tie gone, hair falling loosely over his forehead.
Even like this, he looked unreal. Tall, about 6'1, slender but toned, his build carrying that effortless elegance that made him stand out without trying.
His pale skin almost looked like porcelain under the dim light, his face soft and refined—too delicate to look threatening, yet there was something about him that made people hesitate.
His pink eyes, now fully visible, were sharp despite their softness, framed by thin brows and long lashes. His nose was straight, his lips naturally red and slightly parted as he exhaled slowly.
His silver-black hair, slightly messy and soft, only made him look more… dangerous in a quiet way.
It was the kind of face that didn't just attract attention—
It held it.
The man looked away first, a faint frown crossing his face as he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.
Matthew leaned back onto the bed, eyes closing.
For some reason, his chest felt tight.
Like the air wasn't enough.
Like something inside him was slowly building up—and he couldn't control it.
He exhaled slowly, trying to calm it down, but the feeling didn't go away
The next day was Tuesday.
Matthew wasn't in the mood to deal with any of the students' drama, but he still went to school.
When he entered the classroom, his seat was already piled with gifts—more than yesterday.
Without reacting, he walked over, sat down, and began calmly packing them into a second bag he had brought, planning to pass them to his roommate later.
"Dude… act cool," Felix whispered as he walked up to him.
Matthew glanced at him, slightly confused, wondering what he was talking about—
Then the classroom door opened.
The noise died instantly.
Ava and Luna walked in.
It was like the entire class expecting something to happen, every eye fixed on them.
Philip followed behind, holding a book. He placed it on a desk just as Luna casually dropped her bag there.
"So, guys," Philip said, clapping lightly, "we have a new classmate."
He turned to Luna, clearly expecting her to introduce herself.
She didn't.
She simply sat down.
Ava climbed Luna desk, one leg crossed over the other, her posture relaxed, her expression as lazy and uninterested as ever.
She didn't look at Matthew—not even once. Her eyes carried that same boredom, like she'd rather be anywhere else but here.
Philip let out a small sigh.
"This is Luna. She transferred from Class Four… after punching a student in the nose."
A few students stiffened.
"The student is still in the hospital. Recovery… uncertain."
Silence spread even deeper across the room.
"So here's my advice," Philip continued calmly. "If you can't defend yourself but still want to cause drama—avoid her. You all know I don't like problems, and I will deny you very fast."
With that, he turned and walked back to his seat.
Luna's deskmate didn't hesitate.
He immediately stood up, grabbed his things, and moved to another seat across the room.
A few students laughed under their breath, watching closely, waiting to see if she would react—if she would get embarrassed.
Luna didn't even spare them a glance.
Instead, Luna calmly took out her sanitizer and poured it over the desk, the sharp scent spreading as she wiped the surface clean with a cloth.
When she was done, she tossed it aside, placed her bag neatly on the table, and sat down like nothing had happened.
With a lazy flick of her fingers, she sent her former seatmate's pen flying off the desk.
The boy, now standing awkwardly across the room, flushed in embarrassment as a few students snickered.
Luna didn't even spare him a glance.
"So… are you going to the art gallery?" Ava asked, already pulling out her phone, completely unbothered.
"Obviously," Luna replied. "I'm wearing the new designer outfit I bought yesterday. And the accessories from Cartier jewelry shop.
The owner practically begged me to take them. Trying to butter me up so my parents will buy land from them for a new project."