Morning came like nothing had happened.
But everything had changed.
The classroom buzzed with whispers.
"…Did you see it yesterday?"
"…That aura…"
"…He almost—"
The door slid open.
Kai Ryan Korr walked in.
Silence fell instantly.
Eyes turned—
Then quickly looked away.
Fear.
Subtle.
Quiet.
But unmistakable.
Kai noticed.
Of course he did.
He said nothing.
Just walked to his seat.
Rex leaned in slightly.
"…You good?"
Kai paused.
Then nodded.
"…Yeah."
Not convincing.
Across the room—
Aeris sat quietly.
Her expression unchanged.
But her eyes flicked toward Kai—
For just a second.
Then away.
The door opened again.
The teacher stepped in.
"…Settle down."
The class obeyed.
"…We have a new student today."
Murmurs returned.
Then—
The door opened once more.
And he walked in.
Ren Qin.
For a moment—
Time stopped.
Red hair.
Sharp.
Natural.
Effortless.
It framed his face perfectly.
His eyes burned with quiet confidence.
A calm intensity behind them.
His features were clean and defined.
Sharp jawline.
Straight nose.
A faint, effortless smirk.
His build was lean.
Athletic.
Every step carried relaxed confidence.
The kind that didn't need approval.
Silence.
"…We're finished…" a boy whispered.
"…There goes our chances…" another muttered.
"…Pack it up…" someone sighed dramatically.
Kai blinked once.
"…Seriously?"
Even Rex shook his head.
"…Yeah… we're done."
Ren smiled slightly.
"…Ren Qin."
A pause.
"…Take care of me."
Half the class mentally collapsed.
The teacher gestured.
"…Take your seat."
Ren scanned the room—
Then walked.
Straight—
Toward Aeris.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"…He's actually doing it…"
Ren stopped beside her desk.
"…Hey."
Aeris didn't look up.
"…No."
Instant.
Flat.
"…Rejected already…" someone whispered.
Ren chuckled softly.
"…You didn't even let me start."
Aeris slowly looked up.
Her gaze—
Cold.
"…You don't need to."
Ren leaned slightly, unfazed.
"…What if I said I came prepared?"
Silence.
"…Do you like flowers?" he asked.
"…I can bring some tomorrow."
No reaction.
"…Or maybe something better…"
He placed a hand lightly on his chest.
"…A personal escort to class?"
Still nothing.
"…Or I could just walk beside you and make everyone jealous."
A pause.
"…That one's already working," he added casually.
A boy in the back slumped.
"…I hate this guy…"
Another covered his face.
"…He's too smooth…"
Ren continued, completely shameless.
"…Or maybe you prefer something simple."
He tilted his head slightly.
"…Like someone who actually pays attention to you."
Aeris' eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Finished?"
Ren smiled.
"…Not even close."
He leaned in just a bit closer.
"…Or maybe you just haven't met the right person yet."
Silence.
The tension shifted.
Then—
Aeris stood up.
The entire class froze.
"…Spar with me."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
Ren blinked.
"…Oh?"
A small smile formed on her lips.
Cold.
Sharp.
"…If you win, I'll talk to you."
The class held its breath.
"…And if I lose?" Ren asked.
Aeris' gaze sharpened.
"…You stop talking."
A pause.
Then—
Ren stood up slowly.
"…Deal."
But for the first time—
A faint chill ran down his spine.
"…Why do I feel like I just walked into something dangerous…" he muttered.
Kai leaned back in his chair.
Then—
He laughed.
Out loud.
"…You're finished."
Ren glanced at him.
"…You think so?"
Kai smirked.
"…She's Mid E-Rank now."
Silence.
Ren froze.
"…Wait…"
A pause.
"…What?"
Across from him—
Aeris' smile widened slightly.
Not warm.
Not kind.
Dangerous.
Ren exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah…"
"…I might actually die."
The class erupted.
Laughter.
Shock.
Chaos.
Even Rex lost it.
"…You brought this on yourself!"
Mina shook her head.
"…He really did…"
Kai leaned forward slightly.
Watching.
For the first time since yesterday—
The tension eased.
Just a little.
But deep inside—
Something still watched.
Waiting.