”Guys, did you see the new boys ranking?”
Irina, who was just about to pass through the group of girls, stopped her tracks after hearing these words.
As for why she did it, she didn’t know the answer to that question. However, the feeling of intrigue in her heart somehow seemingly took control of her body for a while. She ‘slightly’ pricked her ears, listening to the conversation with her amplified senses.
Hearing their friend’s words, the other girls’ eyes seemed to shine with excitement. “I did! And guess what? Victor is still holding the top spot,” one of the girls exclaimed enthusiastically. “He’s just so dreamy, isn’t he? I can’t believe there is someone like that in this world! Just him existing alone makes the world shine brighter.” Her eyes were sparkling as she somehow held a dreamy look.
“You are crazy, Thea.”
“I am perfectly normal. He is just that amazing,” Thea insisted, her eyes still gleaming with admiration for Victor. The others laughed at her antics, seeming accustomed to her infatuation with the top-ranked boy.
Hearing the girls, Irina somehow looked bewildered. ‘You don’t even know him. How can you fawn over him this much? This is crazy…..’ She thought inwardly. She had known Victor from her childhood, meeting him a lot of times.
They had trained together, went out to many banquets, etc. In a way, she could be very well considered someone who knew Victor the most in this academy with their friend group since Blackthorns weren’t someone to socialize with normal people too much.
Thus, it was evident to her that this girl didn’t know what kind of person Victor was, and neither did she know that he liked Julia.
“He may be amazing, but don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit?” one of the other girls, Lilly, teased, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.
“I don’t think so. He’s like a prince charming straight out of a fairy tale,” another girl, Ria, chimed in, nodding fervently.
“He’s got the looks, the talent, and the background. It’s no wonder he’s always on top.”
“Yep. Anyone other than him won’t satisfy me.” Thea said, raising her head haughtily, showing her figure.
‘Then you will be single until you die.’ Irina thought as she knew Victor wasn’t interested in anyone other than Julia. Also, being from a very high-ranking family like Victor’s, she was very well aware of the fact that this girl didn’t have the necessary qualifications to be with Victor or someone of his caliber since if she had, Irina would have known her way long ago.
The conversation shifted, and Irina listened intently as the girls discussed the significance of the new boys ranking.
“It’s not just about Victor, though. This time, the rising stars are really catching everyone’s attention.”
“Yeah, I heard there are a couple of new entries that are causing quite a stir. It’s going to be interesting to see how things shake up.”
At this point in the moment, Irina’s interest was piqued by the gossip and the conversation. It was like watching a theater play unfolding before her eyes, as the girls’ reaction was somehow making her feel funny.
And as she was into the gossip, she also started wondering about who the new rising stars could possibly be.
‘It will be Ethan, won’t it?’
Though she wasn’t engrossed in such topics in general, she could see the name that was going to appear now.
Just then, as if to prove her right, Ria’s eyes seemed to light up with excitement as she leaned in closer to the group. “You guys know Ethan, right? He is the new campus prince.”
The other girls nodded eagerly, indicating their familiarity with the name. Ethan had quickly become a prominent figure among the freshmen, his name on everyone’s lips.
Lilly chimed in with her expression contemplative. “Yeah, we all heard of him. The way he jumped more than a thousand ranks in just half a semester was really eye-catching. But I guess, being a Hartley, it makes sense.”
Ria nodded in agreement, her eyes reflecting admiration as she continued, “And he’s not just talented; he’s handsome too. But what makes him truly stand out is none of those. It’s that he’s so gentle and polite, not like those arrogant boys who think they own the world.”
Her voice softened with reminiscence as she shared a personal anecdote, “I’m in the same class as him, and I once dropped my pen during a lecture. Without hesitation, Ethan picked it up and handed it to me with a smile. It’s the little things like that which really show his character.”
“And it’s not just that one instance,” she went on, her expression earnest. “He’s helped many people during the Phantom’s Land incident and in dungeon explorations as well. He’s always willing to lend a hand, no matter the situation. These are the things that show the character of a man; it is not the looks and background that is always important.”
‘Indeed….Ethan is like that.’ Irina felt proud of her friend, as Ethan was now getting the recognition he deserved. Out of all the people she knew, Ethan and Sylvie were probably the purest ones, with the former being more idealistic and the latter being just naïve.
They scoffed at Ria’s words, her expression skeptical. “Please, Victor is still better,” she said dismissively.
But Ria wasn’t about to let that comment slide. “Oh, come on, Thea. With the way Ethan is progressing now, it won’t be long before he takes over that cold-prick Victor. People who have warm hearts deserve the world,” she retorted passionately, her eyes flashing with determination.
But Thea also wasn’t about to let Ria’s praise for Ethan go unchallenged. “Please, Ria. No matter how much Ethan progresses, Victor will always be superior. He’s a Blackthorn, after all. No one can compete with that.”
A smug smile played on Thea’s lips as she continued, her tone filled with confidence. “And just imagine Victor giving Ethan one of his cold looks while he steps on him… Kyaaa~” she added with a happy sigh, her expression dreamy as she imagined her beloved Victor asserting his dominance.
“You are just gone….” The others just couldn’t help but facepalm. Their friend was crazier than they expected!”
“Oh, really? That stupid shit can only do things like that…After all, aren’t Blackthorns known to be shady and vile? That Victor certainly suits that image.” At this point, Ria just hates Victor for the sake of fanaticism.
‘Why did Victor become the bad guy now? You guys are just too crazy. Just because you want to defend the person you admire, do you have to put others below? Where is the character you just mentioned? Is this how people think now?’
‘So, this is what he meant by keyboard warriors. So, they are people like these in real life.’
Remembering the talk she had with Astron when she confronted him about the rumors, she now realized the shallowness of the general people’s topics of talk.
–SILENCE!
Just at that moment, Irina felt like the noise disappeared.
As the girls fell silent and turned their attention elsewhere, Irina followed their gaze to the training grounds. There, she spotted two figures making their way out, and she recognized them immediately.
One of the boys had striking blue hair, slightly wavy and damp from what appeared to be a recent shower. Despite the chill in the air, he seemed unaffected, exuding an air of calm confidence. It was Ethan, unmistakably, with his warm smile and gentle demeanor, that seemed to light up the area around him.
Beside him walked another boy, his hair as dark as the night sky. He had an air of mystery about him; his posture, though seemed relaxed, was somehow commanding.
Even from this distance, Irina could see that Ethan was trying to strike up a conversation with him, constantly talking about something, and this put a smile on her face somehow. It was quite funny, as Ethan somehow looked like a bee flying around a flower.
The girls nodded their heads in agreement as they watched Ethan and Astron walk away. Lilly was the first to speak up, her eyes lingering on Ethan’s figure. “Okay, he is definitely hot,” she commented as if this was natural.
“Yeah….I somehow can understand…But Victor is still better.” Thea said, but then she squinted her eyes, looking at the boy before Ethan. “Hmm….Who is he? He somehow feels familiar?”
Ria nodded in response to Thea’s question, her gaze fixed on Astron’s retreating figure. “That’s Astron,” she explained, her tone tinged with a hint of uncertainty. “He’s our classmate, but he’s a bit of an oddball among the students. Doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he can be edgy and kind of rude, to be honest.” She paused, furrowing her brow as if trying to recall something. “He was the one with the rumors, too. Some say he’s got a shady past or something, but who knows? He keeps to himself most of the time.”
Thea’s expression shifted as she recalled something, her eyes widening slightly with realization. “Oh, right! I remember now,” she said, nodding to herself. “He’s also one of those rising boys, isn’t he? Advanced quite a lot in the mid-terms, and with those good looks and that aloof demeanor of his, he’s been turning heads lately.” Though she said those, she didn’t seem to be much impressed.
‘Hmm….he is becoming a more hot-topic? Heh…This is what you get for doing this to me….You think you can fool everyone easily like that; look how things are not going the way you want.’
She thought, remembering how she needed to deal with the aftermath of that time because of his request. Somehow, she seemed to ignore that she got something she wanted out of that deal, but this and that were different.
“Hmm…he is quite my type, though,” Lilly said, a mischievous grin playing on her lips, seizing him from top to bottom. Then, she continued, licking her lips suggestively. “I don’t know about gentleness or whatever, but he can make me forget about all my worries,” Lilly added with a suggestive wink, her tone laced with innuendo. “I wouldn’t mind getting lost in those dark eyes of his for a while if you know what I mean.”
–CREAK!
As Lilly’s suggestive comment hung in the air, the group suddenly heard a creaking sound nearby, as if something was being crushed. Their conversation halted abruptly as they turned to see the source of the noise, only to find a girl with fiery red hair glaring at them with an annoyed expression. A palpable aura of intensity surrounded her, sending chills down their spines.
‘Irina Emberheart!’
All had the same thought in their heads, voicing the girl’s name in their minds.
“Tch.”
Before any of them could utter a word, the girl stormed past them, her gaze fixed ahead as she hurried in the direction Ethan and Astron had gone.
“Huh?”
As the girl stormed past them, a sudden wave of heat washed over Lily, causing the hem of her clothes to burst into flames.
“Fire!”
Shocked and startled, she let out a yelp of surprise, frantically patting at the flames in a panic.
The other girls gasped in horror, watching as Lily’s clothes smoldered and the fire quickly spread. It was clear that this was no ordinary accident; it seemed like a petty act of revenge orchestrated by the fiery-haired girl they had just encountered.
“Noo…..My clothes….”
It was a good lesson….At least, Irina felt like that.