Mortified and regretful.
That's what was filling her heart right now.
"I– I shouldn't have… we shouldn't have—"
Kain sat up slowly, stretching.
"Too late for that philosophical crisis," he muttered.
She stared at him, horrified.
"…Esme"
"Oh, him," Kain said casually, like she'd mentioned the weather.
"Yeah, you were mad at him and we–"
"I WASN'T MAD ENOUGH TO—"
She stopped.
She didn't know if that was true.
Was she?
She looked at him.
Kain was calm.
Unbothered.
Almost… serene.
Which is not fair.
Veronica clutched the blanket tighter.
"This is bad. This is very, very bad!"
Kain shrugged.
"Or it could be brunch. Are you hungry?"
She stared at him like he'd spoken another language.
Brunch?!
She opened her mouth.
No words came out…
So she closed it again.
Kain stood, stretching his arms above his head.
Veronica immediately turned away, shielding her eyes.
"Put pants on!!"
He raised a brow.
"You didn't mind last night"
She made another strangled noise.
He grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them on leisurely.
Meanwhile, Veronica stared at her trembling hands.
Her stomach twisted.
Her heartbeat was racing.
Guilt crashed into her like a wagon.
'How could I do this…? Esme trusted me. I betrayed him…'
Her throat tightened.
She felt sick.
Kain, meanwhile, opened his system.
[ System Notification ]
[ Veronica Hana | Affection: 0% | Loyalty: 0% | Lust: 0% ]
[ Emotion: Distressed ]
[ Thought: "Why did I do this? I'm horrible…" ]
"…Huh?"
He blinked.
He checked again, but it had the same result.
0%
He tilted his head.
"…Damn. Reset speedrun. New record…"
He closed it with a sigh, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"…Was I too good? No… impossible. She wouldn't be mad over that…"
He shrugged as Veronica finally managed to speak.
"I… can't… I have to go"
She grabbed her scattered clothes, tripping over panic, and dressed in frantic silence.
But what she seemed to clench more was that red ribbon.
That stupid ribbon that connects her to Esme.
Kain watched from the edge of the bed, chin in hand, amused.
"You know," he said, "You don't have to flee the scene. Not like I'm gonna chain you to the bed"
She shot him a look of pure emotional chaos.
"I– I just… Esme. Last night… we… I-"
"Words," Kain advised.
"Usually they come out in order"
She almost threw a shoe at him.
But that would've required courage.
She buttoned her top with shaking fingers.
"I made a mistake," she whispered.
"I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have—"
Her voice cracked.
"…I'm so stupid!"
Kain's smirk faded just slightly.
Not gone but softened.
"You made a choice," he said simply.
"No point in hating yourself for it now"
Her eyes stung.
"…I'm sorry," she said weakly.
More to herself than to him.
She backed toward the door, clutching her sleeves.
"I… need to think…"
Kain looked at her quietly.
"…Take your time"
Veronica swallowed hard.
Then left.
The door clicked shut.
Silence.
Kain scratched his cheek.
"…Well. That happened"
He opened the system again, staring at the triple zeroes.
"Tch… that's cold"
He stretched, grabbed a shirt, and headed toward the bathroom.
"Guess I'll just build her back up later"
Growl~
He paused.
"…After breakfast"
He yawned.
"Definitely after breakfast and a shower"
He shut the bathroom door.
Meanwhile…
Veronica leaned against the hallway wall, heart racing.
Her stomach twisted so violently she thought she might get sick.
Tears pricked behind her eyes.
'What have I done…?'
She slid down to a sit, burying her face in her knees.
For the first time in years, she wished she could turn back time.
But she couldn't.
And nothing would ever be the same.
Not with Esme.
Not with Kain.
Not with herself.
She wiped her eyes.
Then forced herself to stand.
She'd have to face the consequences eventually.
But right now, she just needed to breathe as she walked away, trembling.
Back Inside
Kain stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his neck.
He looked at the empty room.
"I thought she would come back…"
He glanced toward the mini-fridge.
"…Pepsi breakfast?"
He nodded.
"Pepsi breakfast"
He cracked one open.
Took a sip.
Then squinted thoughtfully.
"…Still worth it"
He raised the can.
"To make questionable decisions!"
He was halfway through his drink when—
Knock!
Knock!
He paused mid-sip.
"…Who the hell is awake this early?"
He set the can down, stretched a little, and walked toward the door, towel still around his neck.
He opened it.
And there, standing in the hallway with dark circles under his eyes and smelling faintly of regret, was—
Esme.
Kain blinked.
Esme blinked.
"…Morning," Kain greeted flatly.
Esme swallowed.
"Uh… Dude. Do you mind if we have a quick chat?"
Kain stared at him for a second, expression unreadable… then stepped aside slightly.
"…Sure"
Esme nodded and entered, awkward as a baby deer, looking around like the room would bite him.
If only he knew.
Kain shut the door behind them.
Esme didn't sit; he paced, nervously wringing his hands.
"I… uh… I wanted to talk to you about… yesterday"
Kain tilted his head.
"Oh?"
Esme sucked in a breath.
"Yeah… I, uh… thought about it. And maybe… maybe I took things too far"
Kain lifted his brows just a bit, giving him the perfect amount of 'A reasonable surprise.'
"You think so?"
Esme grimaced.
"I mean… Veronica and I got into an argument when she was patching my wounds… but she made a point that I went straight into challenging you instead of understating the situation"
Kain kept his face calm and patient.
Inside?
'Buddy, I heard you crying last night while I was rearranging your girlfriend's soul'
Esme continued.
"I think I was just… stressed with stuff like my new rank. My guild is expecting more. And my little sister is coming here in less than a month"
Kain nodded slowly.
"…Stress gets to everyone"
'Yours certainly got to Veronica. Several times. Loudly haha'
Esme rubbed his arm sheepishly.
"Anyway… I just wanted to say… I'm sorry. I acted like a dick. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you"
Kain let out a quiet breath, looking solemn and understanding.
"…Thanks. I appreciate you saying that"
'I REALLY appreciate that you said that while standing in the same room she was moaning in less than eight hours ago'
Esme looked relieved, like a huge weight had come off his shoulders.
"I… also plan to make up to Veronica today"
Kain kept eye contact, voice smooth.
"That's good to hear. One should never leave their partner upset or torn between emotions"
'Torn up. Yep. Accurate phrasing'
Esme smiled faintly.
"I'm hoping to come to her room at night. To explain that I feel guilty for my bullshit"
Kain smiled.
"That's a good start. Just don't forget to bring flowers and chocolate"
Esme nodded.
"Yeah. Hopefully, this can clear our heads and we can move forward"
"Mm," Kain hummed.
'Well, she "cleared her head," all right. Most of her higher brain function was offline the whole time'
Esme shifted, suddenly self-conscious.
"But before that… I wanted to thank you"
Kain raised a brow.
"For what?"
"For not humiliating me. You could've destroyed me in that fight… but you didn't. You held back. I know you did"
Kain shrugged modestly.
"…It wasn't about winning"
Esme nodded gratefully.
"You're a good guy, man"
Kain smiled gently.
"Trying to be"
'I'm absolutely not, but it's cute that you think so'
Esme sighed in relief.
"I'm glad we cleared this up. I'd hate for us to be on bad terms"
Kain offered him a fist bump.
"No bad blood"
Esme bumped it, smiling.
"Thanks. Seriously"
Kain walked him back to the door.
"Anytime"
Esme stepped out…
Paused…
Turned back in the doorway.
"…Say, you haven't seen Veronica this morning, have you?"
Kain shook his head casually.
"Nope. Haven't seen her"
'Just her everything'
Esme nodded.
"Okay. I'll text her then"
Kain gave him a small wave.
"Good luck"
Esme waved back.
"See you later"
Click!
The moment the latch clicked—
Kain snorted.
Then full-on laughed, burying his face in his hands.
"Oh my god—"
He slid down to sit on the floor, shoulders shaking.
"That poor bastard…"
He wiped a tear from his eye.
"Apologised to the guy who tapped his girlfriend FIRST—"
He wheezed.
"Man… I can't stop laughing haha!"
He stood, stretching like he'd just taken a pleasant morning jog.
"Well… Enough of that"
He checked his phone.
A new notification sat at the top, not from the girls' group chat…
…but from Iris.
"Weird. She usually doesn't text me this early"
He raised a brow and opened it.
Iris:
Good morning, dear.
I hope you slept well.
You didn't. I can tell.
He chuckled.
'She's too sharp for her own good'
Another message arrived immediately.
Iris:
A heads-up: Esme's sister is transferring to our academy today.
Kain stopped mid-sip.
"…Oh? I thought Esme said it was less than a month"
He scrolled.
Iris:
Old academy issues.
Politics + someone pissed someone off.
You know how noble schools are.
Another bubble appeared.
Iris:
She's talented, outspoken, and quick to throw hands.
Make sure she doesn't start a riot in her first week.
I'm very busy today, so I'm assigning you to keep an eye on her.
Kain's eyes twitched.
"…Of course"
Yet another message.
Iris:
And no, you can't sleep with her on day one.
At least wait a week.
Kain choked.
Pepsi nearly shot out his nose.
"WHY DOES EVERYONE JUST—"
Another message.
Iris:
I'm kidding. Mostly.
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
'Great. Another new face. And she's related to Esme. The guy who came here apologising while I was still basking in the afterglow of wrecking his girlfriend's worldview'
He exhaled dramatically.
"…This is going to be hilarious"
He typed back.
Kain:
Understood. What's her name?
Three dots blinked…
Iris:
Elysia.
Elysia Vareen.
Kain whistled softly.
"…Fancy, but she has a different last name, why?"
Iris:
She's his half sister from the father's side.
"Wow… I guess some nobles do have other families"
Kain:
Damn, that's tragic.
Instant reply.
Iris:
I know. That's why I need you to be on your best behaviour.
Kain closed the chat before she got more suggestive.
His system pinged.
[ New Character Approaching ]
[ Elysia Vareen ]
[ Status: Incoming Transfer ]
[ Danger Level: ??? ]
[ Temperament: ??? ]
"Oh?"
Another system line appeared.
[ Recommended Action ]
[ Be on your best behavior ]
[ LMAO just kidding, do whatever ]
Kain laughed.
"Yeah… that tracks"
He stretched, grabbed his bag, and headed to the door.
Halfway out—
Ping.
Iris:
Also, do try not to traumatise her. I'm tired of paperwork.
Kain:
I'm an angel.
Iris:
No, you're the reason angels wouldn't come here.
He slid his phone into his pocket.
"Another day, another disaster"
He closed the door behind him, taking another sip of his breakfast Pepsi.
"…Still worth it," and walked toward campus, fully unaware of the chaos he was about to meet.
A couple of minutes later | Elysia Vareen Pov
"So this is Zenith Academy…"
The academy gates were bigger than she expected.
Not impressive-big.
More like:
"Wow, look at me, I'm a pretentious noble school with ancient architecture and zero personality," big.
Elysia clicked her tongue, tossing her teal shaggy mullet behind her shoulder as she walked through.
Her boots hit the pavement.
They were heavy, steady, and pretty much said, "don't even think about talking to me" step.
Her duffel bag hung at her side.
Her mood?
Borderline aggravated.
Not at the school.
Not at the transfer.
No.
She was pissed at her older brother.
Her idiot, overly dramatic, emotionally constipated, nobly trained dumbass of a half-brother.
Esme.
"'I'll come pick you up myself,'" she mimicked under her breath.
"Yeah, sure. Must've tripped over his inflated ego on the way"
She stopped in front of the main entrance.
Students were staring.
She stared back, completely deadpan.
They looked away instantly.
Good.
Her eyes scanned the area.
She was supposed to meet Iris, the Headmistress, but apparently someone else was coming to fetch her instead.
She already hated that.
Her fingers drummed against her hip.
'Great. New school. New people. New idiots to deal with'
'If one noble brat bumps into me, I swear I'm throwing them across the courtyard'
Her irritation was broken by a faint sound.
A click.
Then…
"Yo!"
A voice.
One that was deep and came off as tired, but it was also warm in the most annoying way possible.
She looked left, and her brain stalled.
A man leaned against the wall.
Brown trench coat.
Black shirt.
Black pants.
His hair was pushed back slightly; it was messy, the intentional kind.
With a mint between his teeth.
He looked at her like he already knew her entire personality and found it amusing.
Her eyebrow twitched.
'Oh fucking great. Another noble jackass'
She watched in annoyance as he pushed himself off the wall, hands in pockets, posture annoyingly perfect.
"You must be Elysia," he said.
It wasn't a question but rather a statement.
Her eyelids lowered.
"And you are…?"
"Kain"
Just that.
Like it explained everything.
No title.
No formality.
No bow.
Nothing.
She respected that.
She also wanted to punch him.
"The headmistress sent me," he said.
"Apparently, I'm your welcome committee"
Her jaw clenched.
'Of course she did. Because why let my day be simple when I can be babysat by a trench coat with pretty eyelashes?'
Elysia exhaled slowly.
"Alright. Then give me the tour"
Kain raised a brow.
"No questions? No introductions? No small talk?"
"No"
A tiny smirk tugged at his mouth.
He liked that.
She hated that he liked that.
He gestured casually, walking ahead.
"Follow me, then"
She did.
For two seconds.
Then she stepped in front of him instead, cutting him off.
He blinked.
"Is your class a brawler by any chance?"
Her lips curled.
"What makes you say that?"
"Just a simple guess…"
She snorted, knowing he wasn't wrong, but she, too, guessed something about him.
The way his body shifted, eyes getting ready to predict any outcome.
She felt something electric in the air; it wasn't anything romantic.
More like: "If we swung at each other right now, the ground would crack"
Her blood stirred.
His smile widened just slightly.
He felt it too.
That unspoken invitation.
Her heartbeat drummed.
'Gods, don't tell me I'm actually excited. I just got here, and I already want to punch someone. At least he looks sturdy. He'll survive it'
She broke the stare first.
Not because she was intimidated but because she wanted to size him up more subtly.
She inhaled sharply.
"Alright, Kain," she said his name like she was testing its weight.
"Tour me around. And don't make it boring"
"Oh? Do you get bored easily?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Haha, I see… Well, I promise you it won't be"
That tone… she recognised it.
It was low and dangerous with a mix of excitement.
As if he were already planning trouble.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
"That it won't be boring"
Their steps synced naturally as they walked inside.
Elysia had no idea that she had just met the academy's biggest disaster.
And Kain had no idea that he was walking next to a girl who could match his chaos punch-for-punch.
The tension wasn't romantic.
Not yet.
Right now?
It was simple.
Two predators circling.
Two fighters sizing each other up.
And somewhere, faintly, she felt it.
A grin wanting to break free.
'…I think I'm gonna like it here'
A couple of minutes later…
Kain.
An overall good dude when you truly get to meet him (lie).
Funny, cute, strong, he was the whole package when it came close to what most nobles describe themselves as.
Most would feel honoured to walk beside him… Elysia found him irritating.
Not because he talked too much, he didn't.
Not because he walked too slow, he didn't.
It was the way he carried himself.
He was relaxed.
Unbothered by the whispers or stares, it was as if nothing surprised him.
Like he'd already read the room, the day, and her before she even opened her mouth.
And she hated, hated, when someone could read her that quickly.
"So," Kain said casually, "you're here because of noble-school politics?"
She shot him a sidelong glance.
"I'm here because my old academy was full of idiots"
"Ah. So you fit right in here"
Her head snapped toward him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He didn't even slow down.
Didn't even look apologetic.
"It wasn't an insult," he said.
"Just calling it like it is. Zenith is ninety percent idiots, five percent psychopaths, four percent normal people, and-"
"And the last one percent?"
"People like you"
Her eyebrow twitched.
"What the hell does that mean?"
He grinned.
"The fun ones"
She opened her mouth, likely to argue, punch, or both, but someone crashed into her side.
A noble kid.
Pretty uniform.
Pretty hair.
No common sense.
He stumbled back, sputtering. "W–watch where you're going!"
Elysia froze.
Very.
Very slowly.
She turned her head toward him.
The air temperature dropped ten degrees.
"…What did you just say?" she asked, voice quiet.
The boy blanched.
"I uh well… y-you"
"You bumped into me," she said evenly.
"And then you told me to watch where I'm going?"
"I didn't… I mean!"
Her hand grabbed his collar.
The boy yelped.
Kain sighed.
She lifted the noble kid effortlessly, eyes narrowed.
"I could fold you like a bedsheet"
Kain placed a hand on her shoulder.
Warm.
Light.
But immovable.
"That's enough," he said.
The noble kid nodded rapidly.
"Y-yes! Enough! That's enough! Please!"
"I wasn't talking to you," Kain replied.
Elysia shot him a glare, still holding the trembling aristocrat in the air.
Kain tilted his head toward the kid, tone dry.
"Put the garden gnome down"
She stared at him.
At the dumb noble who looked like he would tell his daddy later.
And back at him.
Then dropped the noble like a sack of flour.
He scurried off without looking back.
Kain exhaled through his nose.
"We were doing so well too"
She scoffed.
"He bumped into me"
"And you nearly piledrove him through the courtyard"
"He deserved it"
A beat.
"True," Kain admitted.
"But Iris told me not to let you traumatise anyone within the first hour"
"Well, that sounds like her problem"
His lips twitched.
"So you're one of those, huh?"
"One of what?"
"Short fuse. Longer punch reach"
Her eyes twitched.
"You got a problem with that?"
"No," he said.
Then he stepped forward.
Just one step.
Enough to close the distance.
Enough that she had to tilt her chin up to meet his eyes.
Enough that the air between them crackled again.
"Actually," he added, voice dropping, "I kind of like it"
Elysia's pulse spiked.
Heat shot through her veins, not romantic, not flustered.
Battle heat.
The kind that said: Hit him!
Her fist moved right as his hand shot up.
Knuckles grazed his palm before he closed around her wrist.
Not hard but perfectly timed.
Perfectly measured.
His eyes flicked down to her fist, then up at her.
"You swing first?" he said softly.
"Bold choice"
She ripped her arm back, muscles coiled like a spring.
"You think you can block me again?"
He rolled his shoulders.
"Oh, I'm counting on it"
'Gods, he was annoying'
And yet she felt it again.
That thrill.
That pulse.
That spark that ignited somewhere dangerous.
"Courtyard," she said.
"Now!"
He blinked.
"What, you want to fight already?"
"Yes"
"What if I say no?"
Her grin was razor sharp.
"You won't"
He stared at her.
Then exhaled, resigned and amused.
"…Yeah. I won't"
They walked ten steps to the nearest open patch of courtyard.
Students already sensed something was happening.
Heads poked through doorways.
Whispers started.
Two fighters facing off was always a show.
Elysia tugged her gloves tighter.
Kain shrugged off his trench coat.
They stood opposite each other.
No killing intent.
No hatred.
Just a challenge.
Just instinct.
Kain cracked his neck.
"Rules?"
"Don't die"
"Reasonable"
"And don't cry"
"I never cry"
A beat.
"Except when I stub my toes," he added.
She snorted.
"Shut up," she took off her jacket, tossing it aside like a tissue.
Her shoulders rolled back, muscles shifting under tan skin.
Yeah, she wasn't built like some delicate noble flower.
She was built for impact.
Broad back, tight core, arms corded with clean definition, not bulky like a bodybuilder, not thin like a dainty dancer, but the kind of athletic build you get from years of brawling, sprinting, and hitting monsters harder than they hit you.
And the scars…
Faint claw marks trailed across her ribs.
A long pale slash curved over her shoulder blade.
Little nicks dotted her forearms, bites, blades, arrows.
You name it.
She'd earned every one of them, and she wore them like a queen.
She caught Kain staring.
Not in a perverted way.
More like a fighter sizing up another fighter.
'Good,' she thought.
'Look all you want. Won't help you when I plant you in the dirt!'
She cracked her knuckles.
Kain cracked his neck again, fucking showoff, and lowered his stance.
"Don't hold back," he said.
She smirked.
"I wouldn't dream of it"
She shifted her weight, ready to launch forward.
"ELYSIA!?"
A voice sliced through the courtyard.
Both she and Kain paused.
Every student around them froze as someone sprinted down the path.
Fast.
Very fast.
Elysia's eye twitched.
"No… no way…"
Kain straightened a little.
"Fucking hell… why did he have to show up now"
She looked back at him with a bit of confusion.
"You know my brother?"
"Unfortunately," he said with a sad frown.
A moment later, a very familiar, very stressed-out idiot barreled into view.
Our favourite Esme with his face unusually pale.
His hair was slightly messy, it seemed from running, as he was breathing hard, like he'd run across the entire campus.
"ELYSIA!? W–what are you… Why are you, KAIN!?"
Elysia blinked.
Kain blinked.
Esme pointed frantically at the half-formed fight stance between them.
"Are you two about to… FIGHT!?"
Elysia opened her mouth.
Kain opened his.
But Esme didn't let either of them answer.
He grabbed Elysia's cheeks with both hands and squished them.
Hard.
"What are you doing!? You just got here! It hasn't even been twenty minutes!"
She slapped his hands away with a snarl.
"Don't touch my face!"
Esme pulled back, horrified.
"What happened!? Did someone bother you!? Who bothered you!? Are you hurt!?"
Elysia stared at him flatly.
Then jerked her thumb at Kain.
"He bothered me. So I'm bothering him back"
Kain put his hands in his pockets, looking like this was the funniest thing he'd seen all morning.
Esme paled.
"ELYSIA, STOP PICKING FIGHTS WITH STRANGERS!!"
She corrected him instantly.
"He's not a stranger. He's weird. Big difference"
Kain snorted.
Esme pointed at Kain like he was pointing at an erupting volcano.
"Kain. WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FIGHT MY LITTLE SISTER!?!?"
Kain shrugged.
"She tried to hit me"
Elysia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please, you asked for it"
"I accepted it," he corrected.
"Same thing!"
"It's not…"
Esme threw his hands up.
"GUYS! PLEASE! I can't handle this before breakfast!"
Students were whispering, disappointed that the fight wasn't happening.
Elysia crossed her arms.
She really wanted to punch something.
Preferably Kain.
Kain sighed dramatically.
"Look, Esme, it's fine. We were just-"
"NO," Esme cut in, flustered and red-faced.
"No fighting. No brawling. No chaos. At least let me introduce you two properly!"
Elysia stared him dead in the eyes.
"Esme"
"W-what?"
"If you don't let me punch him at least once, I'm punching you instead"
Esme squeaked.
Kain burst out laughing.
"Yeah," Kain said, wiping his eyes, "she's definitely your sister"
Esme groaned into his hands.
Meanwhile, Elysia cracked her knuckles again.
She was still itching for that hit.
And judging by Kain's grin, he wasn't done either.
The fight was paused.
Not cancelled.
She could feel it in her fists.
Kain felt it too.
Oh yeah.
This school was about to get fun.