Eiden’s eyes fixated on the new target as she walked away, her steps elegant and deliberate. His gaze lingered for a mont longer than necessary before he finally retracted it with a slow blink.
"Eva Marvelle, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "Isn’t that the daughter of that Samsung CEO?" His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar notification chi in his head.
Ding!
System-chan: "Na identification complete. Eva Marvelle." "Wait," Eiden raised an eyebrow, "Did you just show her na automatically?" System-chan: "Affirmative. As your level increases, more functions will be unlocked."
"Cool." Eiden nodded, pleased. "Is it like one function every two levels?" System-chan: "No. It is one function per level."
"Huh." Eiden frowned slightly. "Then... what was the other function I unlocked?" System-chan: "The other function is: Target Location Tracking." Eiden tilted his head, considering the implications. "I see... Might co in handy later. Actually, you know what? Show the target locations."
Ding!
A ntal map flashed in front of his eyes. Small icons indicated where his active targets were at that mont. Lyra was already at the college. Sasha was on her way.
Mika Holes the teacher was speeding down a road. Judging by the pace, she was probably in a car. Arin, too, was already at the college, along with the newest target, Airie.
"Well damn," Eiden mumbled as he absorbed the data, "I’m surrounded by girls at all corners, huh?" With nothing else pressing, he headed to his own class.
After the class bell rang, Eiden didn’t follow the usual flow of students toward the cafeteria. Instead, he veered off and took a detour, making his way toward the hallway near Lyra’s classroom.
He waited, leaning casually against a wall, scanning the students erging from the door one by one. Fortunately, Lyra wasn’t with Crysty or Linda. Perfect.
From his corner, Eiden raised a hand and gave a small wave. Lyra spotted him almost instantly. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a bright, noticeable red. Still, she didn’t look away. She didn’t freeze or flee either no, instead, she hurriedly made her way to him.
"Hi," Eiden said with a gentle tone as she reached him. Lyra looked up and smiled, her blush deepening as she softly returned the greeting, "Hi..."
Damn, Eiden thought, his heart briefly skipping, she’s cute. This cute girl actually likes . Damn, I’m lucky af. Without wasting ti, he asked, "If you aren’t busy, would you mind strolling on the roof for a while?"
Lyra’s eyes instantly lit up like a sky full of stars. She frantically nodded. "No! I’m not busy at all!" Eiden smiled, but this ti it wasn’t just his regular friendly grin. No this was a crafted expression, a masterstroke of emotion, a calculated display of sincerity, kindness, honesty, and soft affection all activated using his passive skill: Face Master.
And it hit the mark. Lyra froze for half a second. Her heart began pounding in her chest. Thump. Thump. Thump. Her face went redder. She was panicking inside, worried that he might sohow hear the loud beating of her heart. But Eiden noticed everything. Her fluttering lashes. Her trembling fingers. The slight hitch in her breathing. He was savoring every reaction.
This is so much fun, he thought, his inner voice practically chuckling. She’s too easy to read even for an amateur like . The way she reacts at every word... it’s addictive.
Shall I go further? His thoughts raced even as his outward expression remained calm, his kind smile still painted across his face thanks to Face Master.
Wait a minute, Eiden’s brain clicked. Wouldn’t using this skill Face Master be a great counter for Arin, who can read people? His smirk almost slipped through. If she reads faces and emotions, but mine are artificially crafted... then she can’t see through anymore. Perfect counter. But then why didn’t she see through Ruel’s real self? Was she ignoring it? Or maybe... he was manipulating her too.
Either way, he pushed the thought aside for now. He had a date to attend well, maybe.
They reached the rooftop, a quiet, wind-swept haven above the college chaos.
"I felt like making plans over the phone didn’t seem genuine," Eiden said as he looked out at the sky. "So, I wanted to ask in person." Lyra looked up at him with curious eyes. "Ask what?"
Eiden smiled again another custom, heartfelt version courtesy of Face Master. "Didn’t you invite to hang out?" The mont the words left his mouth, Lyra burst with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. "Yes! Let’s!"
Eiden blinked. Whoa. That was... sudden.
Lyra realized what she had just blurted out. Her head dropped slightly in embarrassnt as she continued in a quieter tone, "I an... if you want, we can hang out again..."
Eiden kept the smile, softening his expression as he asked gently, "How about today?" Lyra tilted her head. "Today?"
"You don’t want to?" Eiden asked with a look of gentle worry, again using the perfect mix of subtle cues via Face Master. Lyra instantly panicked. "No! Not at all! I would love to!"
Eiden paused. "Love? Her eyes widened in horror. "Huhuhuh?!?" Her lips trembled. Her soul panicked. Her brain scread. She wanted to take it back, to disappear, to scream into a pillow. Eiden burst out laughing. "I’m kidding!"
"Whaaa?" she stamred, confused and even more embarrassed. Eiden turned around, hiding the ridiculously wide grin stretching across his face.
Oh my God, he thought, this is soooo fun.
Am I a bad person? he questioned. I don’t care I’m loving this. And to think... more will co...
His smile turned darker playful, mischievous, yet oddly charming. He turned back to Lyra. "Wanna go now?" Lyra didn’t hesitate. "Okay!" That instant, Eiden ntally gave himself a high five.
He knew sothing about Lyra: she was the kind of girl who didn’t skip classes. Even when her friends did, she stood firm, the voice of reason, the quiet model student. Even when they asked her to loosen up, to have a little fun she refused.
But now? Now she was throwing all of that out the window. Without even thinking. Without even blinking. She didn’t know why... but she simply couldn’t say no to the boy standing in front of her.
He seed perfect. In every way. In her mind, Eiden wasn’t just a boy he was the boy. The only one occupying her thoughts. The only one whose presence seed to bend her principles, make her forget ti, class, rules, and logic.
And it wasn’t fading. Not over days. Not even hours. No, this feeling it wasn’t normal. It didn’t dissipate like a schoolgirl crush. It wasn’t so silly admiration or surface-level infatuation.
It felt like magic. Like sothing had seeped into her bloodstream, anchored itself deep into her soul. She didn’t know how far she’d go for him. But sothing in her heart already whispered: As far as he asks. She had fallen. Completely. Head over heels. And Eiden? He knew it.
And he wasn’t stoping with just her anyti soon .
Reviews
All reviews (0)