"128! 129! 130!" I huffed in exhaustion, my heart pounding as I pushed through the final reps of my set. The cool towel draped over my shoulder offered so relief as I wiped the sweat that stung my eyes. Glancing at my smartwatch, which had beeped about an hour earlier, I checked for any missed notifications.
[Announcent: Wandering Club Destination: Eldoria. Scheduled on next Saturday.]
I should be sleeping right now, not dreading the next set of exercises. Yet here I was, fueled by Macaron’s incessant encouragent and the feisty system that refused to let off the hook.
I’m alone in this training facility right now since almost all the students went ho this sumr break. So I’ll be spending my ti working out, studying and working as an information seller at the Scarlet Phantom Website.
Well, I got a week left before our trip to Eldoren.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Friday 12 P.M.
The mbers of the Wandering Club gathered again under the blazing sumr sun, the air thick with anticipation and the faint sound of laughter echoing in the distance. Most of the girls had opted for flowy dresses and loose-fitting shirts, paired stylishly with denim shorts, perfect for hot sumr days. anwhile, the boys sported casual polo shirts and cargo pants, each taking their own approach to beating the heat.
"For heaven’s sake! When are they coming?" Angela grumbled, fanning herself vigorously with her hand, her expression a mix of impatience and discomfort.
"Why did you even wear that in the first place?" Whitney muttered next to her, trying to find a way to shade her own face from the sun as she squinted at the sky.
"....."
Instead of wearing a dress or shirt and short, Angela wore a jeans paired with tank top and a windbreaker thinking that she could pair up with Cypher. But Cypher wore the opposite, he wore a simple white polo shirt and a black slack. It suited him so well that she can’t get angry at him.
Just then, Edge appeared out of nowhere holding out a black umbrella which he definitely snatched from one of the mbers. "Angela, let’s share this umbrella," he suggested, moving to her side.
"Thanks." Angela replied, grateful for the shade as she curled a little closer to him.
’Umm hello? I’m also being burned by the sun!’ Whitney rolled her eyes, seething with jealousy.
"Oh look, Remillia’s here," Whitney pointed out a distance.
Cypher imdiately turned to look, his heart skipping a beat at the sight. His breath hitched slightly as he took in the sight of her. ’Beautiful,’ he thought, his gaze lingering on her with admiration.
Remillia was wearing a light blue shirt that complinted her figure perfectly, paired with crisp white shorts that accentuated her legs. Although her outfit was simple, there was sothing about the way she moved—elegant, carefree, and effortlessly charming—that caught everyone’s attention.
Remillia finally approached the group, her presence imdiately lighting up the space around them.
"Remillia, what took you so long?" Whitney asked, trying to hide her annoyance for having to wait this long under this scorching sun.
"Oh, sorry about that! I woke up late, hehe," she replied, scratching her head sheepishly. In reality, she had completely forgotten that they were heading to Eldoren today.
"YOU WHAT?!" Angela almost shouted, her eyes wide with disbelief.
I showed her a peace sign in a futile attempt to appease her, but it only seed to fuel Angela’s irritation. Sensing the impending reprimand, she quickly hid behind Cypher, unconsciously holding his waist. ’She can’t scold when Cypher’s right here,’ she thought, a small smirk forming despite herself.
"You—!" Angela began but was promptly cut off.
"Angela, let her off this one ti," Cypher interjected, stepping slightly in front of Remillia as if to shield her from Angela’s ire. His voice was calm and steady.
Angela heaved a long sigh before smiling at Cypher, trying to hide her irritation. "Of course I was just having fun with her."
Remillia cautiously peeked out from behind him. "I’m sorry for my behavior. I promise to set up an alarm next ti."
Seeing that we were still here, I assud we were still waiting for the others, so I chatted with the group about the upcoming trip when suddenly, I sensed another presence approaching us. I focused my sight, using my skill to identify who it was, and was shocked to see that it was Kairos.
’Wait, he didn’t join any club in the novel, so what’s he doing here?’ I thought, furrowing my brow in confusion. My mind raced with possibilities as I tried to sift through the reasons of his unexpected appearance.
Before I could delve deeper into my thoughts, Sylvester caught sight of Kairos and clapped his hands, effectively drawing everyone’s attention. "Before we go, I’m happy to announce that another student has joined our club! Please introduce yourself."
Instinctively, I stepped forward, needing to see if it was really him.
Sylvester gestured for Kairos to step forward, and Kairos nodded before he introduced himself. "My na’s Caleo Valer. Nice to et you all."
He spoke with a cold voice that captivated everyone around him. It had the girls practically swooning. I watched in mild disbelief as several of them leaned in closer, eyes sparkling with intrigue, embodying a mix of curiosity and fascination.
Caught up in the mont, I found myself staring at him, still finding the reason why he joined a club in the first place. To my surprise, he stepped closer and settled right next to .
I couldn’t help but look at him curiously. "Why are you standing next to ? Go stand on soone else," I said, my tone mixed with confusion and a hint of irritation.
He chuckled lightly at my reaction, obviously enjoying it. "I don’t know anyone here, so obviously, I’ll be approaching you since you’re the only one I know."
I opened my mouth to retort but was interrupted by Sylvester’s booming voice once again.
"Now that we’ve wasted enough ti, just form a line behind Remillia and Caleo. Let’s go!"
Since and Kairos were the first person infront they naturally lined
Suddenly, I realized that Kairos and I were placed at the front of the line, leaving no room for to revert back to my friends. The others quickly fell into place behind us, and I could practically feel the whispers starting among them.
As the lines shifted and settled, I began to pick up snippets of conversation. Using my ability again, I tuned in to their excited murmurs.
"Hey, look at them. Aren’t they cute?"
"I know right? Their couple outfit is so cute! I wish my boyfriend would also do this to ."
"Do you rember where we were on a plane going to our practical exam and they were seated together?"
"Oh right! I was feeling jealous, hoping that I was the one seated to Caleo, but I accept my defeat if he’s together with Remillia."
My brow furrowed at that last remark. ’What? and Kairos? No, that’s impossible—’ A rush of disbelief mingled with unwilling curiosity washed over .
I glanced down at our outfits, noticing the way we oddly matched. He was wearing a crisp white shirt paired with light blue cargo shorts, while I had on a light blue top and white shorts. It did give off a couple vibe, and suddenly, the attention from the others felt even more intense.
I curiously looked at Kairos’ clothes and mine. We indeed looked like wearing a couple outfit. He was wearing a white shirt coupled with light blue cargo shorts.
Kairos seed to notice my unease as his gaze followed mine, a knowing smile creeping across his face. "Don’t get wrong, but should we buy more couple outfits in Eldoren?" he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Yiiieee!"
"Oh my gosh I think I’m going to faint!"
"Stop pinching !"
"Ahhh I wish I have my boyfriend right now so I could shove into his face how he should treat !"
I heard the girls behind us squeal, their whispers rushing excitedly among themselves, further adding to the heat rising in my cheeks.
With a mix of embarrassnt and irritation, I turned to him and lightly smacked his arm. "Stop that!" I felt my face fla with heat, both from the unexpected attention and his undeniably charming teasing.
Kairos laughed at her reaction while I wanted to cover my ears to prevent hearing his teasing voice. ’Seriously, what’s wrong with this guy? He’s so much different from the novel!’
At the back of the line, Cypher’s irritation simred just beneath the surface as he overheard the whispers floating towards them. Every giggle and coo from the girls felt like another nail in his calmness. The sight of Remillia with another guy was almost unbearable.
Angela whose by his side, unknowingly added fuel to the fire. "Oh right, I just noticed that they were indeed wearing a couple shirt." She muttered, her tone sharp with added bitterness. In her mind, a thought materialized, ’That should have been with Cypher! So unfair!’
Whitney was equally invested in the gossip, though her interest was mixed with intrigue. "Do you think the reason why they were the only ones who were late is that they chose to wear the sa outfits?" she asked, trying to piece together the story.
Cypher scowled, feeling a tight coil of frustration in his chest. "That’s ridiculous," he muttered under his breath, still scanning the scene ahead, his gaze hardening at the sight of Remillia laughing at sothing Kairos had said.
Edge, standing next to Whitney, was the only one who remained silent throughout the gossip, his expression stoic as he absorbed the unfolding drama. He couldn’t care less about the whispers around him; he had his own agenda and wasn’t entirely invested in the romantic entanglents of his classmates.
Cypher clenched his fists, feeling a rush of possessiveness over Remillia. The idea that she might be growing close to Caleo made a primal instinct rise within him. ’I should just go over there and snatch Remillia from that guy,’ he thought, fueled by a mixture of jealousy and frustration.
But he held back, hesitant to act on that impulse. No. The last thing I don’t want to to do is show Remi how petty I am right now. Instead, he forced himself to stay rooted in place.
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