Kai and Reika climbed up the stairs, step by step, until they reached the floor designated for 2nd year students. Kai had the intention to walk Reika right up to her room on the third floor, but Reika put a halt to his plan. She didn't want to cause any more scenes this early in the morning, as they had already attracted too much attention. Kai didn't force Rei since he also doesn't want to face that ex of her this early in the morning.
He reminded her not to talk to that guy. Reika nodded, assuring Kai that she had Lian Li by her side. With Lian Li's reputation for being skilled in fighting and scary when angry, that guy wouldn't have the audacity to bother her.
Kai couldn't resist pulling Reika to the side, hidden from prying eyes, and planting a sweet kiss on her lips. They both responded with happiness, but reluctantly parted ways, bidding each other a fond goodbye. Reika headed towards her own room, while Kai made his way to his classroom.
Walking alone without Reika by his side, Kai couldn't help but notice the girls stealing glances at him. It was a bit uncomfortable to be the center of attention, but he brushed it off just like he always did. However, he also couldn't help but look back at the pretty girls, hoping that the system would trigger another quest that would reward him with a valuable gem. He needed as many gems as possible to fully cultivate the Star Dragon Conqueror's Body Art, and if he was lucky, he might even stumble upon a Conqueror's ticket to buy the elusive Dragon Blood.
Unfortunately, the system remained silent, not providing any new quest notifications.
Kai finally reached his classroom, casually strolling inside with his usual nonchalant air. But today was different. Instead of the normal swift glances and quickly turned heads, the students unabashedly stared at him, creating a buzz of speculation and curiosity.
"Hey, who's that guy?" whispered the girl in the front row, her voice filled with eagerness to solve the mystery.
"I have no idea. We don't have another handsome soul in this class, apart from our class representative," replied her friend beside her.
"Maybe he's a new student?" she wondered aloud.
Meanwhile, a girl, sitting with them and engrossed in her artwork, was also captivated by the commotion. Curiosity tickled her and she couldn't help but follow their gazes. Her pen slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor, as her eyes locked onto the handsome stranger who boldly occupied the seat of the typically gloomy student.
Concerned, the two girls turned their attention towards the girl with them, asking, "What's wrong, Liu Li?"
Caught off guard, Liu Li quickly replied, "Oh, nothing. Just dropped my pen."
"Did you recognize him?" prodded the other girl.
"No, I don't know him either," Liu Li responded, her voice trembling slightly as she picked up her pen and resumed her drawing.
The two girls dismissed her and returned to their discussion about Kai. But when they weren't looking, Liu Li nervously bit her thumbnail and whispered to herself, "What's happening? Where did my shadow prince go?"
Liu Li had always been the only one who truly saw Kai's true attractiveness. It was during their cleaning time in the classroom when Liu Li struggled to reach the high spots on the board to erase some stubborn writing. Her short stature made it feel impossible until the mysterious Kai, with his messy bangs covering his face, unexpectedly appeared. He swiftly snatched the eraser from her, effortlessly wiping away the markings that seemed to mock her inability to reach.
Startled by his sudden presence, Liu Li glanced up at the usually reserved and silent boy. Being shorter than most, she had a full view of Kai's face as he cleaned the board. From that moment, she couldn't help but keep her gaze fixed on him, considering him her shadow prince. She had mustered up the courage to engage him in conversation multiple times before, but nerves always rendered her speechless whenever he walked past. All she could do was silently admire him from a distance. And now, her shadow prince seemed to have transformed into a knight in shining armor, capturing the attention and admiration of every girl's dreams.
Liu Li looked towards Kai once more, seeing him casually ignoring the advances of the girls who couldn't resist his newfound allure. It was then that Liu Li let out a sigh of relief, realizing that her shadow prince was different from the other men who loved to show off and play games with every girl's emotions.
Liu Li couldn't help but stare at the new Kai in awe. He was different from her shadow prince, who always emitted a gloomy or negative aura. This version of Kai was like the sun, hidden by the moon for far too long, finally rising up to its full glory.
Lost in her own thoughts, Liu Li muttered to herself, "Maybe it's not such a bad thing... Maybe my knight in shining armor can also pull me out of my own darkness. Hehe~"
Kai, however, nonchalantly ignored the attention he was receiving from the girls, choosing instead to gaze out of the window. The girls, growing increasingly louder, and the boys, becoming more hostile, couldn't understand why this guy was receiving so much admiration.
"Freaking ridiculous! What's so great about a handsome face, anyway? Those girls are acting like desperate sluts. Who does this guy think he is?" muttered a jealous boy.
"Haha! Dude, your jealousy is showing! You're all brawn and no brains," replied one of the boys with a snicker, unable to contain his laughter. The jealous boy looked even more infuriated, his face turning red with anger.
"What did you say!?" the jealous boy exclaimed angrily, his voice filled with fury. He was ready to pounce on the boy, his fists clenched tightly.
"Hey, calm down, man. No need to be jealous," said another boy, stepping in to diffuse the tension. "That's just how things are sometimes. Why not try being friends with him? Who knows, we might graduate from our virginity," he added, injecting a bit of humor into the situation.
"Yeah, that's a much better idea," agreed the other guy, trying to ease the tension in the air.
Summoning all their courage, they gathered their nerve to approach Kai and asked him, "Hey, man! What school are you from?" The first guy spoke up cheerfully, trying to engage in a friendly conversation to break the ice. They hoped that by getting to know Kai better, they could overcome their jealousy and maybe even learn a thing or two from him.
Much to their dismay, Kai continued to ignore them, his eyes fixed on the world outside the window deep in his thought. They exchanged embarrassed glances, feeling foolish for being completely ignored while all the girls were ogling at them. The jealousy-spurred boy decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Just because you're handsome, you think you can ignore us?" he bellowed angrily, his muscles bulging impressively.
He was determined to use force to teach this arrogant a lesson and humiliate him in front of the entire class. He grabbed Kai's shoulder and tried to pull him. However, to his surprise, Kai remained unmoved, like an immovable boulder. He tried several times, pulling him with all his might, but Kai didn't even flinch.
Kai, slowly turning his attention towards the muscle man, fixed him with a cold, terrifying glare. "Remove your hand," he said icily.
In that moment, the muscle man's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine. The once-handsome young man before him transformed into a primal beast, ready to pounce and tear him apart if he did not comply. With every second he delayed, he felt his own impending humiliation in front of the entire class.