After the intense battles in the tournament, Sam's life had taken a turn. He was no longer just another student at Lunaris Academy—he was now a full-fledged celebrity. His exploits in the tournament had made headlines not just in the school but throughout the city. As a result, his days had become anything but ordinary.
Walking through the school's main hallway had become an adventure. Everywhere he went, people stopped to stare, whisper, or outright shout his name.
"Sam! You're amazing!" a random student called out, causing Sam to awkwardly wave back.
He could barely make it to class without someone trying to talk to him. The number of girls who suddenly wanted to "study" with him had skyrocketed, and the boys weren't any less enthusiastic—they wanted to spar, hang out, or just bask in his newly found glory.
Sam sighed, finally reaching his classroom. But as soon as he stepped in, he was met with a wave of applause. His classmates had somehow coordinated a mini-celebration for him.
Sara, sitting at her desk, rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't get stuck. "Great, just what we needed—a Sam fan club," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Raven, sitting next to her, smirked. "Jealous much?"
Sara shot her a glare. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous? It's not like he's the only guy in the world."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."
As if on cue, a girl from another class peeked into the room, her cheeks flushed red. She held a love letter in her hand, and her eyes were fixed on Sam. "Um… S-Sam, could I talk to you for a moment?"
The entire class went silent, all eyes on Sam. He blinked, completely caught off guard. "Uh, sure…?"
Before the girl could even step inside, Sara was out of her seat, grabbing Sam by the arm. "Sorry, he's busy. We have an important project to work on."
The girl looked disappointed but nodded, backing away slowly. Sam, on the other hand, was utterly confused. "What project? We don't have a project…"
Sara leaned in close, her voice a low whisper. "Just go with it."
Sam sighed, letting Sara drag him to the back of the classroom. "You know, you could've just told her I wasn't interested," he said, rubbing his arm where Sara had gripped it.
Sara huffed, "Oh, I'm sure you weren't."
Before Sam could respond, a group of boys barged in, holding banners and wearing t-shirts with Sam's face on them. "Sam! We've formed the official Sam Fan Club! You're our hero!"
Sam's face turned beet red. "You've got to be kidding me…"
The rest of the day was a blur of awkward encounters and narrow escapes. Every time a girl tried to approach him, Sara was there to steer him away. And every time a guy wanted to challenge him to a spar, Alan would miraculously appear, offering to take his place. It was like they had an unspoken pact to keep Sam from being overwhelmed—though Sara's motives were a bit more transparent.
But the real chaos began when Sam returned to his dorm room that evening. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a mountain of letters, packages, and even some strange gifts. Apparently, his fame had spread beyond the school, and people from all over the city—and even other countries—were sending him offers.
Alan, who had just walked in behind him, whistled. "Wow, looks like you're in high demand."
Sam groaned, rubbing his temples. "This is getting out of hand. How am I supposed to deal with all this?"
Alan chuckled, picking up a letter with a golden seal. "Well, you could start by reading the ones with fancy seals. Maybe you'll get a job offer from a king or something."
Sam snatched the letter from him, rolling his eyes. "Very funny."
But as he looked at the pile of letters, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. Fame was nice, but this was too much. He wasn't sure how to handle all the attention, especially with Sara and Raven constantly vying for his time.
Speaking of Raven, she showed up at his door a few minutes later, holding a basket of freshly baked cookies. "Hey, Sam! I thought you might like a snack after a long day of being the most popular guy in school."
Sam stared at the cookies, then at Raven's innocent smile. "Uh, thanks…?"
Before he could even take a bite, Sara appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the basket. "Oh, cookies! Let's share them with everyone!" she said, her tone overly sweet.
Raven's smile faltered as she glared at Sara. "I made them for Sam."
"And now Sam can share them with everyone," Sara shot back, taking a cookie and biting into it. "Mmm, not bad."
Sam sighed, watching the two girls engage in yet another silent battle. It seemed that his newfound fame had brought more than just fan clubs and love letters—it had also ignited a fierce rivalry between Sara and Raven.