Lucian had been so overwhelmed when he first entered the classroom that he failed to notice something significant. Now that things had settled down, he scanned the room and froze when his gaze fell upon two students sitting at the very front of the class.
The two students were painfully familiar to him, and their presence alone was enough to stir memories he had long buried deep within his mind. Lucian's stomach twisted slightly, though his face remained impassive. He wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of knowing they still affected him.
Sitting in the front row was a boy and a girl, both with striking light pink hair. The boy's hair was cut short, and his eyes were sharp with a maturity unusual for someone his age. His gaze, however, faltered the moment it locked with Lucian's. The boy's eyes widened in recognition before his face crumpled, and he visibly recoiled. It was as if the mere sight of Lucian brought a flood of emotions that he had been desperately trying to suppress. His mouth opened slightly as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, guilt washed over his features. His eyes glistened, betraying the tears he was struggling to hold back, and within seconds, he had broken eye contact, looking away with shame etched across his face.
Lucian watched the boy, his own face betraying no emotion. A strange sense of detachment took over him, and he found himself simply observing the boy's struggle.
"Pathetic," Lucian thought. He wasn't surprised by the boy's reaction, but seeing it only solidified what he already knew. The boy couldn't even look him in the eye after all these years.
Lucian's gaze then shifted to the girl sitting next to him, the boy's twin sister. Her long pink hair fell in waves around her shoulders, and her light pink eyes – usually so vibrant and full of life – were now clouded with guilt and shame. She looked like she wanted to say something, her lips trembling as if searching for the right words. But, like her brother, she couldn't bring herself to speak. She didn't even dare look directly into Lucian's eyes. Instead, her head bowed, and tears began to drip onto her lap, her entire frame trembling slightly.
The sight of her breaking down stirred nothing in Lucian. He remained cold, unaffected, and unmoved by her tears.
"Heh, at least they feel the shame they deserve," Lucian thought bitterly, though there was a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He didn't care about their guilt. It wasn't his problem if they were wallowing in regret over what had happened between them. Lucian Valentino never looked back, never forgave, and certainly never forgot. Those two were nothing more than remnants of his past, a past he had no intention of revisiting.
With a final glance at the twins, Lucian made up his mind. He wasn't going to waste his time or energy on them. They weren't worth it. He turned his gaze elsewhere, looking around the classroom for a seat. Unfortunately, most of the seats were already taken, and those that weren't were occupied by students who didn't seem worthy of his time.
His eyes fell on Arthur, standing off to the side, his arms crossed, watching Lucian with an expectant look on his face. Lucian had always preferred being alone. Throughout his life, he had learned that getting close to others was only asking for trouble. The moment you let someone in, you gave them power over you. Expectations formed, relationships became entangled, and before you knew it, you found yourself burdened with unnecessary problems.
"Better to keep my distance," Lucian thought, shaking his head. He was content with his own company. After all, no one could betray you if you never let them in.
Arthur, noticing Lucian's hesitation, scanned the room himself. He could see the inner turmoil on Lucian's face, though it was hidden well. For someone like Lucian, who had spent years keeping others at arm's length, the simple act of choosing where to sit in a classroom full of strangers must have felt like a monumental task.
Arthur's gaze landed on a student with green hair, sitting alone by the window, staring out as if he couldn't care less about what was happening in the classroom. He seemed detached, disinterested in the world around him. Perfect.
Arthur clapped Lucian on the shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. "Go sit with the green-haired boy by the window. I don't know why, but I have a feeling you two might get along," Arthur said, giving Lucian a small push in that direction.
Lucian narrowed his eyes at Arthur. The idea of sitting with anyone, let alone a stranger, didn't sit well with him. But Arthur was insistent, and despite Lucian's initial reluctance, there was something about the green-haired boy that piqued his curiosity. He didn't seem like the type to bother Lucian, and at the very least, he wasn't obnoxious like the others in the room.
As Lucian walked toward the green-haired boy's seat, he noticed the disappointed looks on the faces of the other students. Apparently, they had hoped they would get the chance to sit with the "cool new student." Lucian ignored their hopeful glances, focused only on getting this over with.
The green-haired boy, sensing Lucian's approach, turned his head toward him. His slow, deliberate movements made it seem like he was processing the situation at his own pace. His expression was neutral, almost bored, as if none of this mattered to him in the slightest. But despite his lack of enthusiasm, he didn't object to Lucian's presence.
As Lucian drew closer to his new seat, something caught his eye. The pink-haired boy had stood up from his desk, positioning himself in Lucian's path. Lucian could feel the tension in the air as the boy opened his mouth to speak, but Lucian didn't even bother to acknowledge him. He walked right past without so much as a glance in the boy's direction, as if he didn't exist.
The pink-haired boy's body trembled, his shoulders sagging as though the weight of the world had been placed on them. His lips quivered, but no sound came out. Defeated, he slumped back into his seat, unable to do anything but watch Lucian walk away.
Lucian didn't care. He had no interest in revisiting old wounds. As far as he was concerned, those two were nothing more than ghosts of a past he had already left behind.
Reaching the green-haired boy's desk, Lucian sat down without a word, not even glancing at his new desk mate. The boy, for his part, seemed equally disinterested, blinking slowly as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them, but it was the kind of silence Lucian thrived in. He didn't need to make small talk. He didn't need to pretend to be something he wasn't.
Arthur, satisfied that Lucian had found a seat, clapped his hands to get the attention of the class. "Alright, everyone, I'm going to head out now. I don't want to waste your precious time. Behave yourselves," Arthur said, flashing a grin before turning to leave.
Just before he teleported out of the room, Arthur called out, "And love you, my little icecube!" His voice was directed toward the girl with icy blue hair sitting in the back. Her face immediately flushed red, and she ground her teeth in frustration, clenching her fists tightly.
"Why does he always embarrass me like this?" she muttered under her breath, her eyes shooting daggers at the spot where Arthur had been standing just moments ago.
Lucian smirked. At least he wasn't the only one with a complicated relationship with Arthur.