The next day dawned bright and early at Valewood Academy, and for once, the group of four—Yukio, Asiha, Kai, and Alya—actually managed to get out of bed on time. The usual chaos of scrambling to dress and running late for breakfast was surprisingly absent, though that didn't stop the day from being its usual circus.
Kai, with his usual lazy swagger, strolled into the cafeteria, carrying a tray piled high with every breakfast item available. "Morning, my favorite people!" he announced dramatically, sliding into his seat next to Alya, who was already munching on her toast.
"You know," Alya said, side-eyeing his tray, "one of these days, that tray's gonna break under the weight of all the food you pile on it."
Kai grinned. "Nah, the tray's strong. Just like me."
Yukio rolled his eyes as he sat down across from Kai. "Strong? Your ability to avoid doing work is the only thing strong about you."
Kai made a mock-offended face. "Hey, I'm a man of efficiency. Why work harder when you can work smarter?"
Alya muttered, "You don't work at all."
Asiha, seated next to Yukio, was flipping through her schedule for the day. She looked up with a small, amused smile. "So, what's the plan for today? Besides Kai overloading on carbs and sugar?"
Kai pointed his fork at her. "First of all, these aren't just carbs. They're 'brain fuel.' And second, today's goal? Survive. The usual."
"Survive what exactly?" Yukio asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.
Kai waggled his eyebrows. "Dorian."
Ah, yes. Dorian. The annoying vampire senior who had made it his mission to make life difficult for the group ever since Yukio and Asiha's bond had become a thing. Ever since Yukio had bested him in front of everyone, Dorian had been brooding like a character in a bad soap opera. He wasn't going to let it go anytime soon.
"He's probably still plotting," Yukio said with a sigh, stabbing a piece of his pancake with his fork.
"Plotting," Alya added. "Guys like him don't just move on. He'll want payback."
Asiha raised an eyebrow. "Payback for what? Losing fair and square?"
Kai stuffed his face with bacon and spoke through a mouthful of food. "People like Dorian don't care about 'fair.' He's probably huddled in a dark room right now, muttering about revenge."
Alya shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Why do I get the feeling you've done that exact thing before, Kai?"
Kai paused mid-chew, looking mock-offended. "Excuse me, Alya, I would never huddle in a dark room. I'm more of a 'brood in the sunlight' kind of guy."
Yukio snorted. "You? Brooding? You don't even know how to sit still long enough."
"I can brood if I want to!" Kai protested, leaning back in his chair with a fake brooding expression.
Asiha giggled. "Yeah, sure. Very convincing."
Just then, the door to the cafeteria opened, and, as if on cue, Dorian entered, flanked by his usual entourage. His eyes swept the room until they landed on Yukio and the gang. He sneered but didn't approach, choosing instead to sit a few tables away with his lackeys.
Kai leaned over and whispered dramatically, "And so the villain enters, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
Yukio shook his head. "I still don't get what his problem is."
"His problem is that he's a sore loser," Alya said, rolling her eyes. "He's from one of those vampire noble families that think they're above everyone else. He can't stand that you, a human, outmatched him."
Kai smirked. "Well, Yukio did kick his butt in front of half the school. That's got to sting."
"It wasn't even that big of a deal," Yukio muttered, not wanting to stir up more trouble.
"It's a big deal to him," Asiha said softly. "He's obsessed with status and reputation. You humiliated him, and now he's going to keep coming after you until he feels like he's evened the score."
Kai leaned back, cracking his knuckles. "Let him come. We'll be ready."
Yukio gave him a look. "By 'we,' you mean I'll be ready while you... what, watch?"
Kai grinned. "Exactly. I'll be your emotional support. Maybe throw in a motivational speech or two."
Alya groaned. "You're hopeless."
After breakfast, the group headed off to their classes. The morning passed in its usual blur of lectures and practical lessons. Kai, as usual, spent most of the time goofing off, doodling in his notebook instead of taking notes. Alya, who sat next to him in Magical Combat Theory, kept elbowing him to focus.
"At least pretend you care," Alya whispered as their professor explained defensive shielding techniques.
"I am pretending," Kai whispered back, grinning. "See? I've got my serious face on."
"That's your 'I'm thinking about food' face."
"Food's serious business."
Alya sighed, resisting the urge to smack him with her notebook.
Meanwhile, Yukio and Asiha, seated toward the back of the classroom, were actually paying attention. Asiha, ever the diligent student, was taking neat, precise notes, while Yukio did his best to stay focused. His thoughts, however, kept drifting back to Dorian.
He wasn't scared of Dorian, but he knew the guy was trouble. The last thing Yukio wanted was for things to escalate—especially with the bond between him and Asiha being what it was. If Dorian found out the truth, it could be disastrous.
When class ended, the group reconvened in the hallway, heading toward the courtyard where they often hung out during breaks. Kai was still in high spirits, making jokes about the lesson.
"I don't get why we need to learn about magical shields," Kai said, tossing his backpack over his shoulder. "If someone tries to blast me with magic, I'll just dodge. Easy."
"Because not everyone can dodge as easily as your ego can deflect criticism," Alya replied, her tone dry.
Kai laughed. "Touché."
As they reached the courtyard, the atmosphere shifted. It was quieter than usual, and a few students looked uneasy as they passed by. Dorian and his gang were hanging out by the far side, clearly up to something. Yukio could feel their eyes on him.
"Here we go," Yukio muttered under his breath.
Kai, ever the troublemaker, turned and waved cheerfully at Dorian. "Hey, Dorian! You still mad, buddy?"
Dorian's eyes narrowed, and he stood up, walking toward them with his goons trailing behind. "What did you say, Kai?"
"Oh, nothing," Kai said with a grin. "Just checking in. You look like you're carrying a lot of stress these days. You should try yoga."
Alya sighed. "Really, Kai?"
Dorian ignored the joke, his focus now entirely on Yukio. "You think you're tough, huh? Think you can just show me up in front of everyone and get away with it?"
Yukio tensed. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. You're the one who started the fight."
Dorian's lip curled in a sneer. "I'm going to make sure everyone knows who's really in charge around here."
Kai stepped forward, his tone mocking. "Wow, Dorian. That's original. What's next? You gonna give us a speech about how 'this isn't over' and you'll 'have your revenge'?"
Dorian's glare shifted to Kai, his voice low and dangerous. "Watch your mouth, Kai. You're not as funny as you think you are."
Kai's grin widened. "Oh, trust me. I'm hilarious."
Before the situation could escalate further, Asiha stepped between them, her eyes locking with Dorian's. "This isn't worth it, Dorian. Let it go."
Dorian hesitated, clearly torn between wanting to assert his dominance and not wanting to cause a scene in front of the princess. After a tense moment, he finally backed off, though the look in his eyes made it clear that this wasn't the end.
"This isn't over, Yukio," Dorian growled before turning and walking away, his goons following.
Asiha let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "That could've gone worse."
Yukio nodded. "Yeah. But something tells me this isn't the last time we'll have to deal with him."
Kai clapped a hand on Yukio's shoulder. "Hey, don't sweat it. If Dorian tries anything again, we'll be ready."
"By 'we,' you mean I'll fight him while you give motivational speeches, right?" Yukio said with a smirk.
Kai grinned. "Exactly. You're catching on."
Alya shook her head, though she couldn't help but smile. "You're both hopeless."
Asiha chuckled softly. "At least they're consistent."
As they walked back to the dorms later that day, the tension from the confrontation with Dorian still lingered, but the group felt stronger for it. Whatever Dorian had planned next, they would face it together.
And no matter what happened, they'd always have each other—and Kai's terrible jokes to keep them sane.