Mina woke up to the sound of paper rustling against her door. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders, and shuffled to the door of her dorm room. As she bent down to pick up the pile of notes, she skimmed through them with bleary eyes. Her groan deepened when she realized they were from the girls she had awkwardly tried to avoid the day before, each note more enthusiastic than the last.
Her heart sank as she came to two notes in particular, both from girls in her "fan club." They were inviting her, Mitsuo , to a study session. But as Mina read between the lines, it became clear that the girls had planned something more… intimate. She rubbed her temples, realizing she had unintentionally agreed to a double date .
"How does this keep happening?" Mina mumbled, collapsing back onto her bed. She considered canceling, but the risk of blowing her cover as Mitsuo loomed too large. If she bailed, the girls might talk about it, and someone, like Darien or Asher, might get suspicious. No, she had to face it.
Just one afternoon. She could survive that, right?
That afternoon, Mina found herself heading toward the academy café on the east lawn. She'd dressed the part, her shirt tucked in, sleeves rolled up slightly, and hair slicked back as neatly as possible. As Mitsuo, she needed to exude a calm, confident air even though her heart was racing beneath the surface.
As she approached the café, she saw the two girls already waiting by the window, eagerly scanning the courtyard for her. Their faces lit up the moment they saw her, waving her over with all the energy of a couple of starstruck fans. Mina's stomach twisted.
"Okay, Mitsuo," she muttered to herself. "Just get through this."
"Hey, Mitsuo!" the brunette greeted as she stood up to meet her. "We saved you a spot!"
Mina forced a smile, slipping into the persona of Mitsuo. "Thanks. I wouldn't miss it."
The three sat down, and Mina immediately felt the tension. The girls leaned in close, their expressions soft and expectant, making it clear this wasn't going to be a normal study session. Every few minutes, one of them would throw her a compliment or bat their eyelashes, trying to get closer to her.
"Mitsuo," the blonde asked, her voice taking on a sugary tone, "you must have tons of girls chasing after you. How do you stay so calm?"
Mina choked slightly on her coffee. "Uh, not really. I just… stay focused, I guess?"
The brunette giggled, leaning closer. "I think that's why we like you so much. You're mysterious."
Mina's mind was spinning. How was she going to get through this without collapsing under the pressure? It wasn't just the attention, she could feel the eyes of the other café patrons watching her too, many of them girls who had their own crush on Mitsuo.
She needed an escape.
Just as Mina was searching for an excuse to leave, one of the girls reached out and put her hand on Mina's, her eyes full of intent. "You know, Mitsuo," she began in a hushed voice, "I've been thinking about what it would be like if we spent more time together…"
Before Mina could respond, the door to the café swung open, and Darien sauntered in, his eyes immediately locking onto Mina. His expression lit up with amusement as he strolled over to the table, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Well, well," Darien drawled, folding his arms. "Look who's on a date. And here I thought you were the shy type, Mitsuo."
Mina's heart dropped into her stomach. The girls blinked up at Darien, confused, but clearly starstruck by his charming presence.
"Oh no," Mina muttered under her breath.
Darien's smirk widened as he took a seat at the table without waiting for an invitation. "Mind if I join? Looks like you could use some help here."
Mina glared at him, silently begging him to leave. But Darien was clearly enjoying the situation too much. One of the girls, still oblivious to the tension, looked at Darien with wide eyes.
"Wait, you're Darien, right? Mitsuo's friend?" she asked excitedly.
Darien winked at her. "That's right. And I'm here to make sure Mitsuo doesn't forget to share the attention. After all, we're supposed to be gentlemen."
Mina groaned internally. This was getting worse by the second. She could feel the girls swooning as Darien continued to flirt shamelessly with all three of them. He kept throwing Mina knowing glances, clearly loving how uncomfortable she was.
But just as Mina was about to implode from sheer embarrassment, the door opened again, and this time, it was Viktor.
Viktor walked in, his eyes scanning the café before landing on the chaotic scene in front of him. His jaw tightened slightly as he took in Darien's teasing and Mina's obvious discomfort. Without hesitation, he strode over to the table, his expression calm but authoritative.
"Mitsuo," Viktor said, his voice even and direct, "I need to speak with you. Now."
Darien chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "You're always ruining the fun, Viktor."
Viktor ignored him, his gaze fixed on Mina. "It's important."
Mina, seizing the lifeline Viktor was offering, immediately stood up. "Right. Of course."
The girls pouted, clearly disappointed, but didn't protest as Viktor led Mina away from the table. As they left the café, Mina let out a long breath of relief.
"Thank you," she muttered, glancing up at Viktor. "You saved me back there."
Viktor's expression softened slightly. "You're drawing too much attention. Be careful. You don't want anyone getting too close."
Mina nodded, her pulse still racing. "I know. It's just… hard sometimes. Keeping up the act."
Viktor's eyes met hers, and for a moment, something passed between them, something quiet and unspoken. He was always there for her, steady and reliable, but now there was something more behind his concern. She felt a flutter in her chest, but before she could dwell on it, Viktor cleared his throat.
"Let's go," he said softly. "There's something else we need to discuss."
Later that evening, after her chaotic day, Mina wandered into the academy gardens, hoping to find a moment of peace. The cool air and soft moonlight helped calm her racing thoughts. She found herself walking along the garden path until she spotted someone sitting on a bench in the distance.
It was Luca.
He was sitting in his usual brooding way, staring up at the stars. Mina hesitated for a moment before approaching, unsure if she should disturb him.
"Mitsuo," Luca said without turning, his voice gruff but not unfriendly. "You're out late."
Mina sat down next to him, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. "Yeah. I needed some air after… everything."
Luca grunted in acknowledgment, the silence between them stretching comfortably. After a few minutes, he glanced over at her, his gaze sharp but softer than usual. "You're good at this."
Mina blinked, confused. "At what?"
"Fitting in," Luca replied. "Playing the part. You're handling all of this better than anyone else would."
Mina felt a warmth bloom in her chest at his words. Coming from Luca, it was a high compliment. "Thanks," she said softly. "But it's not as easy as it looks."
Luca's gaze returned to the stars, his expression thoughtful. "Nothing ever is."
There was a pause, and then, to her surprise, Luca opened up a bit more. "I know what it's like to feel out of place," he muttered. "I've spent most of my life like that."
Mina turned to look at him, surprised by his honesty. Luca was always the strong, silent type, rarely sharing anything personal. But here, under the stars, he seemed more vulnerable.
"Yeah," Mina said quietly. "Me too."
They sat together in silence after that, a quiet understanding settling between them. Mina hadn't expected to connect with Luca like this, but in that moment, she realized that there was more to him than the tough exterior he always wore.
The next morning, Mina found herself back in the Gentleman's Club lounge, still thinking about her conversation with Luca the night before. But before she could dwell on it for too long, Viktor approached her, his expression serious.
"We need to talk," he said quietly, leading her to a more private corner of the room.
Mina followed, her stomach twisting with a sense of foreboding. "What's going on?"
Viktor's gaze was intense, and she could tell that whatever he had to say wasn't good news. "There's been talk of a new group, one more dangerous than Malakai's. They're watching us. And they know about you."
Mina's blood ran cold at Viktor's words. She swallowed hard, her mind racing. "What do you mean, they know about me? About… Mitsuo?"
Viktor's eyes flickered with something between concern and determination. "Not just Mitsuo. They know about who you really are, Mina. Malakai was only the beginning. The group I've heard about is stronger, more organized, and they're not just after any student. They're after you."
The weight of his words settled over her like a heavy blanket. She had barely come to terms with Malakai's pursuit, and now there was another, more dangerous enemy lurking in the shadows.
"What do they want?" Mina asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
Viktor glanced around to make sure no one was listening before speaking again. "They want to use your power. The same way Malakai did, but for something even darker. I don't know all the details yet, but we need to be prepared."
Mina's stomach twisted. She had always known there was something about her power, something tied to the prophecy, but she had never realized just how dangerous it made her. Now, it wasn't just about surviving in Blackwell Academy or keeping her Mitsuo disguise intact, it was about staying ahead of whatever dark forces were coming for her.
Viktor stepped closer, his voice softening. "I won't let them get to you, Mina. We won't."
Mina looked up at him, feeling a rush of gratitude and something else, something deeper that made her heart race. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Asher entered the lounge, his usual smirk firmly in place.
"Am I interrupting something?" Asher's voice cut through the tension like a blade. He leaned casually against the doorway, his eyes flicking between Mina and Viktor with obvious amusement.
Mina immediately took a step back, trying to compose herself, though her heart was still pounding. "Uh, no. We were just… talking."
Asher's grin widened. "Oh, I bet. Looked like a very intense conversation."
Viktor shot Asher a warning glance, but Asher wasn't deterred. He strolled into the room, his gaze locking onto Mina.
"You know," he said, his tone light but teasing, "you've been spending an awful lot of time with Viktor lately, Mitsuo. Are you sure you're not secretly crushing on him? Because it's starting to look that way."
Mina's face turned bright red, and she sputtered, "Wh-what? No! That's not it at all!"
Asher chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction. "Relax, I'm just teasing. But seriously, if you ever want some advice on how to woo someone, you know where to find me."
Viktor rolled his eyes, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Asher, we have more important things to discuss."
Asher's smirk softened slightly, and he gave Viktor a mock salute. "Got it, boss. But just so you know, if Mitsuo really is falling for you, you better be careful. He's got a lot of competition around here."
Mina buried her face in her hands, groaning internally. The day had already been chaotic enough, and now Asher was making it worse with his relentless teasing.
Viktor, ever the stoic, simply gave Asher another pointed look before turning back to Mina. "Don't worry about him," he said quietly. "Focus on what we talked about."
Mina nodded, still flustered but grateful for Viktor's calm presence. "Right. I will."
After the tense conversation with Viktor and Asher's not-so-subtle teasing, Mina needed to clear her head. She made her way back to the academy garden, where the peaceful atmosphere always seemed to help her sort through her thoughts. As she wandered along the stone paths, she reflected on everything that had happened over the past few days, Malakai, the prophecy, the growing romantic tension between her and Viktor, and now the new threat.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Luca once again, sitting on the same bench from the night before. He glanced up as she approached but didn't say anything. Mina hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside him.
"You again," Luca said, though his tone wasn't annoyed. "What's up?"
Mina sighed, leaning back on the bench and staring up at the sky. "It's been a long day."
Luca nodded, as if that explanation was enough. They sat in silence for a while, the sounds of the garden filling the air around them. Mina found it surprisingly easy to be around Luca, he wasn't as intense as Viktor, nor as flirty as Darien or Asher. He was just… there, steady and reliable in his own quiet way.
After a few minutes, Luca spoke again. "You handled yourself well today."
Mina glanced over at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"The girls," Luca said, smirking slightly. "I heard about your little café date. Sounds like a nightmare."
Mina groaned, covering her face with her hands. "It was awful. I can't believe Darien showed up and made it even worse."
Luca chuckled, the sound low and unexpected. "He has a way of doing that."
Mina dropped her hands and smiled at him, feeling the weight of the day start to lift. "Thanks for saying that. It's been… rough."
Luca nodded, his expression softening slightly. "You're tougher than you look, Mitsuo. You'll get through it."
For the first time, Mina felt a sense of peace settle over her. The weight of the prophecy, the danger, and the confusion of her growing feelings for Viktor and the others, all of it seemed a little more manageable in that moment.
"Thanks, Luca," she said softly, genuinely grateful for his quiet support.
They sat together in companionable silence, the stars twinkling above them, as Mina allowed herself to relax for the first time in days.
The next morning, Mina woke up feeling a little more centered, despite everything hanging over her head. She was still worried about the group Viktor had warned her about, but knowing that the Gentleman's Club had her back made it easier to face whatever was coming.
As she entered the club's lounge, Viktor was already there, waiting for her. His expression was serious, but there was a quiet strength in his gaze.
"We're going to get through this," he said, as if reading her thoughts.
Mina nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. "I know. And I'm ready."
Viktor gave her a small, approving nod before leading her toward the others. The rest of the club, Luca, Darien, and Asher, were already gathered, each of them looking more serious than usual.
"Here's the plan," Viktor began, outlining their strategy for dealing with the new threat. Mina listened intently, feeling a sense of determination settle over her. She wasn't the same scared girl who had stumbled into the Gentleman's Club by accident. She was stronger now, strong enough to face whatever was coming.
As the meeting ended and the club members started to disperse, Viktor caught her eye again, his expression softening. "Remember," he said quietly, "you're not alone in this."
Mina smiled, feeling the warmth of his words wrap around her like a protective shield. "I know. Thanks, Viktor."
With that, she turned and walked out of the lounge, her heart lighter than it had been in days. She didn't know what the future held, but for the first time, she felt ready to face it, whatever it might be.