As the door to the classroom swung open, a hush fell over the students. The professor, a tall, confident woman with long, wavy hair, strode in, her heels clicking against the floor with an air of authority. She was dressed in a tight-fitting, professional dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, with just enough cleavage to be alluring but not inappropriate. Her presence commanded attention from the moment she stepped into the room, and she definitely had everyone's focus.
Including Emmett's.
As she approached the podium and began organizing her papers, Emmett, sitting in the middle of the row, suddenly sat up straighter. His eyes widened, and his jaw went slightly slack as he stared at her with a dazed expression.
"This..." Emmett said, voice soft, like he was talking to himself but loud enough for the group around him to hear. "This is a woman I would date... and marry."
The dreamy, moon-struck look in his eyes didn't go unnoticed. Around him, his friends let out a collective groan, a few smacking their foreheads in disbelief. Valerie rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into the back of her skull, while Sebastian let out a low whistle, shaking his head.
"Really, Emmett?" Sebastian snickered. "You just had to say it out loud, didn't you?"
"Yeah, great timing, lover boy," Sabrina added sarcastically, giving him a sideways glance. "Maybe you should tell the whole class about your future wedding plans while you're at it."
Emmett blinked, suddenly realizing what he'd just said. His gaze shifted nervously to Larissa, who was sitting two seats over, her face blank but clearly holding back some kind of reaction. She looked like she was trying her hardest not to show it, but the tension in her expression was undeniable.
Panicking, Emmett stammered. "Uh, I mean... it's not that you're not... I mean, Larissa, you're great! Really great! Totally worth dating, just—uh—"
He tripped over his words, desperately trying to dig himself out of the hole he'd so skillfully thrown himself into. "It's not... you know... it's just that... maybe I didn't mean this professor—uh, I mean, well—"
The more he talked, the worse it got. Emmett fumbled through excuse after excuse, each one worse than the last, his face growing redder by the second.
Larissa's eyes welled up slightly, her lips trembling as she tried to maintain her composure. She blinked rapidly, as if trying to hold back tears, and looked down at her hands, clearly hurt by Emmett's blundering comments.
Seeing the train wreck unfold, Valerie finally had enough. Without a word, she reached over and whacked Emmett on the back of the head. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to snap him out of his rambling.
"Shut. Up," Valerie hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at him. "Seriously, you're just making it worse."
Emmett rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly sinking into his seat. "Right... shutting up now," he mumbled, casting an apologetic glance at Larissa, who still wouldn't meet his gaze.
The rest of the class passed in a blur, with Emmett trying his best to disappear into his chair and not draw any more attention to himself. The professor, blissfully unaware of the chaos she had unknowingly caused, went through her lecture with grace and poise, while Emmett's friends continued to exchange amused and exasperated glances at his expense.
After class, the group gathered in the hallway, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their day. The tension from earlier had subsided somewhat, but there was still an awkwardness hanging in the air, especially between Emmett and Larissa.
"Alright, gang," Sebastian said, slinging his arm over Emmett's shoulders. "I say we hit up that karaoke bar downtown. We haven't had a good singing session in forever."
Valerie perked up at the suggestion, nodding enthusiastically. "I'm in. We need something fun to shake off the weird vibes from class."
"Seconded," Sabrina added, stretching her arms above her head. "It's been a while since we've all done something chill."
Emmett, eager to change the subject and distract from his earlier blunder, quickly agreed. "Yeah, karaoke sounds perfect. Let's do it."
As they walked through campus toward the parking lot, their conversation drifted back to their time in the virtual world, specifically the grind of cultivating and reaching new levels.
"I swear," Sebastian said, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "I can't wait to hit the Qi Condensation realm. Once I'm there, I'll be flying between cities on my sword like those badass immortals in the novels!"
"Flying swords?" Sabrina laughed. "You can barely ride a bike without falling off. How do you plan on flying through the air without crashing into a mountain?"
"Hey!" Sebastian shot back, grinning. "I'll have you know I'm very skilled when it comes to balancing—"
"Skilled at falling on your face," Valerie interrupted with a smirk, earning a round of laughter from the group.
"Alright, alright," Sebastian conceded, chuckling. "But seriously, just imagine how cool it's going to be when we're zipping around like that. No more walking or waiting for transport between Beginner Cities."
Emmett grinned. "Yeah, if we can survive the grind to get there, that is. Qi Condensation doesn't come easy."
"Speak for yourself," Valerie teased. "Some of us are already ahead of the game."
"Show-off," Emmett muttered, though he couldn't help but smile.
The banter continued as they made their way to the karaoke bar, their mood lightening with each joke and comment. By the time they arrived, everyone was in high spirits, ready to relax and have some fun.
However, as they walked into the bar, their laughter died down. Standing by the entrance was none other than Perry Connor, flanked by a group of his friends—most of them delinquents from school. The moment Perry spotted Emmett and his group, his face twisted into a sneer.
"Well, well, well," Perry drawled, stepping forward with his arms crossed. "Look who decided to grace us with their presence. What's the matter, Emmett? Not enough attention in class today? Figured you'd show up here to hog the spotlight?"
Emmett tensed, his smile fading as the two groups faced off. The tension in the air was palpable, and the once lighthearted atmosphere of the bar had quickly soured.
"Wow, Perry," Valerie said with a mock cheerfulness, placing a hand on her hip. "I didn't know you were a fan of karaoke. Or do you just go wherever we do to make things awkward?"
Perry's eyes narrowed. "Shut it, Valerie. This doesn't concern you."
"Actually, it does," Valerie shot back, stepping forward and locking eyes with Perry. "Because wherever you are, there's bound to be drama. And I, for one, am not in the mood for it tonight."
Perry's friends snickered behind him, their eyes flicking between Emmett's group and Perry, clearly anticipating a confrontation.
Emmett glanced at Larissa, who had gone pale at the sight of Perry. She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting nervously between him and Perry. Seeing her like that sparked something protective in Emmett, and he stepped forward, his voice cold and steady.
"Let's not do this here, Perry," Emmett said, his eyes hard. "We're here to have a good time, and I don't have the energy to deal with you today."
Perry's sneer deepened. "Oh, I'm sorry, Emmett. Didn't realize you were in charge of the place."
The two groups stood facing each other, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Emmett could feel the weight of Larissa's gaze on him, the unspoken plea in her eyes for him to make this stop. And with every second that passed, the temptation to put Perry in his place grew stronger.
Just as things were about to boil over, Sebastian—ever the opportunist for humor—stepped forward and cleared his throat dramatically.
"Hey, Perry," Sebastian said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Why don't you go ahead and hit the stage first? Show us what you've got. I'm sure you've got a killer rendition of 'I'm Too Sexy' lined up."
The tension broke as laughter erupted from Emmett's group, and even a few of Perry's friends couldn't help but chuckle.
Perry's face flushed with anger and embarrassment, but before he could respond, Valerie chimed in. "Yeah, Perry. You first! Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get to hear you sing your way out of this pathetic little rivalry."
The laughter grew louder, and Perry, clearly fuming, clenched his fists. But he was outnumbered, and the room had already turned against him.
"Whatever," Perry spat, turning on his heel and stalking off toward the back of the bar, his group of delinquents trailing behind him like wounded dogs.
As the door swung shut behind them, Emmett let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head. "Man, that guy is the worst."
"Agreed," Valerie said, patting him on the back. "But hey, at least he is stupid, imagine the headache if he was smart."
Larissa, still looking shaken, managed a small smile as she glanced up at Emmett. "Thanks for stepping in."
Emmett shrugged, giving her a reassuring smile. "Anytime."
With the tension finally diffused, the group grabbed their song list and settled into a booth, ready to enjoy the night. For now, the drama with Perry was behind them.
A while later, in the doorway outside the booth Emmett and his friends choose, a friend of Perry walked with a can of diesel and a lighter in hand. Stopped outside Emmett's both to peer in through the window on the door…..