"Why do you always have to be a dick?" he heard, his gaze shifting to the girl with platinum hair tipped in bluish hues. Her pure blue eyes locked onto him, brimming with absolute disgust.
"...," He stared at her for a while, his expression unreadable, before shutting his eyes once more. He didn't have the strength to retort.
"Didn't you hear me?!" her voice rose, sharp and threatening.
'FUCK!' he cursed internally, sensing danger, and tried to avoid it—but it was too late. The blow struck him square in the face.
"Argh," he groaned, clutching his jaw. His glare shot toward the culprit, but her posture and fiery glare told him she wasn't done.
'Damn it. She's just using this as an excuse to take her anger out on me,' he thought, realizing how quickly this could escalate. If he wasn't careful, it would probably end with her killing him.
"She just asked for your name, and you're already showing that disgusting attitude of yours!" she spat, her voice cold. She grabbed him roughly by the collar, her grip unyielding despite his attempts to shake her off. His eyes darted to her meta-watch, and his heart sank.
[POWERLEVEL: 7]
"Let go, Ariana," he said flatly. Despite being clearly on the losing end, his indifferent confidence didn't waver.
"It's okay… I shouldn't have asked. It's my fault," a softer voice interjected. He turned to see a blonde-haired girl with a neatly braided ponytail. Her trembling green eyes and hesitant tone made it clear she wanted the situation to end as quickly as possible.
"Did you hear her? She said it's her fault. Now let go," he repeated, gripping Ariana's spotless, slender hands. Her strength was deceptive, and he struggled to pry her grip loose.
But she held firm, her eyes boring into his. "I hate you," she muttered, her voice laced with venom. Finally, she let go, shoving him backward as the elevator doors slid open. Without another word, she strode out, pulling the blonde girl along with her.
"The feeling is mutual," he called after her, his voice just loud enough to reach her ears. He noticed her free hand clench tightly at his remark.
He stepped out of the elevator moments later, his posture tense. The menacing glares from other students in the elevator burned into his back.
'Great. Just what I needed—more enemies on my plate,' he thought bitterly, rolling his eyes in exhaustion.
"I told you to shut your darn mouth, but you just can't do it, can you?" he muttered under his breath. Hands in his pockets, he trudged toward the theater-like classroom ahead.
[You're the one who refuses to accept the truth,] a voice chimed in his head.
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled dismissively as he walked in. Standing at the top of the steps, he gazed down at the rows of seats below. His eyes caught sight of Ariana and the blonde-haired girl moving to the front.
"Ariana," he muttered, his tone unreadable. He quickly took a seat in the middle rows, near a large window that framed a breathtaking backdrop of colorful cherry blossoms swaying in the breeze. For a fleeting moment, his gaze lingered on Ariana before shifting to the blonde girl at her side.
[Why… do you hate everyone?]
"What do you mean?" he whispered, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk.
[I can feel it. That emotion of hatred—it grows stronger whenever you think of them or see them. Why?]
"… Shut up," he muttered, bowing his head onto his folded arms.
[You're hiding too much from me. For some reason, I cannot see all of your memories.]
"Really?" he replied, his voice muffled as he kept his head down, eyes shut.
[Just as I don't know much about the future of this world, even though you do,] the voice mused.
"But I awakened you when I was seven," he pointed out. "You should know plenty from my thoughts."
[You're not the type to be straightforward with your thoughts.]
"… I guess," he chuckled softly, the sound devoid of warmth.
[I could only access fragments of your past life when you turned ten. Even then, not everything—like the novel you read about this world—wasn't fully clear.]
"But you seem to know my destiny."
[...I do. But not from your memories.]
"Huh?" he blinked, surprised.
[....,]
"Yeah, keep your secrets," he muttered sarcastically.
[But that girl from your past… Why do I sense overwhelming emotion whenever you think of her? It's unlike the hatred you feel toward everyone else. Why is she different?]
"… You know, I don't really know myself," he admitted after a long pause. "Sometimes I feel like these feelings aren't normal, but I can't help it… I love her too much. It's driving me crazy."
[You must have noticed… those feelings of yours, they're abnormal. It's as though—]
'Don't say it, just don't,' he mentally pleaded, cutting the voice off.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Tears slipped down his face before he could stop them.
"I don't know what she did to me," he whispered hoarsely, clutching his chest as though trying to hold himself together. "But I just can't bear the thought of losing her."
[....,]