"What am I doing here?" Sydney whispered to Nicholas, her voice tight with nerves.
"I told you. You're my plus one," Nicholas whispered back, trying to sound casual. "No way I was going without you. You dragged me into this mess, remember?"
They were currently seated at Café Grind Order, surrounded by none other than Lillie and her circle of friends.
At their table sat Lillie herself, Sera, blond Nicholas, Max—the guy with the spiky hair—Average-kun, Ethan, Nicholas, and Sydney.
This was clearly the main table, the heart of it all. Around them, four to six other tables were just as packed, filled with more of Lillie's so-called 'friends.'
She hadn't been kidding when she said she'd introduce him to everyone. Nicholas was half-surprised the entire school hadn't shown up.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted the maid from yesterday—still working the cafe—grimacing at the sight of him. Nicholas sighed.
Worse yet, most of the girls at the surrounding tables were glaring daggers at him.
And at another table nearby? Tod. Sitting with Jason and Brad. Tod, the guy who was normally nervous just making eye contact with him, was now giving Nicholas a glare that could probably kill a weaker man.
And here I thought he was scared of me.
Somehow, Nicholas had ended up as public enemy number one, even though he'd only followed Lillie's invitation out of politeness—and maybe a little curiosity.
Lillie, of course, seemed blissfully unaware of the tension. She chatted animatedly, smiling without a care in the world, completely ignoring the negative energy directed at Nicholas. However, if one looked closely enough, she did seem a bit… shaken.
The glares didn't stop, either.
Sigh.I really didn't need this today…
Nicholas Darklight was also at the edge of his seat, though not for the reasons one might expect.
But maybe we should rewind a few hours to understand how he ended up in this particular circle of hell.
***
"Tod… is interested in little Lily?" Sydney asked quietly, visibly disturbed by the implication.
Nicholas shrugged. "Just a theory. Found her bracelet stuck to a piece of gum under the table. The only person I remember chewing gum was Tod," he explained calmly.
Sydney narrowed her eyes. "So he was messing with her? How does that add up to him liking her?"
Nicholas could feel the onset of a migraine. The same kind he'd get when the class president started using her "bossy" voice.
"He was watching her. Probably the whole time. Liking someone can look different depending on the person. Some are shy about it, others are confident. Some pretend they're not interested at all—and some mess with their crush to get attention. Though... I don't think that's entirely what's happening here."
Sydney looked ready to explode, but before she could, Nicholas raised a finger to his lips, motioning her to let him finish.
"That's why I asked her if that bracelet had sentimental value. I'm an outsider in this school, if you couldn't tell. I don't usually keep tabs on people."
She nodded, arms crossed, waiting impatiently.
"Right. So—he knew it mattered to her. That's why he hid it. I don't know how or when he got it, but he stashed it so that when the dance came around, he could 'miraculously' find it and give it back. Then ask her out on the spot."
Sydney blinked, stunned. "Idiotic…"
"I agree," Nicholas said with a sigh. "Didn't think he had it in him to come up with something like that."
She shot him a sharp glare. "Not him—you. Your imagination's always been wild, but this? This is another level."
"Come on, now. I connected the dots based on Tod's behavior and the situation. And you've seen it before—my intuition is usually right."
She hesitated. As absurd as it sounded, the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Tod was the type. Half the school saw him as a scumbag, the other half as some kind of twisted hero.
She didn't want to believe it... not because of the theory itself, but the implications.
"If you're right—and God, I hope you're not—we've got a problem on our hands," she muttered, chewing on her nails.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. Some competition was annoying, sure, but not exactly the apocalypse.
He tried telling her to relax, but she snapped at him.
"Don't you get it? If Tod asks Lillie out, it'll be a nightmare for her! She'll be expected to say yes. Two of the most popular people in school becoming a couple? Everyone will lose their minds. But what if she doesn't like him? If she turns him down, her reputation could take a hit. And Tod might… pull strings behind the scenes to make something happen—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Nicholas raised a hand to cut her off. "The hell do you mean, pull strings? And who cares if her reputation takes a hit? It's high school."
Sydney looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "This is just high school to you?"
"Yeah? What is it, college?"
She exhaled sharply. "This is another reason I can't stand you. You can't take anything seriously."
Nicholas scowled slightly but said nothing.
"You haven't realized it yet, have you?" Sydney's tone softened, almost pitying. "This is TraitShare Academy. The Academy of Advancement. The TAA. Where 'potential meets purpose'... Except by 'potential,' they mean connections."
He blinked, confused. She sighed and continued.
"Everyone here—everyone—either has a hero in their family, a connection to one, or a connection to someone with a connection, or and you get the idea."
Nicholas stayed quiet. He was still processing.
"That's why I was so happy when I got in. I thought I made it on my own… then I found out about you. No connections, just a recommendation letter you refused, and then passed the same test as me. With flying colors. You even passed a special test no one else in our year could complete."
Her voice cracked slightly. "You're lazy, obnoxious, and a certified asshole. Yet… Maybe that's why… I hate you so much. Maybe I'm just jealous."
After letting it out, she smiled—relieved, lighter.
Nicholas took a breath.
"First of all, don't put me on a pedestal. I get nervous when people expect me to act like I know what I'm doing."
"Second, I'm pretty sure we did about the same overall… and the special test? That was just luck."
"And finally, yeah, you're right—I am lazy, obnoxious, and an asshole. So don't be jealous of me. You're fine just the way you are. Honestly, I should be jealous of you." He laughed lightly, and for a moment, both of them smiled.
Of course, it didn't last.
"Now that all the drama's out of the way—what kind of connections does Tod have, anyway?" His tone flipped, sharp and serious.
Sydney stumbled at the abrupt change. "Uhm… right. That's another thing. Little Lillie doesn't have any connections. Tod, on the other hand, does. I found reports of him cheating in sports before high school. Never got punished. Recently, there's even a rumor that he hit someone with his car. No charges pressed."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. Well that went from a zero to a hundred.
"Okay, but those are just rumors. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."
Sydney went on. "Regardless, the fact remains—Tod has influence. Lillie doesn't. If she refuses him, he might use that influence."
Nicholas leaned back, sighing internally.
What kind of drama did I get dragged into? And is it too late to walk away...?
After a little while, the two of them had met up with the so-called friend group outside of school. They were still arguing over where to go, voices bouncing back and forth like a broken record. Nicholas, tired of the pointless debate, took it upon himself to volunteer Sydney as the tie-breaker.
She had suggested Grind Order Cafe. Some were skeptical, others were visibly apprehensive—mostly because no one wanted to believe the scary lady that was the class prez.
That changed the moment Little Lily chirped that she wanted to try it out. Like magic, the entire group was suddenly on board.
Nicholas snorted. He couldn't help it. The shift in attitude was pathetic. A couple of people shot him dirty looks.
Guess it's against the law to laugh…
On the way to the cafe, Nicholas noticed Average-kun lagging behind. His steps were slow, almost hesitant, like he'd rather melt into the pavement than keep walking.
Nicholas slowed his own pace until they were side by side.
"You planning to cross the finish line next week, or…?"
Average-kun glanced at him, startled, before looking back down at his shoes. "…Just thinking."
Nicholas smirked. "Dangerous habit." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, what's keeping you back here? Afraid of the herd?"
The boy hesitated, then muttered, "…I don't know if I should talk to her."
Nicholas didn't need to ask who her was. "Why not?"
"Because…" He exhaled sharply. "Middle school. I liked this girl, told her how I felt. She turned me down—real quick. I just… I don't want to go through that again."
Nicholas glanced ahead at Lillie, laughing at something Sera said, completely oblivious. "So you're scared of rejection."
"…Yeah."
"Then you're already ahead of half the idiots out there," Nicholas said flatly. "Most guys never even try. You did once. You're thinking about doing it again. That's brave, whether you get the answer you want or not."
Average-kun blinked at him, surprised. "…You really think so?"
Nicholas shrugged. "I wouldn't waste my breath if I didn't." He gave him a sideways look. "Go talk to her before someone else does. What's the worst that can happen? You got your friends here to back you up."
For the first time since they started walking, Average-kun actually smiled. "…Alright. I'll try."
Nicholas smirked faintly. "Good man." He debated whether to give Average-kun a pat on the back or not. In the end, he just gave him a light shove forward, practically shooing him away.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Sera giving him the stink eye, though she at least tried to hide it.
My gut's telling me she's gonna be problematic… Now I just gotta figure out why.
If he combed through his memory of all their interactions, one thing stood out: she didn't like being near him. Whenever there was a group project or activity, she always maneuvered to stay as far from him as possible.
That didn't bother Nicholas Darklight—in fact, he was glad. If she didn't like him, it was better she avoided him than cause a scene like a certain someone.
His gaze flicked toward Sydney.
But now… she was getting involved. Which was odd, because it meant she was willing to ignore her discomfort with him to do it. Why? What was important enough to push past that?
And Blondie's been acting strange, too. Even though he came to me for help, he seems more focused on helping his 'girlfriend' by… sabotaging? Getting in the way instead of helping. But why?
Nicholas rubbed his face. Why was he hyperanalyzing all this? It was stupid. Probably just a coincidence.
Still, he needed to ask Sera what she was up to. Subtlety was more his style, but the confession was supposed to happen in two days. Too little time to waste.
They arrived at the café just as the sky was beginning to darken, but night hadn't fallen yet. Most of the group filed inside right away, yet Nicholas lingered in the back, rooted by instinct. That feeling again. Of being watched. Just like yesterday.
Is Riot here? No… he wouldn't attack in broad daylight, right?
But the presence didn't feel like Riot's anyway. His gaze—when Nicholas imagined it—was mechanical, amused, calculating. This one was different. Primal. Feral. Like a hunter stalking prey, but with just enough intelligence to make it dangerous.
It's like… the Wendigo.
The memory of its teeth sinking into his flesh made his blood boil. He forced himself to exhale, to stay rational.
Is there a monster near—? His thoughts cut off at a sudden smack to the back.
Eyes snapped open. "Wha—?"
"Are you just going to stand there all day, orrrr~?" Sydney's voice was a mix of confusion, curiosity, and just a pinch of amusement.
"Hm?"
"Everyone already went in."
Nicholas's eyes darted to the café doors, then back to her. "Oh. Right. Yeah, let's go." This time, he remembered. He held the door open.
Sydney smiled in a way that was far too smug. "Good." She stepped inside, glancing back at him with a nod of approval.
"Uh… am I a pet being trained or something?" Nicholas muttered under his breath as he followed after her.
The moment he stepped inside, the noise hit him first—laughter, chatter, and the scraping of chairs. The café was packed wall to wall with students. His gaze swept the room, looking for an open spot, but then something odd caught his eye.
In the far corner sat a teen with blond hair and those ridiculous, oddly-shaped sunglasses. No doubt about it—Haru. No one else in this city had that much misplaced confidence in their sense of style. But what froze Nicholas for a beat wasn't Haru—it was the man sitting across from him.
Tall. Shoulder-length red hair. A cigar hanging from his lips. Yet no smoke, no scent. Even with his sharpened senses, Nicholas caught nothing. It made the back of his neck itch.
Who…? His gut screamed bad news. He didn't know why, but every instinct told him it would be a mistake to get involved.
Before he could linger on it, Sydney tugged his arm, dragging him away from the corner. He found himself seated at the main table before he could protest.
The shift was immediate—every eye at the table locked on him. Heat crept at the back of his neck under the collective weight of their stares.
"Y-yo," he muttered, awkwardly raising a hand in greeting. He wasn't even sure why he did it. They had all already exchanged greetings at school.
Ethan snickered under his breath, blond Nicholas offered him a sympathetic smile, Max scoffed and looked away, Average-kun gave an awkward grin, Sera's glare could have cut glass, and Lillie dismissed it all with a casual wave of her hand.
Sydney sighed, leaning closer. "This is gonna be rough, isn't it?" she whispered—just loud enough for Nicholas to catch.
He gulped, silently praying he could wrap this whole mess up before the day was over.
I could be doing something far more meaningful…