It was the beginning of a new session at Skylar Academy, and the school grounds buzzed with life as students hurried back and forth, searching for their assigned partners.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner, three mischievous boys lingered, whispering about what they did best.
"Dude—freshers. You know what that means, don't you?" Daven said, raking his fingers through his jet-black hair with a sly grin.
"Yeah, Ryu. It's your turn this time," Xavier added, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Ryu rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't already know."
For years, he and his friends had kept up a ridiculous ritual: at the start of every new semester, one of them had to date a girl for the entire session—strictly without falling in love. It was a game to them, partly for fun, partly for reasons only they understood.
The prince scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes searching for a lonely freshman girl. Behind him, his friends wore matching mischievous grins.
"Ryu, what about her?" Daven tilted his head toward a girl walking hesitantly into the hall after being checked in.
She wore oversized round glasses and a floppy dun-colored hat. A few stray strands of platinum-blonde hair slipped free, catching the light.
"Ha! She looks like she just walked out of the 80s," Xavier snickered.
"I think she's the one," Daven sang teasingly, giving Ryu a gentle push forward.
"Hey, not fair! The girls you two picked were pretty!" Ryu protested, but he walked toward her anyway.
The three of them flashed their trademark smiles as they approached.
"Hi," Ryu said in his most charming voice. "Looking for a partner?"
The girl didn't even glance at him. "I don't think that's any of your business."
She tried to brush past, but Ryu instinctively stopped her. He was stunned—no one had ever spoken to him like that.
"Maybe she doesn't know who I am," he thought, forcing himself to let it slide.
"Looks like you've picked a feisty one," Xavier muttered in the private language only the three of them shared.
"I picked? You two practically shoved me at her!" Ryu snapped back in the same coded tongue.
"It was mostly Daven…" Xavier coughed, trying not to laugh.
"That's enough. Ryu, she's all yours. We're out," Daven said under his breath.
"Yeah, we'll find some other chicks to play with," Xavier added, and with that, the two slipped away.
"Traitors," Ryu muttered.
The girl crossed her arms. "So, are you going to move, or should I?"
"I'm your partner," Ryu said smoothly. "And trust me—you don't want to be rude. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with boring instructors for training."
"Fine," she sighed. "Sorry. I was just… worked up. Honestly, I thought you and your friends were bullies."
"Well, lucky for you—I'm not," he replied with a smirk. "Come on. Let's register and take the duo oath."
She hesitated, then nodded. After registering, Ryu carried her small luggage and led her toward his quarters.
"I thought that was the hostel," she said, frowning as they passed a sprawling yellow-and-blue building with HOSTEL painted in bold letters across its wall.
"I know. But since you're my partner, you're also my roommate. So, I'm taking you to my quarters."
Just a short distance from the hostel stood a cluster of elegant houses, far more luxurious than the student dorms. The one they approached was the largest.
"Why are these houses different?" she asked curiously.
"They're reserved for nobles, dukes, and crown princes," Ryu replied with a proud smile.
She narrowed her eyes. "So, what are you? A prince—or just a duke's son?"
He smirked. "I'm a prince. The crown prince. Consider yourself lucky you met me."
He pushed open the door, watching her eyes widen as she took in the polished décor.
"Yeah," he said smugly. "I've got good taste."
This wasn't the first time he had brought a girl here. Every session, he played the same game—three months, one girl, then goodbye. But this one felt… different.
The girl peeked into a room and stopped, flustered by the sight of two neatly arranged beds.
"Uh… so where exactly am I staying?" she asked softly.
"You can take the room on the left. It's right beside mine in case you need anything." He gestured politely.
She stepped inside, stunned by the space. All her life, she had shared cramped rooms at the orphanage. This felt unreal.
"I love it. Thank you," she whispered.
Ryu carried her box in after her. "Sorry if it's a bit dusty. My dad wouldn't let me keep a maid."
"There's no problem. I can handle it," she replied.
He hesitated, then asked, "You never told me your name."
She smiled faintly and handed him her registration slip. "Arya."
"Not much of a talker, huh?" Ryu muttered as he scanned it. His gaze lingered on the paper, then he looked up, his expression softening.
"You came from… an orphanage?"