Chapter 156
HOPASTRY (3)
IAM turned to see two figures, his expression flickering as recognition slowly dawned. He had seen them before—then it clicked.
The two girls standing before him and the others were wearing the academy uniform and appeared to be first years as well.
The girl who had spoken was a descendant of the Giant. She was tall, roughly the same height as IAM, and muscled in a striking, athletic way. Her dark skin glowed softly under the ambient light, highlighting the definition in her arms and shoulders. Her hair was styled into bubble braids, gathered into two ponytails that reached her shoulders, bouncing lightly as she moved.
Her lips were full, the top a deep shade, the bottom a soft cotton-candy pink. Her nose was small and flat, complementing her dark brown eyes and clear skin.
Her uniform was customized subtly yet stylishly, showing off her personal brand. A dark red blazer with white lines traced along the edges, paired with a skirt that ended just above her knees, accented with a red-patterned pouch attached to her hip. The pouch read GlowUp and was connected to a red belt that wrapped neatly around her waist.
Beneath the blazer, her white shirt was cropped, exposing faint, firm abs. She carried herself with a quiet allure, that made it impossible to look away.
She was currently pointing an accusing finger at IAM's head, a victorious smile on her face before she descended into a crazy laugh.
"Look at this dude, he looked surprised, isn't that right, Suki?"
IAM turned to the girl who had been addressed.
She was a descendant of the Elf, around five foot five, with a body that seemed soft at first glance, but it was clear she carried muscle underneath. Her skin was the palest IAM had ever seen, even paler than Althea's, almost luminous against the dim interior of Hopastry.
In stark contrast, her lips were extremely pink, drawing attention against her pale complexion. Her hair was pure black, like ink, long and straight, falling all the way down her back, swaying lightly as she shifted her stance.
Her eyes were a beautiful shade of brown that almost seemed to glow, lending her an unsettling, captivating presence. A small nose and her perpetually aloof expression completed her features, giving her an air of detached presence that was difficult to ignore.
Her academy uniform was customized to reflect her personality. The word Mine was printed all over her blazer in a subtle colorless shade, almost invisible at first glance but impossible to ignore once noticed. Her skirt reached just to her knees, with Mine printed down one side, sideways, in stark white. Around her waist, a sword hung casually—the hilt a strange small cube, the blade itself was neither too long nor too short, resting naturally at her side.
She met IAM's eyes and said nothing.
"Why are you so quiet? Come on, speak," her friend said, frowning and tilting her head in confusion, clearly frustrated by her silence.
"Let's just go, Zara… this guy gives me the creeps," she muttered, already beginning to turn away.
"What? But this is our favorite pastry shop! We just happened to see him—come on, I'm hungry," Zara protested, standing her ground and watching her friend retreat. She waved a hand helplessly, her voice rising slightly with exasperation.
IAM and the others froze, caught off guard. They were trying to process what was happening.
"Hmm, well, whatever. You owe me an apology," Zara said, tilting her head slightly, her eyes narrowing playfully as she pointed directly at IAM. "And if you say no, I get to shove a table up your ass."
Henry choked audibly on his own breath, his hands instinctively clutching his chest as if to physically brace himself. Reuel's mouth hung open in horror.
Yohan, trying to make sense of the situation, squinted and asked, "Apologies for what? What did he do?" His tone was calm but edged with curiosity.
Zara turned slowly toward him, her expression casual as if she were discussing the weather, and plucked IAM's pastry from the table with one hand. She took a bite, chewing slowly, savoring it as she spoke around the food. "Mm… yesterday… mm… this idiot bumped into me… mmm… he had all this dirt on him… mmm… and he… didn't even apologize… mmm… this is great… mmm… so rude."
Finally, Zara leaned back slightly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Mm… so yeah. Apology?" she asked again, this time with a faint smirk, as though enjoying the tiny chaos she had caused.
IAM said dryly, "Yeah, you can have that as an apology present," watching his points quietly drain away.
"Oh really! Then I forgive you. But seriously, it's rude not to apologize to people," Zara said, smirking as she swallowed the last bit of pastry.
IAM raised an eyebrow. "Then can your friend apologize to me… for calling me creepy?"
"She didn't call you creepy… she said you're giving her the creeps," Zara replied, tilting her head like she was explaining something obvious.
IAM's lips twitched faintly, a half-smile that went nowhere. "Is that not the same thing?" IAM asked, his voice flat.
"Maybe… I don't really know. Anyway, Natsuki doesn't have to apologize to anyone—because she's my friend," Zara said firmly, almost as if sealing the argument.
"Natsuki…" IAM echoed, repeating the name like a question to himself.
"Thanks for the food! Bye!" With that, she spun on her heel and hurried after her friend, leaving the building.
Silence danced around the room once more, stretching between them like a living thing. Around their table, the soft clatter of spoons and murmur of conversation continued, completely oblivious to the awkward tension at their corner.
And then, almost at the same time, their voices muttered:
"She's a weirdo."
"...Weirdly cute," Yohan added, then froze, realizing what he'd just said. He glanced at the group. There was a moment of hesitation, like he wanted to take it back but couldn't.
Reuel's eyes widened. "Wait… what did you just say?"