Chapter 157
A question
Zara burst out of the café doors and scanned the area, eyes darting until she spotted Natsuki in the distance. Her expression shifted instantly, and she sprinted after her, easily closing the gap in seconds.
She slowed to a walk beside her, slightly breathless but still full of energy. "Suki, what's wrong? It's not like you to be cold like that—unless they were rude first. Then, obviously, it's totally fine."
Natsuki glanced sideways, her expression unreadable. "It has nothing to do with you. It's just… that guy…" she trailed off, arms folding across her chest as she continued walking, gaze focused straight ahead. "There's something about him."
Zara halted mid-step, mouth falling open before a dramatic gasp escaped. "Oh my!Don't tell me—do you think he's cute!?"
Natsuki didn't stop walking. She tilted her head slightly, lips barely curling into something that might have been a smirk. "What do you think?" she replied, her voice distant.
Zara stood frozen for a moment before chasing after her again.
Zara giggled. "Probably not—but hey, it's fun to imagine." She jogged a few steps to catch up beside her friend. "So what is this something about him? Did he smell weird or something? I couldn't tell—I was kind of far," she added, rubbing her nose.
Natsuki shook her head. "No. I was even further away… and that's not it."
Zara leaned in, eyes squinting suspiciously. "Then what was it?"
"It's just…" Natsuki hesitated, her brows knitting slightly. "There's something off about him. Something that doesn't feel… normal."
Zara blinked. "Off like how?"
"His eyes," Natsuki said softly. "They looked fake. Not like lenses or anything—but like there was nothing in them. It was like… like he wasn't really there. I don't know how to explain it properly, but…" Her voice dropped. "I think it's best if we avoid him."
Zara was quiet for a beat, then gave a big dramatic nod. "Well, you are the grand master of people reading and all that—so I'll try my very upmost highest mountain cherry-on-top best to avoid the creepy guy."
"Good," Natsuki said simply, her eyes still ahead.
"But what about the other ones?" Zara asked, slipping her arm around Natsuki's waist as they walked, leaning into her like they were a couple.
Natsuki glanced down at the arm, then let out a small sigh—one of those quiet, resigned ones that said she knew it was pointless to resist. "I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention to them."
"Oh?" Zara grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "So you only had eyes for him, huh?"
"Shut up," Natsuki muttered, eyes narrowing as she looked away.
...
The next day, IAM and Yohan managed to beat the alarm again, slipping into the bathroom early without a struggle.
Reuel, on the other hand, tried to sleep through the alarm in an attempt to fight back against the "oppressive " system —and failed spectacularly. He ended up lunging at the smart panel in a half-conscious rage, only to be held back before he could do any damage.
Despite the rocky start, all three of them made it to class on time.
They were among the earlier arrivals for once, settling into their seats. But as more students filtered into the room, the questions started.
Several classmates approached them casually, lowering their voices with a hint of curiosity.
"Hey, why were you guys pulled out of lesson yesterday?"
"You in trouble or something?"
The boys gave no details—just vague shrugs and a muttered, "Yeah, we got in trouble," brushing it off like it was no big deal.
None of them offered more, and the subject was dropped… for now.
On their panels, a message popped up across the screen: after all their lessons today, they were to report to the Student Council.
Naturally, this cut into the free time they would've normally had, and IAM quickly realised that it would be difficult to make his usual trip to the library. But then, an idea came to him.
The incident with those fifteen bullies still weighed heavily on him. The memory of being cornered and outnumbered, had created a burning urgency in IAM.
He couldn't afford to remain stagnant, to linger at Peak Novice any longer. If he wanted to survive, to gain even the smallest edge, he had to push himself. He needed to ascend from Peak Novice to Low Experienced as quickly as possible.
But to do that, he needed to understand more about his Path. He couldn't finalise a concept properly without at least grasping the deeper mechanics of the path he was walking.
And who better to ask than a teacher?
No matter how strong, how brilliant, or how exceptional someone thought they were—everyone had to learn from someone first. Even the greatest minds needed guidance before they could truly understand what they were walking toward.
IAM waited until the final bell rang and the classroom began to empty. Students filtered out in pairs and small groups, their voices low with conversation. But IAM stayed seated for a moment, watching his teacher from across the room.
Beside him, Reuel stretched with a groan and stood. "We heading out?"
"Go without me," IAM said, eyes still fixed ahead.
Reuel blinked. "Huh? You sure?"
"I'll catch up later," he added simply.
Henry gave him a glance but didn't question it. Yohan nodded faintly, as if already understanding. The three of them made their way out, their footsteps gradually fading.
Vanessa stood near the front. Her presence was cold, like standing in the shadow of a glacier. Her ice-blue eyes never really softened, and her expression rarely changed. Even now, she looked like someone who was perpetually unimpressed.
IAM stood and walked toward her. He wasn't sure if she'd even entertain his question—but there was no one better to ask.
Vanessa looked up as he approached, her gaze was sharp. She didn't blink.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice cool as though she had already prepared herself to dismiss him.
IAM stopped in front of her, hands in his pockets. "I have a question," he said