"Hey, are you Noor?"
Noor and Ria looked in that direction.
A boy around seventeen was standing there. Some other boys and girls, around Noor's age, stood beside him.
"Yes," Noor replied without hesitation.
Ria looked confused.
"My teacher wants to talk with you," the boy said.
"Why?" Noor asked.
(Are they allies of Roy or what? I've never seen this boy before… Are they here for revenge?) Noor clenched his fists.
Ria glanced at Noor's expression, surprised.
"Aren't you Suvro's friend?"
A man stepped forward — tall, muscular, middle-aged.
"Yes. What do you want from him?" Noor's expression became even more serious.
"Oh my god, so cool."
Ria covered her mouth, staring at Noor in amazement.
"That idiot didn't come for training for the past few days. I heard he picked a fight with a guy three times his size and got beaten along with his friend. I told him not to do that, but he's arrogant."
"Eh?" Noor looked confused.
"Who are you, actually?"
"My name's Jim — that's what everyone calls me. And your friend Suvro recently became my student. He was already good at Taekwondo, but he said he wants to learn MMA and begged me to take him."
(Oh shit… he's the famous MMA fighter with zero losses… damn, I didn't even recognize him in person. And he's Suvro's teacher. I was rude.)
Noor sweated and looked down.
"How is he, anyway?"
"Ah… sir, Suvro is fine. He got discharged and went home. He's taking full bed rest," Noor replied.
"Sigh… I wanted to visit him, but I'm busy training my students for the upcoming competition. Next time you go see him, please tell him I wished him well."
"Ah… okay."
"By the way, that bastard Roy…"
Noor's expression faded.
"I heard he got nearly beaten to death and now he's in a coma. Karma hit that guy real good for his arrogance. Oh wait—how did you get hurt? Did you get into a fight? You're covered in bandages."
"A… oh, this? I got myself into an accident."
"Who's that girl? Your girlfriend?" Jim asked casually.
Ria glanced at Noor excitedly.
"Absolutely not," Noor said carelessly.
Ria's expression instantly dropped.
"Oh, I see. I'll be going then."
Jim turned away.
"Oi, Sameer! How many times do I have to tell you — when you talk to a stranger, introduce yourself properly."
"Oh… sorry, teacher."
The boy stepped forward.
"Hi, my name is Sameer." He raised his hand for a handshake.
"Oh… I am Noor."
They shook hands.
Suddenly, a strange feeling pierced through Noor's chest. His eyes became teary.
He looked at Sameer.
Sameer looked back at him for a moment.
"Oh… sorry," Sameer said, wiping his tears.
"I'll be going." He stepped back.
"Then I'll be going. You shouldn't wander around this late at night. Get home safe," Jim said as he walked away with his group.
(Strange… why did I feel like this? Like he's related to me… like I've known him for a long time… like we can feel each other's pain.)
"Noor! Noor!"
"Huh?"
"What are you thinking anyway? You're acting like I don't exist. I've been calling you for a long time!"
Ria turned away, annoyed.
"What's with her…"
"Well? Now can you really say why you're looking for me this late at night?" Noor crossed his arms.
"Oh, well… I just wanted to see you."
"I don't believe that."
"Wahh—what?!"
"Yes. What's your deal anyway — being a werewolf and working with a vampire? Killing people? I really want to know."
"Oh…" Ria looked down.
"If you really don't want me to know, I'll be going. Yawn I'm sleepy."
"No—no wait!"
Noor looked back.
"Let's walk together," Ria said quietly.
"…Okay."
Under the bright moon, with the sky covered in stars and clouds, they walked along a path of grass and mud.
Cold wind breezed rapidly around them.
"Well… when I was little, Zake Smith adopted me as his grandchild," Ria said.
"Ohh—wait, wait… by Zake you mean—?" Noor looked confused.
"Our school principal," Ria said casually.
(Now I see… I never even knew his name. Oh god, what kind of student am I…)
"I still remember my parents' warm hands… but I still can't understand why they left me. I was their child."
"So you don't know who your parents are?" Noor asked softly.
(So she's also suffering like me…)
"No. But one thing I remember is being in a laboratory… being a guinea pig for their experiment. They just wanted to make me a killing machine. And one day… I escaped. Zake — my current grandfather — found me by the roadside and took me in."
"Sigh… I see. But why are you working with Miss Jenne? Aren't both species enemies?" Noor asked.
"Yes… I grew up in werewolf society and Jenne grew up in hers. It would be different. But both of us also grew up in human society, hiding our true identities."
She continued:
"I still remember when I was seven — I met Jenne. I was clingy to her, always trying to grow close. And Jenne… she was cold, silent, elegant — from childhood till now. She was perfect."
"Wait, aren't you two enemies? Uh… I mean rivals in school?" Noor asked, confused.
"Yes, that's just a show. If two perfectionists stayed together, people would get suspicious. The competition between us was a distraction.
"And me behaving like that toward you on your first day wasn't because I hated Jenne… it was because a strange boy standing beside her pissed me off a little."
She scratched her head awkwardly.
(Oh… now I see. She didn't hate Miss Jenne… she hated me. Because I looked like a rat from the beginning.)
"But why is Miss Jenne killing people? It isn't necessary for her to do that… if she just wants to stay safe and hide her identity," Noor asked.
"Because of her mother."
"Her mother?"
"She also lost her mother long ago. Those bastards killed her."
"Wha—?"
"I don't think it's a good idea to tell our secret to him…"
Noor turned sharply at the voice behind him.
"Who—?"
He looked back—