Mark didn't respond to the other person because, at that moment, he was stunned.
Golden red hair, flawless pale skin that added a special charm, refined facial features with natural, elegant beauty, and a penetrating gaze.
In addition to having full, sensual lips, both her style and posture were graceful.
All of this made Mark's heart beat rapidly, and his mind went blank for a moment.
Edythe noticed that the boy beside her was stunned, and there was a hint of playfulness in her smile.
"Hello? Are you listening to me?" Edythe called out, waving her hand.
Mark noticed the gesture and steadied his emotions.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Mark said, a little embarrassed.
"That's okay. Boys usually react like that when they see me," Edythe joked.
"Haha. Sorry for my blunder," Mark apologized, embarrassed; he was a man with a system and still got stunned by a beautiful woman.
"That's fine. Let me introduce myself again: my name is Edythe, and we're desk mates," Edythe said.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Mark."
When he heard the name Edythe, Mark was a bit surprised.
Because, according to what he remembered, Edythe was the counterpart of Edward Cullen.
He looked around, wondering if this was a crossover universe.
Or maybe a reversed Twilight world?
Could Beau Swan appear in the future?
He didn't know.
"Mark, I've never seen you around here. Where are you from?" Edythe asked curiously.
For some reason, she had a playful smile as she looked at Mark; instead of being uncomfortable, it felt more like a cute gesture to him.
"Me? I lived in Brazil. I came to Forks and am staying with my dad for a while," Mark explained.
"Really? I've never been to Brazil. Is it nice?" Edythe seemed curious.
"It has its good sides! You should visit sometime. Maybe you'll like it?" Mark replied.
During that time, all the students entered the classroom, and only the teacher was missing.
Seeing Edythe getting along with Mark while smiling surprised many.
Neither of them cared about the others and continued their conversation.
"Really? Maybe I'll go someday!" Edythe replied, gently lifting her delicate hand and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
A simple yet graceful gesture from Edythe revealed the side of her face turned toward Mark.
It made Mark's heart, which had calmed down, start beating faster again.
He observed a delicate face with a touch of elegant charm, a slender white neck with a sensual tone.
A simple gesture from Edythe that may have been unconscious or intentional, but certainly achieved its purpose.
Why would it be intentional?
Because when Mark looked back at Edythe's face, he saw a playful smile on her lips, like someone who had successfully teased their pet.
"Well, let's begin class. Take your books and open to page 43," a voice sounded, cutting through Mark's awkwardness.
No one knew when the teacher had entered, but Mark felt relieved by the timely interruption.
He turned forward, grabbed his geography book, and tried to calm his heart.
Class went by quickly, and Mark chatted with Edythe a few times, which was very pleasant.
When the bell rang, they left together and headed to the cafeteria, but halfway there, Edythe said she was going to meet up with the rest of her family.
Mark nodded.
Although he had talked to her, he hadn't asked anything about her family.
Since they all came today, he was sure he'd meet them soon.
After arriving at the cafeteria, Mark got his food and heard a voice calling him.
"Mark, come sit here?"
When he looked, it was Mike, and he was with Jessica, Angela, Eric, and a Black boy.
Mark walked over to his classmates, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"So, tell us everything?" Eric said with a smile.
Mark took a bite of his food and looked confused before replying, "Tell what?"
"You and that girl from the Cullen family, Edythe," Angela said excitedly, like someone eager for gossip.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mark said.
"Hehe… Come on, we all know she's usually cold and distant with everyone, but with you, she even smiled," Mike said, like someone who knew the situation well.
"What can I say? I met her today!" Mark said, confused.
"Seriously, are you interested in her?" Mike asked.
"What? No! Not at all. I just met her today. How could I like her already?" Mark replied with a nervous tone.
Noticing that Mark got flustered by the question about liking her, everyone exchanged glances as if they had figured out the whole situation.
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(Let me give you all a heads-up: forget about the status panel, as it won't appear in future chapters. It's a waste of words and doesn't add any meaningful value to the kind of system the MC has.
At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but looking back, I realize it was a mistake to include it. I thought I could make it work, but I've come to accept that I don't have the talent for creating system panels.
I put a lot of heart into this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Writing is really hard — I can't even count how many times I had to push myself to get this chapter done.
That's it... until next time!)