[Knox Aznable: 100%]
[Chatel Mayer: 0%]
"The duel is over! The winner is Knox Aznable from Class A!"
"Wahhhhhhh!"
"This is insane!"
"This isn't even first-year level anymore!"
A thunderous cheer rolled across the arena as Knox raised a hand, casually acknowledging the crowd. Beside him, Mem bounced excitedly, waving both tiny paws like it owned the moment.
"Good job, Knox! Mem!" Simon called out, the rest of Groups 7 and 8 chiming in behind him.
"Congrats, Knox! And let me hug Mem!" Lorain added, already stepping forward without hesitation.
Hearing that, Serene could only stare at Lorain with a deadpan expression.
Chatel stood still, his gaze fixed on the ground. His expression tightened, like he was holding something in and refusing to let it show.
The roar of the arena felt distant.
Knox watched him for a moment before stepping closer.
"Chatel."
"…."
"I don't know what you're thinking right now," he said, his voice calm and steady, "but no one here is going to underestimate you."
"…!"
His shoulders tensed at that.
Chatel slowly lifted his gaze, looking at the one who had defeated him.
The cheers echoed around him, voices overlapping, all directed his way.
"Chatel!! That was amazing!!"
"The strongest in our class! Seriously, great job!"
They were cheering.
Not mocking. Not laughing.
Encouraging. Reaching out.
When was the last time he heard something like that?
For the longest time, he had chosen to become something people feared. If they were afraid, they wouldn't dare look down on him. That was enough for him… or at least, that's what he had believed.
But now—
Why was everyone… treating him like this?
"…."
His thoughts stalled, something in his chest tightening in a way he couldn't quite understand.
Then, suddenly, a voice surfaced in his mind.
The one who had brought him to Kizen.
Do you really think your father wants bloody revenge?
Come on. Let's do something more fun than revenge together!
"…Knox Aznable."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"…Next time."
Chatel slowly raised his right hand, still clenched into a fist.
"I'll… win."
Knox blinked once, slightly caught off guard. Then a small chuckle slipped out as he lifted his own hand, matching the gesture without hesitation.
"Yeah," he said lightly. "I'll be waiting."
Their fists met.
For a brief moment, something shifted.
From within that towering presence, something human finally surfaced.
And just like that, amidst the roaring cheers and Mem waving happily to the spectators while cutely saying, "Mimi~ Mimi~," all four members of Group 8, along with every member of Group 7, secured their first victory in the duel evaluations. With this result, both groups would now proceed to the intermediate squad evaluations.
***
Then, Group 7 and Group 8 regrouped.
Cindy said, "Alright! With this, time to party!"
Simon also joined and said, "Agree! I mean, I've been running nonstop for this duel… If possible, I want to take a break this weekend, or maybe do some window-shopping at the necromancer store in Rochester…"
Then—
"Nope." / "No time to rest."
Both Cindy and Meilyn's voices overlapped as they cut Cindy and Simon flatly.
Before Cindy and Simon could ask why—
Knox said, "You guys…" He sighed.
"You do realize midterms are right after next week, right?"
"…!" / "Wha…?"
Cindy and Simon's reactions froze. Suddenly, their bodies jolted as if they had already decided something.
Then both of them suddenly turned their backs, as if they wanted to run.
Knox suddenly grabbed both of their neck scruffs from behind.
"Let me guess, you guys must be wanting to run to your respective dorms, grab your textbooks, and head straight to the study room, right~?"
Cindy was surprised.
"What?! How?! Did you—"
But before Cindy could finish—
Knox cut her off.
"I can't read minds~"
Hearing this, Cindy froze and went silent.
Knox looked at Cindy and Simon and said, "I mean, your faces are practically easy to read like a book."
"I bet both of you planned to study your weak subjects first. But I can dare bet my next lunch that both of you won't be able to understand anything at all."
Hearing Knox's ruthless statement, Cindy and Simon deflated like balloons, earning chuckles from the other members of Group 7 and 8.
Then Knox said, "Sooo, how about tomorrow, let's arrange some study session together? How about that~?"
Hearing Knox's idea, everyone looked interested.
Cindy's and Simon's eyes practically lit up.
Everyone agreed—
except two people.
One of them was the blue cat named Meilyn.
"Hmmph, why should I study together with you guys?"
Knox immediately defeated this blue cat named Doraemon—ahem, I mean, Meilyn, with,
"Meilyn, my score in Professor Jane's class is perfect, don't you remember~?"
Hearing this, Meilyn froze.
She truly couldn't rebut this fact at all!
"…Fine then."
After defeating this Doraemon, Knox looked at the second rebel—
the matcha cake, Huo Huo!
Which is—
Merida.
Well, the difference between Huo Huo and Merida is that the former lacks sleep, while the latter is the opposite, but still somehow feels like it's never enough.
Then Merida turned away, as if she wanted to run.
But—
Cindy and Claudia blocked her.
Cindy then laughed like a villain and said,
"Hehehe, where are you running? You want to leave me alone in hell? No can do, I decided to drag you as well~"
Meanwhile, Claudia nagged her like a mom—
"Merida, study!"
Well… a bit more like a trainer, rather than a mom.
"…."
Merida stopped.
Completely cornered.
***
The next morning.
"Yaaaawn."
In pajamas and with a toothbrush in her mouth, Meilyn shuffled down the hall, looking half-asleep.
"…What takes my roommates an hour to shower?"
It was obvious. Midterms or not, they were probably going out to meet boys in Rochester again.
As she grumbled her way toward the shared bathroom—
"Meilyn!"
A dorm staff member she knew well came running toward her. Meilyn stopped and turned.
"There are two male students at the dorm entrance asking for you!"
"Wha—what? Who comes this early in the morning?"
"I didn't catch their names, but they're both really cute boys. One is more like cute and friendly, and the other is more like cute, sunny, yet has a noble feeling. Oh—and I feel like I've seen the latter somewhere before… Oh right! He said he'll wait at the entrance until you come out."
The staffer winked as she passed by. Meilyn's face twisted.
…The only boys I even know are like, three people.
The public bath was too far.
Meilyn quickly ran back the way she came and returned to the dorm room. The bathroom door was still firmly closed.
Meilyn kicked the door hard and shouted,
"Would you get out already, you brat! I'm gonna crap my pants!"
"Kyaaaa!"
Forcing her roommate out with sheer violence, Meilyn rushed through a quick, effortless-yet-effortful makeover. Then she threw the Kizen uniform jacket over her shoulders and dashed out.
Moments later—
"...…"
Meilyn wore an incredulous smile.
"That 'really two cute boys' was you?"
Simon scratched the side of his head.
"Who said that?"
Before Meilyn could say anything else—
another voice cut in.
"Hmm… I mean, she's not exactly wrong."
Meilyn's eyes shifted.
And there—
stood Knox.
He wasn't even trying to hide.
Standing right beside Simon, completely relaxed, one hand casually in his pocket, the other lightly brushing his hair back as if he had just woken up not long ago, yet still somehow looking perfectly put together.
His gaze met hers.
Then—
he smiled.
"Morning, Meilyn~. I'm one of the cute boys—Knox, hehe~"
Hearing that—
Mem, who had been watching the scene from Knox's badge hanging around the middle of his uniform, gave a small approving thumbs-up and spoke in a voice only Knox could hear.
"Miuuu~"
Looking at that handsome—yet extremely punchable—face first thing in the morning, Meilyn felt her fist tighten instinctively.
Meilyn furrowed her brow.
"Ah, shut up. Anyway, what brings the two of you all the way to the girls' dorm?"
Knox clapped his hands lightly, a gentle smile on his face.
"Meilyn, you look great today. Did you do something new with your hair?"
"Hey!!"
She flushed and shouted.
"Stop giving me compliments that reek of Rick and just say what you came for!"
Knox answered immediately.
"Well, remember today is our study session? So Simon and I decided to play chauffeurs—or maybe knights?—to pick up a lady."
He added the last part with a wink toward Meilyn.
"…!"
Meilyn felt it.
Doki!
A critical hit.
She quickly looked away, fanning herself as she tried to calm down before turning back toward Knox and Simon again.
Meilyn sighed, covering her forehead, then crossed her arms with a blank expression.
"You guys… and you, Simon—why are you also joining this guy's shenanigans…?"
Simon looked away, as if suddenly very interested in the sky.
I can't possibly say that Knox bribed me with his promise to teach me Skeleton Dash, right?
"…Alright." Meilyn let out a small breath.
"I've got some studying to finish first, so I'll drop by in an hour or two."
After parting ways with Meilyn, Simon headed to an empty classroom he had gotten permission to use from the dorm manager. He gathered four desks together and opened his textbooks.
Meanwhile, Knox decided to go buy some snacks first.
Although—
the real reason Knox decided to "go buy snacks" was something else entirely.
He had remembered.
In the original novel, there was supposed to be a scene happening soon—one involving Simon and Cami. A quiet moment where Cami would start getting shy here and there, her reactions becoming softer, more hesitant.
A scene that clearly wasn't meant for a third person.
I don't want to become a third wheel…
With that simple conclusion, Knox chose the most natural excuse possible and slipped away without making it obvious.
After all—
there were some moments better left undisturbed.