“Bro! Are you there? Where’s your soul gone? Get back here right now, Ethan!!!”

Royce’s incessant snapping fingers near Ethan’s ear yanked his mind back to the school canteen. His breakfast was still sitting in front of him, waiting to be finished, though by now it had nearly gone cold.

“Man, you’ve only been sitting next to Autumn for a few days, and you’re already this spaced out? If you were stuck between two girls on both sides like I am, I don’t even know what would happen to you. Women truly are the ultimate pain, huh?”

Royce shot Ethan a look of understanding and sympathy. In the moderate lighting of the canteen, his pupils appeared round and perfectly normal, just like anyone else’s.

Ethan couldn’t help but wonder—what kind of past experiences had Royce gone through with real, flesh-and-blood women to make him abandon them entirely in favor of 2D and 3D girls? And could those experiences have anything to do with the strange abnormality in Royce’s eyes?

Plenty of male students at their school were into girls from manga, anime, and games. Rumor had it that there were entire clubs and private chat groups dedicated to sharing hidden artwork and exclusive clips. But no one else seemed as outright afraid of real-life girls as Royce.

Ironically, Royce possessed a strikingly handsome face, a tall and well-proportioned physique, and a confident, composed demeanor. His obvious fear and hesitation around girls were always misinterpreted by them as an “arrogant, aloof, high-class aura,” much like those cold, untouchable CEOs in romance novels. This only made him even more attractive, increasing the challenge and appeal of “conquering” him in their eyes.

“And now, you’ll have to take care of the Femme Fatale group too. Ruby and Anya & Yara twins will drain you dry. By the time you go home for Asian New Year Holidays, your parents might not even recognize you anymore. Listen to me, bro! Run while you still can! Our school offers a Homeschooling program, you know!”

The way Royce spoke in his usual humorous manner made it hard for Ethan to tell whether he was joking or giving a serious warning. But one thing was certain—this wasn’t the first time Royce had mentioned Homeschooling.

He had first brought it up when he picked Ethan up from the hospital and drove him back to the boarding house where he was staying.

But obviously, choosing a study program wasn’t something a teenager like Ethan, still dependent on his parents, could decide on his own.

His parents, like many other “Tiger Parents,” were immensely proud of their reputation for strict, rigorous discipline. They were well-known for demanding absolute effort and perseverance from their children, never allowing them to quit under any circumstances.

Yet, Royce had never been able to provide Ethan with a truly convincing explanation for his actions when he stood before Felix Hoang’s corpse in early September.

And Ethan simply couldn’t believe that Royce’s title as an “associate collaborator” with the Harmony Town Police would grant him the kind of authority necessary to gain such detailed, meticulous access to a dead body. The police officers had confirmed Royce’s position when they took Ethan’s statement. But even so, the whole thing still felt far too surreal.

So, no—one or two dead bodies, no matter how bizarre, weren’t enough to make the son of a military officer—someone raised in a family with three generations of revolutionary tradition—flee home like a cowardly deserter.

“Autumn isn’t a problem at all. You once told me I was lucky to sit next to her, remember? She sleeps peacefully through morning classes—no chatting, no touching, no bothering her deskmate.”

(Unlike you, Royce.)

Ethan spoke, then sighed. Suddenly, a faint blush started creeping up his cheeks, betraying the fact that, in reality, sitting next to Autumn came with plenty of issues.

“Hehehe. Oh really, bro?”

Royce smirked, a knowing grin spreading across his face, making Ethan feel like an idiot. Why was he blushing, anyway?

It felt as if every nerve in his brain was firing at full capacity, desperately trying to steer Royce away from the topic of ‘Autumn .’

“Alright, class is about to start. I’m heading back—are you coming too?”

The amusement on Royce’s face faded as he sighed, stood up, and followed Ethan back to class. His deskmate had already taken up most of the middle space, and with no room left to shift away, he was stuck right where he was.

As Ethan returned to his seat at the back of the class, he saw Autumn  resting her head on her arms, gazing out the window at the drizzling rain.

“Hey, Autumn.”

“Mm.”

She lazily waved her delicate fingers in acknowledgment but didn’t bother turning around to properly return the greeting.

“You didn’t ride your bike to school today, did you, little sis?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ethan clapped a hand over it. Damn it, he slipped up again. But once spoken, words couldn’t be taken back.

“HEY! Ethan! That was uncalled for!”

Autumn shot up, hands on her hips, her brown eyes flashing, brows furrowed in anger, and her face burning red. She was doing her best to look fierce, hoping to intimidate him.

“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

And for some inexplicable reason—perhaps under the influence of some divine being—Ethan dared to reach out and ruffle Autumn’s hair a few times, as if comforting a sulking child.

Given their height difference, no matter how much she tried to act intimidating, to Ethan, she still looked like a little kid throwing a tantrum.

“P.E. class. We’re settling this. You’re dead meat.”

With that, Autumn plopped back down onto her chair, spun away toward the window, and continued staring outside. The rich scent of lilies filled the air again.

But barely five minutes into the lesson, and she was already asleep—again. This time, she didn’t even pretend to fight off Hypnos’ embrace.

Today’s schedule was relatively light, and the teachers were noticeably more lenient.

Fortunately for her, she was small, seated at the very back near the window, and completely shielded by the tall students in front. This allowed her to sleep through the entire morning without even bothering to stand for greetings whenever the class monitor, Lucas Vu, gave the signal.

It was almost as if she was conserving energy for the upcoming duel. 

Ethan sighed.

A part of him wished he could turn back time and undo his careless words.

But another part of him was absolutely thrilled by Autumn’s challenge.

Ever since elementary school, Ethan had spent most of his time buried in books, constantly preparing for math competitions, winning every kind of award from local to city-level. The words ‘duel’ and ‘challenge’ had always sparked excitement in him.

But this time, the battlefield wasn’t math—it was Physical Education. And that was not a subject where Ethan held the advantage.

He was about to let out another sigh, but before he could, Autumn grabbed his wrist and dragged him down to the field.

Behind them, Royce laughed like a farmer with a bountiful harvest and made no move to help, ignoring Ethan’s desperate, pleading gaze.