The following day, when Leo walked into the classroom, he immediately felt the weight of everyone's gaze upon him. The air was thick with a mix of curiosity and disbelief, but it was the two girls in the front row who were glaring at him most intensely, their eyes filled with an unmistakable accusation, as if he had somehow betrayed them. A counterpoint to their tension came from Kevin, who wore a casual smile that hinted at his bemused amusement at the whole situation.
"Hey, who would've thought our mysterious cold prince would finally get a girl?" Kevin remarked with unmistakable sarcasm. He was well aware of how aloof Leo typically seemed, yet he was taken aback by the unexpected twist that followed: Leo returned Kevin's teasing with a grin.
"Yes," Leo replied, his smile lighting up the room and causing a ripple of shock among their classmates. It was as if someone had flipped a switch, transforming his usually stoic demeanor into something much warmer.
"Wait, did he just smile?" Ren piped up, eyebrows shooting high in disbelief.
"Dude, I think I'm dreaming," Dante exclaimed, pinching his cheek as if to check if this was indeed reality.
"This is betrayal, I say! Leo, how could you betray us like this?" Melissa said with mock horror, her eyes flitting between Leo's beaming smile and the incredulous expressions of her classmates.
As the excitement over Leo's rare display of emotion swirled around the room, the door creaked open, and Professor Agnes stepped in. Her gaze fell on Leo, and while she maintained her professional demeanor, a flicker of understanding passed through her eyes. She knew the complexities of teenage relationships and refrained from probing into private matters.
"Alright, everyone, take your seats," Professor Agnes instructed, her tone firm but measured. While she didn't comment on the situation, she was clearly aware of the undercurrents in the classroom.
Meanwhile, in Lia's class, the atmosphere buzzed with curiosity and envy, as everyone clamored to get the inside scoop on her budding relationship with Leo.
"Hey Lia, how did you manage to get Leo's attention?" a girl asked, her wide eyes betraying a hint of jealousy.
"Yeah, how did that happen? Even the nobility couldn't get a second glance from him. What's your secret?" chimed in another girl, a noble herself.
"I mean, we were starting to wonder if he was into guys," a boy quipped, his tone half-joking, but the room nodded in serious consensus, recalling Leo's strikingly handsome features.
"Honestly, if Leo admitted he liked a guy, I think they'd leap at the chance!" another girl said, laughter rippling through the group.
"Um, could we not?" Lia replied, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. Although she was usually confident around Leo, in front of her classmates, her shyness kicked in.
"Nah, we—" the girl began, but her words were cut short as the professor entered the room, signaling the start of their class.
After their class wrapped up, Lia walked out to find Leo waiting for her. The sight of him smiling sent the crowd around her into a frenzy of whispers and wide-eyed astonishment.
"How the hell—"
"Holly cow!"
"Did he just smile?"
"The cold prince actually smiled!"
The room buzzed with disbelief while Lia, unfazed, made her way toward Leo, who stood there looking effortlessly charming.
Earlier, as Leo had made his way to the classroom, Dante had called out after him, curiosity written all over his face. "Hey Leo, where are you going?"
"I'm taking Lia back," he had replied simply, their sudden bond causing waves of surprise among their peers.
As Leo walked off, heads turned. It almost felt as if he had just stepped through the looking glass, with about five percent of the first-year students now glued to the sight of him heading toward Lia.
"So, Lia, how was your day?" Leo asked warmly, grasping her hand gently.
"Good," she replied, her heart racing as they strolled together, their fingers intertwined. This small act sent ripples of surprise through the crowd behind them.
"Holy cow, the Ice Prince is actually showing emotions!"
"Wait, is it just me, or has Lia's shyness vanished?"
"Nah, everyone saw it," someone said, nodding enthusiastically.
"Still, I'm convinced I'd look better with Leo than her," a girl said, filled with overconfidence.
"Pfft, you're delusional. You can't even get him to look your way," came a scoff from another girl.
"Ugh, shut up!" the overzealous girl shot back as she stomped away in annoyance.
Meanwhile, Leo and Lia approached the cafeteria, looking for a place to sit. They spotted their classmates gathered at a table, and Kevin waved them over, beckoning with an inviting gesture.
"Lia, let's sit there," Leo suggested, pointing toward Kevin and the others.
"Sure," she replied, smiling as they made their way through the cafeteria.
As they settled down, Kevin couldn't help but observe Lia and Leo closely. He leaned back in his chair, wrestling with a growing curiosity. "So, System," he whispered under his breath, "what's so special about Lia?"
*"Um, host, this is a bit embarrassing,"* the System responded quietly, as if ashamed. *"I can't quite view her."*
"Seriously? Just yesterday, you said you could scan anyone except for the three seer's children!" Kevin muttered under his breath, irritation bubbling up.
"Are you okay, dude?" Dante asked, catching the flicker of frustration on Kevin's face.
"Are you jealous of Leo?" Melissa teased, a playful grin on her lips.
"No, I just suddenly remembered something. It's nothing," Kevin lied, waving them off while trying hard not to draw attention to himself. But Leto, ever the chatterbox, couldn't resist.
"Hey, he's just jealous! Don't mind him," he teased, which only served to deepen Kevin's annoyance.
"Come on, guys, stop! I think he might genuinely be in a bad mood," Ren chimed in, trying to defuse the situation.