Several Hours Later — 4:00 PM
"Hey. Hey, man."
"…Hmm?"
Syd blinked awake from a nap, having dozed off with his head resting on the desk. A fellow student, kindly enough, had taken it upon himself to wake him up.
As Syd glanced around the room, confusion immediately set in.
Where was everyone?
Most of the students were gone. Only a handful remained, scattered around.
"Huh? Where'd everyone go?"
"They went to check the results."
"…Results? Oh—you mean that placement test?"
"Yeah."
"What time is it now?"
The student checked his watch.
"Four o'clock sharp—oh, wait. Four-oh-one."
"Ah. Thanks, man. You in a rush?"
"Not really. Planning to hang back and chat with those guys over there for ten minutes."
He pointed toward a group of students scribbling equations on the whiteboard.
"Nice. When you're done chatting—wake me up again, would ya?"
"Yeah, sure."
Syd was about to drift back into what he liked to call Limbo-Nap Mode when—
"SYDDDDDD!!! SYDDDD!!!"
A girl's voice came shrieking down the hall as she charged into the room like a bullet. Everyone left in the classroom jolted upright.
"Holy shit—what the hell?!"
"Syd! You've gotta come with me! Now!"
"What?! Where?! I'm not going anywhere until you tell me!"
"Scoreboard!"
—
She literally dragged Syd through a sea of uniformed students in the main hallway, weaving past the crowd like she was clearing the way for a celebrity. The school's PR center loomed ahead—so swanky it looked more like a luxury hotel lobby than part of a high school.
"What are you even showing me?"
"You did something no one else has ever done before!"
What the hell is she talking about?
"Move! Move, out of the way!"
She shouted at the students ahead, but instead of getting angry, they stepped aside the moment they saw Syd Barrett's face.
Eventually, they reached the scoreboard—and the crowd had already cleared a neat half-circle around it, leaving just enough space for Syd to stand in the center.
But he wasn't alone.
Jody Johansson was already there, staring in stunned silence at the posted results.
Syd followed her gaze upward, eyes scanning the wall of names from bottom to top.
He half-expected to see pigs flying somewhere near the top.
Instead, he saw—
#1 – Jody Johansson {91/100} / Syd Barrett {91/100}
#2 – Seraphina Gilmour {89/100}
#3 – Jamal Strolokov {88/100}
(and so on...)
"You see this?! Do you realize what you just did?!"
The excited girl practically shook him while the whole hallway buzzed with chatter.
"Two people tied for first?! You realize what that means?!"
"Syd! You're the only one who's ever pulled that off!"
"Oh yeah? Cool."
"Cool?! That's all you have to say?"
A deep, calm voice cut through the noise.
"How…?"
Jody was staring at him now. Her expression hadn't changed, but her eyes were sharp—disbelieving.
"Syd… I literally heard you cursing out Shakespeare. You looked like you were gonna fail. So how—"
"Hmm?"
"Did you cheat?"
Syd tilted his head slightly.
"Why the hell would I cheat? I don't have a GPA. It was a dumb little test. I could've written a critique on the British government and no one would've cared. And if I had cheated, the teacher would've caught me. I'd be blacklisted and socially screwed. Why risk all that on the first day?"
…Fair point.
But Syd didn't stop there.
"If anything," he added, "maybe you should be the one I'm suspicious of."
He began slowly circling around her.
"How did you hear me trash-talking Shakespeare? We were sitting way apart—and I'm sure I muttered it under my breath. Just low enough not to disturb anyone."
"…"
"You know the average range of human hearing for whispers is about one to one-and-a-half meters, right? I was practically whispering quieter than that. Yet you heard me."
"…."
"Oh well. I guess you just have really good ears."
Syd slung his bag over his shoulder and strolled off.
Jody stood there, speechless.
Syd... Who the hell are you? —
7:00 PM – Same Day
Syd Barrett's rental apartment, walking district, London.
Syd sat on his sofa, laptop open in front of him, though his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Jody.
Something about her lingered in his thoughts. There was something unique about her, something he couldn't quite define… but his instincts were screaming that she was important.
"I trust my gut," he muttered.
He pulled out a matte-black phone—completely unbranded—and dialed a number.
"…"
{"Dude? Again? How many times do I have to tell you not to call this number?!"}
"180504."
The moment Syd said the code, the girl's tone flipped instantly. Her voice went from irritated to sharp, and she switched from English to Thai.
{ What do you need?"}
"Roxy, I need a favor…"
{"What do you want me to do?"}
"There's someone I ran into today. Name's Jody Johansson. Blonde American girl. J-O-D-Y J-O-H-A-N-S-S-A-N… not sure if the 'san' part has an A or an O. Can you dig something up for me?"
{"Hold on…"}
{"…."}
"…."
{"Got it. It's an O. Caucasian female, blonde hair… and…"}
"…?"
{"…and she's American."}
"…Ah."
Syd narrowed his eyes.
"Goddamn Americans…"
{"Okay, I've got her profile. Want me to send it over?"}
"Yeah. Shoot it over."
{"…Hey, wait a sec…"}
"What?"
{"…Did you meet this girl at your new school?"}
"…Yeah."
{"…Why are you asking about her?"}
"I dunno. Something about her just doesn't sit right…"
{"…It's not something. It's everything."}
"What do you mean?"
Buzz... Buzz...!
A file arrived on Syd's phone.
He scrolled through the data. And as he read it, a smirk tugged at his lips.
Jody Johansson.
Assaulted classmates.
History of physical violence and bullying.
Over 20 recorded incidents involving threats, brawls, and grievous injuries.
Involved in gang fights.
Power: Air Manipulation.
Syd's eyes widened slightly.
"…Huh."
{"I wish I had your intuition…"}
"Tell me, Roxy. Is there a chance… that she's an Elementalist ?"
{"Highly likely."}
"…Heh…"
"…I just got a great idea." —
That Same Night
Jody's condo, near the underground station.
Stacks of textbooks towered over Jody's desk. Her iPad displayed supplemental notes. But her mind was still stuck in front of that scoreboard.
No injuries. No battle.
And yet it felt like she'd been slapped across the face.
This was beyond what she'd expected. Since moving here, she had never met anyone who matched her intelligence. Not until now.
Part of her was… excited. Finally, someone who wasn't all talk.
She actually felt guilty for provoking Syd.
He was nothing like the arrogant jerks she usually dealt with. He was sharp.
And now… she was intrigued.
Without thinking, she opened her iPad and typed:
"Syd Barrett"
The results popped up instantly—a Wikipedia entry.
Syd Barrett, real name: Phaitoon Wongphudi (born XX, 2002). Eldest son of Thomas Barrett, former Australian stockbroker, and Anong Wongphudi, former Miss Universe 1990 and current CEO of Parichat Group and its subsidiaries.
"Wait… 2002? He's two years younger than me?!"
Parichat Group… the biggest business conglomerate in Thailand. A titan in food and agriculture across Asia.
All run by Anong Wongphudi.
So… he's just another rich kid, huh?
Aside from the Wikipedia page, there was barely any other info on him.
Still, Jody made up her mind—tomorrow, she'd apologize. —
The Next Morning
7:45 AM — London Underground Station
Jody stood on the platform, AirPods in her ears, scanning the morning crowd.
She kept running through possible ways to apologize. Of course, first she had to be sure Syd hadn't cheated.
After thinking it over all night, her conclusion was:
His reasoning made sense.
He had nothing to gain from cheating. No grades. No pressure. Nothing to prove.
Besides, if he really used powers to cheat, his aura would've flared up, and someone would've noticed.
She chose to believe he was genuinely that smart.
Rumble...
The train approached.
But that wasn't all.
Syd Barrett was here too—standing a couple of cars down. He hadn't seen her yet.
"…"
Jody boarded.
As the train pulled away, she paused.
Then removed her AirPods, turned, and made her way toward his car. —
Syd leaned against the side of the train, half-awake, casually checking out the people around him.
His real goal? Maybe catching sight of a cute London girl to help start his day.
He glanced at his reflection in the door and adjusted his hair.
That's when he noticed someone approaching from behind.
He turned—
Jody Johansson.
They locked eyes.
She spoke first.
"Well, this is a coincidence."
"Yeah… real coincidental."
"You said you're part of an exchange program, right? UCL?"
"What's it to you?"
"Chill, I'm just trying to start a conversation."
"…"
Syd squinted slightly.
"So what's your real reason for 'coincidentally' walking in here?"
"Just wanted to say sorry. For underestimating you. I thought you were just some arrogant punk, so I tried to put you in your place."
"I'm guessing I'm not the first you've tried that on."
"Definitely not."
"How far down the list am I?"
"Lost count."
Jody smiled and shook her head.
"I also don't appreciate being mocked by strangers. When you made that comment, I thought you were another villain in my story."
"Mocked? You mean when I said you looked scary?"
"Yes."
"That wasn't mockery. That was honesty."
"Oh. Great."
"It's true."
Syd looked back at his reflection.
"Though calling me a 'villain' to my face… bit harsh, don't you think?"
"I didn't say you looked bad. Just… like a street thug."
"Then I must be the best-looking thug ever."
"Sure."
"Maybe I should wear glasses. You think that'd tone it down?"
"Bit late for that. Word's already spread about you."
"Already?"
"You brought it on yourself."
"People really care that much about a dumb number on a test? What are they, insane? I wouldn't even freak out this much over a winning lottery ticket."
"Don't be cruel, Syd. For some people, that number means everything."
"…Fair enough."
Syd shifted gears.
"So, how'd you hear me whispering about Shakespeare?"
"No one told you what my power is?"
"Went straight home after school, so…"
Suddenly, a blue aura flared around Jody, accompanied by a swirling wind symbol.
"My power is Air Manipulation."
Tiny whirlwinds began spinning around her fingertip—like water circling a drain.
"I can create 'air bullets' by spinning molecules around my finger like this, then launching them like a soccer kick. They hit as hard as real bullets. Not lethal range, though—because they disperse fast."
"Interesting. Let me guess—you could have just blasted the air straight, but that'd burn way more energy?"
"Wow. Spot on."
She was impressed.
In this world, physics still applied.
No overpowered anime-style stuff here. The stronger the move, the more energy it drained. The curve was practically exponential.
"With my power, I can also hear better. Sound travels through air molecules. I can pick up on those vibrations far more effectively than a regular human."
"So if anyone trashes you behind your back—"
"—I hear it."
"How many have you taken down so far?"
"Geez, what kind of person do you think I am?"
"Well, everyone at school's terrified of you."
"That's because of the Opening Ceremony."
"Opening what?"
"Just a name, Syd. What matters is what it means."
"Which is?"
"A battle between powered students. We fight to see who's strongest in each year."
"So… you're the top dog in your grade?"
"You could say that."
"What a load of crap."
"I agree. But I had to do it. This school's obsessed with power. Everyone's ranked. I just wanted a safe zone."
"Can I guess again?"
"Go ahead."
"You showed your full power. Just to make sure people know—don't fuck with me."
"You're sharp. I'm impressed, Syd."
"Too cool for my own good, I guess."
"Sure, hotshot."
"…But I've got a confession."
"Hmm?"
Jody raised a brow.
"I already know. Everything. Your power. Where you're from. What state. Even the crap you did in Philly and when you moved to New York."
!?
Jody's eyes widened.
She didn't go pale, exactly—her face never changed—but her gaze did.
"You… saw it?"
"Yep."
"…"
She sighed.
"I figured you might. What'd the internet tell you about me?"
"Not interested in that."
"Huh?"
"I care about what's deeper. Like, say… medical records."
And that's when she knew.
Jody's breath hitched.
Her chest tightened.
He knew something no one else knew.
She prayed he didn't—but the way he was talking…
He did.
"I know, Jody. The secret you've never told anyone here. Your biggest weakness. The reason you ride the train alone this early in the morning. The excuse you always give—'I'm not social,' 'I like being alone'—all just cover stories."
"If anyone at school really paid attention… they'd notice.
You never run.
You never jump.
Ever."
"Our homes are only one stop apart. Just one. If you really hated people that much… why leave home so early? I even timed it—you could leave at 8:50 and still make it comfortably."
"…"
"You were born in Philadelphia. Mom passed when you were a baby. Dad's a judge. Older sister went to Harvard Law, now a lawyer in Pennsylvania. You're the only one in the family with powers."
"…And you have brittle bones—lower half. Right?"
"…."
Her mind blanked.
He knew.
He knew everything.
Her most personal secret.
Down to the specific part of her body affected.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Brittle Bone Disease.
A genetic disorder that made bones snap with the slightest stress—or even on their own. It was rare, often hereditary. Sometimes caused by random gene mutations.
Jody had kept it hidden her whole life.
"…How?"
Her voice cracked, trembling.
Syd smirked.
"You might hate me for it… but tell me this—what would you say if I told you…
I might be able to fix it?"
Time stopped.
The world froze.
What the hell kind of day was this?
Jody's thoughts were spiraling—until she heard that word:
Fix.
Her eyes widened.
"F-Fix? Don't screw with me! That's impossible! No one can—"
Ding.
The train had reached its stop.
Syd didn't say another word. He turned and walked out.
Jody rushed after him.
"Syd! Come back! Fix it?! Fix it how?! Who are you to say something like that?! Syd!"