CHAPTER 128: NEW SCHOOL BUT OLD LIFE

Merlin – II High School

There was nothing much different from the previous school... in fact, this school looked exactly like the first one, almost like a perfect copy or some kind of illusion.

Everything, every detail from trees to benches, fans to lights, classrooms to pillars... everything was the same. It was eerie, as if someone had gone out of their way to duplicate every corner of the building and every speck of dust.

It felt unreal, yet strangely convincing. It was like... maybe this was the real one all along, and the other was only the fake.

"I don’t get it... when did they even build this thing?" Leo asked, running his fingers along the cool, polished surface of the pillar as he walked toward his classroom.

Valra stayed close beside him, holding his other hand firmly like a lover who had no intention of letting go, not even for a second.

Valra gave a little shrug as she answered, "I don’t know. I only recently became aware of this place. Maybe the Mage Association struck some kind of deal with the school department. After all, it was one of their biggest mistakes, wasn’t it? Putting almost everyone’s life in danger like that..." Her voice lowered to a soft murmur, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

Her eyes kept darting left and right, noticing how other students looked at them... curious stares, half-hidden glances, and whispers that spread like wildfire across the hallway.

"Hey, look at him. Who is he?"

"Isn’t he handsome?"

"Look at those bulges!! Ahhh~"

"I’ve never seen him before... is he some new exchange student?"

"That’s not possible, we’re in the middle of the semester though."

The girls whispered in hushed, excited tones, unable to take their eyes off Leo. His school uniform clung a little too tightly to his frame; the fabric strained against his chest and shoulders.

After that sudden growth spurt, he hadn’t had the chance to order new clothes, and now his body was showing off more than he ever intended.

Hearing those whispers, Valra’s lips twitched with irritation. ’I need to talk to the clothing department,’ she made a sharp mental note, biting back the urge to snap at the girls.

If he kept walking around like this, who knew what kind of trouble or unwanted attention he might attract?

That was exactly the reason she clung to him so tightly, like a mother hen shielding her precious chick from a swarm of hungry, shameless chicks!!

Still, though... wasn’t she forgetting someone?

"Senior!!!"

Valra froze for a split second, her lips twitching again as a vein bulged on her forehead. ’Ah... how could I forget that girl?’ she groaned inwardly.

Slowly, almost begrudgingly, she turned toward the direction of the loud voice—only to see Sakura sprinting down the path toward them, waving her hand energetically as if she were the only star in this ridiculous world.

Sakura’s every step made gravity work overtime against her body. Her bosom bounced with each motion, drawing every boy’s gaze as though some unseen spell had taken hold of their eyes.

Almost every one of them stared blankly at the sway and pull, their jaws slack, while the girls around them clicked their tongues in frustration. They weren’t sure if they should be angry at the merciless law of gravity itself... or at their own inability to match what nature had granted Sakura so unfairly.

Life was freaking unfair!!

Some of the girls were so irritated that they even smacked their boyfriends across the face, scolding them for staring too long.

Sakura finally slowed her run and came to a stop right in front of Leo and Valra, her chest rising and falling as she panted heavily. She looked up through her lashes, her eyes wide with excitement as she blinked rapidly.

"Senior?" Her voice carried a mix of surprise and happiness.

She hadn’t expected it to really be him. She had only called out because of his back, his familiar broad shoulders that stood out in a crowd no matter where he went. She was used to recognising him from behind, more than she cared to admit.

Not that she wanted to brag, but deep inside she knew—if her senior were to stand among thousands of men, she would still be able to pick him out instantly, just from this back alone.

But on the front... he looked different now?

Leo awkwardly nodded... yeah, he really hadn’t thought of how he was supposed to explain this to her, had he?

Sakura blinked again, her brows drawing together in confusion.

"Are you sure? You... you’ve grown... way too much, in just a few days? How is that even possible?" Her eyes swept over him from top to bottom, lingering on the clear height difference.

Sure, he had always been taller than her before, but now... now he towered over her. And it wasn’t just his height.

Those broad shoulders, the biceps stretching his sleeves, the faint trace of triceps when he moved, the faint outline of abs beneath the fabric... man!! She had barely ever seen anyone built like him, much less her own senior.

"Did you colour your hair too? And what about the glasses?" Sakura bombarded him with one question after another.

He couldn’t even prepare an answer for her.

So instead, Valra smoothly stepped in, her lips curling with a sly smile.

"What can I say? Leo has been working hard on himself, pushing his body, changing for the better... for his future with me. So yeah," she flicked her long hair over her shoulder, her confident smile growing wider, "he’s changed a lot."

Sakura frowned at first, her lips pressing into a thin line, but then her gaze fell lower... to their hands. Leo and Valra were holding each other tightly, fingers intertwined as if they were more than just friends.

As if... they had grown closer than necessary.

Sakura’s eyes darkened. The light in her expression dulled, a shadow spreading across her face as her hand slid, almost unconsciously, into the pocket of her skirt.

Leo flinched, noticing that change. His instincts screamed inside his head. ’Yandere!’ The warning bell echoed in his mind like a siren.

Without thinking, he immediately let go of Valra’s hand.

Valra froze, a sharp frown tugging at her lips as her fingers were suddenly released. Her hand twitched in the empty air before curling into a fist. A gloomy heaviness sank into her chest. ’Oh right... he thinks both of us are his girlfriends, doesn’t he?’ She had almost forgotten that part.

Almost... But the reminder stung!!

Leo stepped closer to Sakura, forcing a smile onto his face, and gently brushed his hand through her hair. Sakura blinked, the sudden gesture catching her off guard, and in an instant, the darkness clouding her features shattered. Her entire expression brightened, glowing with a light so pure it almost blinded both of them.

"S-Senior?" Her voice trembled, as though just the touch had melted something locked deep in her chest.

"How are you?" Leo asked gently, though his eyes caught something sharp—a glint from her hand as she quickly slid something back into her skirt pocket.

He didn’t know what it was, and he didn’t care to find out.

Whatever that shit was... Leo had just saved the day. Not himself, but Valra!!

’Sigh, thank goodness,’ Leo thought with relief. Otherwise... who knew what kind of bloody disaster might have played out here in the middle of the school grounds.

Sakura blushed furiously, her cheeks flushed as she whispered, "S-Senior, everyone is here..." Her voice trembled even though Leo was only patting her head.

But to her, that simple touch was enough to set her entire body on fire with shyness.

Valra’s lips twitched again, and she snapped, "He’s just patting your head, idiot." Her voice carried blunt irritation. Sakura was acting as if Leo had just kissed her in front of the whole school... how dare she behave like that!

Sakura’s lips twitched as her eyes narrowed. ’This woman... she’s really getting on my nerves!’ she thought bitterly.

Before Valra could make another comment, Sakura spun to Leo, her movements sharp and sudden, and immediately grabbed his hand—pulling it against her chest, pressing it straight into the softness of her bosom.

!!!

Leo’s entire body flinched from the sudden warmth and softness engulfing his palm. Sakura leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with both shyness and boldness.

"Senior... I missed you so much~" she purred, giving him a mischievous wink that made her act all the more dangerous.

Leo let out a stiff, awkward smile, his eyes darting toward Valra. Her expression was shifting... slowly twisting into something sore, painful, and heavy, like storm clouds gathering before a thunderclap.

Oh god... please help him. Dealing with two girlfriends at the same time... Leo felt like he was standing in more danger than when he faced Dracula himself!

At least Dracula was predictable... these two were walking storms with emotions sharper than blades.

Soon, the classes began.

When Leo stepped into his classroom, every single pair of eyes immediately turned toward him. Frowns creased their faces. They whispered under their breath, wondering who this stranger was.

Leo didn’t care. He kept his head slightly lowered, walked straight past their stares, and headed toward his usual chair.

But when he sat down in his old seat, the students gasped collectively, their hearts skipping. To them, it looked like this unknown boy had just taken Leo’s seat... and they were already bracing themselves for the real Leo to come in and raise hell.

The homeroom teacher soon arrived, as usual, and began taking attendance with a bored tone.

"Kai?"

Everyone glanced toward the empty desk at the back. The seat where Kai used to sit. Their gazes lingered, half-expecting him to show up.

Leo glanced at the same empty seat, too.

The teacher sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, come to think of it, Kai was transferred to another school after the incident. I guess the whole building burning down really scared the shit out of him." He chuckled lightly, scratching his cheek.

But the students... That wasn’t something to laugh about!! They almost shouted at him.

They are almost freaking close to being burned alive!! This was not funny!

Leo raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, ’So they even altered the story? How convenient’

"Leo?"

The teacher’s voice snapped him back. Leo lazily raised his hand.

Everyone gasped in horror, their eyes widening as though they’d seen a ghost. Even the homeroom teacher froze, staring at Leo with a deep frown etched across his face.

Now every single one of them thought the same thing—this man... he looked eerily similar to Leo, but also completely different.

The teacher muttered under his breath, "Looks like you’ve changed too, huh?"

The students, still in disbelief, slowly nodded. Blank expressions filled the room as they compared this boy to the one they thought they knew.

Taller... Sharper.... Stronger..... It was like seeing someone reborn.

But none of them dared to ask what had happened. Instead, they returned to their routine, pretending everything was normal.

As usual, the class went on without further interruption. At least, until the break. That was when one girl, nervously fiddling with her notebook, slowly approached Leo’s desk.

"Hello, Leo..."

Leo, who had been lying lazily on the desk with his arms folded like a pillow, slowly turned his head. His tired eyes half-opened as he glanced at her,

"Hmm?"

The girl blushed, clutching her notebook tighter. "C-Can you teach me... how to solve this problem?" she asked, her voice trembling with shyness. With her free hand, she brushed her hair back behind her ear, exposing her reddening cheek.

Leo blinked blankly at her for a few seconds... That alone made the girl blush even harder, her lips parting nervously. "P-Please don’t sta—"

"Until now, you’ve been solving it by yourself, haven’t you?" Leo muttered flatly, his tone blank.

"I... I mean—"

"Get the hell out of here," he said, cutting her off without hesitation.

The girl froze. Her face turned crimson, not from shyness anymore but from pure embarrassment. She clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles whitened, then spun on her heel and walked away quickly, her pride shattered.

Other girls at their desks chuckled softly, covering their lips with amused expressions as if they enjoyed the little drama.

The boys, however, frowned deeply, glaring at Leo with dissatisfaction.

Leo ignored them, of course. He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, mind drifting away from the stares and whispers. Right now, he was thinking about his future... about where his new life was going to lead him from this point onward.