CHAPTER 332: MEET THE SISTER: LEVEL HARD MODE (PART 1)

Micah rubbed his stomach, his palm pressed lightly against the fabric of his shirt as though savouring the comfort of a full meal. A lazy smile hung on his lips, his steps unhurried. The roasted chicken he had eaten still lingered on his tongue, and he felt content.

Beside him, Darcy walked with his hands loosely tucked in his pockets, still wearing Micah’s jacket. His dark eyes studied the boy walking beside him. Micah looked oddly satisfied, humming under his breath in happiness. Really, what on earth was going on with Micah? Sure, the roasted chicken had been decent, better than most campus food, but compared to the luxurious meals packed neatly in the lunchboxes from earlier, it was nothing. Yet Micah acted as though it was the opposite, humming like he had just tasted heaven.

Did he have a fight with that man, Clyde? If not, then...Why didn’t he want to eat them? Because of a few mushrooms Darcy disliked? He wasn’t that picky. He could have just separated them from the rest of the food.

Darcy opened his mouth to ask, but before he could, someone else beat him to it.

"Micah," a feminine voice called out.

Micah halted in his tracks, his body stiffening at the sound. His head snapped up, eyes widening as he turned toward the voice. "Older sister?" he blurted, surprised to see Willow standing just beyond the campus gate. "Why are you here?"

Willow’s gaze did not linger on Micah for long. Almost as soon as her eyes fell on her younger brother, they shifted, drawn instinctively to the boy walking beside him. She knew that face. Darcy Edwood. The top scorer of the year, the one, Elina, their mother, had sung praises of his accomplishments and his promising future for a week. She had seen how much that affected Micah’s mood. But before she could warn their mother to tone it down, Micah hit his head and was hospitalised.

Darcy was also the one Micah had gone searching for on the night of the banquet, sneaking away from their grandma’s hosting party for him. Hours later, he had returned bleeding, wounded by a knife after throwing himself between danger and Darcy’s sister. That single act had left Willow trembling with fear, half furious at her brother’s impulsiveness and half-shattered by the thought of losing him. And then, when she learned it had been Darcy’s sister, her feelings toward the boy had turned complicated.

As if that were not enough, Darcy was also the only person Micah seemed close enough to that he had dared to approach Albert Ramsy for a favour. A bold, reckless request Micah would never have made on behalf of anyone.

Willow’s chest tightened at the memory of Micah’s injury, but when she looked at them now, side by side, she noticed something she had not expected. Micah looked at ease and happy. Her little brother looked steady, relaxed, and most importantly, like himself. There was a light in his eyes she had not seen when she was with anyone else. Against her will, all of her objections about the boy were swallowed down.

At least... at least Micah still had someone at his side. And if she was honest, Darcy seemed to be doing what none of those fair-weather friends from the past had managed: keeping Micah genuinely happy. The boy was far more beneficial than the so-called friends who only clung to Micah when it suited them, draining him of money, favours, or flattery. Darcy, at the very least, had never asked Micah for anything.

Even in the matter of his own family’s struggles, Darcy had shown a kind of restraint. Willow had heard about his sick mother, about how heavy that burden must have been, but Darcy had never leaned on Micah for sympathy. He had chosen silence instead. If Micah had ever become involved, it would have been purely by chance. That detail should have reassured her, yet instead it troubled her more. Misfortune seemed to follow Darcy wherever he went, and somehow, Micah was always caught in the middle.

Seriously, Darcy seemed to bring nothing but bad luck to Micah. First, the stab wound, then the Durant family’s threats and hostility, it was as though being close to Darcy invited disaster. With each incident, her impression of Darcy had soured.

When she hadn’t spotted Darcy at the birthday banquet, Willow was convinced their relationship had ended. But then, their mother, Elina, had mentioned that the cake from Micah’s WeChat moment had been made by Darcy himself. That small detail had startled her. She had not expected that kind of sincerity, but it had made her more wary instead. She had come today to talk to Micah about Darcy, ready to press the matter, to warn him, perhaps even to demand answers about where his friendship was heading. But the moment she laid eyes on them together, her resolve wavered. Micah’s expression told her everything: content, carefree, quietly radiant to have Darcy by his side, like he was a genuine friend.

Willow resigned from opposing Micah to be with Darcy. Instead of ruining her little brother’s mood, she decided to keep an eye on Darcy for a little longer. Darcy might not be the enemy, but that did not mean he was harmless either.

Willow stepped closer, the soft click of her heels sharp against the pavement. She was dressed in a pantsuit, her long hair tidied up in a tight bun. "I have something to ask you," she said, voice calm and collected. "But you didn’t answer my call."

Micah blinked rapidly, fumbling as he fished out his phone from his pocket. "Oh, sorry. I was in class, so I put it on silent," he said, his brows knitting as he scanned the screen filled with missed calls. "I didn’t notice," he winced. "So, what’s up?"

But Willow wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes had turned toward Darcy.

Micah’s heart stopped beating for a second, the blood draining from his face. Did she recognise him? Did she find him familiar? Did she suspect something? Panic filled his chest, his fingers curling around his phone as if it were a lifeline.

What should he do? Should he step in front of Darcy and hide him? Should he introduce him to Willow?

Please, not now. He wasn’t ready for the whole "meet the sister" event. Least of all with Willow, the sharpest, most intimidating one in the Ramsy family.

Micah screamed in horror inwardly, wishing he could turn back time and just eat those damn lunchboxes instead of going off campus!