"Well. I guess it can't be helped. My sweet dear classmate here has been training and worked up quite an appetite. I suppose 'we' both can come with you for lunch." I inched closer to Ceres like we were best friends forever in the world, our shoulders brushing cozily against each other.

I smiled politely. The best smile i could muster. Charming and bright.

"As long as you're covering the bill."

*

*

*

And that's what happened.

I ran into a certain suspicious, golden-haired senior… who just so happened to be the legendary Student Council President. The Strongest Cadet of Aegis.

Aurhea Aurel.

Lady of the Golden Dawn.

Wielder of titles I didn't even know people still handed out in this century.

—and she invited me to lunch.

Yes. Her.

The Student Council President.

Aurhea. Aurel.

Hmm? What's that?

You think I'm repeating myself a little too much?

Well of course I am!

How else am I supposed to process this insanity?

How in the world did I even end up here?!

Currently, we were seated in what was technically called an Open-Air Cafeteria—though that label didn't do it justice. It was more like a popular hangout spot for cadets of every year.

I scanned the bustling area with a mix of curiosity and caution. It looked like one of those aesthetic outdoor restaurants you'd see in glossy lifestyle magazines, with a clear blue sky hanging overhead like the final touch on a painting.

The ground was... interesting. Whether it was a case of bold creativity or just someone's odd design choice, the floor was tiled in massive black-and-white squares—like a giant chessboard. Each of those oversized "squares" had its own stylish booth seating arranged just right, like strategic placements in a game.

The air was fresh. Lively.

It buzzed with student chatter, laughter, footsteps, clinking trays—energy everywhere.

Off to the side, there was a sleek counter where students lined up to place orders. Surrounding the whole space were lush gardens and neatly trimmed bushes that gave the place a relaxed, almost dreamy vibe.

I hadn't even known this place existed in the entire Academy until now.

I should go out more often, I mused inwardly, quietly sobbing into the table.

"We're attracting too much attention."

These two were.

Ceres and Aurhea.

For a place buzzing with cadet energy—each person minding their business and doing their own thing—the moment we arrived, every head seemed to turn.

Specifically, toward the two striking women accompanying my very humble self.

Ceres alone was an enigma wrapped in silver.

Her long, tied-up hair shimmered under the sunlight, strands catching the light like threads of moonlight. Hard not to stare.

She had that effortlessly aloof kind of beauty—cool, unreadable, magnetic. Even though she was still dressed in her gym wear, which should have made her stand out awkwardly, it somehow only made her look more… exotic.

Like she didn't belong in the mundane world.

Like she didn't need to.

And then there was Aurhea.

She stood out for… obvious reasons. Maybe even more than Ceres.

No—definitely more.

Aurhea, with her golden-blonde hair that shimmered like the sun itself, was impossible to miss. It wasn't just attention she attracted—it was gravity. Like some golden cosmic rule had been written into the universe: when Aurhea Aurel enters a room, the world must stop and take notice.

No pun intended.

She was dazzling.

Glowing.

A presence that demanded notice and stole breath.

The Queen of Aegis made heads turn and conversations pause just by existing.

Where Ceres had the mysterious allure of solemn moonlight—quiet, distant, and untouchable—Aurhea was a walking solar flare.

Radiant. Bold. Charismatic in a way that didn't feel human.

Her poise could be studied.

Should be.

It went without saying that every cadet here recognized her.

How could they not?

The air, already charged with the usual lunch-hour chatter, seemed to shift. The hum of energy turned into ripples of whispers, all echoing one name.

Aurhea Aurel.

Sun-kissed flame.

Ceres Walker.

Quiet moon.

Two walking spotlights.

And I?

I was sandwiched between them.

'How did I end up here again?'

Now, you might be wondering—How exactly is this a problem?

Why am I sobbing quietly over my meal instead of thanking every known deity for this divine table seating?

Well, yes, they did draw all the attention.

But that's the problem.

What were two ethereal, high-ranking, drop-dead angels like them doing with... me?

It's not like I was insecure about my looks or anything.

Far from it.

In fact, I couldn't care less about what random, ignorant buffoons thought of me. People talked—so what? Their opinions barely scratched the surface of my indifference. I was detached. Emotionally insulated.

It was all just noise.

But even I had to admit… it was hard not to feel self-conscious in a situation like this.

I'd faced all types of gazes before. Judging. Curious. Dismissive.

But being stuck between them—between Ceres and Aurhea—was a different kind of exhaustion. Mildly suffocating, honestly.

And I had no one to blame but myself.

For starters, I was the one who dragged Ceres along.

Okay, sue me!

There was no way I was walking into this alone—unguarded, unprepared, and vulnerable—with the Student Council President.

Who, by the way, had the social awareness of a gremlin and the humour standards of a madwoman.

She wasn't even close to the image I had in mind.

Ceres showing up when she did? Honestly, a blessing. Her presence eased some of the initial tension when I realized the perverted, chaotic upperclassman from earlier was actually Aurhea Aurel.

The Aurhea Aurel.

—At least, at first.

But now?

Now I was having serious second thoughts.

Maybe i was imagining it, but there was some kind of unspoken tension between Ceres and Aurhea.

And now i was foolishly stuck in between it, whatever it was.

"Hm? Is everything alright, Vic? You look tired all of a sudden," came that voice—sweet as silk with a cherry on top, dripping into my ears like honey.

Aurhea.

For some reason, she had chosen to sit right next to me—on the same side of the booth.

She leaned over, resting her chin in her palms, and inched closer with that playful smile of hers.

A deep sigh slipped from my throat.

Around us, the whispering among cadets had escalated.

Some were swearing.

A few were probably planning my mysterious disappearance.

And that was my cue.

I placed a hand on the table, pushed myself up slowly... and casually walked over to Ceres' side of the booth.

"Hey, Ceres! Buddy!" I said, arms spreading wide in exaggerated familiarity, like I was greeting my best friend from middle school after a ten-year reunion. "Have you placed your order yet? No? Hmm."

Then I plopped myself down beside her.

Across the table.

Away from Aurhea.

Safe zone, engaged.

—or not.

Humans, I concluded, were inherently hard to please.

I moved from Aurhea to Ceres, and yet people still cursed my name.

What did they want from me?

Pick a side, people!

Haa... What's a man supposed to do?

Wisely ignoring the deadpan glare from Ceres Walker—sharp enough to slice air—I forced a thin smile and shifted my attention back to Aurhea.

At some point while I was busy making life-saving decisions, she had already flagged down a waiter and taken the liberty of placing all our orders.

Because of course she had.

Honestly, with the whole chessboard aesthetic of the place, I half-expected the staff to be dressed like rooks and knights.

Ahem. Focus.

Shaking the thought away, I snapped back to the moment just as the waiter turned and walked off. No turning back now.

I decided to get to the point.

"You said you wanted to talk," I said, keeping my tone casual but not careless. "So—what could the esteemed Student Council President possibly want with… me?"

Of course, I had my guesses.

She probably did too.

Probably to hear my side of the story of the Incident.

Now, here's the thing.

Did that make sense?

The Student Council President. Aurhea Aurel. Coming personally to interview me?

Clearly... It was more than just that.

But Aurhea only smiled—pressed and unreadable.

A smile that said, I know exactly what I'm doing.

And that was slightly unnerving.

Aurhea leaned back against her seat, graceful as ever, before she began.

"The truth is, I've been anticipating your awakening since the moment you fell into that coma. But given my position..." —she exhaled softly— "I've been absolutely swamped. Especially now, with all the aftershocks and investigations stemming from the Dungeon Incident. The academy's been vibrating with unrest."

She paused, then continued, voice laced with something that felt oddly... sincere.

"I heard you were discharged just yesterday. So, I finally took the opportunity to come and meet you."

I regarded her words quietly, letting the silence hang for a moment.

And this—this—was what made it all the more unnerving.

Why was the Student Council President placing so much emphasis on meeting me?

However—

"If you're referring to the Dungeon Incident," Ceres cut in smoothly from beside me, "haven't you already gathered all the testimonies you need? You likely have more information than anyone else on the matter."

Her voice remained cool, but every word was deliberate.

"So what would one more statement change?" she continued, without even looking at Aurhea. "The fact that you came here personally, and the degree of attention you're placing on Victor, Miss President… is, quite honestly, concerning."

There was no pause. No emotion. Just precision.

I parted my lips and inhaled slowly, suppressing a grin.

Heh.

Of course I didn't bring Ceres here just for moral support.

This—this right here—was exactly why I wanted her beside me.