CHAPTER 139: BREAK A COUPLE OF MY BONES

Mika couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips as he looked back at Maria. And Maria, as sharp as ever, caught his gaze. She frowned, her brows knitting together as if his very stare irritated her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Her tone was cold, but edged with suspicion. "If your filthy eyes were glued to my chest again, I’d at least understand, it makes sense for a demon like you to ogle tits...But my eyes?"

She leaned closer, voice dropping into a cutting whisper.

"What, do you want to spread them wide, peer inside, lick them maybe? Twist them into some new perversion of yours? Honestly, with you, I wouldn’t be surprised."

Mika laughed under his breath, shaking his head slowly.

"No, not at all. Even I have limits, Maria. I’ve got a hundred fetishes, sure, but eyes?" He tapped the side of his temple. "That’s not my alley. You won’t catch me dreaming about eyeballs anytime soon."

Her brow arched at that, still studying him with those dark, soul-piercing eyes of hers, while he met her gaze steadily, his smirk softening.

"I was just thinking...how in the world did the two of us even start talking in the first place?"

Maria let out a quiet sigh, as if his question had forced her to revisit a memory she’d rather forget.

"Don’t ask me. I wonder that every night before I go to sleep." Her lips curled into a disdainful half-smile. "What sin did I commit, for fate to tie me to you of all people?"

She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing with mock thoughtfulness.

"No...it wasn’t me. Must’ve been my ancestors. They must’ve done something truly vile, something that twisted karma itself, so that their descendant would end up shackled to the academy’s most reviled creature."

"Ouch, that hurts." Mika clutched at his chest theatrically before throwing her a knowing gaze, "But Maria, don’t lump me in alone. If my reputation is in the dumps, so is yours."

He jabbed a finger at her shoulder, smirking.

"I mean, you’re just as damned as I am. Don’t you dare pretend you’re any higher up on the ladder. Status, reputation, respect—you’re sitting in the mud right next to me."

"I suppose you’re right and that must be the answer itself." Maria’s lips curved a little higher, her disdain twisting into a sharp smirk. "Two failures, two outcasts, scraping the bottom together."

"...Natural, really, that we’d find each other in the muck."

Mika chuckled at that, leaning back lazily.

"Makes sense. Even the coldest person in the world is still human. No matter how much they claim they don’t need anyone, sooner or later they look for someone to share the weight with."

His eyes softened as they lingered on her.

"Guess that’s what happened with us."

For a fleeting moment, the tension between them shifted, something gentler threaded beneath the mockery.

Mika’s mind also drifted, recalling how it all began.

From the very start, he had been curious about her.

She was his classmate, yes, but also his benchmate, assigned to sit right next to him from day one. That alone made him want to talk to her.

And then there were the rumors.

The infamous stories about Maria Deveste, the girl who could make men cry with nothing but a few whispered words. He had heard the whispers, the fear, the admiration, and it fascinated him.

He had even toyed with the idea of confessing to her himself—not because he wanted to be with her, but because he wanted to know what words she would use to break him down. He wanted to know what she said to shatter boys so badly they wept in public.

But most of all, what drew him to her was how she treated him. Unlike the rest of the students in the academy, those who flinched, avoided him, or whispered behind his back, Maria never looked away.

She didn’t fear him. She didn’t shun him.

That didn’t mean she treated him like a friend. Far from it. She didn’t smile at him or pour affection over him. But she treated him normally, like any other classmate.

She called his name for attendance, since she was the class representative. She handed him assignments directly, without hesitation. Small things, but things no other student dared to do.

And to Mika, that was intriguing. That was what made him want to talk to her more.

But her personality, her infamous coldness, her complete disinterest in others, held him back. He thought to himself, maybe one day I’ll get my lucky break.

Maybe one day, I’ll have a reason to talk to her.

But, that lucky break came sooner than he expected, on the day the results of their first major exam were announced.

On that day, Maria walked toward the results board with her usual composure, her braids swinging lightly at her sides, glasses glinting under the corridor’s pale light.

She already knew what she expected to see: her name at the very top. It was inevitable, her whole life had been about first place. First in exams, first in trials, first in every metric that mattered.

It was not arrogance, but certainty. And every other student who had gathered around the board thought the same. Maria Deveste would, as always, be number one.

But when her eyes scanned the sheet, her breath caught.

Second place.

Her name was second.

And above hers, printed clear for everyone to see, was a name no one in their right mind expected:

Mika.

For a moment, silence lingered. Then the whispers started. Shock, disbelief, outrage, like a ripple across the crowd.

"The Cursed One? First place? Impossible."

"He must’ve cheated."

"Yeah, he probably got the papers beforehand."

"Maybe the Battle Angels gave it to him, he’s their pet, isn’t he?"

It spread like wildfire. Rumors crawling through every hallway, accusations piling up before Mika had even lifted a finger to defend himself.

Maria, however, was shaken in an entirely different way.

As a scholarship student, her place at Solaria Beyond Academy was bound to her excellence. Her flawless results were her security.

Falling to second place, even once, was dangerous. The thought of being doubted, of losing her edge, was something she could not allow.

And she too heard the whispers about Mika. The claims that he had stolen the exam, that he had copied his way to the top. They stuck to her, worming through her thoughts, and in her frustration she needed to know the truth.

That very evening, when the sun was low and golden light painted the classroom in long shadows, Mika sat at his desk with a homemade tray of lasagna, fork in hand. He thought he would enjoy his meal in peace.

Until Maria appeared.

She strode up to him, her face as unreadable as ever, and dropped a couple of papers on his desk. Her voice was flat, yet edged with something sharper.

"I doubt you earned that score fairly. If you didn’t cheat, then prove it. Write another test, here, now. One that I prepared. I’ll watch you myself."

Mika blinked at her, fork frozen halfway to his mouth. He hadn’t expected his quiet dinner to be interrupted by her of all people.

But rather than feel insulted, he was...amused. Interested. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to doubt him, not with his reputation. And truth be told, this was the perfect chance to finally break the wall between them.

He set down his fork, leaned back, and grinned. "Fine. Give me a pen."

She slid it toward him, then sat down right beside him, her eyes fixed on him like a hawk. No wasted words. No pretense. Just intent.

Mika cracked his knuckles, then picked up his pen. With care, he began writing, each answer flowing with ease. His hand moved steadily, confidently, every stroke of ink sharp and precise. He didn’t rush, but neither did he hesitate, as if the knowledge had always been waiting inside him.

Maria watched silently, her expression unchanging.

Minutes passed. The classroom grew quieter as the sun sank lower, golden turning to red. Mika filled line after line, page after page, until at last he set the pen down with a satisfied smile.

"There. Done...Take a look."

She took the paper without a word, her dark eyes scanning each answer. Mika leaned back, arms folded, waiting for some reaction, a word of apology, an acknowledgment, anything.

Instead, she set the paper back down. Glanced at him once. Then stood and walked straight out of the classroom.

Mika sat frozen, his grin faltering. "...Seriously?"

No apology. No praise. Not even a single sentence. Just dismissal.

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. Maybe the rumors were right. Maybe she really was just as cold and cruel as people whispered.

If this was her true nature, maybe it was better to forget her.

But just as he was about to pack up and leave, the door creaked open again.

Maria walked back in.

But this time, she wasn’t the same. She wore protective headgear, the kind used in boxing training. She strapped it firmly onto her head, adjusted it, then stepped forward with her usual calmness, though something dangerous simmered beneath.

Mika raised an eyebrow. "Uh...what the hell are you doing?"

Her voice was steady, her face blank.

"I wasted one hour of your time. So, you get one minute to take it back. You can punch me however much you want for the next sixty seconds."

"Anywhere you like. But not the face. That’s prohibited. Other than that, no limits. I’ll handle it no matter how powerful it may be."

"...Even if it means that you break a couple of my bones."

The fork nearly slipped from Mika’s hand.

"...You’re out of your goddamn mind." He stared at her like she was insane.

But Maria just adjusted her stance, hands behind her back, and repeated without hesitation:

"One minute. Do whatever you want. Starting now."