West didn't raise his voice, neither did he sound defiant. He sounded… reasonable.
"It's cold," he said evenly. "And I have a doctor's note about temperature sensitivity."
He didn't.
But he said it like he did.
The teacher frowned. "Then bring it tomorrow."
"I will," West replied smoothly.
Caleb snorted softly.
The teacher hesitated and then, surprisingly looked away.
"Sit down," she said curtly. "We're already behind."
West did and the jacket stayed on.
The room buzzed with restrained curiosity.
West felt the subtle difference with his classmates percept of him. It wasn't that they were developing respect for him... no. That would be way too soon...
However...
The system stirred again.
<[ Minor Social Authority Assertion Successful ]>
[Affinity +0.3%]
West stared out the window, lips barely curving.
---
At lunch, the effect became clearer.
People didn't avoid him this time.
They watched.
Some whispered. Some glanced, looked away, then glanced again. A few girls outright stared before catching themselves.
West sat alone again—but this time, the space around him felt different.
Not empty.
Reserved.
As if no one was quite sure whether sitting near him was a good idea or a bad one.
Good, he thought.
He didn't approach anyone.
Didn't try to flirt.
Didn't force interaction.
That wasn't the point.
This wasn't about completing the quest yet.
This was about resetting the board.
...
...
The bell rang, slicing through the cafeteria noise like a blade.
Lunch break was over.
West rose from his seat without haste.
There was no rush in his movements now... no awkwardness, no stiff urgency. He slung his bag over one shoulder and began walking back toward class with an easy, unhurried pace, weaving through the thinning crowd as if he belonged exactly where he was.
Heads turned again.
But this time, West didn't pretend not to notice.
He didn't feed off it either.
He simply moved.
From across the cafeteria, Lena stood near one of the pillars with her tray forgotten in her hands. Her brows knitted slightly as she watched him go, following the line of his shoulders, the way his jacket shifted as he walked.
To her, something felt… off.
West wasn't hunched anymore.
Wasn't shrinking.
Wasn't moving like he wanted to disappear.
When he reached the doors, West felt that familiar sensation of being watched.
He slowed just enough to turn his head.
Their eyes met and Lena froze.
For a heartbeat, the cafeteria noise dulled. The world narrowed to that single moment—the same boy she had dismissed, the same one she had replaced, looked back at her with calm, unreadable eyes.
And then, West smirked.
A simple curve of the lips that said I see you and then he turned away and kept walking, disappearing into the hallway without another glance.
Lena's fingers tightened around her tray.
For the rest of the day, she couldn't focus.
She tried to listen in class.
Tried to take notes.
Tried to laugh when Caleb whispered something smug into her ear.
But her eyes kept drifting.
To the door.
To the hallway.
To the memory of that look.
'When did he start looking like that?' she wondered.
West had always been… fine. Average. Comfortable.
Now something about him lingered in her thoughts uninvited... the streak of white in his hair catching the light, the confidence in his stride, the way he hadn't even tried to explain himself.
And worse, he hadn't needed her reaction.
That bothered her far more than she expected.
---
After school ended, the city swallowed West again.
The late afternoon air was warmer now and the streets was filled with movement. As usual, students dispersed, cars honked and distant sirens wailed faintly. West adjusted the strap of his bag and headed toward Crème & Ash.
The café greeted him with familiar warmth.
The scent of sugar and coffee wrapped around him the moment he stepped inside, grounding him. The low whispers of conversation, the clink of porcelain, the soft jazz playing overhead... it all felt strangely comforting now.
"Okay," Jax's voice rang out immediately, loud as ever, "who are you and what did you do with my boy?"
West snorted, tying his apron around his waist. "Relax."
Jax circled him slowly, exaggeratedly, like a predator inspecting prey. "Nah, nah. Something's different. The jacket? The hair? The vibe?"
West rolled his eyes. "You're dramatic."
"Damn right I am," Jax said proudly. "And I'm not wrong. You look—" he snapped his fingers, "—clean."
Before West could respond, a sharp cough cut through the banter.
"Less talking," Mina said flatly, approaching the counter. "More working."
She paused when she reached West.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then slowly, one brow lifted.
"…Did you finally decide to stop dressing like you lost a bet with your closet?"
Jax burst out laughing.
West fought a smile. "Good to see you too, boss."
Mina sniffed. "Hmph. At least you look presentable now. Don't let it get to your head."
She turned to leave, then stopped and glanced back over her shoulder.
"…It suits you."
Then she walked off as if she hadn't said anything at all.
Jax leaned in, grinning. "Bro. Even Mina noticed."
West shook his head, but the warmth in his chest was undeniable.
They settled into the rhythm of the shift soon after with orders coming in steady and the counter filling and emptying. The usual after-school crowd filtered through as well.
Then the bell above the door chimed.
West glanced up and paused.
She walked in with a confidence that turned heads without trying.
Long legs accentuated by fitted jeans, a cropped jacket hugging her waist, a top that left just enough to the imagination to be dangerous. Her pink hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, highlighting a face that was undeniably beautiful. She had a pair of beautiful round eyes, full lips, and a gaze that knew exactly what it did to people.
She scanned the café.
Then she noticed West.
Her lips curved into a smile immediately as she glanced at him in familiarity.
She approached the counter without hesitation.
Before she could speak, West tilted his head slightly.
"Large caramel latte," he said calmly. "Extra foam. One slice of strawberry shortcake."
She blinked.
Then laughed softly. "You always get it right."
West smiled and responded smoothly. "I pay attention."
Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer than necessary.
"Well," she said, amused, "I won't argue with that. Nice hair by the way..."
"Thanks," West responded shortly.
She paid with a smile and headed toward a corner seat, glancing back once before sitting down. West packed up her order with ease and unhurried movements.
Jax sidled up beside him, whispering, "Okay... since when did you become a flirt?"
"That wasn't even flirting..." West dismissed his statement with a eye roll.
And he was right... the system would have flagged it if that was the case.
As the young lady settled into her seat by the window with her legs crossed neatly and phone resting face-down on the table, West continued packing her order with steady hands.
She was a regular.
She always had been.
And that was exactly why West had chosen her to be his target.
Four days ago, when he stopped showing up to school but kept coming to work, he had noticed something important.
The café didn't care about rumors.
Crème & Ash didn't circulate videos. It didn't whisper in hallways or judge people by how entertaining their humiliation had been. Here, people came for sugar, caffeine, warmth and routine.
And routine meant opportunity.
After all that had gone down, the school was literally the worst place to try completing the quest in... but here? Here was perfect.
West had seen this customer before... long before Caleb ever put his hands on him.
She usually came in the late afternoon or early evening, sometimes alone, sometimes with a man.
A tall, broad-shouldered and confident in a loud, careless way type of guy. The kind of guy who took up space without asking. He always had a cigarette in his mouth and the café had a no smoking policy but no one ever dared confront him about it.
His name was Ross.
West didn't know much about him, only that he wore expensive sneakers, spoke into his phone like the world owed him answers, and never said thank you when West handed him his order.
He knew one other thing...
Ross was awakened.