Caleb arrived just in time to hear it and his mood soured instantly.
He stood near the entrance with his jacket slung casually over his shoulders, expecting to automatically be the beacon of attention as usual.
Unfortunately, that wasn't entirely the case this time.
Some still looked.
Others didn't.
And a few were looking somewhere else.
At West.
Caleb's frown deepened.
He's not even awakened.
That thought burned.
He started walking toward West with clear intent.
But all of a sudden...
Thrrrinnnggg~
The bell rang.
The sound cut through the hallway, freezing movement mid-stride.
West didn't look back.
He turned and headed for class with his long coat trailing behind him.
Caleb fingers slowly curled slowly into fists as he paused.
"…Whatever," he muttered.
But the irritation stayed.
---
First period had already begun when West entered the classroom.
The teacher looked up sharply.
"Einstein," she said. "Late again."
Her name was Mrs. Harrow.
She was in her early thirties with sharp-features, perpetually tired and permanently annoyed expression. Her dark hair was usually tied back tightly but today, it was styled differently. It was tied a bit more loosely.
West stepped forward calmly.
"You asked for a doctor's report," he said.
Her brows drew together. "You brought it?"
"Yes."
He handed it over.
Mrs. Harrow skimmed the page quickly with her lips pursed. It looked official enough, stamped and signed.
What she didn't know was that West had completely forged this online.
She sighed. "Fine. Sit—"
West paused and then spoke.
"By the way," he said politely, "your hair looks really nice today. It suits you."
Silence~
The class froze.
Mrs. Harrow blinked twice, utterly taken aback.
"…What?"
West smiled gently. "It's different. Cuter."
Her face heated instantly.
'Not even my husband noticed,' she thought before she could stop herself.
She cleared her throat sharply. "J-Just sit down, Mr. Einstein."
"Hmph."
West inclined his head and walked to his seat.
Mrs. Harrow stared at the board for a full ten seconds before resuming the lesson.
For the rest of the period, she kept glancing his way without realizing it.
---
Classes passed with different teachers and different subjects.
And every time, Caleb watched.
West didn't provoke him.
Didn't look his way.
Didn't react.
That only made it worse.
Lena tried to get Caleb's attention more than once... whispering and touching his arm.
He ignored her.
His focus stayed locked on one thing.
'How did he change?'
Lunch break came.
Caleb stood up immediately, scanning the cafeteria.
West wasn't there.
He checked the corners. The usual spots.
Nothing.
"Where did he go?" Caleb snapped.
Lena frowned. "Maybe he—"
"Forget it," Caleb muttered, brushing past her.
People continued to laugh at his jokes... continued to nod... continued to agree on his every take... continued to kiss his ass...
But the satisfaction wasn't there.
---
Meanwhile, West wasn't hiding. He was completely unaware that Caleb was looking for him.
He was at the track.
The sun warmed the red rubber beneath his feet as he finished another sprint, breathing steady.
Sweat clung lightly to his skin but he wasn't exhausted... it was just merely exertion.
He was testing himself.
His speed... recovery... control.
However, he still hadn't tested his new skill. He didn't want to just yet...
West climbed the spectator steps and sat down, pulling out his lunch. His muscles felt alive and responsive.
As he took a bite, laughter rang out from the field below.
A group of students were playing football and someone kicked too recklessly...
The ball shot loose, rocketing across the air... toward the stands.
Straight at West's face.
It was like a dark blur cutting through the air, spinning wildly as it tore away from the group of students playing on the field below.
Someone shouted too late...
But West felt it before he saw it... the sudden pressure of movement entering his space... the subtle shift in air that set something off deep in his body.
His head tilted to the side on instinct and his right hand rose.
Smack~
The ball hit his palm cleanly and his fingers closed around it without fumbling. The impact waa absorbed smoothly through his arm instead of jarring his wrist. West blinked in surprise by how natural the motion had felt.
"Hey… be careful," he muttered.
He stood and tossed the ball back toward the field with an easy arc. It bounced once before rolling to the feet of one of the players.
"Sorry!" someone called out.
"No harm done," West replied before sitting back down.
His heart wasn't racing.
His breathing hadn't changed.
There was no doubt about it.
His reflexes were better.
If this had happened a week ago, the ball would've slammed straight into his nose, maybe knocked him back, maybe earned him another round of laughter. Now?
Now his body had moved before thought even caught up.
West flexed his fingers slowly, testing the feeling.
'The stats are very real... and if I can raise them... maybe I don't need to worry much about being awakened?'
That realization settled into him quietly but deeply.
He took another bite of his lunch as his gaze drifted back to the track as if nothing unusual had happened.
That was when he felt a presence behind him.
It just so happened that someone had been approaching from the other end and paused when West caught the ball.
West turned his head slightly... surprisingly, it was the girl from earlier.
The one he'd caught before she fell.
Up close, she was… cute.
Not striking in the same way Aria was. Not mature or sultry but undeniably adorable.
She had soft features, wide eyes that reflected sunlight like glass beads, and shoulder-length chestnut hair tied loosely at the back with strands already slipping free. Her uniform fit her neatly and was slightly oversized in the sleeves, giving her an endearingly clumsy look.
Her cheeks were slightly rosy as well.
"H-Hi," she clasped together in front of her. "Um… thanks again. For this morning."
West inclined his head slightly. "No problem."
She hesitated, then smiled. "You saved me from a really embarrassing fall."
West shrugged lightly. "Happens."
That answer alone made her blink.
She clearly hadn't expected it to be brushed off so easily.
"I'm—uh—my name's Mira," she said quickly. "Mira Han."
"West," he replied.
"I know," she said immediately—then froze. "I mean—! I heard—people were saying—"
She trailed off with a flustered expression.
West studied her calmly.
She was leaning toward him without realizing it.
Her feet were angled in his direction. Her body language was open and curious...
'Interesting,' he thought.
And so, he decided not to waste time.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" West asked casually.
The words landed like a dropped plate.
Mira stiffened.
"…E-Eh?"