"Bloodborn?" asked Arya, whose mind had stopped working halfway through hearing his cousin's statement.
Wahyuni's eyes suddenly widened in surprise, and she tried to cover her mouth with the beer can she was holding. "Oops, sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Wait a minute, what do you mean, Yuni?" Arya became more assertive, even standing up from the sofa and staring into his cousin's eyes.
Wahyuni sighed and walked over to the sofa. "Calm down, it's just a rumor. I thought you knew about it because you're a void hunter."
Wahyuni placed the beer can she was carrying on the table, sat on the sofa, and immediately crossed her legs on the table.
"Rumor? What do you mean by rumor?" Arya asked quickly.
Wahyuni took a can of beer and opened it. "This is a rumor from the underworld, you know, illegal stuff. There are parties trying to create a natural void hunter race and—"
"A natural void hunter?! Is that even possible?!" Arya leaned closer to the woman, which annoyed Wahyuni a little.
Wahyuni pushed Arya's face away. "Rumor... It's just a rumor, I don't know if it's true, but yes, they are called Bloodborn. Children born from the blood of void beasts."
Arya stared with wide eyes. Seeing this, Wahyuni hit Arya's face with a cold beer can on the table.
"Ouch!" Arya held his face, which had just been hit by a beer can.
"I told you, it's just a rumor. Don't take it too seriously. Your theory could be right, she could just be a rich kid playing void hunter," said Wahyuni, downing her beer.
Arya rubbed his slightly bruised face. "Even so, how did you get that information?"
Wahyuni looked at her cousin with a cynical gaze. "Arya, do you think you can work as a high school substitute teacher legally? You're just a high school graduate, and I managed to get you that job. Think about it."
Arya chuckled softly. "Ah... Hehe... Yeah, that's right. I thought it was because you knew the principal. Hehe..."
Wahyuni took a sip of her beer. "That's just one of the reasons. The principal is an old friend of mine. Why are you surprised that I know this? Have you forgotten what my past was like?"
Arya sighed, then took a can of beer and opened it.
"That's true. Come to think of it, you used to be a local thug, haha... I'm surprised you got a job as an office worker. You're a very rude and wild person," said Arya, who immediately downed his can of beer.
"Huh?!" Wahyuni stared at Arya sharply. The look in her eyes clearly showed her burning anger.
"No, that's not what I meant, Yuni, I'm sorry," Arya replied quickly.
"Are you saying I'm too barbaric for office work?!"
"No... That's not it..."
*BRAK! BHUK! BHAK!
Arya received some of the deadliest attack than the void beast ever could and even worse treatment than the debt collector he had encountered before...
---------------------------------------------------
Arya's eyes slowly opened as he found himself lying on a sofa in a dark room with no lights on.
He lifted his heavy head and looked around.
On the table was a pizza box with only a single slice of cold pizza left inside. Several empty beer cans lay on the table, and a few were even scattered on the floor.
The man held his head, which was still a little dizzy. He tried to remember what had happened before he fell asleep.
A small celebration party that ended with lots of canned beer.
When he remembered it, his bladder immediately reacted, forcing him to rush to the toilet to urinate.
As Arya released excess fluid from his bladder, he remembered the topic he had discussed with his cousin.
Who was the high school girl he met in the forest that time?
Was she really a bloodborn?
Or was she just a rich kid acting out?
Despite the questions swirling in his head, at least he understood one thing.
It was unlikely that Arya would meet the girl again.
If the girl was a bloodborn, she would definitely be more alert and cautious.
However, if the girl was the child of a wealthy family, then she would not meet him again, considering that all the elite schools were located in the center of the city.
The outskirts were only inhabited by people from the lower-middle class, and Arya preferred it that way.
When the man came out of the toilet, he found the sunlight slowly illuminating the dark sky. Morning was breaking, and that was the sign for Arya to start his routine.
The man began doing push-ups with his legs raised, not touching the floor. The only parts of his body touching the floor were his palms.
With every push-up, Arya was reminded of his wife's past betrayal.
Memories that made his blood boil with every repetition he did.
Physical exercise such as calisthenics was the only way to channel that anger.
The man did push-ups until the night sky completely changed to the morning sky.
Arya didn't really pay attention to how many repetitions he had done. He didn't even realize that Wahyuni had woken up.
She walked out of her room wearing only shorts and a crop top. Her messy hair, half-asleep face, and slightly hunched posture truly conveyed the impression of someone who had just woken up.
"Arya, what are you doing?" Wahyuni asked in a weak voice.
"I... just did... a little stretching before... getting ready to leave for work," replied Arya, who was feeling his body slowly becoming stiff and tired.
Wahyuni yawned. "Okay... Good luck at school..."
---------------------------------------------------
*Tap... Tap... Tap...
His footsteps caught the attention of several students he passed. He walked across the schoolyard wearing semi-formal clothes that were almost the same as before.
A short-sleeved white shirt with black long pants, accompanied by black shoes and a black tie.
His muscular body caught the attention of several female students and female teachers.
All eyes were on him as he walked towards the principal's office to discuss his employment contract.
It didn't take long for the conversation before the principal took him to the staff room and introduced him to the teachers.
Everything went smoothly, just like a normal school day.
"This is a good start," said Arya as he walked out of the staff room. "This way, I can—"
*Thud...
Arya bumped into a student, causing the student to fall to the floor.
Arya reached out his hand to the student. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, you—"
A girl with long, lime green hair...
The student in front of Arya was none other than...
"Ayu?!" asked Arya, surprising the girl.
"Y-you..." The girl's expression suddenly changed. As the blood rushed towards her head, she raised her voice. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, YOU SCAMMER?!"