The battle tests were over.
The crowd still buzzed with excitement and confusion after Aezel's accidental win, Sylvia's eerie smile, and Aeron's suspicious "I-don't-care-but-maybe-I-do" loss.
But none of that mattered now.
Because tomorrow… was the relay.
And Aezel was spiraling. Again.
Late Night Planning – In Her Chaos Era
Aezel sat on her dorm floor, hair tied in a messy bun, surrounded by scribbled notebooks, snack wrappers, and one suspiciously aggressive-looking cactus in a flowerpot.
"Alright. So. I know Reina's team doesn't win. Even though they should."
She stared at the cactus. "Why? Because he decides not to win. That smug, monotone vegetable. Aeron."
She imagined Aeron's bored face.
Then imagined slapping it.
"I need to make him run. But how do I make a man with the emotional range of a dead sock take anything seriously?"
She paced around her room like a detective in a cheap drama.
"Should I blackmail him? I could blackmail him. I know his mommy issues."
She paused. Stared at herself in the mirror.
Then loudly declared, "No. That's a villain move. I'm not the villain.I'm the… morally confused protagonist!"
She sank into her bed dramatically.
"What if I just beg?" she muttered. She immediately imagined herself kneeling in front of Aeron, hands clasped.
Aeron ,please i beg you please run fast at the test real real fast please i am begging you...
He looked down at her in the vision with his usual deadpan face. "No."
She fake-punched her pillow. "UGH, I hate that guy!"
Her brain short-circuited. Then lit up.
"Wait. Plants. He loves plants!"
She rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a mini plastic flowerpot.
"Here. Take this, O mysterious loner boy," she said, practicing. "A gift."
Then her imagination backfired. She pictured Aeron taking the flowerpot… and throwing it at her forehead.
Bonk.
She collapsed face-first onto her mattress.
"I'm gonna die."
Then,
She bolted upright like a horror movie jump scare.
"Negotiation."
He's smart. He likes mind games. I don't. So I'll pretend I'm someone smarter.
The plan clicked into place.
"I'll act like the unknown messenger! If I pretend to be them, he'll never suspect it's me. And I'll give him secret information—about me! Because who gives away their own secrets, right? That's reverse psychology!"
Then she added, smugly, "Also, I am pretty. Maybe he's just into me."
She patted her shoulder. "You're doing great, sweetie."
She paused.
"…Also, his plan was to manipulate Reina to get back at his mother, the academy president. If I tell him I know that—he'll listen."
The Next Morning – 10 Minutes Before the Race
Aezel sat under the bleachers, phone in hand, hoodie up like she was hiding from the FBI.
Okay. Be mysterious. Be scary. Be cool.
She dialed Aeron.
Ring.
Ring.
Click.
"…Hello?"
That voice. Cold, calm, dead inside. Yep, that's Aeron.
Listening him voice gives me chills and goosebumps...
She coughed to clear her throat, then spoke in a deep, creepy voice.
"I have information about someone important. If you win the race today, I'll tell you more."
"…you sound odd," Aeron replied, totally unimpressed.
Aezel froze. Crap. Abort mission!
But she pushed forward. "Don't you want to information ..?". I can provide you about anyone you want just call me in this number or message. But In return win the race.
Silence.
"…That's bold," Aeron replied, flat as ever.
"Don't you want answers?"Aezel replied,
"You're not the real unknown," he said simply.
Her heart stopped.
"…Interesting."Aeron replied
CLICK.
Aezel stared at her phone. "Did… did I just get half-rejected ?"
"THAT'S IT?!" she yelled after the call ended. "At least say 'deal' like a normal anime boy!"
The Relay Race – Chaos and Consequence
The field was packed. Students lined the track, the air buzzing with tension.
Each team lined up, batons in hand.
Reina took her position first, laser-focused. Aezel's team was beside her. Ren leaned into his stance like a cat about to pounce. Aeron… just stood there. Yawning.
Reina shot Aezel a brief glance. "Good luck."
"You too, ice queen," Aezel winked.
The gun fired. Bang!
Reina took off like a bolt.
But halfway through her stretch, her foot clipped a stray pebble. She stumbled....hard.
Gasps echoed. She kept running, but the delay cost time.
Aezel saw it. There. It happened. Like in the anime. That's the break.
She passed Reina during her run, offering a hand. Reina, stubborn to the bone, refused but Aezel helped anyway, pushing her forward.
Ren picked up speed on his leg, his usual smirk fading into something colder. Focused.
Then it was Aeron's turn.
He stood at the starting line, arms crossed, looking like he'd rather be watering plants.
The baton slapped into his hand.
He paused.
For a terrifying second, Aezel thought...he's not going to run.
Her nerves tightened into a tiny, pulsing headache.
Aeron..
And.
He.
Transformed.
Then,
Boom.
He took off like a shadow at sunset, all quiet speed and merciless grace. One by one, he passed runners from other teams. His expression never changed.
The stadium went insane.
"AERON?!"
"WHO THE HELL—?!"
"IS HE A ROBOT?!"
Aezel just stood there, jaw on the floor.
He zoomed past the final runner like they were a traffic cone and crossed the finish line—first.
Team Reina won.
Aezel's team… third.
She didn't even care.
Aftermath – Aezel's Mixed Emotions
Aezel flopped onto the grass, gasping.
"He ran. He actually ran."
She laughed like a maniac.
"But… he didn't win to manipulate Reina."
Her eyes narrowed.
"This isn't the anime anymore."
Whatever,
She fell to her knees on the field , my plan really worked I moved a mountain with hands yeah...and she screamed, "I'M A GENIUS!"
...
Reina – Shattered Grace
Reina sat alone on the bench, hand on her bandaged ankle, eyes lowered.
"I lost," she whispered.
"You did great," Ren offered, sitting beside her.
But she didn't respond.
From afar, Aeron watched.
Ren sitting silently beside her said,"You tried your best,"
Reina looked up at him. "…But it wasn't enough."
He didn't nod. Didn't deny.
Instead, he pulled a bottle of water from his bag and handing it to her said,
"Next time,"you'll do better. But you'll need someone smarter making the decisions."
Reina frowned. "What do you mean?"
He smiled. Just a little.
"Let me help you."
Meanwhile – Aeron's POV
He sat alone in the rooftop garden that night, a small seedling in his hand.
opened the message from the "unknown" again.
Then chuckled softly.
"…So she thinks she's clever."
He watered the plant gently, then leaned back.
He stared at it like it held secrets.
"So she tried to manipulate me," he murmured. "Badly."
He smirked.
"I wasn't even interested in her deal,but I want to know why. She knew things no one should."
So"She's not wrong. I am interested."
A pause.
"But not in the plan."
He stared at the sky.
"…In her."
He tapped his phone.
Unknown: huh...
.
.
.
To Be Continued…