Rina sat by the academy's garden pond, sipping iced tea as she replayed the duel in her head.
Again.
She watched Jinhyuk dodge Min Jiyeon's lightning like he was bored.
That smug idol got humbled… and I enjoyed it way more than I should have.
But what bugged her the most wasn't Jiyeon's loss.
It was the way Jiyeon kept looking at Jinhyuk afterward. Curious. Hungry.
Possessive.
---
Flashback – Just After the Duel:
"Are you hiding something, Kang Jinhyuk?" Jiyeon had asked, flipping her hair with a smirk. "Because now I want to know."
He didn't even answer. Just walked off.
But Rina saw it.
The twitch in Jiyeon's smile. The spark of something new.
---
Now – Back at the Garden
> [Emotional Disturbance Detected]
[System Message: Jealousy Level – 14%]
[Warning: Mental Balance Disrupted]
She crushed an ice cube between her fingers. It vaporized instantly.
"Tch."
She remembered when Jinhyuk first transferred.
Quiet. Lazy. Annoying. But smart. Efficient. Strangely confident.
And now? He was brushing off S-ranks like they were mosquitoes.
Rina stood up. Her reflection in the water shimmered, blue eyes glowing faintly.
"If she thinks she can just flirt with him and get away with it…"
She stopped, eyes widening.
"…Wait. Flirt with him? Why do I even care?"
---
Meanwhile – Jinhyuk's Dorm
He sneezed. Then sighed.
> [You Are Being Talked About by Two Women Simultaneously]
[Status Effect: Confused but Untouched]
"Annoying."