Chapter 21: The Transfer Student

The three-day weekend came to an end, and the students naturally returned to their routines to begin a new week of classes.

In Classroom One of the second-year division, Sheffil strolled in with a yawn, greeting his already-seated classmates as he entered.

“Cutting it close again, huh, Ashé?”

Dorothy, who’d been dragged out of bed early by Jianle, was half-asleep as she leaned against her desk.

Upon seeing Sheffil arrive just before the bell, she lazily lifted a hand to wave at him.

“Mhm.”

Sheffil raised his hand in return before slumping into his usual seat by the window, second to last row.

As soon as he sat down, the dark-haired boy in front of him turned around and said,

“Sheff, my man, word is you secretly dated and dumped the goddess of our division while none of us knew. Damn, you’re full of surprises.”

“Right? I always thought you three were childhood friends or something, but now I’m thinking you’re more of a player than we gave you credit for.”

With someone cracking open the topic, a crowd of students who had been quietly waiting for the right moment swarmed in, pelting Sheffil with all the questions they wouldn’t dare ask Dorothy or Jianle directly.

“When did things start between you and Jianle? We had no idea!”

Of course they didn’t know anything—hell, even the two involved had no clue how or when it supposedly started.

“Sheff, bro, how’d you win over someone as gorgeous as Jianle? Teach me your ways!”

Sheffil had no idea himself.

If anyone knew, they ought to be the ones giving him lessons.

“Sheffil, how is Jianle any worse than that girl from Chixia, Tianxia? Why’d you throw Jianle away for her?”

The girl who barked this accusation at Sheffil was fuming, arms crossed as she glared at him slouched lazily in his seat.

He recognized her—one of Jianle’s usual tagalongs, clearly a fangirl.

Though, to be honest, Jianle never seemed particularly fond of her.

Always distant, indifferent.

Classic case of unrequited affection.

If she were in a comic, she’d be a minor supporting character at best.

Wait a minute.

What did she just say?

“Huh?”

One of the bystanders reacted first.

“Huh?!”

Sheffil’s eyes flew open as a frown creased his brow.

“Did you say Tianxia?”

“Huh?!”

Even Dorothy, who had been on the verge of dozing off, suddenly snapped to attention.

She hadn’t really cared about the gossip until now, figuring there was nothing real going on between Sheffil and Jianle.

She was even planning to tease Jianle about it later in the neighboring class.

But why was Tianxia’s name being dragged into this?

“Hmph, still pretending?”

Jianle’s little fangirl looked ready to say more, but the school bell interrupted her.

“Alright, my dearest, most adorable students! Class time~! Back to your seats!”

A cheery, overly energetic middle-aged man strode into the room, his booming voice cutting through the noise and driving the students back to their places.

The moment the teacher—Reyno—arrived, the ruckus ended instantly.

He was infamous in the second division: friendly after class but a total hardliner during lessons.

That ever-smiling face may have seemed approachable, but no one wanted to end up dangling from the ceiling like last time for disrupting class.

“Tch.”

The fangirl clicked her tongue, clearly frustrated, and returned reluctantly to her seat.

Sheffil, meanwhile, remained frozen, a big question mark practically hovering over his head.

What on earth did Tianxia have to do with him now?

If not for the very real threat of being strung up again, he would’ve demanded answers then and there.

Forget it.

Sheffil sighed.

He’d just ask her directly later.

As that thought crossed his mind, his gaze drifted toward Dorothy, seated right up front.

For some reason, she was looking back at him with a strange, almost sinister smile.

Probably still half-asleep and mentally scrambled, he figured.

“Ah, before we begin today’s lesson, we have one more thing to take care of. Come on in.”

Reyno rapped his knuckles on the blackboard and gestured toward the hallway.

In that instant, a shiver ran down Sheffil’s spine.

“What do you mean, ‘come in’?”

“Is it a new teacher? Or maybe…”

The students buzzed with curiosity, but only two people—Dorothy and Sheffil—stared intently at the now-open door.

Sheffil’s gaze in particular was so intense it could’ve melted steel.

He already had a bad feeling.

Deep down, he knew who it would be.

But still, some part of him refused to believe it.

Because really, what were the odds…?

“Hello, everyone. I’m your new transfer student. You can call me Tianxia.”

A black-haired girl in full school uniform stepped onto the podium, her warm smile like a spring breeze.

Her gentle voice swept through the classroom—and instantly gave Sheffil goosebumps.

“She’s gorgeous…”

“That name—she’s not from around here, is she? Chixia, maybe?”

“Tianxia? That name sounds so familiar… Where did I just hear it…”

As the realization dawned, the murmuring ceased.

Every student instinctively turned to look at the boy sitting at the back of the room.

“Tianxia?! You transferred to our class?”

Dorothy shot up from her seat, staring in shock at the girl in front of her.

Tianxia’s eyes lit up.

With a bright smile, she replied, “Dorothy! I didn’t know you were in this class—what a coincidence.”

“Yeah… what a coincidence…”

Dorothy forced a smile as she awkwardly sat back down.

If not for what had just happened, she might’ve been excited to have another pretty girl join their class.

But now, with everything going on between Sheffil and Tianxia…

It left a sour taste in her mouth.

“And also, Sheffil,”

Tianxia continued, her gaze sliding back toward him with an amused glint in her eye.

Smiling slyly, she added in a lilting tone:

“Thank you for your… special attention the other day.”

As she spoke, a faint blush bloomed on her cheeks.

And Sheffil?

He was utterly, completely, done.