At School
After changing clothes, Edward—now dressed in a junior high school uniform—stood in front of the mirror, studying his reflection with a calm expression. Yet deep in his eyes lingered a trace of unfamiliarity with this new life. Behind him, Henry wore the same uniform, looking as though he had just swallowed a spoonful of foul-tasting medicine.
"I never thought I'd have to wear this again in my life. I almost laughed at myself," Henry muttered under his breath, offering an awkward smile to his reflection as he adjusted his collar.
"Why, Brother Henry? Does it look that strange?" Edward asked teasingly, though his eyes remained fixed on the mirror.
"I've been immortal for over fifty years. Even when I was human, I had already passed my twenties. Putting on a school uniform again just feels… out of place."
Edward chuckled softly. "If it's that uncomfortable, you can go back home. This is a human school, not a battlefield."
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you'll be fine on your own? Look—speak of the devil."
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Billy and Arnold, classmates known for picking fights out of sheer boredom, walked straight toward them with troublesome expressions.
"What's the young master and his lackey doing blocking the way?" Billy sneered, deliberately slamming his shoulder into Edward's.
Instead of knocking Edward back, Billy recoiled as if he had crashed into a steel pillar.
"Ugh!" he cried out, clutching his shoulder in pain.
"Are you human or scrap metal?" he growled before striking Edward's back with all his strength. The only thing he gained was a painful shock that numbed his hand. He cursed, shaking it furiously.
"You'd better not start trouble," Edward said calmly before walking away with Henry, not even sparing them a glance.
Arnold frowned and whispered, "Is he even human?"
"If you're so curious, go slap his head yourself!" Billy snapped, smoke nearly rising from his ears in frustration.
Inside the classroom, the late afternoon sunlight streamed through large windows. Elysia sat at her desk, head lowered behind her textbook, trying to hide her face. The sound of familiar footsteps made her heart skip. Edward stopped in front of her desk and tapped lightly to get her attention.
"Alice," he called with a mischievous smile.
Elysia looked up, frowning. "Could you stop making that annoying face? You look like a sly cat who just stole fish from the market."
"I was just teasing… but what I said this morning—I meant it. I'm just waiting for you to say yes." He grinned. "My good looks can melt quite a few hearts, you know."
She sighed, clearly irritated. "Go back to your seat. The teacher's here."
Instead, Edward nudged the student sitting beside her. "Mind if I sit here?"
"Are you trying to hit on my friend?"
"Well… yes," he answered without hesitation, calmly pulling the boy up and sending him to sit beside Henry instead. Henry, seated in the corner, shook his head and chuckled softly.
"My young master courts someone like he's auditioning to be a leading man in a TV drama."
Edward sat beside her and moved her textbook slightly toward the middle. Elysia quickly pulled it back possessively.
"Let me see too. I don't have my book yet," he said gently, leaning closer. His silver-gray eyes caught the window light softly, as though they were pleading more than his words.
For a fleeting second, she saw sincerity in his gaze… or perhaps she imagined it. With a quiet sigh, she slid the book between them. Their desk became a tiny world shared by two people turning the same pages.
Throughout the lesson, they stole glances at each other unconsciously. Whenever his fingers brushed near hers along the edge of the book, Elysia's heart skipped beats. Edward's eyes, too, were filled with questions, hesitation, and something unspoken… or perhaps something he did not dare to say.
When the bell rang, breaking the fragile silence between them, Elysia turned to him sharply.
"What exactly is your problem with me?" she demanded, her voice firm but trembling slightly. "Why are you acting so strange?"
Edward paused only a fraction of a second before meeting her gaze directly.
"I like you. I really do." His voice was steady. "I want to get closer to you. I want to know you better. I want to be… part of your life."
She looked away, heart racing. "But you make me frustrated," she murmured. "You make me not understand myself."
A faint smile curved his lips—no teasing this time, only hope. "Then… I'll start courting you again. Officially. Okay?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Trey…"
His smile widened slightly. "My name now is Edward Trey Holler."
She studied his face carefully. "Yesterday you had a wound on your face. Where did it go?"
He arched an eyebrow. "Just used a little power. A handsome face like mine can't have scars, can it?"
"You're… not normal, are you?" she asked seriously.
He didn't break eye contact. "Anything you want to know about me—just ask. I'll answer everything."
She fell silent for a moment before lowering her gaze to the book again. "Not now," she said softly but firmly.
And in that quiet moment, both their hearts trembled—not just with questions, but with feelings slowly taking shape.
9:00 PM
The sky had darkened to deep gray. A cool wind swept through the quiet streets. Elysia walked home alone, her footsteps echoing in the narrow alley. Her mind replayed Edward's confession in the classroom.
Then suddenly, an unnatural chill crept into her chest. She felt eyes on her.
Turning back, she saw two teenage boys following at a distance. One smirked wickedly. Before she could react, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist like iron clamps.
"Where are you going, little miss? Walking alone like this is dangerous…" one of them drawled slowly.
"Let go of me!" Elysia shouted, kicking one hard in the chest. He staggered back but didn't retreat.
Then a roaring engine shattered the air—a warning growl from a predator. A matte-black car sped toward them, braking sharply with a piercing screech. The door swung open.
Edward stepped out gracefully, his eyes icy—cold enough to shatter into blades. He said only one thing:
"Get in the car. Now."
Elysia didn't hesitate. She ran into the car immediately. But Edward remained still, hands on the wheel, staring at the boys. His gaze had changed completely. It was no longer playful.
It was the gaze of a demon.
"Who the hell is this guy?" one sneered—until Edward stepped forward slowly.
"Drive!" Elysia screamed from inside the car, voice shaking.
But Edward didn't listen.
Suddenly, he accelerated straight at them. Tires screeched violently. The boys scattered in terror as he swerved away at the last second—like a predator warning its prey.
Next time, there will be no mercy.
Inside the car, Elysia's hands trembled as she fastened her seatbelt.
"Were you… really going to kill them?" she asked.
"If I hadn't stopped myself, they'd be lying in their own blood right now," he replied calmly, coldly.
"You can't do that!" she shouted, anger and fear mixing in her voice.
He didn't answer immediately, eyes fixed on the road. "I know what they were thinking about you. It was vile. Disgusting."
"You… can read their minds?"
"Yes," he said quietly. "And I know they didn't intend just harassment. It was worse. Bad enough to make me want to tear their throats out right there."
Silence filled the car, heavy as death.
She swallowed hard before forcing a change of subject. "Then… I think you should wear your seatbelt now."
He gave a faint smile, though darkness still lingered in his eyes. "You first."
He pressed the accelerator again, the car surging forward before finally stopping in front of her house.
"Go inside. It's getting late," he said calmly, as though nothing had happened.
Elysia opened the door but paused to glance back at him.
"Trey… thank you. For coming to help me."
He nodded slightly. "Mm. It's nothing."
Yet in his eyes remained something she still could not read at all.