The walk to the academy had never felt so long for Lyan, or well, at least today it felt that way.
One of the main reasons was clearly his slow pace, taking all the time in the world with each step that brought him closer and closer to his suffocating student life.
'I wish time would pass quickly…'
He thought while looking at the ground, wishing those more than five consecutive hours of classes would just end already.
But well, there was nothing he could do about it.
Without further thought, he kept walking with his head lowered, watching his own feet.
When he was already a few meters from the academy entrance, he couldn't help but lift his gaze upon hearing a noise in front of him.
In the center of the courtyard, there was a small group of curious students surrounding a girl.
She was a tall girl, with long black hair and eyes of the same color; her figure was extremely eye-catching even under the uniform.
With breasts that stood out and gave the impression they would burst the buttons of her shirt. A perfect butt, not too big or too small, but… perfect.
This girl was Lyra, one of the five most popular girls in the entire academy.
In front of her, there was a tall boy, his hands trembling slightly and his face completely red.
'A confession?' was the first thing that crossed Lyra's mind, since it was something that happened almost every day.
Lyan stopped momentarily near the entrance, watching the scene from a distance.
The boy was clearly from an upper year, and although what he said didn't reach where he stood, his body language said it all.
He was in love.
Lyan kept watching how the scene unfolded, but as expected, it ended like all the others.
With a resounding rejection.
The boy lowered his gaze, his shoulders already slumped, and after a few seconds, he turned around and began to walk away.
'As expected.'
Neither Lyra nor the other five girls had ever accepted a confession.
It didn't matter who it was…
The captain of the football team, the student council president, or the most handsome boy in the academy…
All of them had been rejected without mercy.
It was almost as if those four lived in a completely different world from the rest of the students.
Completely unreachable and untouchable.
'I wonder… what kind of guy they like…'
As he thought about that, he didn't notice the presence approaching him from behind.
Smack!
Someone hit him from behind with an open palm directly on the back of his neck.
Lyan staggered forward, nearly losing his glasses in the process.
'What…?'
Before he could turn around to look, an arm slid over his neck.
It pulled him back, bringing him closer to the body of someone taller than him.
"Hey, Lyan!"
A voice he recognized instantly.
Lyan no longer needed to look at the person holding him close.
The boy was a classmate named Lucas.
Tall, blond, with light-colored eyes, a defined jaw, and a sturdy build.
He was clearly popular by nature. The kind of person who walked through the halls as if they owned them.
And one of the main bullies who made his life miserable…
"How are you, man?" Lucas asked with a smile.
Completely ignoring the hit he had just given him.
Lyan could only feel Lucas's arm tighten slightly around his neck.
Not enough to cause pain, but enough to remind him who was in control.
"F-Fine…" Lyan replied in a low voice.
"Glad to hear that, man."
Lucas's smile never disappeared, but his gaze turned colder.
"By the way… you did the homework, right?"
The moment he heard it, Lyan's stomach seemed to shrink.
'Shit… the homework…'
Because he had been playing around, he had completely forgotten to do it… or well, not exactly.
He had done his own, but he had completely forgotten Lucas's.
And the others' too…
'Shit.'
He thought, somewhat scared, swallowing hard.
He could only look Lucas in the eyes while forcing a smile. "Y-Yeah…"
Lucas stared at him for a few seconds before nodding.
"You better have."
His tone made it clear what would happen if he was lying.
Lyan could only nod silently, knowing perfectly well what awaited him after classes.
At that moment, other boys approached the two of them.
"So this is where you were, Lucas."
A group of three boys walked up and positioned themselves at their sides, all wearing the same uniform.
Lucas's group of friends.
Boys who were also popular in the academy and just as unpleasant when they wanted to be.
One of them, a brown-haired boy, looked at Lyan with a mocking smile.
"Oh, look who's here."
At the comment, another one let out a laugh.
"Leave him alone, Lucas. Don't bother the kid so early."
The sarcasm in their voices was damn obvious.
Lyan could only lower his gaze at the comments, already used to them.
So he simply stayed there, with Lucas's arm still around his neck, while they talked.
'…'
He just had to endure it, he had done it before…
For some reason, he raised his gaze forward, especially toward where the small group of students had been earlier.
Only to see Lyra directly, who was still standing in that spot.
The boy who had confessed to her was nowhere to be seen, probably crying somewhere in a corner of the campus.
She was looking in his direction, and at that moment…
Lyan noticed that her gaze wasn't on Lucas's group or anywhere else, but specifically on him.
'Huh?'
His mind blanked for a moment. Why would Lyra look at him, of all people?
Did he have something on his face?
Or was it just a coincidence and nothing more…?
Before he could find an answer, Lyra did something completely unexpected for Lyan, and that was that she smiled at him.
A small smile, warm and subtle.
Clearly directed at him.
Lyan could only blink several times.
'How?'