“What... do you mean? Didn’t you say... didn’t you say you liked me too? Why can’t we be together?” Tiffany asked once again, her boldness refusing to waver.Her voice trembled despite her efforts to stay composed. The nervousness written across her face was impossible to miss.She reached for Luke’s arms again, but he quickly stood and stepped back to avoid her. The sudden movement caused Tiffany to lose her balance slightly and drop back onto the bench.“When did I say I liked you? I don’t remember saying anything like that,” he replied with a laugh, feigning innocence.“But you... yesterday...”“Oh, you mean what happened in the cafeteria yesterday?” he immediately cut in.Planting his hands on his waist, he let out a mocking chuckle.“Isn’t it obvious by now? I was just fooling around with you too. I knew from the beginning that you had a boyfriend. But since you decided to play games with me, I figured I’d return th

The bright afternoon sky gradually lost its vibrance as thick clouds drifted across the sun. Without its warm rays reflecting on the water, even the calm lake seemed to lose its life.The wind blew from the direction of the lake toward the school building, carrying with it a cool breeze that drowned out the mocking shouts of the male students. They had looked ready to beat Luke senseless only moments ago, yet not a single one of them dared step forward.Luke, who had been staring at Lance the entire time, raised an eyebrow slightly before letting out a restrained laugh.“You really think too highly of me, Young Master Lance. I’m not nearly capable enough to make Veronica regret her decision. I’m just a gang member, while Richard is still the young master of one of the most prominent families in this city. What makes you think she’d choose someone like me over him?”Lance remained silent for a moment, making no attempt to answer. Instead, he lifted

In the middle of the raging storm, two men sat on separate benches facing each other, their eyes locked in an unwavering stare. It was as though both of them were trying to peer straight into the other’s soul, completely unbothered by the cold gusts of wind or the relentless rain drenching everything around them. One wore a calm expression with the faintest hint of amusement tugging at his lips. The other looked stern, as though he was barely holding himself back from exploding in anger. Lance was already at the end of his rope. Even so, he understood one thing perfectly well. No matter how much he let his anger take over, there was nothing he could do against Luke. Not after Luke had effortlessly stopped his powerful kick. Not once. But twice. If they fought to the death right now, he wouldn’t stand a chance. He would simply end up losing. Luke understood that as well. That was why he was confident Lance wasn’t foolish enough to throw the first punch. If anything, Luke believe

Based on Luke’s recent encounters with Kina, he could now make a rough guess about the meaning behind the strange looks she kept giving him whenever their eyes met.Aside from the long stares whose meaning he still couldn’t fully grasp, there were also the brief ones. Quick, deliberate glances that seemed to carry a message. Like the one earlier.It was as though she was trying to say something without actually saying it. As if she were speaking to him through silence alone.Whenever he looked at her, however, he was either too mesmerized or too uncomfortable to understand what she was trying to convey.‘Was she... asking for help?’ he wondered, trying to make sense of those strange looks.That was the only conclusion he could reasonably arrive at. Unless Kina was somehow captivated by his appearance, which he highly doubted, there was no other explanation for why she kept looking at him in such an inexplicable way.Besides, they

A car came to a stop in front of a massive compound surrounded by tall, weathered walls. It looked like an ancient ruin that had somehow been preserved in the modern era.Even the gate showed traces of rust, though most of it had been repainted. Whoever had been assigned to keep it looking new had clearly grown lazy, as patches of age were still plainly visible beneath the fresh paint.Beyond the walls, there was nothing but a vast open plain separating the compound from the city. A few different aircraft were parked around the area, explaining why the open field resembled a small airstrip.After getting out of the car, Luke couldn’t help but stare at the gate with an indifferent expression.A giant scorpion emblem had been painted in the very center. Whenever the gate opened, the symbol split neatly into two halves.It was similar to the gate of the Blazing Phoenix Gang, where a phoenix was painted across the center. The only difference