Lucas was still running like a madman through the thick crowd of people starting their day—pushing past shoulders, slipping through open gaps, nearly tripping over a stray briefcase. The city was alive with chatter and purpose, and yet here he was — just a panicked, sweating young man tearing through the morning like a loose dog on the freeway.
Civil servants in coats and ties looked at him with wrinkled noses and disgusted eyes.
"What the hell is that kid doing?"
"Unbelievable… these students."
"Don't they teach them anything in school these days?!"
"Running like he's possessed…"
But Lucas didn't care.
He couldn't care.
His eyes darted left, then right, cornering every alley he passed, looking for even a glimpse of salvation—or doom.
No salvation.
Just doom.
Because every time he glanced to the side, he saw her again—those dangerously beautiful red eyes, that long black hair that danced like a shadow in the wind.
She was there.
In every alley. At every turn.
Like someone had gone and copy-pasted the mysterious girl, placing a clone at every damn checkpoint he crossed.
What kind of horror movie logic was this?!
But then… school. Sweet, blessed, sacred school.
His heart skipped. His eyes lit up.
His pace quickened until his legs couldn't keep up with how fast his heart wanted him to go.
And finally, he made it. The school gates.
He burst through them like a man escaping death row and did the first thing his panicked instincts told him to—
Grab onto the nearest, biggest pair of feminine hips like his life depended on it.
"PHEW, SAFE!!"
His arms were already wrapped tight around someone's waist as his strained forehead rested between what felt like two very comfy pillows. He was panting, drenched in sweat, and shaking like a goat after yoga.
A sharp voice dropped like an anvil.
"Excuse me…?"
Lucas blinked.
He froze.
His head, still firmly pressed against two very soft things, tilted up slowly.
Oh no.
Ohhh no.
It was Mira Reynald.
His classmate. His friend. His tomboy friend.
The girl with short, messy black hair that framed her face like a chaotic crown, those sapphire-blue eyes that sparkled like uncut gems, and a sexy, athletic build that her school uniform could barely hide.
She had warm, bronze-toned skin that made her stand out in a beautiful way—something people often pointed out and admired.
But honestly, she never really liked the attention
Arms crossed right under her generous breasts, Mira raised a brow, looking down at him with the face of someone who just caught a wild animal in her backyard.
"Ahem? What the hell are you doing down there?"
Lucas didn't flinch. He even smiled a little.
"Now, now…"
He said, lifting a finger like she'd interrupted him.
"I know you're wondering, but let me just say—"
And then.
He squeezed.
Twice.
His ten fingers sank into those thick masses of flesh like they were memory foam soaked in forbidden dreams.
"… Woah. Aren't these a pair of softies…"
Mira's soul left her body for a second. She stared at him with eyes wide enough to reflect the gates of heaven—or maybe hell. Her lips parted, but no words came. Her body began to twitch as a single vein popped on her forehead.
"You… you pervert…"
Her face turned bright red, eyes sharp as blades, teeth gritted like a beast about to roar.
Lucas closed his eyes and smiled, as if he'd achieved some kind of spiritual breakthrough.
"Mhm… there's nothing better than having a tomboy with a fat ass as a friend. She says don't squeeze, I still keep squeezing… yada yada yada… pure cinema."
Mira was just about to blow up when—
"What's going on here?"
The voice was soft.
Calm. Feminine. Deadly.
Not even looking, Lucas just replied like he was on autopilot.
"Some would say harassment. Philosophers would say it's patting the cabbages before they hatch… or was it eggs that hatch? I don't know, man."
He shrugged.
Still holding Mira's waist.
But then he noticed something… Mira had frozen.
Completely.
Her eyes widened, face pale, legs stiff.
"Eh?"
Lucas blinked and let go, slowly standing up.
"Why you built like a statue all of a sudden…?"
And then Mira shouted:
"Uhm… uhm… good morning, Student Body President!!"
Lucas turned.
He saw her.
And the world stopped.
Midnight black hair like flowing silk, pale skin so flawless it felt illegal, a face sculpted by the gods themselves.
Slim, ethereal, terrifyingly beautiful.
She didn't look like she belonged in this country—hell, she didn't look like she belonged on this planet.
Lilith Sinclair.
And beside her…
A giant.
Tall. Seven foot four. Dark-skinned.
Built like a monster in a tuxedo.
Holding a fancy black silk parasol over her head with one hand like a loyal butler.
Black shades. Stone face. Silent intimidation.
Lucas couldn't move. He just stared.
Other students began to murmur.
"Isn't that Lilith Sinclair?"
"She's not even from here… I heard she's from some mega rich noble family in Europe."
"Look at her skin, man. It's like those beauties they describe in novels… like snow reflecting glacier water. I think I'd stain her if I touched her."
"Isn't she like… a third-year transfer? This school never takes those."
"Apparently her dad promised to fund the school's renovation for a whole year."
"Honestly, I don't think all that stuff is really necessary. It's not like our school is some elite private academy that everyone's desperate to get into—especially not someone from a rich noble family in this day and age."
"Real… and besides, Lucas Gray attends this school."
"Ugh, the school's very own pervert."
"Too bad he's actually kind of cute though, you know…"
Lucas blinked.
He realized something horrifying.
Everyone was staring at Lilith.
But Lilith… was staring at him.
Those blood-red eyes—those same eyes from the alley.
Cold. Calm. Deep.
Was she really looking at him?
No, couldn't be.
He noticed it again—the students were whispering and giving him those judgmental looks.
It was strange.
The girl who could easily be called the most beautiful senior in school, kept staring only at Lucas Gray.
Sure, Lucas was on the soccer team, popular around campus, and even popular with the cheerleaders—including the most sought-after ones. But still, it was hard to believe she'd even bother looking his way.
Why would someone like her waste those beautiful crimson eyes on him?
"I'm pretty sure she's just grossed out!"
"Okay, let's be real. If someone can genuinely get past how Lucas usually behaves, they'd probably admit he's actually really damn good-looking. Just saying."
"I mean yeah, he's attractive… sure. But let's not pretend that American guys can compete with the kind of beauty European men have. Their boys already look like men, and their men look like something out of Greek mythology."
"Boys like men, and men like gods… KYAAAAHH ❤️!"
"I totally agree. I'd shave my legs just from dreaming about being with a European guy!"
"Ahh~ I think a tear just ran down my leg~"
"Uhm…"
"SHHHH! Look… she's about to do something!"
Lilith stepped forward.
Her parasol-wielding colossus rigidly followed behind without a word.
Lucas stepped back. Once. Twice.
There was a way those red eyes stared at him that made him feel as if he wouldn't be able to look away—it was as if she had an invisible hand grasping his heart.
This girl was beautiful and noble.
But at the same time… she felt dangerous.
Lilith tilted her head.
Her eyes looked softer than feathers.
In fact, her expression so gentle it somehow made her even more terrifying.
"Do I look familiar to you?"
The way she asked… her voice was so soft.
In that moment, it honestly felt like she and Lucas were the only two people in the world.
There was something in her eyes—like a thirst.
It was the same kind of look Lucas had whenever he stared at one of his erotic magazines first thing in the morning—that hungry, guilty desire to lose himself in something that felt good, in a way that helping others never could.
Was that thirst he saw in her eyes?
Was the Student Body President actually drawn to him?
Or… was his brain just making it all up?
Lucas' breath caught in his throat.
『I… I know her…』
Yes.
Yes, he did.
She was the girl in the alley.