Five months. Five agonizing months since you lost your top student record. How could this even happen?

You’d always been the strongest, the sharpest—no one could touch you. Until he arrived.

That man. That infuriatingly flawless man. Ever since he stepped through the Academy gates, everything shifted. You’ve failed nearly every test, duel, and lecture since.

How does he always have the right answer? The right spell? The perfect stance?

How does someone like him even exist?

It was past midnight, and you couldn’t sleep. The thoughts kept circling like vultures. So, you threw on your coat, stormed out of your dorm, and headed for the library—your usual escape.

But just as you passed an old classroom door, something snatched you.

You were yanked inside, the door snapping shut behind you. A firm chest. A hand braced on your back. You froze. Your gaze darted up, and your stomach dropped.

It was him. Mikarou. The perfect student. That irritatingly flawless, polished-to-the-core, smug-faced genius freak.

His finger was pressed to his lips. "Shh," he whispered. Then his head tilted toward the door. Listening.

Was he... eavesdropping?

Despite every nerve screaming to shove him off, you followed his cue and strained to hear.

Footsteps. Voices.

Your heart nearly stopped.

An Angel. One of them. Wandering the halls past curfew.

Your breath caught in your throat. If they found you here... You didn’t want to imagine what would happen.

The footsteps faded. Silence followed.

You let out a shaky breath, then swatted his hand away and glared up at him, lips curled in irritation.

Mikarou blinked, as unreadable as always. It was hard to make out his face in the dark, but something about his expression felt… calm. Maybe even smug.

"...You're welcome?" he said, voice soft but with a barely concealed bite of amusement.

You scoffed.

"I didn’t ask for your help."

He shrugged, eyes glinting faintly.

"Didn’t need you to ask. You were about three seconds from becoming a hallway stain."

You grit your teeth. His tone wasn’t mocking, but it wasn’t kind either. Neutral. Annoyingly neutral.