"What?".


    Soma, dumbfounded by what his girlfriend said, stares at her smiling face before smelling a flowery scent that assaults his nose and jolts his brain awake. As their bodies were close to each other and Soma felt his heart leapt to his throat, he felt a stinging pinch on his cheek.


    "Let''s go meet Rnd!".


    Serafina stood up from the seat and stretched her stiff body, emphasizing her alluring body for Soma to see. Although she didn''t have a massive asset, her medium and tall figure covered everything, and it was to his taste.


    "But, how about our date? You are the one who asked me out".


    "Well, true I felt a bit disappointed by the result but we can date anytime".


    "Sera...".


    "In this case, we couldn''t just sit still and wait to find out what scheme those old people built."


    Hiding before Soma, where she showed her back, Serafina, using her swift thumbs, began to tap something on her phone. It generally got sent to the group message she built with the other two girls who had feelings for Soma without him knowing.


    Serafina could see the other two had read the message, so she tucked her phone in her pocket and sighed meaningfully while Soma watched her act obliviously.


    "What is it?".


    "Nothing, let''s go to Rnd''s office".


    Without giving her a warning, Soma grabbed Serafina''s hand, pulled her to his chest, and tightly embraced her soft body, treating it like a precious jewel. At first, he didn''t have any intention of doing any of this and decided to have fun with her and then deal with it himself.


    However, it seemed the girl was one step ahead in trying to understand his heart, whom they know always one step ahead to take all of the burden alone, hurting and worrying them.


    Soma reluctantly parted ways with the warmth in his embrace and its soothing smell; he saw Serafina smile affectionately to him but wondered why Soma felt a bad premonition from that.


    "Shall we go then?".


    "Yeah, let''s go".


    When he intently tries to lead her, Serafina gets the better of him once more by pulling his hand, and the two leave the deste ce surrounded by shelves and books. Once they are in the corridor, they see several students in pairs, who also seem to be searching for some quiet ce to spend time with their partners.


    The two didn''t attract much attention as they glided through several corridors and seeded in escaping the building. They stepped foot outside, where the atmosphere was still hectic, with visitors and students aside.


    After resuming their purpose, they finally arrived at Rnd''s office, which Soma had visited before when he had a meeting with Jiang''s family head. However, to his surprise, when he intended to knock on the door in front of him, he felt a slight tug on his sleeves.


    Soma turned around and witnessed Serafina shaking his head to the side before opening her mouth.


    "Wait for a bit!".


    "Why?".


    "You will know itter".


    He tilted his head, slightly oblivious to her act. But all of his doubts were answered as he saw Hina and Xiao Lian running at full speed, approaching their ce.


    Within a blink, the two arrived before them and stoodposed as they exchanged some light smiles with Serafina, then turned to Soma with a darkened face.


    "So, it was like that".


    Hina, who saw him, sighed, copied his action, and approached his side with a slightly irritated mind, but she held back and only lightly punched his chest. Her eyes were sharp and determined. Soma also could see a slight anger behind it; he turned to the side, and Xiao Lian also had the same thoughts.


    "Idiot! Next time, please notify us if you are involved with something dangerous. We know we are not strong enough to help you or might be a burden. But at least we can carry your wounded Body to flee or to search some safe ce for temporary retreat while you recovered using some potion".


    The punch was light enough that he felt tickle, but the words that escaped her lips greatly shook his heart and filled his mind with tremendous guilt for leaving them behind. He fell silent for a few seconds, and when he tried to apologize directly.


    ''Bang,'' with no shred of hesitation, Serafina breached through the front door, alerting some teacher who had business in the building. The teacher red at Serafina.


    "Student Serafina, what are you...".


    "Sorry, we have some urgent business with headmaster Rnd!".


    Not minding the teacher''s lectures, Serafina dragged Soma, and the other two followed behind while feeling apologetic. The four of them walked several corridors and stairs before arriving in front of a twin wooden door, which she lightly knocked.


    "Who is it?".


    A calm and collected voice curiously asked as he recalled he had no meeting with some guest.


    "Excuse me!".


    Again, Serafina brazenly pushed the door, making Rnd''s face knitted in a frown, but after he saw the people were involved, his eyes opened wide. He saw Serafina and the person who beat him yesterdaye along with two others.


    Rnd is bewildered by thebination, but once he sees Soma''s frown, he begins to understand the situation.


    "...Have a seat first!".


    Soma and the others sat on a three-seater sofa facing each other between a rectangr granite table. Because of the many guests who visited, Rnd quickly took out a single-seater sofa, ced it on the right side, and sat on it.


    On the empty table, a silver kettle exhales steam from its small hole, along with several cups and a te of cookies, for he knows that the discussion will be extended. Rnd tries to stand up from his ce, but a delicate pale hand belonging to Hina interrupts him.


    "Headmaster let me do it!".


    "Ah, thanks and please do".


    Hina nodded her head and began to pick up the kettle and pour it into the cup before she served it to the others.


    Steam wafted through the air, bringing a mild fragrance that invited the people to look at the cup in front of them. The snacks served beside it also roused everyone''s appetite.


    "Help yourself!".


    Rnd gently urged the kids to have a taste, and they looked at each other, feeling hesitant. However, different from them, Serafina nodded her head before taking the cup and sipping the fragrant tea elegantly.


    "It''s good".


    She put away the cup and then took the dry cookies from the te and leaned her body backwards. The other people couldn''t help but sigh helplessly at her attitude. Hina and Xiao Lian hesitated before taking the cup in hand and took a sip.


    The gentle and bittersweet taste of the tea washed away their mouth, which was filled with grease.


    "So, what are you guysing here for?".


    Rnd, acting obliviously, nced at Soma, who had been staring at his face since earlier. The girls exchanged a strange look before opening their ears and bracing themselves for what woulde.


    "Why do you release him? That demon? You should kill him while you can!".


    The girls sucked a cold breath of air, as Soma did not mince his words and directly pointed it at Rnd, who received it with a calm gaze. The silence hung before it turned heavier as time passed without any words.


    Rnd sighed as he threw his gaze forward, then faced Soma once more.


    "...There is no use in hiding it from you guys, but before I reveal it, are you guys prepared for the consequences of hearing this information?".


    A silent, heavy pressure exuded from Rnd''s body. The girls stiffened as they felt the pressure pressing their bodies. They gritted their teeth, resisting the transparent threat that came on them with a firm nod filled with resolve, which shocked even Rnd.


    "Okay, then. I hope you guys don''t regret it ande cryingter".


    Four pairs of eyes silently waited for the exnation; Rnd once sighed before revealing what was on his mind all along.


    "Actually, my wife and I were nning something...".


    "!?".


    *****


    "Huuf, what am I doing exactly?".


    Lin Fan sighed under thefort of the canopy, which blocked the sun''s rays from burning his skin directly. He lifted his gaze as a pleasant breeze drifted his mind along into a dream-like state, closing his eyes gently.


    A calm rustling sound above him further submerged him from the world. Suddenly, his ck view shifted as a memory from his childhood began to replicate, and he saw his mother, who lovingly watched his progress in martial arts.


    Then, a petite and adorable figure, with her eyes closed, resting on her mother''s bosom, enjoying the pleasant wind of autumn, just like he did.


    "Mother, Lin Jia".


    Recently, these kinds of memories kept showing up whenever he was immersed in his own thoughts. All of this happened after he exchanged fists with Soma in the final match.


    Lin Fan shook his head, opened his eyes slowly, and remembered what Soma had given him at that time. He took it from his storage ring and ced it on his sight.


    "Why did he give me this? Does he know my family circumstance?".