"Grace!" Mark ran after Grace. He stopped her by hugging her from behind. They ran into an abandoned corridor. "What was that for?"

"She is the one," Grace whispered to herself.

"Who?" Mark had to ask again. She spoke so quietly. Usually, she'd be very loud.

"The one who'll change him."

"Ailstar? How do you know it?" Mark asked with doubt.

"I just know," Grace answered with irritation.

"So, that's why you kicked her chair?" Mark started to panic. He hugged her tighter. 'Does she still have feelings for Ailstar? Why is it always Ailstar?'

"No!" she said quickly.

"Then why?!" he asked, his tone impatient.

"Because she can change you too! And I saw it. You were checking her out!"

"Hahaha, I see, so it's not because of him...I see. You never reacted like that before, when I helped a girl from a fall," said Mark. 'She was just jealous,' he thought.

"She is different."

"She is not, don't feel insecure," Mark reassured her.

"Who is the insecure one? Don't think I don't know," Grace retorted. She untangled herself from his hug, turning around to face him, she took hold of his tie, tying it around her hand so she could close the distance between their heights. Her face was next to his.

"Hm? What do you mean?" he asked with confusion.

"How you kissed me back then while he was watching us. You clearly provoked him. Did it feel good? To go once against him? Because I felt good," she whispered to his ears.

"I don't get it," Mark didn't understand.

"You are scared of Ailstar. You'd rather give up than fight him. Because you know you'll never be his match," she whispered. Like in the previous life, Mark liked Alisa, but because Alisa chose Ailstar, he gave up right away. Everyone would always choose Ailstar over Mark.

"Somehow, you know a lot about me," Mark put his head on her shoulder and hugged her waist. He always wondered how she knew his insecurities so well. Little did he know that in his previous life, he was always stalking Grace, afraid of Grace hurting Alisa.

"But don't worry, for me, you are better..much much better than him," Grace assured him.

"En, thank you," Mark buried his face closer to her and kissed her neck.

"We should go back," she said while letting him continue kissing her neck.

"En, but apologize to her. She is innocent," Mark still didn't give up.

"Fine," Grace sighed. She overreacted.

When they returned, everyone looked at their direction. Mark and Grace went to Alisa. Grace was still hesitating, but Mark nudged her shoulder, pressuring her not to run away. It'd be a big step ahead for Grace.

"Sorry, but it was his fault that he was checking you out," Grace apologized but still not forgetting to blame Mark.

"Grace!" Mark couldn't help but laugh. Grace apologizing was such a rarity.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to kick your chair. I should kick his chair instead!" she apologized. 'And Ailstar's too!' thought Grace.

"..." The whole class went silent, while Mark was continuing with his laughter.

"It's nothing," chuckled Alisa. 'Miss Olivia's sister is so cute,' she thought.

"Did you two guys finish?! Mr. Mark Foster and Ms. Grace Bacchus, prepare for detention! After class, stay back to write an apology letter!" warned their homeroom teacher with a raised voice. She was going insane because of those two! Rich kids were so bad! She couldn't do anything harsh because of their family background!

Mark and Grace went to their seat nonchalantly. They were too used to this scene. Actually, they were having fun together. Mark's seat was in front of Ailstar's.

Mark was so bored with his teacher blabbering, that he started to play with Grace's hair who was seated right in front of him. He felt amused, if it were before, his hand would be slapped away already, they were slowly getting used to each other, he thought. The people watching them coughed up blood, they were fighting a moment ago! So much dog food for their single hearts!

The teacher sighed, "I got a task to assign a new vice president of the student council due to a complication with the previous one. Miss Alisa Charles was chosen as she is ranked second, right after Mr. Ailstar Dalton. After class, both of you follow me to the council for more information."

Students started to whisper among themselves:

"Second rank?", "That pure student who was kicked by Grace?", "She'll be working with Ailstar!", "She is so lucky!", "She better not seduce our Ailstar!", "I heard she is a commoner and her family went bankrupt!", "But someone paid her debts, maybe a sugar daddy!", "Is she kept as a mistress?!", "I heard it's some underworld boss!"

The more someone listened to the rumors, the more absurd they became.

· · ─── · ⊱❈⊰· ─── · ·

Alisa and Ailstar had been working with assignments for a few days. The atmosphere between them was like a silent war. Secretaries and helpers in the council started hating working with Ailstar. He was cool and all but the pressure was too much on them. After they finished their work, they scattered like bees.

How did Ailstar fall in love in the previous life? Alisa was a silent hardworking girl. She avoided him to prevent trouble, and it piqued his interest. Those scaredy cats were the easiest target to satisfy his ego, and with time, she gave in. Because when somebody like Ailstar got interested in a commoner, which girl wouldn't feel special? The same went for Grace, who unconsciously copied the old Alisa's personality.

Now that Grace and Mark abandoned him, would it still be the old him?

Today, Ailstar and Alisa were alone in the council. They needed to stay over because of a mistake. Somebody changed the number of funds required for each club.

Olivia never told Alisa how to beat Ailstar. Alisa took it as in everything. And thus, she started doing the paperwork as if injected by chicken blood.

'Know yourself, know your enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles without loss!' Alisa thought to herself, finishing her paperwork. "Do you need any help? I'm done with mine," she offered her help.

Alistar answered with a cold, "No."

"Does it mean you are done too?"

"En."

Alisa rolled her eyes, "You should have said it. Why did you not go home then?"

"..." He didn't respond.

"How do you even communicate with people?" she raised a question. 'They sure hate to speak to you,' she thought to herself.

"Why do I need to talk to you?" He responded coldly.

Alisa packed up her things, "Do you want to be always alone?"

"..." He didn't react.

"This is how exactly you will always be alone," Alisa continued, "Who am I to judge? I am going home. See you tomorrow!" After packing up, she was ready to go home.

"Wait," he stopped her.

"Hm? What is it?" Alisa hid her smile and turned around to face him.

"Stay with me," he requested. Being alone was exhausting. Being with people was exhausting too, he didn't understand himself anymore.

"Then, let's go for a walk. It's a bit stuffy here," she told him.

"En." He put on his jacket, and both of them went for a tour around the school.

"What are you holding?" he asked, noticing how every once in a while, she looked at her hands.

"This?" She showed him her hand warmer, "It's my lucky charm." She smiled to herself. It helped her as a distraction from Ailstar. She'd need to thank Miss Olivia later.

"..." He looked at the hand warmer in his hand, "It's warm."

"Do you like it? This one was a present for me, but I can buy you a new one."

"En," he gave it back to her.

"How did you survive until now?"

"..." He kept being silent. He didn't know himself.

"I mean, how did you survive without communication?" she tried to explain.

"Busy. No time." He chose to bury himself with the workload, so he didn't have to socialize. All people had ulterior motives. This girl had too, but right now, he'd let it be.

"Oh, to tell you the truth, I am attracted to your face and money, which I can't help myself. It's like an instinct. Same as those animals in the wilderness I suppose," She finally took a breath. That strange feeling diminished a bit. Miss Olivia was right. Communication is a way to success!

"Oh," he smiled lightly.

"Hm, did you just smile?!" Alisa widened her eyes. 'Why is he so handsome?! Just pretend he is a sack of sweet potatoes,' she thought to herself.

"En," he responded. Now, he couldn't even expose her. She just confessed to herself.

"It's just an early fascination. It should go away in time. Or maybe not?" Alisa said with an awkward smile.

"Shameless," he spoke.

"I'm not asking you to date me. After all, it was for my own good." When Alisa realized what she did, she felt a bit embraced; her ears tinted red, quickly, she calmed down. 'It's just a face, don't lose to him!'

"..."

They kept walking without words, taking in this silently calm atmosphere.

"We should go back or someone will notice that I am walking with the cold tyrant," Alisa laughed nervously, feeling the strange gazes of the passerby.

"Cold tyrant?" he asked.

"It's a nickname, an oppressive ruler who imprisoned many female's hearts," Alisa explained.

"It's their own fault," he said, frowning at his cheesy nickname.

Alisa looked at the sky, "Maybe they are like me?"

It's hard to understand cold people. Did Ailstar in the past chase after her to satisfy his ego, or was it due to loneliness? And by chance, Alisa was the nearest one?

❰ Hidden quest success: Alisa confess to Ailstar +1000p.❱

❰ Hidden quest: Ailstar confess to Alisa +1000p.❱

❰ Hidden quest: Alisa and Ailstar become a couple of the year +1000p.❱

❰ Hidden quest: A kiss between Alisa and Ailstar +1000p.❱