Ch. 28
Sunday passed like a calm wave.
Selene spent the entire day inside her room curled up on her soft sheets, binge-watching old fantasy movies and reading novels she found in the mansion's mini library.
It was peaceful.
No drama.
No weird handsome men showing up out of nowhere. Just her, snacks, and her comfort blanket.
She even muttered at one point, "Now this... is the real luxury of transmigration."
Her phone buzzed a few times mostly school group chats but she, ignored them all.
Sunday was her day.
No Montclair, no Ward or Vale boys.
Just peace.
The corridors were alive, students crowding near the bulletin board like moths to a flame. Selene blinked at the noise.
"It's way too early for this level of excitement," she muttered as she adjusted her bag strap.
Then she saw the paper everyone was fussing about, the academic ranking list for the entire first-year level.
Her gaze trailed down the board.
The crowd around her started murmuring.
"Whoa, Valen topped the list again! She's insane."
"Liana dropped to second, huh? Still impressive."
"Poor Lina... she's the scholar, right?"
"Yeah, but people say she's been slacking off lately. Spending too much time flirting with Ethan or Adrian—"
Selene frowned at the tone of their whispers. Typical plot. When a poor girl gets close to popular guys, suddenly she's 'wasting her scholarship.'
She quietly walked away, pretending not to hear the rest. Meanwhile, in another part of the building, Lina Grey sat quietly at her desk, eyes fixed on the classroom window.
The whispers followed her like a shadow.
"She's fourth now? Maybe she's losing her focus."
"She only got her scholarship because of pity."
"Bet, she's hanging out with Ethan again instead of studying."
Each word cut deeper than the last.
She bit her lip, clutching her pen tightly until her knuckles turned white.
When the bell rang, Lina slipped out of the room fast and made her way up the stairs to the rooftop. The wind greeted her like an old friend, cool and gentle against her face. She leaned on the railing, taking a shaky breath.
"Just ignore them," she whispered to herself.
"You worked hard for this. Fourth isn't bad."
But her voice trembled.
"Still... why does it hurt?"
"Because people are stupid." A voice behind her broke the silence.
Lina turned, startled.
Standing by the doorway with his uniform untucked, hands in pockets, and that annoyingly carefree smile was Ethan.
"E-Ethan?" she stammered, straightening. "What are you doing here?"
"Skipping class," he said simply, walking closer until he leaned beside her on the railing.
"Then why are you here?"
"I just needed air." She looked down.
Ethan tilted his head, studying her face.
"You're upset about the rankings, aren't you?"
"...No. Just... people." Her lips pressed into a thin line. He smirked softly.
"You shouldn't care about what others say. Fourth, second, first those are just numbers. You still worked hard for it."
Lina blinked, surprised by his sincerity.
"I didn't think you paid attention to things like that."
"Hey, I notice more than people think," Ethan grinned. "Especially when someone's trying too hard not to cry."
Her eyes widened slightly, and he laughed.
"Kidding! Don't glare at me like that."
"You're annoying."
Lina huffed but couldn't help smiling a little.
"I get that a lot." He leaned back, looking up at the sky.
"You know, I first met you here."
"What?" She tilted her head.
"This is the place where I first met you." Ethan said, his tone softening.
"A few months ago. You were eating bread and reading a book here alone. Everyone else was downstairs for club activities. Yet you're here, so focused that I thought—" He paused, grinning. "This girl must've escaped from a library.'"
Lina laughed, covering her mouth.
"That sounds like me."
"And since then," Ethan said, glancing sideways at her,
"I kinda got curious. You didn't care about status, didn't try to please anyone. Just... being you."
Lina blinked, heart skipping a beat at the quiet tone in his voice.
"That's why I'm happy I got to know you."
She didn't know what to say, so she simply smiled, faintly.
"...Thanks, Ethan."
"For what?" He smirked.
"For reminding me that numbers don't define me."
Ethan's grin widened.
"Of course. Now, smile properly or I'll tickle you until you do."
"W-What?! You wouldn't dare—"
"Oh, I would."
Their laughter echoed across the rooftop, carried away by the wind a small, honest sound in the chaos of school life.
And for a brief moment, Lina forgot the whispers, the rumors, and the rankings.
It was just her and Ethan the loud, infuriating boy who somehow made her heart feel light again.