Chapter 5 005

Asher’s Pov

“You look like something happened to you in there. What’s up, man? Are you suddenly feeling the loss of your ex-girlfriend?”

Sebastian’s voice cut through my thoughts, his lips curled into that irritating smirk as we walked down the crowded corridor. I threw him a glare, my jaw tightening as the memory of the girl crashing into the locker room flashed behind my eyes.

“Quit it, Seb. Now is not the time,” Leo jumped in, stepping slightly between us, his tone warning.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, completely unbothered, and threw his hands up. “I wasn’t talking to you, Leo.”

“Both of you, just quit it,” I snapped, my voice cutting off whatever argument they were about to start. I let out a sigh, running a hand through my damp hair, trying to shake the restless energy buzzing under my skin.

Leo adjusted the strap of his gym bag, glancing around the bustling hallway. “What’s next, anyway? We’ve finished class for the day.”

“I say we go hangout together and meet some hot chicks,” Sebastian suggested immediately, a spark of anticipation lighting up his face.

I shook my head, my eyes scanning the courtyard through the massive glass windows. “No. I’ve got something important to do right now.”

Leo’s gaze narrowed, tracking the direction of my stare. “Are you looking for someone?”

I locked eyes with him, keeping my expression entirely blank, refusing to let him see the irritation clawing at me. “I’m not looking for anyone.”

Sebastian snorted, completely missing the tension between Leo and me. “Well, you're missing out. There’s this blonde hot chick that just moved into my neighborhood, and I seriously can’t wait to hit on her.”

Leo let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head as we pushed through the exit doors. “That is literally the only thing that runs through your mind, Seb. It’s a disease.”

Sebastian grinned, entirely proud of himself. “Can you blame me?”

I wasn't listening anymore. My line of sight sliced through the crowd outside, freezing on a flash of dark hair near the courtyard wall. A girl was standing there, caught in an intense conversation with someone.

My breath caught in my throat. It was her. The exact same girl who had just entered the locker room on me.

A sudden impulse took over. I walked forward.

“Hey, man, where are you going?” Sebastian called out, reaching a hand to grab my shoulder, but I brushed past his grip without a single word. I kept my eyes locked onto her, the distance between us shrinking rapidly.

As if on cue, the girl turned her head. Her gaze collided with mine, and the second she realized who was walking toward her. The color drained from her face. She quickly abandoned the person she was talking to, spinning on her heel to walk off down the pavement as fast as she could.

That was when I noticed the guy she had been talking to.

Ace.

A hard knot formed in my stomach, but I completely ignored him, my focus narrowing entirely onto the retreating figure of the new girl. I followed her, tracking her straight into a quiet corridor. She ducked into an empty classroom, her hand instantly flying to the door handle as she tried to slam it shut in my face.

I was faster. I threw my hand against the door, blocking it with my weight, and forced my way into the room with her, letting the door click shut behind me.

The girl backed away, her skin turning completely pale as she pressed herself against a desk.

“Isn’t it completely rude to just walk in on someone like that, mutter a weak sorry, and run off?” I asked, crossing my arms as I leaned against the frame, staring down at her.

Her eyes widened, a flash of defensive heat instantly replacing the fear in her expression. She stammered for a second.

“I... I didn’t mean to. It was an honest mistake.”

I tilted my head, letting out a cold breath. “An honest mistake.”

The girl raised a brow, her shoulders squaring as she took a step toward me, defying the invisible boundary of the campus hierarchy. “What exactly did you expect me to say? Did you expect that I'd wait around and enjoy the view?”

A sudden silence fell over the room. I furrowed my brows, completely taken aback. No one—absolutely no one on this campus had ever spoken to me in such a way before. The pure audacity of her words left me momentarily speechless.

I took my eyes over her, raking my gaze from her casual clothes up to the stubborn set of her jaw. “Are you new here?”

She gave a tight, reluctant nod. “Yes.”

“What's your rank?” I requested.

She bristled, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. “Why do you need that?”

“I want to see what rank you are in this school to talk to me in such a way,” I told her, my voice dropping low, demanding the answer she owed the hierarchy.

The girl didn't flinch. Instead, a look of genuine disgust crossed her face, and she let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re an incredibly arrogant person.”

Before the shock of her words could fully register, the classroom door swung open. Sebastian and Leo stepped into the room, their gazes flickering rapidly from my tense posture to the pale, defiant girl standing across from me.

“What’s going on here, Ash?” Leo asked, his brow furrowed as he sensed the tension in the air.

Before I could answer, a shadow blocked the doorway.

Ace appeared, his expression dark as he pushed past my friends. He walked straight to the girl’s side, throwing a warning look at the three of us before he turned his attention down to her.

“Sofia, what’s going on?” Ace asked, his voice low as his eyes searched her face, his posture turning instantly protective. “Do you know them?”