A month had passed since then, and I’d had more than enough time to settle into my new routine as Reyn Brimstone.
Go to school, learn, work out, and study with Anna. Then head back home, get glared at with contempt, and surprise my family by not doing anything dumb. Honestly? It was great.
My reputation still wasn’t the best, though. That made sense; I still wasn’t making a show of anything. But now, after a month of consistent training...
Everything was about to change.
"I’m surprised. It’s been a month, and you haven’t chickened out at all."
Nicholas scribbled on his clipboard as I wrapped up my final set and sank to the ground, gulping down water.
"Is it that surprising?"
I asked, checking out my arms, no longer just average like when Anna first checked me out, but actually looking buff.
Nicholas’s absurd training, which somehow got harder every week, and my increasingly powerful healing magic had definitely contributed. What should have taken a year had been compressed into a single month.
"Considering your reputation? Yeah."
Nicholas laughed.
"Y’know, you should start wearing tighter shirts. I know you’re not in it for the reputation, but at least let people see you’re doing the work. That baggy P.E. uniform you’re wearing just hides it."
"Don’t worry. I’m already planning on it."
"Oh? So you do care after all. Just waiting to get buff before you start showing off. Honestly, that’s smart."
I laughed at his reply. I wondered how good this man’s childhood had been for him to be this supportive of someone like me.
As long as I was working out, he didn’t seem to care whether I was doing it to be popular or not.
"Reyn!"
Anna called from across the field, carrying a change of clothes, a towel, and even some snacks. She’d started doing that about half a month ago whenever our schedules lined up.
"Guess your girlfriend’s here."
"We’re not a couple. Not yet, at least."
"Yeah, sure, kid."
He walked off, heading over to excuse me from the progress assessment like usual. By now, the instructors had more than enough reason to take him at face value.
That did come at the cost of a few irritated students, though. Unlike the trainers, most of the classes still weren’t paying attention to me.
They hadn’t noticed I’d stopped harassing people and was actually putting in the work.
"No need to run. I’m not going anywhere."
I said as Anna finally reached me, already sweating from sprinting through the afternoon heat just to help me recover from P.E.
"Yeah, yeah."
She muttered, not even acknowledging my comment as she grabbed the hem of my shirt, peeled it off, and started wiping my sweat with the towel. Just like always.
Somewhere in the past month, touching me had become as natural to her as breathing.
Which, of course, made my reputation even worse. This time, out of jealousy rather than anything I’d actually done. Whether that was better or worse than being known for harassing women...
I honestly didn’t know. Men can be brutal, depending on how you look at it.
"Your body’s getting really toned."
There was a satisfied note in her voice, almost possessive. Like she was taking credit for something she’d helped cultivate.
"Do you like it?"
I asked. A month ago, she would’ve deflected, probably called me ridiculous, told me not to get cocky, or just joked her way around it.
Instead, she hummed and pressed her palm flat against my stomach.
"I won’t deny that it’s attractive."
Her hand lingered before she pulled back and handed me the fresh shirt. I pulled it on, and she stepped close again to fix the collar, her fingers brushing my neck.
When she was satisfied, she smoothed her hands down my chest once, a gesture that served no practical purpose, then finally stepped back.
"Same time later at the library—?"
Lucius cut her off before she could finish, suddenly stepping in with his hands in his pockets. Celeste was, surprisingly, not with him.
"Anna, we need to talk."
His eyes flicked to me for barely a second before returning to Anna.
"Talk? About what?"
"Later, once we’re in private."
Anna crossed her arms, a flicker of annoyance passing over her face before she relented with a small smile.
"Okay, fine..."
Lucius smiled at her and motioned for her to follow as he walked away, Anna giving me a quick wave goodbye before hurrying after him.
"See you later, Reyn!"
"Yeah, see you too."
Well, would you look at that. I guess the dense protagonist had finally started to notice. There was no way in hell I was going to let the two of them talk without me eavesdropping.
✧ ✦ ✧
I followed them to a narrow alley squeezed between two campus buildings, keeping to the shadows.
And by the time they reached the end, Lucius had turned to face her, with Anna standing a few paces back, her head tilted in curiosity and her usual cheerful attitude.
"You weren’t kidding about privacy, Lucius."
"Well, considering the topic, it’s more than needed."
Anna let out an easy laugh.
"Knowing you, it’s definitely a smart decision."
Lucius smiled at that, relieved she hadn’t changed much even after spending a month around me. Part of him had half-expected her to be corrupted by my influence.
"Then let me get straight to the point. Anna, I need you to stop talking to Lord Brimstone."
The moment the words left his mouth, Anna’s expression shifted from sunshine and rainbows to pure disgust.
"Huh...?"
Lucius’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected that reaction at all.
"Anna?"
"Don’t ’Anna’ me. What do you mean, stop talking to Reyn?!"
She crossed her arms, clearly not amused.
"Is this some kind of joke—?"
Lucius cleared his throat, cutting her off before she could finish so he could explain himself.
"Your reputation’s being dragged down, Anna. The other students are talking. I’ve already tried my best to stop them, but it’s impossible, considering Lord Brimstone’s reputation..."
He hoped she would understand, but Anna looked anything but satisfied.
"And why would that matter to me? They don’t know Reyn like I do."
"But, Anna—"
"But what? If you were really this concerned, you would’ve told me a month ago, before Reyn and I got close! Instead, you paid more attention to Celeste than to your so-called childhood friend whose reputation you claim is being dragged down!"