The next day brought the first official classes. As Cane descended the grand staircase of the main academic building, he became a magnet for dirty looks. Students paused their conversations to glare. Girls whispered behind their hands, their eyes filled with scorn. He felt their judgment like a physical weight.
And he did not give a single, solitary shit.
He had died. He had been reincarnated. This was basically an isekai protagonist’s wet dream, even if he was in the body of a side-character schmuck. A few NPCs giving him the stink-eye? That was nothing. He let his gaze drift over the crowd, a predator cataloging his future conquests. A little revenge was in order. Yeah, that one over there. The blonde with the haughty expression and a rack that looked like it was fighting a losing war against her uniform blouse. Antonia Murray. Or was it Merry? The original Cane’s memories were hazy on the details, but his new eyes were crystal clear. She was hot. And she was glaring at him like he was something she’d scraped off her shoe.
Oh yeah. He was going to fuck the absolute shit out of that glaring bitch later.
"Cane! My man!"
A familiar voice boomed from behind him. He turned. A tall, blonde man strode toward him, a mischievous grin plastered on his handsome face. Wavy golden hair fell artfully over his eyes, giving him a roguish charm.
Cassius Augustus. The original Cane’s one and only "best friend." The novel hadn’t given him much screen time, but the borrowed memories were full of the guy.
Cassius clapped a heavy hand on his back, the force of it nearly sending him down a step. "Good to see you, you bastard!"
To his own surprise, a genuine grin spread across Cane’s face. He didn’t know if it was some lingering affection from the original owner or just Cassius’s infectious energy, but he found himself actually liking the guy.
Cassius leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that was still loud enough for half the hall to hear. "I saw you eyeing Antonia Murray. Don’t even think about it. She’s way out of your league, my friend," Cassius continued, his eyes glinting. "I know she’s got a fat ass and a perfect set of tits, and that face... those lips look like they could suck—"
He was cut off as a girl walking past them shot him a look of pure disgust. Cassius just rolled his eyes, utterly unconcerned that he had been overheard.
"You need to leave a prize like that to a real man. A man like me." He puffed out his chest and laughed, a loud, boastful sound.
Cane almost laughed with him. It was all a front. He knew from the memories that despite Cassius’s good looks and relentless bravado, the man had the success rate of a ice mage in a volcano. Girls saw through his bullshit immediately. And on the rare occasion one didn’t, Cassius would get so nervous he’d forget how to speak, turning into a stammering, blushing mess.
"Right," Cane drawled. "Maybe I’d believe you if you weren’t such a chud."
Cassius cocked an eyebrow. "A... chud? Is that some new lingo you picked up? Do tell, I’m quite curious."
Cane adopted a sage, mournful expression. He spoke in a low, poetic voice, as if reciting ancient wisdom. "To know the chud, one must first look within. One must gaze into the abyss of the self, and cast out the part of you that is a fat fucking chud."
Cassius’s face twisted in offence. "I don’t know what a chud is, but I am certainly not fat!"
Cane laughed.
"Don’t be so sure I can’t get Antonia," Cane said, his grin turning sharp. "I may surprise you."
Cassius threw his head back and roared with laughter. "You? Get Antonia Murray? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year!"
"Wanna bet?"
The laughter died in Cassius’s throat. He stared at Cane, shock written all over his face. The Cane he knew couldn’t get a girl if she was paid to like him.
"I’ll make her mine by the end of the semester," Cane declared. "And if I don’t..." He leaned in close. "I’ll introduce you to my sister."
Cassius’s voice jumped two octaves. "You’re serious?! You’ll really introduce me to Lady Elana?!"
His shout turned heads. Cane nodded calmly, ignoring the new wave of stares.
"Yes. I’ll set it up."
Cassius cheered, pumping a fist in the air. Cane smirked. It was the safest bet in the world. Even if he made the introduction, Elana would verbally eviscerate Cassius within thirty seconds. The poor bastard wouldn’t stand a chance.
"Now," Cane said, his voice dropping. "My side of the deal. When I make Antonia my girl, you introduce me to your mother."
Cassius’s smile vanished.
He grabbed the front of Cane’s collar, his knuckles white. "What did you say you bastard?!"
Cane’s smirk widened into a predatory grin. "Persephone. Your mother. The last time I saw her, she was wearing that blue dress. The way it hugged her thighs... magnificent. And those hips, perfect for grabbing. Her ass looked so firm, and that waist was just begging for a man’s hands."
"Shut up," Cassius hissed, his face flushing with rage. He shoved Cane against the stone balustrade. "Don’t you ever talk about my mother like that again."
Cane’s entire attitude shifted in an instant. The smirk vanished, replaced by a look of genuine contrition.
"Sorry." He said it quietly, and he meant it. "That was out of line."
Cassius looked taken aback. He loosened his grip, his anger deflating into confusion.
"Of course you’re sorry. It was... completely uncalled for." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
Cane nodded sagely. "It must have been her swaying tits. They must have hypnotized me the last time we met. It was truly out of character for me."
Cassius’s eyes bulged, and he looked ready to lunge again when he suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on something over Cane’s shoulder. He felt a prickle on the back of his own neck. A glare. A powerful one.
Cane turned. Oh shit. It was Aria Vale. And she was glaring right at him.