Ophis panted heavily as she muttered, "How dare she trick me like I'm a child?" Her voice shook, barely held together.

She said this with a furious tone that echoed in the empty corridor as blood on Azrael's neck streamed out in bright, the knife embedded deep in her throat.

"That's how you die, bitch! Don't you dare trick me again!" Ophis said, her voice laced with wicked satisfaction.

Leo was utterly shocked; for a moment, his mind couldn't even process what had just happened.

He stood paralysed, unable to move, the world narrowing to the sight of Azrael's lifeless form at Ophis's feet. "A-Azrael?" He called her name in a horrified tone, his voice barely above a whisper, his heart pounding so violently it hurt.

It felt as if his entire world collapsed in a single, breathless instant. Tears rolled down his face.

"W-What have you DONE, OPHIS?" Leo shouted at Ophis, the sound ringing through the corridor and making her flinch. His voice trembled, thick with grief and an anger so fierce it nearly drowned him. He glared at Ophis with such intensity she actually took a step back, startled by the pure hatred in his gaze.

But then,

"She didn't die, it's just a prop I took from the haunting classroom," Ophis said with an annoyed expression, her voice turning casual, almost mockingly. She bent down, her hands quick and sure as she pulled the fake knife from Azrael's neck, showing it off with a huff like she was unveiling a party trick instead of revealing a murder as a prank.

Leo blinked in confusion, tears still lingering in his wide, shocked eyes. "But the blood—" He tried to make sense of it.

"Tsk, it's blood from the knife, man," she said, pressing the knife up and down. From the hidden hilt, red liquid leaked out in pulses, oozing down like ink.

Leo blinked again, his hands still trembling as the truth began to sink in. "Azrael?"

"She's just acting, bitch… Oi, wake up," Ophis said with an annoyed voice as she kicked Azrael's motionless body.

No reaction?

Leo frowned. Ophis frowned too as she saw Leo doubting her. Veins popped on Ophis's forehead, "If you don't wake up, I will tell this to Raphael now!"

Azrael flinched before awkwardly waking up, slowly lifting her head and wiping the fake blood from her neck with shaking fingers.

She avoided Leo's eyes, her face caught between guilt and nervous amusement, as if the prank had spun too far out of her control.

Leo looked at Azrael with disbelief.

Azrael coughed, trying to laugh it off but her voice quivered, "I-I knew she wouldn't kill me, it's just that she was furious and… you know," she shrugged, looking away. The moment the fake knife touched her neck, she knew it was fake.

But why act? Why make him suffer like that, even for a second?

Well, she wanted to see Leo's reaction, but more importantly, she knew Ophis was really angry, so she just went with the flow. A part of her regretted it instantly as she saw the pain in Leo's eyes.

Leo sighed, shaking his head, looking at Ophis and Azrael with a genuinely disappointed expression that spoke of deeper wounds. "I cannot believe you guys did this," he said, the words coming out low, but instead of storming off, he walked over and suddenly hugged Azrael, catching her off guard.

Ophis raised her eyebrows, seeing that, 'The heck? This bitch got him?' she wondered in shock, her mind racing as she watched Leo hugging Azrael tightly. She'd expected anger, not tenderness. He muttered, "I almost thought I lost you there… You're really a handful, aren't you?"

He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, his arms refusing to let go.

Azrael's heart skipped a beat. What's happening here? Her expression shifted into an almost sheepish smile, warmth blooming in her chest.

She loved the way he cared for her, how deep his feelings ran, even when he tried to hide them.

She really wanted to kiss him now!!

However,

"So here you are."

Ophis flinched as she turned to the side and saw… the vendor holding a huge stick.

Ophis immediately said, "Oh mommy, I am so scared~" She put on a fake crying expression, lips trembling dramatically, her eyes big and shimmering with fear as she looked at Azrael, who flinched in confusion, not sure how to react.

"Mommy? Oh… you are her mother, ah? Guess you have to pay for it then," the vendor said, his brows arching as he eyed Azrael with suspicion, already irritated by the mess.

Azrael pushed Leo aside as she tried to puzzle things out. This was not the vendor she had tricked with Ophis before.

Who was he?

"What are you talking about? Pay? I only left her in the candy shop," Azrael glancing between Ophis and the vendor.

"Candy shop? Your daughter made a mess in every stall! I am going to call the other vendors, too. Stay right there," the vendor said with an annoyed tone, already waving for backup.

Azrael blinked as she looked down at the cute, little, innocent creature… Ophis, who was smiling up at her with the sweetest, most angelic grin, as if she hadn't done a single thing wrong in her life.

Veins bulged on Azrael's forehead, "The heck did you do, brat!" she hissed, barely restraining herself.

Ophis smiled softly before replying, "Because you left me, you know~ bitch~" She stuck her tongue out and hopped around the cobbled corridor. Azrael almost had the urge to throttle this little creature right then and there.

Leo blinked, then shook his head as he bent down to pick up the prop from the ground. He stared at the probe knife, turning it in his hand. 'Damn, that looked freaking real,' he thought, unable to help his curiosity, before glancing back at Ophis with new wariness.

Soon, the group walked down together, preparing to deal with the vendors that Ophis had left in chaos. As they walked, Ophis glanced at Leo and muttered, her tone sly and low, "So?"

"Hmm?" Leo answered absently, still distracted by the fake knife.

"Tsk, don't act innocent…" she shot back, giving him a narrow-eyed look that made it clear she hadn't forgotten the moment between him and Azrael.

Leo sighed, exasperated. This brat really finds everything, he thought. "Well, you could say that," he answered,

Ophis looked at him blankly, unreadable for a moment, then shrugged and walked forward with a hurried pace.

Azrael leaned over to Leo and said quietly, "You'd better think about it…"

"Pardon?" Leo frowned, confused about what she was talking about. But then she subtly pointed. He followed her gesture and saw Raphael standing there near the stall they had just left, worry etched across her face.

Suddenly, he understood.

"No regrets… Okay?" Azrael said, her voice turning serious, eyes sharp.

Leo hesitated, blankly staring at Raphael, unsure what he felt. Raphael, noticing them, first looked relieved, her shoulders dropping, but then her expression shifted... her brows knitting in annoyance, the way a mother might look at her children after discovering some mischief.

"I cannot believe you guys just left me. I told you to wait here!…" Raphael started to lecture them, her voice stern and sharp, hands on her hips. Azrael, already tired, responded with a monotone, "Yeah, yeah," and turned to pay the vendors what they were owed, the more she handed over, the more her annoyance with Ophis grew.

Meanwhile, Leo stood apart, quietly watching Raphael.

Does he love her?

Just like he'd said before… He never really understood love. But there was one thing he was sure of—he cared for her.

He cared for all of them, in his own way.

And, to be honest, he could see her love for him too… Sometimes, it was more than just the love of an aunt.

The irony was that, even though he could read love in the eyes of others, feel its weight in their words and gestures, he could never quite understand his own heart—the meaning of love remained just out of reach, no matter how many times he tried.

So twisted in a way.

Seeing Leo staring at her while giving advice to Azrael, Raphael unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear, a small blush creeping over her cheeks. She tried to compose herself but her heart was fluttering. She turned to Leo, voice rising, "And you… how could you be so reckless? You need to be responsible, Leo! You are not a child…"

Seeing him still staring at her, eyes deep and steady, as if he was looking straight into her soul, her blush only deepened. She grew more flustered by the second before finally snapping, "O-Oi! Snap out of it," she said, waving her hand in front of his face.

Leo blinked, shaking himself back to reality. "When's my game?"

Raphael raised her eyebrows, realising why he had been distracted. "Oh, right! Your game is about to begin in two hours. Your classroom teacher wanted to meet you in his cabin now. Go. I'll take care of things here after."

"Oi, stop treating us like children!" Azrael said with a frown, clearly irritated by Raphael's commanding tone.

Raphael gave her a deadpan look. "Then mind telling me what you're paying for?"

Azrael immediately shut her mouth, cheeks puffed in silent protest.

Leo couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. The only person who could ever truly handle Azrael… was Raphael.

Was that the reason she wanted… some~some?

Leo shook his head, clearing away those thoughts, and turned to leave the group. "I'll be back, guys. Enjoy yourselves until then."

Raphael smiled, taking charge. As Leo walked away, Ophis tried to slip after him, but Raphael's hand shot out, catching Ophis by the head like a claw machine. "So, mind telling me why you messed up with every vendor here?"

Ophis gulped in fear, glancing at Azrael, who was waving her hands frantically behind Raphael's back, silently begging her not to spill anything.

"She wanted alone time with Leo," Ophis blurted out.

"…"

Azrael slapped her forehead. 'This little devil,' she screamed inwardly and then looked at Raphael, who was now slowly turning her head, her eyes darkening like a storm about to break.

For a moment, Raphael looked even more dangerous than Ophis herself.

'May god help me,' Azrael thought with final resignation.

Meanwhile, Leo made his way to the staff room and spoke with his classroom teacher. The meeting was short, just some standard questions.

Why was he absent for five days without informing anyone?

Was he really planning to participate in the event without a single day of training?

Leo tried to keep it casual, explaining that everything was fine. About the absence… he admitted he forgot to mention it, so he quickly wrote a written explanation and handed it over. The classroom teacher sighed, rubbing his temples with a tired expression. "Fine… go and prepare for your competition," he said, finally giving Leo his chest number for the event.

Leo nodded, smiling with relief, before leaving the staff room and heading down the corridor toward the Boys' P.E. room.

Just as he passed by the Girls' P.E. room—

Thud!

Suddenly, the door swung open. In an instant, Leo was pulled inside. He barely had time to react; everything happened so fast, not a single student in sight.

Leo's eyes went wide in shock as he looked up... and found himself face-to-face with Gorgon, who wore nothing but her innerwear and a sly, dangerous smile.

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