The cafeteria buzzed with noise, but the corner Kael chose felt like its own world. He sat across from the girl, his hood still shadowing his face as trays clattered in the background.

"So," Kael leaned forward, his voice steady, "what's your name?"

The girl hesitated, fiddling with her fork. "S–Samantha," she stuttered.

Kael nodded once. "Samantha. That's a good name." He studied her quietly for a moment before asking, "So why are they on your neck? Why are you being treated like trash?"

Samantha's eyes dropped to her food. "It's… a family matter," she whispered. "Something that spilled from home into school. They just… hate me for it."

Kael leaned back, unimpressed. "Mm. You'll explain properly later." Then, almost like an order: "Eat."

Samantha blinked at his tone, but for the first time in a long while, she obeyed without feeling afraid.

---

The bell rang for Physical & Health Education. The sports field stretched wide under the midday sun, students already clustering into groups. Mr. Anderson, the PHE instructor, blew his whistle sharply when he saw Kael.

"So, you're the new guy? Let's see what you've got. No slacking."

One by one, Kael was pushed into every sport they could think of—basketball, track, long jump, tennis. Each time, he performed with unnerving ease, almost like his body had already mastered the motions long before. Students whispered in shock.

"Is he… good at everything?"

"First day and he's already showing off…"

"No, look at his movements. That's not normal."

Finally, football was brought up. Kael stepped onto the pitch, the ball at his feet. The moment he kicked off, it was obvious—speed, precision, strength. He danced through defenders without effort, scoring goals like he was born on the field. The crowd roared, some in disbelief, others in awe.

By the end, both the school's A-team and rival practice squads swarmed him. Captains argued over who should claim the new prodigy.

"Join our team—we're the strongest!"

"No, he fits our style better!"

Kael, unfazed by the chaos, simply glanced around until his hooded gaze landed on Samantha, who was standing at the sidelines, watching silently.

He walked straight over, ignoring the crowd, and asked in his usual calm, careless tone,

"Which team should I choose?"

The field fell silent. Every student turned.

"Wait… did he just ask her?"

"Of all people… Samantha?!"

"Is he insane?!"

"Wooow, bro is aura farming!"

Samantha's eyes widened in shock. No one—absolutely no one—had ever asked for her opinion before.

And yet Kael-X had.

Kael stood calmly in the middle of the field, his hood shadowing his face as the captains barked at each other. Dozens of students crowded around, waiting to hear which team the "new prodigy" would pick. Instead of answering any of them, Kael tilted his head toward Samantha, who lingered near the sidelines.

"Hey," he said simply, his voice cutting through the noise. "Which team should I choose?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Students exchanged confused looks. Samantha blinked, pointing at herself as if to ask, me?

"Yes, you," Kael confirmed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The weight of a hundred eyes fell on her. She hesitated, biting her lip, her mind racing. Finally, after weighing her options, she whispered, "Azure Legends."

Kael didn't hesitate. He turned to the coaches and captains. "You've heard her. Azure Legends. Register me."

The field erupted.

"Pfft—Azure Legends? That loser FC?" one boy burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Bro, what's this? Azure Legends is the third worst soccer team in the entire school!" another shouted, shaking his head.

"Of all the teams… why the weakest one?"

Some students laughed until tears came to their eyes, while others just stared in disbelief. It was like watching a god step down into the mud on purpose.

But not everyone was laughing. The players of the Azure Legends froze in shock, then erupted in cheers. "He chose us! He actually chose us!" They crowded around Kael, overjoyed, their faces lit up like they'd just won a trophy.

Kael, however, looked as calm and indifferent as ever. "Azure Legends," he repeated firmly. "So if any of you want me, you can poach me from them later."

The other teams fell silent. His words carried a confidence so sharp it was insulting—like he already knew they would come crawling eventually.

With no choice, the officials registered him under Azure Legends. Most of the school walked away whispering the same thing: the new boy had to be insane.

But Samantha just stood there, stunned. For the first time in years, someone had not only acknowledged her but made her choice matter in front of everyone.

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