19 The Hater Meets The Student Council President

-RIIIIING-

"Ugh..." I groaned, turning my head to bury my face in the pillow, the incessant drumming of the alarm cutting through my thoughts.

I lingered like that for what felt like an eternity before begrudgingly shifting my body, my arm instinctively covering my eyes.

Damn it...

The headache from yesterday hadn't magically vanished, and I was already regretting that unnecessary show-off with Aidan.

I wondered if they had acetaminophen or something similar in this world.

Raising my upper body, I shot a glare at nothing in particular. My mood was firmly entrenched at rock bottom and showed no signs of improvement, at least not for today.

The temptation to skip school tugged at me, but I resisted. I couldn't risk missing out on anything crucial to the novel's plot.

What awaited me today, though?

No clue.

Dragging my weary body into the bathroom, I took a quick bath and changed into the uniform before emerging from the room.

Perhaps staying back at the mansion would have been a wiser choice. Shana would've been more than willing to help with the household chores, and I could use all the support I could get right now.

I'd rather not have anyone snooping around my room with that diary and map stashed in these boxes. Speaking of which...

I casually strolled over to the small shelf and nabbed the silver key, deciding to sling it around my neck. It just felt crucial, you know? Better to be safe than sorry.

As I stepped out of the room, I caught sight of my neighbors doing the same.

"What an unsightly sight," I muttered under my breath.

They all turned to stare at me, expressions frozen. Once they realized it was me, they hurriedly shifted their focus elsewhere.

Why can't dorms be mixed?

I'm not fixated, but waking up to a pleasant face like Sylvia's would surely do wonders for my mood compared to the sea of dudes I encounter every morning.

My bad, guys, but I think Maestro shifting Aidan's mood from Sylvia to Michael might have traumatized me.

†††

Heading to the academy from the dormitory proved to be a breeze compared to trekking from the Starfrost Estate. Looks like I'll be sticking around here after all.

I admit, I can be easily swayed, but hey, making life easier is the key to happiness, right?

Lost in thought, I rummaged through my belongings and retrieved my Flymes – or rather, the Flymes I snagged from that idiot who tried to off me before.

Their boss seemed oddly interested by me, but it's been a while since our last encounter, and I couldn't shake the anxiety of not knowing where I stood with him. Being a target for murder is not exactly on my bucket list, and I'd much prefer to avoid ending up on some powerful jerk's hit list.

Sure, I've brainstormed a few potential solutions to offer him in exchange for buying myself some time until I figure out how to deal with him, but he needs to pick up when I call or reach out first.

Man, how as an Extra, I managed to antagonize already a powerful guy?

This is disheartening.

The original Jykrain may have been the instigator, but now I've inherited the target on my back. Dealing with jerks trying to take me down is nothing new, but this one was particularly troublesome.

"Watch it, you bastard!"

-Baam!-

Stepping back just in time, I narrowly avoided being caught in the crossfire as the dude hit the ground. My eyes darted to where my Flymes had been soaring just moments ago, now lying on the ground.

Instantly, my expression darkened.

"I am so—sorry!"

The bespectacled man on the ground stammered fearfully, eyeing the burly figure in front of him who was flexing his knuckles. They both appeared to be second-year students but I couldn't care less about that.

The burly dude's glare intensified as he closed in.

"You'll pay for that! How dare you complain about me?!"

"Whoa, hold up," I interjected, raising my hand to silence his noisy protests.

"Huh?" He redirected his glare towards me, but upon catching sight of my face, he swiftly backed off.

I reached out and grabbed the flustered man's shirt, hoisting him up. "You just knocked away a harmless Flymes minding its own business next to me."

At my words, he glanced down behind him, visibly flinching. "I—I'm truly sorry! I'll retrieve it, I promise!"

"Yeah, you better," I grumbled, tossing him back to the ground, annoyed, while rubbing my temples. Note to self: think twice before using my C-Tier Skill for risky maneuvers like yesterday.

"What's going on here?"

Suddenly, the crowd parted as the imposing figure of a young man stepped in. His blond hair was slicked back neatly, and he wore glasses. Three other individuals stood beside him.

-Oh, the Student Council President!

-So handsome!

-Even Helen is here!

The crowd grew even louder, exacerbating my pounding headache. When I lifted my gaze to address them, I couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

I recognized him immediately.

Leonardo Rufford, the Student Council President, ranked number one in Elysyphel, a third-year student. Standing beside him was another striking figure, Helen Westlake, the Vice-President of the Student Council. She sported chestnut hair secured with a pencil for some inexplicable reason.

"I asked a question. What exactly happened here?" Leonardo asked, his tone stern.

Don't look at me, dude.

"Ask this jerk," I pointed towards the burly man, but he had vanished into thin air.

This fucker!

"Then ask him," I gestured towards the man who had just returned my Flymes.

"Um, well, I accidentally bumped into his Flymes, so I was just retrieving it for him..." He stammered nervously.

"We heard there was a fight?" Helen chimed in, pushing up her glasses as she fixed her gaze on me.

I said don't look at me, idiots.

"There was a scuffle, but it was between him and some other clueless bloke," I explained with a nonchalant shrug.

"Where is he?" Leonardo asked.

"He bolted," I replied simply.

"Then why did you toss this person to the ground?" Leonardo asked.

"Huh? He bumped into my Flymes. I got ticked off, like anyone would," I retorted, tapping my temple for emphasis.

This gesture seemed to irk both Leonardo and Helen as they confiscated the Flymes from the bespectacled guy's hands.

"Hey, that's mine," I protested, reaching out, but Leonardo ignored me, examining the Flymes. "It's one of a kind."

"Give it back," I insisted, my patience wearing thin by the second.

"You'll get it back in our office after you explain yourself," Leonardo declared, handing it over to Helen.

"I've got class, genius," I sneered.

"Then you'll retrieve it after class," Leonardo replied with a kind smile.

"Sure, why not?" I plastered a smile that didn't reach my eyes.

"Then you'd better hurry to class; it's about to start," Leonardo added, striding away.

As I watched him leave, I couldn't help but scoff. "That's why I can't stand blond-haired guys. Complete jerks."

"Excuse me?" A soft yet snarky voice interrupted from beside me.

It was Lunevy.

She must have overheard my remark while passing by.

Lunevy studied my expression before glancing at my own blond hair. A faint smile played on her lips, almost as if she found me amusing.

"I wasn't talking to you," I said.

"Oh my, of course you weren't," she retorted, flipping her black ponytail back with an air of arrogance as she left.

Maestro really knows how to craft irritating characters.