Aftermath

His face was pallid as he answered, "Er? No! I'm not with them!"

Cassidy didn't look convinced, raising her fist, and he started spouting random things at that point to appeal.

"You see, I was just going along with them because they told me to," he rambled while waving his arms protectively around him. His bangs no longer covered his eyes now that all the events had caused them to be displaced even though he wasn't involved in the actual fighting part.

"I… come… in… peace…" he said finally, giving a weak smile and making weird gestures with his arms like kids sometimes did, treating Cassidy like she was some foreign alien that he was trying to communicate with. Aena didn't blame him. With the way Cassidy had acted, she wouldn't be surprised if she just announced right then that she was some being from Mars that had an agenda to sow chaos on Earth.

Cassidy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. The boy shivered.

"Hmmm…" Cassidy hummed, then glanced to the side. The boy followed her gaze. She was looking at one of the men laying on the ground. Specifically the one with a large steak knife protruding from his leg like some perverted version of roast beef.

He gulped and looked back to Cassidy, immediately dropping to the ground.

"Oh great empress, please have mercy on this pitiful being!" He hollered while kowtowing on his knees. He was certainly pulling out all the stops to stop a certain someone from physically mauling him. He didn't want to be hospitalized that day.

"Tsk."

Cassidy just clicked her tongue at the scene.

"Since you didn't do anything to her-" The boy's expression lightened with relief. "-I'll let you off. But, stop acting so unsightly or I might take that back," she frowned in distaste.

"Ah. Yes." The boy immediately got up and nodded furiously while bowing; however, seeing Cassidy's frown grow deeper, he straightened and made a zipping motion over his mouth.

Cassidy then turned to where Aena was. She did not look pleased.

Aena didn't register it previously, but when she looked at the utensil wedged deeply in a place it should never belong, she felt deeply disturbed. That must've—no, definitely—felt horrible. Now, looking at Cassidy, she was reminded of the grotesque image and unconsciously flinched.

Cassidy slowly stepped toward her like a predator stalking its prey, and Aena took a step back. She flashed an uncomfortable smile that she hoped didn't show her fear and raised both hands in an apology. By this point in the Academy life, she had a decent amount of experience dealing with Cassidy, and she was fairly certain that Cassidy wouldn't be that angry since she mostly kept indifferent. But that didn't assuage her worries about that expression Cassidy currently had.

"I'm really sorry for causing all that trouble. Really," Aena said apprehensively.

They were now only a step between them, and Cassidy reached her arm out. Aena squeezed her eyes shut, prepared for the worst, but contrary to her imaginations, she felt a tender touch on her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open in confusion.

'Eh?' She blinked. The back of Cassidy's fingers were brushing along her cheek, making her hair stand up and her skin tingle where the knuckles trailed over.

"You're hurt."

Aena brought her own hand up to touch her cheek. There was a small scrape there. Aena wasn't sure when she had gotten it—probably sometime during the whirlwind of action. Now that the adrenaline was draining out of her system, and her heartbeat had somewhat calmed its furious beating, Aena felt her stomach throb. That's right, she had been punched pretty hard there. She gasped and stumbled.

Cassidy instantly grabbed her arms to steady her, giving a worried look. Without Aena's permission, she grabbed Aena's arm and slung it over her own shoulder to support her. Aena didn't expect such an action, but she wasn't going to complain about the help. Cassidy's warm side against her own felt comforting.

"That feel okay?" Cassidy asked, adjusting her shoulders. Aena made a small noise of approval.

At that moment, several people in crisp black uniforms rushed in. Aena presumed them to be the security. Which had arrived much too late. They glanced at Cassidy and Aena standing together, then to the boy, and then the three guys scattered on the ground. The room they had just been dining in half an hour ago looked like a tornado had spawned in the middle of it: multiple tables were overturned, and chairs were strewn all over the place.

A tall man in one of the black uniforms stepped forward and asked in a gruff voice, "Did you do this?"

"I did. Why?" Cassidy responded calmly.

"I'm going to need you guys to come with me."

Grabbing onto Cassidy, Aena stiffened. Cassidy was about to retort when someone cleared their throat. Aena turned to the noise. It was one of the remaining diners, the elderly man.

"If I may speak, I believe that it was not these young ladies' fault. The real perpetrators are the young men over there lying on the floor," he gestured toward them. "From what I saw, it was purely self-defense."

The officer looked at the steak fork lodged into one of their thighs.

"I see… but as I said, I still need you two to come with me," he said skeptically. Some other diners chimed in, coming to their defense. The man now looked at a loss for what to do. The perpetrators were on the ground, and the victims were the ones standing?

When he was conversing with one of his fellow co-workers, a man in a brilliant white tuxedo walked in. His hair had a few streaks of gray mixed in, and it was clear that it was thinning. His face was angular, with thick brows and a prominent nose. He was short and a bit stodgy, but Aena had to admit he dressed himself up pretty nicely. He had the bearing of someone important.

Like the officers, he absorbed the entire scene and finally rested his eyes on Cassidy. He squinted.

"Cassidy?"

He looked bewildered. Aena was bewildered too. Did Cassidy know this man? Not that she was saying Cassidy didn't have her family connections, but wasn't this just too convenient? After a brief moment, Cassidy replied.

"Yes?"

The man's eyes opened wide, and he came forward.

"Oh! It is you, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?" He looked around at the devastation. "Not quite the reunion I was expecting, I must admit, but nevertheless I'm glad to see you."

He turned back to the men in black.

"Show some respect, won't you? She's a black diamond member!" he yelled. Aena heard some audible gasps and saw some of the security to stiffen. She didn't know what this "black diamond" thing signified, but it must've been a pretty big deal to elicit such a strong response.

The leading officer looked aggrieved—how was he supposed to know that? The man in white turned back to them. He clasped his hands in front of him politely.

"I'm extremely sorry for the disturbance. I promise that this'll never happen again. Those young delinquents will be blacklisted, so we'll be honored to have you here again."