For a moment, she just stared at me, jaw tight.

Then, unexpectedly, her voice dropped its theatrics.

"Fine. You want me to be straight with you?"

I tilted my head, curious despite myself.

She met my gaze evenly. The playful glint dulled, replaced by cold calculation.

"I want you in my club because of your connections. You're close with Maria. With Aurelia. You've already crossed paths with Victory Arkwright, and I hear even Leon pays attention to you. Those are names that matter here. I want to observe them. And to do that, I need someone who's already inside their circle."

There it was. The real reason.

I exhaled slowly, leaning back again. "So basically, you want to use me as bait."

"It's called strategy."

"It's called stalking."

Her lips twitched. "Think what you want. But the Observation Club is going to rise. With or without you. I'd rather it be with you."

Her words hung heavy in the air, confident and sharp.

But I just smiled. Wide. Cheerful. Absolutely unapologetic.

"No way in hell."

Her composure finally cracked. Her eyes widened in disbelief, mouth parting like she'd been slapped with a dead fish.

"You—! You just said I should ask properly!"

"And you did," I said with a shrug. "But asking nicely doesn't mean I have to say yes."

Her voice shifted again. The mask of amusement peeled away, leaving something rawer, hungrier.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Aria said, leaning forward, her eyes gleaming with a sharpness that made her look far older than a second-year.

"This Academy isn't just about classes, or dungeon scores, or who ranks where. It's about connections."

Her tone hardened with every word.

"The William bloodline. The Lionhearts. The Frosthearts. Families like them shape this place. The students who come out of Hero Academy they don't just graduate, they inherit power, networks, legacies. If you want to survive in the real world, you need to stand with them, or under them."

She paused, lips curling into a bitter smile.

"My brother the Crimson heir and already has his claws in half of them. He's got the bloodline, the prestige, the favor of the Principal himself. He's destined to inherit everything. But me?"

Her nails tapped against the teacup, a soft, sharp rhythm.

"I'm the child a branch family wife.Second daughter. Brilliant, yes. Talented, yes. But not born into the direct line. That means I'll always be second, unless I build something for myself."

" I even have to use my surname from motherside."

I didn't answer. I just let her talk.

And she did.

"You're a commoner. But you've already gotten close to people the rest of us would kill to approach. Maria Frostheart. Aurelia Lionheart. Even that bastard Willam knows your name. Somehow, you've managed to get their attention without a bloodline, without a legacy. Do you have any idea how valuable that makes you?"

Her gaze pinned me down.

"You're a door, Michael. A door to connections that could shift the balance of power in this Academy—and beyond it."

There it was. The naked ambition. No more games, no more coy grins. Just raw hunger wrapped in calm, calculated words.

"And I," she finished, sitting back in her chair with a self-satisfied smirk, "plan to walk through that door. With or without your permission."

---

For a long moment, silence stretched between us. The hum of the cafeteria lights buzzed faintly overhead, almost mocking.

Then I laughed.

Not loud. Not sharp. Just a soft, tired chuckle that carried more weight than it should have.

Aria's brows furrowed. "What's so funny?"

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand, meeting her gaze with the same calm she'd tried to bury me under.

"You think I'm easy because I'm a commoner."

Her lips parted, just slightly.

"You look at me and see someone without a great family name. No wealth. No legacy. Just a kid who lucked into connections. Someone you can manipulate, push around, and then discard once you've climbed higher."

I smiled, but it wasn't warm.

"That's where you made your first mistake."

Aria's eyes narrowed, but I didn't stop.

"You talk about doors, but you don't even see the lock. Maria, Aurelia, the others—you think they're stupid enough to let someone like you into their circles? You think they'd look at me and see a tool instead of a person? That's why you'll never surpass your brother. Because all you see in people are stepping stones."

Her hand twitched. Just for a second, but I caught it.

I pressed the point.

"You can threaten me with photos. You can whisper rumors. You can even think you're holding all the cards. But the moment you try to use me against the people I care about, you'll find out just how quickly your 'observations' turn into your downfall."

For a heartbeat, the air between us sharpened. A clash of wills, invisible but undeniable.

Then Aria laughed.

Short. Sharp. Honest.

"You really are insane," she muttered, shaking her head. "You talk like someone who already has power. Like you've got an army waiting in your back pocket."

Her eyes locked onto mine, a cold smirk twisting her lips.

"But I don't hate it."

She stood, sliding her chair back with a sharp scrape against the floor.

"Fine. Refuse me. Mock me. Call me a stalker or a soggy squirrel or whatever else you want. But remember this, Michael—"

Her hand brushed the phone still resting on the table, where the photo of me and Maria glowed faintly on the screen.

"Doors can close as easily as they open. And I don't give up once I've set my eyes on something."

She slipped the phone into her pocket and leaned in one last time, her breath brushing close to my ear.

"I'll make you join me. One way or another."

Then she walked away, her footsteps echoing against the empty cafeteria tiles, leaving behind the faint smell of her perfume and the weight of her threat.

I sat back, exhaling slowly.

"...Great," I muttered under my breath. "Just what I needed. Another problem child with too much ambition."

But even as I said it, my chest tightened. Because unlike most of the arrogant nobles I'd faced so far...

Aria Crimson wasn't bluffing.

And that made her dangerous.

Aria's smirk lingered as she slid the phone into her pocket.

"I'll make you join me. One way or another," she said, her voice dripping with certainty.

She turned to leave, her steps slow and deliberate, like a predator confident its prey couldn't escape.

But before she reached the end of the table—

"Aria."

My voice cut through the air. Calm. Level. But laced with something heavier.

She stopped mid-step, glancing back over her shoulder.

"What? Changed your mind already?"

I leaned forward, resting both arms on the table, meeting her gaze with steady eyes.

"No. I'm giving you a choice."

That earned me a raised brow.

"...A choice?"

"You want me in your Observation Club. Fine. I'll agree."

Her eyes lit up instantly. Too quickly. But then I added—

"—but only if you support me, unconditionally, in the upcoming Student Council election."

The words hit the air like a dropped sword.

For the first time, her composure cracked.

"What?"

I smiled, sharp and deliberate. "You heard me. If you want me in your club, you'll throw every ounce of influence, every connection, every Crimson branch resource you have into backing me. Not half-heartedly. Not conditionally. Full support."

Aria blinked, like I'd just spoken another language.

"...You? The Student Council election?"

"That's right."

She laughed. Not her usual sly giggle, but a short burst of disbelief.

"You're joking. Don't tell me you're suddenly interested in politics. You? A first-year commoner—"

"—who just ranked first in the VR Dungeon test," I interrupted smoothly. "Who's already made a name strong enough that even you came running to 'recruit' me."

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

I pressed harder.

"You said it yourself. This Academy isn't just about strength it's about connections. Status. Influence. You want to rise above your brother? Fine. Then back me, and when I rise, so do you."

Aria crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. "And what makes you think you have a chance? The Council isn't child's play. Emily Lionheart's got her claws in the presidency. Magnus Daven's breathing down her neck. Even Ren Rugua's playing both sides. You think you can just waltz in and—"

"Yes."

The confidence in my voice silenced her mid-sentence.

For a long moment, we just stared at each other.

Her eyes searched mine, looking for cracks, for hesitation, for anything she could use. But there was nothing.

Finally, she spoke, slower this time. "...You're serious."

"Dead serious."

Silence stretched again. Then Aria let out a soft, incredulous laugh, shaking her head.

"You're insane," she whispered, echoing her earlier words. "Absolutely insane. A commoner running for Council, demanding my unconditional support as the price for joining my club... Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?"

"Ridiculous or not," I said calmly, "that's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Her nails tapped against her arm. Once. Twice.

Her mind was clearly spinning.

Because despite her bravado... she hadn't expected this.

She'd come here to corner me. To play her game. To make me dance to her tune.

But instead, I'd flipped the board.

And now she had to decide whether to gamble on me.

Finally, she let out a sharp exhale, her lips curling into a reluctant grin.

"...You're either a fool who doesn't know his limits... or a monster who hides them too well."

I leaned back, my smile widening just slightly. "Why not both?"

Aria studied me for a long moment. Then, slowly, she extended her hand across the table.

"Fine. I'll play your game. But don't think for a second that I'll go easy on you if you fall flat. You want unconditional support? You'll get it. But in return—" her gaze sharpened, "—if you win, you don't just owe me. You belong to me."

I clasped her hand without hesitation, gripping it firmly.

"Deal."

Her smirk widened, dangerous and amused.

"Then let's see if you can actually pull it off, Michael."

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