Junior plopped himself down into the seat beside Sean without invitation, swinging his arm around Sean's shoulder like they'd been best friends since birth.
"A date with the Ice Queen at the rooftop?" Junior leaned in with a grin, wagging his eyebrows. "Dude, you gotta teach me your skills, bro. How can a gloomy guy like you score a hottie like the Ice Queen?"
Sean's eye twitched. He slowly turned his face to Junior, silently hoping the guy would vanish into thin air. But Junior only leaned in closer.
"But bro," he continued with a whisper, "I gotta warn you… if you ever break her heart, you're gonna die. Her dad's one of the top 10 heroes in the rankings, man."
The moment the words left Junior's mouth—"Her dad"—Sean's entire body froze.
A chill ran down his spine. His fingers clenched beneath the desk, and his blue eyes darkened. That name. That man. That title.
He forced a neutral expression back onto his face, though the muscles around his jaw twitched slightly.
"I think I wanna use the bathroom," Sean said, his tone flat, rising from his seat.
Junior tilted his head with a chuckle. "What, already running off from a bro conversation?" He grinned and waved Sean off. "Hey, I'll still be waiting for you here. We'll continue from where we left off when you come back."
Sean turned toward the door, his expression unreadable.
"Please don't be waiting," he thought. "Just leave me alone, you pest."
He didn't look back.
—
The moment Sean entered the bathroom, the fake smile dropped from his face like a mask being ripped off. He walked to the farthest sink, stared into the cracked mirror, and clenched his fists tightly by his sides.
His reflection showed nothing of the calm, emotionless boy everyone saw in class. What stared back at him now was a storm held back by fragile chains.
Without a word, he pulled his fist back—and slammed it into the bathroom window.
Crack!
The glass split with a loud noise, fine cracks spreading like a spider web across the surface. Shards danced in the sunlight. He stared at it, breathing hard.
"…Sorry, Sarah," Sean muttered, his voice low and cold. "But your father… is part of the reason my parents are dead."
He gripped the edge of the sink, his knuckles white from the pressure.
"That man… he stood by and watched everything fall apart. He let it happen. Pretended he couldn't help. A hero?" Sean scoffed, venom lining every word. "No. He's just another monster dressed in glory."
The room was silent except for the soft sound of his breathing.
Sean tilted his head back, closing his eyes, trying to suppress the burning emotions crawling up his throat.
"I came here to gather information, stay in the shadows… but now I'm dating his daughter. The daughter of the man I swore to destroy."
"Am I seriously this unlucky... or is this fate testing me?"
He took a deep breath, then looked back into the mirror.
His blue eyes were calm again, almost cold—his perfect student disguise settling back in place.
"I won't hurt her," he whispered, as if promising himself. "But I won't forgive him."
Then, just as quickly, he turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face. He dried it with the sleeve of his uniform, adjusted his collar, and stared at the cracked window one last time before walking out of the bathroom.
As he stepped into the hallway, the distant sound of students laughing echoed down the corridor, too carefree for the weight Sean carried in his heart.
—
Back in the classroom, Junior was still sitting at his desk, spinning a pencil between his fingers and humming to himself.
"Oh hey!" he called out when he saw Sean return. "Took your time, bro! You okay?"
Sean gave him a blank look and said nothing. He walked past him and returned to his seat.
Junior chuckled, totally missing the tension in the air. "You know, if you don't teach me your girl-attracting skills, I might just steal your girl one day."
Sean turned his head just slightly, giving Junior a side-glance that sent a subtle chill across the room. No smile. No words. Just a look that lasted barely a second—long enough to silence Junior.
"…Right. Kidding. Total joke," Junior muttered, shrinking back in his seat.
"You won't steal anything, Junior," Sean thought silently. "You're not even close to being a threat. You're just a buzzing fly in my ear."
He looked toward the clock.
"Lunch break soon. I need to prepare for the rooftop… even if I don't know what the hell I'm doing anymore."
As the bell rang and the students started packing up, Sean stood, heading toward the door once again—this time, with something else in mind.
It was time to face Sarah… the girl he was falling for… and the daughter of the man he planned to destroy.