Bab 26: Absurd Request
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Note: From here on, Mei Hui will be addressed by her first name only, Mei.
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Mei slowly followed behind Jesse and entered the room after him. The slightly dark room became completely dark when the door closed.
Jesse, who could see in the dark, sat on one of the study chairs but soon turned on the lights when he noticed the girl's discomfort.
"What do you want?"
Suddenly illuminated by the bright light, Mei squinted her eyes and blinked. The room had a sizable bed, a small empty wardrobe, a cupboard, a study table, and two chairs. Hence, she sat on the other chair opposite him.
"Teach me," she said, cutting to the chase with a deep breath.
Lost for words at her ambiguous request, Jesse asked, "Teach you what?"
"Teach me how to fight."
"Why should I? You have the combat class teacher."
"..."
Mei stared blankly at him for a short while before looking away.
Jesse's lips stretched into a wry smirk. "Aren't you scared?"
"...?"
Her perplexed gaze caused him to chuckle. "I have the upper hand here, and I doubt the school will care much if you go missing."
The fear she had managed to dispel came rushing back. Her heart pounded as her vines unconsciously wrapped around her fingers.
"I-I will help you." Mei started with a stutter. "Y-you calmed down after eating my rice buns, right? I'll get them for you, I swear."
It was the most comedic thing he had ever heard in all seventeen years of his life. Rice buns? The grain-filled human meal that only left a soapy taste in his mouth.
Jesse frowned when he recalled the first time he ate those rice buns. They tasted better then because he was in his right senses—the man who gave them to him also mentioned Meimei.
"Meimei, is that what your father calls you?"
Mei's face was painted in shock as she nodded, not willing to lie to this boy who seemed to know everything.
Jesse had really hoped he was mistaken. She just had to be the daughter of the first person to show him kindness in the academy, and her last name's similarity to Old Man Enhui's was even more disappointing. She also looked harmless, with an extremely friendly ability—at least, when the vines weren't wrapped around your neck.
"I don't want your rice buns." Saying it like this made him seem like a bully stealing food from a weak child.
"I will teach you to fight, provided you keep your mouth shut." He glared at her. "You'll also be responsible for cleaning any mess I make."
"How?" Mei looked up at Jesse, who had just stood up from his seat.
"The same way you did today," he replied, referring to the bloody scene that she covered up with leaves. "Come with me."
"Do your friends know about this? About you?" Mei asked, standing to her feet as well.
"No," Jesse gave a curt reply, walking out of the room.
"Ranking board," he called out to his wristband as he led the way to where Maxwell and Aland would be by this time of day.
He scrolled through the ranking list, and by the time he got to the training room, he had found the name he was looking for—Billy O'Malley, Rank one.
If he dueled with the number one ranker, he would not only attract the attention of the whole school but also the school authorities. People with enhancement abilities like strength and speed barely make it to the first fifty rankings.
Jesse could, of course, reason amicably with Billy, but the high school bully was an insecure pimp who would never reason with a supposed loser.
Taking the risk, Jesse sent a duel request to Billy, and it was rejected immediately.
His heart was filled with worry as he thought about it—Billy must have felt the same hunger as he did, and he was not a very reasonable person, especially considering the fact that Gilbert was still unconscious in the woods all by himself.
"Jesse! Took you long enough." Maxwell waved at the tranced Jesse. "Where have you been?"
"Why's she with you?" he asked, glancing at Mei, who stood behind Jesse.
"Do me a favor, Maxwell," Jesse smiled, placing his hand on Maxwell's shoulder. The white-haired student cringed at Jesse's sudden intimate act.
"What is it?" He shrugged the hand off his shoulder.
"Help me look after her for a while. Teach her the ropes until I return."
"Hell no! I already have Aland on my neck—"
"She healed you, remember?" Jesse tilted his head slightly, causing Maxwell to bite his lower lip before mumbling, "Fine," under his breath.
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After leaving Mei in Maxwell's care, Jesse hurried back to the woods. He ran to the spot where he had left Gilbert, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Activate Pure Ceteorin Search."
[Pure Ceteorin Search activated.]
[...]
[Pure Ceteorin does not exist within your location radius.]
Jesse massaged his temple when the system responded. All would have been much easier if he had someone to report to.
After this, Jesse went to the dorm for the first fifty rankers, and Billy O'Malley was not in his room. Then, he checked on Gilbert, and his friends confirmed that he was sleeping in his room.
After making sure that nothing was out of place except for Billy's absence, he headed back to the training room and found Mei and Aland engaged in a friendly spar.
"They're both weak," Maxwell commented when Jesse sat beside him. He scrolled through the list that Jesse had provided - a list of opponents and their abilities.
"Aland still won't tell me his ability." He sighed again. "Do you know?"
"I don't think we should pry if he does not wish to tell us," Jesse replied. He really was not curious, or else, he would have inspected him a while ago.
"Sure," Maxwell snickered. "But he lacks every physical attribute."
"That's why you're his teacher." Jesse patted his shoulder again.
"..."
Silence ensued as they both watched the spar, different thoughts going through their minds.
Mei fought as best as she could without the help of her vines, even though they shot out of her fingers every now and then. Jesse's eyes lingered on her—her reaction to his secret was surprising. He had even thought of doing away with her because of it, but then he figured out who her father was—saved by the goodwill of a parent.
Jesse turned to Maxwell, pursed his lips, and asked, "What would you do if a person you know was actually infected?"
"Kill it," Maxwell replied, his eyes still on the fight.
"Cough," Jesse choked on his breath at Maxwell's blunt response.
That was the right reaction for every normal person.
He turned his attention back to the fight when his wristband pinged.
-"Ranker One, Billy O'Malley requests a death match with Ranker Ninety-Nine, Jesse Louis."-
-"Do you accept this match?"-
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