บท 78: Chapter 78 Celestia Academy
On the beautiful campus, a gentle breeze carried a hint of sweetness. No matter how harsh the outside world was, inside the academy, there was still a sense of innocence and beauty.
It was the start of a new semester, and the students of Celestia Academy strolled in pairs along the cherry blossom-covered paths.
"Hey, Orion!"
A strong hand landed on Orion's shoulder, making him turn quickly.
"Been a few months, huh? Why'd you dye your hair white? Trying to outshine me?"
A young man with white hair and blue eyes stood beside Orion. His bright smile caught attention, and his cheerful voice drew the eyes of some admiring students nearby.
"Wow, Prince Kevin is still as handsome as ever!"
"Who's the guy next to him? I barely recognize him!"
"That's Orion Astra! He's really changed!"
The familiar tone and friendly smile made Orion lower the defensive stance he had instinctively taken.
"Alright, Kevin, it looks like your vacation didn't go to waste. How many dates did you manage?"
Orion glanced at the boy next to him, his expression softening. In Orion's social circle, Kevin was one of the few close friends.
It wasn't surprising. "Prince" in the eyes of many girls at Celestia Academy, Kevin was always popular. But that wasn't the important part. Behind Kevin's sunny demeanor, he carried a heavy burden that no one could see.
"Oh, come on! Teasing me already after just a few days apart? You know I've only got eyes for Mei."
Kevin's sharp blue eyes looked carefully at Orion. After noticing the change in his hair, he gently patted Orion's shoulder and watched his reaction.
"I just saw your hair turn white, and I thought something was wrong with you. It scared me!"
"Come on, it is just a change of color, nothing major," Orion replied grumpily. While Kevin's good looks were a hit with the girls, it didn't matter much to other guys.
"Haha, you're fine," Kevin laughed.
The two walked side by side onto campus. Despite their different eye colors, their good looks drew a lot of attention.
"Where's Su? Weren't you two just together?" Orion asked, trying not to sound too obvious. They were always inseparable, after all.
"Heh," Kevin said, putting his hands behind his head without worrying about bumping into anyone. "We've both been busy practicing for Eden's concert in a few months."
"Eden?"
"No way, Orion! You seriously don't know who Eden is?" Kevin's eyes widened in disbelief at Orion's confused tone. "Don't you ever listen to music?"
Orion quickly waved a hand, trying to brush it off with an easygoing grin. "Alright, alright, I'm just surprised you've been gearing up for this so long. I guess there aren't many people around here who don't know about that big star." Despite his outward confidence, a hint of tension pricked at him, the words a subtle attempt to keep the topic from lingering too long.
Kevin visibly relaxed, patting his chest in relief. "Good, good. For a minute there, I thought you'd changed your mind. I mean, you used to talk about how much you admired Eden." The words hung in the air, making Orion's smile falter just slightly. Despite appearances, he wasn't entirely the same Orion Astra anymore—there were differences, small shifts in personality that might become more noticeable with time. If the authorities picked up on those differences, it could lead to questions he wasn't ready to answer.
The two of them quietly entered the classroom without saying a word.
"Your gym teacher is sick today, so I'll be taking over the class."
"No way, ugh——!"
A teacher with a middle-part haircut walked up to the podium, holding a thick stack of papers. The room was filled with groans from the students.
"I just played basketball with the gym teacher yesterday," Kevin grumbled from the back row near the window. He was sitting next to Orion, poking him with a dull mechanical pencil, unable to sit still for even a moment.
"Stop bothering me. I want to sleep for a bit," Orion muttered, ignoring Kevin's poking and laying his head down on the desk to take a nap.
Seeing that Orion wasn't interested, Kevin gave up and laid down too, though he didn't sleep. Instead, he glanced at the girl sitting next to him, who was focused on her textbook.
Her name was Mei, one of the brightest students at school with long, straight black hair. She wore glasses and had a gentle demeanor. Kevin had been chasing after her for a long time.
However, instead of the class material, Mei was reading a more advanced academic journal, something way beyond the current lesson.
When she noticed Kevin staring at her, her cheeks flushed slightly. Most girls would have been thrilled to get attention from someone like Kevin—a sporty, good-looking guy. But Mei? Kevin could never seem to win her over.
The more they talked, the more Kevin's interest grew. Even though the relationship between the two wasn't fully developed, it seemed like something was almost there.
As Orion settled into the rhythm of campus life, talking with friends and blending in, someone had their sights on him—from thousands of feet away. Hidden amid a tangle of rooftops, a silent figure watched the classroom through the lens of a high magnification scope, their gaze focused. Orion Astra was their target.
Despite the unusual outfit, they blended perfectly into the shadows, not making a single move. Even if they stood right behind someone, they would go unnoticed. The eyes behind the high magnification scope were cold, showing no regard for life. A high-tech sniper rifle was aimed at Orion, and two blades were strapped to their back.
In this modern world, where even bodyguard robots exist, using old-fashioned weapons like blades seemed strange. Either the blades were made of some special material, or the person wielding them had incredible skills beyond normal people.
"Hold position and wait for the right moment," a voice said through the comms.
"Understood," came the response.
The "ninja" melted back into the shadows. At the same time, Orion, who was in class, rested their heads on their arms. His eyelids fluttered slightly.
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