Chapter 85: Was she asking for a Date?

Zane walked the corridor in silence, coat swaying behind him. Lucen said he wanted to talk about something today… let’s see what it is, he thought, making his way toward the Vice Chairman’s office.

He reached the tall wooden doors, gave a short knock, and stepped inside.

“Hello there, Vice Chairman,” Zane greeted casually.

Lucen glanced up from the papers on his desk and nodded. “Hello, Zane. How are you finding things as a professor?”

“It’s good,” Zane replied bluntly, folding his arms. “But the students really need training.”

Lucen gave a slightly awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

Zane’s eyes sharpened. “Why did you call me here?”

Before Lucen could answer, Seris—standing dutifully at his side—spoke up with a twitch at her brow. “Hello, Mr. Zane. It seems you forgot me…”

Zane turned his head just enough to glance at her, then nodded casually. “Yeah, hi.” His gaze immediately shifted back to Lucen, as if she hadn’t spoken at all.

Seris stiffened, her lips tightening. Am I that bad-looking? No, plenty of men call me beautiful… but for him, I seem so far away…! She shook her head quickly, banishing the thought. What the hell am I thinking?!

Lucen cleared his throat. “Well, Zane. It’s like this—during the first week, classes are handled by each professor individually. But after that, things return to the academy’s usual rhythm. Which means…” He paused for effect. “In three days, both teachers and students will gather for a joint class. It will involve an E-rank dungeon exploration, to let everyone get to know each other.”

Zane nodded slightly. “Oh. An event.”

Lucen blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Nothing,” Zane said smoothly, then turned. “If that’s all, I’m leaving.”

“Wait,” Lucen raised his hand. “Before that, um…”

Zane halted, tilting his head slightly. “Hmm?”

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On the training grounds, the students had finally dragged themselves through twenty rounds. Sweat poured, legs wobbled, and most of them collapsed on the grass the moment they finished.

Ron and Jax, however, looked half-dead. After pouring nearly all their mana into trying to move the rock, they had been forced to push through the laps with nothing left. Mana fatigue gnawed at their cores, while physical exhaustion left their muscles trembling. Both lay sprawled on the ground, barely breathing.

“Hah… hah…” Jax wheezed with a crooked grin, his chest rising and falling like a bellows. “Get up, Ron… dude, you’re a prince. Princes don’t… hah… lay in the dirt.”

Ron huffed, his entire body limp. “Hah… hah… shut up, man. You’re the reason… we’re the most tired of them all.”

Jax chuckled weakly. “Heh… hahaha… maybe.”

Before Ron could argue back, a voice cut in—sharp and amused.

“See? They really are idiots.”

Both boys blinked and tilted their heads. Standing over them were Lia and Selene, hands on their hips, looking down as though the two were a pathetic comedy show.

“Ron, get up. Let’s go,” Lia said firmly.

Ron, who had been lying flat like a corpse, immediately pushed himself to his feet. His sudden obedience made Jax shake his head as he sat up slowly.

“You really listen to her,” Jax muttered with a grin.

Before he could laugh, Selene narrowed her eyes at him, her tone sharp but edged with comedy.

“You get up too.”

Jax froze, his smile breaking. “Y-Yes, ma’am…!” he blurted out, scrambling upright so quickly it almost looked like he’d been shocked.

Lia covered her mouth, hiding a small laugh, then turned to Ron. “Ron, let me introduce my new friend—Selene Raynhart.”

Selene gave a polite bow. “Hello, Prince.”

Ron scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Don’t… don’t do the whole formal thingy.”

Selene blinked in surprise. “You really said it.”

“Told you,” Lia said smugly, crossing her arms. “Now you owe me.”

Both girls shared a smile, the tension between them already gone.

Ron whistled softly. “Wow… you two really bonded in such a short time. Well…” He smiled back. “Nice to meet you, Selene.”

Then he gestured toward Jax. “And it’s my turn to introduce. Well… I just got this guy.”

“Hey!” Jax protested. “She introduced Selene so nicely—can you not make me sound like some… leftover?” He turned to Lia with a cheeky grin. “By the way, nice to meet you, Lia.”

Ron rolled his eyes and leaned toward Selene. “So… I wanted to ask, from the way you talked to him, you know this guy?”

Selene sighed dramatically. “Well… this dumbass is my childhood friend.”

Jax’s jaw dropped. With exaggerated fake crying, he wailed, “Oh God! Is this what they call bullying?”

The group burst into laughter, the exhaustion from training fading into the background.

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Ron tilted his head curiously. “By the way… you asked me to get up so we could go. Go where exactly?”

Lia’s eyes lit up. She stepped closer to Ron, her excitement bubbling over. “Ohh, yeah! Selene told me about a restaurant near the academy, in the city. They have this special food. Let’s go there, please!” She clasped her hands together in an exaggeratedly cute gesture.

Ron’s cheeks reddened slightly. “Y-You don’t have to do that. Fine, let’s go in the evening.”

Jax’s jaw dropped. With dramatic fake tears, he wailed, “Oh God! These two are flirting out in the open while leaving me a lonely single guy. Look at this!”

Both Ron and Lia blushed hard.

“I-It’s not like that, you know!” Ron stammered.

“Yeah, sure, buddy,” Jax said with a smug look.

A fist suddenly smacked down on his head. “Ow!” Jax yelped, clutching the spot. Selene stood there, glaring. “You’re making them awkward, idiot.”

Ron sighed. “Let’s just all go together.”

“B-But…” Lia hesitated, clearly wanting to protest.

“It’ll be fun, Lia. Don’t you think?” Ron insisted.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun!” Jax chimed in cheerfully.

But Selene cut in, arms crossed. “Jax, you forgot—we have something to do in the city.”

Jax blinked. “Oh yeah, you need to pick up your new staff, right?”

Selene nodded. “Exactly.”

Then Jax’s eyes widened as another thought hit him. “Wait! The restaurant you told Lia about… The Whispering Orchard, right?”

“Yes,” Selene replied cautiously.

Jax grinned. “Isn’t the shop where you’re getting your staff just three stores away from the restaurant? We can eat first, then pick it up after!”

Selene slapped her palm against her face.

“Then it’s settled!” Ron said, nodding with satisfaction.

Lia groaned and put her hand on her forehead. “Ron… you’re an idiot.”

“W-What…?” Ron asked, genuinely confused.

“Just meet us all in the evening. 6:30 p.m.” Lia grabbed Selene’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Selene gave the boys one last look. “You’re both idiots,” she muttered before leaving with Lia.

Ron and Jax stood there, watching the girls walk away. Ron frowned, lost in thought, trying to figure out why Lia had called him an idiot.

Meanwhile, Jax stretched his arms lazily and chuckled. “Women, right man?”

Ron rolled his eyes and sighs. “Shut up, Jax… Let’s just go.”

The two of them trudged off together, still baffled by the girls’ words.

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Evening arrived—6:20 p.m. sharp.

Ron stood at the meeting spot they had agreed upon, just outside the student food mess. Since Jax had told him it was a high-quality restaurant, Ron had gone all out with his outfit. He wore a perfectly fitted navy-blue suit, paired with a black shirt and a navy-blue tie that brought out his cream-white, golden-tinged hair. His amber eyes seemed to gleam even brighter under the evening light, giving him a refined, princely aura.

Despite his composed appearance, his mind wasn’t calm at all.

Why did Lia call me an idiot this morning? He tugged at his tie absentmindedly, frowning. Did I say something wrong? Did I… do something wrong?

The thought had been stuck in his head the entire day, and even now, dressed up and ready, it gnawed at him like an unsolved riddle.

Then he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Oh… you went all out, huh? So fancy.”

Ron turned and saw Jax approaching.

Jax carried himself with effortless charm, his tousled chestnut-brown hair falling just enough to frame golden-brown eyes that gleamed with mischief. He wore a light gray suit jacket over a crisp white shirt, layered neatly with a soft caramel vest that added warmth to his look. Tailored navy trousers completed the outfit, giving him a balance of casual ease and refined style.

Ron raised a brow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Well, you also look good.”

Jax grinned, adjusting his jacket like he owned the place. “Of course I do. I’ve got a reputation to maintain, after all.”

Ron arched a brow. “What reputation?”

Jax froze for a second, his grin stiffening. “…You know…” He waved vaguely, then sighed in defeat. “Fine. If I’d shown up dressed half-assedly, Selene would’ve killed me.”

Ron chuckled, shaking his head. “You really listen to her.”

Jax shot him a mock glare. “Not fair—you just used my line on me.”

Both of them laughed, the tension easing.

Just then, a clear voice called out.

“You two arrived early…”

Both Ron and Jax turned toward the voice.

Walking toward them were Selene and Lia.

For a moment, Ron’s mind went blank the instant his gaze fell on Lia. Her words from earlier echoed in his head—

“Ron… you’re an idiot.”

His chest tightened as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

W-Was she… asking me for a date?!!!

Ron’s amber eyes widened slightly, his heartbeat quickening. He almost forgot to breathe as the thought spun in his head, leaving him frozen in place.

Meanwhile, Jax, completely oblivious to Ron’s inner turmoil, whistled low under his breath. “Well, damn…”

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