Chapter 60: Meet Me Outside

Ethan made it back to Dorm 303 on legs that had opinions about every step he took.

He was Sore, but functional. The session sat in his calves and hips like a memory he would not forget anytime soon. Bef was already back in Storage and the gym pass was in his pocket as a reminder that Coach Merrick didn’t care about for restricted-class politics

’Well, at least I racked up a decent amount of Exp,’ he thought as if the thought could reduce the soreness.

He opened the door and found Lila awake on the couch in one of his shirts. Her hair was loose and her eyes immediately narrowed as she took in his damp collar and the way he moved.

Ethan looked at her. "My shirt."

She didn’t pay any mind to his observation. "You left."

"I was at the Gym." Ethan set his water bottle down and rolled one shoulder. "Felt like getting some exercise in."

Lila sat up straighter. "The gym....And you didn’t tell me."

"You were asleep."

"That’s not an answer to why you didn’t tell me."

Ethan looked at her, then decided to dodge the question. "Why didn’t you sleep in your room?"

Lila didn’t even pretend to think about it. "I sleep better next to you."

The sentence landed hard enough that Ethan could feel the weight in the room.

He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened his mouth again. "Clingy."

Lila’s eyes flashed. "Ungrateful."

"You take up more than half of the bed."

"You start breathing weird when I’m there..."

"That’s not—" He stopped, because he was not actually sure she was wrong. "I’m going to take a shower."

"Good. You stink."

"That’s just evidence of my hard work and effort.."

He escaped into the bathroom under the sound of her snorting, soft enough that it might have been a laugh.

Hot water toned down the worst of the stiffness down into something he could walk in, and by the time he came out in a clean uniform, Lila was ready at the door with her bag over one shoulder.

"Let’s go," she said, "we’ll be late."

They walked together, the Campus already almost fully awake by now. People still stared, people still whispered, but Ethan kept his pace even as they walked towards the class they would have for the day....

***

Class itself was ordinary by academy standards: Crane on recovery logistics, a short module on dungeon instability, and no direct mention of Devil-class monsters or Brimstone beyond what had already been made public.

Nora sat in the corner of the room and taking notes with a straight posture. When her eyes met Ethan’s she visibly stiffened, then averted her gaze...

When Professor Crane dismissed them, the hall descended into noise.

Ethan had made it as far as the path between him and the door when Marcus stepped into his path with two of his usual shadows behind him with an inquisitive expression on his face.

"Necromancer." Marcus began. "Saw you coming back from the gym. Trying to make sure the next upper-year who hunts you down finds you less pathetic in a footrace?"

Ethan deadpanned. "What do you want Marcus?"

"The whole year watched Ava walk up to your table like you were on a menu. And you’re going to act like that was nothing?"

"It was a conversation," Ethan said flatly. "She heard the evaluation noise. Everyone did. You’re making it sound like I have a target on my back."

"I’m making it sound like what it looked like." Marcus tilted his head, seemingly enjoying the audience forming at the rows of seats beside them. Even Aria was watching...

"Restricted first year kills a Devil-class, then collects Ava Drew’s attention in public. You must be very talented at becoming other people’s project."

"You’re overreading it."

"Am I?"

"Yes," Ethan said. "It’s not as serious as you’re trying to make it. She was curious. Curiosity is normal as far as I can tell. You’re working overtime for a story that’s not true."

Marcus’s mouth opened with the next line ready...

Then the remaining conversation died the moment the doors swung open.

They turned...

Ava stood just inside the classroom, her yellow eyes scanning the classroom.

He blond hair was bright under the hall light, her uniform still somehow suggesting dress-code violence without breaking it, and a couple of third-years hovered behind her and then stopped.

She saw Marcus, Lila, the first-years pretending not to watch, and finally Ethan, and when she did, her smile widened like she had just found something priceless.

Ethan’s eyes landed on her and his gaze flattened. "Shit."

"Shaw!" she said in a cheerful voice "Good. You’re hard to pin between classes."

Marcus actually forgot to close his mouth for a second.

Lila went still.

Nora, still at her desk, looked up and did not look away as quickly as before.

Ava walked the rest of the aisle without asking the crowd to move; it moved anyway. She stopped a few feet away from Ethan, then turned to Marcus.

"Hale, right? You’re in the way."

Marcus stepped aside on reflex, then looked furious that he had.

Ava’s attention returned to Ethan, excitement clear in her eyes. "I said later. This counts as later."

Ethan felt the entire room drilling into him with gazes. Lila watched in silence, and Marcus had the expression of a man watching his rumor become fact right before his eyes.

Ethan could have refused. But Refusing in front of this many eyes would only change the shape of the story, not erase it.

"...Fine," he said.

Ava’s smile widened, pleased. She turned to the door.. "Meet me outside."

The classroom stayed silent for a moment after she stepped into the corridor.

Ethan released a slow breath. He did not look at Marcus, but made the mistake of looking at Lila.

Her golden stayed even. Very even... like whatever just happened had nothing to do with her.

She left the class without saying a word and Ethan just sighed.

He didn’t like where this was going...