Chapter 2.3

"Ungh, my back."

"Mon cou."

"Owie, my tummy."

All three were groaning and moaning as they exited the gym. Alina stretched her back, while Michelle was rubbing her neck, and Asami walked crouching forwards as she clutched her stomach.

"I'm taking a long hot bath once I get back home," sighed Alina.

"That's a good idea," asami agreed while nodding her head.

"Moi aussi," replied Michelle at the same time.

"Hey - whoa - you guys look like you went to hell and back," a voice nearby called out. Turning around, the trio saw Emily leaning against a pillar, phone in hand, with a smile etched around her mouth.

"Yeah, we really did, the Demon Teach gave us a 'practical lesson' in combat training," Said Asami while lifting her fingers to empathize the quotation marks.

"Ouch, how'd you get her as the trainer, aren't you girls first years?" asked Emily with a wince. Ms. Silvia was an accomplished and highly skilled combatant who barely taught combat classes, but was regarded highly amongst even the teachers.

"Our instructor was a no-show. But, more importantly, what's up with these nicknames? Demon Teach? Really?" asked Alina.

"You don't know? We teens love giving out nicknames. As for the Demon Teach ... Despite being the principal of the high school section of this academy, Ms. Silvia loves teaching. It's just that she also loves punishing students, and not in the good way," Emily joked.

"There's a good way to punishing?" asked Alina with a tilt of her head alongside Michelle, both utterly bemused, causing Emily and Asami to pause and look at them.

"Oh, you sweet summer child," said Emily with a light laugh while Asami started nodding vehemently. Michelle, meanwhile, directed her attention towards the entrance of the Academy which they were approaching.

"Hn. There's a foule at the entrance for some reason," she pointed out, her stoic face not changing even a little despite being teased.

"Huh, and it's mostly girls. Bet you there's a cute guy over there attracting all the girls," joked Emily with a glimmer in her eyes, causing Alina to freeze.

No, she thought. He wouldn't. He can't have come over. Wait, I can't take them to the entrance, I can't let them see him! But there's no other exit. Aw, hell!

"Oooh, let's go check it out!" exclaimed Asami while running to the exit, her phone already whipped out to capture any newsworthy photos.

"Wait, no!" cried Alina as the others started running after Asami. Alina stood there, completely frozen, before muttering: "Well, shit."

She then resigned herself to her fate as she began chasing after them. Pushing her way forwards, she found her three friends at the forefront of the crowd, staring at the man in front of them. He was leaning on his motorcycle, a custom-built beast with four tires. His windswept hair gave him a nonchalant carefree attitude while his broodingly stoic eyes looked off at the distant view. Coupled with his lightly bronzed skin and black leather jacket, that coincidentally showed off his broad shoulders and huge biceps, he was the very definition of 'a real man'. Seeming to realize something the man turned to look at Alina and smiled, causing a few girls to scream lightly like fangirls.

With twitching eyebrows, Alina prepared herself mentally, then started to walk towards him, as she heard the girls around her arguing on who he smiled at. Of course, this included her two friends but strangely not Emily, who was staring at Jason without blinking her eyes.

"Hey, kid, why so glum?" he asked, his huskily gravel voice causing a few girls to squeal again.

"Wait! Alina, you know this hot guy?!" Asami, who appeared spontaneously from behind Alina, grabbed the latter as she questioned her with bright eyes while the other two girls, Emily and Michelle, caught up with her.

"Yeah, I know him. This 'hot guy' - gross, by the way - happens to be my brother," Alina sighed while looking upwards at the sky, cursing her luck.

"Why hello there, ladies. I'm Jason, Jason Sage. It's a pleasure and thank you for looking after my sister," Jason introduced himself in a gentlemanly manner, then finished the sentence while looking at Emily, who was the oldest among them.

Michelle and Asami both blushed, the former attempting to remain stoic, while muttering incoherent replies and the latter with an impishly playful grin that was aimed at Alina. Emily continued to stare silently, causing Alina to sigh magnificently once more.

"You guys, he's my brother. Stop staring, and quit blushing you two!" she said with exacerbation.

"What, it's not a crime to look is it?" argued Asami, whose cheeks were still flushed but eyes were secretly observing Alina while Michelle nodded, agreeing with her.

"Still, it's weird. Especially you two, you're my age! Fourteen! Not cool!" Alina, who was strangely annoyed, replied with a huff.

"Oh, I'm seventeen so is it cool for me to look and flirt?" asked a teasing Emily to Alina, a strange glint flitted through her eyes for a moment as she smirked.

"God no, I'm seriously worried here! He's a chick magnet! A womanizer! And I don't want any of my friends dating my brother!" complained Alina with a stomp.

"She's got a point, girls," Jason said with a sly smile. "I'm the bad boy your parents warn you about. You definitely don't want to be near me. Unless, you like dangerous."

With his last words, Jason glanced at Emily from the corner of his eyes once more and the two seemed to hold a silent conversation between themselves for a split second before breaking eye contact.

"Oh, it's totally worth it, hot stuff," answered Asami while Michelle barely nodded again, cheeks red at her unusually complacent self. Emily tilted her head as she continued gazing at Jason, reminiscing about something.

Jason smiled before turning to Alina with a wink and asking her a question devilishly, "Well, Alle, this is rude. Won't you introduce me to your, uh, friends?"

"Bro, Michelle, Asami, Emily. Guys, my brother, Jason," sighed Alina once more as she gestured to each girl while naming them.

"Emily, what a beautiful name," Jason said as his electrifying onyx eyes connected with her piercingly green eyes. Emily said nothing, however, a palpable tension surrounded the two. In fact, Alina swore to herself that she could see a pink atmosphere forming around them as they lovingly gazed into each others' eyes.