X. A WHAT?

I yawned and stretched my body, only to immediately regret it as a sharp pain shot through my wound. A groan escaped my lips, reminding me of my fragile state.

"Good morning, Kaesu! Would you like breakfast in be—"

The sudden voice startled me awake, and my eyes snapped open. Standing in front of me, all smiles and wearing an apron, was Lara. I blinked, trying to process the scene in front of me.

I turned my head and felt something—or rather, someone—nudging me with their foot. My eyes landed on Alex, fast asleep beside me, his mouth slightly open, completely oblivious to the world.

Right… I almost forgot how they barged in here last night.

Suppressing a sigh, I sat up slowly. "Let's eat in the kitchen," I suggested, eager to escape the awkwardness of waking up to my uninvited sleepover guests.

Lara simply nodded, but as I got up and headed for the door, I realized she had not followed. Instead, she took a deep breath, preparing to yell. My eyes widened in alarm, and I lunged toward her, clamping my hand over her mouth just in time.

I shook my head, signaling her to keep quiet. Alex was still asleep, and honestly, I would rather let him wake up naturally than endure the morning chaos he would bring.

Lara, however, was not one to take orders. She shoved my hand away and took a deep breath.

"But we are going to be late—"

"WAKE UP, ALEX! IT'S A WEEKDAY, FOR PETE'S SAKE!"

I winced at the sudden volume, feeling my eardrums protest in agony.

Alex groaned, his voice hoarse and muffled. "Could you please shut up? You are hurting my eardrums."

I could not agree more.

As the two of them bickered like children, I decided to abandon them entirely and head straight to the kitchen. To my surprise, breakfast was already prepared, the warm aroma of home-cooked food filling the room.

I sat at the table, staring at the spread before me, my chest tightening.

It had been so long since I had a proper homemade breakfast. If only Grandpa were still here…

Lara and Alex eventually joined me, still exchanging snarky remarks. I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress my irritation.

"Can we eat in peace?" I asked, my voice laced with exhaustion.

They both froze mid-bicker, then turned their heads toward me. I could practically see the sparks flying between them as they exchanged death glares.

I cleared my throat. "I said, in peace."

With reluctant sighs, they complied.

After we finished eating, both of them prepared to leave.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Lara asked, concern evident in her voice.

"You can rest at home if you want," Alex added. "We can inform your professors."

I shook my head. "I told you, I can manage."

Besides, I had something important to deal with today at the university.

"Let us escort you to your class then," Lara insisted.

I sighed but allowed them to accompany me. If that was what it took to ease their worries, so be it.

Upon reaching my classroom, they bid me goodbye, though their reluctant expressions made it clear they were still uneasy. I gave them a small smile before stepping inside and taking my usual seat.

As I settled in, I overheard two of my classmates whispering excitedly in front of me.

"I heard we have a transfer student!"

"You heard too? I also heard that he is handsome!"

They both giggled like schoolgirls at a pop concert. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window, uninterested.

Moments later, the professor walked in, followed closely by the supposed new student. I did not bother to look at him for long, keeping my attention elsewhere.

"Can I sit here?"

I jumped slightly at the sudden voice and turned toward the source, narrowing my eyes at him.

Before I could even answer, he pulled out the chair beside me and sat down as if he owned the place.

I could feel the daggers being thrown at me by the girls in the class. Seriously? Are they that childish?

The new guy flashed me a bright grin. "I am Anthony, by the way. But you can call me Ton, or Thony, or whatever you want."

He extended a hand, but I ignored it and pretended to focus on the lecture.

"Get lost," I muttered under my breath.

Instead of being offended, he chuckled. "What a warm welcome."

I could see his amused smile in my peripheral vision.

When class was dismissed, the girls wasted no time surrounding Anthony, showering him with attention. He seemed to enjoy every second of it.

I, on the other hand, struggled to escape the crowd. When I finally managed to slip out, I sighed in relief and dusted myself off.

I had more important things to do.

I roamed around the university, scanning my surroundings for any sign of the person who had sent me the letter. But it felt impossible. I did not even know who I was looking for—was it a boy or a girl? A student or a stranger?

Frustrated, I pulled the letter from my pocket and read it again.

Wait—

The only person who had approached me today was the new guy.

Right! It must be him.

I hurried back to the classroom, where Anthony was still basking in female admiration. Without hesitation, I slammed a book onto the table, loud enough to command everyone's attention.

All eyes turned toward me, confusion evident.

"You!" I pointed directly at him. "Antonio, I need to talk to you."

The room erupted into whispers. Even Anthony looked taken aback.

"Are you referring to me?" he asked.

"Who else here is named Antonio?"

He grinned. "Sorry, girls. I am fully booked."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his wrist, dragging him toward a quieter part of the campus. We ended up near the back of the building, where no one else was around.

"You," I said, getting straight to the point. "Did you send me the letter?"

Anthony furrowed his brows for a second before his amused expression returned.

"First of all," he said with exaggerated patience, "my name is Anthony, not Antonio. You really made me question my own existence back there." He laughed.

I clenched my jaw.

"Whatever. You told me to call you whatever I want, so you are Antonio now."

He nodded as if accepting his fate. "Fair enough."

"Second," he continued, "I have no idea what letter you are talking about. Maybe you have a secret admirer?"

He nudged my shoulder teasingly.

I huffed in frustration. "Whatever."

Turning on my heel, I stormed off before I did something I would regret.

When I returned to where Alex and Lara were waiting, Alex immediately grabbed my arm.

"Where have you been? I heard you have a new hunk classmate! Did you see him? Is the rumor true?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"If you are blind enough, then maybe the possibility of him being a hunk is true," I replied flatly.

"But I heard he is handsome!" Lara chimed in.

"He looks like a beast," I muttered.

Because he did.

And I had a feeling I would be dealing with him a lot more than I wanted to.