Chapter 19: A Prince’s Proposal

Ryo sat up on the clinic bed, stretching his arms. "Finally! I was starting to think they were going to keep me here forever."

Leon smirked. "I mean, after that stunt you pulled with the lightning? Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they were studying you like some kind of rare beast."

Ryo snorted, but his amusement didn't last long. A nurse handed him a small bag filled with medicines.

"Take these for the next three weeks," she said sternly. "No skipping."

Ryo stared at the bag like it was a ticking time bomb. "Uh… thanks."

As soon as the nurse turned away, he casually yeeted the bag into a nearby window.💨

Leon caught the movement and blinked. "Wait… where'd the medicine go?"

Ryo gave him the most innocent look imaginable. "What medicine?"

Leon sighed. "You know what? I'll pretend I didn't see that. Let's just go."

As they walked, Ryo took a deep breath. The academy grounds were buzzing with students, but there was something off about the atmosphere. It felt… tense.

And then, they saw him.

Standing in the middle of the pathway, waiting for them, was a tall young man with golden hair and piercing blue eyes. His regal uniform was immaculate, and his posture was perfectly composed—yet something about him made leon instincts scream DANGER.

The Other Prince

"I am Prince Jasper," the man introduced himself smoothly. His voice was like silk dipped in poison—elegant, yet something about it felt… wrong.

Ryo and Leon exchanged glances.

"Nice to meet you?" Ryo offered, already on high alert.

Jasper tilted his head, studying them like a scientist analyzing insects under a microscope. "I heard about my dear brother's little duel against you. How… unfortunate."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunate? You mean for your brother, right?"

Jasper smiled, but there was no warmth behind it. "For him, yes. He disappointed me. I expected better."

Ryo felt a shiver crawl down his spine. There was something deeply unsettling about how casually Jasper dismissed his own brother's loss.

Before Ryo could respond, Jasper stepped closer. His gaze bored into Ryo's, as if trying to peer into his soul.

"I must say," Jasper continued, his voice silky smooth, "you are… intriguing."

Ryo forced himself not to step back. "I get that a lot."

Jasper chuckled, but it was the kind of laugh that sent chills down your spine. The kind that made you wonder if he was laughing with you… or at you.

"You have potential," Jasper said. "I could use someone like you."

Ryo blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm offering you a place in my faction," Jasper said smoothly. "With my influence, you could rise far beyond your current level. Wealth, power, protection—you name it, and I can provide it."

Leon rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "Wow. What a generous prince. Totally not suspicious at all."

Jasper's smile didn't falter, but his eyes darkened for just a split second. It was so fast that Ryo almost missed it.

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. Appreciate the offer and all, but I'll need time to think about it."

Jasper stared at him for a long moment, then smiled again—this time, it felt more like a mask.

"Of course," Jasper said, stepping back. "Take your time. But choose wisely."

And just like that, he turned and walked away.

Ryo let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Leon whispered immediately. "Okay, nope. Nope. Nope. That guy is creepy."

Ryo nodded. "Yeah. My instincts are screaming at me to stay far, far away from him."

Leon crossed his arms. "Good. Because if you even consider joining that guy, I'm personally slapping you back to reality."

Ryo smirked. "Noted."

---

As they walked back, Leon suddenly grinned mischievously. 😏

"Oh, by the way, your girlfriend came to visit while you were out."

Ryo stumbled. "My what?"

Leon laughed. "Yeah. That Mia girl? She looked super worried about you. She even cried. You should go see her."

Ryo groaned. "I don't even know why she said yes to dating me in the first place."

Leon nudged him. "Hey, you wrote the love letter, my guy."

Ryo sighed. "Yeah, but I guess I didn't expect it to actually work."

Leon snickered. "Well, congrats. Now go be a good boyfriend before she dumps you for being emotionally unavailable."

Ryo grumbled but started walking toward the girls' dormitory.

When he reached Mia's room, he hesitated before knocking lightly. 🚪

A soft voice answered. "Who is it?"

"…It's me, Ryo."

There was a moment of silence.

Then, the door swung open, revealing Mia—with tears streaming down her face. 😭💔

Ryo's eyes widened in shock.

"Mia? Why are you—"

Before he could finish, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. 🤗💞

Ryo froze like a deer in headlights.

"I thought… I thought something bad happened to you," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Ryo awkwardly patted her back. "Uh… I'm fine?"

Mia tightened her hug, pressing her face against his chest.

Lyon's words echoed in Ryo's mind: "Take it seriously."

Ryo let out a deep breath and finally, hesitantly, wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm fine," he muttered again, softer this time.

Mia clung to him for a moment longer before finally stepping back. She wiped her eyes, sniffling.

Ryo scratched his cheek. "…So, uh. We're really doing this whole relationship thing, huh?"

Mia sniffled, then smirked. "You are my boyfriend, dummy."

Ryo sighed dramatically. "Guess I can't argue with that."

To be continued… ❤️✨