A change had happened in the classroom that day.
Jody and Syd were no longer sitting apart. The girl had moved her desk to sit right beside him, by the door.
The atmosphere between the two had shifted as well. Yesterday, they seemed like they couldn't stand each other. But now, here they were—sitting side by side like it was nothing.
"Ugh. Finally, that damn boring class is over," Syd yawned and muttered without a care for anyone around.
"You didn't pay attention at all today."
"Well, duh. I had to get up early and wait for you at the train station, remember?"
"Oh wow. You wanted me on your team that bad, huh? I'm honored."
"Cut the crap. Seriously. And what's the point of paying attention? This place is gonna shut down soon anyway."
"It's lunch. Let's get food. Come on, get up."
Jody dragged him out of the classroom.
The two walked side by side down the main student corridor, a place decorated with beautiful lamps and polished tiles in typical international school style.
"…Hey, by the way…"
"Hmm?"
"How tall are you?"
"Me?"
"In centimeters, please. Don't start measuring with your fingers. You Americans, man. I swear, I wanna slap some sense into y'all. Metric exists for a reason."
"How does that have anything to do with—"
"Of course it's related! Everyone says your system is useless. Even Alexander Graham Bell said it's dumb. Look it up."
"Wow… am I really getting schooled about my own country by a foreigner?"
"So? What's your height?"
"About 179 cm, I think."
"Ah…"
"What?"
"No wonder I felt something was off… I mean, when I talk to girls, my line of sight is usually lower."
"How tall are you?"
"182."
"Oh! Just a 3 cm difference between us, then."
From afar, Syd and Jody looked nearly the same height. And for the record, it wasn't because Syd was short—it was because Jody was just unusually tall for a teenage American girl.
"Why the hell are you so tall, huh? With legs that snap like twigs no less. That's so ironic."
"Is this one of your usual white-people insults?"
"Just stating facts."
"Sure. Just don't let anyone else hear you say that, or you might get punched."
"Bring it on, then."
"…Anyway. I was kinda shocked, y'know. When I snapped that fork, I didn't even use that much force and it broke instantly. Are your legs really that fragile? How do you even live day to day?"
"It's tricky. I have to be careful with everything—especially things involving my legs. Like, if I slip in the shower? That's it."
"Damn. That's rough."
"You could say that. But stairs or walking briskly? I can still manage that."
"So if I swept your legs right now, you'd face-plant instantly?"
"Probably. But I believe someone with a kind heart like you wouldn't do that."
"…Don't tempt me."
Right then, a third voice called out from behind them.
"Jody Johansson."
The voice was posh, haughty—confident and aristocratic. When they turned around, they saw a teenage Caucasian girl with long pink hair streaked with soft green. Her makeup was heavy, her lips painted black, eyeliner thick as hell—definitely using the biggest size pencil on the market.
"…Sera…"
" Who the hell is this Green day-fans looking ahh "
Just as he asked, the British girl stepped forward and introduced herself.
"Hello, Syd. I'm Sera. Seraphina Gilmour, but you can call me Sera."
It clicked for Syd. He'd seen that name earlier at the hallway rankings.
No. 2.) Seraphina Gilmour…
Ohhh… so this is number two
"She was the last one I had to face in the selection round for strongest student," Jody explained. "We both ended up wrecked. If I'd slipped up even once, I probably wouldn't be standing here talking to you. So watch out—she and a few others are the only ones who'd dare come talk to us like this."
"Wait—how did you even fight her with bones that fragile?" Syd asked.
"It's nice to meet you, Syd. You're taller than I imagined," Sera said with a smile. "You know, you've gotten pretty popular."
Jody cut her off. "What do you want?"
"Just saying hi. I heard there's an exchange student who managed to beat Jody Johansson. Naturally, I wanted to see him for myself. Plus, I'm just surprised that Killer Queen over here actually has a friend."
"Is it really that strange to be walking next to someone?"
"Oh, just curious. Everyone's curious about him."
Sera pointed right at Syd.
"Everyone wants to know him. But you've been hogging him like some jealous guard dog. Isn't that a little childish, Your Majesty?"
"…"
Students began gathering, forming a circle around them.
"Hogging?" Jody scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. If he didn't want to be here, he'd have walked away already."
"Easy for you to say. Everyone here knows what you used to be. So how are we supposed to believe you're not using your powers to force him to follow you around like a minion?"
Sera didn't stop there.
"I'm not saying he's dumb. I respect how sharp he is. But being smart and being strong are two different things… He might be clever, but maybe he's not strong enough to protect himself from a former thug like you. Or am I wrong?"
To an outsider, Sera might've come off as arrogant or villainous in this scene. But not to Jody.
Jody understood Sera's position completely.
Whether Sera meant it as a jab, or was genuinely concerned, or whatever else—what she said had merit.
Jody thought about it from the other side.
If she were Sera, she'd probably do the same. She understood how people saw her now.
But suddenly—
"Ahem. Cough cough."
Syd Barrett stepped between them.
"Honestly, it's clear you two can't stand each other. Go ahead, fight or roll around in the dirt for all I care. But saying I'm weak? I ain't lettin' that shit slide twin."
"…Excuse me?"
Syd took a slow step toward Sera, eyeing her up and down. Then he began walking in a slow circle around her.
"Lemme tell you something. There are three things I hate in this world: cream on bread, pineapple on pizza, and arrogant snobs who think they're better than everyone else. Like you."
With that, Syd held something up in the air.
Both Sera and Jody gasped in shock.
It was Sera's black designer wallet.
"You bastard! When did you take that?!"
Sera snatched her Chanel wallet back in a panic. Luckily, nothing seemed to be missing.
"And that's the flaw with high-class types like you," Syd grinned. "Always looking up, too proud to notice what's being taken from below."
Then he pulled out something else—a black iPhone in a luxury case, flipping it in the air.
"Your phone too? Man, you carry a lot of stuff."
"Give that back!!"
"Oh, and what's this? A pink lighter? You smoke?"
He opened his palm, revealing her flashy lighter.
When Sera snatched it and her phone back, Syd turned his head and revealed something in his ear: her AirPods.
"Nice earbuds, by the way. Capitalism does have its perks."
"You little—!!"
She lunged at him, aiming a slap at his face, but he dodged with ease.
"Hm… what time is it again?"
He lifted his wrist—revealing her Hermes watch.
That was the last straw.
A dark pink aura flared up around Sera's body. Behind her appeared a floating symbol—a diagram of cell division.
Jody noticed it instantly and stepped forward.
"Stop, Syd."
"…I wasn't done. I was gonna prove once and for all that this Green-day looking ahh was dead wrong."
"C'mon. You'll draw a crowd."
"…Fine, whatever."
Syd tossed her stuff back and turned to walk away.
"Syd Barrett… I'll remember you," Sera muttered, seething.
"You went a little overboard," Jody said.
"Don't lecture me."
Oof. That was harsh.
Jody kept it to herself.
"Seriously though, don't provoke her," she added. "I'm warning you—Sera may not be a total jerk, but—"
"What? I thought you two hated each other."
"I don't. But Sera doesn't know that. How do I put this… She's the kind of person who constantly pushes herself."
"You mean, like super competitive?"
"She's addicted to challenge. Wouldn't be surprised if her main goal this year is to knock me off my pedestal. It's our final year, after all."
"Huh… wouldn't have guessed."
"By the way… I thought you said you didn't have powers? How the hell did you swipe her stuff without me even noticing?"
"That wasn't a power."
"Then how?"
"Bit of misdirection, a little sleight of hand. Most people keep valuables in their pockets. That's why I circled her."
"What about the watch and earbuds?"
"Did you see when she got pissed? Her focus was on my face, ready to hit me. That's the perfect time—they stop watching their surroundings. So, I took my chance."
"You're way more interesting than I thought."
"…Creepy thing to say, Jody. Keep it up and I'm drop-kicking you."
"I mean it."
"Still, seeing all that crap she was wearing made my blood boil. Chanel wallet… phone case lined with goddamn amalgam… and a Hermes watch too? Is her family made of money or what?"
"Should I feel weird that a billionaire heir is ragging on someone from the same class?"
"Doesn't matter. Stuff is just stuff. I'm not some walking advertisement for capitalism like she is. Probably just bought her way into this school. That 89 score? I bet she paid for it."
"I'm gonna stop you right there. Sera's never cheated. Ever."
"Yeah, sure. Tell me another one."
"…What does 'tell me another one' mean?"
"It's a Thai saying. Means no matter what you say, I won't believe it."
"I'm serious. Oh—hey, I read somewhere that Thai people respect elders. Is that true?"
"…Why?"
"You know I'm two years older than you, right?"
"…Right. You're 19, huh? Had to start over in 10th grade here."
Jody smirked.
"…And what of it?"
"Heh."
She walked ahead with a grin.
"Hey! I'm modern Thai, okay? Respect's about what's inside—HEY! Are you even listening, you pale beanpole?!"
"You said you don't like cream, right? Maybe I'll buy you some milk—help those bones grow."
"You're shorter than me, white girl."
"I'm 19. I'm done growing. But you've still got a chance. I'll get you some veggies too. Gotta eat your greens, little man."
"Jody. Stop. Now. One more word and I'm snapping your legs."