"Are you sure? Won't that kind of ruin your image in school?"

Nik raised his brows in wonder as multiple gazes filled with astonishment, envy, rage and disappointment lingered on the duo who still stood hand-in-hand.

"Of course... you have to. Didn't you say that I can trust you? Show me that you really mean it. 

I mean, the moment it is revealed that the most popular girl in the school is finally in a relationship, you will definitely face a lot of trouble. 

Though, I can understand if you get intimated by the crowd."

Smiling smugly, the teasing tone prevailed within her words as she showed a rather confident front in front of others.

But the warmth of her hand remained genuine and a mesmerising show of her emotions. Looking around, Nik saw many guys and girls of his own age looking at him with a variety of expressions. 

"For real?"

Nik asked once again for confirmation's sake. School life is extremely important to any person. Even Nik went through various education classes, and honestly, he enjoyed every bit of that moment. But what Kurumi asked could possibly affect her school life negatively.

"Heh~ I didn't think you are the type to actually consider a woman's feeling. Weren't you all macho last night—"

Before Kurumi could chuckle with her eyes narrowed down, Nik simply shrugged as he took her chin in between his thumb and index finger before pulling her into a light, comforting kiss. Their lips touched softly for a moment before Kurumi's widened eyes stayed at Nik's compassionate one.

Almost immediately, the whole crowd broke into a loud shock as Nik immediately removed his face and smiled.

"There you go." Squeezing her palm gently, he finally let go of her before a voice broke both of them out of their passionate gazes.

"N... Nik?"

Right in front of them stood another pair of boy and girl. The bespectacled boy looked nothing out of the ordinary. Thin physique, ordinary face and a head full of black hair that fell on his forehead. With a small booklet in his hands, the boy focused on that very book more than his surroundings.

Meanwhile, next to him stood a woman that was at stark opposition to what the boy proclaimed through his body language. A beautiful face and even beautiful body. With a long package slung across her shoulders, the twin-tailed woman looked at Nik with slightly shaken expression.

Who else could it be except Megumi?

"Oh? Megumi-chi! Heya, Manabu!"

Seeing the girl, Kurumi immediately smiled happily as her arm naturally coiled around Nik's while the said boy, Manabu, immediately snapped his head up, clearly startled, looked away with a furious blush on his cheeks.

Seeing such a reaction from her Maa-kun, Megumi felt even more shaken.

"H-hello!"

As Manabu stuttered, Megumi looked at Kurumi, her classmate, and nodded plainly, her calm expression had already turned slightly gloomy.

"Hi, Kurumi-chan. Who's he?"

Not wanting to trail along with any useless questions, Megumi immediately pointed at Nik mechanically while his lips started twitching rapidly... oh, so rapidly.

"Him?" Since Kurumi was slightly shorter, her head tilted up with a confused expression before her honey gold eyes dazzled and a pure smile emerged on her lips, a smile, that made both, Manabu and Megumi envious, even if it was for a moment.

"He is Nik Faran. My boyfriend!"

At Kurumi's loud proclamation, Nik felt the illusion of hearing the sound of countless glass shattering. But he maintained his calm while Megumi frowned.

"Your boyfriend? When did you two meet?"

Not bothering about certain strangeness in their relationship, Kurumi thought for a moment before replying.

"There's still a few hours before a whole day passes after our first meeting."

"I see. Good luck."

Cutting Kurumi's next words short, Megumi immediately walked past Kurumi with a chilly expression while she didn't even glance at Nik even for a short moment, all the while, leaving her oh, so treasured, Maa-kun behind.

"Is she your friend?"

Nik finally opened his mouth as Kurumi shook her head.

"No, we both are classmates. But since she is so athletic and beautiful, we both have been compared quite a number of times.

Why? Are you interested in getting Megumi over for a good session?"

Smiling mischievously, Kurumi looked nothing like a normal girlfriend. In fact, after her proclamation, she seemed to be at more ease. The gentle arc of her lips grew natural and her posture slightly straightened up.

"Be safe... I'll come back to pick you up."

Smiling, Nik finally kissed her cheek once again before Kurumi returned the favour by a short peck on his cheeks and tip-toed inside the school gates before waving at some girls and laughing loudly at their questions.

As Nik sent Kurumi inside the school with his gaze, a hand fell on his shoulder. A large, yet, slightly 'empty' hand. As all the girls slowly went inside the school after the commotion, almost all the boys remained outside the school gate as their faces grew dark while they inwardly cheered for Rick, the baddest bully of their school to take care of this outsider who just plucked the goddess of their school.

Of course, all of them knew that violence won't change the fact that their Goddess' heart was already stolen, but they had the right to mourn, right? So their tears needed to be leaked through the bastard's eyes who dared touch and even kiss the Black Cat Goddess on her lovely, cherry lips.

Finally, Nik looked at the huge man with bulging muscles and tanned skin. The white school shirt surprised Nik to no end as the boy could make most of the men look like little chumps. Trimmed, bald head with his ears pierced. Quite stylish, in Nik's opinion.

If the same guy was placed in the same civilisation that Nik originated from, he reckoned that he would be quite demanding in any redlight district. Of course, the basis was that not only his muscles, but his little brother should also be as bulging.

Of course, Nik did what any sensible man would do.

Smiling naturally and harmlessly, he looked at the guy in the eye and spoke up.

"Yes? How can I help you, brother?"

"You don't get to call me brother. You just kissed our Goddess! You... call me disciple! Master!"

The hulk of a human let go of Nik's shoulder and immediately bowed respectfully while the surrounding boys waiting for a good show immediately felt what an inflated balloon would feel when it gets deflated.

"Oi, Rick! What the hell?"

"Yeah! Beat him up! Aren't you always arrogant?! What happened now?!"

"Rick! You used to say that no one is allowed to go near Goddess! But... What the fuck, bro!"

As the surrounding yells grew louder and louder, Rick, the hulk, finally straightened his body and shouted.

"Yes! I am an arrogant son of a b*tch! But what about you?

I said that nobody can even get near the Goddess, and being little weak ass b*tches, you followed my orders.

How dare any of you lot dare think about getting close to her if you don't have the galls to face the thorns that protect a rose! You pussies need to man up!

But now, the Goddess and the Master are in a relationship. This time... if anyone dares get near her, or even spread a bad rumour, I'll make sure that no women could make your pussies wet again! Got it!"

As the crowd, including Nik, grew stunned. Rick finally pointed at Nik and declared.

"Look at master. He is handsome and yet, does not follow our filthy trend. He wears a sincere looking shirt and pants. And even when he looks so dull in these clothes, he confidently claimed Goddess' lips in front of everyone!

Can any of you pussies do it? 

And when I grabbed him by the shoulders, he clearly looked through my troubled heart and called me a brother! Me! How can I ever harm such a beautiful existence!"

Tears threatened to leak out of his narrow eyes while the faces of other students grew bleaker. It was only at this moment did they realise that not only this hulk was an arrogant bastard, he was also... emotionally scarred.

But the realisation struck too late. And the most loathsome guy in their eyes happened to gain the most beautiful princess alongside the chief warlord!

Hateful!

As the remaining students finally stomped their legs and made their way towards the school gate, all of them found a scarred man in a blue jumpsuit with a huge stick in his hands.

"You all... may return home."

The words spoken by the strictest teacher made all the students despair as Rick simply snorted and slung his bag across his shoulders before looking at Nik.

"Master, where shall I escort you."

Meanwhile, Nik, being another arrogant son of a b*tch nodded his head and spoke simply.

"We go and find a place to establish our stay."

And just like this, the master-disciple pair moved forth under the raging eyes of other despairing students who were racking their brain to find a suitable excuse to satisfy their parents.