"So," she said confidently, brushing her bangs aside, "you'll join, right?"
She leaned back like she'd already sealed the deal.
And honestly, that smug confidence made it way easier to say what I said next.
"However," I said with a smile, "I refuse."
"Okay, then I'll just—wait, what?"
The smugness cracked instantly.
Her head tilted. Her brows furrowed. That practiced confidence wavered like a glitch in her programming.
"That's right," I said, leaning forward. "You threatened me, tried to blackmail me into your club, and now you're shocked I said no? You don't even know what 'recruitment' means, do you?"
She looked genuinely confused, which honestly made it more satisfying.
"But I thought… I mean, I gave you a way out of the photo thing. I even offered you a club. That's a cool opportunity."
"And I offered you a chance to not get your face magically rearranged in the near future."
"Wow." She pouted, folding her arms again. "You're more stubborn than I thought."
"And you're more annoying than I expected."
There was a short silence. Then she snorted.
"...I kinda like you, Rin."
"Yeah, well, I don't like you. But I'm flattered."
"Tsk. And here I thought you were interested in girls or was I mistaken?"
"No. I'm interested in girls," I said evenly, "but only those who have assets to speak of. And on the other hand, you…"
I paused, slowly dragging my gaze across her like I was inspecting a secondhand broom at a marketplace.
"...are severely lacking."
Her mouth opened in stunned silence.
"You—!" she gasped, hands instinctively covering her chest like I'd physically smacked her with my words.
"You absolute bastard!"
"I'm just answering your question honestly," I replied, deadpan. "Honesty is important in friendships, right?"
"That wasn't honesty, that was a hate crime!"
"I didn't know the truth hurt that much."
She looked one second away from flinging her tablet at me. I could practically see the magical energy gathering in her eyes as she glared.
"You have the emotional maturity of a brick wall, Rin."
"And you have the threatening presence of a soggy squirrel."
She sighed in frustration and fixed me with a look that said she was running out of patience.
"Let's just stop this pointless drama already," she said, exasperated. "Just join the Observation Club."
"What? Why not?! It's just a simple request!"
"Yeah, it is a simple request," I said, crossing my arms. "But your whole approach? Completely wrong."
She blinked, genuinely confused. "What's wrong with it?"
"If it was just a request, you should've asked, not blackmailed me with a photo you took in secret. Why the hell should I play along just because you're holding something over me?"
She opened her mouth, then paused.
"Because, obviously—"
"Obviously what? That you have some dirt on me? Go ahead and spread it," I said coldly. "But you'd better be ready to deal with the fallout. Not just from me—but from the people who actually care about Leon. You try dragging his name through the mud, and you'll find out real fast how loyal students here can be."
Her jaw clenched slightly.
"I'll make sure you spend the rest of your time here with a broken mana core and a permanent glitch in your access to the Academy's systems."
I leaned in, voice low. "And you do know who my father is, don't you? My family? If, by some miracle, you manage to graduate from Velcrest after this, you won't find a single agency that'll hire you. You'll be lucky to scrape by as a second-rate mercenary."
Her lips parted, eyes flickering in hesitation. "You… wouldn't dare."
We stared at each other in silence.
Then—unexpectedly—she laughed. Short. Sharp. Honest.
"You're insane," she muttered, almost admiringly. "You really are crazy, you know that?"
"Only when someone tries to threaten me."
She tilted her head, studying me with a new kind of interest.
"You really have no social skills, do you? Showing up to blackmail me in person? What'd you think would happen?"
"I figured you wouldn't listen if I asked nicely."
"What makes you so sure?"
"You told me to get lost the last time I tried to talk to you."
Damn it. She wasn't completely wrong. From her point of view, it probably looked like I brushed her off without a second thought. Still, I didn't regret it. She gave off every single red flag I knew to avoid.
She was someone I really didn't want to get close to.
"Fine," I said. "Then tell me—why do you want me in your club so badly?"
Her eyes narrowed, and this time, she didn't play coy.
"Because you're close with Ryen and Leo. I want to observe them, and for that, I need someone they trust. You're the perfect middleman. That's why."
"Ryen and Leo are handsome. I get it—you want to stalk them."
Her face twisted in disbelief. "What the—? That's not what I said!"
"But it's what I heard. You blackmail people and follow them around for info. Classic stalker behavior."
"And you're a grade-A bastard who insults people he barely knows."
"Well," I said, shrugging, "you started it."
She looked like she was about to argue, then just groaned in defeat.
"Okay. Okay. No more blackmail. I'll ask properly this time."
She let out a deep breath, then bowed her head.
"I'm asking nicely. Please introduce me to them. I have my reasons."
The sudden shift in her tone threw me for a second. She was being genuine, or at least trying hard to look like it.
But I wasn't falling for it.
I smiled—wide, cheerful, and absolutely unapologetic.
Her head snapped up, eyes wide in disbelief.
She stared at me like I'd just slapped her with a dead fish.
Eyes wide, mouth open, that perfect combination of fury and disbelief.
"You—! You just said I should ask properly!"
"And you did," I said casually, slipping my hands into my pockets. "But asking nicely doesn't mean I have to say yes."
At those words, it's seems that she was about to lash at me at any moment but held herself back.