Back to School

Standing at the school gates again with her backpack, Eileen felt as if she had been away for ages.

In these past few weeks, her life had been turned completely upside down…

The school required uniforms, and in order to hide her cat ears, Eileen had to exhale her breath ahead of time, draining all the supernatural energy in her body.

Only then could she step onto school grounds.

This school was called the Detran Institute of Integrated Technology.

Overall… it was like a hybrid between high school and university from her previous life.

A public school, one of the legacies left behind by the collapsed great nation.

Its academic level was among the best in the country.

Countless wealthy families would rather pay enormous sums just to get in.

It also admitted a large number of orphans.

Officially, it was for basic education.

But it was probably Ribe’s doing—she wanted these orphans to graduate, get jobs, and then bleed them dry.

Otherwise, how could such good fortune ever fall upon penniless, powerless orphans?

The campus consisted of several large, angular buildings with clean lines.

The outer walls were light gray precast concrete panels and wide glass curtain walls, bright and transparent.

The layout was compact and efficient, with no superfluous decorations.

It revealed a pragmatic kind of industrial aesthetic.

The windows were wide, ensuring excellent natural light.

At the perimeter stood low metal fencing and neatly trimmed shrubs.

At the entrance was a modern visitor kiosk and automated gate system.

Uniformed security guards were posted there, but their demeanor was relaxed.

They looked more like community property managers than guards.

Inside, landscaped greenery lined the grounds.

Cold-resistant evergreens and shrubs were planted, along with small lawns and flowerbeds kept with care.

The roads were paved with asphalt or stone tiles.

The air carried the fresh scent of grass and trees—very different from the dull atmosphere of the outside city.

The entire school had only four areas: the front gate, the rear courtyard, the teaching building, and the gymnasium.

The teaching building contained a library, cafeteria, and classrooms.

The gymnasium had a swimming pool and a track.

Eileen hadn’t forgotten that Sydney supposedly worked part-time in the library as a librarian—she could check on her there.

The church… now that was something she was very interested in.

Could that mysterious organization become her backing?

After all, this was, strictly speaking, a noble’s school…

So the teachers’ biases were obvious.

Someone like Sydney might be bullied, and that could give Eileen a chance to make a connection.

When it came to orphans, the teachers couldn’t care less.

They allowed the wealthy to bully them, injure them, even force them to drop out—no one interfered.

But to the children of nobility, they bent over backwards in flattery.

The church, in most people’s eyes, wasn’t even considered influential.

Being a teacher…

Such words seemed to have no meaning in this world—at least not in Detran.

Given Eileen’s age, she was still in the basic education track.

It would be another year before she had to pick a major, so for now it was still easy.

And with her abilities and popularity, she definitely wasn’t one of those who would be taken advantage of.

Looks were part of value too, and Eileen knew she had plenty of that…

Wait—damn it!

Lost in all sorts of stray thoughts, she didn’t notice the rapidly approaching footsteps behind her.

By the time she felt the shove from behind, her body had already reacted, rolling forward instinctively…

Fortunately, even without supernatural energy, her body’s enhancements were permanent.

Her legs tapped the ground lightly, and Eileen landed a perfect front flip.

Gasps echoed from nearby students, eyes drawn to her stunt.

Of course, there was no shortage of laughter either…

Turning around, the culprit was obvious—Whitney, that damned thug… along with her little followers.

“Well, well? Learned yoga just to seduce people? You’ve gotten a lot more flexible.”

The mocking voice came from a girl standing on the steps.

Her words were sharp, but her hand had reached out before quickly pulling back.

In other words… if Eileen hadn’t reacted, she would have pulled her back up.

Eileen clenched her fists.

What the hell was this brat after?

Did she just want to watch her make a fool of herself?

“Don’t bother me.”

But Eileen closed her eyes and swallowed her anger.

Fighting was no good.

She couldn’t risk suspension or expulsion.

People like Whitney were simple—once they lost interest, they’d move on.

“Fine, fine, you’re no fun… I just came to punish you for being such a lousy sister.

Go check on your little sister.”

Whitney shot her a dismissive glance, flicked her hair, and turned away without looking back.

Rosa Kaya?

Eileen’s eyes instantly reddened.

Whitney?

She dared to lay a hand on her little sister?

She must have a death wish.

“Wait! What did you do?! What did you do to my sister?!”

Eileen leapt six steps in a single bound, grabbing Whitney’s hand and yanking hard…

But unfortunately, her supernatural ability only enhanced reflexes and agility.

Her strength could never match this girl who was nearly two heads taller.

“Didn’t I say don’t bother me? And now you’re clinging to me?

That poor kid dyed her hair again, gloomy as ever—she’s just begging to be bullied.

But I’ve got no interest in squeezing money out of her.

I just came to remind you.

After all, you’re my favorite little wallet.”

Whitney seized Eileen’s hand instead, chuckling as she reached for her waist—where Eileen usually kept her wallet.

In the past, just to keep the peace, Eileen had given her money more than once…

Small sums, sure—enough for a loaf of bread or two.

But now, she was desperate for every coin.

Why should this b*tch take the money she’d risked her life to earn?

And on top of that, the anger from earlier still burned…

“Get lost!”

Eileen didn’t hold back.

She grabbed Whitney’s fingers and squeezed tight, ready to snap them at any moment.

“…Heh. Another problem, huh? Fine, I’ll let you off today.”

Unexpectedly, Whitney didn’t resist or make a scene.

She simply gave up, leaving Eileen standing there confused.

Whitney… changed?

Eileen checked her wallet.

Nothing missing.

And Whitney didn’t have the sleight of hand to snatch it unseen.

So she really had just let her go?

That was new…

“Well, aren’t you going to class?

Or do you want to squeeze in a quick one with me right here in a few minutes?

Go on, don’t hold me up from buying smokes. The gate’s closing soon.”

Whitney still wore that same frivolous grin.

In this way, she was a lot like Utoya…

Neither bothered to hide the fact that they preferred women.