Trill finally stopped slamming me against the wall, but her body remained dangerously close, her sharp eyes boring into me. The usual playful gyaru vibe she had was gone—replaced by something fiercer, more intense. It was like she had completely transformed. I could practically feel her anger radiating off her, though I had no clue what I’d done wrong. Didn’t I just fulfill her wish of finding a perfect mate by beating her in a fight? That was her criteria, wasn’t it?
“I don’t accept the result,” she hissed. “That’s why I need to know if you really defeated me fair and square. I need to know if I was truly beaten.”
Her eyes narrowed, burning with a mix of frustration and something I couldn’t quite place. I swallowed hard. “Uh… okay? But how?”
“I want you to fight me again,” she said.
Fight her? She wanted another duel. My mind raced. What the hell was her deal? Wasn’t the fight during the physical exam enough to settle this? Apparently not. Trill’s pride was in her blood—her clan was famous for being kings of the jungle, rulers of the beastkins. And she was their princess, after all.
It must’ve been the fact that she lost to me—the weakest of all the students—that she couldn’t stand. It probably gnawed at her, bitter as hell, and that’s why she wanted a rematch. She had to know if I really deserved that win, if I’d truly fought her fair and square.
“What’s in it for me?” I asked.
As far as I could see, there was nothing for me here. This was all about her. Not only would I be wasting my time, but I’d also be signing up for another chance to get hurt if I agreed to this without something in it for me.
She looked away the moment I asked, and her cheeks flushed a deep, fiery red.
“T-Then… I’ll be your mate,” she stammered.
“Mate?” I asked again, pretending not to have heard her right. I knew exactly what she said, loud and clear, but I wanted to make sure.
“Ugh! Didn’t you hear me the first time?!” she snapped, her voice rising as she grabbed my collar, yanking me up off the ground effortlessly. I hadn’t put up any resistance, so it was easy for her. “Listen when I talk! I’m not repeating myself!”
“O-Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I should’ve listened the first time,” I said quickly, hands raised in surrender.
She turned her head again, clearly embarrassed, her mouth pouting and cheeks burning even brighter as she mumbled under her breath. I couldn’t catch it, though.
“I-I said I’ll be your mate…” she whispered, almost too low to hear.
“Uh, sorry, I can’t hear you unless you say it loud and clear.”
Her eyes flashed with anger. “I said I’ll be your goddamn mate!” she yelled, glaring at me. But the moment she realized how loud she’d been, she quickly looked away, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
“Mate?” I repeated “Wait, does that mean you’re gonna be… mine? Sorry, I don’t really get beastkin culture.”
She groaned in frustration. “Ugh! You know what I mean! Mate! Make babies! You humans call it a sex partner, right?! That’s what I mean!” Her face was practically glowing at this point, redder than ever, and honestly… she was kinda adorable.
She finally let me down, releasing her grip as I landed back on my feet.
“But that’s only if you defeat me again,” she said. “So, how about it? Don’t you think this is a good opportunity to have me? I know you, Leo. I can smell the scent of different women clinging to you every day. I know you’re having sexual relationships with three of the professors here, and I’ve seen your eyes land on me more than once. You’re planning to add me to your little collection, right? Men in our clan have many women, so I don’t think it’s an issue if you want to add me to the bunch.”
She was serious—laying all my dirty laundry out right in front of me like that. I couldn’t even argue with her. The way she confidently put it all on display told me she wasn’t messing around. I guess I had no choice but to accept her challenge. Besides, her offer was something I couldn’t just walk away from. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
“Alright then,” I said, meeting her gaze. “I accept the challenge.”
“Deal.” She extended her hand, and I took it.
We sealed the deal right then—another duel was on.
“We’ll do it in the gymnasium after class. Don’t be late,” she said.
“Got it,” I replied, watching as she turned and walked back toward the classroom.
I stayed there for a moment longer, leaning my back against the wall as I processed everything. A small chuckle escaped me.
“What do you want?” I said, my voice echoing down the empty corridor. I couldn’t see her, but I knew she was there, keeping tabs on me from the other side. She’d been spying on us the entire time, peeking and trying to eavesdrop like she wasn’t obvious.
She didn’t respond. Instead, I heard the faint sound of footsteps running away. I wasn’t about to let her get away that easily, though. I bolted down my corridor, turned a corner, then cut through another one until I reached her. She didn’t even realize I’d outmaneuvered her until it was too late.
“Why are you running?” I asked, blocking her path.
“Eek!” Her eyes went wide, pure shock plastered across her face. It was the same girl who had been tailing me before. I didn’t know what she wanted, but she clearly had an agenda.
“W-What are you talking about?” she stammered, trying to play dumb, but it wasn’t convincing at all.
I pulled out my phone, showing her a picture. “While I was talking to Trill earlier, I noticed someone sticking their head out, watching us. So, I snapped a picture for fun.” I smirked, holding the phone up so she could see the photo of her caught mid-spy.
Her whole body started trembling when she saw it—no more hiding now.
“So, why’d you run?” I asked again.
