The next day at school passed under a familiar rhythm.
Sunlight filtered through tall classroom windows, dust motes drifting lazily in the air. Chalk scraped against the green board as the teacher explained formulas with steady patience. Most students were paying attention—heads bent, pens moving, eyes following the lesson.
Alicia sat straight, listening carefully, fingers resting neatly on her notebook. She nodded occasionally, following each step as if afraid to miss even a single word.
Vaibhav was also focused.
Mostly.
Every now and then, without realizing it, his eyes drifted sideways toward Alicia. Not staring—just quick, unconscious glances, like checking whether something important was still there. Each time he noticed himself doing it, he immediately looked back at the board, ears turning faintly red.
Beside them—
Shin was asleep.
One arm was folded under his head, cheek pressed to the desk, breathing slow and steady like he belonged anywhere but a classroom.
The teacher—an old man—paused mid-sentence.
His gaze slid from the board to Shin.
He walked over quietly, heels clicking against the floor, stopping right beside his desk.
"Shinosuke Nohara," he said sharply. "Wake up."
No response.
His eyebrow twitched.
"Shinosuke Nohara," he repeated, louder. "Solve the question. Now."
Shin stirred.
He yawned loudly, stretching his arms as if he had just woken up at home rather than in class. He stood, rubbing his eyes, and limped dramatically toward the board like someone heading to execution.
Vaibhav blinked.
"Why was he limping?"
Shin grabbed the chalk, stared at the problem for half a second—
Then started writing.
Lines formed cleanly. Steps followed in order. No hesitation. No erasing.
Three minutes later, the solution was complete.
Correct.
The class went quiet.
The teacher stared at the board, then at Shin.
"…Sit down," she said finally.
Shin nodded lazily, yawned again, dropped the chalk, and walked back to his seat.
The moment he sat—
He fell asleep again.
Vaibhav stared at him like he'd just witnessed witchcraft.
The lecture continued.
The bell rang.
Next period.
The teacher opened the door and left the classroom.
After a few minutes a different teacher entered.
Female.
Beautiful.
That was the first thing everyone noticed.
Shin's eyes snapped open instantly.
His posture straightened. His books were already open before the teacher even reached the podium.
Vaibhav's jaw dropped.
The guy who had been drooling on his desk seconds ago now looked like the model student.
The teacher smiled politely. "Good morning. Today we'll be continuing Biology. Chapter Two—Reproduction."
Shin raised his hand immediately.
The teacher hadn't even asked a question yet.
Throughout the lesson, every time she did ask one, Shin stood up instantly and answered—clearly, confidently, correctly. His voice was calm, polite, attentive.
Alicia blinked.
Vaibhav leaned closer, whispering, "Is… is this the same person?"
The biology period ended.
The next class began.
Another male teacher came.
Shin slept again.
Break time finally arrived.
Students poured out of the classroom, chatter filling the air. Vaibhav and Alicia stayed behind briefly, pulling out lunch boxes.
Shin stretched and cracked his neck.
"Ahhh," he sighed. "Survived another battle."
Vaibhav slid a lunch box toward him. "We brought lunch for you."
Shin grinned. "Nice."
Then he placed his own lunch box on the desk with exaggerated pride.
"This," he announced, "is prepared by my future wife."
Vaibhav nearly choked.
"…Future wife?"
"Yeah," Shin said casually, opening it. "Her name's Nanao. She's eighteen."
Alicia froze.
"Eighteen?" she repeated.
"Seven years older than me," Shin added proudly. "Perfect."
Vaibhav stared. "Bro… you're eleven."
"So?" Shin shrugged. "Age is just a number."
Alicia and Vaibhav exchanged looks of shared disbelief.
Shin clapped his hands once. "Anyway—let's eat."
They opened their lunch boxes. They slid their extra toward Shin.
Then he proceeded to eat two boxes himself.
While chewing, Vaibhav finally asked, "Hey… Shin. Why do you sleep so much in class? Why don't you study?"
Shin swallowed. "I already finished the whole syllabus before school started."
Vaibhav paused. "Then why were you so focused in Biology?"
Shin glanced toward the staff room direction.
"Who said I'm interested in Biology?" he said. "I was interested in the teacher."
Alicia nearly dropped her chopsticks.
"Hey," she said slowly, "you are eleven."
Shin smiled innocently. "Talent starts young."
Vaibhav rubbed his temples.
After school, the paths split naturally.
Shin headed home, hands in his pockets, humming loudly as if the day had been completely normal.
Vaibhav and Alicia returned to their own home.
The moment they stepped inside, Vaibhav froze.
The living room was full.
Lin Xuan sat calmly at the center, posture relaxed. Beside him were Anika and Dion, both looking far too comfortable. Arjun leaned against the wall, arms folded. Theo and Daichi were arguing quietly over something meaningless. Vivan sat on the couch with a book. And Prabhat—
Prabhat stood near the table.
Beside him was a woman Vaibhav recognized instantly.
"…Big brother?" Vaibhav blurted out. Then his eyes widened. "Master…!? Why is everyone here? Weren't you all busy?"
Before anyone else could answer, the woman beside Prabhat bent down and pinched Vaibhav's cheeks lightly.
"Oy, oy," she said with a laugh. "We were busy. We're just on a break now, kiddo."
Vaibhav winced. "O—okay… Ms. Hannah Park."
Hannah gasped dramatically. "Ms.? Come on. That sounds so distant." She grinned. "Call me your future sister-in-law."
Vaibhav's brain short-circuited.
Alicia looked away, embarrassed for reasons she didn't fully understand.
Anika clapped her hands once. "Alright, kiddos. Go wash up first. Big Brother Lin will prepare tea."
Vaibhav and Alicia obeyed immediately.
When they returned, everyone was already seated. Yan'er moved quietly between them, pouring tea with practiced grace, placing each cup carefully before stepping back to her seat.
They drank in silence for a moment.
Then Yan'er spoke.
She turned toward Lin Xuan and explained calmly what had happened at school the day before—the bullying, Shin's involvement, how Vaibhav had held back.
Lin Xuan listened without interruption.
When she finished, he spoke.
"Shinosuke Nohara?" he said. "Mad Scientist and Night Howl's son?"
Yan'er nodded. "Yes."
Lin Xuan lowered his cup.
"…Guess I need to meet him."
The Nohara residence was loud even before the door opened.
Inside, Shin sat in front of a screen, controller in hand.
Zombies flooded toward him endlessly.
"DIE!" he shouted gleefully.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!"
His grin was wild, almost unhinged.
At the kitchen counter, Akari mixed chemicals with full focus. Hiroshi sat nearby, calmly drinking tea. Hinata sat on the floor, clapping her hands while Shiro wagged his tail and nudged a toy toward her.
The doorbell rang.
Hiroshi stood and opened the door.
"Ah," he said with a nod. "Hello, Lin Xuan. Ms. Yan'er. Ms. Anika. Mr. Dion."
Anika smiled brightly. "Can we come in, Hiroshi?"
"Of course."
They stepped inside. Vaibhav and Alicia followed behind them.
Shin didn't notice.
He was too busy massacring the undead.
Lin Xuan glanced at the screen once.
"…He's enjoying that a little too much," he said calmly. "He really is your son."
Hiroshi sighed. "I honestly can't tell if that was innocence or sarcasm."
Shin finally paused.
He looked up.
His eyes locked onto Yan'er.
Then Anika.
Then Dion.
Time stopped.
He stared.
Three full minutes passed.
His face turned red.
Then he noticed Vaibhav and Alicia.
"HEY!" Shin shouted, dropping the controller and sprinting toward them. "YOU GUYS CAME?!"
He completely ignored Lin Xuan's existence.
Akari returned with tea and set it down as everyone gathered.
Lin Xuan spoke directly this time.
"I'd like to make your son my disciple."
The room went quiet.
Hiroshi and Akari exchanged a look.
Akari spoke first. "If Shin wants to, we'll allow it."
Hiroshi nodded. "But if he doesn't—then that's the end of it."
Lin Xuan turned toward Shin.
"Do you want to be my disciple?"
Shin didn't hesitate.
"NOO!"
Everyone blinked.
Shin pointed at Lin Xuan. "You look like a freak. You look like the kind of guy who kidnaps kids. Don't come near me."
Anika pressed her hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking.
Shin then walked straight past Lin Xuan and stood in front of Yan'er, Anika, and Dion.
He straightened his posture.
"Ladies," he said confidently. "My name is Shinosuke Nohara."
Yan'er blinked.
Anika grinned.
Then Shin turned to Dion.
"…You're very pretty too."
Dion replied flatly, "I'm a man."
Shin froze.
His soul cracked.
"…Oh."
He stared for a second, then frowned.
"Well," he muttered, "even if you were a woman, I still wouldn't choose you."
Dion raised an eyebrow.
"Your chest is too flat."
Anika burst out laughing, grabbing Dion's arm before he could move.
"NOPE," she said between laughs. "You're not killing a child today."
Shin crossed his arms, completely satisfied.
Hiroshi cleared his throat.
He looked at Lin Xuan seriously now, arms crossed.
"Before this turns into more nonsense," he said, "I want to know something."
Lin Xuan met his gaze.
"Why do you want to make Shin your disciple?"
The room quieted—just a little.
Lin Xuan answered without hesitation.
"Because he's talented," he said simply.
"As talented as Vaibhav."
Silence.
Shin, who had been half-posing in front of Anika, froze mid-motion.
Slowly, he turned to Lin Xuan starred at him like he'd committed a cardinal sin.
Then he turned sideways, eyes narrowing as if he'd just heard something fundamentally illegal.
"…WTF?" he muttered.
"Has the author gone crazy?" he continued quietly, shaking his head.
"Dude, you can't say that."
He started pacing.
"You can't show that the MC's friend is as talented as the MC. Only the MC is special. Everyone else is a plot device."
He gestured wildly.
"The MC should be away from his family most of the time. He should have the most beautiful woman—who is obviously a virgin—"
Anika choked on her tea.
"—he should have a harem," Shin went on seriously, counting on his fingers,
"and everything he has should be unique, ancient, forbidden, and never shared."
Vaibhav stared at him, genuinely confused.
"…Hey," Vaibhav asked, "who are you talking to?"
Shin stopped.
He looked at Vaibhav.
Then at the others.
"…You wouldn't get it," he said solemnly.
Hiroshi sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.
"He's always like this," he said tiredly. "Imagines himself as some fictional character."
He glanced at Shin.
"I really hope he becomes a little more serious someday."
Lin Xuan didn't respond.
For a brief moment, something flickered behind his eyes.
A memory.
"A person whose very existence is ignored by the laws…
…is the most dangerous kind of anomaly.
And such a person possesses—"
The thought cut off.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly.
And said nothing.