At a high spot at the bleachers, Jean looked at the animated chatter among the other students.
In the grand scheme of Jean's fascination, all the other students didn't matter.
Only one person did.
She couldn't stop staring at Seol Hwa throughout the whole game, no, ever since the PE class started.
Seol Hwa looked as stunning as yesterday. Even that felt like an understatement, a mere lie in her mind.
Jean was self-assured of her own charm, but her…she was…
Silver eyes stared back at her.
Jean immediately shut her eyes, her breathing slightly agitated.
The image of those damned, hauntingly beautiful eyes vanished like smoke.
She inhaled slowly, gradually opening her eyes.
'How can she restrain herself that much?' Jean thought incredulously, her gaze homing in on the black-haired goddess.
She believed only herself knew the full capabilities of that…monster.
Last night, she had a nightmare of the infinite blood sea and the silver-eyed empress.
Beyond the existential fear and the dream being a loop of what had happened the previous day, what was left behind was boundless curiosity.
Who was she?
What was her deal?
Jean easily knew her name.
Almost everyone knew her by now, but that was beside the point.
'You…' Jean contemplated in a trance-like state. 'Who are you?'
"Where are you now, Jean? Mars? Jupiter?" Kitty snapped her fingers in front of Jean's face before playfully pinching her soft cheek.
Jean didn't seem to mind her, her focus unwavering.
"Eh? Still staring? Earth to Miss Grey," Kitty said mischievously and stretched Jean's left cheek like she was a hamster.
"I…I wasn't staring. I was just thinking about something," Jean replied slowly, an annoyed expression on her face.
She then palmed Kitty's hand and removed it from her face.
"As if…as if I would believe that bullshit," Kitty rebutted, a cat-like grin on her face.
She leaned closer and said, "You've been staring at that hotter-than-hell new girl for more than eight minutes. And that's me downplaying it, Jean."
"Is that drool I'm seeing?" Kitty joked, much to Jean's dismay.
A faint blush colored Jean's cheeks as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Stop spouting nonsense, Kitty. Get your mind out of the gutters."
"Do I look like I drooled?" Jean gnashed her teeth, pointing at her face.
"Of course, you didn't drool but…but you totally stared like some lovestruck fool," Kitty said, playfully tilting her head.
'Just like how Scott looks at you.' she thought to herself.
It wasn't her place to share that. Scott had to do it himself, if he was a bit courageous.
Jean suddenly became silent.
She then sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
"How would you know that? Wait…don't even tell me since you are a damn mind wizard." Kitty frantically waved her hands.
She looked at Kitty and murmured, "She's just…it's really difficult to describe her. She's…"
"…too gorgeous that you have fallen for her like roughly 90% of the students," Kitty cut her off.
"No. She's just odd, I don't know." Jean rolled her eyes, huffing in slight frustration.
"Her mind…I can't read her," she quietly added, her head lowered.
"You mean…?" Kitty asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Jean nodded in affirmation.
Kitty's face morphed to genuine concern. "My guts tell me that isn't all, right?"
Jean shook her head in denial.
Kitty's expression faltered a bit before returning to normal. She had expected Jean to open up some more, but it seemed she still wasn't prepared to do so.
"You can tell Professor Xavier about—" Kitty offered, however, Jean shot her a glare that immediately made her shut her mouth.
"No. Anyone but him," Jean said in a sharper voice than she intended.
"Okay, okay. No professor." Kitty raised her hands in mock surrender.
Jean's expression softened, conflicted emotions in her eyes. "I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to—"
"It's alright," Kitty hurriedly reassured her with a warm smile.
She believed Jean would tell her everything as distant as she had been lately.
"I know you're conflicted about something. Just tell me about it when you reach a resolution, okay?" Kitty said, raising her eyebrows.
"Anyway, that shot from the centerline was so cool. She's truly one of a kind." She turned her attention to Seol Hwa who easily stood out.
"Damn, body is serving," Kitty whispered, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
"I know, right?" Jean muttered absentmindedly and realized what she had said a second later.
She glanced at her side, only to find Kitty wiggling her brows at her.
'Shit. She baited me,' Jean groaned.
"Now that…" Kitty grinned deviously, gesturing her index finger. "…confirms something to me."
It was then that Scott Summers, who had been silently sitting behind, leaned forward. "Confirms what?"
Kitty looked back at him and smirked. "Might be a mutant."
She had totally wanted to say something else.
Disappointment flickered in Scott's hidden eyes. "She's not a mutant. The Professor would have communicated."
"Beyond her exotic beauty, she's nothing special. That mid-court marvel might have been a fluke," he said casually. "I can also do that."
"Is that jealousy, Mr. Summers? It doesn't look good on you." Kitty showed a lopsided grin.
"I'm not jealous!" Scott retorted, almost snapping.
"That's what he said," Kitty scoffed lightly.
"You two cut it out," Jean intervened in a bland voice.
The two harrumphed at the same time.
Scott leaned back on his seat, his face a bit sour.
Kitty crossed her arms and stayed silent.
Jean didn't pay attention to them.
'It's true that she isn't a mutant. But she's also not a human either…' Jean's gaze, this time subtle, followed Seol Hwa's receding back.
Her eyes momentarily trailed to Seol Hwa's perfect ass. 'She's more like a…devil…'
'…empress.'
Suddenly, Seol Hwa whipped her head and looked behind, straight at her.
Regal, molten amber eyes met mesmerizing green pools.
Jean's heart skipped a beat, forgetting to even breathe.
Time seemed to freeze and she couldn't move a muscle under her gaze even if she wished to.
And then, the unexpected happened.
A shadow of a smile appeared on Seol Hwa's face.
'Hello, psychic girl.' Her velvety voice was like honey dripping into Jean's dazed soul.
So sweet. So pure. So hypnotizing.
Without waiting for Jean's reply, Seol Hwa diverted her attention back to where she was going.
Jean was left petrified, cold sweat streaming down her temples.
Then, her lips parted wide, deep astonishment smeared on her beautiful face.
'Was that…was that a telepathic message?'
'Did she…did she just say "hello" to me?'
'She talked to me…? After all that…'
'I thought she was angry with me.'
Her emotions experienced tumultuous waves.
Her heart thumped furiously against her ribcage, threatening to escape.
Jean slowly rested her trembling hands on her knees.
'Hel…Hello,' she awkwardly tried to return the greeting, but Seol Hwa was nowhere to be seen.
She closed her eyes; her face contorted in bitterness.
'You're so dumb, Jean!' she mentally yelled at herself.
'She's the stuff of nightmares, your nightmares. She isn't your friend.'
'She's an unfathomable existence. You don't "hello" back.'
'You just hide yourself in hopes she doesn't notice.'
'Now she knows I had been staring all along. She always knew.'
'What…What am I supposed to do?'
'My mind and body are screaming 'no'…but my heart…'
Seol Hwa's faint smile, the confident curve of her lips, flashed inside Jean's mind.
Like a Cupid's arrow deliberately taking its time to drill into her heart.
~~~<>~~~
Yu_ner's Corner:
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