"Why… are you not accepting my calls?"
"Julius… how… are you here?"
Hannah had been trying to avoid Julius Reuben ever since they came back to the Academy; she had been successful doing so without fail even though she didn't have her phone with her for the others to let her know where he currently was.
But seeing as how Julius is suddenly here…
"…How did you know I was here?" Hannah then asked; freeing her mind of the thoughts that would otherwise fill it.
"I didn't," Julius shook his head and sighed, "I heard Whiteking and Prophet were friends– it's not hard to put two and two together, really."
Julius then let out a small chuckle; his leg slightly trembling as he did so, causing him to put more weight in the cane he was holding.
"Are you… okay?" Hannah could not help but ask.
"It's just my leg, m'lady," Julius once again chuckled, "It's been getting cold lately and I have been skipping… on my vitamin lately," he then said; his posh British accent almost in full blast as he slightly groaned.
"I–"
"H… Hannah, don't be a simp!" Bella then lightly elbowed Hannah on the side as she was about to approach Julius.
"I… I know!" Hannah whispered loudly as she gestured for Bella to move away for a bit,
"Why are you following me, then?"
"Because I like you, Hannah Ross," Julius then said without even batting an eye, "I know you have your own problems right now, and that I shouldn't be this persistent… but at least tell me why you're avoiding me."
"…" Hannah did not answer as she just looked to the side.
"I know we've only just been together for like a week or so," Julius continued as he slowly made his way towards Hannah, "But I do truly want to spend my life with you, it would be splendid, I know of it. So please… don't just disappear on me."
"…" Bella, who was watching the scene from the side, could not help but look at Riley, trying to see if she was the only one cringing right now. But of course, she looked to the wrong person as Riley only had a deadpan expression on his face.
"Please, Hannah."
"That's…" Hannah could only bite her lip as Julius's somewhat endearing voice whispered into her ears.
"Please," Julius's leg once again started to tremble as he got near Hannah, "If you want to break up, I could understand… But just please, let's separate on good terms."
Julius then gently grabbed Hannah's hand as soon as he got near her, "Please, at least tell me if I did something wro–"
And before he could finish what he was going to say, Bella suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Look, blondie. It ain't right you're forcing yourself to her. My sis is definitely uncomfortable with you right now," Bella then said. For some reason, she couldn't help himself– there was something about Julius that just…
…seemed off.
"…" Julius just looked at Bella, before letting out a sigh and pulling his hand away.
"Let's talk in the Korean Shaved Ice shop," Julius then meekly said as he stepped away, "Please, Hannah Ross… I will be waiting for you there today… tomorrow… forever."
"…Dude, seriously?" Bella groaned, "You've only been dating for less than a month."
"You can bring your friends if you're not comfortable being alone with me," Julius glanced at Bella once more, before turning away, "I just want proper closure between us."
"I–"
Julius did not even wait for Hannah's answer as he started walking away. He then glanced towards Riley, nodding at him before hastening his stuttered steps. His left leg seem to be worsening with each step; trembling violently as his silhouette became smaller and smaller as he slowly disappeared into the distance.
"…"
"…"
"I don't know, girl… that dude is giving me major con-artist vibes," Bella was the first to break the sudden silence as she placed her hand on Hannah's shoulder, "I'm not buying anything he says even a single bit. The funeral's been over for like hours– he would've tried to find you earlier."
"…." Hannah was still at a loss for words as she could only bite her lip– trying her best to come up with something to say.
"Guys!"
It was a good thing that another set of familiar voices entered their ears; this time, a welcome sight as Gary, Tomoe, and Aerith who was still disguised as Silvie was running towards them.
"Wasn't that the English prick just now?" Gary furrowed his eyebrows, before letting out a sentence in a fake British accent, "Ken a hav a bo'le of wa a?"
"…Yeah," Bella was the one to answer as she stopped Gary from his sudden… racist galore, "You guys were right… that Julius guy is sus as hell."
"See!? What did I tell you!?"
And even with Gary's slightly condescending tone, Hannah did not respond and just looked to the side; still lightly biting her lip as she tried to come up with something to say.
"You…" Aerith, who noticed this, could not help but slowly get close to her; the tone of her voice, still filled with hesitation as she did not know whether she had the right to butt in,
"You… really like him, don't you?" She then muttered, "I know that pained look on your face. The others and I… had it when we were trying to convince ourselves that mother… is mother. So…
…you must really like him."
"No!" And finally, after being in a stupor for a while, Hannah finally raised her voice,
"O… of course not," she stuttered before taking in a long and deep breath, "It's just that… I thought he was my chance to at least take a glimpse at a normal life. With all that's been happening, you know?"
"…" Riley, who had been keeping quiet since that start, could only furrow his eyebrows as he saw a hint of tear coming out of his sister's eye.
But before they could fall, Hannah wiped it away.
"Let's end this," she then scoffed and nodded, "If he is somewhat involved with everything that's been happening so far… then I'll make him pay personally for using me."
"Wait, where are you going!?" Gary could only blink as Hannah suddenly ran away.
"Charlotte's!" Hannah then said as she waved her hand, "I want you guys near me!"
"…Why is she going there again?" Gary said as he looked at Bella and Riley.
"The blondie asked her to meet him there," a small shiver crawled through Bella's skin as she once again remembered Julius's line about waiting there forever.
"He wants to meet her… in our headquarters?" Gary squinted, "He's either confident… or he's not hiding anything."
"No," this time, Tomoe finally joined in on the conversation as she shook her head, "He's trying to make her let down her guard. My mother uses that technique with men to get what she wants."
"That's…
…We better follow her fast, then."
***
"What do you think the two are talking about? Can you listen in on them with your super hearing, Aerith?"
"I… don't know how to."
"…Right."
Gary's sigh whispered quietly throughout the mall. A small crackle, snapping in the air as he took a bite of the taco in his hand. The group was currently outside a Mexican fast-food store… which just so happened to be in front of the Korean Shaved Ice store.
They were trying their best to stay out of sight… and acting like they were actually eating was probably part of it. Perhaps.
"Oh shit!" Gary then suddenly screamed; his seat almost falling off as he backed away.
"What!? What!?"
"Hannah just slapped the guy!"
Everyone's eyes then quickly focused on the shop. And true enough, they could see Julius touching his face through the window; his eyes closed and head shaking.
"But… why did she suddenly slap him?" Bella whispered as she squinted her eyes to try and see clearer, "They was just sitting earlier."
"That's just how she is," Gary said as he almost shivered; remembering all the times that Hannah slapped him even though he wasn't doing anything. Granted, he was slightly making perverted remarks… but still, that shouldn't be enough to slap him.
"She… is just innately violent– What the… now she's crying like she was the one that was slapped!"
"…You don't understand women at all, do you?" Bella sighed.
"And you do?" Gary scoffed, "Last I check, you a lesbian, girl," he then said as he bobbed his head from left to right, wagging his finger as if to imitate Bella.
"You do know I'm still a woman, right? I have tits and a coochie and the mood swings that come along with it."
"Ah! He's doing something!" Gary ignored Bella's words as he pointed towards the shop. Tomoe quickly tried pulling his arm down so they wouldn't attract any attention, but could not as Gary's strength was way past hers. Gary, however, just let his hand be dragged down by Tomoe as soon as he noticed this.
And so, they just continued to watch quietly as Julius once again gently grabbed Hannah's hand. Hannah seemed to want to pull her hand away as she stood up… but Julius didn't want to let go as he also stood up and walked in front of her.
And soon… Hannah's hand started to light up in flames.
"S… should we help her!?" Aerith said as she stood up.
"Let's… just watch more," Gary raised his hand to gesture for Aerith to sit back down, "Let's wait until this guy shows his true colors… then we'll smack him."
And so, the group just continued to watch the scenario unfold far from them. Gary's mouth, moving faster and faster as he chowed down his taco so he wouldn't miss a thing.
"What's the blondie's powers again?" Bella then squinted her eyes as she watched as Julius did not even seem hurt even as his hand was bursting in flames.
"He has super strength, I believe… and apparently can regenerate extremely fast as well," Tomoe was the one to answer as she closed her eyes– no, as she also squinted her eyes to look at the two, "I saw one of his matches during the Combat Tournament."
"Super strength and regeneration?" Bella breathed out, "…But his leg is busted?"
"…Now that you mention it– Oh shit, Julius is now hugging Hannah!" Gary could not help but stand up as he once again pointed at the store, "What is miss Charlotte doing!?"
Everyone then turned their eyes towards Charlotte, who only had a confused expression on her face. After a few more seconds, however, she rolled her eyes and got back to checking the cashier terminal.
"I don't think our girl appreciates being hugged," Bella then said as she also stood up,
"Let's go and provide back up," Bella then looked at Gary, Tomoe, and Aerith; who also nodded at her as they stood up.
"…"
"…"
Bella then looked at them again before she could even take a single step towards the store.
Gary.
Tomoe.
Aerith.
"Where's… the white hair?"
"Oh, shit! He…
…He's already inside!"