Chapter 4 Zachary Asked Aether to Move In With Him
[Male lead, Wesley Grant’s favorability -5. Current favorability: -105.]
“Now that I’ve changed my identity, why is the favorability still starting from -100?” Aether asked the system in her mind.
[Since there’s a risk of your identity being exposed, the favorability of the Fabled Four toward your real identity will be used as the baseline for calculation, just to be safe.]
“Then, if my identity remains undisclosed and the Fabled Four’s favorability toward me drops to zero, does that mean that I’m free to leave?”
The system didn’t answer her question.
Aether snapped back to reality and looked at the man in front of her, whom the system referred to as Wesley.
The infamous hot-tempered male lead had sharp, chiseled features. His round eyes were startlingly clear, contrasting his high nose and full lips. Every inch of his intense and refined appearance radiated raw masculinity and undeniable allure.
His muscular build and broad shoulders were still evident despite wearing loose clothing. His fists were easily as big as three of hers, and she could imagine that a single punch from him could probably kill someone.
Gloria withdrew her hand from Wesley’s grasp and stepped back to put some distance between them. “Don’t do that. You’re scaring my classmate.”
“You’re distancing yourself from me because of that pretty boy who just got here?” Wesley exploded with rage. “I don’t care about your relationship with the other Fabled Four members. After all, they were at least on my level. But him? Who the hell is he that you’d go against me for his sake?”
[Male lead, Wesley Grant’s favorability -10. Current favorability: -115.]
Hearing the favorability plummet at an alarming rate, Aether had no choice but to step in and try to smooth things over.
“Gloria is just kind-hearted. She treats everyone this way. We’re just good friends, nothing more. You must have misunderstood her intention.”
“You think you have the right to call her by her name? Say it again, and I swear I’ll cut out your tongue!” Wesley reprimanded coldly.
Aether was shocked into silence, her tongue practically curling up in fear.
Gloria immediately shielded Aether behind her. “Do you really have to threaten every single one of my classmates?”
[Male lead, Wesley Grant’s favorability -10. Current favorability: -125.]
Hearing Gloria’s words, Wesley shot Aether a sharp glare. Then, he forcibly suppressed his anger and asked, “What is your name?”
“A-Aether Blair.”
“Okay.” Wesley’s voice was chillingly cold. “Aether, I’ve got you in my sights. So you’d better watch yourself.”
With that, Wesley left.
Aether recalled the way Wesley had just looked at her, as if he was ready to tear her apart right there and then. Her legs immediately went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground. “Am I going to die again?”
“It’s my fault for dragging you into this,” Gloria said, full of guilt. “I shouldn’t have any friends.”
Seeing Gloria so full of self-blame and sorrow, Aether couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “Don’t say that. You’re not the one at fault. They are. You’d have made plenty of friends if they hadn’t interfered.
“Besides, now that I’ve already caught their attention, you must be my friend so you can protect me. The Fabled Four seem to listen to you, after all.”
“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
Aether shook her head. “I know you’ll protect me, so I’m not scared at all.”
“But what if I can’t?”
“It’s fine.” Aether flashed her a bright smile. “You already saved me once. I’d be dead by now if you hadn’t stepped in earlier. Look, if I don’t befriend you, I’ll get bullied by everyone except the Fabled Four. But if I do befriend you, I’ll be bullied only by the Fabled Four.
“Either way, I’ll get bullied. So I might as well make a good friend out of it.”
“I guess you could put it that way.”
Seeing Aether’s bright, optimistic attitude and those dazzling, charming smiley eyes, Gloria felt as if a spark of hope had been reignited in her life.
She used to be just like Aether—optimistic, naive, and full of sunshine. But after everything she had been through, life had worn her down.
Now, seeing her past self in Aether, nostalgia struck her—along with a quiet urge to protect Aether and preserve the innocence she once had.
[Gloria Anderson’s favorability +5. Current favorability: 5.]
Aether parted ways with Gloria for a moment to go to the restroom. She hesitated briefly at the entrance before cautiously stepping into the men’s restroom. When she didn’t see anyone inside, she let out a sigh of relief.
After finishing her business in the stall, she walked over to a sink beside another guy to wash her hands, only to look up and see him standing there with his pants down and casually peeing straight into the sink.
“You—!” Aether’s eyes widened in shock. But before she could get another word out, the man turned his head, startling her so badly that she stumbled backward in terror.
What was Wesley doing here?
She barely had time to react or think, as her first instinct was to escape. But she had just gotten up and hadn’t even taken a step when someone grabbed the back of her collar.
“Where do you think you’re running off to, pretty boy?”
Aether was trembling all over. She had just gone to the restroom, but she suddenly felt like she needed to go again.
Wesley yanked her forward, gripping the front of her shirt and lifting her off the ground. He then strode toward the restroom window.
“Tell me, if I throw you out here, do you think that you’ll land in one piece? Or just a nice, messy splatter?”
Aether was so scared that her nose stung, and her eyes turned red. Tears fell without her even realizing it. She didn’t want to cry, but she was just too afraid.
Wesley looked at her with annoyance. “You’re a grown man. Why are you crying? How embarrassing!”
Just as Wesley was about to toss her out the window, Aether quickly tried to reason with him. “If you throw me out, Glo—”
Realizing that she had used the wrong term, she corrected herself. “Ms. Anderson will definitely hold it against you. If that happens, you’ll be at a disadvantage compared to the other three in the Fabled Four. Aren’t the other three your biggest rivals in love? Now’s not the time to mess up and give them an advantage.”
“You really think I’ll let you go because of this?”
“But what if Ms. Anderson and I are really just friends? If you kill me and it makes her like you even less, wouldn’t that be a huge loss for you? Wouldn’t you just be handing the win to your love rivals?”
“A man and woman cannot be ‘just friends’,” Wesley scolded coldly. “Do I look like an idiot to you?”
In this life-or-death moment, Aether’s mind had never been clearer. It worked at lightning speed. This led her to blurt out, “I’m gay!”
“What?”
“I’m not into women. I can’t get it up for them. The only ones who turn me on are men!”
Wesley was speechless. Shocked, he immediately let go of her, as if he’d touched something disgusting. He then walked to the sink and started washing his hands aggressively.
“I don’t get you gays at all.”
With that, he left, apparently deciding to spare Aether.
Aether sat on the floor, sighing in relief. After facing death so many times, she was starting to build up some mental resilience. But seriously, who could handle this kind of life-or-death terror all the time? Sooner or later, she was going to lose her mind.
…
At lunch, Aether sat across from Gloria as they ate together.
People around them began to whisper amongst themselves.
“Does he have a death wish or something? How dare he sit so close to the Fabled Four’s woman!”
“He must be tired of living to challenge the Fabled Four like this openly.”
Leila Baxter from Class A walked up to them. “Instead of sticking with the Fabled Four’s woman and making enemies,” she said, lifting Aether’s chin with her finger, her gaze flirtatious, “why not stick with me? I’ll protect you.”
Aether was momentarily at a loss for words. This was the first time a woman flirted with her, so she didn’t know how to react. But she knew her mission—to stay close to the female lead and earn her favor.
Leila sat beside her, and Aether instinctively scooted away.
According to the story, Leila kept several male lovers, indulging in all sorts of extravagant and wild pleasures.
Aether had no intention of becoming someone’s kept plaything or getting involved in anything terrifying. More importantly, she couldn’t risk exposing her disguise as a man. That would be far too dangerous, after all.
“Actually, I’m not into women,” Aether said bluntly. “Sorry.”
The crowd gasped, and another round of murmuring began.
“No wonder he doesn’t look manly at all. It turns out he’s a bottom.”
“He should feel honor that Leila has taken a liking to him. How dare he refuse her! He sure thinks too highly of himself.”
Instead of getting angry at being rejected, Leila just smiled and said, “That’s fine. I’ll wait for the day you come to me on your own.”
Then, she left.
Meanwhile, in the VIP room on the second floor, the Fabled Four were talking.
“That new guy has some guts,” Zachary said, smiling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“He’s gay, so why bother with him?”
“Gay?” Zachary relaxed slightly. “Then I should get to know him.”
Since Aether liked men and was a good friend of Gloria, that also made him a friend of his.
He figured that the best way to gain the upper hand was to start gathering intel from Gloria’s close friend. After all, the more he knew, the better his chances of success.
Zachary headed downstairs and sat diagonally across from Gloria, beside Aether.
“Hey, new guy, how about moving in with me?”
