Saving the Villain

"What?"

Shock reigned over Asher's face as he stared at his brother's smug and proud grin. He knew Luke often decide on impulse, but no matter how his little brother loathed the academy, he stayed because that was the best academy in the country. Just graduating from it alone would open countless opportunities for anyone.

"You will transfer school?" Asher asked, and his brother nodded as an answer. "To the school where that young miss of the Blac Family is attending?"

Luke kept on nodding. "Correct!" he grinned, arms crossed. "I will show her my sincerity, brother."

"..."

Asher could only stare at that arrogance plastered on his brother's face, which Luke brought until the next day. And just like the shock on Asher's face, Cosette's and Maxen's jaw nearly hit their desk as they also stared at that smug grin in front of the classroom.

"Hello, peasants! This young master here is your new classmate, and I transferred here all in the name of love!" Luke introduced himself arrogantly, chin up. "May we all get along well! Hahaha!"

There was a long silence that fell in the room, and only Luke's devious laughter echoed. Cosette, who didn't expect this, couldn't even think because of the shock. She flinched when the girls' squeals exploded in the room.

"Kyah~! You're so handsome!!"

"Oh, my god! Are you a celebrity!?"

"Omo! I think I've seen him somewhere!"

"Really? We have a classmate that is a celebrity?"

Cosette's face contorted as she looked around her classmate. Luke just called them peasants, and they were squealing like this?! Was this some sort of fetish or what?

Everyone — girls mostly accepted Luke easily and had shown interest in him just from his looks. Boys, on the other hand, seemed to be neutral about it. They didn't seem to dislike or like him. They looked like they were more annoyed by the girls' cries.

Meanwhile, as the commotion ensued, Maxen's frown deepened. He glanced at Luke, who was acting like a celebrity beside their homeroom teacher.

'I didn't expect this,' he thought, thinking yesterday was the only time he would have to put up with Luke. But that guy transferred to their school and now, he had to see him every day! Were all rich kids as crazy as to shift school in the middle of the school year?

He pinched the space between his brows at the headache he had been enduring since last night. 'Whatever.'

"Alright, class. Settle down now. Continue this later." Their homeroom teacher raised her voice before facing Luke. "Mister Quinn. Please take the vacant seat."

"Thank you." Luke smiled and glanced at the additional seat meant for him across the room. A deep exhale slipped past his lips as he marched towards Cosette instead of his seat. He smiled at Cosette as he stood beside her desk before setting his eyes on the person sitting next to her.

"Can I take this seat instead?" he beamed Fay a charming smile and spoke gently. "I think I can see the board better in here."

Fay, who was sitting on Cosette's side, could only gaze at Luke in a daze. In her eyes — no, in everyone's eyes  — Luke looked super handsome as if he was a celebrity. Anyone would be mesmerized, especially if he was smiling like an angel.

"May I?" Luke snapped her back with his question, making Fay nod on instinct.

"Ye — yes." Fay stuttered before she elbowed Amie to bring her back from her trance. "Girl, move."

"Ah..." Amie cleared her throat and asked her seatmate to move as well. Fortunately, everyone had been getting along well since they had been eating lunch together recently. Therefore, everyone adjusted for Luke so he could sit on Fay's spot.

Seeing this, Cosette's under-eye twitched. Even Maxen was flabbergasted at how kind everyone was. But then again, they never bothered him like the other section.

When Luke already settled on the seat, the class had started as their teacher already told them to open their textbook to a particular page. Some of their classmates were still distracted by the fresh blood in their section as they kept looking in his direction.

"Hello," Luke ignored the attention as he faced Cosette with a smile. He cupped his jaw and fixed his eyes on her, giggling at the lingering shock in her eyes.

"Luke." Cosette lowered her head and whispered to avoid disturbing their teacher. "What are you doing here?"

"Cozie, isn't obvious? I transferred."

"I --" she cleared her throat and breathed out. "I mean, why?"

"Err... I just said it during my introduction. Weren't you listening?" He cocked his head to the side. "I did it in the name of love."

She cringed as she looked at his almost innocent expression. She should've seen this coming, she thought. Luke was the person who would decide on impulse. How could she think visiting her in their house the very next day they first met was the most extreme he could do?

"Don't you want me to be your classmate?" he frowned after a minute.

"N — no. It's not like that." Cosette sighed once again and shook her head mildly. "It's just... I was very surprised. I didn't think you will transfer school and this fast at that."

"Heh. I'm a Quinn."

"That's the point." Her voice was incredibly low as she leaned closer to him so he could hear her. "Are you sure about this decision?"

"Hundred percent." Luke batted his eyes ever so slowly. "Don't worry. My Dad supports me here. That's why I got approved overnight."

Cosette studied his confidence before she nodded. "Well, if that makes you happy."

"Hehe. Of course. I feel like this is the best decision I did all my life. The feeling is even more satisfying than when I received my dream motorbike." Luke grinned confidently, bringing reassurance to her heart that he would be fine with this.

"Alright." She sighed for the umpteenth time and then smiled meekly at him. "Listen now. Don't be distracted."

Just as Cosette was about to focus on the subject, Luke held her arm. Her brows rose, seeing the puppy eyes plastered on his face.

"I don't have a textbook," he confessed, batting his eyes to gain sympathy. "Can we share?"

pAn,Da-n0v e1,c "You transferred overnight, and you didn't have a textbook?"

"Mhm. It was so abrupt."

Cosette was doubtful as she narrowed her eyes. Who would believe him? The Quinns were influential and getting him a textbook overnight was a piece of cake. But looking at his empty-looking bag, Cosette was certain he probably only brought a pen and a notebook with him.

"What am I going to do with you?" she sighed as she nodded. "Sure. Let's share then."

"Nice." Luke grinned happily as he discreetly move his seat closer to her. Seeing his enthusiasm, Cosette smiled subtly, as his energy was contagious.

Meanwhile, Maxen, who would usually not listen in the class or pay attention to her during the class, couldn't help but glance at her from time to time. His frown deepened when she shared her textbook with Luke.

'Don't she realize it?' he wondered, glancing at Luke for a moment. 'He purposely didn't bring anything for something like this.'

Maxen's jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth before he looked to the other side. He kept his eyes on the window, propping his jaw with his knuckles. However, even when he was facing the window, their faint reflection soon appeared, and he could still see Luke getting chummy with Cosette.

'This is very annoying,' he thought, closing his eyes so he wouldn't see anything. "Tch..."

He already closed his eyes so he wouldn't see their reflection. However, he could still hear them! Even though Cosette and Luke were keeping their voice down, he could still hear them as if they were just whispering right in front of him!

'This is awful...' he pinched the space between his brows to soothe his headache.

Maxen had to endure Luke bothering Cosette from time to time and Cosette entertaining his every whim until lunch break arrived. He thought he could finally sigh in relief and get a breather on the rooftop. However, it had become a routine that once the bell rang, half of the class would move their desk and gather in the middle.

So before Maxen could stand and leave, his classmates already moved their desks and moved his as well. Before he knew it, they had already formed a huge table and everyone was already sitting around and near her desk. Maxen was left seated on his chair while his desk was moved next to Cosette's.

'What am I doing?' he wondered as he only watched everything unfold, doing nothing. His eyes gazed at everyone and as expected, most of them were interested in Luke as the latter brought a lunch box with him.

"You're bringing a lunch box?" Cosette asked in surprise while Luke smirked.

"Of course!" Luke looked at everyone before setting them back on her. "You told me about the lunch breaks. So, I brought a lunch box for you."

"Huh?" In a blink of an eye, the lunchbox in front of her was replaced with a more delicate-looking lunchbox. When she raised her gaze, Luke was already holding hers.

"From now on, I will bring you lunch. So yours will be mine."

"Luke..!" Cosette gasped before she flinched when she realized everyone's gaze.

"Sister Cozie..." called Sarah as she darted her eyes between the two. "... are you two...?"

Luke grinned proudly and pointed to himself with his thumb. "I am her suitor! Anyone who likes Cozie will be my rival."

"..." -- Cosette