***
Lenard didn't like noise. But after two and a half years spent at St. Isaac's Academy, he had grown accustomed to the constant swearing, shouting, loud laughter, and the sounds of blows landing.

Yet, for some reason, the commotion this evening irritated him more than usual.

Perhaps it was because he couldn't concentrate on his reading. Or maybe it was because Ethelstan had spoiled his mood.

Ethel had called Lenard earlier in the afternoon, promising to arrive within an hour. But dinner was fast approaching, and there was still no sign of him. Ethel wasn't answering his calls, and the messages Lenard had sent remained unread.

With a sigh of irritation, Lenard glanced at the clock, then cast a disinterested look at a freshman who had been knocked to the floor and was being hurriedly dragged aside. Lenard turned a page of his book and tried to continue reading.

The noise in the common room began to grow louder.

It seemed someone else had decided to step in on behalf of the novice.

Lenard's gaze once again swept over the fighters, noticing a flash of blond hair among the tall, broad-shouldered figures. He grimaced as the sound of breaking furniture and escalating shouts filled the room.

The onlookers, intrigued by the unexpected turn of events, dared to move closer, blocking Lenard's view.

Not that it mattered to him.

He returned his attention to the page, trying to focus on the text, but warm hands suddenly covered his eyes, finally breaking his concentration.

"Have you been waiting for me?"

Ethelstan's sultry voice softly penetrated Lenard's mind, enveloping his senses in a sensual haze. Playful lips brushed against his earlobe, making Lenard exhale sharply as he grabbed his lover's wrists.

"Stop it," Lenard requested, removing Ethelstan's hands from his eyes.

"Are you mad at me?"

Ethel glanced at the sulking Lenard, then wrapped his arms around his neck, pressing himself against Lenard's back and kissing his cheek.

"No," Lenard lied. "I just don't understand why you even have a phone if you never use it."

Ethelstan chuckled softly, brushing his lips against Lenard's cheek again, causing a pleasant shiver to run down his lover's skin.

"My phone died, and the car got stuck in traffic downtown," Ethelstan explained, his hand caressing Lenard's tense torso.

Lenard shrugged offhandedly and returned to his reading, ignoring Ethelstan.

"Don't be so cold," Ethel whined, noticing his aloofness, "or I'll start thinking you didn't miss me at all."

"As if you missed me," Lenard retorted with a smirk. "Missed me so much that you called me one and a half times during the entire trip. The boredom must have been so unbearable that you couldn't even pick up the phone."

Lenard stubbornly pressed his lips together and turned the page, though he hadn't read a single word of it.

"I'm sorry," Ethelstan said, deciding to change tactics and pulling away from his lover to avoid angering him further. "Mom was really shaken up by the accident, and I had to give her a lot of attention. We hardly left the hotel."

He straightened up, observing the tight circle of students who were watching some scuffle, and asked in surprise, "What are they fighting about this time?"

"No idea," Lenard replied.

He had no interest in the fight and hadn't bothered to figure out what was going on.

"They're just messing around, as usual," he said, delivering his verdict on the chaos.

"Who's fighting?"

Burning with curiosity, Ethelstan stood on his tiptoes, holding onto Lenard's shoulder, but could only make out their classmates, Tyler and Rob, dodging blows from some quick, blond-haired guy.

The fight seemed to be quite engaging, as the gathered students were silently watching the scene unfold.

Lenard was about to say something, but the voices coming from the brawl made him hold his tongue.

"It seems Joss was the only one claiming the newcomer. What the hell are you doing in this fight?"

"Because I couldn't care less about a bastard like you. And I've been dreaming of smashing your face in for a long time. This was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"And how'd that work out for you? Looks to me like your face got smashed instead."

"Who said I'm done?"

There was a sound of scuffling, a groan, and shuffling footsteps. Then, the thud of a body hitting the floor, followed by an angry command:

"Break it."

The common room erupted with a piercing scream that sent a chill down Ethelstan's spine.

His handsome face twisted with anger, and he took a step forward, but Lenard didn't let him intervene, grabbing his wrist to hold him back.

"What are you doing?!" Ethel protested, staring at his lover in bewilderment. "That was Stredford's voice. What if he seriously hurts someone?"

"He already has," Lenard replied grimly, tightening his grip on Ethelstan's wrist. "Stay out of this mess. They'll sort it out themselves."

Ethel looked at Lenard reproachfully.

"This isn't right," he said, turning towards the rowdy classmates who seemed to have caught their prey, as the furious shouting had suddenly turned into triumphant laughter. "Who are they ganging up on?"

"The newcomer," Lenard shrugged.

Ethel frowned. He knew Stredford had a habit of targeting any remotely attractive newcomers, and this latest victim was no exception.

"Then why is he staying out of it?" Ethel asked, his fingers nervously gripping Lenard's shoulder.

Lenard's response was just as indifferent as before, "Because the new guy's already spoken for."

"So you did know!" Ethelstan caught his lover in the act. "Why didn't you tell me right away?"

"Because it's none of our business!" Lenard snapped, shutting the book that he clearly wouldn't get a chance to read.

"Listen, maybe we should help him? I feel bad for the guy."

"Do whatever you want," Lenard replied indifferently, with a shrug.

"Hey! What do you mean, 'do whatever you want'?" Ethelstan objected, staring at his lover with reproach. "You expect me to go alone? What if they beat me up?"

"Ethel, no one's going to lay a finger on you," Lenard scoffed. "Stop being so dramatic."

Ethelstan smiled slyly and leaned over to kiss Lenard, but his lips never touched Lenard's cheek.

"Rika, fight back! What the hell are you acting like such a wimp for?!"

A hoarse voice echoed through the common room, drowning out the laughter and conversations, making Ethelstan flinch as he suddenly straightened up, his eyes scanning the laughing students.

"Rika?" he muttered to himself, feeling a tight knot form in his stomach. "Could it be?.."

"What happened?" Lenard asked, concerned as he noticed Ethelstan suddenly pale and tense up.

His lover's voice barely broke through the ringing in Ethel's ears, but he couldn't respond. A sharp pain gripped his chest, and with a swift movement around the table, he headed straight for the crowd.

"Ethel, are you serious?" Lenard jumped up from his chair and followed his lover. "Why do you care?"

"I want to do the right thing," Ethel snapped back, pushing his way through the line of onlookers and grabbing the shoulder of the laughing Stredford.

"What do you want, Zitris?" Cody asked, shrugging off Ethel's hand.

"Let him go," Ethel said quietly, glaring at his classmate with anger.

But all he got in return was a contemptuous smirk.

"And why should I?" Stredford asked arrogantly.

"Because Ethel said so," came Lenard's threatening voice from behind Cody. "And you'd better calm down those degenerates of yours, or you'll find yourself in the newcomer's place."

Cody involuntarily tensed and glanced back at his classmate.

"Legrim, what the hell are you interfering for? We discussed this in front of you, and you didn't say a word to defend the kid. So why now?"

"Lenard, you knew what they were planning?" Ethel asked reproachfully, sharply turning to his lover.

"You were talking about meat, rabbit, and chicken," Lenard replied, keeping his heavy gaze on Stredford. "Do I look like a butcher or a farmer to you?"

At that moment, the guy being tormented by the seniors let out a particularly pitiful cry, and Ethelstan rushed to help him, no longer wanting to listen to Lenard and Cody's exchange.

He delivered a blow to Rob's ear, knocking him to the floor along with his chair, then grabbed the slender, half-dressed guy by the elbow, yanking him out of Tyler's grasp and pulling him close.

"Just try to move!" Ethelstan warned his classmate.

He then firmly held the trembling newcomer by the shoulders, suddenly pushing him away to get a better look at the flushed, tear-streaked face.

"Rika?!" Ethel gasped, unable to believe his eyes. "What are you doing here?! How did you end up at this academy?!"

Rikald was stunned, shocked by the encounter with Ethelstan, whom he had bitterly mourned earlier that day in the infirmary. He froze, helplessly shedding tears and unable to catch his breath.

"Rika, can you hear me?" Ethel leaned in closer, cupping the guy's face in his hands, gazing into his dark, tear-filled eyes. "Did they scare you? Did they hurt you?"

Rikald didn't respond. Only his trembling lips gave Ethel a clue that he was looking at a living person, not a lifeless doll.

"Stredford, I swear to God, I'll kill you for this!" Ethel shouted, holding the paralyzed guy close to him and absentmindedly running his fingers through Rikald's disheveled hair. "If he doesn't come to his senses, you're a dead man!"

"So, is he yours?" Cody asked, looking from Zitris to Legrim in confusion.

"Seems like he is," Lenard replied grimly, clenching his fists so tightly he wanted nothing more than to smash that little brat clinging to Ethel against the wall. "Now he's ours."

"You could've said so from the start," Stredford spat angrily, turning to his guys. "Stand down, now!" he ordered.

And the guys, who had been staring at Ethelstan in confusion, obediently stepped back a few paces.

"Happy now?" Cody asked Legrim.

But Lenard shook his head.

"Clean this mess up," he said, nodding towards the chaos the idiots had created. "And before you start any nonsense, check the duty roster. Sadis is responsible for order today."

Cody's face changed, and he immediately ordered his men to start cleaning up.

As the students scattered around the common room, lifting up shelves and putting books and board games back in place, Lenard approached Ethel.

The young man was still holding the tearful mess in his arms, glaring at everyone like a wolf. Anger flared in his eyes, and his face showed the highest degree of confusion.

"Care to explain?" Lenard asked threateningly, locking eyes with his lover.

"Uh..." Ethel smiled awkwardly and hastily reassured him, "There's nothing to explain. It just happened."

"Then why did you rush to protect that 'nothing'?"

"Lenard, can we talk about this later, please?" Ethel pleaded, turning away from the guy and focusing all his attention on the trembling freshman. "It's over now, calm down. No one's going to hurt you."

Rikald stood there, enveloped in the strong embrace of the guy he'd been dreaming about since they parted, unable to believe this wasn't a dream. Strong hands stroked his back and ran through his hair, sending waves of uncontrollable shivers through him, while the worried voice stirred hidden strings in his soul, filling his heart with indescribable joy.

"Rika," Ethelstan called out again, trying to reach him.

But Rikald continued to remain silent, deeply inhaling the pleasant, familiar scent, listening to the rapid beats of a strong heart.

A living heart, beating inside a living person.

Rika took a deep, shuddering breath and wrapped his arms around Ethel's back, once again starting to cry onto his shirt, which was already soaked through.

And when Ethel helplessly called out to him, not knowing what words of comfort to offer, Rika managed to choke out, "You're alive."

He clutched the fabric of Ethelstan's shirt with his fingers and sobbed, gasping for air.

"I'm so glad you weren't on that plane. I couldn't sleep... kept thinking you were dead. But you're here... alive..."

The guy finally responded, and Ethelstan exhaled in relief. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, leaping up to his throat and making it hard to breathe, as he held Rika even tighter.

"Yes, I'm alive," he replied, not knowing what else to say, and glanced helplessly at the stormy-faced Lenard. "Come on, stop crying," he tried to soothe the freshman. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No..." Rika answered, swallowing his tears. "Not me..."

Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over him, and he pulled away from Ethelstan, turning to his friends.

Irman was half-lying on the unconscious sophomore's body, swatting at the guys surrounding him, throwing anything that came to his left hand at them.

Arrek sat against the wall, his face covered in blood, staring blankly ahead with a vacant, unfocused gaze.

Rika wiped his tears with the torn sleeve of his shirt and headed toward his friends, feeling an overwhelming guilt toward them.

"Herder, we need to take him to the infirmary!" someone from the second-years was insisting to Irman, dodging the books flying at him and still trying to approach Setton. "He's been out for too long."

"Fuck off!" Irman roared, trying to kick the guy.

And he did it with such fury that the sophomore had to jump back.

"Idiot!" the guy swore. "If you don't calm down, I'll have to call the teachers."

"And you haven't called them yet?!" Rika exclaimed in shock, shoving the guy aside and thoughtlessly rushing toward Irman.

For which he immediately received a hard blow to the ear, causing a white haze to appear before his eyes, and a monstrous pain to explode in the right side of his head.

Rikald would probably have collapsed right then, but someone's strong arms caught him and dragged him away from the class leader.

"Don't go near him," Rika heard Ethelstan's distant voice. "When he's angry, he loses control. Herder, calm down! It's all over now."

"Shut your mouth!" Irman snapped, throwing something heavy that whistled past Rikald's face.

Ethelstan immediately pulled the rookie behind him and blocked the flying board game box with his hand. Then he shouted indignantly, "Lenard, do something!"

"And what exactly should I do?" Lenard retorted, glaring at his lover. "Knock him out?"

"If that's what it takes!" Ethel wasn't backing down.

"No!" squeaked the little pest peeking out from behind Ethelstan.

At that moment, Lenard grimly thought that he would gladly knock out that first-year, but first he needed to deal with Herder. Resolutely, he strode toward him, batting away a flying book as he went.

"Herder, calm down!" Lenard demanded quietly but firmly, pushing aside the second-year class leader who followed him. "Setton needs the infirmary, and so do you. Don't be stupid. He'll die here if we don't help him. I'll take you both. No one will interfere."

Irman tried for a few moments to focus his gaze on the guy standing before him, then asked in a hoarse, cracked voice, "Legrim?"

Lenard nodded and calmly demanded, "Get up. If Sadis comes here and sees this mess, we're all in deep trouble."

"Where's that bastard Stredford?" Irman looked around and immediately paled from the sharp pain in his arm.

"He is tidying up," Lenard replied patiently.

Irman suspiciously eyed the people around him, and, convinced that there was no more danger, somehow managed to get to his feet.

Setton still showed no signs of regaining consciousness, and Irman's soul was once again flooded with a wave of anger.

He leaned over the sophomore and tried to lift him by the elbow, but the guy was too heavy, and Irman helplessly glanced at Legrim.

"Lift him. But only you."

Lenard nodded and bent down over the sophomore.

Carrying the guy in his arms seemed... awkward, and Lenard didn't want to throw him over his shoulder. Who knew what they might have damaged in Setton's empty head? An influx of blood to the brain could only make things worse. So, after thinking it over, Lenard slung the sophomore's arm around his own neck and, wrapping his arm around his waist, surprisingly easily lifted him off the floor.

Setton was significantly shorter than Lenard, so when Lenard straightened up, the glasses-wearer's feet almost dangled in the air, only the tips of his shoes touching the ground.

"Skinny as death," Lenard couldn't help but comment, but when the first-year class leader gave him a withering look, he nodded toward the redhead. "Should I lift him too?"

"He'll get up on his own," Irman growled, holding his right arm to keep it from swinging, and headed for the exit, dragging one leg slightly.

Lenard followed, but halfway there, he glanced back at Ethelstan and asked irritably, "Are you coming?"

Ethel gave his lover a guilty look and shook his head. "No, I'll stay here for now."

In response to his words, Lenard only clenched his teeth tighter and, turning away, quickly headed for the exit, silently cursing to himself the first-years, the little bug clinging to Ethel, and the idiot Stredford, who had caused this whole damn mess.

As soon as Lenard left, Ethelstan turned back to Rika, who had already calmed down a bit and regained his composure.

"Let's help your boyfriend," Ethel said with an encouraging smile, wrapping an arm around the guy's shoulders. "Joss is a good guy. You could say he's one of the few normal ones in this academy."

At these words, Rika's heart leaped to his throat, pounding wildly, sending blood rushing through his veins and clouding his thoughts.

"Arrek is just a friend," he replied in a strained voice, gazing at Ethelstan with unwavering devotion. "We're roommates. There's nothing between us."

Ethel raised an eyebrow in surprise and glanced at Joss. The "just a friend" looked like a swollen, living traffic light. Though calling him "living" might have been a bit of an exaggeration.

"As you say," Ethel nodded and winked at the guy. "But still, we need to help him. Whether he's a friend or just a roommate, that's no reason to leave him at the mercy of the teachers."

Rika nodded and headed towards Arrek, but a heavy weight settled in his chest, one he desperately wanted to claw out.

Ethelstan had misunderstood, and now he would think that he and Arrek were a couple. Which was very frustrating because, in that case, Ethel wouldn't even look his way.

As he approached his roommate, Rikald crouched down in front of him and gently patted his cheek.

Arrek turned his unfocused gaze to him and smiled slightly with one corner of his mouth—the other was too swollen from the blow.

"I see the heavy artillery has arrived," he smirked, glancing at Ethel. "What a relief that you finally decided to intervene before things went too far."

"Arrek, don't say that," Rika pleaded, throwing his friend's arm over his shoulder and helping him up.

"Why not?" Arrek asked in surprise. "Legrim was here from the start and could've easily stopped all this. But he couldn't be bothered. Isn't that right, Zitris? Our unbeatable hero."

"Well," Ethelstan drawled, not at all offended by the redhead's sharp words, "standing in the way of pure and innocent love isn't his style. Besides, he's already taken, as you know. It would've been strange if he'd intervened just to stake his claim."

"And it's not strange for you?" Arrek huffed.

"Arrek, why are you so worked up?" Rikald looked at his classmate with a mix of confusion and pity.

"Nothing," Arrek snapped, "I'm just sick of all this talk about who has the right to what. They treat people like objects. Rika, stay away from them. Especially from him... nothing but trouble will come of it."

"Ethel, I'm sorry," Rikald said, trying to smooth over the tense situation. "He just took a pretty bad hit to the head. Thank you for your help."

"Well, there's nothing to apologize for," Ethel shrugged and looked at the redhead. "Thanks, Joss. If I'd gotten here earlier, none of this would've happened. I owe you one."

"I'll remember that, Zitris," Arrek replied with a humorless smile, mentally sending the damned third-year to hell.

Then he turned to Rika.

"Remember where the infirmary is?" he asked his roommate, who looked a bit disheveled and pale but seemed unharmed.

Rika nodded uncertainly, and Arrek smirked. "Then that's where we're headed for the next couple of days."

"Alright," Rikald replied and, casting a confused glance at Ethelstan, led his friend toward the door.

Rika felt uneasy. He didn't want to leave. He was afraid that Ethel would disappear again. And this fear made him glance back repeatedly to make sure the guy was still there.

"Some luck we've had," Arrek muttered as they stepped into the corridor. "I didn't expect those two to step in. But without them, we'd all be done for. Why do you think they were so generous?"

"I don't know," Rika replied. "Ethelstan is generally kind. Maybe that's why."

"What makes you think he's kind?" Arrek asked, a sudden anger flaring in his voice. "He's just a spoiled piece of crap. I'm more inclined to believe in Legrim's kindness. Or better yet, in Irman's mild temper. My advice to you, buddy, is to stay away from him."

Rika sighed. It didn't seem like Ethelstan wanted to get closer to him anyway. So keeping his distance wouldn't be that hard.

"Don't worry," Rika said, smiling at his friend. "He doesn't care about me. Believe me."

Arrek looked at his roommate doubtfully and tried to smile, but even that simple act caused him considerable pain.

"Still, it was quite a brawl," Arrek said, changing the subject, realizing that Rika wasn't in the mood for lectures or warnings. "Did Irman take a bad hit?"

Rikald nodded and recounted everything that had happened after Arrek lost consciousness.

They were nearing the infirmary when the door to the medical wing suddenly swung open, and Legrim stepped into the corridor.

He gave Rika a contemptuous look, frowned even more, and left without saying a word.

"What did I do to piss him off?" Rikald wondered distantly, watching the senior leave with a heavy gaze.

But he quickly pushed the thought aside, his mind already a chaotic mess.

***

After escorting Herder to the infirmary and dropping the half-conscious Setton onto one of the beds—still not having regained consciousness—Lenard was about to leave, but the doctor stopped him.

First, the doctor asked for his help while he examined the patients, and then came the questions.

To every assumption and guess the doctor threw out, Lenard responded the same way: "I don't know." Eventually, the man, having gotten nothing out of him, waved him off and sent him away, promising to inform the duty teacher about the chaos happening in the academy.

"As you wish," Lenard replied indifferently and walked out the door.

But on the threshold, he bumped into Joss and the newcomer who had started this whole mess.

The guy shot them both a dark look but said nothing, quickly trying to get as far away from the infirmary as possible.

The last thing Lenard wanted was to run into Sadis and explain what had happened. What he did want, however, was to get some answers to a few questions he had for Ethelstan. So, he hurried back to the common room.

However, he didn't get far. Ethelstan came around the corner like a bat out of hell and immediately bombarded him with questions:

"Lenard! How are they? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Lenard replied curtly, giving Ethelstan a stern look. "But maybe you should explain what all of this is about?"

"What's there to explain?" Ethelstan asked, surprised. "I know that kid, and when I heard his name, I decided to help him. Is that strange?"

"What's strange is how he was clinging to you," Lenard said darkly. "He's not part of your circle, Ethel. How do you know him? And why do you let him get so handsy?"

Ethelstan looked at his lover reproachfully and said, "I didn't let him do anything. He was scared, in case you didn't notice. I was just trying to calm him down. We only met recently. He got into some trouble, and I helped him out. Took him to Videgrel's club, gave him some tea, and left him money for a cab. That's the whole story."

"And now he's somehow miraculously ended up at this academy, getting into trouble again, so you can help him?" Lenard asked irritably. "So, where are you going to take him this time? Where will you be giving him tea and leaving money for a cab?"

"Nowhere," Ethelstan replied, trying to calm his lover, who seemed to be getting jealous. "Lenard, I really don't know how he ended up here."

Lenard rolled his shoulders in frustration and pressed his lips together, signaling that he wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"What do you want from me?" Ethelstan exclaimed, not understanding what he was being accused of. "There's nothing between us. He means nothing to me. Well, not that he means nothing... but it's different. I don't even know what... but it's definitely not what you're thinking!"

Lenard clenched his teeth and took a deep breath to calm himself. Then he pulled Ethelstan close and held him in a tight embrace.

"I told you once before that I'd destroy anyone who dared to come between us," he said quietly, running his fingers through his lover's soft hair. "Anyone, Ethel. And nothing will stop me. If that little pest tries to ruin our relationship, I'll crush him into dust."

"No one will ever come between us or destroy our relationship," Ethelstan declared with firm conviction, pressing against Lenard and closing his eyes in pleasure. "I love you so much. And nothing in the world will ever change that. Do you believe me?"

"Yes," Lenard answered without hesitation, kissing the guy deeply, not caring that teachers might see them.

He didn't care about a reprimand or punishment. Even if Sadis showed up right now with his pointer, Lenard would gladly offer his back to the "punishing rod" because, for Ethel's embrace, for his kisses and love, he was willing to sacrifice everything he had.

"Let's go to the bedroom right now, and I'll fulfill any desire you have," Ethelstan suggested, sighing languidly and running his hand over Lenard's strong torso, deliberately brushing against his sensitive spots. "You can do whatever you want with me."

He unbuttoned a few buttons on the guy's shirt and kissed his neck, gently caressing the salty skin with his lips, then playfully nipped at his chin.

Lenard's head spun from Ethel's touch, and he exhaled sharply, trying to keep control of himself.

Being with Ethelstan was always like plunging into an icy pool. First came the numbness, and then the intense heat, scorching every cell in his body. And in that fire, in that mind-blowing volcano of passion and pleasure, he wanted to stay forever.

"Let's go," Lenard whispered, tightly gripping Ethel's hand in his own. "Let's go, or I'll take you right here."

Ethelstan just laughed mischievously at his words, then practically ran towards the stairs.

Lenard wasn't far behind. On the contrary, this little race only fueled his desire even more. And when they tumbled into their bedroom, Leonard pounced on his lover like a starving beast, pulling him into a tight embrace and making him lose himself in a deep, passionate kiss.

***

When the guys entered the infirmary, the doctor's office was empty.

Rika sat Arrek down on a couch, and his roommate immediately lay down on the hard seat, using Rika's knees as a pillow.

"You don't mind, do you?" Arrek asked, closing his eyes. "My head hurts like hell."

"You're already lying down, I'm not going to make you get up now," Rikald replied, sympathetically examining the Arrek's swollen face, which wouldn't be free of bruises and cuts anytime soon.

Arrek was about to say something, but the loud cursing of Irman, coming from the ward, cut him off mid-sentence.

"Don't touch me!" the class leader was protesting.

"And how do you suggest I put a cast on you?" the doctor's voice replied.

"Don't. It'll heal on its own."

"You do realize it won't heal on its own! Calm down. I'll wear gloves, and I'll do it as quickly as I can. Otherwise, I'll have to call your mentor and your parents to send you to the hospital."

A deathly silence hung in the room before Irman gruffly said, "Do what you need to do."

Rika, who had been listening intently to the conversation up until that moment, looked at Arrek. The guy lay with his eyes open, staring indifferently at the ceiling, waiting for his turn to be seen.

"Why is Irman so 'touch-me-not'?" Rikald asked his friend. "Did something happen to him?"

"I don't know," Arrek admitted, shrugging. "I never asked him. Maybe it's some psychological issue. He spent a long time in a psychiatric clinic, and he's still under psychiatric supervision. Irman doesn't like being touched. It drives him wild. He loses control. He might hit someone. Or even kill... But as long as you don't touch him, he's perfectly reasonable."

"So that's why I got hit in the ear?" Rika chuckled. "Serves me right."

They waited another ten minutes or so before the doctor finished putting Irman's cast on.

The man told the class leader to take some painkillers and left the ward. Upon noticing two more students in his office, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"So what exactly happened?" he asked the guys, approaching the couch to examine Arrek.

Arrek sat up, obediently presenting his face to the doctor, and the man leaned in, checking his pupils with a small flashlight and feeling his bruises.

"A friendly sparring match," Arrek replied.

"I thought sparring usually involves only two opponents," the doctor smirked.

"Setton was the referee and got caught in a wild punch," Arrek lied.

"And who broke Herder's arm?" the man inquired, though it was clear from his expression that he didn't believe a word the student said.

"He broke it himself," Arrek explained. "On my face."

"I see," the man nodded in satisfaction and let the student be. "Wash up, and I'll treat your wounds. And you, Umino? Are you alright?"

Rika nodded and looked away. Judging by his appearance, he was far from alright. But since his clothes were only slightly torn, the doctor didn't pay much attention to him.

After washing the dried blood off his face, Arrek sat down next to the doctor's desk, and the man began treating his cuts with an antiseptic swab.

At first, Arrek stoically endured the intense burning sensation of the medicine, but soon he started groaning and wincing at every touch.

"If you whimpered like that during the sparring, it's no wonder Herder beat you up," the doctor teased. "A whining guy is a disgusting sight. Anyone would lose their temper."

Arrek's eyes widened in surprise, but he stopped complaining, gritting his teeth each time the man pressed down on his wounds with unnecessary force.

"All done," the doctor announced a few minutes later, putting away the tools and medicines in the first aid kit.

Arrek muttered a quick thank you and jumped up from the chair, intending to leave this "torture chamber" as quickly as possible, but the doctor's strong hand grabbed his elbow with a firm grip.

"And where do you think you're going, Joss? I didn't let you go."

"Well, um... I'm fine now," Arrek began to justify himself.

But the man interrupted him: "You'll be fine when I say so," he said sternly, pointing to a bed hidden by a curtain. "You'll stay in the infirmary under my supervision for the night. In the morning, if your condition is satisfactory, I'll let you go. So take some sedatives and get some sleep."

"But what about...?" Arrek tried to protest, but the man only gave him a stern look and pointed at the bed again.

"Move it!" the doctor commanded with a sweet smile.

Arrek understood it was better to comply with the medical worker's orders.

"Can I stay here for a while?" Rikald asked the doctor.

The man gave him a long look and nodded, giving his permission.

Rika followed Arrek behind the curtain and helped him undress, hanging the bloodstained, torn shirt and dusty pants on a chair. When his friend crawled under the blanket and stretched out on the bed with a groan, Rika sat beside him and stared blankly ahead.

"Are you okay?" Arrek asked, tossing a few pills into his mouth and washing them down with water from a plastic bottle.

"Yeah," Rika nodded, then looked at his friend with hope. "Do you think it's over? Will they leave me alone now?"

"Oh, yes!" Arrek sighed blissfully, stretching out on the hard, uncomfortable mattress. "I mean, yes, they'll leave you alone. There's hardly anyone in this academy who would dare cross Legrim. Especially Stredford—he's a bit scared of him. So you can relax and stop worrying. Not only will they not touch you, they'll be too afraid to even look your way."

"Strange," Rika said thoughtfully. "It seemed like he didn't like me. So why did he stand up for me?"

"Who knows?" Arrek smirked. "It's probably more about Stredford. There's a kind of silent rivalry between them. But don't overthink it. He stepped in, and that's that. We have only benefited from this."

Rikald nodded, feeling a bit reassured by Arrek's words.

But as his friend began to drift off to sleep, unable to continue the conversation, Rika's anxious thoughts returned.

Today, he had almost lost his virginity to a bunch of arrogant bastards, but at the last moment, Ethelstan had come to his rescue again—the same Ethelstan whom Rika had mentally buried under the wreckage of a plane.

The incident was so unbelievable that the guy couldn't quite believe it had happened.

Yet now, he had a chance to get closer to him.

The thought made Rika's heart ache and flutter strangely in his chest, sparking a hope for a new, bright feeling. Smiling, he unconsciously straightened his clothes and smoothed his hair to look a bit more presentable.

Arrek was already sound asleep, but Rika couldn't bring himself to leave the ward. Here, next to his friend, he felt safe. But out there, in the building's corridors, senior students might be lying in wait, thirsting for revenge.

Maybe they wouldn't dare touch him in front of witnesses. But who could guarantee that no one would ambush him when he returned to his room alone?

These thoughts practically glued Rikald to his spot. If it were up to him, he would have stayed in the infirmary all night. But something told him the doctor wouldn't allow it.

And that's exactly what happened.

When dinner time approached, the doctor peeked behind the curtain and ordered Rikald to go to the canteen.

Reluctantly, Rika got up from the bed he'd been sitting on the edge of all this time and trudged towards the exit, trying to convince himself that no one was waiting for him outside the door.

But when he stepped into the corridor, his heart dropped into his stomach with fear, and he ran to the dormitory, desperate to lock himself in his room as quickly as possible.

Once in the bedroom, Rika locked the door. After a moment's thought, he pushed the desk up against the door as well.

At least this way, he'd have time to prepare if someone tried to break in.

Satisfied with his makeshift security, Rika went to the shower to wash off the smell of other people's bodies. When he returned to the room, he crawled under the blanket and closed his eyes, trying to warm up and fall asleep.

However, sleep wouldn't come. No matter how hard Rika tried to push the day's events out of his mind, his thoughts kept returning to the guys who had easily immobilized him and groped him from head to toe, and to Ethelstan, whose gentle yet commanding embrace still sent a sweet shiver through his body.

As Rika lay there, reflecting on the day, cheerful voices and the sound of dozens of footsteps echoed in the corridor.

He assumed it was his classmates returning to their rooms before lights out. But he couldn't shake the feeling that someone might still try to break in tonight and finish what they had started.

So Rikald lay in bed, wide awake, even as the hours crept past midnight. He tossed and turned, listening to the silence beyond the door, freezing in place whenever footsteps sounded in the corridor.

Rika knew the hall monitors would be making rounds in the hallways. But fear still overpowered common sense, and the guy couldn't help but continue to expect unwelcome visitors.

And as if in response to his thoughts, there was a soft scratching at the door, making Rikald sit up in bed and grab the heavy book he had prepared as a makeshift weapon.

He wasn't in a hurry to announce his presence, hoping the uninvited guest would leave if there was no response. But his hopes were dashed when the knocking grew more insistent and louder, sending his heart plummeting into his stomach with fear.

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