The next morning, Sebastian's limousine pulled up to the school gates at the usual time.
He stepped out, adjusting his uniform, and made his way through the hallways. Students parted naturally as he walked, some greeting him, others simply staring.
When he entered the classroom, his eyes immediately found Isabelle.
She was already at her desk, completely engrossed in writing something in her notebook. Her hair fell forward slightly, and she was biting her lower lip in concentration.
Ethan wasn't there yet.
Sebastian walked over quietly and stopped beside her desk.
"Hey."
Isabelle was startled, her pen skidding across the page. She looked up, eyes wide, then relaxed when she saw it was him.
"Sebastian! You scared me. Good morning." She smiled, closing her notebook quickly.
"Morning," Sebastian replied, sliding into the seat next to her.
Isabelle's cheeks flushed slightly as she quickly reached for a cute shopping bag sitting beside her desk. "Oh! Your coat. I brought it back."
She pulled out his designer coat, neatly folded, and held it out to him.
Sebastian took it, then did something unexpected.
He brought the coat to his face and inhaled deeply.
"Mmmhh, smells good." he said with a slight smile.
Isabelle's face turned bright red. "W-what are you doing?!"
"Your perfume, It's nice. What is it?" Sebastian said casually, lowering the coat.
"I-that's...you can't just..." Isabelle stammered, covering her burning cheeks with her hands.
Several nearby students had noticed the exchange and were whispering to each other, some were giggling and others were incredibly jealous.
The classroom door suddenly banged open.
Ethan Cole strode in, his expression dark and stormy. His eyes immediately locked onto Sebastian sitting next to Isabelle, holding his coat, with Isabelle's face bright red.
Something ugly twisted in Ethan's chest.
He walked toward his seat, which was now in the back, but his path took him directly past Sebastian's desk.
As he passed, Ethan's shoulder "accidentally" slammed into Sebastian's hard.
Sebastian rocked in his seat from the impact, pain shooting through his shoulder. His eyes widened slightly.
'Damn it, how strong is this bastard?' Sebastian thought, gritting his teeth. That hit had felt like being shoulder-checked by someone twice his size.
The protagonist's power-up wasn't just mental, it was physical too. He understood how his three lackies were all beat up by the bastard.
"Ethan!" Isabelle's voice was sharp.
She was frowning at him, genuine disapproval in her eyes.
Ethan stopped, turning back. "What?"
"Why did you do that?" Isabelle demanded.
"Do what?" Ethan's expression was innocent, but his eyes were hard. "I was just walking to my seat. It was an accident."
"That didn't look like an accident," Isabelle said, her frown deepening.
Ethan's jaw clenched. He looked between Isabelle's disapproving face and Sebastian's calm expression.
She was defending him.
"I said it was an accident," Ethan repeated, his voice strained. "Sorry, Sebastian. Didn't mean to bump into you."
The apology sounded forced, almost painful for him to say.
Sebastian rubbed his shoulder and gave a mild smile. "It's fine. No harm done."
But inside, Sebastian was making mental notes.
Ethan's combat power was definitely higher than 67. Probably somewhere around 150 or more based on that impact. The protagonist had gotten stronger, much stronger and Sebastian was still weak.
That needed to change.
"Just be more careful next time," Isabelle said to Ethan, her tone still cool.
Ethan stared at her for a long moment, something breaking behind his eyes, then nodded curtly and continued to his seat in the back.
As he sat down, his hands gripped the edge of his desk so hard his knuckles turned white.
Sebastian watched him from the corner of his eye, then turned his attention back to Isabelle.
"Thank you, for the coat. And for..." He gestured vaguely toward where Ethan had gone.
Isabelle's expression softened. "He shouldn't have done that. Accident or not, he needs to be more careful."
She paused, then added in a softer voice, "Besides, after everything you did yesterday... you deserve better treatment than that."
[Ding! Relationship Progress Detected]
[Isabelle Tian's Affection: 60 → 61/100]
[Status: Friend]
[Note: The heroine is beginning to unconsciously favour you over the protagonist. Continue building emotional connection.]
Sebastian felt the familiar warmth of the system reward but kept his expression neutral.
"How's your father?" he asked, changing the subject smoothly.
Isabelle's face brightened immediately. "He's amazing! The doctors ran all their tests this morning and they couldn't believe it. They said it's the fastest recovery they've ever seen. They're releasing him today instead of keeping him another night."
"That's good to hear."
"It's because of you," Isabelle said earnestly, her eyes meeting his. "That ginseng... my father hasn't stopped talking about it or about you."
Sebastian smiled. "I'm glad I could help."
From the back of the classroom, Ethan was boring holes into Sebastian's head with his stare.
During class, Sebastian felt an uncomfortable pressure in his bladder.
It must be the fresh juice I drank this morning, he thought with mild annoyance. I shouldn't have listened to my mom. She made me drink two cups of that juice, saying it's full of antioxidants and good for me in the morning. Ugh.
The feeling was getting worse.
Sebastian stood up from his seat, sliding his hands into his pockets casually.
Without even turning toward the homeroom teacher, he said simply, "Going to the restroom."
Mr. Peterson looked up from the textbook he was reading aloud and nodded immediately. "Of course, Sebastian. Take your time."
Sebastian walked toward the door with unhurried steps, his posture relaxed despite the urgency he felt.
Just as he reached the doorway, another student—a boy named Kevin from the middle row—raised his hand tentatively.
"Um, Mr. Peterson? Can I also go to the—"
"No." Mr. Peterson's voice was sharp, and he shot Kevin a withering glare. "You should have gone at home. Sit down and pay attention."
"But sir, I really need to—"
"I said sit down."
Kevin slumped in his seat, defeated, while several students snickered quietly.
Sebastian didn't even glance back as he left the classroom, the door closing softly behind him.
The double standard was obvious to everyone.
Sebastian Fairfax could leave whenever he wanted. Everyone else had to ask permission—and even then, they'd probably be denied.
That's just how things worked.
---
Sebastian walked down the empty hallway toward the restroom, his footsteps echoing slightly on the polished floor.
The bathroom was just around the corner when he heard footsteps behind him.
Before he could turn around, a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him forcefully.
Sebastian found himself face-to-face with Ethan Cole.
The protagonist's expression was dark, his jaw set, eyes blazing.
"We need to talk," Ethan said, his voice low and dangerous.
Sebastian kept his expression neutral, though his shoulder still ached from the earlier encounter. "About what?"
"You know exactly what." Ethan stepped closer, using his height advantage—something Sebastian hadn't noticed before.
When had he gotten taller? He was decently shorter before.
"Stay away from Isabelle."
"Why would I do that?" Sebastian asked calmly, though internally he was calculating. The hallway was empty with no witnesses, it wasn't ideal.
"Because I'm asking you to." Ethan's hand was still on Sebastian's shoulder, and now he pressed down hard.
Pain shot through Sebastian's shoulder and he tried to step back, but Ethan moved with him, backing him against the wall.
"Let go," Sebastian said, his voice still controlled but with an edge now.
"Or what?" Ethan's grip tightened. "What are you going to do, rich boy? Call your driver? Your lackeys that you sent before?"
Sebastian tried to push Ethan's hand away, but it was like trying to move steel. The protagonist didn't budge.
'His strength...' Sebastian gritted his teeth. 'It's not just higher than mine. It's completely overwhelming.'
Ethan leaned in closer, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "I don't know what game you're playing, Sebastian. But Isabelle deserves better than someone like you. Someone who just throws money around and expects everyone to worship him."
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Sebastian managed to say, still trying to maintain some dignity despite being literally pinned against the wall.
"I know that's what you're doing." Ethan's eyes were cold. "Yesterday at the hospital? That was just you showing off. Proving you're richer than me. But money doesn't make you a good person.
"And what makes you a good person?" Sebastian shot back.
"We are not the same," Ethan hissed. He pressed Sebastian harder against the wall, not violently, but with enough force to make his point clear. "You use people. I actually care about them."
Sebastian tried to push back again, but Ethan's strength was absolute. He couldn't move the protagonist even an inch.
The realisation was humiliating.
"Let go of me," Sebastian said again, his voice harder now.
For a long moment, Ethan just stared at him. Then, slowly, he released his grip and stepped back.
"Stay away from Isabelle," Ethan repeated. "This is your only warning."
He turned and walked away, leaving Sebastian standing against the wall, his shoulder throbbing, his pride bruised more than his body.
Sebastian waited until Ethan disappeared around the corner before pushing off from the wall.
His hands were shaking, from anger or from the adrenaline, he wasn't sure.
"You bastard...I'm going to kill you." Sebastian cursed with an ugly expression, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
[Ding! Confrontation Lost]
[You have been dominated in a physical confrontation with the protagonist. The power difference was too great, resulting in a loss of face and momentum.]
[Penalty: -10 Villain Halo]
===Status===
Host: Sebastian Fairfax
Combat Power: 67 (Average human: 100)
Villain Points: 1,000
Villain Halo: 150
Luck: E
Charm: E+
→ Skills: None
→ Inventory: Empty
Sebastian stared at the notification, his jaw clenched.
'This can't happen again,' he thought coldly, continuing toward the restroom with rigid steps. 'I need to get stronger. Much stronger.'