Once Levi finished his job he headed to his dorm. Before that, he went to a shop to buy some groceries. While shopping, something clicked in his mind.

'I didn't notice but looks like my taste buds are dead in this world as well. I never thought it was related to me being a psycho.'

Levi couldn't taste a thing back on earth. Humans, sometimes tend to satisfy their desires by eating but that was not the case for Levi.

Even when he had his mother's cooking, he had to lie about the taste of food. Because he couldn't know what anything tasted like, he only ate once he felt hungry. He bought food that would suffice his daily nutritional needs and went back.

As he was heading back, he could see a group of students staring at a particular figure at the gate of the commoner's dorm. A red blush covered her face as he twirled her blue hair with her slender fingers.

'*Sigh* Why is she here?'

Irene was waiting for Levi. She wouldn't get an opportunity for them to talk during classes and not when Levi would train in the shooting range. This was the best solution she could come up with. She looked at Levi walking towards the dorm.

'Remember your script, Irene. Thank him for saving you and then apologise for throwing the book at him.'

Their eyes met. Irene was about to put her hands up and wave at him but before that, Levi turned his back and walked away.

'Wh-Why is he avoiding me?'

Irene stomped her feet in anger and walked towards Levi. He noticed her following him increased his pace and went behind a tree. Irene followed him and once she too was behind the tree, grabbed his clothes.

"Why did you run away when you saw me?"

"I remembered I had to buy more groceries."

Irene tightened her grip.

"You remember to do those stuff when you see me."

"You're just assuming things."

If anyone saw them right now, they would think of them as a couple having an argument, thankfully no eyes were on them.

"I am assuming things? Don't lie. I am an archer and my eyes never lie. Tell me why are you avoiding me?"

Levi was avoiding her. He saved her not to be friends with her but to protect the game's plot, though he couldn't tell her that. He had to lie and now he was getting caught in his own lies he fabricated.

"Didn't the headmaster tell us that nobody should know about this incident? If anybody sees us talking like this, they will speculate a lot of things. I don't care about what happened as well so let's leave it as it is."

"Do you really not care about what happened?"

"Yes."

Irene let go of him and looked down. She even forgot why she was here. Her chest tightened, and her arms shook a bit as anger filled her mind.

"Why did you save me then huh? If you really didn't care about what happened and would happen in the future, why did you run into a building full of fire? You could have left me and run once you saw that villain. "

"I accidentally stumble-"

"Don't LIE. The professor told me everything. I know you helped me just for the sake of saving me but why… are you avoiding me now?"

Levi thought for a while about what he should say cause this whole situation was a mess. Her truths were layered on misunderstanding and Levi was bound by his own knowledge of the future.

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"What should I do then Irene? Should I be casual like friends and approach you as friends do? You know that it isn't possible. You're the heir of Hydra's Den, the precious daughter of Toxotai's and me….I am just a commoner. Unlike you, I wasn't born with prosperity bound to my life. We are fodder, stepping stones for the you nobles. From the start we are branded as "garbage" What do you think will happen if anyone finds out we are talking….they will ruin me, Irene and I don't want that. "

Irene clenched her fist because it was the hard cold truth. A noble in addition to that a noble girl hanging out with a boy who is a commoner is considered worse than murder. If they ever became friends, Irene would be looked down upon by other nobles. Though they might not physically harm her, sometimes rumours can hurt more than a cut from a sword.

However, the same wasn't true for Levi. He had no backup, no strong family, and nobody to stand up for him. People would chase him every day, ruining his life and perhaps even killing him.

"Irene, I don't need your thanks. I didn't run into that building to save you. Even if someone else got attacked, I would have saved them, not out of humanity but because I wanted to. That is all and it is best if we don't meet like this. I will treat you like none go that stuff happened between us and you...keep on treating me as the 'loser' you thought I was. From our birth, it was clear that we are never meant to be."

Levi walked away. He didn't look back after all she was a stranger to him. Irene also walked away, though he ran towards her room and locked herself in. She went to her kitchen to quench her thirst and her broken heart. How was she meant to feel? Sad cause she couldn't thank him. Guilt, cause she threw the book or bottomless sorrow cause they are never meant to be.

"Even though somewhere in my mind, I knew it wasn't possible but still I had hope. Hope that he would not be scared of what the society would say, hope that he would be someone I could be friends with but….. all of it was meaningless from the start."

******

"I think I overdid it."

Levi thought about what he just said. He may have never felt anything but he knew what hurts people but it was necessary. Irene becoming his acquittance or friend would definitely affect the plot and cause a butterfly effect that he may not be able to stop. He didn't want to be friends with Gabriel as well but unlike Irene, right now Gabriel didn't have much influence on the noble society.

"I am sorry Irene but this is the only viable solution I had in mind."

Levi then noticed a big parcel next to his door. He opened it and saw a note on it.

[Rewards for your hard work]

It was a present from the headmaster and it was the perfect present for Levi. The box was filled with money. Levi further read the note.

[I didn't know what to buy and reward you so, I will leave some money for you so you can decide on your own.]

".Just from the looks of it, I can say there are more than 100,000 Dale in this box."

Money was the problem for Levi and this would be useful to him for what he was about to do.

He took out a mana cigarette and lit it up.

" I should start writing an application."

******

[Next Day]

The class was about to start and every student in section A9 was in their class except Levi. Harper scanned around the class and didn't see the person he was looking for. Flynn, sitting beside him noticed it. For a few days, he had been noticing Irene, who sat in front of him glancing at the back. Eliza too did it. Rose did it once and now Harper.

"Why do you keep looking at the back?"

"Oh! Levi isn't here yet. He would usually be in the class by now."

Flynn didn't know who Harper was talking about.

"There is a person in our class named Levi."

Irene and Eliza secretly listened to their conversation once he heard the name.

Harper gave his friend a disappointed look.

"You should pay attention to your classmates."

Flynn didn't reply back. He didn't know half of the student's name in the class anyway.

" Why are you suddenly looking for him then?"

"Well….I wanted to talk with him."

"Did you gain feelings for him?"

"Ew-No…It's just that yesterday he was different. Usually, he would sit back during our battles and even when he participated it didn't help much but yesterday..how do I say it. He was the reason we weren't last. His archer skills had improved a lot. His arrows easily pierced an orc's head and the main change was that he was calm....inhumanly calm. The decisions he made were on point, no sort of hesitation when killing and though he talked with me, I felt he didn't like me."

Flynn thought about what Harper just said. Though the orcs spawned by the academy are on the weaker side, still piercing its thick skull was a feat.

"Did you offend him in some way for you to hate him?"

Harper went down his memory lane but nothing came up. He didn't talk much with Levi and when he did it was usually during those battles.

"No, I don't think I ever did and it's not like he hates me. It felt like he was avoiding being in my company and even my team members."

As he was talking Fiona entered the room and started taking attendance.

"#Rank1000 Levi is on leave for three days for personal reasons."

She informed the class and finished the roll call.

Eliza had a small smile on her face.

'Peace for three days .'

Irene on the other didn't think much about it. She was a mature person and crying over spilled milk wasn't something that suited her. She knew how to control her emotions and Levi already said that he didn't need her thanks. Her heart felt free of those emotions chaining her, she felt free…..or did she?