Despite the loss of face and confusion over what had just transpired, Sophia didn’t act rashly or create a scene. She was smarter than that, recognizing that dwelling on the encounter would only make things worse for both of them.
She sighed softly before reaching out to grab Jas’s hand, gently tugging him away from the area. "Let’s go."
Jas followed her lead silently, his earlier confidence visibly shaken as they walked through the mall corridors.
He could feel the lingering stares from people who had witnessed his attempted advice backfire. Only when they reached a quieter section where they were no longer the centre of attention did Sophia finally speak.
"You didn’t need to do that, Jas. I picked you because you’re intelligent. You’re smarter than that guy will ever be, regardless of how much money he was throwing around back there."
She waved her hand dismissively, as if Noah’s entire existence was beneath consideration. "He probably just got incredibly lucky by winning a lottery ticket or inheriting money from so relative, then went out splurging it all like an idiot with no financial sense. I actually know him from before—we had a blind date once that a friend of my mother had arranged."
Jas looked at her, his wounded pride finding comfort in her words.
Sophia continued with growing confidence in her assessnt. "He had a terrible GPA back then, no real job prospects, and he even rode a bicycle to co et at the cafe. Can you imagine? A bicycle, like so college student too poor to afford a car. That’s the kind of person he was just months ago."
She shook her head with certainty. "That’s so presumptuous of him, acting superior just because he suddenly has so money to waste. I could tell he wasn’t an intelligent person from the way he spoke back there. Just bragging and posturing without any real substance. Hmph."
The rationalisation seed to restore so of Jas’s equilibrium. If Noah really was just so lucky idiot with temporary wealth and no actual capabilities, then his earlier defeat felt less significant.
Sophia grabbed his arm affectionately, pressing close as they walked. "I was just curious about what happened to him after our disastrous blind date, but it really doesn’t matter. He’s not worth our ti or attention. Why don’t we go and study for our master’s program? We have that important exam coming up next week."
Jas nodded, his confidence gradually returning now that the encounter had been refrad in more favourable terms. "Yeah, let’s do that. Want to grab so coffee on the way? That new place near campus supposedly has an excellent study atmosphere."
"Yeah, that sounds perfect," Sophia agreed with a warm smile.
With that settled, the couple left the mall with their own constructed narrative about Noah’s situation—one that preserved their self-image and dismissed his obvious wealth as re luck rather than genuine achievent. It was easier to believe he’d stumbled into money than to accept that the man she’d rejected so publicly might actually be far more successful than either of them.
They walked to Jas’s modest sedan, both already ntally moving past the uncomfortable encounter toward the familiar comfort of their academic pursuits and carefully planned future together.
***
In another part of the world, far from Noah’s casual shopping expedition, a young man lay motionless on a hospital bed. His injuries had yet to fully recover despite the advanced dical treatnt he’d received. Broken bones were slowly knitting back together, internal damage was healing gradually, but the psychological wounds ran far deeper than the physical ones.
His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling with an intensity that made the air around him feel like poison.
Anger, hate, fury, and all sorts of negative emotions could be seen burning in those dark pupils like ravaging flas.
"What did Master say, Senior Brother?"
The young man in question was none other than Kenzo, the fighter who had attempted to poison Noah during the tournant and subsequently been brutally defeated in the final match.
Saika stood beside the hospital bed, looking down at his junior brother with an expression of obvious pity. He had also been defeated by Noah, though his injuries were less severe than what Kenzo had suffered. The tournant finals had left Kenzo with catastrophic damage that might not heal.
Kenzo’s hands clenched tighter beneath the hospital sheets as he registered that look of pity on his senior brother’s face. Even when it ca from family, from soone who cared about him, he absolutely hated receiving pity.
He hated feeling powerless and vulnerable. He had spent his entire martial arts career making others feel pity for those who opposed him, crushing opponents so thoroughly that spectators felt sympathy for his victims. Yet today he was experiencing the exact sa degrading emotion from the other side.
"I’m unable to reach Master directly," Saika admitted with frustration. "He’s currently in deep seclusion for his breakthrough attempt. The ditation chamber is completely sealed off from external communication."
Kenzo’s head turned sharply, annoyance flashing across his features. His master wasn’t here to personally tear off that scum Noah Carter’s head, to deliver the vengeance that Kenzo desperately craved. Every ti he thought about Noah—that arrogant nobody who had humiliated him so completely—his anger grew hotter and more consuming.
"But don’t worry," Saika continued, his expression shifting to sothing more reassuring. "Senior Brother Sand said that he will take care of this matter himself. However, he instructed to make my way back to the temple before his departure for your vengeance."
He explained the reasoning with careful detail. "Soone needs to remain near the Master to ensure his breakthrough proceeds correctly. If soone were to interrupt his seclusion or if the ditation chamber’s protections failed, the consequences could be catastrophic. Breakthrough to higher realms is incredibly dangerous without proper oversight."
Kenzo’s eyes suddenly lit up with renewed hope and vicious satisfaction.
Their senior brother Sand was a genuine force of nature, soone whose capabilities exceeded both Kenzo and Saika combined.
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