Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 2 - Haze of Shadows

Chapter 1.4 - Shifting Expressions

James Richard Haniel, also known as Jay. He claimed to be little more than a lazy high school boy, but he was unusually cunning and perceptive for his age, perhaps due to being the son of a private detective.

That sort of trait would really come in handy right now.

"Uh, you have some beef with me or something?"

Jay had his back against the wall while some tall, slightly tanned dude with dark hair stood over him intimidatingly, backed up by two of his able-bodied peers. From an outsider's point of view, it looked nothing like a bullying scene, but rather a young, handsome man protecting the school and its numerous girls from a strange outsider.

"You're that kid who keeps seeing Yumiko, aren't you?" the taller boy said, crossing his arms and smirking. Dang, he must have put a lot of practice into that expression to be able to make it look charming and intimidating.

"Yeah, they've been seen hanging out every day after school, Miguel," one of his buddies confirmed. "I think this is his first time meeting up with her here, though."

Miguel raised his eyebrow. "Getting bold, aren't you?"

Jay stood his ground. "Anything wrong with that?"

Miguel looked down on him with a pitying yet arrogant expression. Out of the corner of his eye, Jay could swear a couple of girls were staring right at them while seeing something entirely different from the truth.

"Listen, Marie Florence High School is a prestigious school for the cream of the crop. We've had a lot of uninvited guests come here before, but they've all walked out of here with broken hearts. I'm just trying to spare you the grief and heartache."

Jay narrowed his eyes. "Is that the truth? Or are you just saying that so you can have a monopoly on all the girls here. Wasn't it an all-girls school not too long ago, so only around ten percent of you are guys?"

Miguel ruffled Jay's hair forcefully, while appearing playful from the outside. "Think you're smart, do you?" He leaned in closer to whisper into the shorter boy's ear so that only he could hear. "Don't cross me. I've got friends whom you wouldn't want attention from."

A threat. He very clearly issued him a threat. While it might have unnerved Jay or even caused him to back down before, the boy as he was now didn't feel any sort of fear, more pity really. Kicking the crap out of what was essentially a supervillain does that.

A month ago, Jay and Yumi had discovered the perpetrator of Juniper's werewolf curse. It was the work of a Night Magi named Charles Greyford, who had been bent on forcing his ideal of evolution on humanity. While the villain had wiped out a police squad with his werewolf minions, they stood no chance against Yumi's powers of fire. In the meantime, Jay had outwitted the Night Magi and his mind control powers, forcing him to retreat.

Compared to that experience, having a privileged playboy as an enemy was practically a joke. Besides, while a bully like the guys he was friends with at Rivera Academy were one thing, men who toyed around with the hearts of women were another; they disgusted him. He would get what was coming to him.

"Hey everyone!" Jay suddenly announced to the people around them. As it was dismissal time, a lot of students had been passing by, sparing only the briefest of glances until now. "My buddy Miguel here wants to make a public confession to the love of his life right now!"

All eyes and ears were on the playboy. He must've been really popular to get that kind of reaction, just as Jay had expected. That kind of reputation had its benefits, but it could also turn into a vulnerability. Put on the spot like this so unexpectedly, Miguel began to sweat profusely.