Chapter 62 Encounters
[First Year "Golden Dragon" Dorms - 1st Floor, Nexus, Dawn City]
In a dimly lit room, a girl sat staring at her laptop's screen. There were hundreds of photos on display, all of them featuring Rain.
"Phew. Now I have created this fan club," she muttered to herself with a sense of satisfaction. "Rain would be never alone. Many people will know him."
A smile slowly crept onto her face as she scrolled through the pictures.
She stopped at a shirtless photo of Rain and began to observe it closely.
"His body is so good," she said to herself, her eyes scanning every inch of his toned physique.
"His face and skin are more beautiful than women's. Just wait, Rain. Your friend will become strong."
"Then I will come to meet you and I will protect you from bad girls. Fufu." She giggled.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a notification from the fan club she had created. She eagerly opened it and read through the latest posts.
"Wow, so many people are joining the club! Rain is going to be so popular," she exclaimed, her face lighting up with excitement.
But then a thought occurred to her. What if other girls tried to get close to Rain? What if they wanted him for themselves?
"No, I can't let that happen," she said, her expression turning serious. "I have to protect Rain at all costs. He's mine."
As she continued to scroll through the fan club's posts, she noticed someone had commented on her latest photo of Rain.
It was a girl who had written, "Wow, he's so hot! I wish I could meet him in person."
The girl's face twisted with jealousy and anger. "No one else can have Rain. He's mine," she muttered under her breath.
But then a small voice in her head whispered, "What if Rain doesn't want you? What if he likes someone else?"
The girl's expression turned dark, and she clenched her fists. "No, I won't let that happen. Rain is mine, and he always will be."
With a determined look on her face, she closed her laptop and started changing into the academy uniform.
She kept dreaming of the day when she would finally meet Rain in person and make him hers forever.
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[Unknown Deserted Island]
Rain was sleeping peacefully when a sudden chill ran through his body, waking him up.
"What is this chill?" Rain thought to himself. "It looks like someone's staring at me constantly. I have to become cautious."
He sat up in bed, listening intently for any sounds. He couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, but the feeling of unease persisted.
"Is someone here?" Rain whispered to himself, his heart racing. "Or is it just my imagination playing tricks on me?"
He checked the room and windows but found nothing unusual.
"Maybe I'm just being paranoid," he thought, trying to calm himself down. "But I can't shake off this feeling that something's not right."
Rain decided to stay awake for a while, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. As the night wore on, the feeling gradually subsided, and Rain was finally able to fall back asleep.
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As the day drew to a close, it became apparent that almost every female student at the Academy had acquired a shirtless photo of Rain.
Shockingly, nearly half of them were now part of his dedicated fan club, driven by a fervor for a glimpse of his chiseled physique.
Even girls who had previously shown no interest in Rain had become caught up in the craze, all vying for a chance to see his body.
The frenzy had reached such heights that it seemed as though everyone was talking about Rain's shirtless image.
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[Training Area, Nexus, Dawn City]
Nexus is a leading academic institution that provides students with access to a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities.
Among these facilities is a dedicated training area, which is a comprehensive and well-equipped facility designed to cater to a wide range of training needs.
The spacious training ground provides an ideal space for practicing combat techniques, sparring with partners, and perfecting martial arts forms.
It is equipped with various state-of-the-art equipment, including multiple punching bags, kicking pads, and agility ladders, to help students develop their fighting skills.
As Ken Astaseul focused on his weightlifting routine in the Nexus training area, hw looked like his mind was occupied with thoughts.
Despite his lean appearance, his toned and defined forearms were a testament to his hard work.
The onlookers kept glancing at him time to time.
Suddenly, an athletic-looking man with vibrant orange hair approached him.
Ken paused mid-lift, slightly taken aback by the unexpected interruption.
The man's face was a mix of confidence and excitement as he spoke.
"Ken Astaseul, I request a spar with you. Will you accept?"
Ken's eyebrows furrowed, expressing his confusion. He had seen this man in the entrance ceremony.
James Andre. Rank 7 among first years.
However, he didn't know him personally.
"Yes?" he responded, setting down the weight on the floor.
"Thanks for accepting it. Let's go," the man said, a grin spreading across his face as he grabbed Ken by the arm and pulled him into one of the private training rooms.
Onlookers watched the scene with bewilderment, some of them raising their eyebrows or whispering to each other.
As they entered the room, Ken took a moment to assess his surroundings.
"Private training room, huh." He mumbled. He didn't look much suprised by sudden turn of events.
The room was relatively small, with a mat covering the floor and various training equipment lining the walls.
In addition to the training ground, Nexus also provides private training rooms that students can use to practice alone or with a partner.
These rooms are equipped with mirrors to help students improve their form and technique.
The rooms are also soundproofed, providing a quiet and private space for students to train.
Ken turned to face James, unsure of what to expect.
His expression was a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty as he followed the orange-haired man.
James was a tall and muscular man with bulging muscles that rippled beneath his tanned skin.
His striking orange hair was styled in a messy, unkempt manner that added to his rugged appearance.
He had a square jawline and a chiseled face with prominent cheekbones, giving him an above-average appearance.
However, despite his rough exterior, his deep-set eyes held a gentle expression, and his voice was surprisingly soft when he spoke to Ken.
"You know," James said, stretching his arms above his head with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, "I was thrilled to fight stronger opponents when I came to the academy."
A grin formed on his face as he continued, his body swaying from side to side in a loose warm-up motion, "Kaya Holmes, Emma Rose, Eve Amber... these people were at the top of my list of fighters I wanted to challenge."
His expression turned pensive for a moment before he added, his body now bending down to touch his toes, "Oh, I guess there was one more name, Rain Holmes."
A hint of disappointment crept into his voice as he straightened his posture and continued, his fists clenched and released intermittently,
"I wanted to fight him too. According to rumors, he was expected to become the chief this year. However, when I heard that he wasn't coming to the academy, I felt a pang of letdown."
A small sigh escaped his lips as he rotated his shoulders, loosening the muscles, before he looked at Ken and said, his body bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, "Fortunately, you appeared."
Ken raised an eyebrow, mirroring James's curiosity, his body mirroring the same bouncing movement, and replied, his hands flexing and curling into fists, "Yeah, I've heard that name countless times until now. I wonder how strong he is."
After a few moments of stretching and warm-up exercises, the spar began.
This chance encounter had the potential to lead to a new friendship or perhaps a future conflict. Only time will tell.
[Read "I fall in love with the Goddess" chapter after this. You can find it at the end of the volume. Sorry for the inconveniences.]