Beast Gacha System: All Mine-Chapter 267: Back to School

Cecilia opened her eyes to the soft grey light of early morning filtering through her dormitory window.

The room was quiet. Her desk sat against the far wall, stacked with books and papers from a hundred different classes. Her uniform hung neatly from the wardrobe door, waiting for the first day of the last semester. The pillow beneath her head still held the faint scent of her own hair.

Athenaeum. The school romance scenario. The place where she had been the top nerd, the scholarship student, the girl who always had her nose in a book. The place where she had met the different versions of Eastiel, and Oathran, and Arkai.

She sat up slowly, the blankets pooling around her waist. Through the window, she could see the familiar skyline. The clock tower, the library, the training grounds.

This was the beginning of a good bye.

Cecilia smiled.

***

The corridor in front of the senior female students’ dormitory was buzzing.

Students lingered, pretending to study, pretending to chat, pretending to do anything other than what they were actually doing. They were waiting.

The gossip had spread like wildfire through the Athenaeum. Cecilia Araceli, the top student, the girl who had somehow become the center of the most complicated romantic situation anyone had ever seen, was about to emerge.

What was going to happen with her boyfriends? Would they fight?

One of them had become her fiancé, the news had exploded across every social circle. Another was the scary bully who was rumored to have taken over his family’s magic army. And the third was the mysterious transfer student that no one could figure out, whose roar had made the school tremble.

People had theories. Bets had been placed. The tension was thick.

Then, a figure appeared at the far end of the path.

Arkai Dawnoro.

The fiancé. The President. The most influential, most elite student in the entire Athenaeum. He moved with that particular graceful authority that made crowds part before him like water before a ship’s prow.

He stopped. Right in front of the female dorm’s gate.

And simply... stood there.

Ah, he was making it obvious that he was waiting for her.

The whispers exploded. But even more so when another figure emerged.

Oathran Alicei.

The footsteps made people shake. Most still remembered that day and the roar that had rattled the very stones of the school, the power that had made everyone fall silent like mice before a cat. He was still mysterious, still unknown, still the one person no one could figure out.

He approached the gate. Closer and closer, his steps were inevitable.

He was getting close to Arkai. Very close. Very close—

What was going to happen?

Were they going to fight?

Was this going to be the most legendary standoff in history?!

Students held their breath. Someone dropped a book and didn’t pick it up. The tension was unbearable.

Oh, shi—

"Brother, you’re here."

Huh?

Arkai straightened his back. A small smile crossed his usually stern features.

"Yes." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then, their hands moved.

SLAP.

An elaborate, trendy bro handshake, the kind that involved wrist twists, finger snaps, and a final, resounding palm-slap that echoed through the suddenly very confused corridor.

Eh?

Jaws dropped. Eyes bulged. The collective brain of every student in the vicinity short-circuited.

Brothers? They called each other brothers?!

Before anyone could process it, a third figure appeared.

Eastiel Edengold.

The original boyfriend. The first one who had started the scandal in the first place. The most dangerous bully the school had ever seen—

Wait.

What was on his belt?

Girly trinkets?

Fluffy keychains. Little charms. Cute, ridiculous, completely out of place on the terrifying Golden Lion King. They bounced with each step, rattling softly, a sound that was somehow more shocking than anything could have been.

Was that—was that Cecilia’s?

He was approaching the other two. His steps were casual, unhurried, his golden eyes scanning the crowd with that particular predator’s gaze that made people look away.

Tap. The keychains rattled. Tap. Another step. Closer. Closer.

A standoff?

Finally?

Eastiel reached Arkai and Oathran.

His hand raised.

"Yo, bro!"

And then, two more elaborate bro handshakes. The trendy one all teenage boys knew. Slaps and grips and that weird finger-lock thing.

The three of them stood there, in front of the female dorm, exchanging greetings like they were friends.

Like they were friends?

The students stared.

The bets—the bets—!

It was all ruined!

Why would the boyfriends of the same girl, who should have been fighting over her, be doing this?

Creak—

The gate swung open.

Cecilia stepped through, her uniform crisp, her golden hair catching the morning light. Her sea-glass eyes swept over the scene. Three men, three husbands, standing together like the most normal thing in the world.

She grinned.

"Ehehe." She giggled in spoiled delight. "My boyfriends."

The three men groaned in unison.

Eastiel’s hand shot out first, pinching her cheek, pulling her closer via the grip, his expression caught between exasperation and affection. Oathran’s palm descended on the top half of her face, squeezing gently but firmly. Arkai’s finger found her side, poked, and made her whine.

"So this," Eastiel’s voice was strained, "is what you meant by making them smooth and snug like human’s?"

"Naughty girl. " Oathran said, still squishing her face.

"Dragging us all into this at the same time." Arkai poked her again. "Huh?"

"Didn’t you know I skipped exams because of my initiation?" Eastiel’s whine was almost as impressive as hers. "Now I need to take them later than everyone else!"

"I can’t believe you dragged me back into school." Arkai complained. "I’m a hundred years old man and you dragged me back into school."

"William is gone again." Oathran grumbled. "What’s the point when I’m now half the man I am?"

Cecilia whined.

"Aaah, shut up, let’s practice triple penetration with human co—"

MMMPHH—

All three men’s palms slammed against her face simultaneously.

The students watching from the corridor gaped.

Their brains had officially left the building.

Three palms pressed firmly against Cecilia’s face, effectively silencing whatever obscenity she had been about to unleash upon the world. Her muffled protests came out as indignant squeaks against their skin.

"For the love of—" Eastiel’s golden eyes darted to the crowd, his cheeks flushing. "There are people, Cecilia."

"Children," Arkai added flatly, though the corner of his mouth twitched. "There are children watching."

"Pff—mmphfff..." Oathran had to stop himself from laughing too.

Cecilia’s hands came up, wrapping around their wrists, and with a telekinetic nudge, she gently pushed their palms away. Her face was slightly reddened from the assault, but her grin remained firmly in place.

"They’re not that close," she protested. "They can’t hear us."

"You were loud."

"Let’s go to class first."

"I’m not the same class as the three of you."

"Pff, muscle brain."

"Just because I’m a Force Major, it doesn’t mean I’m a muscle brain, muscle brain."

"I’m a unique magic user! I’m stronger than you!"

"I’m the strongest here, alright?"

"Wanna try to fight it out?"

"Ah, class first!"