The Author's POV

"Alright"

Sitting down on one of the chairs of the cafè, I patiently waited for Melissa to come.

To be honest. One of the reasons why I chose to directly go to the Leviathan building rather than section C to meet Melissa was so that I wouldn't be noticed.

Last time, although not much, I believe people did find out that I had met with Melissa. I did get stares here and there, but with people not knowing for sure what had happened, it ended there.

...but that was more than enough for me to feel annoyed. I was already getting plenty of unnecessary attention to begin with, I really didn't want any more.

In all fairness, their reaction was understandable, I mean, she was a very popular young girl after all. With how beautiful and smart she was, she was bound to be the center of attention from all of the boys in the academy. Be it junior or senior.

Fortunately, this time, I had come prepared.

I specifically chose to meet her at the Leviathan building. The most prestigious and high-end building in the whole academy.

Reason being?

Because, at the moment, only thirty students were officially part of this enormous building.

Yes.

Only thirty.

The top 10 from all years. First to third.

Moreover, with them being relatively prominent figures, respectively leaders or high ranking members of their own factions, they would rarely frequent this area. Meaning that this was at the moment, the safest and most unnoticeable place throughout the whole academy.

Plus, this was pretty much my only option.

Considering Melissa's personality, it's not like I could ask her to meet me somewhere in private. She would definitely reject it even she had goodwill towards me...which she definitely didn't.

Either way, although there weren't many students, there were still some, so I chose a rather secluded space inside of the cafè.

After all, even if exclude Melissa's popularity, we were going to talk about an extremely sensitive topic.

...Couldn't afford to let others know what our conversation was about.

As I was waiting for Melissa to come, after five minutes, I saw her figure in the distance. Raising my hand to let her know where I was, I said

"Over here!"

Spotting me from the distance, wearing a white blouse and long jeans, Melissa headed in my direction. Wearing thin gold-rimmed glasses, Melissa's elegant figure slowly walked in my direction.

As the sun brightly lit the surroundings, as she walked in her casual clothes, Melissa looked absolutely stunning. If not for her personality, I estimated that she would be even more popular.

Arriving before the area I was sitting in, taking a chair, she soon sat down and crossed her legs. Frowning, Melissa said

"Refrain from looking at me for any longer than five seconds please. The very image of you repulses me"

"..."

Speechless, before I had time to respond, glancing around, Melissa added

"I see, so you chose this place because you were afraid I'd do something to you?"

Shaking my head, with a smile on my face, I said

"Of course not"

She was spot on.

Damned witch.

Interlocking her hands together, Melissa rested her chin on top of her fingers. Looking at me, she said

"Anyways, let's skip all the pleasantries and tell me why you've called me here"

Nodding my head, rummaging through my pocket, I handed her the things I had worked on before.

Of course, the paper I had handed to her didn't contain everything that I wrote. Just a small percentage. After all, if the deal didn't go through, I didn't want her to steal my ideas.

...I just gave her a small fraction of the data.

"Right, here"

"What's this?"

Glancing at the paper I placed on the table, Melissa frowned slightly and took it.

"Something I've been working on"

Raising her brow, she skeptically looked at me

"...and?"

Nudging for her to open the paper with my head, I smiled mysteriously

"Just look"

Noticing my expression, the frown on Melissa's face deepened. She was almost tempted to not open it, but in the end, curiosity got the best of her and she opened it.

"hmm...huh"

As she skimmed through the paper, at first Melissa looked unimpressed. However, a minute later, her eyes opened wide and she sat up straight. Seriously looking at the paper in front of her, Melissa hand's couldn't help but tremble from time to time.

'Got her'

Watching Melissa quickly looking through the draft for the magic cards, a triumphant smile appeared on my face. She had caught the bait

"Y-ou, how much?"

After a solid minute, putting the paper down, Melissa tried her best to calm her uneven breathing.

This idea was something that she had been researching in her past time...but it wasn't as detailed as this. Moreover, she could tell that this wasn't everything.

Smiling, whilst leaning on my chair, I said

"How much for what?"

I knew that I had caught her attention.

There was a reason why I specifically chose Melissa for the card development..and that's because she was the one who created them.

When I said she was the only person smart enough to create them...I meant that literally.

Along with the many other inventions she had made, Melissa created magic cards. If there was one person I could rely on for the creation and development of magic cards, it could only be her.

"Cut the crap, stop beating around the bush and tell me how much for the idea?"

Placing my hand on my chin, I thought for a moment before shaking my head

"hmmm, actually, I'm not looking to sell this idea"

Taken aback, Melissa's voice couldn't help but raise a few pitches as the aura around her intensified.

"What? Then did you just come here to gloat to me about your brilliant idea?...it better not be that"

Technically it was your idea...but she didn't need to know this fact.

Noticing her souring mood, putting my hand forward, I continued

"No, actually, I'm looking to cooperate with you"

Soon after my words reached her ears, Melissa paused. Frowning, she asked

"Cooperate?"

"Yeah"

Placing her hand on her chin, Melissa questioningly asked

"...and what will our cooperation consist of?"

Smiling, I said

"You finish the product, I take care of selling it. Very simple right?"

Leaning back on her chair, Melissa fell into deep thought. Altough Melissa had only caught a glimpse of the idea, she felt that if she had more data to work with, she could really develop the concept written on the paper.

Moreover, with the money she could make from selling the cards, she could finance her more expensive projects...this was a win-win situation.

After thinking things through the inside of her head, seemingly having come up with a decision, glancing at me, she said

"hmmm...60/40"

Tilting my head to the side, I asked

"Sixty me and forty you?"

Shaking her head, she corrected

"No, sixty me and forty you"

Smiling, I shook my head.

"Sorry but no deal"

There was no way I was going to agree to such unfavorable terms. After all, the idea was pretty much almost complete.

Frowning, Melissa thought for a bit longer before saying.

"50/50"

Shaking my head once again, I looked at her in the eyes and seriously said

"ninety for me ten for you"

"What!"

Abruptly standing up, Melissa's <F> ranked aura rose from her body. It soon enveloped a meter radius of where we were standing.

Not minding her aura one bit, still sitting down with a smile on my face, I slowly said

"You very well know that you're going to make a lot of money off of this, so don't ask too much"

Even if she was earning ten percent, if the cards sold...the amount of money she could make would without a doubt be more than multiple times her current budget.

With how smart she was, she definitely knew this. She was just trying to test the waters, and I saw through her intentions.

Realizing that her pressure was doing nothing, clenching her teeth, Melissa's pressure decreased. After a bit of thinking, she firmly shook her head.

"...No, ten is too little for me"

*Sigh*

Sighing, I shrugged my shoulders. Standing up from my chair, I prepared to leave.

"Alright"

Taken aback, Melissa couldn't help but ask

"You're leaving?"

Nodding my head, I confirmed.

"Yup"

Caught off-guard by my abrupt behavior, Melissa became slightly flustered

"W-hat? Aren't you going to keep negotiating?"

"Nope, ten is already too much for me at the moment"

"Ah..."

Smiling inwardly, I pretended to not notice Melissa's slightly flustered appearance and waved

"If that's all, I guess it's time for me to head back"

Biting her lips, after a couple of seconds, weighing her options, Melissa softly said

"...alright I'll do ten"

"Nine"

Opening her eyes wide, Melissa glared at me and shouted

"What! Do you want to die? Didn't you just say ten?"

Shaking my head, ignoring her outburst, I said

"Sorry, changed my mind once again. Eight"

For a short moment, no words escaped Melissa's mouth. Soon after, her whole body shook. She looked to be on the verge of exploding. In the end, after noticing that I wasn't paying attention to her, gritting her teeth until the sound of her teeth grinding against resounded, Melissa angrily spat

"...give me the paper now"

Smiling, I knew that I had won.

Though I could've pushed it to 7%, I would've had to be prepared for my life to be on the line.

...Not sure if an extra percent was worth risking my life.

Taking out a contract that I had prepared beforehand, I handed it to Melissa.

"Here"

Angrily snatching the contract from my hands, Melissa did a quick skim of the contract before taking out a pen and signing it.

"...you better pray I don't see you around for at least a week, or else"

Laughing, I sat back on my chair and leisurely drank my half-finished expresso.

"Haha, no need to be so harsh, we're business partners now. That's not a good way to talk to someone whom you're going to be working with for a long time. Right partner"

Terrifyingly glaring at me, Melissa said

"...Say one more word and I'll skin you right here and right now "

"Sheesh, no nee-"

"Did you say something?"

"...nope"

Shutting my mouth I complied. Tough I won today, I still had to be careful. If I really did get on her bad side, no matter how prepared I was, I was bound to suffer.

After making sure that everything was sorted, taking the complete set of files regarding the magic cards, Melissa stood up. Glancing at me one more time, she squinted her eyes and said

"It seems like you're hiding quite deeply no? From Arnold to the theories and now this? I won't pry because I don't care, but you better not do something to jeopardize this deal...or else I'll make sure you suffer"

Soon after Melissa said that she directly left. It seems like she was eager to look through the things I had given her.

"Sure"

Watching Melissa leave, I couldn't help look back at the first time I met her.

That time I was a nervous wreck. Thinking about what would've happened to me if I got on her bad side scared me to no end.

...but after all that had happened to me these past few months, I do have to say that I really had gained a lot more confidence.

I was no longer scared of interacting with people, much less the protagonists.

...I guess my past life influence had caused me to become this cowardly self cautious person that had become extremely introverted and passive. I sort of trapped myself inside of this self-preserving shell that stopped me from getting hurt.

I guess with everything that had happened to me in the previous world, more so than not wanting to interact with them, I was scared of getting hurt.

'What if this world was fake?'

'What if one day I would wake up finding myself back in my own world having just woken up from a coma?'

'Would all of that had happened to me be nothing but a long dream?'

Those sorts of thoughts haunted me every day.

Now. Not so much.

I just refrained myself from thinking such things/

I realized that whether this world was fake or real, all that mattered was my happiness. Even if it was all fruit of my imagination...why must I hold myself back? At the end of the day, I was the one going through this experience. What did other people's opinion of me matter?

Glancing at the blue sky, I took a deep breath of fresh air.

'My life my rules, I won't stop at nothing to achieve my own happiness...'