Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 740 168.4 - Jealousy

Sylvie's gaze shifted to Irina almost instinctively, her unease giving way to a different kind of curiosity. The faint pinkish hue she saw radiating from Irina's emotional palette caught her off guard. It was a color she had never associated with the Emberheart prodigy before-soft, warm, and utterly at odds with Irina's usual intensity.

'What... is that?"

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she noticed Irina's expression. She was smiling -subtle, almost imperceptible, but undeniably there. And she wasn't smiling at Julia or the others. Her focus was entirely on Astron.

'No way... 'Sylvie's chest tightened, her earlier unease replaced by a strange, twisting sensation she couldn't name.

From her vantage point, Sylvie could hear Julia's voice breaking through the crowd's hushed whispers.

"Wait, wait, wait," Julia said, her tone teasing but sharp with suspicion. "Irina, don't tell me... you knew?"

The rest of the group turned toward Irina, their curiosity immediately piqued. Ethan, Carl, Lilia, and Lucas all fixed her with questioning stares, but Irina didn't flinch under the scrutiny. Her composure was as steady as ever, the faint smile lingering on her lips.

"Knew what?" Irina replied, her tone even, though there was a slight upward lilt in her voice that betrayed her.

Julia's eyes lit up like a predator sensing weakness. "Oh, you totally knew about this, didn't you? About him-" she gestured dramatically toward Astron, still standing near the stage with his unreadable demeanor. "You met him during the break, didn't you?" Sylvie's heart thudded painfully in her chest as she listened, her attention darting between Irina and Astron. Julia's accusation hung in the air like a challenge, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though Irina might deny it. But then...

"Yes," Irina said simply, her tone calm and deliberate. "We met during the break." The admission left the group momentarily stunned, Julia included. Sylvie's breath hitched as she watched Irina, her emerald eyes steady and unyielding.

"Wait, that's it? You're just admitting it?" Julia finally asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Irina shrugged lightly, crossing her arms. "Why wouldn't I? Is it wrong for us to meet?"

The casual response only seemed to fuel Julia's curiosity. She leaned in closer, her expression mischievous. "Okay, but now you have to spill. How did this happen? Was it planned? Or was it one of those 'fate brought us together' moments?"

Irina didn't answer immediately, and Sylvie caught the faintest flicker of amusement in her eyes before she replied, "No comment."

Julia gawked at her, her jaw dropping dramatically. "No comment? Oh, come on, Irina! You're killing me here."

Lilia chuckled softly, her voice carrying a note of amusement. "Irina's being unusually tight-lipped. That's got to mean something happened."

"Exactly!" Julia exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Irina. "You don't just meet Astron-this Astron-and not have a story to tell."

Despite the playful interrogation, Irina remained composed, her faint smile never wavering. But to Sylvic, it was that same smile-the one directed at Astron moments ago that lingered in her mind. The pinkish hue in Irina's palette, the softness in her expression, the way her gaze seemed to linger on him longer than it should...

'Irina... what's going on with you?' Sylvie thought, her unease deepening. For all the changes she had seen in Astron, it was Irina's reaction to him that unsettled her the

most.

Sylvie's chest tightened as her gaze remained fixed on Irina. That pink hue, soft and warm, yet so vivid it almost overwhelmed her senses-it wasn't a color she was accustomed to seeing. In fact, she had rarely seen it at all, especially not radiating so strongly from someone like Irina.

"This isn't just any emotion.'

The realization settled over her, heavy and undeniable. Pink, in her understanding of emotions, symbolized one thing above all else. Love.

And it wasn't faint, either. The intensity of it, the way it swirled and rippled through Irina's aura like a steady flame, spoke volumes. This wasn't some fleeting infatuation or mild admiration. No, this was something deeper, something far more profound. It wasn't just love-it was intense, unwavering, and consuming.

Sylvie felt a lump form in her throat as her thoughts began to race. Her [Authority] didn't allow her to pinpoint who those feelings were directed toward-only the raw presence of the emotion itself. But she didn't need to know. Not right now.

Because the thought of guessing... of assuming...

'No. Don't.' She clenched her hands against the strap of her bag, willing herself to look away, but her eyes refused to obey. Irina's gaze was still on Astron, and that faint, almost imperceptible smile hadn't wavered.

Sylvie's heartbeat quickened as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. It

can't be. It doesn't mean anything. Just because she's looking at him doesn't mean-' But her thoughts faltered as Julia's teasing voice broke through again. "Come on, Irina," Julia pressed, her grin widening as she leaned in conspiratorially. "You can't just drop a bomb like that and then act all mysterious. You met him during the break, so spill! What happened? Did he save you from some epic disaster? Or- wait!" Her eyes gleamed mischievously. "Don't tell me... is this some kind of star-crossed romance thing?"

Irina turned her gaze from Astron to Julia, her expression steady but faintly amused. "You have a very active imagination, Julia," she said, her tone light but measured. "But no, there's no grand story to tell."

"Uh-huh," Julia replied, clearly unconvinced. "And what's with that smile, then? You're acting like you know something we don't."

Irina's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't answer, her composure unshaken. It was as though she knew exactly how to deflect without giving anything away.

Sylvie, however, wasn't so easily reassured. Her gaze darted back to Astron, who was standing near the stage, oblivious to the whispers and stares surrounding him. He hadn't even glanced back at Irina or the group, his focus seemingly elsewhere.

'Could it really be... him?"

The question echoed in her mind, bringing with it a swirl of emotions she couldn't quite name. It wasn't jealousy, exactly, nor was it relief. It was something far more complex-a mix of curiosity, unease, and a faint, nagging ache that refused to fade. 'No. I'm not going to guess. I'm not going to assume anything.'

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to step back from the whirlwind of emotions threatening to pull her under. Whatever Irina was feeling, whoever those feelings were directed at, it wasn't Sylvie's place to question it. Not now. Not here.

Sylvie's thoughts were spiraling again, her mind a tangled mess of emotions and questions. She barely noticed how long she had been staring, her eyes fixed on Irina and the others, or how the tension in her chest hadn't eased. The pink hue, the subtle smile-it all stayed with her, refusing to fade into the background.

"Okay, seriously, Sylvie, what is wrong with you today?" Jasmine's voice cut through the haze, accompanied by a sharp nudge to her side. Sylvie blinked, startled, as Jasmine leaned in closer, her face a mix of confusion and concern. "You've been zoning out all morning, and now you're glaring at Irina and the others like they personally insulted your ancestors."

"I wasn't glaring," Sylvie said quickly, her voice a little too defensive to be convincing.

"Uh, yeah, you were," Jasmine shot back, crossing her arms as she studied her friend with an increasingly skeptical expression. "Seriously, what's going on? Did something

happen? Did they do something to you?"

"No, of course not," Sylvie replied, shaking her head a little too forcefully. "Why would you even think that?"

"Because you're acting weird, that's why," Jasmine said, her tone teetering between

exasperation and genuine worry. "You've been all quiet and spacey since we got here, and now you're practically burning holes in Irina's head with your eyes. Did you hear something about her or the others? Or did someone say something to you?" Sylvie hesitated, caught between denying everything outright and trying to explain without revealing too much. The last thing she wanted was for Jasmine to press further-or worse, to turn this into a bigger deal than it already felt.

"It's nothing," Sylvie finally said, forcing a small smile she hoped would case Jasmine's concern. "I'm just... distracted. That's all."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Distracted? By what? You were fineNôv(el)B\\jnn

until Astron showed up."

Sylvie's breath hitched, and Jasmine's eyes narrowed slightly, her smirk returning with a mischievous edge. "Ohhhh, I see," she said, her tone practically dripping with amusement. "Is this about him? Did he do something? Or is it something else

entirely?"

"What? No!" Sylvie's cheeks flushed, her voice rising in protest. "It's not like that. It's just... he looks different, that's all. I wasn't expecting it."

"Uh-huh," Jasmine said, her smirk widening. "Sure. You're totally not affected at all.

Not even a little."

Sylvie groaned, her frustration bubbling to the surface as she shook her head. "Jasmine, seriously, drop it. I'm fine. They're fine. Everything's fine."

But even as she said the words, Sylvie knew they weren't entirely true. Everything

wasn't fine. Not with Astron, not with Irina, and certainly not with the strange,

unsettled feeling gnawing at her chest.

Jasmine gave her a long, searching look before finally sighing and throwing her hands

up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll let it go-for now. But don't think I'm not keeping an eye on you, Sylvie. Something's up, and I'm going to figure it out eventually." Sylvie offered a faint, grateful smile, though her thoughts were still far from settled. As Jasmine turned her attention back to the murmuring crowd, Sylvie glanced at Irina one last time, her mind swirling with questions she couldn't yet answer.

'What are you feeling, Irina? And why does it feel like everything's about to change?'

It was weird....

Everything.....

CREAK!

But just then Sylvie's thoughts were forced to return to reality...Since the Headmaster made his appearance.