Chapter 12
Chapter 12 Cold and Distant? Only
Toward Others
“Yvette, look! Isn’t that Leander p>
The two girls behind Leander were none other than Yvette and Ginny, the ones he had saved the day before.
Ginny pointed toward Leander, her voice full of amazement. Yvette followed her gesture, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. It really is Leander!
She had been restless all night, wanting to thank Leander but not knowing how to reach him. She didn’t have his contact info or had any idea where he had gone. She had thought she might never see him again—yet here he was, at their school. “Wait, where’d he go p>
In just the blink of an eye, Leander had disappeared from view. Yvette froze for a moment, then hurried forward but still couldn’t find him.
Class 4 of the senior year was met with an unexpected guest that morning. As soon as Leander walked in, all eyes turned to him.
“Wow, he’s so cute! Why haven’t I seen him before p>
“Which class is he from? He’s way better looking than our usual school heartthrobs. What is he doing in our class p>
The girls’ eyes sparkled excitedly while the guys glared with hostility. Having one campus heartthrob in their class was already hard enough for them. Now, with a new, even more good-looking guy showing up, they could kiss their popularity goodbye.
Leander strolled into the classroom, calm and unfazed by the attention. After only a few steps, a figure blocked his path.
“Hey man, you’re not in our class, are you? Looking for someone?” The guy standing in front of him didn’t seem particularly hostile, just curious. He had decent looks but heavy bags under his eyes, probably from staying up late too often. “Oh, I’m here for class,” Leander replied casually. “Guess I’m the new kid.” “New student?” The young man was skeptical. “Our teacher never mentioned anything about that p>
Leander smiled faintly, stepping around him to take a seat at an empty desk in the back row.
“Wait, you’re really in our class?” The young man, whose seat was coincidentally next to Leander’s, was now intrigued by his cool demeanor.
“Yep.” Leander nodded, amused.
“Huh, so we’ve got someone even better-looking than Victor in our class now!” The guy grinned widely.
“Victor?” Leander quirked a brow.
“You’re new, so it’s normal that you don’t know about him,” the boy said. “He’s the best at everything-looks, family background, grades, sports, talents—you name it, he’s number one! He competes in math competitions every year and always wins first place. He steals the show at the New Year’s Gala and always tops the exams. Plus, he’s the star of the martial arts club and has represented the school in both state and national competitions!
“Most of the girls in school are head over heels for him. The most annoying part is that he doesn’t care about any of them. He’s only got eyes for Madeline Gardner, our school’s queen bee. He’s always hanging around her, acting like her personal bodyguard, and no one can do anything about it!” The guy’s expression was full of frustration.
Leander smiled faintly. “Sounds like you’re pretty envious of this Victor guy.” “Envious? I’m flat-out jealous!” The young man didn’t hold back. “If murder wasn’t illegal, I’d have taken him out already. I mean, how can someone be that perfect?” Leander chuckled, finding the boy’s blunt honesty amusing. He didn’t hold back his thoughts, which was refreshing.
The young man frowned when he saw Leander’s calm expression. “Dude, aren’t you the least bit jealous of the guy after all that I’ve just said p>
“Jealous of him?” Leander chuckled and shook his head. “There’s nothing about him that I find impressive p>
For years, Leander had traveled the world, honing his skills in the most dangerous and deadly places. His horizons had long surpassed anything his peers could understand. To him, Victor, who was worshipped in school, was just another face in the crowd. Even a thousand Victors couldn’t measure up to him.
The young man gave Leander a sideways glance and subtly moved back a little. Though he didn’t say it out loud, he couldn’t help but think that Leander was full of himself. Victor was leagues above the other top guys in the school, someone even the other stars, like Shiloh Wolfe, couldn’t compete with. And here was this new kid, looking down on him? Blind confidence, if you asked him.
Leander didn’t pay much attention to the boy’s reaction. Instead, he casually asked, “By the way, can you tell me more about Madeline Gardner, the girl you mentioned?” Though the guy wasn’t thrilled with Leander’s attitude, he still turned back around. “Madeline?” He chuckled and patted Leander’s shoulder. “Dude, didn’t expect you to be interested in our campus queen. Got plans p>
Leander gave a slight nod, letting the guy think whatever he wanted. He just wanted to learn about Madeline’s situation in school.
“Madeline, huh? She’s the real deal. Not only is she stunning, but she’s also at the top of the class—always in the top five in our grade and top fifty in the whole city. Plus, she’s a talented pianist. Guys here are always dreaming about dating her! “Unlike Yvette, the other campus beauty, Madeline’s family isn’t rich. She’s from a humbler background, and she’s known for her modest, frugal lifestyle. That’s why the average guys think they might have a shot with her-she’s popular with everyone. But The guy looked at Leander with a teasing grin. “Don’t get your hopes up. She’s super cold and distant. Even Victor barely gets her attention. There’s no chance for you p>
“Cold and distant?” Leander shook his head with a knowing smile. “Toward others, maybe, but not toward me p>
At that, the young man’s mild annoyance turned into a flicker of disdain. He had initially thought Leander was cool, but now he was just coming off as arrogant. Madeline had been at the school for two years and had never shown interest in any guy. For Leander to think she’d be different with him was just delusional. Just then, a figure appeared at the classroom door. She was tall and slender, with a high ponytail. Her pure, innocent beauty was enough to make her look like a goddess. Her features were perfectly proportioned, her skin smooth and fair, and her eyes sparkled like gemstones.
As she walked in, almost every eye in the room followed her, filled with admiration, jealousy, or love.
Next to Leander, the young man’s eyes lit up with excitement, his expression turning almost dreamy. “She’s here-Madeline Gardner p>
Madeline entered the classroom quietly, carrying a simple backpack, and sat in the center of the front row, her calm demeanor radiating an ethereal charm. Leander’s eyes flickered slightly. After a few seconds of thought, he stood up and walked toward Madeline’s seat, stopping by her side. Everyone in the class turned to watch, curious about what the new kid was going to do.
Under everyone’s gaze, Leander suddenly reached out and gently placed his hand on Madeline’s head, gently and affectionately ruffled her hair.
The room fell into complete silence.