The next morning, as they walked toward the school building after passing through the gates, Dennis—who was only wearing a gym jersey that was slightly oversized yet snug, with his long hair tied back in a ponytail—felt like he was walking a path of judgment lined with thorns.
Countless eyes followed him, everyone seemingly asking who this guy in the jersey was, which clearly made him feel inferior, fearful, and uncomfortable because he wasn't used to it. But the real center of attention was Daisy, who was casually and affectionately clinging to his arm.
"Um... honey, shouldn't you stay back a little? We're becoming the center of attention," Dennis whispered.
"It's fine, isn't it? I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, so please just go along with what I want for today," Daisy replied, pressing her body even closer against Dennis's arm.
Dennis saw so many male students—his classmates and peers—staring at him with wonder and confusion. Suddenly, someone passed him. He turned and saw Gary walking beside him. Gary was actually observing him; his brows were furrowed, and a giant question mark was written across his face that said "who is this guy" very clearly.
"Hi? It's... me, Dennis... the fat boy," Dennis said to Gary, stammering slowly.
"Hmm? Who? Sorry, I don't know you. Catch ya later," Gary said shortly.
Gary glanced at Daisy and then at Dennis; it was obvious he was curious why Daisy was clinging to a guy he didn't recognize—one who was clearly more handsome and just as tall as a basketball player like himself. But in the end, he chose not to care, feeling it wasn't his business. He picked up his pace, and of course, the pack of friends and girls who usually followed him also walked quickly past Dennis and Daisy.
Dennis took a breath of relief, but suddenly he felt a shiver run through his body, as if someone had shot him with a sharp gaze—ready to kill, or perhaps just full of questions from behind. Dennis turned to see Bella and a handsome blonde young man named Bradley, who went by Brad and was Bella's husband. Dennis glanced down and saw their hands intertwined, but when he looked at Bella's face again, he saw her stunned with a look of pure bewilderment, her mouth hanging open.
Suddenly, Bella let go of Brad's hand and lunged forward despite Brad trying to stop her. She shook off Brad as he grabbed her arm and immediately gripped Daisy's shoulder from the front.
"Hey... where's Dennis? Why are you with this guy? You're Dennis's wife, aren't you?" Bella shouted, and of course, she caused a scene with her screaming.
Naturally, everyone stopped walking. They all stared at the cluster of Dennis, Daisy, Bella, and Brad—who looked like he wanted to disappear immediately and was trying to pull Bella away as she kept breaking free from his grip. Daisy, stunned because she was suddenly being screamed at by Bella without understanding what she wanted, intentionally hugged the arm of the man who was actually Dennis even tighter. She then turned to look at Dennis and smiled, but Dennis could see a look on his wife's face that seemed to say, "I'll handle this, you just stay quiet."
"Why are you asking about Dennis? Don't you care nothing about him? Weird," Daisy said casually.
"Hah... of course I care, he's my childhood friend! Where is he? Why are you with this guy? Don't you dare do whatever you want," Bella shouted even louder than before.
"Him? This man next to me is clearly my husband, officially from the city government. So, what's your problem?" Daisy asked with a smirk, but her eyes fixed on Bella with a sharp, firm stare.
"You're registered as Dennis's partner... you crazy, bitch... you slut, how dare you hurt my pet. He's useful to me and he's my safety net—if he leaves this city, I'm going to have a hard time," Bella screamed without realizing what she was saying..
The atmosphere went dead silent in an instant. Even Dennis and Brad, hearing Bella's words, were so stunned their mouths hung open as if their jaws had dropped. Beyond that, Dennis felt like he'd been hit with a massive gut punch. He remembered the final moment when the plane crashed into their classroom and Bella fell in front of him; he had run to save her without a second thought, and now he was hearing that Bella only ever thought of him as a useful pet and a safety net—whatever the reason was that made him useful.
Dennis's hands clenched until they trembled. He never expected such cruel words to come out of Bella's mouth—his childhood friend, someone he had even once been in love with, despite knowing his place. Daisy seemed to realize that Dennis was hurt; she immediately turned around and pulled Dennis away.
"Hey... wait, you slut!" Bella yelled.
"Enough, Bella... you're making a pointless scene first thing in the morning," Brad snapped, grabbing Bella's arm.
Bella looked around and finally realized there were many spectators surrounding her, holding up cameras, clearly intending to turn what they were recording into content. Without a second thought and without another word, Bella turned around with a furious face and walked back toward the gate.
"Hey... where are you going?" Brad asked.
"Home. If you want to go in, go ahead, I'm out," Bella answered.
"Aaah... fine, let's just go home," Brad replied, running his hand through his hair before jogging to catch up with Bella.
Eventually, the two of them left the school and skipped their classes. Meanwhile, the crowd continued to watch them, with many people turning to one another in groups to gossip about exactly what had just happened in front of them.
In the meantime, Daisy pulled Dennis toward the administration office to pick up a new uniform for him. She glanced at Dennis, who was completely silent, walking with his head down.
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have engaged with her like that," Daisy said.
"It's okay, it's not your fault. She showed her true colors. Even though I've suspected it for a long time, seeing and hearing it in person made me realize she's been like that since we were kids... actually, I should be thanking you because I have total clarity now... even if it still hurts a little," Dennis said, looking at Daisy and smiling as he patted her head.
"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Come on, let's get a uniform that fits you and change before we head to class," Daisy said with a smile.
"Yeah, let's go," Dennis replied.
They walked back to the administration office. When they arrived and stepped inside, the admin staff looked shocked to see Dennis. However, they could still recognize him from his facial features, and after hearing the explanation that Dennis had undergone an awakening, the staff understood immediately.
He measured Dennis's body and selected the perfect uniform for him; at the same time, he recorded Dennis's changes in the archives, as every student who experiences an awakening inevitably undergoes a physical transformation, whether significant or not. After finishing up at the office, Dennis went straight to the men's restroom to change, while Daisy waited outside.
A few moments later, when Dennis had changed into a school uniform that fit him perfectly, Daisy's eyes sparkled. Dennis looked incredibly handsome with his long black hair tied in a ponytail. The clothes were snug, showing off his upright, broad-shouldered physique, and the trousers were a perfect fit—not even touching his shoes—making Dennis look lean from the waist down. He was also wearing martial arts gloves as his weapon. Daisy immediately lunged and tackled Dennis with a wide grin.
"Whoa... you look so cool, honey," Daisy said, hugging Dennis from the front.
"Thanks, babe. Let's get to class," Dennis suggested, smiling as he wrapped his arm around Daisy's waist.
They continued walking toward their classroom, holding hands, completely indifferent to the massive amount of attention they were drawing in the corridors.