"Did you hear?"

One of the girls beside me whispered to another.

"There's a transfer student," she continued.

A transfer student? This late in the semester? We were almost at the second term.

"Ah!" The other girl gasped. "Are you talking about her? Oh no, I can't believe she’s transferring here," she said, sounding genuinely worried.

I wasn’t following what they were talking about. Feeling a little left out, I cleared my throat to catch their attention and smiled. They both blushed.

"What are you girls talking about?" I asked, flashing my trademark smile at them. Ugh.

"O-Oh! Prince, we didn't know you were here!" the first girl stuttered.

I’ve been standing here the whole time, but apparently, I was invisible. That’s a first.

"Do you know the 'Gay Collector'?" the second girl asked with a serious expression.

The Gay what?

What an absurd title. Who comes up with these things?

I shook my head, indicating I had no idea.

"Ah, well, she’s called that because most of her past relationships were with gay men or lesbian women. I heard it’s some kind of fetish," the first girl explained.

"But apparently, she's also a beauty who can capture hearts with just one look. Some people even say she might be a succubus in disguise!" the second girl added.

A succubus? Really? In this day and age? Who still believes in stuff like that? Whoever started that rumor clearly has a love for mythology.

But the idea of an "undying beauty"? Ha! They must be joking. No one can surpass my looks. Whoever she is, she’ll look like a squid next to me.

After all, I am the most beautiful person in this school. No one’s beaten me, not even Eliana, who’s supposedly princess-like. But she doesn’t even come close.

"Hmm... I see," was all I said, forcing myself to stay calm and not let my growing frustration show.

Eliana was once rumored to be the top beauty, but now she's ranked third, while I’ve stayed on top. Ha! They’re lucky I wasn’t born a woman—people would be crawling to worship me if I were.

But that's just a fleeting thought.

---

"Lucian, do you think this new girl will finally outrank you in looks?" my classmate and childhood friend teased. I glared at him. "Maybe she’ll outrank you and Eliana," I shot back, smirking.

Juno Zacharius Lionel. He’s second only to me in terms of appearance.

I won’t lie—he’s very handsome. The type who makes heads turn wherever he goes, even the aunties in the neighborhood. Creepy.

And he’s my unrequited love. How bitter.

"I heard even gay men turn straight at the sight of her," Juno continued, grinning. "She must be as charismatic as me. I’ve turned a tomboy into a girly girl before—"

"I’d stop if I were you," I cut him off, gesturing to Eliana standing behind him with a rolled-up newspaper in hand.

Juno turned to see her, grinning sheepishly. "Hey, look who it is, the tomboy who confessed to—ack!" He didn’t get to finish before Eliana whacked him over the head with the newspaper.

"Can you let that go already? I’m embarrassed enough as it is!" she shouted, her face bright red.

A familiar pang of jealousy pricked my chest. How annoying.

I curled my hand into a fist, forcing myself not to show any sign of jealousy. Even though Juno teased Eliana, it was clear from his eyes that he felt the same way about her as she did about him.

I was envious. If only I were born a girl, maybe I could have had a chance with him too.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," a voice called out as our teacher, Miss Francheska, walked into the room. She was nearly thirty and had a commanding presence that quieted the class immediately.

"As you all know, we have a transfer student joining us today."

The room buzzed with excitement at the mention of the hot topic.

"Since most other sections are full, she’ll be joining our class," Miss Francheska explained.

Great. This gives me a chance to judge whether she’ll really outrank me or not.

"Please, come in and introduce yourself."

Yes, come. Show yourself! Let me see how beautiful you truly are.

A succubus-like beauty who can capture hearts with just one look? I expected someone who could rival Aphrodite.

The anticipation in the room was palpable as she stepped in.

But as soon as the infamous "beauty" appeared, disappointment swept through the room. The air of excitement drained in an instant.

The girl, Iris Eisheth, stood at the front wearing a mask and lensless glasses.

"Hello everyone, I'm Iris Eisheth Caleum. A pleasure to be in your class."

What in the world?!

Three days had passed, and by now, no one seemed to care much about Iris. People didn’t even try to talk to her or get close.

Most of the rumors about her had died down, replaced by whispers that she was nothing more than a "fake succubus beauty." Some even suggested the original rumors were wildly exaggerated.

After all, how could anyone judge her looks when she wore that mask and those ridiculous glasses all day?

Was her supposed allure so powerful that she had to cover her face to stop people from falling for her?

Pfft—how cliché. And funny.

Anyway, I’m still unbeatable in the looks department. No need to worry... for now.

But what if she is hiding an otherworldly beauty that could outrank me? What if I’m replaced? The horror! The injustice!

Heh. No. Surely, next to me, she’d look like nothing more than a squid.

"I bet she's actually a goddess," a voice whispered in my ear.

I nearly jumped from my seat. Great heavens, Juno! With that voice, I could get into a lot of trouble!

"She’s probably just plain-looking," I scoffed.

Of course, Juno loved mysteries and anything remotely interesting. And now, it was clear—he found Iris fascinating. How frustrating. I had to stop him from uncovering her face, though I was confident she couldn't outshine me.

"That reminds me," Juno said, leaning in closer. "Didn’t you once say you'd only date someone more attractive than you?"

What a childish thing to say. That was middle-school me. I’m a senior now.

"Oh please, I only said that to get those girls off my back." I waved it off, embarrassed by the memory.

"Still, wouldn't it be exciting to uncover her face? Just thinking about it gives me chills." He grinned, sounding downright creepy.

Honestly, I didn’t know how I’d fallen for this weirdo. He even blushed and panted when something thrilled him. Is it a fetish?

***

The cafeteria noise grated on my nerves, so I decided to retreat to my usual spot—the one only Juno and I knew about. Our little secret hangout, or as I liked to call it, our “date” spot. Hihi.

It was a small, unkempt garden by the old warehouse, and I loved it. I usually hummed and daydreamed as I made my way there, imagining Juno and me on a real date.

"Kyaaah!" I yelped when I spotted someone sitting on the old, cracked cement bench beneath the withered tree.

"Ms. Caleum?" I called out, unsure. But that messy brown hair could only belong to Iris.

Wait, hold on. Was she here... alone?

Was she... not wearing her mask? Ugh!

Why was I suddenly nervous? I’m confident in my looks. No one has ever outranked me!

Still, my chest tightened with anticipation as she slowly turned to face me. My heart pounded—just one blink, and my world could change.

"Aha! I knew... it...?" My excitement deflated as soon as I saw her still wearing the mask. "Oh, you're... still wearing that."

Why?! Just take it off and let me rate your looks already! Let me see if your face lives up to the rumors!

"...Um, who are you?" she asked.

Eh?

EH?!

I stood there, frozen, my mouth hanging open. We’ve been in the same class for three days, and she still didn’t know me? I’m the talk of the campus! How is she blind and deaf?!

A strained smile tugged at my lips. "O-oh, I’m Lucian. We’re in the same class."

The disappointment and frustration I felt were immeasurable. Who in their right mind wouldn’t recognize me?

"Oh, I see," she said, sounding genuinely oblivious. "I’m not really good at memorizing faces."

With those glasses that practically cover your eyes, of course, you wouldn’t be!

"Um, are you adjusting well?" I asked, trying to recover my composure. After all, as a class representative, it’s my duty to check on my classmates. A harmonious class is my top priority, no matter how frustrating this encounter was.

She nodded in response, offering no other words, and stood up to leave.

As she walked past me, I caught a lingering scent. The earthy smell of the garden was briefly replaced by a sweet hint of lavender.