Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 804

The creak of the classroom door opening immediately drew the group’s attention. Irina stepped in, her fiery yellow eyes scanning the room with her usual confidence, her fiery hair catching the light as she strode toward her seat. If she noticed the murmurs and stares, she gave no indication, her composed demeanor unwavering.

Julia, however, was already on her feet, her blue eyes gleaming with mischief. She practically pounced, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds.

"Well, well, well," Julia said, her voice dripping with exaggerated drama. "If it isn’t our silver fire queen. Tell me, Irina, how does it feel to be the academy’s hottest topic?"

Irina arched an eyebrow, her gaze cool as she regarded Julia. "Good morning to you too, Julia."

"Oh, don’t play coy," Julia teased, circling her like a predator sizing up its prey. "The pictures? The headlines? The mystery romance with Mister Cold? Care to explain?"

Irina calmly pulled out her chair and sat down, smoothing her uniform without sparing Julia another glance. "Explain what? That I went to a museum?"

Julia’s grin widened as she leaned closer, her tone sing-song. "With Astron? The guy who barely speaks to anyone?"

Irina tilted her head slightly, her fiery eyes meeting Julia’s mischievous gaze. "Yes. And?"

Julia blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Irina’s unshaken composure. "And? That’s it? You’re just going to sit there all cool and confident while the entire academy speculates about you two?"

Irina smirked faintly, her voice calm and unwavering. "Why wouldn’t I? Let them speculate. It’s not my problem."

Julia let out a dramatic groan, throwing her hands up in mock frustration. "You’re no fun! Where’s the blushing, the stammering, the ’it’s not what it looks like’?"

"I don’t do that," Irina replied, her tone as sharp as her smirk.

Julia slumped into her chair, muttering, "Of course you don’t."

The rest of the group, intrigued by the exchange, leaned in as the conversation shifted to more direct questions.

Lilia was the first to speak, her red eyes gleaming with curiosity. "At that time when you mentioned that you met Astron during the break… was that over something like this?"

"Yes," Irina replied simply, her confidence unshaken. "Why not?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "Why not? I mean… your mother…"

"She knows," Irina interrupted, her tone firm but calm.

Carl frowned, clearly surprised. "She knows?"

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"Of course," Irina said, crossing her arms as her gaze swept over the group. "Do you think I’m that stupid? If I’m spending time with someone, I make sure there’s nothing to hide."

Julia’s jaw dropped, though the sparkle in her eyes showed her amusement. "Hold on, your mother knows? The Emberheart matriarch? And she’s… okay with it?"

"Yes," Irina said matter-of-factly, leaning back in her chair. "She knows everything. I’m not about to do anything that would jeopardize my family or my reputation."

Ethan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his tone thoughtful. "So, this isn’t just some casual thing, is it?" freeweɓnovel.cøm

Irina’s smirk deepened, a flicker of amusement dancing in her fiery amber eyes. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she looked directly at Ethan. "What makes you think so?" she asked, her tone laced with a playful edge.

Ethan hesitated, caught slightly off guard by the question. He scratched the back of his neck, his hazel eyes flicking briefly to the others before returning to Irina. "...Well… it just doesn’t look like something casual."

Irina tilted her head, clearly enjoying the attention. "Oh? And what exactly does it look like, Ethan?"

Before he could fumble for a response, Julia chimed in, her voice brimming with mischief. "See? See? Even Ethan thinks there’s more to it! Irina, you’re seriously holding out on us."

Irina raised a hand, silencing Julia with a sharp glance. "Don’t get ahead of yourself, Julia."

But Julia wasn’t one to be deterred. She leaned forward with a grin, her blue eyes sparkling with glee. "Come on, Irina. You’re ranked third. You’re practically a celebrity around here. Don’t you think this kind of thing is, you know… beneath you?"

Irina’s smirk faltered slightly, her fiery gaze narrowing at Julia. "And what exactly are you implying?"

Julia grinned wider, clearly delighted to have found a weak spot. "Oh, nothing. Just that someone in the top five might want to keep a spotless reputation. You know, avoid giving the gossipers fuel for the fire."

Irina’s fingers drummed lightly against the desk, her composure steady but her expression sharpening. "Are you suggesting that spending time with Astron somehow tarnishes my reputation?"

"Well," Julia drawled, her grin practically splitting her face. "He’s Mister Cold, after all. Not exactly the most… relatable guy. Makes you wonder why you’d bother."