The soft light of morning bathed the city as Amon and Barbara shared moments together, stretching almost until noon. The clock precisely marked 11:33 when Barbara, recalling her commitment, bid farewell to attend the mandatory class she had that day. Amon, meanwhile, took a different path, heading towards the special class.
He adopted a refined casual style, with dark hair combed back and a white long-sleeve shirt, whose sleeves were rolled up, exposing his right wrist with a sophisticated gold watch. The subtly tailored shirt enhanced his muscularity, and the first unbuttoned buttons allowed a glimpse of his defined chest.
Beige twill pants and a brown leather belt complemented the look, while white sneakers added a sporty note to the overall elegance.
Inside the elevator, Amon was immersed in reflections: 'Her advancement and new discovery surprised me a bit...'
Barbara's newly acquired ability to manipulate red flames was a reason for celebration. He planned to gift her later, but was still undecided about the ideal present.
'Well, I'll think of something.' Amon whispered to himself, pondering: 'Recently, she has shown interest in adorning her hair with clips or bows. Perhaps an accessory of that kind would be a good choice. Or even a pair of earrings...'
Lost in his thoughts, Amon barely noticed the elevator's sound announcing his arrival at his floor.
As it opened, he stepped out, still absorbed in his ideas.
"Amon?"
Turning in response to the voice, he found Lara. She was the embodiment of grace, wearing a discreet black dress with subtle silver details and a blazer that complemented her silhouette. Dark, voluminous waves of hair framed her face, highlighting her soft and symmetrical features. A light, welcoming smile rested on her full lips, as she looked at him with a mix of surprise and recognition.
"Good morning, Lara," Amon said with a neutral expression.
Despite his distant expression, she continued to smile.
"Good morning," she said: "Have you had lunch yet?"
"Not yet," Amon replied without thinking.
"Oh?" Her smile widened: "Then, have lunch with me. What do you say?"
"Alright." With his usual calmness, he agreed.
As they walked side by side, Lara's thoughts danced to the rhythm of her subtle curiosity. She couldn't help but smile inwardly, reflecting: 'Indeed, I have met many who claim to be charming, but Amon... he has something special.'
"Where would you like to eat?" Amon asked.
Coming out of her reverie, she looked at him before pointing to a place: "There, the cafeteria food is good enough."
Hearing this, Amon nodded in agreement.
Lara shrugged, smiling. "I try to maintain a balance. And you? Always go for more... varied dishes?"
"Variety is the spice of life," Amon responded, with a slight smile.
Although a bit surprised by his smile that even made her heart beat a little faster, Lara remained composed.
They continued to eat, exchanging occasional glances and smiles. The conversation was light but charged with a mutual understanding and a growing curiosity about each other's peculiarities.
After a few minutes, Lara, with a thoughtful look, said: "You know, I think our food choices say a lot about us."
Amon looked at her, curious. "And what does my choice say about me?"
"That you're someone who likes to explore, maybe not afraid to try new things." She paused, looking at her own plate. "And mine?"
He reflected for a moment. "That you value simplicity and quality. Maybe someone who knows what they want."
Lara laughed, "Interesting perspective."
The rest of the lunch passed amid casual conversations and Lara's laughs. When they finished, they rose from the table.
"Honestly," Lara said as she stood up, "I was expecting your presence now to make someone come looking for trouble with you."
"Oh?" Amon looked at her. "Why do you think that?"
"Well, isn't it usual for that to happen when a new genius starts encroaching on other geniuses' territory?" She said with a smile.
"I never thought of it that way," Amon said. "I believe seeking conflict with me won't prove anything good. It will only prove you're an insecure fool who needs to go against someone to prove yourself special. Can that kind of genius still be called a genius?"
"Pfft-hahaha! So true." For the first time, she laughed unrestrainedly.
This was because she remembered Cleiton, who had challenged Amon before and, even after losing, was all pompous saying he would get revenge, etc.
Meanwhile, those who really wanted to approach Amon turned red with shame and abandoned their plans. At this point, none of them wanted to step forward and try to start trouble with him at that moment, or wouldn't that be the same as saying they were insecure and didn't deserve to be called geniuses?
Intentionally or not, Amon had just rid himself of some problematic situations.
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Do you want to know the appearance of each of the girls that have been introduced? I have created some images with their appearance, and you can access these images by joining my Discord: discord.gg/rK69edsWyt