The Extra's Rise-Chapter 246: Second Year (6)

Rachel stifled a yawn, stretching her arms over her head as she leaned back in her seat. She’d been holed up in the lounge for the past hour, trying to finish some last-minute assignments. The dull glow of her laptop screen reflected in her tired eyes.

Then, out of the corner of her vision, a familiar figure passed by.

"Hey, Sera," Rachel greeted lazily, watching as Seraphina moved with her usual quiet grace toward the elevator.

Seraphina paused just long enough to give her a small nod before continuing on her way.

Rachel frowned, shutting her laptop with a soft click. Something about the way Seraphina moved seemed a little too purposeful.

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked, slipping off the couch and falling into step beside her.

"To see Arthur," Seraphina answered simply, not even glancing in her direction.

Rachel felt her cheeks heat. "This late?"

Seraphina blinked at her. "And?"

Rachel clenched her fists. ’Ugh, I really need to be on guard against everyone.’ She stepped forward just as the elevator doors opened, standing beside Seraphina in silent challenge.

Seraphina arched an elegant brow. "What exactly are you doing?"

Rachel flashed her best innocent smile. "Well, I wanted to see Arthur too."

There was a beat of silence.

Then, Seraphina smirked. "Competitive, aren’t you?"

Their gazes locked, a silent war of wills playing out between them.

"You know," Seraphina said, voice as smooth as silk, "I kissed Arthur."

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Rachel’s eye twitched. "So did I."

Seraphina tilted her head. "I held him when he cried."

Rachel turned red. ’Damn it.’ "I—I straddled him," she blurted out, flustered, "and then he got… got…"

She trailed off, feeling the heat spread up her neck. She didn’t need to finish. The message was clear.

Seraphina, for the first time, actually looked a little taken aback. Then, she narrowed her eyes.

Rachel smirked. Gotcha.

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The elevator doors slid open, and they marched toward Arthur’s room in perfect sync, their competition momentarily put on hold.

"I have a key," Seraphina said smugly.

Rachel scoffed. "So do I."

Without missing a beat, they both scanned their key cards at the same time.

The door slid open with a soft whoosh—and both of them froze.

Kali stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking supremely unimpressed.

Rachel’s brain stalled. ’Why is Kali here?’

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed. ’Why is Kali here?’

Kali yawned. "Geez, can you both not be so damn loud?"

Rachel’s gaze dropped.

And immediately shot back up.

Kali was standing there, casually wearing Arthur’s oversized t-shirt… and nothing else.

Rachel could feel Seraphina stiffen beside her.

A second later, Arthur appeared behind Kali, rubbing a towel through his still-damp hair.

"Oh, it’s Rachel and Seraphina," he said, sounding only mildly surprised.

Seraphina’s gaze sharpened. "Your hair is wet."

"Yeah," Arthur said, unfazed. "I just showered."

Rachel forced herself to swallow. "And why is Kali wearing your clothes?"

Kali stretched her arms lazily, not even pretending to be embarrassed. "I just showered too. My clothes are being washed."

Rachel and Seraphina’s brains simultaneously short-circuited.

Arthur, being Arthur, either didn’t notice or chose to ignore their reactions entirely.

"Anyway," Kali continued, brushing past Arthur toward the bathroom, "I’ll leave now. Gonna go change."

Rachel and Seraphina didn’t move.

The door to the bathroom shut behind Kali, leaving them alone with Arthur.

Silence.

Rachel and Seraphina turned to look at him in perfect synchronization.

Arthur sighed, running a hand through his still-wet hair. "Do you two… want to come inside?"

They exchanged a glance.

A brief, unspoken conversation passed between them.

Then, without a word, they both stepped inside.

Rachel and Seraphina exchanged one final glance before their bodies moved in perfect tandem—gold and silver blurs colliding into Arthur with enough force to knock him flat onto the bed.

He barely had time to blink before he found himself pinned under both of them.

"What the—Rach? Sera?" His voice was caught somewhere between bafflement and mild panic. "What are you doing?"

Seraphina’s ice blue eyes narrowed. "No more."

Rachel’s grip on his collar tightened. "No more competitors."

Arthur stared up at them. "What?"

Seraphina crossed her arms. "Stop seducing."

"I-if you want to do anything, do it with me, nobody else!" Rachel blurted out, her voice rising a pitch higher in what was very much not jealousy, absolutely not insecurity, and definitely not possessiveness.

At that exact moment, the bathroom door clicked open.

Kali stepped inside, now dressed properly. She took one long look at the scene—the two girls sprawled on top of Arthur, his expression caught between confusion and resignation—then exhaled heavily, shook her head, and walked right back out.

A thick silence followed.

Then, with an almost cartoonish poof, steam practically erupted from Rachel’s face as she processed exactly what just happened.

Seraphina, despite her usual composure, was visibly blushing.

Arthur sighed, rubbing his temple as he reached up to gently cup both of their cheeks. "I didn’t do anything with her," he said, exasperation laced with amusement. "Kali and I aren’t like that. We were just training, then talking in my room."

Rachel pouted, still burning up. "Ugh, you’re so annoying!" She squirmed against him, frustration bubbling over. "Just be mine already, dammit! I know we’re officially dating, but spend time with me, kiss me, hold me—"

Seraphina, still pinned against Arthur’s side, muttered dryly, "Horny Saintess."

"Okay, okay, just—" Arthur groaned, closing his eyes. "Just stop bouncing."

Rachel suddenly froze.

A horrifying realization flickered across her face.

Her blush deepened to dangerous levels.

Seraphina, seeing the exact moment the Saintess connected the dots, smirked, then promptly shoved her off.

Rachel yelped as she tumbled to the side, landing in a heap beside Arthur on the bed.

"Wha—what the hell?!" she sputtered.

Seraphina dusted off her sleeves primly. "Cheater."

Rachel huffed, crossing her arms with an exaggerated scowl. "So annoying," she muttered, glaring at Seraphina like she had personally invented irritation. "I thought Cecilia was the only truly annoying one, but all of you b—" She stopped, visibly catching herself. "—girls become so insufferable when it comes to Arthur!"

Arthur’s brow twitched. ’Was she just about to say—?’

Seraphina tilted her head, amusement flickering in her ice blue eyes. "You’re more like Cecilia than Rose or me."

It was as if someone had set off a nuclear warhead in the room.

Rachel stiffened, her shoulders slumping, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. Her entire system seemed to momentarily short-circuit.

"Y-you…" she stammered, voice shaking, fingers curling into fists. "How dare you compare me to that bi—" She inhaled sharply, correcting herself with all the grace of a train derailment. "—witch!"

Arthur, watching this unfold, felt a very strong urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. ’Okay. Yeah. She definitely meant that the first time.’

Seraphina, unbothered, leaned forward, lazily taking Arthur’s hand in hers. She rubbed her cheek against it, her voice soft but laced with a possessiveness that made his spine tingle. "We’re all like Cecilia when it comes to Arthur."

Rachel flinched.

"Because," Seraphina continued, her fingers lacing between his, "I want Arthur for myself. Only me. Isn’t that the same for you?"

Rachel’s eyes darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Arthur could almost hear the battle playing out in her head.

He wasn’t sure whether to feel honored or slightly terrified.

’Wow,’ Luna’s voice echoed in his mind, dripping with amusement. ’Your harem is looking very interesting already. Just imagine the future when you add even more possessive women.’

Arthur visibly shuddered.

’Hell no. Stop imagining bad things for me.’

Luna, ever the instigator, let out an amused hum in his mind. ’Well, you just remind me of Julius. That boy seduced so many women in his time too.’

Arthur frowned, rubbing his temple as Seraphina and Rachel continued their heated—though entirely predictable—argument in front of him. ’Isn’t Julius known for only having one wife, though?’

’Yes,’ Luna sighed dramatically. ’And that decision almost caused a world war that ended humanity.’

Arthur blinked. ’What.’

’Oh, don’t worry about it,’ Luna said with far too much nonchalance for a revelation of that magnitude. ’You, on the other hand, are trying to go for the even harder route of keeping all of them together. Risky move, but I respect the ambition.’

Arthur suddenly had the distinct and terrible image of himself being the cause of an intercontinental magical war because he picked the wrong dance partner.

Which, apparently, was exactly what Rachel and Seraphina were about to make him do.

"Fine!" Rachel declared, shaking Seraphina’s hand with a competitive glint in her eye. "We’ll settle this then!"

Arthur, who had only been half-listening because his brain was still buffering from Luna’s earlier statement, snapped his attention back to the two girls. "Decide what exactly?"

"The Sophomore Ball," Seraphina said simply, as if the answer was obvious.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "And?"

"When you danced with the four of us at our birthdays, you made sure everything was equal," Rachel said, her tone practically dripping with disdain. "That won’t happen this time."

"The one who dances with you first wins," Seraphina finished, her voice cool and composed as ever.

Arthur stared at them both, deadpan. "This is stupid."

Neither of them seemed to care.

Rachel grinned victoriously, as if she had already won. Seraphina merely adjusted the sleeve of her t-shirt, as if the outcome was already set in stone.

And before Arthur could begin to argue about the ridiculous nature of this contest, both of them turned on their heels and strode out of his room, leaving him alone in stunned silence.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

’Harem ending denied,’ Luna commented dryly.

’Shut up.’