As Daniel looked up, he realized that everyone's eyes were on him—waiting, watching, bracing for another storm.
So, he let out a slow breath, collected his thoughts, and with a calm, almost detached tone, said,
"It's fine. Stuff like this happens in fights all the time. You don't have to apologize. Honestly… I don't even remember what really happened."
Silence.
It fell like snow, soft and surprising.
Everyone stared at him, stunned—including Justin and Venessa. They had braced themselves for Daniel to drag the matter out, to guilt Justin further, maybe even lash out. But instead… he had done the exact opposite.
Justin blinked, almost in disbelief. Then a relieved smile spread across his face.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I'll do my best to make it up to you."
Daniel shook his head lightly. "There's no need. I've already forgiven you."
His words were simple—but they carried weight.
The truth, however, was known only to Daniel.
If anyone was supposed to apologize… it should've been him.
Because deep down, he knew—the real Daniel, the one before the memory loss, had started that fight.
This amnesiac Daniel didn't carry that burden, but he wasn't about to pass it on, either.
So he let it go.
And perhaps that's what truly shocked everyone.
The rest of the group, who had expected Daniel to escalate things, exchanged quiet glances. But when they saw that he didn't—when he chose peace over pride—they felt something settle in the air. A quiet respect. A subtle understanding.
Daniel hadn't just spared Justin further guilt.
He had spared the team.
And for now… that was enough.
A little while later, when the lunch bell rang, the five of them made their way to the academy cafeteria.
As soon as they entered, Justin and Venessa stepped into the lunch line without hesitation. But Daniel, Ren, and Rex? They casually ignored the queue and started walking straight ahead like they owned the place.
Justin noticed and frowned. "Hey! Aren't you guys going to get lunch?"
Ren turned back with a mischievous grin. "Who told you we weren't?"
Justin raised an eyebrow. "Then why aren't you standing in line like everyone else?"
This time Rex spoke, his tone deadpan but sharp. "Because we don't like standing in lines."
With that, he walked past them without waiting for a reply.
Justin and Venessa exchanged a glance, shrugged, and remained in the line. It moved slowly, but eventually their turn came, and they grabbed their trays of food. When they approached the table where Daniel and the others were sitting, they were greeted by the sight of half-empty plates—those three had already devoured most of their lunch.
Justin sat down with a huff. "You know… skipping the line like that isn't exactly model student behavior."
Daniel chuckled at his serious tone.
Ren, without missing a beat, leaned back and said with a smirk, "And who said we're model students?"
That cracked all three of them up—Daniel, Ren, and Rex bursting into laughter like schoolboys who'd just pulled a harmless prank.
Even Venessa, despite trying to maintain a straight face, couldn't help the tiny laugh that slipped out.
Justin looked at her, betrayed. "You too?"
Then he turned to the others and said in defeat, "Come on, guys. Stuff like this is how we lose points!"
Daniel tried to suppress his laughter, wiping the corners of his eyes as he spoke, "Alright, guys. Let's calm down now. We should eat in peace."
But the moment he finished saying that, he burst out laughing again.
"Because we might lose points, remember?" he added between chuckles, mimicking Justin's voice playfully.
Justin sighed dramatically and picked up his spoon. "Hilarious," he muttered before resuming his lunch like a soldier defeated by chaos.
Daniel and the others managed to rein in their laughter and focused on their food.
As the table quieted down a bit, Daniel leaned back in his chair and asked, "So... there's no class after lunch. What do we do now?"
Ren looked up, chewing thoughtfully. "I've got something to do."
Daniel tilted his head. "What kind of something?"
Rex shrugged casually. "Miss Lisa gave these two a punishment—volunteer work."
Ren jumped in immediately. "Hey, don't call it punishment. It's a blessing. Just imagine, being Miss Lisa's assistant for an entire week..."
Rex smirked, seizing the opportunity. "If that's the case, how about you two treat us to a restaurant party this weekend?"
Before Ren could reply, Rex cut him off, "Scratch that—why wait till the weekend? Let's go today!"
But Daniel swiftly kicked him under the table and gave him a sharp glare.
"Bro," Daniel whispered through clenched teeth, "we can only go out on weekends. Without permission, we can't leave the Academy. Didn't you read the rulebook?"
Rex blinked. "But rules are meant to be broken... right?"
Daniel raised a brow. "Sure. But Justin and Venessa aren't exactly the 'rule-breaking' type, are they?"
Right on cue, Justin chimed in, "Wait, how are you guys planning to go out without permission?"
Before Rex could accidentally spill the secret about their shady club Oddjobs, Daniel smoothly interrupted, "Exactly! That's the problem—we won't get permission to leave."
Then he leaned closer to Rex, whispering by his ear, "Are you trying to reveal our secret trick to them?"
Realizing his slip, Rex muttered, "Oh—sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
Daniel sighed in relief and the three of them exchanged knowing smiles.
Justin found their exchange a bit suspicious, but decided to let it slide. Instead, he said, "Why don't we head to the gym? We could get a feel for each other's abilities. It'll help us coordinate better during the exam."
No one had any objections. Everyone nodded in agreement, ready for a new kind of challenge.
Daniel had been waiting for this moment. He needed to test his new skill—[Observation Eye]—a passive ability that allowed him to analyze the environment, detect weaknesses, and understand combat techniques with remarkable precision.
A short walk later, the group entered the Training Center Gym, a sprawling hall buzzing with energy. Students were scattered across the space, some training solo, others practicing in teams. The sound of punches hitting pads, feet sliding on mats, and coaches shouting instructions filled the air.
The five of them looked around.
Justin and Venessa moved ahead toward one of the sparring rings. It was unoccupied, its mat still clean, corners freshly wiped—a perfect place to begin.
Justin turned back to the group. "So... who wants to go first?"
No one responded right away. Ren was busy cracking his knuckles. Rex leaned against the wall, disinterested. Daniel was still scanning the surroundings, quietly activating his [Observation Eye] to soak in the atmosphere.
Seeing the silence stretch on, Justin turned to Venessa. "Venessa, would you like to spar?"
Venessa gave a cool nod. "Sure."
She climbed into the ring without hesitation, tying her gloves as she went. Her stance was balanced, focused—like someone who had trained not just for strength, but for control.
Justin followed her into the ring, tightening the straps on his gloves. His face was calm, but his eyes had a spark of excitement.
Daniel, still observing from the outside, focused his gaze.
His vision seemed to shift.
A faint glow traced the outlines of Venessa's movements. Her breathing, her muscle tension, even the way she distributed her weight on each foot—Daniel could see it all.
Daniel blinked in amazement. This skill… it's like I can read the fight before it even starts.
Meanwhile, in the ring, the bell rang.
Justin and Venessa circled each other, the match officially underway.