Staring at Norin’s fwless features, his gentle smile, and that intangible aura of allure, Kitty Pryde did something unthinkable for a confident, Western woman, she bolted.

  She hastily made up an excuse and fled the cssroom.

  Out in the hallway, Kitty leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. The blush that had spread across her cheeks slowly faded back to her usual complexion.

  “Kitty, Kitty, why do you always falter at the crucial moment?” she muttered to herself in embarrassment.

  “You’re making a fool of yourself!”

  Never in her life had Kitty imagined she’d find herself in such a state.

  Normally, she was perfectly composed and could hold conversations with anyone without breaking a sweat.

  But with Norin? Every encounter set her heart pounding, her breath quickening, and a wild, inexplicable urge to leap into his arms.

  It was crazy. Absolutely insane.

  Could this be… love at first sight?

  At least she hadn’t completely lost her dignity. Before running off, she had mustered the courage to kiss him.

  That brief moment, however fleeting, had been magical. It was an indescribable sensation, a first in her young life.

  Her heart was still racing as she recalled the intoxicating feeling.

  And then there was that scent.

  “He smells so good…” Kitty mused aloud.

  It wasn’t the artificial aroma of cologne. No, it seemed to be his natural scent, faint yet irresistibly alluring. It made her head spin and stirred up an impulsive desire she couldn’t control.

  “Kitty, are you feeling okay?”

  A deep, gentle voice broke through her thoughts.

  Looking up, she saw Peter Rasputin—known as Colossus—standing before her.

  Peter was one of the school’s star students. His mutant ability allowed him to transform his body into organic steel, rendering him impervious to physical damage while granting him superhuman strength.

  “I’m fine, Peter,” Kitty replied, shaking her head, clearly not in the mood for small talk.

  In the past, she wouldn’t have minded chatting with Peter. He was well-liked at the school, with impressive grades and exceptional powers that frequently earned him praise from both the professors and staff.

  Rumor had it that Peter was already on the shortlist to become a full-fledged member of the X-Men, a dream for most students at Xavier’s School.

  Anyone with even passable mutant abilities aspired to join the team and become a hero defending their community.

  But now? With Norin in the picture, every other guy seemed dull and unremarkable in comparison.

  “Are you sure? I saw you talking to Norin earlier… Are you really okay?” Peter pressed gently, his concern evident. He gnced back toward the cssroom, where Norin sat, deep in thought.

  “Don’t concern yourself with my business!” Kitty snapped, her voice growing sharper.

  “Peter, you’re a nice guy, really, but there are things you just wouldn’t understand. Oh, I just remembered something I need to do, excuse me!”

  Before Peter could respond, Kitty turned on her heel and hurried away, leaving him standing there, bewildered.

  Back in the cssroom, Norin leaned back in his chair, repying the earlier scene in his mind.

  To be honest, it hadn’t left much of an impression on him.

  The kiss had been so brief it barely registered, just a soft, fleeting touch before Kitty had darted away.

  He’d intended to have a longer conversation with her, maybe even deepen their connection. But she’d bolted before he could say or do much of anything.

  Norin was certain he hadn’t actively flirted with her, but Kitty seemed to be caught up in her own whirlwind of emotions.

  Her reaction had given Norin a newfound awareness of his own charm and abilities.

  It was absurd.

  “Back in my old life, if I had this kind of power, I wouldn’t have needed to work hard at all,” he mused.

  A tempting thought began to creep into his mind.

  “Maybe I don’t need to try so hard in this world either?”

  But he quickly pushed it aside.

  “No, no. A little effort is still necessary. At the very least, I’ll need to put myself out there so strong individuals can notice me… and maybe even mooch a little?”

  Shaking his head at his own absurd musings, Norin rose from his seat and strolled out of the cssroom.

  It was lunchtime.

  Unlike the schools in his past life, there was no need to sprint to the cafeteria the moment the bell rang just to secure a seat. At Xavier’s School, there were far fewer students.

  Between the students, staff, and support personnel, there were only about a hundred people on campus. Charles Xavier’s philosophy was quality over quantity, only bringing in mutants he could personally guide and mentor.

  Norin appreciated the rexed pace.

  As he walked, he didn’t bother to open doors or take the long way around obstacles. Instead, he simply phased through them, a new ability he had temporarily acquired from his earlier encounter with Kitty.

  This newfound power was delightful, almost addictively convenient.

  Why bother opening doors when you could just walk through them?

  When Norin arrived at the cafeteria, he skipped the line and walked straight up to the counter.

  Fshing a warm, radiant smile, he said, “Thank you. I’ll have some fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”

  His sunny demeanor and polite tone were like the ultimate charm spell. The cafeteria worker, an older dy with a kind face, beamed at him in return.

  Without hesitation, she served him the crispiest piece of fried chicken and heaped an extra-rge serving of mashed potatoes onto his tray.

  For Norin, even a casual smile could work wonders.

  The cafeteria dy, using the gentlest tone she could muster, said kindly:

  "Young man, if you don’t have enough to eat, come back to me. I’ll save some for you and make sure it’s nice and hot.”

  “Thank you!”

  Norin smiled warmly, nodded, and turned to leave with his tray.

  He had only taken a few steps when he heard the cafeteria dy’s voice behind him, this time tinged with irritation:

  “What are you babbling about? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

  Turning his head, Norin saw a mutant student standing at the counter, his face full of bewilderment and hurt.

  The student had merely called out softly to the dy, likely because she had been daydreaming and smiling to herself. Somehow, this small action earned him a sharp scolding, as if he had committed a grave offense.

  The cafeteria dy, however, ignored the boy’s distress. Noticing Norin gncing her way, she instantly switched back to a kind and gentle expression, her demeanor soft and warm.

  As soon as Norin turned back around, her expression hardened again, and she resumed gring at the poor student. Terrified, he quickly scurried off to another counter.

  Norin paid no attention to these small dramas. By now, he had grown used to the troubles caused by his overwhelming charm.

  Scanning the room, he didn’t see the familiar figure of Kitty anywhere.

  Just as he was wondering where she might have gone, a petite figure caught his eye.