Chapter 3 – The Flowers and The Roses

"Hello, Merry, I hope you have slept well. How about coming with me to the café, I can buy us some croissants and pastries for breakfast."

A sleek-looking young man blocked our way, his face showed his confidence that a poor girl like Merry would be thrilled to join him for a free breakfast, as though she was a little dog that could be easily bought with some food. Hmph, my little sister has much more dignity than that.

"Sure!" she said, making me sigh.

I knew she looked down on him no less than him on her, seeing him as a free breakfast. At least I knew she wasn't the type to let someone touch her because they have money.

"Great," the guy, his name was Steven, graced me with a short condescending look that I should probably feel grateful for getting. I didn't feel grateful though, so I just turned away and minded my own business. I must admit, I might be a bit biased in my descriptions of this scene. I don't like guys hitting on my sister.

"Wait, Nick, do you want to come?" Merry gripped my long sleeve.

"No, it's alright, you can have fun," I forced out a smile. I was a bit jealous to see someone flirting with my sister, but I understood I shouldn't be a third wheel. It was a bit ironic that those rich guys looked down on her but also were willing to crawl and clean her shoes for her attention at the same time. I'm not sure how that works.

"Okay, I will see you later. Don't forget, meet us at Starry Night Karaoke at six, we won't start without you," she called after me.

"He also comes?" Steven mumbled, "You didn't tell us you invited him."

I was too far away to hear the rest of the conversation, but I know Merry stood up for me and put him in his place, so I can live without that information. I'm going there for Nyssa and Merry anyway, not for mixing with those silk pants children. Their families might contain dragons and phoenixes, but those kids were just lizards and chicks.

"Hey, Nick!" A chubby guy my age, 18 years old, joined me on my trip to the first class. It was 7:50, and we were ten minutes early.

"Oh, Leo," I smiled at my best friend and we exchanged a low-five. Fine, our palms just touched each other in a handshake position, but a low-five sounds much better. We sound as cool as those who high-five when we call it that way.

"Merry isn't with you today?" He asked, glancing around us as though my twin sister might be hiding behind the crowd only to tease him. I can't blame him; I'd act the same way if Nyssa was his sister. But if she was, she probably wouldn't be that pretty anymore, would she?

"She never is, chill," Shaking my head, I grabbed his arm and pulled him after me to class. When he was faced with the agonizing choice of picking his uni crush, he chose the easy way out.

Since I had no choice but to go after Nyssa, he, as my best friend, chose the other princess, none other than Merry. I'm sure he had a slight hope that being my friend would help him score a few points in my sister's judgment, but he was also a true friend since he only learned she was my sister after becoming my buddy.

"Oh, come on, dude! Give me something. Tell me, what food she likes and dislikes? Am I not a good friend? Don't you want your sister to date a good person like me?" He whispered as though he didn't want others to hear those secrets about his crush so he could keep this advantage for himself.

"Ah… let's see… I can tell you what I made her this morning and she didn't like," I offered benevolently, whispering back.

"Yes, that'd also be somewhere to start!" he immediately tilted his head to hear me better.

It was an important piece of information in his mission to conquer Merry's heart, so I made sure to speak clearly. "Burnt toast. I think she likes it not burnt," I tease him with a mocking voice. It might be unhealthy, but I'd never support a guy's efforts to hit on Merry. She can't be mine, but it doesn't mean she is up for grabs.

"You… you traitor! I thought you really wanted to help me!" He stopped in place and pointed an angry finger at me, but I just laughed it off.

"Aiya, Leo, you should go for someone within reach. How about Emily over there? Won't you both be the perfect plump couple?" I gestured with my head towards a cute girl who was a bit overweight. She was the kind of girl an average man would probably be happy to marry once he was over his crushes on supermodels and the unrealistic relationships in his mind.

"Ah, I will go after Emily or the others once the roses are all taken or once I hit the third year. I'm not greedy, I won't wait for the flowers too," my friend's words were righteous, and I instantly knew he was not greedy.

The flowers and the roses. The flowers were the top ten beauties of each year, while the roses were the top ten across the years, the queens of flowers.

Nyssa happened to be ranked first on the roses list while Merry was only a few votes behind, taking second place. Maybe it's because Nyssa was also the sole daughter of a rich couple, adding another layer of unreachability to her cold demeanor.

Indeed, Leo was definitely greedy with no self-awareness. The school was filled with pretty girls, smart girls, and fun girls, and he'd be lucky to have any of them, yet he only looks at the roses.

Ah, me? I do the same?

Ahm, anyway, let's talk about something else. I have a special treat for you guys!

"Good morning, Miss Giselle!" The class all stood and greeted the professor together. A mature woman with curves that made everyone look elsewhere according to their preferences.

Only a gentleman like me could look her in the eye without being distracted, but I still inspected the gap between the two buttons of her white shirt where her large breasts were. This gap was just calling for me to try and see the bra underneath, but somehow it eluded me no matter how much I looked.

"Good morning, class," Miss Giselle answered with a smile that only the girls noticed. I wonder if she considers those breasts a blessing or a curse. That shirt was already oversized, but it still seemed like she was trying to look seductive.

If it was not enough, her black skirt wrapped just barely around her bubble butt which looked like it enjoyed the bigger portion of the fats she consumed. She wasn't eligible for the flower lists due to her age, but she has been holding a position in the roses list for a long time, starring at seventh place this year.

We sat down obediently and the class started. Despite being so easily sexualized, Miss Giselle's teaching skills were truly exceptional. She knew how to simplify things for us, and when we asked a question in private, she somehow entered the students' brains and explained the concepts in a way tailored to them.