On the 66th floor of the Data Building. Carlos looked at Mike in confusion. "Why are you so interested in a freshman from our Shooting Institute?" Mike was scrolling through the recent training reports of Shirley—a freshman in the Shooting Institute—his eyes full of surprise. "Carlos, is Shirley's performance in the Shooting Institute really that outstanding?" Mike asked. Carlos frowned. He had never seen Mike this interested in anyone before. It was one thing when Mike had dragged him to the regular cafeteria just to catch a glimpse of the cute freshman, but now he was actually pulling up her file. Before answering, Carlos couldn't help but tease, "Mike, don't tell me you've got some kind of weird thing going on here..." Shirley looked young and had a soft, adorable appearance—not exactly the type Mike would normally notice. If he had any inappropriate thoughts about a girl like that, it would be deeply troubling. Roxen, who was reading through some documents nearby, seemed to read his thoughts. Without looking up, he added, "Carlos, you should know that when a man falls for someone, reason goes right out the window." Carlos stiffened. He stopped worrying about Mike and found himself wondering instead—what would Roxen look like if he ever fell for someone? "Shirley's a freshman who's been making a name for herself lately. The instructors at the Shooting Institute all think highly of her. But she's got a bit of a temper, so a lot of people are both wary of and afraid of her. She looks soft and easy to mess with, but from what I've heard, the people who tried to start trouble with her haven't been showing up to class very often lately. Word is they've all called in sick." Carlos gave an honest answer. "To be honest, I don't really pay attention to freshmen. This is all secondhand information." As someone ranked in the top ten overall and second in the Shooting Institute, he really had no reason to spend energy on first-years. The more Mike heard, the wider his smile grew. He pressed both hands to his chest, gazing out of the panoramic window at the sky, his expression a mix of reverence and excitement. "A cutie like Shirley is exactly my ideal type! One day, she'll stand in front of me looking all cool with a sniper rifle and confess her love..." "Then shoot you. Stop daydreaming." Roxen cut in flatly, his tone completely emotionless. Mike's face went blank with shock. "Then shoot you again, so you can face reality." Roxen mercilessly crushed his fantasy. Mike was speechless. Carlos burst out laughing. "Roxen, you're going to lose me if you keep this up!" Mike protested. Roxen just smiled and said nothing, continuing to read the documents. Actually, Carlos wasn't wrong. Mike did have a particular type—he was drawn to girls who looked soft and sweet on the outside but had a wild, defiant streak underneath. That contrast fascinated him endlessly. Before this, Mike had only ever found that ideal type in comics. He never imagined someone like that would actually exist in real life. No wonder he was so worked up. ... Just then, the door swung open, and Tobias walked in with someone following behind him. Seeing Roxen there, Tobias visibly paused for a moment before speaking in an unfriendly tone. "I thought Prince Roxen had fallen so low that he was hanging around with the freshmen these days. I didn't expect you'd still be here." Gallo Cummin, who had entered with him, smiled and shrugged in a casual greeting to the others. Carlos immediately stood and nodded respectfully toward Tobias. "Tobias." Tobias was ranked first in the Shooting Institute and second in overall academy rankings. Aside from Adrian, he was the strongest at the military academy. However, he and Roxen had never gotten along, and by extension, his relationship with Mike and Carlos, who were close to Roxen, was distant at best. Roxen rose with an indifferent look in his eyes, a smile that was elegant yet detached, curving at his lips. "Since you're here, I won't intrude any longer." With that, he walked straight out. A cold glint flickered in Tobias's eyes. Mike and Carlos exchanged a glance and silently stood up in unison. Carlos at least gave a polite nod. Mike, on the other hand, didn't hold back at all. Humming an off-key tune, he followed Roxen right behind and left.... Only after the two were gone did Tobias take a seat. His sharp, handsome features were tinged with frost, cold enough to send chills down anyone's spine. Before graduation, he would make sure Roxen and his friends never got through.