As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, students from Sunrise High scattered in different directions. Arthur, with his usual calm demeanor, waved goodbye to his friends at the school gate before catching sight of Nora standing alone, waiting for her car. Without hesitation, he made his way toward her.
"Want some company on your walk home?" Arthur offered with a friendly smile. Nora shook her head gently. "Our houses are in different directions," she replied, her tone cool as ever. Undeterred, Arthur insisted, "That's what friends do, Nora. Come on, let me walk with you."
Nora hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Fine," she agreed, pulling out her phone to call her driver. "Meet me at the place near my house," she instructed, before nodding at Arthur to follow her.
As they walked, Arthur discreetly texted Luna, asking her to pick him up at the location where he'd be parting ways with Nora.
"Who are you texting?" Nora asked curiously, her eyes glancing at his phone. "My sister, Luna," Arthur replied, his face lighting up at the mention of her. "She's amazing, you know. Always looking out for me."
Nora listened with amusement, her usual guarded expression softening just a little. "Your sister sounds wonderful," she remarked, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice. "I guess I'm a bit jealous... My siblings aren't like that."
Arthur noticed the melancholy in her tone and offered, "Well, if you'd like, I can accompany you home like this anytime." A smile tugged at the corner of Nora's lips as she looked at him, intrigued by his sincerity. "I might take you up on that," she said.
"And you should come over this weekend," Arthur added brightly. "Luna would love to meet you. She treats everyone like family, so don't be surprised if she starts acting like you're her little sister." Nora chuckled softly. "I'll think about it."
Their light-hearted conversation was abruptly interrupted as they turned onto a quiet street. A group of boys from Evergreen High, led by Ben, the captain of their basketball team, blocked their path. Arthur immediately recognized them—Evergreen was Sunrise's rival in every interschool competition, and it was no secret that Arthur and his friends, Henry and Richard, were the reason Sunrise often came out on top.
"Arthur," Ben sneered, sizing him up. "I'm betting Sunrise is going down in the next sports festival." Arthur met his gaze calmly, not rising to the bait. "We'll see about that."
Ben's attention shifted to Nora, a smirk spreading across his face as he made a crude attempt to flirt with her. Nora, unimpressed, shot him down with a cold glare, which only served to anger him.
Before things could escalate, Arthur stepped in, knowing how quickly Nora's temper could flare. But his intervention only made Ben lash out, striking Arthur across the face. Without hesitation, Arthur retaliated, swiftly putting Ben and his friends in their place.
"Fight like men in the festival," Arthur warned them, his voice low and dangerous, before turning back to Nora.
They continued their walk in silence until they reached the agreed meeting point, where Nora's car was already waiting. She turned to Arthur, a small, appreciative smile on her lips. "Thanks for walking with me," she said before getting into the car and driving off.
Moments later, Luna arrived to pick up Arthur. As they started walking back to their house, Luna's sharp eyes noticed something off. "Why'd you come all the way here? It's the opposite direction from home," she asked, eyeing her brother suspiciously. "I was just walking Nora home," Arthur replied casually.
Luna's gaze turned serious as they neared their house. She spotted two men in black suits trailing them and immediately went on high alert. "Arthur, go inside," she instructed, her voice firm.
Arthur hesitated but obeyed, hurrying up the stairs. Luna, however, stayed back, confronting the two men. With swift, practiced movements, she overpowered them and began interrogating them.
"We were sent by madam Nora," one of the men confessed quickly. "She wanted to make sure Arthur got home safely, especially after the fight."
Arthur, having heard the commotion, rushed back down just in time to hear this. He quickly explained the earlier altercation to Luna, who nodded in understanding and released the men.
At dinner that evening, Arthur mentioned that Nora would be visiting their house over the weekend. He also shared the details he'd learned about Nora's transfer from her wealthy school to Sunrise. Luna, always perceptive, felt a pang of sympathy for the girl.
"I'll be glad to accept her as a family member, a friend, or even a little sister," Luna said thoughtfully. "Just make sure you take good care of her, Arthur. No fighting, got it?" Arthur nodded, grateful for his sister's warmth. "I'll do my best."
"And if she's interested," Luna added with a grin, "I could teach her a few fighting techniques." Arthur laughed, feeling lighter than he had all day.