Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Jealousy and Space Travel
"Hey, Norin, come sit here. I saved a seat for you."
"Norin, sit with me. I've already warmed it up for you."
"Senior, I can do that too…"
"Come here, I'll give you some delicious milk…"
"Norin, I found something interesting last night. Maybe we can enjoy it together tonight and review some biology and dynamics in advance…"
Each girl tried to catch his attention, some flirting, others posing coyly. If they hadn't been in a public space, they might have swarmed him directly.
Norin smiled and sat down next to a black-haired girl.
"Hi. I'm Norin. What's your name?"
"Huh? Me?"
The black-haired girl clearly didn't expect Norin to sit next to her, let alone strike up a conversation.
She never imagined someone like him would talk to her.
After all, Norin was a celebrity at the academy.
Loved by seniors and juniors alike.
She was just a middle school student, often overlooked. How could she possibly have the chance to sit and eat with Norin?
Clarice was completely unprepared for this.
When Norin spoke to her, she froze for a moment. Then, under the envious gazes of the other girls, she stammered, "Senior… I'm Clarice Ferguson! I'm thirteen!" (TN:She is Blink, a comic book character.)
Clarice wasn't quite thirteen yet, but in front of Norin, she made herself sound older.
"Can I call you Clarice?"
Norin's smile was like warm sunlight, shining into Clarice's heart and making her feel special.
"Of course, Senior."
Clarice blushed slightly and agreed to Norin's request, though she felt a little uneasy.
She glanced at Norin out of the corner of her eye, wondering if his kindness was because they shared the same skin color.
In this country, life wasn't easy for people with yellow skin.(TN: Blame the author...)
Add the mutant factor, and it became even harder.
Even at Xavier's School, not much had changed.
While mutants weren't discriminated against here, skin color still mattered.
Clarice often found herself alone, with almost no friends.
Norin, on the other hand, was of the same race but faced no such exclusion. Instead, he was incredibly popular among the girls, receiving plenty of attention.
Clarice couldn't help but feel envious.
Now, Norin had ignored the older students and chosen to sit with her. It made her uneasy, but a flicker of joy sparked in her heart.
Norin, who had been observing Clarice, noticed the complex emotions in her eyes.
He couldn't help but reflect on this.
Before his rebirth, he'd read novels where characters would see emotions flash in someone's eyes—three parts this, three parts that, four parts something else.
He'd always wondered what kind of superhuman perception and emotional intelligence that required. It seemed like an exaggerated ability.
But after traveling through time, he realized his ability to read women's emotions had improved dramatically.
He could only blame his "freeloader" mutant ability.
It had taken this skill to the extreme.
"Still calling me 'senior'? You can just call me Norin," he said, gently bringing her back to the moment.
"Norin?"
Clarice tried the name hesitantly.
Seeing Norin nod with a smile, she felt a surge of happiness.
Though Norin didn't say anything to comfort her, the change in how she addressed him eased her inner anxiety.
As a result, Clarice found her appetite had improved.
She ate much more than usual, even finishing some of Norin's food.
The other girls could hardly understand how their relationship had progressed so quickly.
They were so envious that they lost their appetites, wishing they could trade places with Clarice and be the one sitting next to Norin.
But they held back.
Deep down, they weren't too worried about the petite Clarice.
After all, Clarice was too young. Even in the United States, that age was off-limits.
At least, not openly.
In New York State, the legal age for marriage was 14.
Clarice had no advantages except for sharing the same skin color as Norin.
How could her flat figure compete with the older girls?
They believed Norin would eventually see the appeal of mature women.
They convinced themselves that Norin treated Clarice like a sister out of pity for her loneliness.
Norin was just being kind—really, they were moved to tears.
To avoid hostility among themselves and to keep the lonely girl from feeling left out, they comforted each other.
Norin had such a good heart.
He truly was the man they admired.
Any girl over fifteen would make excuses for Norin in her mind, valuing him even more.
When faced with the stares of other boys, they ignored them completely, their eyes only on Norin.
He radiated a unique aura that left them deeply intoxicated, unable to break free.
They were drawn to his scent, like moths to a flame. Even a fleeting moment with him felt like a priceless treasure.
Time passed unnoticed.
After Clarice finished her meal, Norin invited her to show him around the campus.
Norin had only been at the school for two weeks and was only familiar with a few key locations.
Xavier School was once a manor with its own expansive lawn and garden, covering a large area.
With various buildings scattered throughout, it took a while to explore fully.
Seeing Norin's slightly apologetic smile, Clarice didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.
She took Norin around to familiarize him with the school.
Since Clarice often walked alone due to being excluded, she knew the campus well.
Under the warm sunlight, the two strolled leisurely.
With Norin's deliberate efforts to bond, their relationship quickly improved.
Clarice even started calling Norin "Brother Lin."
This unique Chinese nickname was, for now, exclusive to Clarice.
By the end of the afternoon, Clarice had gained a caring "brother," and Norin had grown closer to her. It was a win-win.
During this time, Norin also learned more about the school, mixed with gossip Clarice had overheard from others.
Of course, he also learned about Clarice's experiences.
As for Norin's own past, Clarice knew little—or rather, she didn't care much about his origins.
At night, under Clarice's reluctant gaze, Norin left her dormitory door and returned to his own room.
To be honest, Xavier School had excellent dormitory arrangements.
Students of a certain age had their own private rooms.
This was to foster independence and provide ample personal space.
Though the dormitory wasn't large, it suited Norin just fine.
It also gave him the privacy he needed for his next plan.
If he wanted to grow stronger quickly, relying solely on the mutant school wasn't enough.
True, there were many powerful female mutants here, including the Omega-level mutant Jean Grey.
If he could acquire their abilities and further refine them, Norin was confident he could become a formidable force in the Marvel Universe.
But that still wasn't enough.
As everyone knew, some mutants had incredible powers but weak physical constitutions.
Even someone as powerful as the Dark Phoenix could be killed by a single swipe of Wolverine's claws.
If Norin wanted to become a well-rounded warrior, he couldn't focus solely on one aspect.
That's where his other cheat power finger came in.
Space travel!