“Then, I hope you guys look forward to the next match!”0

Wrapping up her speech, Aria descended the arena under the cheers and applause of the audience. However, enthusiasm wasn’t all that she left under. Hidden within the celebrations, faint murmurs tinged with jealousy and resentment rang out.0

“Already talking about winning when the finals just started… she’s getting full of herself.”0

“She probably thinks everything will go her way. Tsk.”  0

Though the whispers were faint, they reached her ears with unsettling clarity. And Aria wasn’t actively eavesdropping on individual voices either; her extraordinary range of perception was simply just picking up the animosity radiating from among the crowd.0

Woong-0

Despite the tens of thousands gathered in the stadium, Aria could distinctly sense who harbored goodwill and who bore hostility toward her. It was an immense amount of information that would have overwhelmed most people, but having lived with the ability for years, Aria brushed off their emotions with practiced indifference.0

It’s all so boring...0

Neither the admiration nor the hostility stirred anything within her. Feeling an intense sense of ennui, she stepped down from the arena. 0

“Hmm?”0

She noticed a peculiar gaze directed at her. Turning in the direction, Aria saw a young man with dark hair and tanned skin leaning casually against the entrance, arms crossed. His silver eyes were fixed intently on her.0

Her curiosity sparked, Aria approached him.0

“Do you have something to say to me?”0

At her arrival, the man, Amir, straightened his posture and offered a polite nod.0

“I must apologize if I’ve...0