I am Just an Average Tamer

The morning sun filtered gently through the half-drawn curtains, bathing the room in a soft, golden glow.

Kai stirred.

His brows twitched slightly as his consciousness returned, the weight of yesterday's exhaustion still lingering in his muscles.

With a groggy yawn, he pushed himself upright, his blanket tumbling down to the floor.

"...Haaah..."

Stretching his arms with a low groan, Kai swung his legs off the bed and rubbed at his eyes.

He could still feel the faint ache along his ribs and shoulder. A few sore spots reminded him of close calls, though he wasn't complaining.

He dragged himself into the bathroom.

The splash of cold water across his face cleared some of the fog in his mind.

The bath that followed was brief but refreshing, washing away the last traces of sleep and soreness. Once dressed in his clean academy uniform, ran a hand through his damp hair, let out another breath, and headed downstairs.

Kai grabbed a plate of rice, some stir-fried vegetables, and a boiled egg. Nothing fancy.

He ate in silence, listening to the idle chatter nearby without engaging.

After scraping the last of his plate clean, he rose and stepped out into the sun.

It was bright.

He checked the nearby clock tower.

Noon.

He blinked once.

"…Shit."

He'd overslept.

Though honestly, could you blame him?

Getting ragdolled like that, how could he have not.

Kai exhaled, adjusted the collar of his uniform, and picked up his pace.

The halls were mostly empty, classes already well underway. The gentle clack of his boots echoed lightly off the stone as he passed through courtyards and archways, weaving through the academy's layout.

And then he slowed his steps as he heard a voice from behind.

"Good afternoon, junior."

He stopped and turned around.

A girl stood there, her silver-blue hair swaying as she offered a casual wave, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Kai blinked, then gave a small nod. "Good morning, Pres."

Viviane shook her head lightly, clearly amused. "It's afternoon, and just Viviane is fine."

Kai hesitated for a second, then nodded again. "Oh, yeah, right. Viviane."

She stepped closer, falling into pace beside him as they started walking down the corridor together.

Curiosity tugged at him, and after a moment of silence, Kai raised a brow. "Would you mind if I ask something?"

Viviane glanced at him, still smiling. "Go ahead."

"Why are you here?"

Viviane's lips curled into a small smile as she clasped her hands behind her back, walking beside him with an elegance that felt both effortless and deliberate.

"Straightforward, aren't you?"

Kai shrugged, "You didn't strike to be the person to stroll around without any reason."

Viviane tilted her head, letting her silver-blue hair sway across her shoulder as she glanced at him. "Observant. I like that."

Kai didn't respond, just waited.

She looked ahead, eyes scanning the quiet corridor as if measuring her words.

Then her smile widened. "And you're not wrong."

She looked ahead, her voice calm. "I was heading to the Council room. But then I heard someone say you overslept and missed the morning classes."

Kai arched a brow. "And the Student Council keeps track of that now?"

Viviane laughed lightly. "No, no. Not officially. But when someone bonds with a drake in their first month, people tend to talk."

'Shit, should've known.'

He clicked his tongue.

"So you're here because of the rumors."

She gave a graceful shrug. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just curious."

He glanced at her. "About?"

"You," she said simply, her tone unreadable. "You're not from a noble house. No connections. No fanfare. Yet you've already managed to catch the eye of quite a few… influential people."

Kai didn't say anything, just kept walking.

Viviane slowed her pace a little, studying him. "Don't worry. I'm not here to recruit you or pressure you into anything."

"I didn't think you were," Kai said.

She smiled. "Good. Then let's just say I enjoy seeing how certain first-years develop. Some fizzle out fast. Others… make ripples."

She stopped as they reached the split in the corridor, one side leading toward the Council Hall, the other toward the classrooms.

Viviane turned to face him. "And you, Kai, are definitely making ripples."

Kai looked at her for a moment, then muttered, "Wasn't trying to."

"That's what makes it interesting," she said with a wink.

And with that, she walked off toward the Council wing, leaving Kai alone in the corridor.

He stood there for a moment, then sighed and looked ahead.

"…This place is gonna be a pain."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking toward class.

Just as Kai was making his way toward the classroom building, he felt it.

The stares.

A subtle shift in the atmosphere around him. Eyes turned. Conversations dropped in volume. Yet the whispers still reached his ears.

"Hey, that's him, right?"

"Yeah, the commoner… the one with the drake."

"I heard he still lost, though."

"Of course he did. His opponent was the Ace, after all."

"I heard she obliterated him."

"Heh. Maybe she caught him cheating on her."

"The hell you talking about? You think she would waste time with someone like him?"

"Hehehe, just kidding..."

Kai's lips twitched.

'I really made a mess of things.'

A sigh threatened to slip out, but before it could, a familiar cyan panel hovered before him.

[<Why so tense? You should be proud and happy, Mr. Popular.>]

Kai rolled his eyes, brushing a hand through his hair as he kept walking.

'Yeah, real popular. Maybe I should start handing out autographs while I'm at it.'

[<You might as well. They already see you as a sideshow.>]

Kai grunted quietly, keeping his face blank as he passed by a group of students who quickly hushed their conversation.

One girl looked away, flustered, while another kept staring, almost… studying him.

[<Let them talk. You've already done more in a month than most of these legacy brats will do in years.>]

'Easy for you to say. You didn't almost get turned into a popsicle yesterday.'

[<Hey, I roared. That should count for something.>]

A small chuckle escaped him, unbidden. The tension eased a little from his shoulders.

But the weight of those gazes still lingered.

He couldn't shake the feeling that every pair of eyes in the academy was cataloging his every move, dissecting yesterday's events.

The whispers would follow him everywhere.

Better to avoid the circus altogether.

Kai lingered in the corridor— outside the classroom, leaning against the cool wall as muffled voices bled through the door. He waited, arms folded, until the lecture finally ended and students began filing out. Sliding past them with practiced ease, he slipped inside without drawing attention.

Lira sat near the front, quill still in hand, but didn't even spare him a glance.

Her emerald-green eyes remained fixed on her notes as though he didn't exist.

The deliberate indifference stung more than any glare would have.

Kai exhaled quietly and made his way to his usual seat, each step feeling heavier under the collective weight of sideways glances and hushed whispers that followed him.

Without a word he dropped into his chair.

Lillian, sitting in the front row, tilted her head at him, her brow furrowed with soft concern.

"You alright? You didn't show up for the morning class."

Her voice carried genuine worry.

Kai rolled his shoulders as if shaking off the question, his tone carefully casual.

"Just tired."

A chuckle cut in from the other side of the seat, sharp and knowing.

Corrin leaned back in his chair, a smug grin tugging at his lips like he'd been waiting for this moment all morning.

"Yeah, tired. Not like you just got your ass handed to you by a girl, right?"

The words hit their mark perfectly.

"Hehehehehe."

Serena couldn't hold back her laugh, covering her mouth while her eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement.

Even Lillian, who had frowned at first with worry still lingering in her expression, gave in when she saw Kai sitting there seemingly fine.

A small giggle escaped her lips despite herself.

"Guess we'll have to watch out for you, Kai," she teased lightly, her tone playful but not unkind, "before more girls start lining up to beat you."

They chuckled again, the atmosphere lightening, though Kai only leaned back in his chair, scoffing with feigned indifference.

-------------------

Chapter End.

Yo guys welcome back.

And yeah, sorry for not uploading for soooo many days.

I'm really sorry.

I had like exams and then some things happend and I just couldn't able to write any chapters for the novel as I was also writing another one.

I'm deeply sorry for that.

So I'll try uploading this whenever I get time and hope to get regular soon.

Till then I'll try to upload 3-5 chap week.

By the way.

Don't buy privileges yet.

I'll announce when they'll be available.

Thanks for reading this far.

Hope you all have a good day.

Bye.

Take care.