Greatest Academy's Student: Magic and Money

The two were now emerging from the lecturers' building when Daphne began to profile Finnian to Finn.

Yes, their names were quite similar, though Finn didn't comment on this.

"Finnian is the most liked and popular male in the academy because he is handsome. No, no, no, not like; he is the most beloved male in the academy by all the girls, except Aurelia, of course. But it's known that Finnian likes her, and we know they might have had some history together..."

"Fascinating, but I'm not interested in that history. Tell me where he's from and about his family—what are they like?" Finn said casually as they walked towards the pitch.

The route meandered through the academy's estate, lined with oak trees and flowerbeds, leading them past the old school tower before arriving at the fence surrounding the pitch, they were right in front of the gate.

Daphne nodded. "He's from a family of vampires..."

"Vampires?" Finn echoed, intrigued.

"Yes, well, they're different from the typical vampires you might have heard about. These ones are strong in the sense that they can survive in the sun without any harm..."

Finn was stunned. He knew about vampires from the few stories he had read, but he found them tedious due to their overemphasis on romance rather than action or R-rated scenes.

Despite his limited knowledge, one thing he knew was that vampires could never survive in sunlight; they would be reduced to ashes the moment their skin touched it.

Daphne continued, "They call them, um..."

He tried to recall the name of their breed of vampires.

Finally, with a double snap of his fingers, he said, "They're known as Solari. This breed of vampire has evolved to withstand sunlight due to a unique genetic mutation that allows them to produce a natural sunscreen-like substance in their skin.

"The Gray family, to which Finnian belongs, is one of the oldest and most influential families among the Solari. They are incredibly wealthy, having amassed their fortune through centuries of investments in various industries, and wield considerable power within London."

Daphne then returned to his initial point. "I suppose Finnian and Aurelia can't be together because of their families."

Finn quickly picked up on what Daphne was hinting at. "So the two families don't get along, or rather, they despise one another? Like witches and wizards can't stand vampires, just as werewolves can't, right?"

Daphne grinned and confirmed Finn's point.

"Yes. Witches and wizards are always at odds with vampires, and vice versa. The two might have fought a grand war five hundred years ago. But I don't know much about that; it's just a theory. It's not said to be true... People might have simply made that up to justify their hatred for one another."

Soon after, Daphne opened the gate to the pitch.

Players were already settling in to play, and a crowd of about forty students had gathered on the bleachers—90% were females, with the rest being males. The girls were all cheering for a certain player - the batter, and Daphne turned to Finn, confirming that player was Finnian.

Finnian was undeniably handsome, with striking features and pale skin. His green eyes and chiseled face complemented his tall stature, standing at 6'3".

Finnian wore a fitted baseball kit in deep navy and bright white. The jersey hugged his athletic frame, accented with bold team logos and crisp lettering on the back. His slightly baggy trousers matched perfectly, and a snug cap completed the look.

He stood tall, his red hair—whether dyed or natural was hard to tell from Finn's perspective—falling just above his forehead.

Despite the cheers around him, Finnian wore an emotionless expression, his gaze fixed ahead, ready for the game.

The two walked to an empty row of bleachers and took their seats. Finn kept his gaze on Finnian for a moment before turning back to his tablet to read, while Daphne began to concentrate on the game about to begin.

Finn thought, He bears a little resemblance to those K-pop idols, especially with that red hair...

He assessed Finnian's looks, comparing them with those of K-pop stars, noting the striking features and the hair colour.

As the game began, the umpire called for silence, and the crowd became quiet.

Finnian stepped up to the plate, he stood confidently as he gripped the bat tightly.

The pitcher, a tall boy with an intense focus, stood on the mound, eyeing Finnian with determination.

With a swift wind-up, the pitcher released the ball. Finnian's eyes narrowed as he tracked the ball's path.

In a fluid motion, he swung the bat, connecting with the ball in a sharp crack that reverberated across the pitch.

The girls erupted into cheers as the ball soared into the sky, a perfect arc that seemed to hang in the air for a moment before plummeting towards the outfield.

Daphne tightened his fists and edged Finnian on, while Finn continued to read.

He was now going through the history of Lyra of the Stars.

After three hours of intense play and seven innings, the game reached its conclusion.

With the final out recorded, the umpire signalled the end, and the scoreboard flashed the final score.

...

Finn and Daphne passed by a group of Finnian's fan girls heading out of the pitch, their chatter filled the air.

"I can't believe how amazing Finnian was today!" one girl gushed, her eyes sparkling.

"Did you see that home run? He's definitely going to be a star!" another chimed in.

"Totally! I wonder if he'll notice me next time," a third girl sighed dreamily.

Amid their excitement, Daphne was babbling away, swinging his wand around animatedly.

Finn, slightly annoyed, gave him a loud slap to the back of his head, jolting him out of his playful antics. The attention of the girls shifted towards them, curiosity piqued about why Daphne was now walking with one of the scholarship students so soon, especially on the first day.

"You'd better cooperate…" Finn whispered to Daphne, his voice was barely above a murmur.

...

Inside a Indoor Swimming pool in the Academy.

The indoor swimming pool lay in near darkness, the lights switched off, leaving only a faint reflection of sunlight filtering through a small window high above.

The vast area was filled with an echoing ambience; laughter and voices bounced off the tiled walls, mixing with the splashes of water.

A female voice cut through the sounds, "I know it's your first day at the Academy, but we just want to teach you all a bit of a lesson. This isn't bullying nor a threat; it's just a message to that other scholarship student. I think his name was Finn, right?"

She had blonde hair tied in a ponytail, a lit cigarette resting casually in her hand. Its smoke wafted in the air.

Seated on a couch beside her was another girl, while four boys lounged around them. One boy played with the blonde's hair, his gaze fixed on three scholarship students kneeling at the edge of the pool, drenched from head to toe.

One was a female, and the other two were males.

Suddenly, the boy stood up and sauntered over to the girl kneeling.

He bent down to gaze into her eyes, then began to caress her hair.

"Seriously, I would never hurt a female. But I would do so to the boys…" he said, glancing at the two boys next to her, their faces bruised and tears streaming down their cheeks.

"I heard one of the scholarship students died, making you lot 39 instead of forty. I wonder what happened to her…"