The school uniform from Harmony High that Mrs. Marina had prepared for Ethan fit him perfectly. It was as if it had been tailor-made just for him.
At first glance, it looked just like the standard-issue uniform from school. But upon closer inspection, Ethan noticed the meticulous stitching. The fabric felt cool and sturdy to the touch.
Even more surprisingly, the uniform accentuated his figure in a flattering way, something Ethan hadn't expected when he caught his reflection in the mirror.
Clearly, this uniform had been custom-tailored.
(Did they take my measurements while I was unconscious?)
"Hurry up, kid!"
The voice of Autumn's father, Mr. Silvan - as he had introduced himself - boomed from outside the attic room, accompanied by impatient banging on the door. Mr. Silvan had clearly stopped being gentle with Ethan for some reason.
"I'm ready, sir!"
Ethan called out, then quickly grabbed a backpack that had been neatly placed in the wardrobe. It was brand new. Inside were fresh notebooks and unused school supplies.
Apparently, his old backpack had shared the same fate as his blood-soaked uniform.
"Took you long enough. Planning to charm someone's daughter or what?"
Mr. Silvan grumbled.
When Ethan opened the door, fully dressed and groomed, Mr. Silvan's eyes flashed with visible annoyance.
"Yes, sir…"
Ethan gave a sheepish smile and obediently followed Mr. Silvan down to the first floor.
There, he was handed a new pair of sneakers to replace his old ones. The brand was called "Fangs", a name Ethan had never heard before. But the shoes felt extremely soft and springy.
His face turned red as he realized that every single thing he was wearing - inside and out - fit him like a glove.
"Come on, Ethan!"
Autumn called from outside the house.
Ethan hesitated. His back and neck tingled, as if being pierced by invisible bullets of disapproval.
Autumn had changed into another dress.
This one was three times frillier than the white nightgown she wore that morning, complete with ruffles, ribbons, and bows everywhere.
She also held a white parasol just as ornate as her dress. She looked more like someone attending a cosplay festival than a recovering patient lounging at home.
"My mom's sense of fashion is stuck in the Victorian era."
Autumn explained when she saw the barely-contained grin on Ethan's face.
"The Rococo phase was the worst. Imagine wearing a Marie Antoinette gown in 39°C weather."
The contrast between her vintage style and the rugged green Jeep Wrangler Rubicon parked next to her was striking.
The front door of the Jeep swung open, and a guy in his early twenties with messy orange hair jumped out. He wore a black T-shirt, camo cargo pants, and military boots.
"Catch!"
Ethan's hand instinctively shot out and caught a small black object the guy had tossed him.
"Your phone was busted, so I had to get it repaired."
"Ah, thank you…"
"I'm Summer, Autumn's older brother."
Autumn was clearly a perfect blend of Mr. Silvan's warm brown eyes and Mrs. Marina's refined beauty.
Summer, on the other hand, looked like a slightly more athletic, beardless version of his father. He had the same deep brown eyes and a ruggedly handsome face.
Fortunately, Summer's gaze was far more welcoming and kind than his father's.
"You'll ride with Summer to school. You do not want to get in the car with my dad right now."
Autumn nudged Ethan toward the Jeep.
"Just go. No need to say goodbye to my parents."
With that, she ran off in her over-the-top dress, disappearing into the French-style villa.
Only after she was out of sight did Ethan open the Jeep door and climb into the back seat.
A girl with a refined and elegant beauty sat in the front passenger seat and turned around to shake Ethan's hand.
"Hello, Ethan. I'm Celestia."
"She's my girlfriend," Summer added proudly, with a grin that couldn't have looked more smug.
"Nice to meet you, Celestia," Ethan said politely.
Celestia appeared to be around the same age as Summer. She had a graceful, composed demeanor, poised and soft-spoken, the complete opposite of Summer's energetic vibe.
There was something vaguely familiar about her, but Ethan couldn't quite place it.
"Let's go."
Summer buckled in, and the moment he hit the gas, the Jeep roared down the winding slope at a terrifying speed.
Luckily, Ethan had just managed to fasten his seatbelt. Otherwise, with the mountainous terrain and Summer's sudden bursts of acceleration, he probably would've smacked his head against the roof of the car.
The family's hilltop villa slowly disappeared behind them…
"What's with the ribbon around your neck, Celestia?"
Summer was driving with one hand while reaching over to touch Celestia's neck with the other.
"Sigh… Last Friday, my little sister and I got into an argument. It all started because she was upset with her boyfriend again."
"They fight a lot, don't they? Do you know what triggered it this time?"
"He didn't like her trying to seduce human boys for blood. She called him controlling, selfish, possessive. He called her disloyal, reckless, shameless, addicted…"
"Yikes. Messy. Vampires and humans really shouldn't date, especially not when both of them have sharp tongues."
Through the rearview mirror, Ethan caught Summer glancing at him with a probing look.
Celestia went on, a bit gloomily:
"Then my sister drank all the RARE BLOOD that Mom and Dad were gifted. That made our parents furious. They froze her bank account on the spot."
"Ugh, bad move. I know a few families who punished their kids like that, and the kids ended up taking part-time Bounty Hunter gigs just to have spending money. That job is no joke."
"My sister doesn't have the guts to be a Bounty Hunter. But she had plenty of stamina to cry the entire night."
"Ugh, crying's the worst. Thank goodness Autumn rarely throws tantrums."
Ethan had to fight back a grin. The idea of Autumn being "rarely dramatic" was… questionable at best.
"At some point I got annoyed with all the noise, told her maybe she should just break up with the guy. Then she turned her anger on me. Mom and Dad tried to compare us, telling her to be more like me. And that just made her explode."
Celestia untied her ribbon, revealing faint fang marks on her neck.
"She was already a little high from the RARE BLOOD, so she lunged and bit me. Almost got my artery too."
She sighed wearily.
"I'm no match physically for someone who drinks human blood. After that, she ran off, and Mom and Dad spent all night trying to find her."
"Poor you. Come here, let me give you some love."
Summer let go of the steering wheel entirely, leaned over, and kissed Celestia right on the lips. Then, just in the nick of time, he grabbed the wheel again to swerve the car away from slamming into the rocky cliff.
"Don't worry, Ethan," Summer said, spotting Ethan's pale face in the rearview mirror. "I've modified the car so it can handle my driving style."
Celestia refastened her ribbon with a deep sigh.
"Sometimes I wish my little sister could be even a tenth as sweet and well-behaved as Autumn."
"Heh. Autumn looks sweet, I'll give you that. But if that girl's well-behaved, I'll eat my boots. She caused a massive mess last weekend too, right Ethan?"
Ethan was distracted, staring out at the glimmering sea under the morning sun. He jolted when he heard his name.
"Y-yeah? What did you say?"
"Sigh… Anyway, brace yourself!"
Summer veered off the main road onto a shortcut, a steep, wooded trail with rough, uneven terrain, small rocks, and fallen branches everywhere.
The Jeep zigzagged around trees, sending Ethan's stomach flipping in every direction.
THUD.
The Jeep landed on the pavement with a heavy bounce. Summer finally began driving like a normal person once they reached the town.
Soon, the grand gates of Harmony High came into view. Ethan exhaled in relief, he'd survived the wild ride.
Summer pulled over about ten meters from the school entrance.
"I've added all our family's numbers to your phone. If anything weird happens, call us right away. You're always welcome at our home."
"Thank you, really."
"Well then, I'm off to drop Celestia at the Council building. See you, Ethan."
"Bye, thanks again."
Ethan sat down on a bench in the school courtyard. He immediately turned on his phone to check messages.
His face went pale.
There were dozens of missed calls and a flood of unread texts, all from his mom.