After thinking things through for a moment, Wyatt leaned in closer to Ariana Summers, who still had her head bowed.
Ariana wasn't hiding her face because she'd noticed the elderly woman standing earlier. Her reason was simpler—she was too shy, her face burning red as Wyatt gently played with her hand.
Lowering his voice, Wyatt leaned near her ear and whispered, "Ariana, would you mind stepping out for a second? I need to get by."
Since Wyatt was sitting on the inside seat, he had to pass by Ariana to get out. His breath brushed against her ear, sending her fiery red hair fluttering, and her ears turned bright pink in an instant.
In a voice so soft it was barely a whisper, Ariana asked, "Wyatt, why? We haven't reached the school yet."
"I'm going to give my seat to that grandma," Wyatt replied calmly, letting go of her soft hand and nodding toward the elderly woman standing nearby.
Ariana followed his gaze and spotted her. She hesitated, voice even quieter than before. "Wyatt... why don't you stay seated? I'll give up my seat instead."
Though Ariana was painfully shy, she was also kindhearted—the type who'd normally give up her seat without thinking twice. But in this case, she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.
Whether it was jealousy or nerves, she didn't want to move away from Wyatt... yet for his sake, she mustered her courage.
Clutching her bag tightly, Ariana stood up and nervously stepped toward the elderly woman.
Wyatt watched her, a warm smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His childhood friend—timid as a deer—was growing up little by little.
Ariana swallowed her nerves and approached the older woman, whispering quietly to her. Moments later, Ariana gently guided the woman toward Wyatt's seat.
"Oh, sweet girl," the woman said with a kind smile. "You have such a good heart. Don't worry—kindness always comes back around."
"I... I don't need anything in return," Ariana mumbled awkwardly, her eyes flickering toward the floor.
Once Ariana gave up her seat, a collective sigh of relief seemed to spread through the nearby students. No one else had wanted to stand up—but now, they wouldn't have to feel guilty about it.
Wyatt stood up as well, motioning toward the seat closest to the window. "Please, sit here."
"Oh, thank you." The older woman sat down where Wyatt had been. Ariana glanced up shyly at Wyatt, and he gestured toward her old seat.
His silent message was clear: Sit down.
But in Wyatt's dark eyes, there was a hint of playful mischief: Ariana, you'd better be good, or I'll tease you right now.
Ariana flushed deeper, but she understood him perfectly. With a quiet nod, she lowered her head and sat back down beside the elderly woman.
Ariana didn't dislike being teased by Wyatt. On the contrary, a part of her quietly enjoyed it... though this wasn't exactly the time or place for it.
The little incident passed without much fuss, and soon the bus was rolling along again, as if nothing had happened.
Wyatt leaned casually against the back of Ariana's seat, his sharp gaze flicking toward the elderly woman.
And once again, a soft glow passed through his black-and-white eyes.
> Hmm... Who should get the points for giving up the seat?
The girl gave her seat to me, but she wasn't the one sitting here originally.
Still, I'll give them to the girl. She made the effort first. The boy doesn't count—he only moved because of her. He doesn't meet the condition for points.
Wyatt's expression flickered in understanding.
Quietly, he closed his eyes, switching off his mind-reading ability. When he opened them again, the glow had faded.
He wasn't concerned about Ariana receiving the points. What really mattered was figuring out what those "points" even were. The term had come up several times now in the old woman's thoughts.
Points... it has to be connected to this school. Should I risk using mind-reading backtrack on her?
Wyatt's gaze sharpened. His ability wasn't limited to surface-level thoughts—it could even trace someone's thought process backward, digging deeper into their mind.
Of course, using mind-reading backtrack consumed a huge amount of energy. Wyatt usually avoided it unless absolutely necessary.
But this situation qualified.
Metropolitan Prestige Academy had existed for fifteen years, yet no graduates had ever shared public details about how it operated.
That secrecy made Wyatt certain: whatever "points" were, they were key to understanding the school's hidden rules.
After weighing it carefully, Wyatt made up his mind.
He pulled out his phone, typed a quick message, then casually brushed it against Ariana's arm to get her attention.
"…?"
Confused, Ariana lifted her head slightly, glancing from Wyatt to his phone. On the screen was a single message:
> Ariana, in a few minutes, whisper the words "what are points?" to the woman next to you. No matter how she reacts, just play dumb. Pretend you don't understand.
Ariana blinked, puzzled. But she didn't question Wyatt's instructions. Instead, she gave a small, obedient nod.
Wyatt tucked his phone away, satisfied.
Rather than exhausting himself with pure mind-reading backtrack, it was more efficient to trigger the old woman's thoughts first. By having Ariana mention "points" out loud, Wyatt could latch onto the woman's mental reaction and pull the information more easily.
In simple terms:
Ariana's question was the bait. Wyatt, the fisherman, was about to catch himself a very interesting fish.
Ariana, loyal as always, began silently counting the seconds in her head. If Wyatt asked for something, she'd do her best to make it happen.
When she reached 180 seconds, she leaned gently toward the elderly woman beside her. Wyatt's eyes sharpened again—mind-reading active.
Ariana spoke softly, just as Wyatt had instructed.
"What... are points?"
The effect was immediate.
The old woman's previously gentle smile vanished. Her expression stiffened in shock as she turned toward Ariana, her eyes wide.
"What... what did you just say?!"
Her kind demeanor shattered instantly, replaced by something entirely different. And Wyatt, watching closely, was already inside her mind—digging for answers.
The truth about "points" was finally within reach.