The Femme Fatale trio led S?n Nam up to the second floor of the canteen. This upper level was only about half the size of the main floor.


    S?n Nam had never been up here before—naturally, sitting downstairs made more sense since it was closer to the food counter.


    At first glance, the second floor was decorated far more luxuriously than the first, with deep tones of brown, red, and black, and gold-accented patterns. But because of that, the place gave S?n Nam a stifling, oppressive feeling. It lacked warmth and felt more like a sinister lair than a cafeteria.


    It was like he had walked into a gothic horror movie, the kind with cults and rituals.


    “Those rooms over there are reserved for the Board of Directors and school administrators only. Regular teachers aren’t even allowed in without an invitation,”


    Kim Ng?c said, pointing at a set of ominous black doors tucked into the far corner of the second floor.


    “We’ll sit here.”


    The group stopped at a table positioned right in the center of the floor, beside the railing. From here, S?n Nam could see almost the entire first floor below.


    Even though there were plenty of empty tables, no other students had come up. S?n Nam and the Femme Fatale trio were the only ones here.


    “This is our favorite spot,”


    the twins said in perfect sync once again.


    S?n Nam just wanted lunch to be over. He didn’t want to be cast as the bullied victim in this bizarre musical directed by Kim Ng?c, who insisted on being both director and lead actress.


    “So, what do you girls want to eat? Just tell me and I’ll go queue up at the counter.”


    S?n Nam decided to take the initiative—maybe if he stayed ahead of them, he could maintain some control.


    “We want to eat you.”


    This time, it wasn’t just An Nhi and Yên Nhi speaking in unison—Kim Ng?c joined them in harmony too. The eerie a cappella sent chills down S?n Nam’s spine more than it stirred any kind of flirtation.


    “Just kidding. You’re all skin and bones. Not exactly appetizing!”


    The girls burst into laughter together.


    S?n Nam couldn’t tell if his face was showing too much fear, but Kim Ng?c suddenly changed her demeanor. Still, he kept his guard up. Who knew what this trio might pull next?


    “We brought lunch from home. The food at this school is impossible to eat—too many carbs and calories.”


    The twins pulled out three 500ml bottles from their bags and placed them on the table. The liquid inside was a dark, vivid red—almost disturbingly so.


    “It’s just a smoothie—watermelon, beetroot, and red dragon fruit. Not BLOOD, okay?”


    An Nhi and Yên Nhi exaggerated the word “BLOOD” with mischievous expressions. S?n Nam didn’t find it funny. At all.


    “Here, smell it.”


    S?n Nam’s face twisted like a monkey who just bit into a chili pepper. Along with the fruity aroma, there was a faintly metallic scent—almost like iron.


    “Smells like iron, huh? An Nhi, you forgot to wash the knife again before cutting the fruit.”


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    “Still tastes fine though, doesn’t it, Yên Nhi?”


    “Ugh, and you forgot the apples too, An Nhi!”


    Now S?n Nam had it figured out: pink-haired An Nhi was the scatterbrained one, and blue-haired Yên Nhi was the nitpicky critic.


    “You girls seriously drink only that for lunch?”


    “We have to keep our figures, duh. You go ahead and grab some real food. Get extra meat. You need to put on weight, S?n Nam!”


    Kim Ng?c giggled, then called after him:


    “Your punishment is still waiting right here, so don’t you dare run off. Be back soon!”


    When S?n Nam returned to the table with his lunch tray, he suddenly lost all appetite.


    Nearby, someone else had joined the second-floor canteen seating: Nh?t V??ng. He was sitting at a table not far from the Femme Fatale group, chatting loudly and cheerfully.


    And the person sitting across from Nh?t V??ng?


    None other than H? Thu.


    The same H? Thu who, up until now, had never once shown up in the canteen—not for breakfast, not for lunch.


    Since the day S?n Nam was brought to the infirmary by Nh?t V??ng and H? Thu, he had already suspected that Nh?t V??ng could interact normally with her. Unlike with other girls at Nhan Hòa, he didn’t seem the least bit tense or scared around H? Thu.


    But S?n Nam never imagined Nh?t V??ng would be bold enough to have lunch with H? Thu like this.


    “Fox and Gorilla are getting loud. Want us to go chase them off, Kim Ng?c?”


    The twin sisters turned to ask Kim Ng?c for permission. S?n Nam nearly burst out laughing—those nicknames for H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng were ridiculously accurate.


    “Let them be! This floor doesn’t belong to anyone.”


    Kim Ng?c’s luscious red lips curled into a sarcastic smile, revealing shiny white teeth and slightly sharp canines.


    An Nhi and Yên Nhi’s faces turned sour—it was clearly bothering them, especially as the noise from H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng’s table grew more chaotic.


    The two of them were now arguing loudly over food like a pair of bickering grade-schoolers.


    “Give me back my beef, Nh?t V??ng! Why are you eating from my plate instead of yours?”


    “You’re so stingy, H? Thu! The amount of food you packed could feed three or four people. Girls who eat that much will never find a husband!”


    Nh?t V??ng shoved a slice of beef into his mouth and chewed obnoxiously, letting the juices drip from the corners of his lips.


    “Mmm! This beef’s practically raw—still bleeding!”


    “That’s myoglobin, and it’s delicious. If you can’t appreciate it, give it back!”


    “Too late. Want me to throw it up for you?”


    With his tall build and long limbs, Nh?t V??ng had a physical advantage. H? Thu tried jumping around him to snatch her food back, but it was useless.


    She bounced around him like an annoyed little sprite—equal parts pitiful and hilarious.


    From how casually and playfully they argued, it seemed obvious: Nh?t V??ng and H? Thu were closer than just classmates.


    S?n Nam sometimes forgot that he had only transferred to Nhan Hòa this school year, for grade 11—and came from a completely different town. The kids here had likely grown up together, from preschool to elementary to middle school.


    “Hey!”


    “S?n Nam!”


    “Can you please stop staring at them?”


    Kim Ng?c hissed. Her tone was sharp, unmistakably angry, even though her beautiful face remained perfectly composed.


    “Oh. Sorry.”


    S?n Nam replied blandly—his mind still wandering toward the chaos at H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng’s table.


    “Would you peel these apples for us, then?”


    The Femme Fatale girls had finished their red, iron-scented fruit smoothies. Now, their pretty lips were stained a bright crimson.


    The twins pulled several shiny red apples and a small knife from their bags and placed them on the table.


    “I… I don’t know how to peel fruit.”


    S?n Nam admitted honestly.


    “Do you know that Vietnam’s gender ratio is seriously imbalanced right now? There are too many men. If you don’t learn to peel fruit, you’re going to end up single forever!”


    Cornered by Kim Ng?c, S?n Nam reluctantly picked up the knife. He tried to summon memories of his mom peeling apples, mimicking her movements.


    In the distance, H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng were still locked in their never-ending food quarrel.


    “Give me back my milk!”


    “Told you—no amount of milk will make you taller. It just throws off your proportions!”


    “Nonsense! What part of me is disproportionate, huh?”


    “Seriously? That thing’s grown at least five centimeters just over summer break!”


    “Shut up! You’re so rude!”


    Distracted by their bizarre conversation, S?n Nam lost focus. The knife slipped—


    —and sliced deep into his index finger.


    “Ow! That hurts!”


    Blood poured from the cut, running down his hand and staining the half-peeled apple with bright red blotches.


    He dropped both the knife and apple in a panic, flailing his hand to ease the pain. Blood splattered across the table, and the sharp, metallic scent of iron quickly filled the air.


    Then, something strange happened.


    Kim Ng?c, An Nhi, and Yên Nhi froze like statues. Their nostrils flared as they inhaled deeply. Their eyelids fluttered—closing halfway—then slowly opened in sync with their breaths.


    It was as if they were savoring the scent of something delicious, something so mouthwatering that even the smell alone was enough to tempt the senses.


    Far off, H? Thu and Nh?t V??ng suddenly stopped arguing.


    And in that instant, S?n Nam could feel it—all their eyes were locked onto the warm, crimson blood still trickling from his fingertip.