Chrono Pervert — I Pause Time, Then I Play

(Liana's POV)

It had been five days since that incident.

Since Liana gave a simple command—flat and cold—to one of her disposable lackeys to "take care of" Jeffrey Cain.

And yet, somehow… the man survived.

Liana remembered clearly how Jeffrey had been hit by a truck. She had seen it herself. His body struck full force—no time to react. But then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the front of the vehicle and appeared at the roadside. As if... teleportation? An illusion? Or maybe it was just her imagination. She wasn't sure anymore.

But ever since that day... Jeffrey hadn't returned to class.

"Looks like that quota rat won't be showing up again today," Alicia said with a cheerful sneer, twirling her red hair and spinning a pen between her fingers. "He's probably curled up under a blanket somewhere, too scared to come out."

Isabelle, sitting nearby, sighed in a mock-sympathetic tone. "You boys were awful. You beat him so badly... Honestly, I think I'm starting to feel a little guilty."

Luke chuckled, crossing his arms and turning to Henry who was lounging back in his seat. "Hey, you girls were the ones who told us to do it. Don't play innocent now. You hit him too, remember?"

Henry merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Losers like him need to be beaten down. It's the only way they'll learn their place. It's our moral responsibility."

"Exactly," Luke nodded sagely, as if declaring a universal truth. "He should be grateful, really. We've opened his eyes to reality."

They laughed.

A laughter that sounded light on the surface but stank of malice underneath. They spoke as if they had done a public service, when all they had done was brutality dressed up in delusion.

Liana listened in silence.

Her face remained unreadable, eyes fixed on the whiteboard ahead, yet every word reached her ears. None of them realized that she was the true mastermind behind it all.

Today was the start of midterm exams.

Written exams, to be exact.

And she had to—absolutely had to—rank first. If not... her father would be disappointed. And Liana Frostine did not allow disappointment to exist in her world.

For the combat exams, she wasn't worried in the slightest. She was the strongest in the entire academy. No one could rival her power.

But the written exams?

That was the one place where she had always come second. And the one who always topped her...

Jeffrey Cain.

The quota student. The nobody. The pathetic little bookworm with no sponsor, no reputation—but somehow, always perfect scores in theory.

Which is why he had to be eliminated.

But now—five days had passed, and he was still missing. No reports. No sick notes. No messages to the academy.

For a moment, Liana doubted. Could someone as stubborn as Jeffrey really give up? Miss a midterm exam out of fear?

Impossible.

And sure enough—

The classroom door opened.

For a moment, it was as if the air itself froze, as footsteps echoed into the room.

Jeffrey Cain.

He stood at the doorway, tall and calm. His hair was messy as usual, but something about the way he carried himself had changed. He no longer slouched. No longer avoided eye contact. His eyes were sharp—cold and steady like a black mirror, unreadable.

He walked to his seat without saying a word. Ignoring the sneers. The muffled chuckles. The usual venom aimed his way.

But today… he didn't flinch.

Liana narrowed her eyes.

Something had changed. That aura—his gaze. She could feel it, even if she couldn't explain it. He was... different. And that sudden confidence—that is what made her blood boil.

'You insolent little cockroach,' she hissed inwardly, jaw clenched tight. 'How dare you return… after my warning.'

As if hearing her thoughts, Alicia sneered at him.

"Well, well, look who crawled out of hiding. I guess home isn't so safe after all," she said loud enough to be heard across the room.

Isabelle scoffed. "Maybe he still thinks he can beat us in the written exam. Pathetic. What, you think high scores will change your pathetic life? You're still a loser."

Luke leaned back in his chair, eyes glinting. "Maybe he wants another beating after the test."

They all laughed again.

But Jeffrey didn't even glance their way.

He just sat down, took out his writing utensils to help with his exam, and stared straight at the empty desk in front of him. Quiet. Silent.

Like a shadow patiently waiting for its turn to devour the light.

.

.

.

In the exam hall, rows of desks and seats stretched from one wall to the other. Each desk came with a biometric tablet, glowing softly. Liana's screen lit up as her fingerprint was recognized, bringing up the first subject: Energy Manipulation Theory.

There were six subjects being tested today:

Energy Manipulation,

Villain Psychology & Threat Assessment,

Team Dynamics for Super Squads,

Disaster Response Tactics,

Heroic Code & Public Accountability, and

Media Relations for Heroes.

Everything designed to assess not just strength, but also strategy, awareness, and public image control—qualities every pro-hero candidate must master.

The tests were split into two sessions. Three subjects back-to-back, then an hour of rest, followed by the remaining three.

Liana had studied all night. Her silver hair was tied up neatly so nothing would distract her. The room was silent, filled with tension like soldiers before battle.

Her eyes scanned the questions. Her fingers moved with trained precision, recalling every theory, every formula.

She took a deep breath. Not difficult. She could do this.

From the corner of her eye, she glared at Jeffrey.

If she failed to get first place again… she would kill him with her own hands.

But now was not the time.

Focus.

Focus on the exam.

She exhaled, steadying herself, and leaned into the screen, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

But then…

She felt it.

A sensation—low in her abdomen.

It wasn't pain. Not hunger. Not cramps.

It was… pressure. Something foreign. Something entering.

She looked down, frowning, instinctively checking her skirt. Was it a bug? Something disgusting—?

Then suddenly, it began to move.

No. It vibrated. Slowly, but undeniably.

Her eyes widened. Her breath caught.

The confident expression melted into alarm. Her pale, snow-white face flushed red.