SSS-Rank AI System: My Path from Failure to Supreme

Above the newly opened luxury hotel, tiny stars sprinkled the sky, quietly shining despite being shyly hidden behind the city's light pollution.

Alaric stepped out first from the club floor below, followed by Kayla. They left behind the roar of music and the flashing lights bouncing off the walls.

The automatic glass door closed behind them, as if separating two worlds. One loud and superficial, and the other quiet, fresh, and real.

They walked side by side, completely unhurried. Keeping a polite distance from each other, but no longer as stiff as before. And definitely both relieved to be free from the room that had felt so overwhelming.

Alaric headed toward the outer side of the hotel, to a narrow stone path that stretched toward a small garden. Not the main garden filled with tall plants and tropical flowers where mosquitoes usually swarmed at night.

But a side garden, more open, with soft grass and a large potted plum tree shading one corner of the stone steps.

They sat down on the stone steps, arranged like stadium seating for watching a soccer match.

The damp earth smelled faintly, mingled with the subtle fragrance drifting from the hotel café's lights glowing in the distance. The stone steps beneath them were cold but clean.

In front of them, the garden lights cast a soft glow. Just enough to illuminate their faces without causing either of them to squint.

Alaric sat down first, resting his hands on his knees. He glanced briefly at Kayla, who had just taken a seat beside him. She was gently pulling the hem of her dress to keep it from brushing against the rough edge of the step.

A brief silence.

Then Alaric broke the quiet with a low voice.

"You don't seem used to a place like that, do you?"

Kayla slowly turned her head, her eyes still fixed ahead before finally meeting Alaric's gaze. She gave a small smile, though her expression remained a bit awkward as she reopened the conversation.

"Yeah..." she answered honestly, without much explanation.

Alaric nodded once, then fully faced her, keeping his tone casual. But still, she had to be careful not to sound intimidating.

"So why did you come if you didn't want to be there?"

Kayla bit her lower lip and shifted her seat before answering. What was really on her mind was a mix of fear and awkwardness.

Clubs are entertainment venues where many people come sober but leave not fully aware. Some don't even remember what they did.

She felt uncomfortable being around people who lose themselves and act out of control. Especially since she was an innocent girl, not very skilled at socializing.

And it was true, not everyone who went there intended to get drunk. Some just came to sing karaoke or dance, trying to let go of their worries.

But there was no way Kayla could answer Alaric's question like that, especially now that their parents were inside, attending the semi-formal event..

"We just came from my Uncle and Aunt's place... Then my parents said they wanted to stop by here first, said there was a hotel opening event. At first, we just wanted to see the opening, and I thought it would be formal. But it turned out..."

She laughed softly and shrugged lightly.

"After the ribbon cutting, the hotel owner invited the guests downstairs. They said it wasn't for drinks, just to introduce the new club bar's design concept, which was different." Kayla made air quotes with her fingers.

"Maybe it was also for promotion. But yeah... we ended up joining even though we didn't plan to."

Alaric listened, his tone unchanged.

"Oh... I see. Same here."

Their reasons for being here were actually the same, aligned even. They were both here out of obligation, but Alaric's reason sounded kind of silly. It made sense for Kayla to be nervous, but what about him? He didn't even know how to handle his own paranoia anymore.

After a short breath, she continued,

"At first, I just intended to come along with Dad to his inauguration event and watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony. But when we got there... well, it was already over. So, I ended up just keeping Dad company while he chatted with his friends. That's it."

Alaric glanced toward the club door still visible from where they sat.

Kayla chuckled softly, her smile now looking more natural.

"We're like victims of the situation, huh?"

"Yeah, exactly," Alaric replied with a short laugh.

Then, without much thought, he turned to look at her more seriously.

"Hey... I'm sorry."

Kayla furrowed her brow a little.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For that. When we were kids, I used to bother you a lot, sneak into people's houses, and make you cry."

"I only just realized how annoying that was."

Kayla turned to him. For a moment, she didn't answer, just looked at Alaric with her eyes slightly squinting from holding back laughter. Then she finally laughed out loud.

"So now you realize?"

Her voice was teasing, not harsh. There was a closeness in the joke.

Alaric returned a shy smile and played along, "Glad to be forgiven."

Silence fell again. But this time, it wasn't awkward. It was a pleasant quiet that let two people sit side by side without needing many words.

In front of them, the garden lights swayed gently, casting a warm glow on their faces. The night breeze softly brushed through Kayla's hair, a few strands falling over her cheek. She didn't say much after that, but inside, something felt strange.

Something she didn't quite understand yet. Or maybe she already knew but was reluctant to label it too soon.

Alaric leaned lightly against the stone steps, his right leg bent up while his left hand traced the rough, cool surface of the stone. But he forgot about that touch.

As his skin brushed the stone, he quickly pulled his hand away.

Next to him, Kayla leaned back too, occasionally rubbing her arm as the night air crept through her clothes.

Their conversation slowed after the soft laughter. But in his heart, Alaric felt there was more to say. Something that had been tickling his mind ever since he saw Kayla's face up close in the dim garden light.

He glanced sideways.

"I don't know... but I feel like I've met you before. At Sword Moon University?" he asked quietly, his brows knitting slightly.

Kayla turned, a little surprised. "Yeah, I go there."

Her voice wasn't flat; it carried a light tone of surprise, caught up in the direction of the conversation.

Alaric stared ahead, thinking hard. "So... the one who chatted with me in the new student group chat... was that you, Kayla?"

Kayla laughed softly, covering her mouth briefly.

"You're Alaric, right? The one who used your middle name as your ID?"

Alaric laughed too. "Oh wow, yeah, that was me."

Back then, he had asked about the registration process and what documents were needed for enrollment.

Kayla nodded slowly. "I remember... but why didn't we ever meet? I thought you had actually enrolled."

Alaric sighed shortly, his smile a bit bittersweet.

"I did enroll... but only for a few weeks. Then I transferred. I wasn't sure because the major I wanted wasn't offered there."

Kayla listened, nodding, and Alaric went on.

"I wanted to study economics, to understand business strategy better and grow my own venture. But Sword Moon's more about skills — design, arts, music, animation, that kind of thing."

"Yeah, I'm in fashion design. So I thought you'd go for something like that too."

Alaric chuckled. "Back then, I just wanted a change of scenery. But I realized I needed a more technical major for long-term plans."

"In the end, I moved to a general university. But I did answer questions and help people with info, including you. Without even realizing I'd seen you before."

Kayla nodded. "It's funny... we could've just asked each other, like, 'Hey, you're this one, right?' But since everyone used default profile pictures and abbreviated names, no one knew who was who."

Alaric agreed, laughing quietly. "And I never guessed... you're Aunt Marissa's kid."

He turned his face to her, a bit in disbelief. "Really didn't cross my mind. Even from the name, I didn't connect it. I thought it was just a coincidence."

Kayla smiled too. "I didn't expect you to be Uncle Niel's son either. Dad often talks about Uncle Niel's kid who's really talented and now runs his own business. But I just thought it was parent talk."

Alaric shrugged lightly, then gazed at the darkening sky. "The world is so small. Yet we still get lost in it."

Kayla looked at him, seeing that his face was now more relaxed than before.

"And we ended up meeting anyway. In a place we didn't even plan to come to."

"But it's kind of funny," Kayla added.

Since leaving the club floor, their laughter had blended into one — light and free from the pressure and tension they'd left behind the glass door.