Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I'll Be A Righteous Villainess!

Fallon noticed how Weiss went still at the mention of Lady.

It was just as he thought. His sudden absence and odd behavior have something to do with her. This was not supposed to be his business. But he was already getting vexed and impatient. She just would not stop worrying about this guy at all – and he hated seeing her like that.

So, with the best intentions, Fallon decided to confront Weiss.

"You know, my cousin used to tell me about this boy she met one summer…" he began, hoping to see more reaction from him, but when all he got was silence, he continued to prod. 

"For a few weeks after that, I swear she won't stop talking about him. She was upset at how he left without a word. What a jerk. Still, she didn't seem to hold any grudge. I thought back then that he must've left quite an impact on her. When I asked her what was so special about that nameless boy, she said that he was the first-ever person she wholeheartedly wanted to be friends with. I'm not sure what she meant by that. But it gave me the impression that she just never had the chance to make friends before – that she never even had one in the past. So, that memory is very important to her. "

Weiss remains still and quiet. But this time, Fallon can sense the heaviness in the air. 

On second thought, maybe silence is already a sort of response – a vague one, albeit. He didn't know if he struck a nerve or if he even rang a bell. But that's alright. He can wait. Going by how tense he looks right now, he knows it's only a matter of time before he finally spills the beans. 

"How surprising…" Weiss then spoke up at last. 

"I didn't expect I'd have to watch out for you too. You're quite perceptive."

"Really…?" Fallon muttered with narrowed eyes.

"That's such a surprise too. I thought for sure that you already knew that much about me by this point – considering who you are. But it seems like I've judged you too early."

His eyes widened slightly at the implication.

Weiss is already expecting that he can't hide his true identity in this school for too long. But he didn't expect that Fallon would figure it out this soon.

It's not like he's being secretive about him being a Saoirse, to begin with. He's sure that the whole faculty staff is already aware. Soon enough, the truth will spread all around the academy. But he's certain that most people will be skeptical.

After all, everyone knew that Weiss Saoirse had skipped grades and finished high school at the age of thirteen. 

Carrying the family name is bound to get him into certain situations – ones he's been working hard to avoid. He did try to ask his parents to at least change his surname. But since they already decided that he won't be officially enrolled and therefore couldn't spend too much time at school, they thought that doing that wasn't needed anymore. 

'No one's going to target you in our own territory, anyway. Don't bother hiding it. Just let them know,' was what they told him. While it does kind of defeat the purpose of having several aliases, he takes that it's just their way of giving him a little bit of freedom to be a normal teenager. 

"Did you tell her?" Weiss asked in a bit of panic, trying to stay calm but failing miserably.

"Relax. I didn't say a word about it. That's something you should tell her yourself, and besides, she never asked," Fallon replied coolly, shrugging.  

"Were you thinking I already made a background check on you? Just because I'm the Chairman's son?"

"Well, let's just say I know a few more things about you – other than that, of course. So, I kinda assumed you'd be curious. It's also quite easy for you to get access to important files, right? You've got all the sources you need." 

"I didn't do such a thing. That's not how I am."

"But you did mention that you should've watched out for me too. Does that mean you've been watching out for Lady this whole time? Rather than a jerk, I'm starting to think you're more like a coward."

Again, he fell silent. 

It seems that Fallon seriously thinks that he's that nameless boy that Lady met before. At this point, Weiss isn't sure if he should continue to hide it.

"I mean, what's so bad about her knowing it's you, anyway?" he suddenly remarked - as if he just read his thoughts. 

"Will she be happy if she knows?" he blurted out without thinking.

"Why don't you find out yourself instead of sulking around here? While you're at it, do apologize too. Just so you're aware, she's reliving that past because of what you did.

"Just how much do you know, Fallon? About me? About the two of us?"

"Oh, not much. Like what you said, I'm perceptive. That's all."

For once, Weiss cracks a smile. Fallon is similar to Lady in some way.

They both make up for their nosiness by being encouraging as well. 

---

Hidden around the corner of the hallway, there's Mr. Richards.

His eyes soften at the sight of the 'ghost' laughing away with one of his students. He's been watching them from a distance for a while now. Although he knew he should have told them to get out of the rain first, he could not find it in himself to go there and interrupt their conversation. It appeared quite serious and important. So, in the end, he just made sure to grab two dry towels before he made his way there.

Time to make his grand entrance.

'Yeah, right. Playground Ghost, my ass…' Mr. Richards thought as he handed the towels to Weiss and Fallon.

'Even ghosts need an umbrella sometimes.'

---

Fallon felt somewhat satisfied by the time Weiss left – until Lady came and ruined the mood, that is.

"Fallon!!! Just where in this goddamn planet had you been?!!!" 

He's about to reach the school gates when she popped out of nowhere and bellowed those words for everyone there to hear. Normally, he would've gotten so annoyed he'd hit her in the head without a second thought. But he was able to quickly point out the genuine feeling of distress in her voice. Thinking that this must be serious, he decided to hear her out first before giving her an earful. 

"What's your problem this time?" he said nonchalantly as he turned around to face her, hands in his pockets.

"T-T-The heroine! S-She finally showed up!" she stammered out, seemingly in a rush.

"Wait, what?"

"I said the heroine! I just met her earlier!"

And with that came a crash course of how Lady and Sarah met that morning.

She was explaining too fast that he barely had a chance to speak. But at least, he got her out of everyone's sight. He took her near the parking lot outside the moment she started rambling. There, he let her gush on and on. Even if he tries to tell her to calm down, he knows it'll only be futile. So, he just listened for minutes on end –

Until he heard the sound of retreating footsteps.

'Oh, you gotta be kidding me. You've really got to stop eavesdropping, dude.'

---

Weiss feels miserable.

His father peers at him through the rear-view mirror. He sees his pale blue eyes crinkle at the corners when he attempts to give him a consoling smile. 

"Are you sure you want to go to school, Weiss?"

"Yeah." 

He sniffles, sitting up straight. The assurance barely comes out, though. 

So, Weiss clears his throat and tries again, "Yes, Father."

"Your mother's not happy about this, you know. I think you already caught on that as soon as she took out the syrup."

"Not that again-"

"But I swear! She's treating you like a baby." 

It seems that he still hasn't moved on from that scene earlier that morning. Apparently, at the age of thirteen, Catalina is still using syrup as medicine for Weiss. His father wasn't sure whether to be amused or incredulous. 

That aside, he knows him well enough to gauge out the underlying warning – if he gets any sicker, he better make sure his mother doesn't blame him.

The car soon pulls into the curb by the front gate of the academy. Weiss looks out the window, his heart thumping in his chest at the sight of Lady and Fallon entering the school. He hesitates, gripping the door handle. Maybe he should wait until the two of them are out of sight.

His father, meanwhile, observes him from the driver's seat. He fiddles with his beige cardigan that's folded neatly on top of the passenger seat. It's old and faded, but still warm and soft nonetheless.

"This is the first time you've gotten sick since…" he said then trailed off, pausing upon recognizing the haunted look in his son's eyes as he turned back to face him. 

"Well, since."

He finished lamely – quite tactlessly, he admits.