When Magic meets mafia

The White Dog's Gossip Network

The orientation finally ended after two full hours of speeches nobody listened to.

Professors talked about discipline. Attendance. Future. Success.

Meanwhile students:

slept

flirted

played games

judged outfits

Viola survived somehow.

Barely.

Mostly because she spent the last thirty minutes avoiding eye contact with Ash after the crow exposed him publicly.

Thankfully, Ash didn't say anything after that.

Which was somehow even scarier.

As students started leaving the auditorium, chaos immediately returned.

Freshers moved around excitedly while seniors reclaimed the campus like kings returning to their kingdom.

Viola quickly grabbed her bag.

"Okay," she whispered to herself. "New mission: survive college without embarrassing myself."

"Too late for that," the crow said from outside the window.

"You are blocked."

"Birds can't be blocked."

"Tragic."

She stepped outside the auditorium and immediately got hit by loud campus energy again.

Music echoed from the basketball court. Students laughed near the cafeteria. Some seniors already started unofficial ragging.

Westbridge International College looked even bigger in daylight.

Viola opened the campus map in her hand dramatically.

"…Why does this place have three libraries?"

A voice suddenly answered beside her.

"Because rich people love unnecessary buildings."

Viola turned.

A girl with short curly hair and oversized glasses stood there holding iced coffee.

She looked cheerful. Dangerously cheerful.

"Hi," the girl smiled. "You're Viola right?"

Viola blinked.

"How do you know my name?"

"You became famous in one hour."

"…That fast?"

"You asked Ash if he's mafia."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

The girl laughed and extended her hand.

"I'm Naina."

Viola shook it instantly.

"Please tell me nobody recorded that."

"Actually…"

"Naina."

"Relax, video blurry hai."

Viola covered her face dramatically.

"My academic career ended before classes even started."

Naina grinned.

"I like you already."

Before Viola could reply—

something fluffy suddenly crashed into her legs.

"FOUND YOU!"

Viola looked down.

A tiny white puppy stood near her shoes excitedly.

Small paws. Round black eyes. Pink tongue out.

Absolute cuteness overload.

Viola instantly crouched.

"Oh my god."

The puppy wagged its tail aggressively.

"You smell emotionally unstable but nice."

Viola gasped softly.

"You can talk!"

"Obviously. I'm not rude."

Naina looked confused as Viola stared emotionally at the puppy.

"…You okay?"

"He's very cute."

"That's Snowy. Campus dog."

Snowy barked proudly.

"I basically run this college."

Viola picked him up immediately.

Tiny. Warm. Soft.

She was ready to adopt him illegally.

Snowy sniffed her face carefully.

"Oho…"

"What?"

"You're the bird girl."

Viola froze.

"…Excuse me?"

"The crows were discussing you."

"WHY DOES EVERY ANIMAL IN THIS COLLEGE GOSSIP?"

"Entertainment."

Naina blinked at Viola suspiciously.

"…Did you just yell at the dog?"

"No."

"You literally made eye contact while arguing."

"I'm expressive."

"Hm."

Naina definitely looked unconvinced.

Before things got worse, Snowy suddenly jumped from Viola's arms.

"IMPORTANT NEWS!"

"What happened?"

"The scary senior is coming."

Viola sighed.

"Everyone reacts like movie background music starts when he walks."

Snowy gasped dramatically.

"Because Ash is terrifying."

"You too?!"

"He once stared at a thief and the thief returned a stolen wallet himself."

"That sounds fake."

"It happened."

Naina leaned closer suddenly.

"Okay but seriously… stay careful around him."

Viola looked at her curiously.

"Why does everyone fear him so much?"

Naina lowered her voice immediately.

"Nobody knows much about him."

"Suspicious."

"He rarely talks." "Always disappears suddenly." "College management never questions him." "Even professors avoid arguments with him."

Snowy added proudly:

"And dangerous people come to meet him at night."

Viola blinked slowly.

"…What?"

Naina frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing."

The puppy almost exposed mafia business casually.

Fantastic.

Naina sighed dramatically.

"Honestly Ash feels less like a student and more like some underworld Netflix character."

Viola laughed.

"Exactly!"

"But girls still obsess over him."

"Why?"

Naina stared at her like she asked why humans breathe.

"Have you SEEN him?"

"…Unfortunately yes."

"And?"

"…Annoyingly handsome."

"THANK YOU."

Both girls burst out laughing.

Snowy looked disappointed.

"Humans always ignore personality."

"You literally eat paper," Viola said.

"That's unrelated."

As they walked through campus together, Snowy happily trotted beside them like a tiny tour guide.

"This building has rich students."

"How can you tell?"

"They smell expensive."

Viola nearly choked laughing.

Snowy continued proudly.

"That classroom belongs to fashion students. Very dramatic species."

Naina stared.

"…Why are you laughing alone?"

"Nothing."

They passed the music room where students practiced loudly.

Then the sports area.

Then the massive central garden.

Westbridge truly looked beautiful.

Students sat under trees. Some played guitar. Some studied. Some fought emotionally over relationships already.

Viola smiled softly.

For the first time in years…

college actually felt exciting.

Maybe this place could become home.

Suddenly Snowy stopped walking.

His ears lifted alertly.

"Oh no."

Viola noticed immediately.

"What happened?"

"The wolf is here."

"…Wolf?"

Before Snowy could answer—

students near the basketball court suddenly moved aside.

A familiar black motorcycle helmet rested on a bench nearby.

And leaning against the court fence casually—

was Ash.

Black shirt today. Sleeves rolled slightly. Hands inside pockets.

Several boys around him looked nervous while talking.

Ash listened silently.

Cold. Unreadable. Dangerously calm.

One of the boys handed him something quickly.

A file.

Or maybe documents.

Viola narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Definitely shady.

Snowy whimpered dramatically.

"See? Mafia meeting."

"You don't know that."

"Look at his face."

Fair point.

As if sensing her stare—

Ash slowly looked up.

Directly at Viola.

Again.

That same sharp unreadable gaze.

Viola instantly looked away.

Too late.

Snowy panicked.

"HE SAW US."

"Relax."

"No one survives eye contact twice."

Naina suddenly grabbed Viola's arm excitedly.

"Oh my god."

"What?"

"He's walking here."

Viola turned.

And immediately regretted existing.

Ash was indeed walking toward them calmly.

Every nearby student started watching openly.

Whispers spread instantly.

"Why does Ash keep talking to her?"

"Freshie got courage."

"Or death wish."

Snowy hid behind Viola's leg.

"Protect me."

"You literally called him wolf two seconds ago."

"I was emotional."

Ash stopped in front of them.

Naina looked ready to faint.

Viola crossed her arms nervously.

"…Hi?"

Ash glanced at Snowy hiding behind her.

The puppy instantly betrayed everyone.

"He knows about the g*n by the way."

Viola internally died.

Ash's eyebrow lifted slightly.

"You told your dog too?"

"He's not my dog."

Snowy whispered dramatically:

"Save yourself, bird girl."

Viola wanted the ground to swallow her alive.

A tiny smirk appeared on Ash's face again.

Rare. Dangerous. Beautiful.

Then he looked at Viola calmly.

"Campus tour?"

Viola blinked.

"…What?"

"You looked lost earlier."

Naina stared at Viola with betrayal.

ASH noticed she looked lost?

Ash continued calmly, "The west wing is confusing for freshers."

For some reason that tiny helpful sentence felt more shocking than anything else.

Because dangerous people weren't supposed to notice small things.

But Ash did.

And somehow…

that felt far more dangerous than rumors.