In the weeks following their return from Italy and the collapse of the Santoro syndicate, school life resumed its ordinary rhythm—on the surface, at least. Yet, beneath the familiar chatter of the hallways, a subtle shift had taken root among the student body.
Alex and his guardians had become a bit too smooth at disappearing. Unannounced absences, sudden departures midway through the afternoon, and an unmistakable, quiet intensity between the six of them hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Have you noticed how Alex and his group keep vanishing during lunch?" one student whispered near the lockers, glancing down the hall where the six of them stood by the stairwell. "They'll be here one minute, and then totally gone for two days."
"It's not just that," another classmate added, leaning in. "Look at how they talk to each other. It's like they're running some kind of secret club."
The rumors multiplied daily. Speculation ranged from elite underground athletic training to high-stakes family business, threatening to erode the carefully constructed facade of normal high school life Alex had fought to preserve.
Noticing the lingering glances and quiet huddles whenever they walked past, Alex called a quick meeting behind the gymnasium during the morning recess.
"We have a situation," Alex said softly, keeping his eyes on the courtyard perimeter. "Our disappearances after the Rome operation have caught too much attention. The rumors are starting to pile up."
Hayato crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. "We can't have people digging into our schedules. If someone starts looking too closely into our travel records or absences, it risks pulling the family into the spotlight."
"We need a cover," Angelo suggested, leaning against the brick wall. "Something mundane enough to satisfy people's curiosity so they stop asking questions."
Tatsuya grinned, snapping his fingers. "What if we sign up for an intensive club? Say we're doing off-site martial arts conditioning or preparing for a regional tournament. That explains the random fatigue and the sudden schedule changes."
"That actually works," Marco agreed, stepping into the shade. "It gives a logical reason for us always hanging out as a unit, and it covers any minor bruises from training without raising eyebrows."
Giovanni smirked, tossing a piece of chalk between his fingers. "And I can ensure a few 'accidental' details slip out to the biggest talkers in class to make the story stick naturally."
Alex nodded, relief relaxing his shoulders. "Alright. We keep our heads down, stick to the tournament story, and act like ordinary students while we're on campus."
By the time the afternoon bell rang, the new narrative had quietly taken hold. The rumors of mysterious clandestine operations slowly dissolved into ordinary gossip about an over-ambitious martial arts team.
Their classmates went back to their usual routines, completely unaware that behind the quiet smiles of the six boys sitting in the back row lay the formidable foundation of the 10th Generation Luciano family.