The cool morning gradually shifted into a gentle warmth as Al arrived at the school grounds, the sunlight filtering through the trees in scattered golden streaks that seed to illuminate the bustling activity of the senior students who had mostly gathered for the day.
Their presence brought a subtle liveliness to HIHS, lending a brief, yet necessary, respite to the lingering tension caused by the unusually heavy police presence stationed around the school.
From the distance near the main gate, he imdiately noticed Rina waving enthusiastically in his direction, her figure unmistakable among the sea of students.
"Hey, Al!" she called out, her voice cutting through the ambient chatter like a familiar lody, imdiately drawing his attention from the midst of the crowd.
Al could only respond with a simple nod, moving forward with deliberate steps toward her.
Rina appeared remarkably refreshed, her recovery evidently swift and efficient. He thought.
Yet, an uneasy premonition stirred within him, a subtle warning that her sudden appearance might carry implications he could not yet discern.
But... why does her being here make feel so uneasy? he wondered quietly, a frown tugging at his brow.
Before long, Dila also arrived, clearly having recovered from her brief treatnt. She was accompanied by Idham—her rival—and a few of their acquaintances, their presence subtly signaling an inevitable encounter.
As if guided by so intrinsic instinct, both Dila and Idham imdiately seed to sense Al’s presence. Their gazes pivoted sharply in his direction, locking onto him with uncanny precision even before he reached Rina.
Without hesitation, Dila stepped forward with energetic exuberance, waving her arms and calling out as though trying to compensate for a long-awaited reunion, even though they had only t a few days ago.
"Al! Rinaaa!" she shouted, her voice radiating a combination of excitent and playful mischief.
Idham was left standing slightly stunned, his expression frozen in mild disbelief.
"Eh... since when did they beco that close?" he muttered under his breath, a flicker of confusion shadowing his features.
He glanced at Al, who wore a noticeably uncomfortable expression while greeting Dila and Rina, a subtle tension visible in the otherwise casual deanor he tried to maintain.
"Hmph. That orphaned brat..." he whispered, a hint of begrudging contemplation lacing his tone, as though silently lanting so hidden misfortune.
Lowering his gaze, he murmured further, "Does he even have a future after all this?"
"What future are you talking about, Idham?" one of his friends teased lightly. "Are you sleepwalking?"
"Yeah, Idham. It’s still early in the morning. Are you dreaming already? Or are you still dreaming? Haha," another chid in, their laughter blending seamlessly with the morning’s cacophony.
The remarks were mildly startling to Idham, leaving him to absentmindedly scratch the back of his head in awkward bewildernt.
"Haha. No, I’m just thinking about sothing," he finally responded, a forced composure in his voice. "Never mind. Let’s just move along."
With that, the group continued walking, teasing Idham with small, playful gestures as they passed.
Al, anwhile, had reached the front of Rina, with Dila trailing just a few steps behind.
"Ohooo... the boyfriend of the number one girl in our generation has finally arrived," Rina teased, her tone a playful blend of mischief and provocation as she referenced Yura. "Or should I say... the experintal bunny? Haha."
Her teasing imdiately cast a subtle annoyance over Al’s morning, an irritation that settled over him like a faint storm cloud.
No wonder I felt uneasy about this... he thought, exhaling softly.
He raised a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet.
"Psst! Don’t talk about it here. I’m not in the mood," he replied lazily, a slight edge of irritation in his tone.
Hearing this, Dila’s curiosity flared instantly, reaching an almost comical peak of nosiness.
"Huh? Al has a girlfriend? And what do you an by the best girl in our generation? Who is she?" she demanded, her eyes sparkling with eager curiosity as if she were already unraveling a mystery only seconds old.
Al and Rina turned to glance at her, and for a fleeting mont, they simply stared at one another, neither speaking a word, the tension stretching thinly across the space between them.
Eventually, Al could only sigh, tapping his forehead in a gesture of resigned exasperation.
"You’ve already brought trouble for first thing in the morning, Rina," he complained, his tone laced with mock irritation.
Rina could only respond with a soft, slightly awkward chuckle, the sound light and teasing.
"Hey! You guys aren’t answering ! What’s going on? Who is Al’s girlfriend? And why is this even a problem?" Dila protested, her persistence unwavering.
Rina rely shook her head.
"I think you’re going to have to guess for yourself. I’m not exactly the type to reveal soone else’s personal life, hehe," she replied playfully, her tone carrying the light teasing warmth of a mischievous confidante.
That single remark was enough to leave Dila staring at Al, who remained the sole remaining source of answers, the central figure around whom this unfolding drama revolved.
Al, however, rely tapped his forehead lightly once more, signaling his gentle frustration.
"Don’t bother asking. It’s not important. Let’s just head inside," he said, his tone edged with slight irritation as he began moving forward.
Rina laughed softly, following him with a playful step.
anwhile, Dila pouted in exaggerated frustration, stomping along behind them.
"Aaahh! You really do enjoy keeping secrets from , don’t you?" she exclaid, her voice a mix of protest and incredulity as she followed closely.
And so, they proceeded forward in their uniquely aligned formation: Al with his expression radiating annoyance, Rina giggling quietly at his discomfort, and Dila trailing behind, launching a relentless barrage of questions with unwavering determination.
---
Once inside the school building, Al imdiately scanned the entire assembly of students present.
His heightened perception spreading invisibly through every corridor, hallway, and classroom, enveloping the entirety of the school’s spatial boundaries with an almost tactile awareness of every individual’s presence.
And yet, even within this ticulously extended radius of detection, it was imdiately clear to him that Rudi and Jogo were conspicuously absent, along with their usual entourage of inseparable companions and troublemakers.
No one had uttered a single question about their whereabouts. No whispers circulated through the crowd. No inquisitive eyes searched for them amidst the throngs of students milling about the halls.
Yet Al—without doubt or hesitation—knew the truth.
Not even a whisper of rumor existed; it seed as if no one truly knew their fate. Hmph. Of course... it would never be announced to the public that two elite students had been involved in a humiliating—or perhaps even horrifying—incident, he reflected silently.
Shortly thereafter, all students were directed toward the expansive central auditorium, the sa grand hall that had hosted the school’s festival that day.
Today, however, it would serve a more ceremonial and emotionally formative function.
This was one of those traditional rituals commonly conducted in schools throughout Indorosia—a combination of reflective ditation and psychological fortification designed to prepare students ntally for the impending academic examinations.
Teachers, administrative staff, and even specially invited professional motivators provided structured guidance, aiming to instill both scholastic determination and philosophical clarity regarding their forthcoming life trajectories.
These presentations were simultaneously motivational for examinations and instructive for navigating the complexities of future existence.
The proceedings unfolded in a warm, uplifting manner. The headmaster delivered a speech suffused with encouragent. Teachers offered counsel and reflective anecdotes regarding the three-year journey of academic diligence and communal learning that the students had collectively undertaken.
Professional consultants, specially contracted for the occasion, demonstrated remarkable skill in their ability to cultivate the students’ ntal resilience, ensuring that the school’s elite attendees appreciated the gravitas of the impending examinations with appropriate seriousness.
A few students could not restrain themselves, succumbing to tears as the realization dawned that their high school years were inevitably drawing to a close.
Even Al—who had maintained a predominantly indifferent deanor throughout the morning—felt his emotions tugged slightly by the poignant atmosphere, a faint warmth touching the edges of his otherwise disciplined detachnt.
Although I am here solely for the purpose of completing my mission, all of these mories... they still hold undeniable significance, he considered introspectively.
His gaze swept across the room, lingering particularly on the students he recognized, especially those from the afternoon classes.
Will we ever et again under circumstances as amicable as these, in the future? Or will we encounter one another as strangers, each unrecognizable to the other in all but mory?
He then sighed.
Whatever it is. You are the ones who have imparted the most lessons to during my ti here. Forgive for inconveniencing you so frequently, he murmured quietly, a sentintal smile softening his expression.
And so, the assembly proceeded for him, a structured series of formalities interspersed with emotional reflection.
Toward the conclusion, the discussion naturally transitioned to preparations for the post-examination farewell ceremony, scheduled for the following week.
Even the re rumor of the upcoming event sparked a mild uproar among the student body:
"Whoa... why does it feel like it’s happening so fast?"
"And we’re actually supposed to perform?"
"Aghh... because of that explosion, our final act at school is going to be ridiculous."
These complaints, though lighthearted, carried the authentic anxiety of students unaccustod to formal public events.
Nonetheless, the arrangents had been finalized, and the assembly concluded, leaving behind a lingering air of bittersweet sentint that clung to the auditorium like an invisible fragrance.
One by one, students began to disperse, the echoes of footsteps and hushed conversations gradually fading into the building’s interior.
Al watched the people passing by. This ti, he happened to be seated among his classmates from the afternoon session, positioned far enough from Rina and Dila. Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, he stood up and decided to leave before Rina and Dila could appear to bother him.
It would be wise to leave imdiately. There are several matters I need to investigate, including who had been following earlier this morning, he considered carefully.
However, before he could take a single step toward freedom, a teacher approached him with a asured pace.
"Al. The headmaster requests your presence in his office. Imdiately."
"Huh? ? What is it, sir?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in mild suspicion.
"Hmm... I believe it would be best if you went to ascertain that for yourself," the teacher replied, his tone neutral yet carrying an unspoken weight of caution.
Al hesitated briefly, internal deliberation flickering across his features.
Is this... so sort of recognition for being the most outstanding student? Or am I about to receive the title of the laziest? he pondered wryly.
Eventually, he gave a slight nod of reluctant acknowledgnt.
Together, they proceeded down the corridor.
Rina, Dila, and coincidentally, Karen, had begun moving toward Al to approach him, but upon witnessing him being escorted by the teacher, they halted imdiately. Their expressions shifted subtly, curiosity mingling with an inexplicable unease that settled uncomfortably in their chests.
"Hm... what could it possibly be?" Rina whispered under her breath.
"Did he get into trouble?" Dila murmured, her voice tinged with concern.
"Does Al even usually get into trouble?" Karen asked innocently, tilting her head slightly.
Al turned briefly and inadvertently caught sight of the three of them.
They t his gaze and gestured subtly, as if silently inquiring what had transpired.
Al could only shrug, signaling that he genuinely did not know. Yet he sensed one unmistakable certainty—whatever awaited him, it would be troubleso.
Idham, watching from a distance, could do nothing but shake his head slowly.
"Good luck, kid," he muttered under his breath, a faint note of begrudging respect hidden within the words.
---
Before long, they arrived at the designated room.
The headmaster’s office carried an unusually cold, almost clinical atmosphere, the air itself seeming to weigh heavily upon those who entered.
As Al stepped inside, his eyes imdiately locked onto four n seated with an unmistakable aura of dominion radiating from each of them.
The headmaster sat alone upon a separate sofa, his posture formal yet relaxed, observing the proceedings with asured patience.
Directly across from him sat Lefon Tamarvich—the father of Idham—a man clad in an elegant suit, his piercing eyes exuding sharp, unyielding perception as he maintained a composed deanor.
Between the headmaster’s sofa and Lefon, a long couch hosted two additional figures.
To the right sat a man dressed in slightly casual attire, yet his facial features bore a striking resemblance to Jogo, and his physique was notably larger and more muscular than the average human—likely Jogo’s father.
To the left sat a figure whose presence alone radiated pure exasperation to Al’s senses, soone he knew all too well: Darius Norvalien, father of Rudi.
Both n’s gazes pierced him with unambiguous hostility, their expressions laden with a murderous intent that was impossible to misinterpret.
Al t their eyes evenly, his own expression carefully neutral and almost detached.
Ohoo... this is going to be interesting, he thought, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, ntally preparing himself for the confrontation that was undoubtedly about to unfold.
---
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