Chapter 8: Stubbornness 101 and the Not-So-Subtle Mafia Echoes
800 Words
Lee Arden Santos strode through the hallways of school as if he owned the place: the mud was gone, milk tea was safely stashed in his backpack (don't ask how he smuggled it past the lunch monitors), and his hair-mostly-looked presentable.
Today, he decided, he would act exactly like he had before. Impossible to intimidate, stubborn, fearless, and entirely normal, even if he had, well, just survived being chased by the mafia a week ago.
"Normal Arden," he whispered to himself, "today, you are untouchable. Today, you are a regular student. Today… you are boring."
Of course, Arden failed almost immediately.
As he entered class, Milo nudged him. "Uh… Arden… that guy-the new transfer, Kaito Sakamura? He's… looking at you."
Arden blinked. “Looking at me? Oh no, Milo. No no no no no."
Kaito sat in the back, his arms crossed, his expression colder than the Arctic, oozing the vibe of "I could destroy your entire social life with a single glance."
Students whispered that Kaito was feared school-wide, possibly owned the place, and definitely had a bodyguard somewhere. Maybe two.
Arden, of course, overlooked all common sense.
He marched to his seat, chin high, backpack bouncing. He dropped into his chair like a general taking command of a battlefield.
Milo muttered something about Arden being "insane" under his breath. Arden smiled to himself. Yes. Exactly.
Class started. Arden wrote notes furiously, sometimes looking over at Kaito. Kaito didn't flinch, didn't smirk, didn't have an obvious blink.
He just sat there exuding doom like a very stylish sun. Arden's head immediately flashed back to last week: mafia, mud, milk tea, terrifyingly handsome leader, and the word "interesting."
Oh no.
Arden leaned into Milo. "Do you think. he's like. the mafia, but in school? Maybe he's undercover. Maybe he's tracking me."
Milo snorted. "Uh… he's just a transfer student. Chill."
“Chill?!” Arden whispered fiercely. “You don’t understand, Milo. Last week, I— ”
Arden trailed off as Kaito’s eyes veered, ever so slightly, in his direction. His heart sank. Milo looked highly entertained. “Dude, chill… maybe he just… likes your notebook?”
“LIKE MY NOTEBOOK?!” Arden hushed-screamed.
“No. Impossible. He radiates evil. Danger. Cruelty. Possibly… mafia-level intensity. And now he's here, watching me. He knows things. He always knows things!”
She cleared her throat. “Mr. Santos, can you focus on your work?
Arden snapped out of his spiral. "Yes, yes, focus… must… not… panic…"
He bent over his notebook, doodling tiny stick figures with capes and milk tea shields. Totally normal, totally studious, and definitely not trying to plan an escape route.
Lunch arrived. Arden, though still set on acting like a normal, obstinate student, veered his tray past Kaito's table.
He nearly tripped on a chair, milk tea jostling precariously in the backpack, but he caught himself with the grace of a caffeinated ninja.
Kaito's eyes followed him. Arden froze. "No… no… not again. Not here," he whispered.
He chose a table near Milo, acting casual, smiling at everyone and waving like he hadn’t just survived mafia henchmen, mud, and milk tea peril last week.
Then came the whispers. Everywhere. "Transfer student… so cold… so cruel… like he owns the school… don't even think about looking at him."
Arden's stomach clenched. Milo nudged him. "Dude… maybe you should… lay low?"
Arden stared at Milo. "Lay low? Have you lost your mind? I am Arden Santos. Survivor. I do not lay low. I do not cower. I do not—"
Kaito’s eyes landed on him again. Arden's brain:
Don't move.
Don't breathe.
Don't—
"ATCHOOOO!"
He sneezed violently.
Kaito blinked. Arden instantly ducked behind his tray. Not again. Not again. This is exactly what happened with the mafia. I am doomed.
Milo face-palmed. "Dude… seriously. It's a sneeze."
“No! This is precisely the mafia flashback! This is history repeating itself! He's judging me! He's. interesting-ing me!”
Yes. Arden used "interesting" as a verb. And no, he didn't care.
The rest of the day was a blur of Arden's over-the-top stubbornness, attempts to act normal, and Kaito's chilling, silent observation.
Arden tried to pay attention to schoolwork, avoid cafeteria mishaps, and keep his milk tea intact. Every glance from Kaito made him jump. Every whisper in the hall made him imagine mafia-like interrogations.
Arden slumped in his chair by the end of the day, absolutely worn out. Milo whispered, “You’re… definitely not normal.”
Arden smiled weakly. "Normal is boring. Survival is everything. And one day… one day, the world will recognize my genius. My stubbornness. My milk tea resilience. And when it does… Kaito Sakamura… will understand… I am Arden."
Somewhere, faraway, a faint echo seemed to resound through the hall. Arden shivered. Interesting… very interesting. -
- Writer
