Chapter 15: School Has Never Been So Loud
937 Words
"Arden wanted to disappear."
Vanish, vaporize, melt into the pavement—to anything, rather than go through the school gates with four giant bodyguards surrounding him as if he was some long-lost prince out of a kingdom somewhere.
The students were frozen
A girl spilled her iced coffee.
A boy screamed.
Teachers looked through windows.
A voice was whispered. “I KNEW IT. HE'S JOINING A GANG."
Arden slapped his hands on his face.
"Please," he whimpered to the universe, "just smite me."
The guards moved to form a protective box around him.
Ironically, this only made him look much more suspicious.
“Sir, please keep your head up,” urged one of the bodyguards.
“NO!” Arden hissed. “I DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO SEE MY HEAD. I WANT THEM TO SEE ME SIX FEET UNDER.”
Students gathered closer, whispering loudly—
“OMG who is he?”
Why does he have bodyguards?”
“Is he a celebrity?”
“No, he’s too dumb to be a celebrity.”
“Maybe witness protection?”
“No, look at him. He’d blow the whole government’s cover just by accident
Arden threw up his hands in exasperation. “HELLO, YES, HI, I AM JUST A NORMAL STUDENT—PLEASE STOP—”
A girl gasped.
"I saw this in a k-drama before! He's being coerced into marrying a rich CEO!"
Arden almost choked.
“WHERE DID YOU EVEN—why would I—WHO WOULD MARRY ME—I MEAN—
Rumors spread like wildfire.
He’s adopted by a politician!
“He's secretly royalty!”
‘He’s a kidnapped prince!’
“He has an international stalker!”
“He’s a mafia heir!”
“Arden burst out,”
“STOP MAKING IT WORSE—IT’S NOT—OKAY MAYBE ONE OF THOSE IS KIND OF TRUE BUT NO—WAIT—IGNORE THAT
The guards shared a synchronized sigh.
-
THE CLASSROOM SHOWDOWN
Just as Arden approached the classroom door, he could only pray that people would act normally.
They didn't.
The whole class was frozen when he entered.
“One student screamed, got out of his chair, and pretended to die.”
"Another grabbed his chest," one eyewitness
“Oh God. He’s back for revenge.”
Arden banged his hands on his desk.
"I JUST CAME TO STUDY. I AM HERE TO LEARN. TO ABSORB KNOWLEDGE. LIKE A REGULAR HUMAN SPONGE.”
Leaning in close was his best friend, Lila, who had her eyes wide open
“Arden. Be honest. Are you. dealing drugs?”
Arden gasped so forcefully that he wheezed.
“NO?! I CAN'T EVEN DEAL WITH MY HOMEWORK.”
"Then why do you have bodyguards?!"
Arden's eye twitched
“Because someone won’t stop being a dramatic Mafia—”
He slapped a hand over his mouth.
Too late.
Everyone looked at us
A voice whispered, “He said mafia. He DID say mafia.”
Arden threw himself, mind included, off the cliff.
---
THE MOMENT THE WHOLE SCHOOL HANGS IN SUSPENSION
“Just when Arden thought it couldn’t get worse—”
It only went from there.
The classroom door slid open.
But then the cause of Arden’s woes appeared.
Kait
Tall. Cold. Dangerously handsome. Face chiseled from stone.
He entered the room as if he owned the place.
Which, quite honestly, he probably did. /
The whole class let out a gasp
A person fainted
Another student dropped his phone, whispering,
“He's real. The legend. The iceberg. The transfer student with 17 rumors.”
Kaito's eyes scanned the room…
…and homed in on Arden
Who immediately ducked behind his notebook.
This made Kaito raise an eyebrow.
Arden froze.
He peered over the notebook as a scared hamster might.
"Kaito?" he repeated.
Kaito
The room was dead silent.
He stopped directly in front of Arden.
“Why are you hiding?”
Arden squeaked
“I’m not hiding—this is a studying position.”
Kaito took three seconds to stare.
“You’re holding the notebook upside down.”
Arden flipped it quickly.
“N-no it’s not
Kaito reached forward—
—and swiped Arden's forehead.
“You haven’t responded to my previous message,” Kaito said matter-of-factly.
His voice had been soft, yet menacing.
The class collectively leaned in.
Arden thrashed
“I—I fell asleep! I have a very weak soul!”
His eyes eased up—barely.
“And I asked the guards to take you out. You’re irresponsible.”
Arden gasped
“MISTER MAFIA MAN—I AM RESPONSIBLE EN
'How many times did you trip on your way to school?' Kaito asked.
Arden pointed his finger accusingly.
“THAT SIDEWALK WAS NOT LEVEL—"
There was a murmur from the school.
“They’re….
“They know each other??”
“Are they… friends??
“Or rivals??
“Or… lo-"
Arden choked in reaction, slapping his chest in turn.
"K-KAI--tell them we are NOT--NOT whatever they're thinking"
Kaito looked at the class. Stared at Arden. "Then said:" “No comment.”
The SPLIT SECOND OF SILENCE before the class burst into chaos was the most peaceful time of Arden’s brief life.
Then— “K “Oh my god,”— “SHIP “ARE THEY DATING— “THE ENERGY—the chemistry—then Arden smashed his face into the desk.
“Kaito … why would you say that….”
Kaito faintly smiled Because he knew exactly what he was doing. And Arden? Arden wanted to scream into the void.
After-school announcement:
Kaito has a need to have a 'private talk' with Arden.
- Writer
