next morning.

The next morning, Elfaria decides to walk to school. The air is cool and quiet, the street still glistening from the early drizzle. She hums softly under her breath, her braids swaying with every step, enjoying—for once—the normal feeling of being an ordinary student.

She’s just turning a corner near the convenience store when she hears shouting.

“You think you can mess with me?!”

A group of boys are fighting near the gate of an abandoned lot—fists flying, curses echoing. Startled, Elfaria grips her bag tighter and tries to pass quickly, lowering her gaze.

Just as she’s about to slip by, one of the boys breaks away from the scuffle and calls out—

“Hey! Elfie!”

She stops in her tracks, blinking in surprise.

The boy wipes a streak of blood from his lip and grins.

“It’s me—Ci-n! From Section E!”

Elfaria tilts her head, trying to remember.

He’s tall but lean, with tousled hair, sharp eyes, and a bandage on his wrist. The others back off, muttering as he waves them away casually.

“You were fighting... this early in the morning?” she says softly, frowning.

“They started it,” he shrugs. “Anyway, name’s Cinco Neith Peralta—‘Ci-n’ for short.”

He flashes a lopsided grin. “I sit two rows behind you.”

Elfaria nods, remembering the boy who’d been half-asleep during class yesterday.

“You should be careful. That looked serious.”

“Don’t worry,” he laughs. “That’s just morning exercise for Section E kids.”

Elfaria shakes her head, amused despite herself.

“Can I ask you something, Ci-n?”

“Shoot.”

“Why isn’t Section E allowed in the cafeteria?”

Ci-n smirks.

“You really wanna know?”

“Yes.”

He leans closer, lowering his voice playfully.

“Then bring me lunch tomorrow.”

Elfaria blinks.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he grins. “I’ll spill the story only if you bring me lunch. Fair trade, right?”

She sighs but smiles a little.

“Fine. I’ll bring you lunch. Now tell me.”

Ci-n stretches his arms, walking beside her as they continue toward the school.

“Okay, okay. So… it started with a girl—Ella. She was from Section E, used to date Keifer. They were like the ‘power couple’ of our section—always fighting, always making up.”

He kicks a pebble along the road.

“Then one day, Ella gets transferred to Section A. Everyone thought she’d dump Keifer, and… well, she kinda did. Started pretending she didn’t even know him.”

Elfaria listens silently, her steps slowing.

“That must’ve hurt,” she murmurs.

“Yeah, and it got worse. A week later, Keifer caught her in the cafeteria—kissing Aries Fernandez. You know, the golden boy from Section A?”

Elfaria stops walking.

“Aries... Fernandez?” she repeats faintly.

Ci-n nods.

“Yup. Keifer lost it. Tables flipped, trays flew, food everywhere. Whole cafeteria looked like a war zone. After that, the principal banned all of Section E from eating there. Said we were ‘disruptive influences.’”

He laughs bitterly.

“So yeah. That’s why we steal food now. It’s kind of… tradition.”

Elfaria doesn’t respond. Her mind is spinning.

Aries Fernandez.

Her friend.

The one she’s currently living with at the Fernandez household because of her studies.

The son of the man who runs FER Corporation, the very company that made her the ambassador for their new digital devices.

And now… the current bf of Keifer’s ex.

Ci-n glances at her, noticing her dazed expression.

“Hey, you okay? You look like you saw a ghost.”

Elfaria blinks, forcing a small smile.

“No, I’m fine. Just… processing.”

They reach the school gates. The golden letters of Higher Value International School gleam in the morning sun.

“Anyway,” Ci-n says, slinging his bag over his shoulder, “see you in class, Elfie. Don’t forget my lunch tomorrow!”

He jogs off toward the back building, leaving her standing there in quiet disbelief.

Elfaria touches her ID card absentmindedly, her heart thudding.

Aries… Keifer… Ella… all connected to Section E.

She exhales slowly, composing herself before walking through the gate.

“Looks like this school is smaller than I thought,” she murmurs under her breath.

But deep inside, she knows —

this just got a lot more complicated.

Scene: Second Period — “The Warning”

The second period bell rings.

The air inside Section E feels lazy — half the students are asleep, the other half playing on their phones or throwing notes across the room.

Elfaria sits quietly at her desk, flipping through her notebook. She still can’t shake off what Ci-n told her that morning. Every time she sees Kiefer across the room — leaning back in his chair, joking with his friends — she feels a strange twist in her stomach.

He has no idea I know about Ella… or Aries.

A few minutes later, the door slides open.

One of the boys pops his head in.

“Ma’am’s not coming today! Teacher’s absent!”

The class erupts into cheers. Some whistle, others immediately stand on their desks.

Elfaria keeps writing, pretending not to hear.

She’s halfway through solving an equation when she feels someone’s gaze burning into her.

Kiefer.

He pushes back his chair and stands, strolling toward her desk with that same lazy confidence he’d had on her first day.

The chatter dies down bit by bit, as if everyone senses something is about to happen.

He stops right beside her desk.

“Still here, huh?” he says with a smirk. “Guess my advice didn’t reach your ears the first time.”

Elfaria doesn’t look up.

“You mean your threat, Mr. Watson?” she replies calmly, her tone soft but firm.

A few boys snicker. Kiefer’s smirk tightens.

He leans closer, his shadow falling across her desk.

“You think you’re brave, huh? Sitting here, acting all calm like you’re better than us.”

Elfaria closes her notebook, finally meeting his eyes.

“I never said I was better.”

“Then why don’t you listen?” he snaps quietly, his voice low enough for only her to hear. “You’re going to regret not following what I told you. Section E isn’t a place for saints.”

Elfaria studies his face — the faint scar near his eyebrow, the hint of anger buried under his smirk. For a second, she sees not a bully, but someone carrying too much pride and pain.

“Maybe I’ll regret it,” she says softly, “or maybe you’ll see I’m not someone who runs away that easily.”

A hush falls over the class.

Even the boys stop laughing for a moment.

Kiefer stares at her, as if unsure whether to laugh or be impressed. Then he scoffs, tapping her desk with his finger.

“You’ll regret those words, santos.”

He turns and walks back to his seat, laughter from his friends following behind him.

Elfaria exhales quietly, steadying her heartbeat. She opens her notebook again, pretending to focus on her writing — but her mind is already racing.

So this is how he deals with people… through threats and power.

She glances out the window where sunlight filters through the blinds.

Fine then, Kiefer Mark Watson. Let’s see who regrets what.

And though no one notices it, a faint, determined smile flickers on her lips.

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