the prank.

Morning sunlight filtered through the windows of Section E, painting faint golden lines across the worn-out desks. Elfaria walked in quietly, her two braids swaying gently as she made her way to her seat. The boys barely looked up — some snickered under their breath, others ignored her completely.

She didn’t mind.

She’d grown used to the glares and whispers.

As the morning passed, she buried herself in her notes, her calm composure masking the storm of thoughts in her head.

When lunch came, she walked to the back of the classroom where Ci-n and Felix were already sitting.

“Morning, Elfie!” Ci-n greeted, waving a spoon.

“Hey,” she smiled faintly.

They ate together, chatting lightly about random things — Felix teasing Ci-n, Ci-n making bad jokes, and Elfaria occasionally laughing quietly. It was the only part of the day that actually felt… normal.

But normal never lasted long in Section E.

By the last period, the teacher was droning on about formulas, the chalk screeching against the board. Elfaria listened, trying to focus — until the final bell rang.

She began to rise from her chair—

but couldn’t.

Her movement stopped halfway. She frowned and tugged again — her skirt wouldn’t budge. Panic flickered in her eyes as she realized she was stuck.

A low snicker started from the corner of the room. Then another. And another.

Soon, the entire class was laughing.

Kiefer stood up from his seat, smirking like a wolf.

“What’s wrong, Mrs. Santos?” he drawled mockingly. “Didn’t I tell you you’d regret not following me?”

The laughter roared louder, echoing in her ears like cruel thunder. Elfaria’s hands clenched on her desk. She wanted to scream, to cry — but she refused to give them the satisfaction.

She tried to pull herself free again, but it was no use. The chair had been glued to the seat of her skirt.

“Unbelievable…” she whispered under her breath.

When the bell for dismissal rang, the boys grabbed their bags and left one by one, still laughing, throwing teasing comments as they walked out.

Only Felix and Ci-n lingered by the door — guilt flickering in their eyes. They exchanged glances before quietly walking back.

“We… couldn’t defy Kiefer,” Felix said softly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Yeah,” Ci-n muttered. “But we owe you. You fed us, after all.”

Elfaria gave them a tired but grateful look.

Together, they tried pulling her free — but with one strong tug, the chair came loose, and rrrip!

Her skirt tore.

Elfaria froze, mortified. The two boys instantly turned away, both shouting at once —

“We didn’t see anything!”

Luckily, she had her safety shorts on. Ci-n quickly took off his jacket and handed it to her without looking.

“Here, cover up.”

Elfaria smiled faintly, her voice quiet but firm.

“Thanks.”

She slipped into her spare pencil skirt — the one she always carried just in case of unexpected shoots — and adjusted her hair. Her expression was calm again, but her eyes… were cold.

Without another word, she grabbed Ci-n’s jacket from her desk and stormed out of the classroom.

Outside, at the main entrance, Kiefer was leaning against the gate, laughing with the other boys — recounting what happened like it was the best joke of the week.

The moment he looked up, he saw her marching toward them. Her braids swayed sharply behind her, her steps steady and fierce.

She stopped in front of him — silent for a moment.

Then, with a sudden motion, she threw Ci-n’s jacket straight at his face.

The laughter died instantly.

The fabric hit him and fell to the ground, and for a second, the courtyard went utterly silent.

Elfaria looked him dead in the eye.

Her voice was calm, but it carried a blade’s edge.

“You crossed a line, Kiefer.”

Kiefer blinked — half amused, half startled — as the girl everyone thought was soft and harmless glared back at him with fire in her eyes.

The air between them crackled with tension.

And for the first time…

Kiefer didn’t have a comeback ready.