...Lunch break at Ishama High was loud....
...Not chaotic—just alive....
...Voices overlapped across the courtyard, chairs scraped against tiled floors, laughter bounced between walls. It was the kind of noise that made everything feel normal… grounded....
...Which made it easier to miss when something wasn’t....
...—...
...In the staff room—...
...“…I’m telling you, this is targeted harassment.”...
...Dustin leaned back in his chair, one arm hanging lazily over the side as he stared up at the ceiling like it had personally wronged him....
...“I don’t care what anyone says. There’s no other explanation.”...
...—...
...“You say that every year.”...
...The voice came from beside him—sharp, controlled....
...A woman stood with arms crossed, posture straight, expression unmoved....
...Ms. Karell....
...Strict. Efficient. The exact opposite of Dustin....
...—...
...“And every year I’m right,” Dustin replied without missing a beat. “But no one listens.”...
...—...
...Across the room, a few teachers pretended not to listen....
...They were listening....
...—...
...“You were assigned Class E4,” Ms. Karell said flatly. “Not exiled.”...
...Dustin slowly turned his head toward her....
...“…You’ve seen their scores, right?”...
...“Yes.”...
...“And you’re still talking like this is survivable?” Dustin Continued....
...—...
...Before she could respond—...
...The door opened....
...—...
...The Principal stepped in....
...Silence shifted slightly....
...Not forced....
...Just… acknowledged....
...—...
...“Mr. Valemont.”...
...Dustin didn’t even sit up properly....
...“Yes, your majesty?”...
...—...
...A pause....
...—...
...Ms. Karell closed her eyes briefly....
...—...
...“I trust you’ve reviewed your assigned class,” the Principal said calmly....
...“I have,” Dustin replied. “And I’ve reached a professional conclusion.”...
...“Which is?”...
...“I’d like a transfer.”...
...—...
...A few quiet snickers echoed in the room....
...—...
...“Denied,” the Principal said immediately, with...
... a smirk.....
...“Tragic.”...
...—...
...Dustin finally sat up, resting his chin in his palm....
...“Let me guess… you’re going to say something inspiring now?”...
...—...
...“You were entrusted with Class E4 because of your results.”...
...—...
...Dustin blinked once....
...“…My results?”...
...“Yes.”...
...—...
...He leaned back again....
...“Ah. That explains it.”...
...“Explains what?”...
...“Why I’m being punished for my own success.”...
...—...
...Ms. Karell sighed....
...—...
...“Your methods,” the Principal continued, “are unconventional.”...
...“That’s…, uhm, …a generous way of putting it.”...
...“But effective.” The principal added....
...—...
...Dustin waved a hand dismissively....
...“Sure. For classes that actually want to function.”...
...—...
...“They will function.”...
...“They won’t.” 😒...
...“Then You will make them.”...
...“I won’t.” 😒...
...—...
...A brief silence....
...—...
...“…You will,” the Principal repeated....
...—...
...Dustin stared at him for a few seconds....
...Then—...
...Smiled....
...—...
...“Fine.”...
...—...
...Too easily....
...—...
...“I’ll do it,” he said....
...—...
...Ms. Karell narrowed her eyes slightly....
...She knew that tone....
...—...
...“But just so we’re clear,” Dustin added casually, “if this class collapses, I’m blaming you.”...
...“That will not be necessary.”...
...“Oh, it will be.”...
...—...
...He stood up, stretching lazily....
...“I mean, you’ve got a class with low scores, low motivation, and—what was it again?”...
...He tapped his chin....
...—...
...“Oh right.”...
...“The first student to repeat a class here in twelve years.”...
...—...
...The room went quiet again....
...—...
...“Asuki,” the Principal said....
...—...
...“Yeah, him,” Dustin replied. “No pressure or anything.”...
...—...
...“You are expected to address that situation.”...
...“I’m expected to fix it,” Dustin corrected....
...—...
...The Principal didn’t respond....
...—...
...Dustin grinned....
...“You know… this might actually backfire.”...
...“How so?”...
...“Well…”...
...He gestured to himself....
...—...
...“You’ve put a highly charming, extremely attractive, and very distracting teacher in front of an already unfocused class.”...
...—...
...A beat....
...—...
...“They’re not going to learn anything…, obvi….”...
...—...
...Some of the teachers couldn’t hold it in....
...A few laughs slipped out....
...—...
...Ms. Karell didn’t....
...—...
...“…You’re insufferable,” she muttered....
...—...
...Dustin placed a hand over his chest....
...“And yet, effective.”...
...—...
...The Principal turned to leave....
...“Results, Mr. Valemont.”...
...—...
...Dustin gave a lazy salute....
...“Hey!, we agreed to call me Wikler around here.”...
...The principal doesn't respond....
...—...
...—...
...Back outside—...
...The air felt lighter....
...Students moved freely between spaces, conversations shifting naturally....
...—...
...Near the courtyard—...
...“Wait, wait—say that again.”...
...Derek leaned forward, grinning....
...—...
...“I said you’re overthinking it,” Chris replied calmly....
...—...
...“I’m not overthinking anything.”...
...“You always are.”...
...—...
...Hansuke stood nearby, only half-listening....
...—...
...Because across the courtyard—...
...—...
...Lyra Rhodes walked past....
...—...
...Everything about her presence was… intentional....
...The way she moved. The way people looked....
...Confident....
...Composed....
...Effortless....
...—...
...Derek followed Hansuke’s gaze....
...“…You’ve got range, I’ll give you that.”...
...—...
...Hansuke didn’t respond....
...—...
...“Rawley *and* Lyra?” Derek continued. “Bro’s trying to collect personalities at this point.”...
...“Don't act like you don't have eyes on her Derek…” Hansuke Talked back....
...—...
...Chris sighed....
...“Focus.”...
...—...
...“We *are* focusing,” Derek said. “Only someone's emotionally unstable”...
...“Says the guy who's never gone on a date”...
...“Atleast I'm not Shameful enough to target two girls at once…”...
...—...
...Hansuke exhaled lightly....
...“…We’re done talking about this.”...
...—...
...“Yeah,” Derek said. “Because you refuse to act on it.”...
...—...
...Chris adjusted...
...“Both you, cut it out…, what's wrong with y'all”...
...“We have bigger priorities.”...
...—...
...That shifted things again....
...—...
...Hansuke glanced at his palm briefly....
...The cut had already begun to close....
...But—...
...It still burned....
...—...
...“…Yeah,” he said quietly....
...—...
...—...
...Elsewhere—...
...Cora sat on a low wall, swinging one leg slightly as she scrolled through her phone....
...—...
...Jackson stood nearby, arms crossed....
...“You really didn’t have to step in earlier.”...
...—...
...She didn’t look up....
...“I know.”...
...—...
...“…Then why did you?”...
...—...
...She paused....
...Then glanced at him....
...—...
...“Because you were being annoying.”...
...—...
...Jackson frowned. “I was being accurate.”...
...“You were being unnecessary.”...
...—...
...A beat....
...—...
...“…He’s not your problem,” Jackson added....
...—...
...Cora smiled faintly....
...“Neither are you.”...
...—...
...“…Wow, we're doing that now.” Jackson replied, clearly taken aback...
...—...
...She returned to her phone....
...Conversation over....
...—...
...—...
...Inside the main building—...
...The bell rang again....
...Lunch break was ending....
...—...
...Students began filtering back into their classrooms....
...The noise faded....
...Gradually....
...—...
...Asuki walked through the hallway....
...Head slightly down....
...Hands in his pockets....
...—...
...Normal....
...—...
...But his mind wasn’t....
...—...
...The restroom....
...—...
...That thing....
...—...
...The way it looked at him....
...—...
...His chest tightened slightly....
...—...
...“…It wasn’t real.”...
...He said it under his breath....
...—...
...It sounded empty....
...—...
...Because it didn’t feel true....
...—...
...He turned a corner—...
...—...
...And collided with someone....
...—...
...“—Ah.”...
...—...
...The impact wasn’t hard....
...But enough to throw him slightly off balance....
...—...
...“Sorry—”...
...He started—...
...—...
...“Careful.”...
...—...
...A hand reached out, steadying him....
...—...
...Dustin....
...—...
...Asuki blinked....
...“…Sorry.”...
...—...
...Dustin looked at him properly now....
...—...
...And paused....
...—...
...Something—...
...Was wrong....
...—...
...Not visibly....
...Not physically....
...—...
...But there was something—...
...Lingering....
...—...
...A residue....
...—...
...Faint....
...But unmistakable....
...—...
...Zext....
...—...
...Corrupted....
...—...
...Dustin’s expression didn’t change....
...But his eyes sharpened....
...—...
...“…You okay?” he asked casually....
...—...
...Asuki hesitated....
...“…Yeah.”...
...—...
...A lie....
...—...
...Dustin could see it....
...Not the words—...
...The fear....
...—...
...It was still there....
...Fresh....
...Raw....
...—...
...And behind it—...
...—...
...Something else....
...—...
...Something that didn’t belong....
...—...
...For a split second—...
...Dustin almost saw it....
...—...
...A distortion....
...—...
...Like something standing just behind Asuki—...
...Watching through him....
...—...
...Then—...
...Gone....
...—...
...The was a subtle color change in Dustin's...
... eyes, from the usual Sky blue to a more…...
...Light green, very unnoticeable… As he...
...Scanned the surroundings...
...The hallway returned to normal....
...Students passed by....
...Voices resumed....
...—...
...But Dustin didn’t move....
...—...
...“…Interesting,” he murmured under his breath....
...—...
...Asuki frowned slightly....
...“…What?”...
...—...
...Dustin smiled....
...Light....
...Easy....
...Gone....
...—...
...“Nothing.”...
...—...
...He helped Asuki steady himself fully....
...Then—...
...Leaned in slightly....
...—...
...Just enough—...
...So only Asuki could hear....
...—...
...“Head home immediately after school.”...
...—...
...Asuki froze....
...—...
...“And whatever you do…”...
...—...
...Dustin’s voice dropped....
...—...
...“Don’t leave your house.”...
...—...
...A pause....
...—...
...“…Okay?”...
...—...
...There was no humor in his tone....
...—...
...None....
...—...
...Before Asuki could respond—...
...Dustin had already stepped back....
...—...
...And just like that—...
...He was walking away....
...—...
...Normal again....
...—...
...Asuki turned slowly....
...Watching him....
...—...
...Confusion....
...Fear....
...—...
...“…Did he—”...
...—...
...No....
...—...
...That didn’t make sense....
...—...
...He looked around....
...—...
...Students....
...Hallways....
...Everything normal....
...—...
...But—...
...—...
...That feeling—...
...—...
...It was back....
...—...
...Stronger now....
...—...
...Not just watching—...
...—...
...Observing....
...—...
...From somewhere—...
...—...
...Not here....
...—...
...—...
...The final bell rang....
...—...
...School was over....
...—...
...Students began leaving in waves....
...Energy rising again as structure faded....
...—...
...Asuki walked out with them....
...—...
...Step by step....
...—...
...Trying to ignore it....
...—...
...Trying to believe—...
...—...
...Everything was still normal....
...—...
...—...
...It wasn’t....
...—...
...Because something had already marked him....
...—...
...And no matter where he went next—...
...—...
...It was going to follow....
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