Seatmate From Hell

Ariana Sen officially decided that Westbridge Academy was cursed.

Not haunted.

Not unlucky.

Cursed.

Because no normal school could create this much drama within twenty-four hours.

The next morning, Ariana stood inside a crowded train with half-closed eyes and a coffee cup in her hand while mentally preparing herself for another exhausting day.

Outside the window, the city slowly woke up beneath the pale morning sky.

Meanwhile, Ariana wanted to disappear permanently.

Her phone buzzed aggressively.

MAYA: ARE YOU ALIVE?!

ARIANA: Unfortunately.

MAYA: The school group chat is going insane.

ARIANA: Why?

Three dots appeared instantly.

Then—

MAYA: Because Kian Roy smiled at you yesterday.

Ariana nearly dropped her coffee.

An old woman beside her gave her a judgmental look.

“Sorry,” Ariana muttered awkwardly.

She quickly typed back.

ARIANA: People need hobbies.

MAYA: NO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.

MAYA: HE NEVER SMILES.

ARIANA: Maybe his face glitched.

MAYA: I’m serious!!

ARIANA: And I’m sleepy.

She locked her phone before Maya could send another dramatic message.

Honestly, Ariana still didn’t understand why everyone treated Kian like some mythical creature.

Yes, he was handsome.

Yes, he was rich.

Yes, he had intense “I hate humanity” energy.

But people acted like he was royalty.

It was ridiculous.

By the time Ariana reached Westbridge Academy, the campus was already buzzing with energy.

Students gathered near the fountain while expensive cars lined up outside the gates.

Ariana walked past them quietly, hoping for at least one peaceful day.

That hope died immediately.

Because the moment she entered the hallway—

People started staring.

Again.

Some girls whispered while looking directly at her.

Others openly glared.

Ariana stopped walking.

“…Why are they looking at me like I committed a crime?”

Then she heard someone whisper:

“That’s the girl.”

“The one Kian smiled at.”

“Ohhh…”

Ariana closed her eyes slowly.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

Maya suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her arm dramatically.

“You’re famous now.”

“I hate this school.”

“I told you yesterday that your life was over.”

Ariana sighed deeply.

“You’re enjoying this too much.”

“Obviously.”

The girls walked toward class together while Maya updated Ariana on the latest gossip.

“Apparently Rhea was furious yesterday.”

“Who?”

“The girl who brought Kian’s notebook.”

“Oh. Miss Rich Princess.”

Maya snorted.

“She’s liked Kian for years.”

“And?”

“And he ignores her existence.”

Ariana almost laughed.

“That’s honestly kind of funny.”

“It’s tragic for her and entertaining for everyone else.”

As they entered Class 12-A, conversations immediately quieted.

Ariana felt several eyes following her again.

This school seriously needed therapy.

Maya froze suddenly beside her.

“…Oh no.”

Ariana looked up.

And immediately understood the problem.

The classroom seating arrangement had changed.

A new chart was taped beside the board.

Students crowded around it while whispering excitedly.

Ariana frowned.

“What’s happening?”

Maya looked at her with pity.

“You should prepare yourself emotionally.”

“That sentence never leads to good things.”

Slowly, Ariana walked closer to the chart.

Her eyes scanned the names.

Then stopped.

Seat Number 18: Ariana Sen

Seat Number 19: Kian Roy

Silence.

Absolute silence inside Ariana’s soul.

“…No.”

Maya grabbed her shoulders.

“Stay strong.”

“No.”

“You can survive this.”

“No.”

“This is your villain origin story.”

Ariana turned dramatically.

“I’m transferring schools.”

Before Maya could continue being useless, the classroom door opened.

And suddenly everyone became quieter.

Kian entered lazily with one hand in his pocket.

Several girls immediately straightened their posture.

One almost dropped her pen.

Kian ignored everyone as usual.

Then his gaze landed on Ariana.

And shifted toward the seating chart.

A small pause.

Then—

A tiny smirk appeared on his face.

Ariana narrowed her eyes immediately.

“You look suspicious.”

Kian walked past her calmly.

“You look stressed.”

“I was happy before this.”

“Life is disappointing sometimes.”

Maya looked between them like she was watching a live drama series.

The teacher entered before Ariana could argue further.

“Everyone, take your seats.”

Ariana walked toward the back row like she was approaching her execution.

Kian already sat beside the window with his usual unreadable expression.

Ariana dropped into the chair beside him dramatically.

“I hate this.”

“You’ve mentioned.”

“You’re ruining my academic environment.”

“You talk too much.”

“And you stare too much.”

Kian leaned back lazily.

“You noticed?”

Ariana opened her notebook aggressively.

“This is why nobody likes you.”

The class froze again.

Daniel, sitting nearby, nearly started choking from laughter.

Meanwhile Kian simply rested his chin against one hand while looking at Ariana calmly.

“You’re interesting.”

“And you’re annoying.”

For some reason—

That only amused him more.

The teacher began the lesson, but Ariana quickly realized something horrifying.

Kian was smart.

Like genuinely terrifyingly smart.

Every question the teacher asked—

He answered effortlessly.

Mathematics. Literature. Science.

It was honestly irritating.

At one point, the teacher wrote a difficult equation on the board.

“Can anyone solve this?”

The classroom became silent.

Then—

Ariana raised her hand.

At the same time as Kian.

The class immediately became interested.

The teacher looked surprised.

“Both of you come solve it.”

Ariana stood confidently and walked toward the board.

Beside her, Kian picked up another marker calmly.

The two began solving the equation simultaneously.

The classroom watched silently.

Even the teacher looked impressed.

Within minutes—

Both answers were correct.

Exactly correct.

Ariana glanced sideways at Kian.

He looked back at her calmly.

Competitive energy filled the air instantly.

The teacher laughed awkwardly.

“Well… it seems Class 12-A now has two geniuses.”

Students murmured excitedly.

Meanwhile Ariana sat back down beside Kian.

“You did that on purpose.”

“So did you.”

“You’re irritating.”

“You already said that.”

Ariana groaned quietly.

This boy was impossible.

During break time, several students suddenly surrounded Ariana.

“What’s it like sitting beside Kian?”

“Are you guys friends?”

“Did he really smile yesterday?”

Ariana looked horrified.

“We literally sat together for ten minutes.”

“But he talks to you!”

“That’s because he enjoys causing me emotional damage.”

The students laughed.

But before the conversation could continue—

Rhea Kapoor entered the classroom.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

Rhea walked elegantly toward Ariana’s desk.

Every step looked calculated.

She smiled politely.

“Ariana, right?”

Ariana looked up calmly.

“Yes?”

“I heard you’re adjusting well here.”

“I’m surviving.”

Some students snorted quietly.

Rhea’s smile tightened slightly.

“That’s good. Westbridge can be difficult for… certain students.”

There it was again.

That subtle rich-girl superiority.

Ariana leaned back in her chair.

“You should try saying what you actually mean someday. It saves time.”

The classroom became quiet instantly.

Rhea’s eyes hardened.

Before she could respond—

A voice interrupted calmly.

“She’s busy.”

Everyone turned.

Kian looked up from his phone with cold eyes.

But he wasn’t looking at Ariana.

He was looking at Rhea.

The atmosphere suddenly felt tense.

Rhea forced another smile.

“I was just talking.”

“You’re interrupting my silence.”

Daniel immediately covered his face to hide laughter.

Rhea looked embarrassed for half a second.

Then angry.

Without another word, she walked away.

The classroom exploded into whispers immediately.

“Oh my god…”

“He defended her.”

“Rhea looks furious.”

Ariana turned toward Kian slowly.

“…Did you just rescue me?”

Kian didn’t look up from his phone.

“You were handling it badly.”

“I was doing great.”

“You looked violent.”

“I WAS becoming violent.”

For the first time that day—

Kian laughed quietly.

A real laugh.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

But genuine.

And once again, the entire classroom stared like they had witnessed a supernatural event.

Ariana blinked.

“…Okay that’s actually creepy.”

“What is?”

“Everyone reacting every time you smile.”

Kian’s expression returned to normal instantly.

“They exaggerate things.”

“No. You just act like a depressed vampire.”

Daniel burst out laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair.

Even nearby students started laughing nervously.

Kian stared at Ariana silently for a moment.

Then shook his head slightly.

“You really don’t care who I am.”

Ariana frowned.

“Should I?”

Most people would’ve answered differently.

Most people treated him carefully.

Politely.

Like they were afraid of upsetting him.

But Ariana spoke to him normally.

Argued normally.

Looked directly into his eyes without fear.

And somehow—

That felt new.

The rest of the morning passed strangely fast.

Somehow Ariana and Kian kept arguing over everything.

Class answers.

Books.

Music.

Even coffee flavors.

“You drink bitter coffee on purpose?” Ariana asked in horror.

Kian looked calm.

“It tastes better.”

“It tastes like sadness.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“And you have no personality.”

Daniel whispered to another student nearby:

“This is the funniest thing I’ve seen all year.”

At lunch break, Ariana escaped toward the cafeteria before more social disasters could happen.

Unfortunately—

Kian followed.

Ariana noticed immediately.

“You know stalking is illegal, right?”

“I’m going to lunch.”

“You could go literally anywhere else.”

“And yet here I am.”

Several students stared openly as Kian sat across from Ariana and Maya.

Maya looked ready to sell her soul for gossip.

Daniel joined them casually.

“This feels historic.”

Ariana pointed at him.

“You encourage him too much.”

Daniel grinned.

“Seeing Kian act human is entertaining.”

“I was always human.”

“That’s debatable,” Ariana muttered.

Kian heard her anyway.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“You enjoy insulting me.”

“You make it easy.”

Maya suddenly leaned toward Ariana dramatically.

“Please marry him someday. I need this entertainment forever.”

Ariana nearly inhaled juice wrong.

Kian looked oddly amused.

Meanwhile half the cafeteria watched them shamelessly.

Near the entrance, Rhea stood frozen beside her friends.

Her expression darkened while watching Ariana laugh at something Daniel said.

Then—

Kian looked at Ariana again.

Softly.

Not cold.

Not distant.

And Rhea noticed.

That was enough.

After lunch, rumors spread through the school faster than wildfire.

“The Ice Prince likes the scholarship girl.”

“They’re always together.”

“He smiled again today.”

“Rhea is definitely going to start a war.”

By final period, Ariana wanted peace desperately.

Instead, she received chaos.

The literature teacher assigned a partner project.

“Your partners will be based on seating arrangements.”

Ariana already knew.

She just knew.

“Kian Roy and Ariana Sen.”

The classroom erupted immediately.

Daniel looked delighted.

Maya looked spiritually exhausted.

And Ariana slowly placed her head against the desk.

“I’m dropping out.”

Beside her, Kian looked completely relaxed.

“Don’t be dramatic.”

“You are literally academic suffering in human form.”

“Interesting description.”

“I have many.”

After school, students slowly left campus while Ariana organized her notes angrily.

She planned to leave quickly before additional disasters appeared.

Unfortunately—

Kian stood beside her desk.

“We should discuss the project.”

Ariana stared.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“…Now?”

“You’ll complain later if we delay it.”

Annoyingly logical.

Ariana sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

The library was nearly empty during evening hours.

Golden sunlight filtered softly through the tall windows while silence filled the room.

Ariana sat across from Kian with books spread around them.

For a while, neither spoke much.

Surprisingly—

Working with him felt easy.

Too easy.

Kian understood everything quickly.

And unlike most students, he actually listened when Ariana spoke.

At one point, Ariana looked up from her notes.

“You’re smarter than I expected.”

Kian raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds insulting.”

“It is.”

“You’re rude.”

“You survive somehow.”

A small smile appeared on his lips again.

Ariana looked away immediately afterward.

Dangerous.

That smile was genuinely dangerous.

Silence settled comfortably between them for a moment.

Then suddenly—

A girl approached their table nervously.

“K-Kian…”

Ariana recognized her immediately.

One of the girls from their class.

The girl held out a small pink envelope with trembling hands.

Several students nearby secretly watched.

A confession letter.

Classic.

“I really like you,” the girl whispered.

The library became painfully quiet.

Ariana awkwardly looked down at her book.

Well.

This was uncomfortable.

Kian looked at the letter calmly.

Then at the girl.

And said only:

“No.”

Direct. Cold. Simple.

The girl’s face turned red instantly.

“O-Oh…”

She quickly ran away in embarrassment.

Ariana stared at him.

“…You could’ve been nicer.”

Kian returned to reading calmly.

“Being unclear creates false hope.”

“That was emotionally brutal.”

“It’s honest.”

Ariana frowned slightly.

Maybe that was true.

Still—

There was something lonely about the way he said it.

Like he had already disconnected himself from everyone else long ago.

As the sun slowly set outside, Ariana packed her books quietly.

“We should leave.”

Kian nodded once.

The two walked through the empty hallway together.

For once, nobody stared.

Nobody whispered.

It was strangely peaceful.

Then suddenly—

The lights flickered briefly.

Ariana stopped walking.

“…Tell me this school isn’t haunted.”

Kian looked amused.

“You scare easily for someone who argues constantly.”

“I don’t argue constantly.”

“You argued with me six times today.”

“Because you exist incorrectly.”

That actually made him laugh again.

Ariana blinked.

There it was again.

That rare genuine smile.

And somehow—

Seeing it felt strangely rewarding.

When they finally reached the school entrance, the evening sky had already darkened.

Luxury cars waited outside for students.

A black car stopped near Kian immediately.

A driver stepped out respectfully.

“Young Master.”

The warmth disappeared from Kian’s face instantly.

Like someone flipped a switch.

His expression became cold again.

Distant.

Ariana noticed the change immediately.

For a second—

He looked exhausted.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

“Kian,” the driver said carefully. “Your father is waiting.”

A shadow crossed Kian’s eyes.

Then he looked toward Ariana briefly.

“See you tomorrow.”

Before she could answer, he entered the car.

And left.

Ariana stood there quietly afterward.

Something about that interaction felt wrong.

The driver looked nervous around Kian.

And Kian himself…

Looked trapped.

Maya suddenly appeared beside Ariana carrying snacks.

“You look confused.”

Ariana looked toward the road where the black car disappeared.

“…What’s his deal?”

Maya’s playful expression softened slightly.

“Kian?”

“Yeah.”

Maya hesitated.

Then sighed.

“People think he has a perfect life because he’s rich.”

“But?”

“But nobody really knows what happens in the Roy family.”

Ariana stayed quiet.

The cold expression on Kian’s face replayed in her mind again.

For the first time—

She wondered if the boy everyone feared…

Might actually be lonely instead.

And somewhere else in the city—

Kian Roy sat silently inside the backseat of the black car.

His phone screen still displayed Ariana’s contact name.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly.

A tiny smile.

One he didn’t even realize was there.

Because for the first time in years—

School no longer felt boring.

And somehow…

That girl with sarcastic eyes and messy hair was becoming impossible to ignore.

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