"Today..."
"Yes, Miss Layla? What's wrong with today?"
The students asked the teacher named Layla, who was already standing in front of them. They were confused why Mrs. Layla stopped what she was saying but instead started crying.
"Today..."
Among the thirty-seven students, there was one student who stood up after hitting the table. Maybe he was annoyed by Layla's behavior.
"Hurry up and say what you want to say! You are a teacher, but you disgust me. You are too wordy and too slow to speak! You are wasting my study time!"
Those were very harsh words from him. The boy student had said something bad to his teacher. He was very angry at what his teacher did.
"Watch what you say, Sakuya! You can't badmouth your teacher, you know."
A female student with black hair down to her guard and left her forehead showing suddenly stood up and scolded Sakuya, who was scolding Layla. She defended Layla, maybe because Layla was her teacher.
"Hah?" Sakuya looked like he didn't expect that someone would defend Layla. He shook his head several times and looked at the female student. "Are you crazy, Chika? Don't you remember the incident five months ago? She has left us! She left us and thinks we need her. She even let Mr. Fadh fill her position. She has caused me to be punished for what she does. Because she's-"
"Shut up! It's your fault. You're the one who caused yourself to be punished by Mr. Fadh. You can't blame her just because Mr. Fadh replaced her position."
The girl named Chika continues to defend Layla. Of course, the student named Sakuya, who has messy black hair, a handsome face, and the ideal height and body, does not receive any defense from her. Even if Chika has a beautiful face, hair, and eyes and looks the most prominent in class and school, Sakuya still doesn't accept her defense. As teenagers often do, he only wants to win his own opinion.
The atmosphere inside looks very chaotic. I can only see them through this window. Mrs. Layla looked like she could only shed and wipe her tears. This was their first meeting after summer vacation, but it ended like this. I don't know what happened to them. This kind of atmosphere should not happen. I can't let them argue when their teacher is sad.
I decided to enter, sliding the door slowly.
"You can't..."
The atmosphere suddenly became silent as I entered. Even so, I walked closer to Layla and glanced at them several times.
Arriving in front of them and beside Layla, I looked at them one by one. Thirty-seven students in this class, class 2-2, and Mrs. Layla as their teacher. Two students were standing and looking at each other in my direction. The two had been arguing earlier, screaming until their voices could be heard down the hall. And there, the table in the middle on their left side, the direction I entered, looks empty. Also, there was another empty table in the fourth row on my right and the first row on my left. There are three empty desks in this class. I suspect one of the tables was indeed left empty, or someone had filled it before. I'm assuming that one of the desks belonged to Jamila, which she used to occupy. I suspect Jamila has sat in one of these chairs. I have received information that Jamila is in this class.
I glanced at Mrs. Layla, who was no longer crying because the atmosphere had calmed down.
What is this? Is she a mature, whiny woman? You can't be like that. You are a teacher. You have to be a good example for your students. Your sadness is the same as allowing your students to be sad. They will underestimate you if you are like that. Remove your sadness, and replace it with a smile for them. They will understand you.
I said that inside my mind, glanced at Miss Layla over my right shoulder, stood straight, and faced them.
"Today... he is your new friend. He is a new student in this class." Layla told me to go a little further before finally asking me to introduce myself. "Please introduce yourself!"
I took one step forward, stood confidently, ready for this, and took deep breaths and exhaled.
When I was sure to introduce myself to them, the two of them, the screaming and bickering students, sat back down and looked calm.
"I-"
*The phone rings at high volume.
My smartphone rings. There was someone who called me in this situation. This sucks.
"Oh, sorry..."
I hurriedly grabbed my smartphone and took a look.
When I managed to get hold of my smartphone, I was annoyed to know who was calling me. Anton, he's the one who called me in this situation. He had failed me to introduce myself. He humiliated me in front of thirty students and a teacher.
"I need to go to the toilet. Excuse me."
I rushed in a hurry to get out of the class. It's all because of Anton.
After making it out, I answered his phone call and walked towards the toilet.
"Huh!? What's wrong? Why did you call me? Didn't you meet me before?" I arrived at the toilet and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
"That's why I called you."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to tell you something. This is very important."
"What's that?"
"I just arrived at the bus stop and am waiting for the bus right now."
"Huh? Don't tell me you called me to tell me that?"
"Yeah, that's true. You know how hard it is to walk in a wheelchair, right? I'm sure you're worried about me. So, please don't worry about me! I'm fine! You still have to go to school properly."
"Hah!?"
I was very surprised to hear his reason for calling me. Did he call me just to say that? That's crazy. He's crazy.
"I don't want my son to suffer worrying about me. I don't want your school disrupted because of my situation."
Isn't he nodding at me right now?
"You are not my father!"
I ended the call and stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror.
"He's very annoying when his fantasy thoughts come up. He even thinks he's my father."
I turned around. I want to go back to class to introduce myself to them. But when I wanted to go back, there was a knock at the end of the toilet cubicle, which sounded quite loud. I walked over there out of curiosity with the sound.
"Is there anyone outside? Can you open this door for me?"
It was a male voice.
I opened the door where the voice came from and saw a man wearing the same uniform as me.
His face looked gloomy, and even his bangs covered his entire forehead, almost covering his eyes. He looked at me and had a doubtful look on his face.
"T-Thank you."
He walked past me and just walked away after thanking me.
"What's wrong with him? Is he locked in the toilet? That's confusing."
Feeling that there is nothing I need to do in the toilet, I return to class to introduce myself.
I came back and noticed something in the class. One of the vacant tables has been occupied. The student who was locked in the toilet was the one who filled it. He sat in the first row of seats from my left, near the front entrance of the class.
"Ah..."
I looked at him for a while, tilting my head. He looks fine there. But somehow, he was gloomy and always kept his head down. He didn't even look in my direction.
"I'm Ra... Dylan Evans. Nice to meet you, everyone." I introduced myself in front of them.
I almost said my real name. I must keep my mouth shut, so my identity is safe.
"So Dylan, please take your seats! Those are your seats from now on! Class is about to start!"
Layla pointed at the fourth of this class's four rows of desks. It was table number 3 by the window.
I didn't move but paid attention to the direction she was pointing.
"Dylan, please take your seat!"
Layla ordered a second time, but I didn't move my feet.
"Dylan? Are you all right?"
I didn't notice what she was telling me. But when I wish that my name is Dylan Evans, I walk over and nod at her.
"Oh... That's me... Dylan. Hahaha..."
The students saw me as I walked towards my seat. Students, especially girls, look forward to getting to know me. I could see the look on their faces that seemed happy with my presence in the class. I'm like an idol who is ready to sign autographs before the committee asks.
"Chika, isn't he very handsome? He's like my ideal type."
"You like a guy who uses a ringtone on his cell phone?"
Hearing those words, I turned towards the girl quickly.
So what if I use a ringtone, huh? You know, if you just put your phone on silent mode, you won't be able to tell if someone is texting or calling you. You can only keep staring at your phone, waiting for a message or call. It's because your phone is in silent mode. Therefore, turn on the ringtone, so you know that someone is calling you!
"Hey, look, Chika! He saw you."
The two of them, the teenage girls who were at the second row of tables, were talking about me. The girl named Chika and maybe her friend had been talking about me in front of me. They both seemed not to mind talking about me in front of me.
When that happened, my eyes and Chika's eyes met and stared at each other for a while. I looked at her because I wanted to warn her about the usefulness of ringtones on cell phones, and maybe she was looking at me because I was looking at her.
You shouldn't underestimate people who use ringtones.
"What's wrong with him? Why is he looking at me like that?" Chika was confused by the reason I looked at her. She looks like she's mumbling but with mouth gestures that I can read.