[TRIGGER WARNING!
The following content contains material that may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences.]
Silence and fear filled the atmosphere after hearing that.
'What was that? He didn't even budge when I shook him,' Eirin thought in annoyance.
"Shade, you need to review these too," Link said and patted Shade's back. "You'll be answering the quiz with Eirin later."
Shade raised an eyebrow after yawning. "Why would I do that?" He asked and was about to lay back on his desk.
"Shade! I made you some cookies," Kara interrupted.
"I hate sweets."
"I-I know, that's why I made it not sweet. I worked hard for this. I hope you'll like it." The desperation in Kara's voice makes Eirin wonder why she likes Shade Cromwell so much and feels bad for her. However, the young man ignored Kara's words.
"Shouldn't you at least taste it? She said she worked hard for it. What's wrong with appreciating her efforts?"
Shade and Kara looked in Eirin's way after she said that. It was also unlike her, she usually does not butt into other people's business, but this scene urged her to speak up.
"Uh-oh," Link muttered.
"Who do you think you are to spout such words to me?" The atmosphere turned grim after Shade said that in a low tone. Even those classmates who were just there started feeling anxious about the situation. "You're a weakling who can't even prove your worth."
"What did you say?"
The silence grew, and so did the tension between the two.
"You two should review the lessons, not fight like cats and dogs," Coleen said, but as soon as she said that Ms. Hockenbury got back inside the classroom.
"The representatives I called, get in here," Ms. Hockenbury said.
The students rushed to the front, leaving Eirin no choice but to participate while Link pulled Shade towards the dais.
"You guys can pull it off."
Despite Link cheering for the two, Eirin's heart could not calm down as she walked down the stairs towards the dais in front.
'How is this going to help me know the reason for Ava's passing? This only makes me nervous and doesn't give me any answers.'
Eirin's hands trembled, and her vision started getting blurry. Dancing in the middle of the stage in front of a huge audience would have been easier to do for the teenage girl.
"Trembling like a dog," Shade scoffed.
'This jerk!'
Eirin took a deep breath and sat on one of the chairs prepared for them in front. Ms. Hockenbury's eyes landed on the two as she handed out their papers.
"The demon and the outsider. What a befitting team," Ms. Hockenbury whispered, just enough for the two of them to hear. "Hilarious," she added causing Shade to roll his eyes as he angrily accepted the paper.
'Did she just call her student a demon?' Eirin's mouth was left agape after being flabbergasted by what she heard from her teacher's mouth.
"We shall now commence. Look at the projector and answer the question. I shall judge your answers. If it is correct, your group shall gain points, but if it is not, I shall be deducting points."
'WHAT!??'
Eirin's eyes went wide. Not only not gaining points, but they'll receive a deduction as well. How cruel their professor is knowing that Eirin Luxfield could probably butchered this quiz. The teenage girl's gaze went to Coleen and Link, but they looked unbothered by the unusual rule.
Link was smiling from ear to ear, thinking how adorable the flustered and confused Eirin was. While Coleen tried to show how unbothered she was, she could not help but ball her fists in nervousness while avoiding Eirin's gaze.
'I hope she survives this one,' Coleen thought.
"What should we do? I'm not familiar with everything yet," Eirin turned to her partner, but Shade wasn't even paying attention. "Hey, we're about to fail this subject."
"Shut up," Shade clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.
"You better do it right," Link said while waving his hand at Shade while smiling. The guy appeared to be amusing in Eirin's eyes as she could not believe such boldness, and right in front of their terror teacher as well.
Ms. Hockenbury did not waste any more time and proceeded with the quiz. She could not wait to taste the humiliation that would befall Eirin Luxfield and Shade Cromwell.
'What to do?' Eirin gulped after seeing how low their score was. She kept glancing at their teacher, happiness brimmed her face as if she enjoyed seeing them suffer. 'This guy wouldn't help, and I barely managed to answer all the questions. We almost got a negative score.'
"The last question is worth 20 points, but this time, the first one to answer it with the correct answer shall win the points."
Ms. Hockenbury could not hide the enjoyment as she thought, 'Struggle all you can, but can never win here, Luxfield.' The other students only felt pity towards Eirin who kept trying her best to answer all of them.
The last question popped out of the projector, but Eirin's head was too blank to even think of an answer to a question she didn't even know. To her surprise, Shade grabbed the board and wrote something while clicking his tongue before raising it for their teacher to see.
The happiness a moment ago was replaced with anger and annoyance. 'This little monster!' Ms. Hockenbury thought as she hesitated to announce that Eirin and Shade's team won the quiz she made to humiliate them.
"If you badly want to humiliate me, try harder," Shade said before leaving the classroom and his teacher dumbfounded.
"That demon of a child," Eirin heard Ms. Hockenbury mutter into the air. "Their group won this task. Class dismisses."
Out of embarrassment, Ms. Hockenbury stormed out of the room. The moment the terror teacher was no longer in sight, joy and bliss went back to the students despite not winning anything.
"It's time for the magic and art class," Sapphire, the class monitor said. "Prepare to go to the laboratory," she added.
On their way to the laboratory, Link nudged Eirin's arm and asked, "Are you alright?" As he witnessed how the teenage girl was seemingly out of it. "Was it that unexpected to see Shade get the correct answer?"
Eirin responded with an awkward laugh. It was not about the answer, it was about how Shade Cromwell boldly called off their teacher's actions towards them.
'Was that guy like that because Ms. Hockenbury calls him a demon, or was he normally like that that's why Ms. Hockenbury gave him such a nickname?' The teenage girl thought while trying to find Shade Cromwell, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Where is he anyway?"
Link tilted his head. "Where is who? Do you mean Shade? What? Are you two good buddies now?" A grin formed on his face as he teased Eirin.
Disgust showed on Eirin's face while Coleen clung to Link's arm and said, "Shade doesn't attend this class." She avoided Eirin's gaze while pulling Link away.
It will be Eirin's first time meeting the magic and art teacher, Ms. Bozzelli. All she's been learning for the two weeks she spent in the academy was the Proprius' history and basic subjects she learned back at her former school which she deemed pointless.
'I wish it's not someone who hates me for no reason.'
They entered the said laboratory, and it was just like any other school laboratory except for the glooming atmosphere and how the windows were black-tinted. There were tools stored in a glass cabinet beside the teacher's table, and there were long tables for the students.
"Good morning, everybody."
A fair woman with long wavy green hair the colour of palms and round emerald eyes twinkled in excitement as she entered the laboratory. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled while the sound of her heels hitting the floor echoed throughout the room.
"I apologize for being late."
The teacher's appearance astounded Eirin as she looked so beautiful that she could not take her eyes off her. Her tall and mature body was so sexy that even her modest clothes could not hide it.
"I am Rebecca Bozzelli, and I will be your teacher in magic and arts. It's nice to meet you."
Ms. Bozzelli's voice sounded so sweet and gentle that it left Eirin in a trance. Compared to Ms. Hockenbury's strict and condescending tone, Eirin found comfort in Ms. Bozzelli's calming voice.
"Look, that's her, Eirin Luxfield."
"She's really pretty. I understand why they're obsessed with her."
"Don't bother trying to get with her unless you want those seniors aiming for her to become your enemies."
Loud voices of male students crowding the door of the laboratory room made Eirin flinch as her gaze went to them. 'I'm not even pretty compared to Ms. Bozzelli,' she thought, not understanding the fuss about it. However, her gaze only caused a huge reaction, the boys started saying how even her gaze felt angelic to them.
"My, Miss Luxfield is really famous," the teacher said as she excused herself and closed the door. "Do not worry, Miss Luxfield. They don't mean any harm as they are my students from the second years."
Eirin forced a smile and could not say anything back. It's not like she could do anything about the boys either.
"Since this is our first class for this school year, why don't we experiment on magic and have fun instead?"
Compared to Ms. Hockenbury's stern teaching, Ms. Bozzelli was more carefree and enjoyable, and even Eirin who does not know much about magic enjoyed the class.
"Are you sure you're fine with the cleaning by yourself?" Link asked while the other students were already leaving the laboratory room. Their teacher, Ms. Bozzelli chose a random student to clean up the room, and Eirin's name was called.
"It's fine. I won't break anything."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
Coleen grabbed Link's arm and said, "She's not a child. She can handle this on her own."
"I am sorry for asking your help, Eirin," Ms. Bozzelli said after Coleen and Link had left. "Will you be a dear and put these in the storage room in the back?"
The teacher's soft tone comforted Eirin, and so it did not bother her the least to help the sweet teacher.
"I must say, you became the talk of the academy because of Shade Cromwell," Eirin stopped after Ms. Bozzelli said that. "Are you feeling fine, though? Too much attention could lead to discomfort."
Eirin wanted to admit how bothersome the other students were, but there would be nothing good that would come out of complaining.
"I am doing just fine," she said while putting the glass apparatus on their shelves.
"I see. Shade Cromwell's reputation is quite notorious, but he is a dear child," the teacher said, even though she does not look that quite old yet. "I must go to my next class now. Thank you for helping me, Eirin."
Eirin heaved a sigh after she was left alone. She finished cleaning up and was about to leave the laboratory.
"Well, hello there."
Seven male students unknown to her entered the laboratory room. "Do you remember me? I confessed my feelings to you last time," one of them said with a huge grin on his face. The way they kept giggling despite not receiving a response from Eirin caused shivers down her spine.
"I need to go to my next class."
Eirin walked towards the door, but one of the male students blocked her way.
"That's not the right way to talk to your seniors," the tallest man said as he grazed Eirin's cheek with his sleek finger. "Your skin feels so smooth. I wonder if that's the same with your legs."
'This doesn't feel right.'
Eirin rushed towards the door, but the male students grabbed both of her arms and pulled her back to the storage room.
"What are you doing!? Let me go!"
The men laughed as they pinned Eirin to the floor, tearing her stockings, and revealing her fair white legs.
"This is a crime!"
Despite the desperation in her voice, the men only laughed at her while drooling at the sight of her bare legs.
"Don't worry. This senior will take you to heaven," the tallest man said as he groped Eirin's bare legs, and he even had a nosebleed due to too much excitement. "Fuck, you're so hot." His hand reached her flat stomach. "Everyone's been annoyed with that demon first year, so maybe this way I could get revenge on him. By stealing his girl."
"What!? Who said I was his girl?" The teenage girl screamed and started flailing to make the men lose their grip.
"Let me go!"
Eirin soon realized the huge difference between these gigantic men and her. The tallest one of them leaned on and kissed her cheek. She could not explain the disgust she felt, and her stomach churned with her legs moving due to panic, kicking the guy in his crotch and making him fall to the floor.
The man groaned and they soon heard someone laughing, stopping Eirin from her rampage as she looked up to the window right above her face.
"Don't mind me and continue. I'm just here to sleep," Shade yawned and walked toward the farthest end of the storage room.
"Aren't you going to help me?"
With his arms crossed, Shade raised an eyebrow. "Did you ask for my help?"
Eirin's mouth went agape as she kicked the man holding her legs and quickly slammed those holding her arms with strength, she did not know she had. Tears were looming in her eyes as she picked herself up.
"YOU ALL ARE TRASH, BUT YOU TAKE THE CAKE!"
She pointed to Shade Cromwell.
"Thanks. I love cakes."
Eirin's mouth puckered as she suppressed her tears before rushing out of the room.
'I hate him.'