The girl in the second row looked like she might actually pass out.
Dev closed his eyes briefly. The expression of a man watching something terrible unfold in slow motion.
Ravi had physically leaned away from the direction of the back row.
Professor Harin turned around Slowly.
He looked at Rix Then at Seraphine.
Then back at Rix.
His expression said one thing and one thing only.
'Son...What have you done'.
Seraphine didn't react immediately
One second.
Two.
Three.
"No," she finally said. Barely above a whisper.
She tilted her head slightly."I handle my own problems."
And the way she said it, without a single flicker of emotion was somehow the most threatening thing Rix had ever heard in his life.
His throat went dry.
She held his gaze for exactly four more seconds.
Then she turned away. Sat down and Opened her notebook. Picked up her pen.
Pens found paper and Eyes found the board. Normal sounds crept back in.
Professor Harin turned slowly back to the board.
His chalk resumed moving. Slightly less steady than before.
Rix sat at the back, completely still, Staring at his desk.
His own heartbeat was unreasonably loud in his ears.
He replayed the last line in his head.
'I handle my own problems.'
'Okay', he thought quietly, staring at nothing.
'That was the single dumbest thing I have ever said in my entire life'.
The unbothered scratch of her pen against paper filled the silence between them.
Rix stared at his desk surface, replaying the conversation in excruciating detail. Every word.
Every moment his mouth had opened when his brain had clearly waved a red flag.
'I handle my own problems.'
The way she'd said it.
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
Sleep was gone.
He shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable position that didn't exist anymore. The desk that had felt perfectly fine twenty minutes ago now felt like a slab of concrete.
He turned his head sideways, cheek pressing against his forearm, eyes drifting involuntarily toward her.
She was writing notes, probably. Neat, precise lines filling the page in a handwriting he could already tell was annoyingly perfect.
He looked away , staring at the ceiling instead.
'Your father deploys someone?'
He closed his eyes. 'Why', he thought with genuine anguish, 'did I say that?'
No answer came. Just the continued, relentless scratch of her pen.
He pulled his arms tighter around his head.
He turned his face back into his arms.
Go to sleep, he told himself.
His brain laughed at him.
Go to sleep, he repeated, more firmly.
His brain replayed 'I handle my own problems' in her exact tone, exact cadence and pitch.
He groaned quietly into his sleeve.
The pen kept scratching.
Rix lay there, wide awake, staring at the darkness behind his eyelids.
'Great', he thought flatly.
'Fantastic Morning....'
---------------------------------------------
Hours passed. Different professors came and went, each taking their lectures.
Meanwhile, Rix lay on his bench.
Not sleeping.
sleep has been taken out of his dictionary
Rix didn't look up once. He wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or something closer to fear. Either way, he kept his face down.
-----------------------------------------------
At exactly 12:00 PM, the bell rang across the classrooms, signaling the start of lunch break.
Students began pouring out, some glued to their phones, others laughing and chatting with friends as they walked.
A few, however, remained behind.
Among them were Seraphine, Rix, Rina… and a couple of NPC's
'Why isn't she getting up…?' Rix cursed silently under his breath.
Noticing his gaze, Seraphine spoke, her expression was neutral—but her tone was laced with disdain.
"Why are you staring at me? What, you want to punch me?"
Rix blinked.
"I want to go to the toilet."
It came out before he could stop it.
"_"
Seraphine stared at him.
"…Then go. Why are you looking at me?" she asked, slightly annoyed.
"Why aren't you getting up?" he shot back. Clearly trying to irritate her.
"That's none of your business," she said flatly. "Don't involve yourself in other people's things."
Rix slowly stood up and began walking toward her.
Scratching the back of his head, he spoke hesitantly,
"Well… actually, about what happened earlier, I thought about it and I realized—"
"I don't need your apology," Seraphine said, cutting him off without raising her voice.
She looked straight at him.
"It's fine. I don't care. Honestly, it's not even interesting. I've seen enough people like you — act cold, act arrogant, think it makes you the main character. It doesn't bother me. So you really don't have to—"
"..."
"When did I ever say I was going to apologize to you?"
Rix stared at her blankly, as if she were an idiot.
"Huh? You weren't?"
Rix stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
Then, leaning in, he whispered into her ear:
"Go FUCK!! yourself, PUNNY girl," he spat, the words sharp enough to draw blood. "You actually thought I was going to apologize? I don't give a single shit about your father or your little 'handle it myself' act. Strip away that family status... then what the hell are you?"
He pulled back just enough to let his cold gaze pierce Seraphine like an arrow.
For the first time in her life, the air seemed to leave her lungs. Not even her father, nor a single member of her elite inner circle, had ever dared to address her with such raw, unfiltered contempt.
His eyes were merciless, cold enough to freeze her in place.
Seraphine was left utterly defenseless.
He didn't wait for an answer.
He turned and walked toward the door without a single glance back.
Seraphine sat there, completely speechless.
But if anyone had looked closely…
They would've seen Rix's knees trembling uncontrollably as he walked.
Fck… fck… fck… I actually did it…*
He had spent all that time lying on his desk, thinking about what to say.
Rix couldn't let go of his ego over what happened earlier.
Even though he didn't want to say such harsh words to a girl…
He still did.
That's just who he is..
He says one thing…
And does the complete opposite.
that was the paradox of Rix.
He would preach one thing and then do the exact opposite of that thing.
He didn't think too hard about the consequences.
If something really happens… then..
He'd just hide behind his best friend.
------------------------------------------------------
Minutes had passed, but Seraphine remained frozen in her seat.
The air in the room feeling heavy and stagnant.
It wasn't just what he said
it was the shock of it. She had grown up in a world of strict honor, polished manners, and careful words, where anger was hidden behind smiles and insults were wrapped in politeness.
No one around her ever spoke with raw aggression. Words like "shit" or "fuck" weren't part of her reality.
So when Rix snapped, it wasn't only rude, it cut into the steady, ordered life she had always known.
But suddenly, a hand gripped her shoulder. She shuddered and spun around.
It was Rina Velmont. The college belle. Her golden hair shone softly, and her beauty was the kind that drew every eye without effort. She carried herself with ease and confidence, the kind that made people notice her the moment she walked into a room.
"Hey, my name is Rina Velmont. Nice to meet you!" She leaned forward with a bright smile, offering her hand to Seraphine, who was still sitting stiffly in her seat.
"Eh? Oh--sorry… nice to meet you too. My name is Seraphine Ash…" Seraphine stammered, her voice shaky as she tried to pull herself out of the fog of shock.
"Sera," Rina said.
"…Pardon?"
Rina's smile widened. " I'll call you Sera. How does that sound? Is it comfortable, or should I stick with Seraphine?"
Seraphine opened her mouth.
and closed it.
Nobody had ever just… decided that.
Everyone else always waited for her to speak first. They said her full name, carefully, because they knew exactly whose daughter she was.
But this girl was different. She just looked at her and used a nickname, acting like they had been friends forever.
"Sera sounds good. I like it," Seraphine replied, a small smile breaking through. It was the first time someone had spoken to her so warmly, so casually. The friendliness in Rina's tone felt almost unreal ,like sunlight cutting through the heavy clouds that had been hanging over her.
But then, like a splash of ice water, Rix's face flashed in her mind.
'Go fuck yourself, punny girl.'
The memory of his cold, mean stare made her chest tighten all over again. She could still feel his breath against her ear, and it made her skin crawl with a mix of anger and confusion. Who the hell did he think he was?
That little punk, she thought, her fingers digging into the fabric of her skirt. He really thinks he can just spit on my name and walk away?
She wasn't going to let that slide. Not a chance. He was going to regret every single word that came out of his mouth.
In the cafeteria, Rix was right in the middle of a bite when a sudden, violent sneeze almost sent his face slamming into his tray.
"Achoo! Fuck..." He wiped his nose and looked around, feeling suspicious. He grabbed a napkin and narrowed his eyes. "Someone is definitely talking some mad shit about me right now."
Back in the classroom.
"How about we become friends then?" Rina asked, her eyes beaming like she'd just won the lottery.
"Sure, why not," Seraphine said, trying to keep her voice cool and composed.
"Awesome! Since we're friends now, come with me to the cafeteria. I have to introduce you to my group!" Rina didn't even wait for an answer. She suddenly grabbed Seraphine's hand and started pulling her toward the door.
Seraphine stumbled, her eyes wide. People usually waited for her to rise, or followed a few steps behind like guards. Being pulled along by a girl she'd just met felt strange. Yet as they moved down the hallway, a small smile tugged at her lips. To her surprise, it was actually kind of fun.
-------------------------------------------------
AT CAFETERIA.....
The cafeteria looked like any other--long rows of tables lined with trays, the steady hum of voices mixing with the clatter of plates. The smell of fried food and coffee hung in the air, and students moved in clusters, laughing, gossiping, or scrolling through their phones.
It was divided into little islands. The popular kids sat in the center where everyone could see them, while the quiet ones hid in the corners.
The cafeteria was its usual noisy mess, until the doors swung open. The chatter dipped, like someone had hit mute.
Rina didn't seem to notice or maybe she just didn't care as she kept pulling Seraphine along. But Seraphine felt every single pair of eyes lock onto them.
"Holy shit, is that Rina Velmont?" one guy muttered, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. "Who's the girl with her?
"Shut up, idiot," his friend hissed, slapping him on the arm. "Don't stare so loud.
Usually, the cafeteria was just a loud place to eat bad food and complain about classes. But now, it felt like a fashion show. You could hear everyone whispering at every single table.
At a table near the entrance, a boy leaned toward his friend with a grin. "Two of them. they are walking straight toward me. maybe they want to propose...me?"
His friend didn't even glance up from his plate. "They're not walking toward you. You just happen to be in the same room."
"should i go and say hi?"
"Are you really that bold?"
" SHUT UPP!! You'll just end up embarrassing yourself."
Rina scanned the crowd, sharp and cheerful. "There they are!" she chirped, waving toward a table in the back.
Seraphine followed her gaze, but her eyes searched for someone else--a messy head of hair, that arrogant posture. She wanted to see if Rix was still acting tough now