Chapter 130
Teach me
A few surprised noises rippled through the cafeteria, quick gasps and murmurs cutting through the clatter of trays and chairs.
It was Snow.
Snow—the current President of the Student Council. Even among the wildly talented students at Hope Academy, she stood out like a sun amongst the clouds. At such a young age, to hold such a prestigious and demanding position… it was nothing short of astounding. But there she was, hair bouncing lightly as she moved, a soft and cheerful smile playing at the corners of her lips as though nothing could ever trouble her.
She cleared her throat, though it sounded almost like a giggle she tried to stifle, and then tugged the fourth-year boy further back by the collar of his shirt.
"Did you hear me?" she said in a tone far too friendly for the situation. "You must request a duel from the other party first before you can fight."
The man, still red in the face and seething, grunted and tried to shrug her off.
Snow tilted her head slightly, smiling even wider—as if she were playfully holding back laughter. "Not until you've assured me that you've calmed down." She tapped a finger against her cheek, as if thinking. "So tell me… are you calm yet?"
The man growled in frustration, continuing to struggle, but she didn't budge. She merely stood there, like restraining him was more of an afterthought than effort.
He twisted and cursed, but she just giggled again— "If you want to calm down," she said sweetly, "you could always ask for a proper duel. Might help you let off some steam in a healthier way, y'know?"
His pride likely couldn't handle it, but he screamed out anyway:
"Come on then! Come at me! I'll take anyone of you on—I officially request a duel!"
There was a silence. Then—
"No," everyone replied in perfect unison.
The answer came not from one, but all of them—delivered in perfect unison like a choir.
While they had certainly enjoyed teasing the older student, none of them were stupid. No matter how pathetic he looked now, he had made it through four years of Hope Academy. Just because he looked like a mess didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.
"You… you fucking cowards!" the man snapped, face flushed again. "I hope your brands murder you!"
Snow laughed, a soft chiming sound, and dragged him effortlessly to the table he'd been so loudly crying over earlier. She practically plopped him into his seat like she was putting a toddler down for a nap.
She turned toward his group, who all quickly straightened and sank into their seats without a word.
The man turned to them in rage. "You fucking pieces of shit—why didn't you back me up!?"
One of them raised his hands in surrender. "Don't blame us, man! We saw Snow coming. We didn't wanna get in trouble with the Council again."
"Yeah… especially after last year…" another muttered, barely audible.
The group collectively shivered at the memory. None of them elaborated.
But the man—the loud and prideful one—refused to let it go.
"I don't care," he growled, fists clenched against the table. "I will get my revenge on those little bitches, I swear. If I don't make their lives hell, then my name is not Babel!!"
A pause.
Then, from somewhere in the crowd: "Even your name kinda sounds like 'baby'…"
"YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE!!! COME HERE!!" he roared, jerking up from his seat like a rocket.
Snow reappeared, bouncing slightly on her heels, her ever-present smile still painted cheerfully on her face. "I hope you first-years are doing okay," she said, sing-song. "Though honestly, from what I saw, it was hard to tell who was bullying who!"
Her voice was light and teasing—more like an older sister poking fun than a strict authority figure.
Reuel's eyes lit up like someone had just handed him a golden ticket. This was it—the opportunity of a lifetime.
The President of the Student Council, talking to them! To him!
If he could get in her good books—even just a little—it could change everything. His future would be set for life. This wasn't just a student council president. This was a living ticket to success.
And, to his surprise, she seemed… approachable.
He stepped forward eagerly, plastering on his most charming smile. "Yeah, it was nothing. But the really impressive one here is you! You managed to stop a fourth-year like it was nothing!"
Snow's cheeks immediately flushed a soft pink. "Oh, no need to go that far," she said with a giggle, waving her hand dismissively. "That method only works under certain conditions. Honestly, I just got a bit lucky!"
"But even so," Reuel insisted, taking a half-step closer, "you did stop him. And you're only nineteen, in your second year—and you're already President of the Student Council? That's seriously incredible!"
Snow laughed again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's only because of a string of silly coincidences, really. Don't worry about it… it's not as cool as it sounds."
Henry stepped forward then, hands in his pockets. His tone was genuine. "It doesn't matter how you got there. What matters is that you got there. No one gets made President unless people trust them. To have that much trust… that's seriously cool."
This time, Snow turned an even brighter red. Her smile didn't fade, but her voice softened. "Thanks," she mumbled, looking down for a second. "You were… pretty cool too. When you stepped in to help your friends, I mean. And… and…" she trailed off, spinning quickly on her heel. "Anyway, goodbye!"
She disappeared into the distance before anyone could say another word.
"...Huh?" Henry blinked, half-lifting a hand in farewell, confused. He stared after her for a moment, then slowly turned around—
—Only to find Reuel staring at him like he'd just watched a miracle.
Reuel's eyes shimmered. His knees hit the ground. He grabbed the front of Henry's blazer with both hands, eyes filled with awe.
"Teach me," he whispered, reverently. "Teach me your ways."
"What are you doing, man?" Henry asked, trying to pull back. "Get off me! What do you even mean, 'teach me'? Teach you what!?"
It was at that exact moment that IAM's voice chimed in from the side—deadpan and completely serious.
"I want you to teach me too."
Henry looked between them—Reuel on the ground and IAM standing straight-faced beside him—and let out a long, tired sigh.
This was going to be a long day.