Chapter 170
RAJ
IAM's eyes widened.
He froze, his breath catching in his throat, his thoughts blanking in an instant. He stared—unmoving—at the plaque mounted beneath the overhang. But he wasn't reading it anymore. He was simply… staring.
Thoughts that had been racing just moments ago vanished like smoke, replaced by a single name carved into fading gold: Raj.
The others had taken several steps ahead before they realized IAM was no longer with them. One by one, they paused, turning to see him frozen in place, staring up at the building like he'd just been struck by lightning.
Reuel was the first to react. "Uh… IAM?" he called, frowning slightly.
There was no response from the frozen IAM.
They followed his line of sight, eyes drifting up to the sculpted beams that jutted out above the entrance—The overhang supported by thick pillars carved with the names of past Student Council members.
Reuel came up beside him, his eyes narrowing as he squinted at the gold script.
"Good idea," he said casually. "His name should be up there, right? One of the more recent ones."
He squinted at the plaque, mouthing the names one by one. "Let's see… uh… not this guy… not her… ooh, here we go!" He jabbed his finger toward the most recent line. "The last one. Says here his name was 'Raj.'"
Reuel tilted his head. "I wonder what he was like to command that much respect from someone like Blaze. Think he had six arms and two heads? Or maybe he was, like, twenty feet tall or something."
Henry and Yohan joined them, looking up at the name. IAM still hadn't moved.
Then, without warning, IAM let out a low chuckle. It slipped out from his throat, almost like he didn't mean for it to.
It was small at first. Almost like a cough. Then it grew louder, rising into a short burst of laughter. He raised an arm, covering the lower half of his face with his forearm, his shoulders trembling slightly—not with amusement exactly, but something else. Something less clear.
Then, just as suddenly, he stopped.
The laughter vanished. He took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and lowered his arm. His face was composed again.
"Let's go," he said simply, already turning away from the plaque.
Reuel blinked, exchanging a look with the others before jogging a few steps to catch up. "Okay… but what was that about?" he asked, clearly fishing.
IAM didn't stop walking. "It's nothing," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I just… remembered something."
Reuel narrowed his eyes and made a face, dramatically imitating his voice. "Oh, look at me. I'm IAM. I'm always 'remembering something,' but I'm not gonna tell my friends because I'm IAM and I don't tell people anything."
IAM glanced sideways at him. "Oh really? Since you're so open, why don't you go first and tell us something about yourself?"
Reuel puffed out his chest. "Psh. That's easy. I'm handsome, funny, smart, sexy, hot, cute, kind, loving, attractive, super-duper tall with a six-pack…" He paused "Did I say handsome, funny, smart, sexy, hot, cute, kind, loving, attractive, super-duper tall with a six-pack? Because I almost forgot pretty."
"You're so annoying," IAM muttered as they reached the school's parking area.
"I try," Reuel replied with a wink.
They weaved between rows of sleek, academy-issued mini cars. It was quiet out here now—just the hum of distant lights and the soft crunch of gravel under their shoes.
The night air was cool, brushing gently against their skin, almost enough to wash off the chaos of the day... Not really.
Reuel, of course, was still grinning, completely unfazed. "You say that, but I know deep down I bring joy into your life."
IAM gave him a deadpan look.
They stopped in front of a mini car.
"Let's take this one," Reuel said, tapping the hood. "You know, something we hopefully won't be using to crash into a fellow student..."
"…Maybe," IAM muttered under his breath.
The ride back to the dorms was surprisingly quiet. They talked a little—mostly jokes, a few more theories about the mysterious Raj but no one focused too much on it.
They returned to the dorms in one piece, if a little tired.
Reuel yawned so hard it looked like his insides was trying to escape. "That was the most dramatic tea break of my life," he muttered, stretching both arms over his head.
"You say that like you've had more than one," Henry replied.
"I've had at least three," Reuel said. "And two of them involved yelling."
IAM said nothing as he opened the dorm door.
After tending to the scrapes and bruises they hadn't had time to acknowledge earlier, they tossed off their uniforms and changed into looser clothes. Yohan found some leftover food and tossed it on the table, and they all grabbed whatever their hands could reach. IAM took a bite, though his thoughts seemed distant.
Eventually, Henry stood, stretched, and yawned. "Alright. I'm heading to my dorm."
Reuel gave him a thumbs-up. "Goodbye little bumpkin. "
Henry didn't respond—he was already halfway out the door.
The remaining boys lingered for a few minutes, then turned off the lights and got ready for bed. They muttered their goodnights and, one by one, drifted off to sleep.
…
Somewhere around midnight, IAM's eyes snapped open.
There was no sudden noise. Nothing to disturb him. But he was awake. Instantly.
For a moment, he simply lay there, staring at the ceiling. The moonlight leaked through the blinds, striping the floor in pale blue. He was listening. Reuel was snoring quietly—his mouth open and leg dangling off the bed. Yohan was curled into a tight ball, blanket over his head.
Then he slowly sat up.
IAM swung his legs off the bed and moved carefully and silently.
He grabbed a hoodie off the back of his chair and pulled it over his head. Then slipped into a pair of dark trousers and laced up his shoes.
He opened the door with care, easing it just enough to slide out, he looked back—just once—to make sure they were still asleep. Then gently shut it behind him.
The hallway outside was empty.
IAM didn't look back.
He just started walking.