"Now, I will be dividing the class into two groups… *True* and *False*. You will not be switching sides, and I will personally assign them based on previous academic and psychological profiling."
With one dramatic swipe, the smartboard lit up behind her:
*CLASS 4A DEBATE ASSIGNMENT*
*GROUP A (Supporting Statement: 'Silence Can Be Justified in Pursuit of Power')*
- Chaoi
- Yeon
- Ria
- Sato
- Blue
- Katherine
- Damion
- Nao
- Nathan
- Tashiba
*GROUP B (Opposing Statement: 'Silence is Complicity and Can Never Be Justified')*
- Viki
- Takumi
- Kaze
- Lucy
- Konan
- Jiuen
- Quinn
- Kim Joon
- Ryan
- Yanami
"The debate will take place during our *academic trip* to the west campus grounds in two days—*Monday*. It will be your first full-scale field debate under the school's new W.W.M criteria. You'll be scored by the panel and recorded for internal review. This counts heavily towards your final records."The screen now displayed bold words:
*"CLASS 4A INTELLECTUAL DECIDAL — DEBATE SHOWCASE"*
Miss Elira gathered her things. "Take this seriously. It's no longer just about school pride. You're being watched."
"What the hell Is this?"
Viki said almost shouting.
She walked toward the door without acknowledging the growing murmurs behind her.
"Wait—what? You didn't hear me?" Viki's voice sharpened like a blade. "I said, why the hell am I not in the same group as Nathan?!"
No response.
Miss Elira exited calmly.
Viki's eyes narrowed into slits. "Did that *bitch* just ignore me?"
Jaw tightening as murmurs spread like wildfire.
—
"She's in Nathan's team?" one girl whispered.
"Oh my god, so lucky. Imagine spending three days with him in the same group..." another swooned.
Nathan, who had been casually scrolling through his phone the entire time, suddenly felt a dozen eyes crawl onto him. He looked up, his face blank.
He sighed and leaned back. "Why is it always like this..."
—
*Club Room 4 — Celestrix*
Ria skipped beside Nao, nudging her with a grin. "We're in the same team! Hehe"
Nao offered a soft smile… but her mind had started racing.
Something about Ria's reaction, her phrasing—too familiar.
Suddenly, like static in her head—*Michelle.*She remembered the look Michelle gave her the last time they met—fear masked with calm.
"F**k."
She snatched her phone and quickly dialed.
Ria blinked. "Uh… everything okay?"
Nao didn't answer.
*"The number you dialed is switched off."*
"Damn it," she muttered, fingers flying across her screen as she typed:
*—Hey Michelle. Call me when you're free. It's important.—*
Ria watched silently as Nao slowly lowered the phone.
"I checked on Mom recently... so she's just fine," Nao thought to herself, but even her internal reassurance didn't soothe the storm rising in her gut.
—
*Elsewhere — Floor 7, Imperial Restricted Wing*
A dim lamp cast long shadows over the sleek mahogany table. The silence was almost holy, except for the quiet drip of condensation on glass.
"She's been taken in by the top cell. No leaks," a man said from the shadows, his voice like gravel against silk.
"Good," replied a colder, smoother voice—Mr. Williams, swirling a glass of amber liquor. "That should keep her still… until the competition ends."
He stood, eyes reflecting nothing but calculation.
"For now," he continued, "keep an eye on *my son*. If he starts getting too involved, eliminate the noise around him."
"Yes, sir," the man bowed, his face never leaving the dark.
---
*CLASS 4A – Lunch Break*
The energy in the room was light and buzzing, laughter echoing through the class as students clustered around in their usual cliques.
Nao sat at the edge of a group of girls chatting animatedly, the sun from the large glass windows casting soft patterns across the floor. She smiled faintly, amused by their excitement.
"I still can't believe we're finally going on the academic trip," one of the girls, Chaoi, said with a dreamy sigh. "I swear I've had my bag packed since yesterday."
Ria chuckled. "Of course you have, you nerd."
*A pitch of Aside*
"You know, I'm actually not even supposed to be in Class 4," Nao added lightly. "But since I got into *Celestrix* before the class decidal, they moved me here."
~♤~
"Omds, what are you going to wear for the trip?" Katherine asked, twirling her pen between her fingers.
"I don't know... maybe a gown?" Chaoi shrugged, already lost in her imagination.
"Pfft—nah, shorts all the way," Ria grinned confidently. "This trip's gonna be hot *and* competitive."
Everyone turned to Nao.
"What are *you* wearing?" Ria asked with a playful nudge.Nao blinked. "Umm... I'm not sure yet."
Before the conversation could shift, another girl jumped up, eyes sparkling.
"How about shopping?! Like, a full-on *Group A* shopping trip!"
"Ooo yes!" someone echoed.
"Ugh, lucky! I wish I was in Group A," a guy from the side muttered, envy obvious in his tone. "All the girls and the cool kids ended up there."
Ria clapped her hands together. "Perfect idea. Let's go this afternoon!"
"Wait wait—Nathan's coming too, right?" Katherine asked with a mischievous grin.
Blue leaned in, flipping through her planner. "Technically, this is a 'Group A' prep bonding activity. He's supposed to."
They all turned their gaze toward the corner of the room.
Tashiba was already leaning over to Nathan, who sat with one leg on the chair, his phone in his hand, expression unreadable.
"Nathan, you coming too, right?" Tashiba asked casually.
Nathan didn't look up immediately. Then, slowly, his gaze lifted from his phone… directly to Nao.
Nao felt it. A sharp, cold glance like a flick of wind on bare skin.
It wasn't *blank*… it was something else. Something unreadable—like contempt wrapped in confusion. His stare lingered for a moment longer than necessary.
Then he turned away.
"No," he said simply."Awww, that's so sad," Blue pouted dramatically, earning a few chuckles.
Nao, however, sat still.
"Did I… see correctly?" she asked herself, glancing down.
*That look... he looked at me like I was some enemy. Why?*
They hadn't even spoken much since the incident that night.. And yet… that stare felt personal.
Too personal.
Was he mad about something? Or did he—?
No. Nao shook the thought off. But the seed of confusion had already taken root.
"Come on, Nao," Ria tugged her hand. "Let's go to the clubroom. I wanna look up trip styles online before we go shopping!"
"Y-yeah, sure."
Nao stood, but her eyes darted one last time toward Nathan.
He hadn't looked back.
And Nao wasn't sure if it was about her—or something much deeper.
—