(Jayjay's POV)
Monday morning came with a mix of normal chatter and sleepy faces in Section E. Everyone was half-dozing while waiting for Mr. Alvin, our homeroom teacher.
I sat beside Keifer, quietly scrolling through my notes, when suddenly —
Click.
The classroom door opened.
Everyone turned.
And there she was.
Valerie — standing at the entrance in her new Section E uniform, smiling like she owned the room.
I swear my jaw dropped.
Even Ciel's eyes widened.
But the best part?
Keifer's expression.
He blinked once. Twice. Then froze.
Valerie caught his gaze, then slowly gave him that smug, knowing smile — the one that clearly said, "I told you so."
Keifer leaned closer to me and whispered under his breath, "You've got to be kidding me."
I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
Valerie waved politely, her voice light and cheerful.
"Good morning! I'm the new transfer student — Valerie Kang."
The boys from the back started murmuring.
David leaned over to Yuri. "Bro… didn't Keifer literally say no one can just join Section E?"
Yuri nodded. "Yeah, and she just did."
Valerie, pretending not to notice the chaos, gracefully walked straight to Adrian's desk.
She winked at Ciel on the way.
Then she pulled out a chair beside Adrian and sat down like she'd been there forever.
I exhaled, muttering quietly to Keifer, "Guess Section E just got even more unpredictable."
Keifer sighed. "Guess so."
(Adrian's POV)
When Valerie stepped into the classroom, my heart stopped for a second.
She looked completely different in the Section E uniform — confident, radiant, and still very much Valerie.
As soon as she walked up to me and sat down, I blinked in disbelief.
"You actually made it in?" I whispered.
She smirked. "네, 놀랐지?" (Ne, nollatji? — Yeah, surprised?)
I leaned closer, still in shock.
"어떻게 했어?" (Eotteoke haesseo? — How did you do it?)
She leaned back casually and smiled.
"우리 아빠가 했어." (Uri appaga haesseo. — My dad did it.)
I stared at her. "...너 장난이지?" (Neo jangnaniji? — You're joking, right?)
She just grinned wider.
"아니, 진짜야. 아빠가 교장선생님이랑 이야기했어." (Ani, jinjaya. Appaga gyohang seonsaengnimirang iyagihesseo. — Nope, it's true. My dad talked to the principal.)
I sighed. "You know Keifer hasn't accepted you being here yet, right?"
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
"그는 결국 받아들일 거야." (Geuneun gyeolguk badadeuril geoya. — He'll accept it eventually.)
I chuckled. "Still the same confident Valerie."
"당연하지." (Dangyeonhaji. — Of course.)
Just then, Mr. Alvin entered the room, carrying a few books and looking as serious as ever.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down. Let's welcome our new student, Ms. Kang Valerie. She'll be joining Section E starting today."
The class broke into a mix of claps, whispers, and side-eyes.
Valerie bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir."
As class began, she flipped open her notebook, completely focused.
Even though the lecture was in English, she followed along easily, nodding at every point.
I found myself glancing at her from time to time — her notes neat, handwriting perfect, and her calm smile still the same as when we were kids.
I sighed quietly and leaned back in my chair.
Great. Valerie's really here. Ciel's thrilled, the class is in chaos, Keifer's confused, and Jayjay… she probably didn't see this coming either.
He shook his head slightly, hiding a small smile.
This year just got a whole lot more complicated.