HUXLEE
Monday, 7:53 AM
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
The sharp, repetitive sound of notifications pierces through the quiet of my room, bouncing off the walls like it has something urgent to prove. I pause mid-motion, one arm halfway through my bag strap, and stare at my phone lying face down on my desk. It buzzes again, louder this time, almost impatient.
“Who’s spamming me this early?” I mutter under my breath.
I don’t have time for this. I’m already running late.
I grab a handful of notebooks and shove them into my bag, my movements rushed and clumsy. My uniform shirt is slightly wrinkled, my hair barely fixed, and I haven’t even finished my breakfast. Typical Monday chaos. I glance at the clock hanging above my door.
7:54 AM.
Great. Just great.
“I’m so dead,” I whisper, slinging my bag over my shoulder. If I don’t leave now, I’ll definitely miss the first bell—and with my luck, it’ll be the one day our teacher actually decides to be strict.
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
The notifications don’t stop. Whoever it is clearly has no intention of giving up.
“Fine,” I sigh, grabbing my phone off the desk as I head for the door. “You win. I’ll check you later.”
I slip my phone into my pocket and rush out of the house, locking the door behind me as I step into the morning air. The sunlight is already bright, casting long shadows across the street, and the faint hum of passing vehicles fills the neighborhood.
I barely take two steps outside the gate when a blue car suddenly pulls up in front of me, making me stop in my tracks.
The window rolls down.
“Huxlee! Let’s go to campus together!”
I blink, then smile almost instantly. “Ciela?”
There she is—leaning slightly toward the open window, her short curly hair bouncing with the movement, her confident grin as bright as ever. She always looks effortlessly cool, like she walks straight out of a magazine, but anyone who knows her well would say the same thing: she’s all attitude on the outside, but one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.
“Need a ride?” she adds, raising an eyebrow playfully.
I don’t even hesitate. “May I?”
“Of course,” she laughs.
I hurry around the car and climb into the passenger seat, dropping my bag by my feet as I settle in. The inside of the car smells faintly like vanilla and something citrusy—probably her perfume.
“You just saved my life,” I say, fastening my seatbelt.
“I know,” she replies smugly, starting the engine. “You owe me.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t help smiling. “Yeah, yeah.”
The car pulls away smoothly from the curb, and Ciela turns on the music so the silence won’t make the ride feel longer than it already is.
Soon, the car fills with a familiar upbeat song, and without thinking, we start singing along—off—key, a little too loud, but laughing anyway like we always do. Then my phone chimes again.
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
I groan softly and pull out my phone.
“You have a lot of fans, huh?” Ciela teases, glancing at me briefly before returning her eyes to the road.
“Ah, no,” I say, shaking my head. “Someone’s just spamming me.”
“Maybe someone has a crush on you.”
I let out a small laugh. “No. That’s… impossible.”
She smirks. “Nothing’s impossible.”
I don’t respond. Instead, I unlock my phone, my curiosity finally getting the better of me.
And that’s when I see it.
An unknown group chat.
My brows furrow. “What is this?”
“What?” Ciela asks, noticing the shift in my tone.
Before I can answer, her phone chimes too.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
She frowns. “Wow… that’s a lot of messages.” She hesitates, then speaks again. “Do you mind if I stop for a moment? I’ll just check. I’ve never gotten this many notifications before—it might be something important.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay.”
She nods and pulls the car over to the side of the road, shifting it into park before grabbing her phone.
For a few seconds, the only sound inside the car is the faint ticking of the engine and the occasional passing vehicle.
“What is this?” she mutters, her brows knitting together as she stares at her screen.
I straighten in my seat, suddenly alert. “What’s wrong?”
Her eyes move quickly, scanning whatever she’s reading. “Someone added me to a group chat.”
“Huh?” I turn to her, my grip tightening slightly around my phone. “You got added too?”
She glances at me, clearly unsettled. “Who’s pranking us?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice quieter now.
“Probably some asshole,” she mutters under her breath.
I scroll through the group chat, my confusion growing with every swipe. There are so many members—more than I can recognize at a glance. Names I know, names I don’t, all crammed into one conversation that seems to be exploding with activity.
“What the… there are a lot of people here,” I say.
“Let’s just leave,” Ciela suggests quickly.
“Yeah.”
We both tap the leave button almost at the same time. Then a message pops up instantly.
Admin approval required.
“What the hell?” Ciela says, her voice rising. “Why do we need the admin’s approval to leave?”
I stare at the screen, feeling a strange unease creep in. “That’s… weird.”
“Let’s just ignore it,” I say after a moment, trying to brush it off. “It’s probably just a harmless prank.”
She sighs, leaning back against her seat. “Yeah… It just wastes our time. My gosh, we’re really late.”
I check the time.
8:10 AM.
“Definitely late,” I agree.
She restarts the engine, and the car eases back onto the road. A second later, the music fills the silence again, like nothing strange has happened at all. Ciela turns the volume up a little, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel as she sings along. I can’t help but laugh, the two of us vibing as our voices mix with the music while we cruise down the road on our way to school.
The rest of the drive passes quicker than usual, like time decides to skip ahead without asking. One minute we’re stuck in traffic, the next we’re already turning into the school gate.
There are only a few students left outside, most of them already hurrying through the entrance. Classes have definitely started.
“Yep,” Ciela mutters, slowing the car. “We’re late.”
“No surprise there,” I say, sighing.
She pulls over near the gate, the engine humming softly before coming to a stop. I reach for my bag, ready to jump out when my phone buzzes again.
Ting.
I step out, slinging my bag over my shoulder as I unlock my phone.
What is it this time? Another member the admin adds?
What is the admin even trying to do with us anyway? Is there some event at school coming up—maybe a surprise birthday or something—and we’re supposed to be part of it?
From: Unknown
Guess who it is?
Another message from the same sender appears, this time containing a video. I hesitate for only a moment before pressing play.
Ting.
At first, it’s just blurry movement—like the camera is held too close or too shakily. The lighting is dim, like it’s recorded somewhere private or hidden. My eyes adjust slowly, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.
Then the figures come into focus.
A girl and a guy.
Their faces are covered with stickers, as if the admin has edited them out on purpose.
The guy isn’t wearing a shirt, while the girl still has hers on, but the situation feels… intimate. Too intimate. The kind of moment that clearly isn’t meant for anyone else to see.
I feel my breath hitch.
“Oh my—” I quickly cover my mouth, my eyes widening as realization hits me like a sudden drop.
Beside me, I hear the car door shut.
Ciela leans closer without saying anything, her eyes locking onto my screen. I don’t even realize she’s watching too.
Then she reacts instantly.
“Ew—what is that?!” she exclaims, stepping back slightly. “Is that from the group chat?”
I nod.
“Gross!” she says, recoiling slightly. “Who could it be?”
I don’t answer, because I think I know—or at least, I have a sinking suspicion, and somehow that makes everything worse.
My grip on my phone tightens as I stare at the screen. Even the background feels disturbingly familiar, like something I’ve seen before but can’t quite place. The realization lingers at the edge of my mind, but I can’t bring myself to say anything.
From: Unknown
I’ll give you until midnight to come out and introduce yourself.
My chest feels tight.
Another message from the unknown sender pops up.
“I know that you’re watching this now. So if you are the one in the video… confess, or I’ll release it uncensored.”
“What the hell?!” Ciela snaps, her voice loud enough to draw attention.
I glance around, and the usual noise at the school entrance seems to dull as I notice students nearby staring at their phones, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock and disbelief, while whispers spread quietly among them.
“Who the fuck is this lunatic?!” Ciela shouts, turning in a slow circle as if expecting the person behind it all to suddenly appear.
Everyone around us looks just as confused—just as disturbed—as we are.
I swallow hard, my gaze drifting back to my screen.
Who is the admin… and where do they even get that video?