Chapter 11: The riddle and the brown hair girl?

Chapter 11: The riddle and the brown hair girl?

Current time — 7:03 a.m. The philosophy teacher, Miss Sophie Laurent, was absent due to a hospital checkup. Mr. William Vhuc will be substituting for today schedule.

As the class began, Cain tried to pay attention—but he couldn't. The professor was already writing on the whiteboard, chalk tapping in short, sharp strokes. Students opened their notebooks. Pages turned. Pens began to move.

"Today, we're examining how the technological innovation of the telephone transformed society in the late nineteenth century," the professor said, his tone steady and professional. "Please take note of the timeline displayed on the board."

Cain didn't move.

His mind kept going back to the riddle.

"I have a neck but no head, and I wear a cap but have no hair. I am often visited at night when people want to relax. What number am I?"

He repeated it over and over, but the answer would not come. It only left him more confused.

"I can't understand it, and I have no idea what it means." he thought, frustration building inside him. "Why can't that clown just explain it clearly instead of turning it into a riddle? What does it even mean? And what are those black dogs supposed to represent?"

He slowly rested his chin on his palm, elbow pressed against the desk. His fingers curled against his cheek. He stared straight at the whiteboard. Lines of text covered it. Dates. Words. Explanations.

"In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the first practical telephone," the professor continued, underlining the year with a firm stroke. "This marked a turning point in human communication. For the first time, voices could travel across vast distances almost instantly. Consider what that meant for business, governance, even personal relationships."

He paused briefly.

"Technological breakthroughs do not occur in isolation. They are responses to societal needs. Always ask yourselves—what problem was this invention solving?"

He blinked once.

Twice.

"Please make sure you understand this concept," he added. "It will appear in your quiz next week."

But he wasn't really reading anything.

The letters blurred into meaningless shapes. The whiteboard pen squeaked again as the professor underlined something important. A few students nodded and wrote it down quickly.

Cain didn't write a single word.

His eyes stayed forward. His body sat in the classroom, but his thoughts were somewhere else—still trapped in that riddle.

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Inside his mind, the questions wouldn't stop bothering him.

As the first class went on, Teacher William noticed Cain staring blankly. He stopped writing on the whiteboard and turned toward him.

"Hey, Mr. Cain! Mr. Cain! Student Cain!! Are you even listening?"

Cain snapped out of his thoughts without thinking. "Yes, sir. I'm listening."

Teacher William's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp and frustrated. "Then tell me—who invented the telephone, the one I've been discussing seens earlier?"

Cain's heart raced. The classroom seemed to shrink around him as all eyes turned his way. Teacher William's expression was stern, his patience clearly wearing thin.

"Newton," Cain said.

The classroom erupted in laughter. Even Eliza couldn't help but chuckle, though she quickly composed herself and spoke with a hint of noble disdain.

"What are you daydreaming about, Cain? Thinking of your commoner problems again? Is it… money?"

The other students couldn't resist chiming.

- what an idiot haha

- how did you even graduate elementary?

- haha it's washington

- …another idiot

- this is embarrassing… sitting next to someone dumber than the commoner.

Cain's face turned red.

"What? He didn't discover the phone? I thought he was the greatest scientist in history!"

Teacher William shook his head slowly, trying to maintain his composure. "That is correct. He is considered one of the greatest scientists to have ever lived. He discovered the laws of motion, force and gravity—but not the telephone. This is a lesson, Mr. Cain. Listen carefully during my lectures, or you will find yourself in my office."

After Professor William's class concluded, the next instructors arrived, introduced themselves, and commenced their lessons. Daniel Fischer took the lead in Mathematics, while Lucas Martin guided the Environmental Science session. At last, The day's lessons came to an end at 11:30 a.m.

Cain didn't waste any time and had already gone up to the rooftop to eat his lunch.

"Ahhh, finally I can eat… hmm, she's here," he muttered, noticing the girl with black hair in the distance, eating. "She really looks like she stepped straight out of a novel."

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered—it was Tuesday. He had PE class at 2 PM.

"Oh right… PE class at 12," he said to himself.

He returned to the classroom, then went to his locker to grab the PE uniform the school had already provided. "Ohhh, this all looks comfortable and seems to be made of high quality. The size is just right too—exactly what you'd expect from a school full rich brats." After changing, he headed to the gymnasium.

Walking down the hallway to go outside, he couldn't help to still think about the riddle—but then his eyes caught sight of the parking lot outside. Rows of black, white and other color of luxury cars under the sunlight.

"Wait… wasn't there a black carriage mentioned in the riddle? And in the past, a carriage was considered something only used by the rich, like nobles. Since carriages are rare, especially in places like this, does that mean it's a luxury car today? But… how would I know which one it is? There must be almost a hundred black luxury cars parked here," he thought, frowning in confusion.

Then, as Cain stepped outside toward the gymnasium, he noticed a girl walking with her friends. She had this golden retriever-like charm—bright, friendly, and impossibly cute. His pace slowed, and for a moment, he just stared. The wind caught her hair, warm brown strands swaying gently in the sunlight. Similar to the girl in his dream.

Some papers slipped from her hands and fluttered to the ground right in front of him. Cain's heart skipped a beat. He bent down quickly, fumbling with the stack, his fingers awkwardly knocking a few more sheets loose.

"Oh—uh, here… you go," he stammered, holding them out, trying to look casual but failing miserably.

The girl turned, smiling warmly at him. "Thank you so much," she said, her voice soft and melodic. Her eyes were the color of honey, warm and bright, and her smile made Cain's heart thump harder.

"I—I mean, no problem," Cain muttered, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I just… uh, saw them fall and—well, I thought I should—uh, pick them up for you."

She giggled lightly, a sound that made him stumble over his words even more. "That's very kind of you."