HUXLEE
Thursday, 12:26 PM
The afternoon breeze drifts through the garden, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers. Around us, a few students sit beneath the shade of trees, chatting quietly while working on their own assignments. The campus feels unusually peaceful today, a sharp contrast to the rumors and drama constantly spreading through the university.
“Have you heard what happened to Signy and Mr. Gill?” Ciela asks as she carefully glues a cut-out picture onto her bond paper.
Since we share the same professor for one of our subjects, we are working on the same activity that needs to be submitted tomorrow. We have already finished lunch, and instead of returning to our dorms, we decide to stay here in the garden to get some work done. The deadline is still a day away, but finishing early sounds much better than rushing at the last minute.
“Yeah, I heard about it from one of my classmates,” Cyprus replies while cutting images from a magazine. “It's unfortunate.”
I glance at him briefly before looking back at my paper.
He's with us again. At this point, I can't help finding it suspicious. Cyprus doesn't even have the same activity as us, yet he somehow always ends up wherever we are. He claims he just wants company, but part of me feels like he wants something from us. I just can't figure out what it is.
“What happened?” I ask, genuinely curious.
Ciela lets out a long sigh. “Unfortunately, they didn't dismiss Mr. Gill because they said there wasn't enough evidence. They only suspended him for a month. Signy received the same punishment,” she explains.
I immediately stop what I'm doing and stare at her. “But there is evidence. The photos alone should count for something,” I argue.
“They said the photos weren't enough,” Cyprus says. “Apparently, they needed supporting evidence too. Things like messages, conversations, or anything that directly proves what happened.”
I frown.
That doesn't make any sense. Weren't there screenshots of their conversations in the group chat? I clearly remember seeing it there. Didn't Signy show those?
As if reading my thoughts, Ciela continues, “She could have used the screenshots from the group chat, but they were already deleted by the admin before the investigation started. And on top of that, she deleted her private conversations with Mr. Gill herself so nobody would find out about them.”
I slowly lean back against the bench and let out a quiet breath.
“That's unfortunate,” I murmur.
“It really is,” Ciela says. “And honestly, the audacity of that girl is unbelievable. She acted so good that nobody would ever suspect she was someone's mistress and a cheating girlfriend at the same time.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “Maybe I sound harsh, but I think she deserves to be exposed.”
For a moment, silence settles over our small group. The only sounds are the rustling leaves above us and the distant chatter of students passing by.
My fingers absentmindedly trace the edge of a magazine before a thought suddenly enters my mind.
“I wonder how Cleo is doing right now.” The words leave my mouth before I even realize I'm saying them.
Ciela sets the bottle of glue down on the table with a soft thud before turning her full attention to me.
Her eyebrows pull together. "Seriously, girl," she says, staring at me as if I've completely lost my mind. "Why are you so concerned about him? Have you forgotten what he did to you?"
I let out a quiet sigh. "It's not like what you think."
Ciela crosses her arms over her chest. "Then what is it?"
Before I can answer, Cyprus suddenly slides into the conversation. He props an elbow on the table and flashes me a dramatic look.
"You better come up with a good answer, because I'm feeling jealous right now," he says.
I immediately roll my eyes.
Ignoring him completely, I turn back to Ciela. "I just feel bad for him," I explain. "He was used. That's all."
Ciela remains unconvinced, so I continue before she can interrupt.
"I know he was serious about Signy," I say. "You can tell by the way he looked at her. The way he treated her. We all saw it."
Ciela clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "If he was really serious about her, then he shouldn't have done what he did to you," she says firmly.
I don't answer right away because the truth is, she's not wrong. No matter how badly things ended for him, it doesn't erase what happened.
"Don't worry about him," Cyprus says with a grin. "Just care about me instead."
Ciela's expression changes instantly. The calm look on her face disappears, replaced by clear irritation. Without hesitation, she shoves Cyprus in the shoulder hard enough to make him stumble back in his seat.
"Hey!" she snaps. "I told you to leave her alone."
Cyprus raises both hands in surrender, laughing as he leans away from her. "Easy, easy. I was just joking," he says.
"Nobody's laughing."
"I am."
"That's because you're annoying," Ciela retort.
Cyprus places a hand dramatically over his chest as if she's wounded him beyond repair.
I simply smile and continue with the activity, deciding not to dwell on the conversation any longer.
The lunch break is nearly over when the familiar notification sound cuts through the calm atmosphere. My hand freezes mid-motion as I glance at Cyprus and Ciela. They are already staring back at me.
None of us need to check our phones to know where the notification came from. Whenever every student's phone goes off at once, there's only one source—the group chat.
"Who did the admin pick this time?" Ciela asks as she quickly unlocks her phone, curiosity already written all over her face.
"Hopefully it's not me," Cyprus mutters while pulling out his phone. "I'm tired of having a heart attack every time this chat sends something."
I grab my phone as well and open the group chat.
A new video has been posted. The footage is partially censored, making it difficult to identify the person in it. Even so, the room looks strangely familiar.
I narrow my eyes at the screen.
It's the faculty room.
In the video, a hooded figure quietly slips inside the room and glances around as if making sure nobody is watching. The person walks toward a drawer at the back, opens it, and pulls out a stack of papers before quickly leaving.
What exactly did they take?
My answer comes immediately after the video. A new message from the anonymous admin appears beneath it.
“Guess who stole the exam answer keys to become Rank 1 in the entire school?”
So those papers were answer keys. But who stole them?
As soon as I look up from my phone, I find two pairs of eyes staring directly at me.
Are they seriously suspecting me?
"It's not me. I swear!" I blurt out before either of them can say anything.
Cyprus lets out a long breath and scratches the back of his neck. "I know, okay? I know you wouldn't do something like that."
His words are reassuring, but the way he hesitates before saying them makes me narrow my eyes.
"You thought it was me for a second," I say.
"What? No!" he says a little too quickly.
"You absolutely did."
"Only for half a second," he grins.
I glare at him. "That's still suspicion."
Before Cyprus can defend himself, a group of students nearby starts discussing the video among themselves.
"Who do you think it is?"
"Who else could it be?"
"It has to be the student who's always ranked first."
"No way..."
"Are you saying she's not actually smart?"
"What if she's been cheating this whole time?"
"Damn. She keeps getting involved in scandals."
Every word feels like a tiny needle stabbing into my chest.
I lower my head and stare at the grass beneath my feet. Of course. The moment they hear the word Rank 1, everyone's first thought is me.
Ciela immediately turns toward the students, her expression darkening. "Hey! Didn't you hear what she said? She already said it wasn't her!"
The girls exchange glances, then one of them shrugs carelessly. "We'll find out tomorrow when the admin reveals everything."
"What was that supposed to mean?” Ciela's eyes widen in outrage. She rises to her feet so abruptly that the legs scrape against the ground.
My eyes widen in alarm. Before she can take a single step, I quickly reach out and grab her wrist. The determination written across her face makes it obvious that she's ready to storm across the garden and confront them herself.
"Ciela!" I call, a little louder than I intend.
She immediately stops and glances over her shoulder at me. The irritation burning in her eyes hasn't disappeared, but at least she isn't moving anymore.
I slowly shake my head, tightening my grip just enough to keep her from marching away. "Just leave it. I know I didn't do it, and that's enough for me. There's no point wasting our energy arguing with people who've already decided what they want to believe," I say quietly.
For a moment, she simply stares at me. I can practically see the internal battle happening behind her eyes. Part of her clearly wants to ignore my advice and charge straight at the students gossiping about me.
Her jaw clenches, and she lets out an annoyed click of her tongue. "Fine," she mutters at last, pulling her wrist free before dropping back into her seat. "But if tomorrow proves you're innocent, I'm personally walking into their classroom and making them regret opening their mouths."
A laugh nearly slips out of me. Only Ciela would say something like that with complete sincerity.
She crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. "Actually, forget that. I'll cut her tongue out when the truth comes out."
"Please don't commit a crime for me," I say with a small laugh.
A mischievous smirk immediately spreads across her face. "No promises."
I shake my head, trying to suppress another laugh. Somehow, even when she's threatening bodily harm, she manages to make me feel a little better.
Before I can reply, the school bell rings loudly across the campus. The sound echoes through the garden, signaling the end of lunch break.
Around us, students begin standing from their tables, collecting their bags, and making their way back toward their classrooms.
I sling my bag over my shoulder and glance at my phone one last time before the three of us leave the garden.
I can't help but wonder who could be desperate enough to go this far just for a chance to claim the top spot in the entire school and ruin their reputation.