Author's Preface
HUXLEE
2:01 PM
I stand in front of the ladies' restroom, my stomach twisting with nerves as I stare at the closed door. My palms feel damp, and I wipe them against my skirt, trying to calm myself down. This is probably the strangest thing I have ever agreed to do.
The others already tell me that I don't actually have to talk to anyone for the rumor to spread. As long as someone overhears what I say, they'll do the rest for us. That's the entire plan. We just have to let curiosity and gossip do all the work.
I really hope this works.
Taking one last deep breath, I push the restroom door open. The scent of perfume and cosmetics immediately fills the air. A few girls are standing in front of the mirrors, touching up their makeup and fixing their hair while chatting among themselves. They look familiar. After a second, I recognize them as Signy's friends.
Thankfully, Signy isn't with them.
The moment one of them notices me staring, the others glance in my direction as well. My heart skips a beat. I quickly look away before they can think I'm watching them and head straight into one of the empty cubicles.
As soon as I lock the door behind me, I sit on the closed toilet lid and pull my phone out of my skirt pocket. My hands are trembling slightly as I unlock the screen. I don't actually call anyone. Instead, I press the phone against my ear and pretend someone answers.
"Hello, Ciela," I say loudly enough for my voice to carry beyond the cubicle walls, even though no one is really on the other end.
"What did you send me? Why would you send something like that?... What if the admin sees it?... What do you mean, 'what?' You sent your nudes to me. Not just one—three of them. What if someone goes through my things and finds them?"
I pause for a moment as if listening to her response before letting out an irritated sigh.
"Never mind. Talking to you is useless. I'm hanging up."
I lower my phone and stare at the blank screen.
That should be enough.
After clearing my throat, I flush the toilet to make everything sound convincing before unlocking the stall and stepping outside. The girls are still gathered in front of the mirrors, but now they're all looking at me through the reflection instead of focusing on themselves.
I pretend not to notice.
Keeping my head lowered, I quietly leave the restroom without saying a word. Before walking away, I casually let the AI-generated fake nude photo of Ciela slip from my hand, allowing it to fall onto the floor as though someone accidentally dropped it.
They definitely hear me... right? I speak loudly on purpose. There is no way they miss it.
Just to be sure, I don't walk away immediately. Instead, I remain outside the restroom door, standing close enough to hear the voices coming from inside.
"Did you hear that?"
“Yeah, disgusting!”
"What if they're together?"
"You mean... like, dating?"
"Yeah. They're always together anyway. And Ciela sent nude pictures to her."
"Oh my gosh. They're both disgusting."
“Wait, what is that?”
“Damn. Isn’t it this Ciela?”
“Holy fuck. It's a nude photo of her! That idiot nerd must've accidentally dropped it here.”
My eyes widen.
It worked!
Before anyone can walk out and catch me standing there, I hurry away from the restroom and practically run across the campus toward the garden. By the time I reach it, my chest is rising and falling rapidly, and I have to bend over slightly to catch my breath.
Ciela and Cyprus still aren't back. They're probably still carrying out their own parts of the plan.
Out of all our missions, mine is supposed to be the easiest. I don't have to sneak anywhere or convince anyone of anything. I just have to pretend to have a phone call. But somehow, it feels like the hardest one.
A few more minutes pass, but Ciela and Cyprus still don't return. As I wait, the conversation I overhear outside the restroom keeps replaying in my head over and over again. They actually think Ciela and I are dating. How do they even come to that conclusion? Just because we're always together?
My face grows hotter the more I think about it. I can't believe they jump to something so ridiculous after overhearing one fake phone call. Even though I know the rumor is part of our plan, I still feel embarrassed imagining people around school believing it.
“Huxlee!”
I immediately lift my head at the sound of someone calling my name. My eyes wander around the waiting area until they land on Ciela, who is enthusiastically waving both hands at me. A smile spreads across my face as I stand from my seat and wave back before she makes her way over.
“How are you?” she asks the moment she drops into the chair across from me. She leans forward with an eager grin, resting her elbows on the table. “Did everything go well? You came back first.”
I shrug casually, although I can't help feeling a little proud of myself.
“I think it went pretty well on my end,” I answer. “At least nothing unexpected happened.”
She nods thoughtfully before lowering her voice. “Do you think the rumor will actually reach the admin?”
I purse my lips for a moment, considering the question. “I hope so. Someone has to tell them eventually,” I reply then I tilt my head with a curious smile. “What about you? Are you already done?”
“Of course.” She flips her hair over one shoulder with exaggerated confidence. “That was easy peasy for someone like me.”
I narrow my eyes at her suspiciously, unable to resist teasing her. “Really? Are you sure your task wasn't about marijuana or selling drugs?”
Her eyes widen before she bursts into laughter, nearly doubling over in her chair. “What?” she says between laughs. “I'm only a troublemaker. I don't deal drugs.”
A laugh escapes me as I raise both hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. I believe you.”
After spending a few more minutes chatting with Ciela, Cyprus finally returns.
“There you are,” Ciela says as soon as she notices him. “How did it go?”
He slips one hand into his pocket and gives us a small nod. “It's done.”
I instinctively look him over, but my attention immediately catches on the thin streak of blood staining the corner of his lip.
My brows knit together. “What happened to you?”
“Huh?” He blinks in confusion before absentmindedly touching his face.
“The blood,” I say, pointing toward his mouth. “Why is there blood on your lip?”
A knot of worry forms in my stomach.
Did he get into a fight before coming back here?
Instead of looking concerned, a playful grin slowly spreads across his face. “So...” he says, raising an eyebrow. “You're worried about me now?”
Before I can answer, Ciela reaches over and smacks him hard across the back. “Quit flirting and answer the question.”
“Ow!” Cyprus winces dramatically as he rubs the spot she hit. “That actually hurt!”
He lets out an exaggerated sigh before turning back to me. “It's nothing, really. I just slipped on the stairs.” He shrugs as if it's the most ordinary thing in the world. “Don't worry about me.”
“Bullshit,” Ciela says without missing a beat, rolling her eyes so hard it's almost impressive. “Do you seriously think we're dumb enough to believe that?”
I let out a quiet sigh. “If he doesn't want to tell us, let's just leave it alone.” I look back at him, still unconvinced by his excuse but deciding not to push any further. “More importantly... were you able to finish your task?”
The teasing expression fades from his face, replaced by a warm, reassuring smile. “Yeah, of course I did,” he answers confidently.
For some reason, I immediately look away.
Now, all that's left for us to do is wait.
The AI-generated photos we planted as bait are already out there. Now, all we can do is wait and hope that whoever receives them reports them to the admin. If that happens, it'll confirm what we've been suspecting—that someone is secretly feeding the admin confidential information about the students.
It would also prove that the admin doesn't actually know everyone's secrets firsthand. They're simply spreading rumors that someone else has handed to them. The real threat isn't just the anonymous admin behind the group chat, but also the people around us who know someone else's secrets and are willing to betray that trust. Anyone could be the source. Anyone could be leaking private information behind everyone's backs.